I was shocked and immobilized by having Niccolo’s face closer to me.
How?
How did I find myself being in his arms? Why did his arms feel like home?
I snapped back when his hand reached me and gently wiped away my tears. “You are crying again…” he said in a distressed tone.
Niccolo’s words had brought me to tears again. “I-I thought you are V-Valerian…” I said through sobbing. “Your tunic… smelled like his scent…” Now that I realized it, it seemed like a perfume he had on it. Or it seemed like the hyacinth flowers were smeared on his clothes.
That ached my heart more since I really expected that it was Valerian.
But… how about my wolf? My wolf whispered that scent came from my mate-from Valerian. And it came from this tavern… I couldn’t be wrong. I was not having hallucinations…
People eating in the tavern looked in our way or, more likely, glared in Niccolo’s direction when they knew a lady was crying. Niccolo felt that but did not panic and gently brought me outside.
“Niccolo…” I let myself be dragged away from the tavern as he brought me to the alleyway.
He fished out a handkerchief and bestowed it to me. “Here.”
I was surprised when his voice softened. I was expecting that he would insult me and that I was being petty for crying over my dead lover, but he did not do that.
He had this sympathy this time. It ached me since his expression seemed like Valerian’s.
I shook that thought away since that was impossible. Hesitant, I accepted it. I faced the wall while wiping the tears from my eyes. I told myself that I wouldn’t cry again, but the scent of hyacinth flowers was easy to make me cry.
“My apologies…” I chuckled as I faced him, unable to make an attitude toward him. It was humiliating that I was acting like this. “I just smelled the scent of Valerian… I just thought that…” I paused when my heart leaped out of my ribcage, seeing the longing in Niccolo’s gaze.
Hold on… Why did he have that emotion again?
“Uh… Niccolo?” I gulped, not liking that another man was looking intently at me.
Niccolo snapped back and cleared his throat. “I… Um…” His emerald green orbs shifted from left to right as his cheeks flamed in embarrassment. “P-Perhaps, you happened to smell that from me. I have… purchased some hyacinth flowers.”
I creased my forehead. “Why would you purchase hyacinth flowers?” I asked suspiciously.
Niccolo looked like he was caught red-handed. “Um… Uh… D-Demetrius ordered me…”
“I see…” Why did he somehow look nervous? Did this man find me intimidating for his good? I inhaled and exhaled before I realized that I was calm now. “Here… I shall return this to you.” I handed out his handkerchief.
Niccolo smiled and shook his head. “No need. It is yours now.”
“No. I only borrowed it… And thank you.” As much as I did not like him, I must be kind enough to return what he lent me. I wanted to return it and recheck the inside of the tavern. I just wanted to see if the scent of hyacinth I only smelled from Valerian was there.
It was impossible that I would get to smell that scent from another man.
There was no such thing as that. Even having a second mate was considered a legend only. It never occurred, but the occurrence was not near null.
“It’s fine. You can have it, my lady.” Niccolo stepped backward.
I frowned a little before I sighed. “Fine…” I turned at the tavern again. “I-I need to go.” I did not wait for him to respond and went in to do what I came for.
I placed my hand on my left chest, looking for that certain scent in that crowded area. However, to no avail, I couldn’t smell it anymore. My wolf did not even react to it. My chest clenched from longing before I stormed out of the tavern.
“Where did it come from?” I muttered, biting my lower lip. I looked up at the blue sky. There was loneliness that succumbed to my whole being. I managed to divert this loneliness I felt for Valerian, but just his familiar scent was enough to crumble all the walls I had built. “Valerian…”
I was teary-eyed when they landed on the promise ring he bestowed on me. No… I must halt crying over him. I did not want to ruin my composure again.
I looked where I had left Niccolo and saw he was no longer there. My eyes darted at the handkerchief he bestowed as I stared at it for a moment before I looked up when I heard footsteps coming in my direction.
“Domi!” It was Natasha who was panting as soon as she saw me. “Did you find who owns that scent?” she asked, looking at me, worried. “Did you cry again?”
“Natasha…” I smiled bitterly, sniffing. I stiffened when I smelled that flower again before I lowered my eyes and saw that Natasha was holding the stem of a hyacinth flower. “Where did you get that?” I inhaled sharply.
Natasha flinched. “Ah, this?” She raised her hand with the flower she was holding. “Um… I happened to pick it up while I was looking for you.”
“Where?” I creased my forehead. “Where did you pick it up?” I did not know why, but my heart was hammering so fast.
Natasha looked at me as if I had grown another head. But still, she answered me, “I saw Lord Andreu, who just arrived at the flower shop and met the young Duke Leveaux there. They just left before I looked for you again.”
“Demetrius?” I asked to confirm. It was a dumb question, but I wanted to say his name.
She nodded. “Before they went to their carriage, Demetrius, who held the bouquet of hyacinth flowers, dropped one of the stems.” She shrugged and bestowed it on me. “Here. I know you like hyacinth flowers. I also heard their conversation that Demetrius’ mother loves hyacinth flowers as you do.” She took my palm and placed the stem on it.
That surprised me. I even had some goosebumps upon knowing that. “Is that so…?” I lowered my eyes, feeling my heart aching for some reason.
“Uh-huh. You know what is bizarre, sister?” I looked up at her and had a question written on my face. Natasha clung to my arm as she ushered me to walk with her. “That poor young man sounded like his mother neglects him.”
“What do you mean?”
We went to our carriage, waiting for us before she could answer me. “Well, I remembered what he said.” She paused and cleared her throat. “‘I know Mother loves this, but when I tried giving her favorite flower, she got mad at me. She never wants me to get involved with her because… I never get to have my father’s features… She hates me because I looked like her instead of my deceased father.'” My eyes widened when she recited it as if she was Demetrius. “That is kind of awful, isn’t it?”
“I-Indeed…” I remained silent and gazed at the flower Natasha had bestowed on me.
For some reason, I felt hurt when I heard that from Natasha. Did it mean that Demetrius had a hard time when he was with his mother?
I could have wished I could meet her to confirm if we looked alike.
What if… his mother was my long-lost sister? Perhaps, a twin sister! That was plausible since having a cognac eye color only runs in the Cantavalle family.
Or something like we looked alike.
As for what Natasha said and mimicked Demetrius’s words, I suddenly felt terrible for him. It looked like his mother was not loving him.
Just like our father, who never loved us… his children.
We had the same awful fate as our parents. We did not deserve to be treated like this.
As for our investigation, my siblings and I tried our best to find out who Demetrius Leveaux was. However, what was uncanny was… we did not get to find any details about his mother’s existence and who his father could be from the Leveaux branch families.
It looked like… Demetrius never existed in the first place and just popped out of nowhere.
Or perhaps, Valerian was excellent at concealing the evidence, so we had difficulty finding more information about his descendant. I was thinking that there might be an intervention of a third party.
Someone like he could put his trust into it.
Someone like Henry…
When we returned to the Cantavalle estate, Natasha and I were flabbergasted when we saw a royal carriage parked in front of the manor. We exchanged glances before we scurried to see what was happening.
My heart was racing so fast as we went inside and happened to hear Papa’s voice in the drawing room.
“W-What do you mean, Your Royal Highness?”
I approached Papa’s henchmen and asked what was happening. He bowed before us. “We are not certain yet, young mistresses. We have not yet learned what is happening inside.”
“You can pick Britanny, Your Royal Highness. She can represent… the House of Cantavalle.”
Natasha creased my forehead. “Represent?” she asked, looking at me.
I shrugged since I also had no idea what was happening right now. I even stroked my chin, thinking if this had happened back in my previous life.
The intervention of Henry… Was there any such event of what would happen that was why he had come here personally and was appointing someone to represent the House of Cantavalle?
Was this about the hunting competition that would be happening this year? If so, why would he come here? Shouldn’t he have relayed it through a royal letter?
Henry never came here in our manor to even do such a thing. I remember that Arthur was appointed to represent the House of Cantavalle.
However, why did I hear Papa mention Britanny’s name?
That bastard… He was leaving me in the shadows when I told him to communicate every move he would make if he were going to bring down our household on his own…
Before I could receive an answer, the door swung open and revealed Henry, who had a bright smile. “Ah, yes. Here you are, Lady Dominixe.”
Natasha and I curtsied before him. “Greetings to the little sun of the Yuanzhong Kingdom, Crown Prince Henricus,” we greeted politely.
Henry nodded, looking amused. Before he could speak, Papa intervened. “Your Royal Highness, please reconsider! My daughter, Britanny, is better to be-”
Henry interrupted him by looking at him with an empty smile. “I have received approval from Father, Marquis Cantavalle. Are you questioning the decision of our Alpha King, hmm?” he asked in a sweet tone with a mix of threatening.
I exchanged glances between them since I was more confused about what was happening. Seeing Papa, who couldn’t utter another word, made me wonder what made him turn to be like that.
“Pardon my intrusion, Your Royal Highness.” I gathered his attention and settled myself beside Papa. “May I know what is happening?”
Henry, who looked tedious and uninterested from Papa’s outburst, turned at me as his lips curled up into a bright smile. “It is a good thing you asked me, Lady Dominixe. I want you to represent your household.”
My eyes widened. “T-To the hunting competition?” I parroted.
“Ah, no, no. That’s not it.” He shook his head. His silver eyes were dancing in mischievousness. For some reason, I was nervous at that.
“Your Royal Highness, Dominixe is already-”
“You will become a Crown Princess candidate,” he revealed, widening my eyes. “In short, if you are lucky to get chosen, you might become my future wife.”
What he said made my blood drain from my body. “Y-Your what…?!” Crown Princess candidate?! His future wife?!