ALL NOVEL Chapter 22:Bridge
When Isabella and Luciana heard King Richard's decision, they looked at each other with anger. Both had expected a harsher punishment and were not satisfied with the outcome. Fiona, on the other hand, felt a slight relief upon hearing the verdict, but this relief was short-lived. She knew this was only the beginning, and real challenges were now beginning.
"I will never forget today's injustice, no matter what!" Isabella thundered angrily.
Despite appearing as someone unable to control herself, she was actually a woman who calculated her every move. She couldn't control her anger only when it came to her child, whom she saw as herself, but now she was trying to keep it in check. After all, any aggressive action she might take could lead to charges of treason and certain execution.
In fact, the last thing she wanted was for me and my mother to be executed for a mistake she made. After all, if Isabella drew her sword and attacked, my mom would attack. And also, she knew that I would do anything to protect Luciana. So she did the wise thing by choosing to control herself and her anger
Fiona's brother, Huykaun, clenched his teeth and looked at his sister with eyes filled with anger. When their eyes met, I saw regret and fear in Fiona's eyes. Yet, deep down, I sensed a spark of her former strength and ambition.
"The Queen's confession and cooperation were important to us," said King Richard. "But it means we need to be more careful to maintain the order of this kingdom and ensure the people's trust." At that moment, I focused my attention on my father.
As my father looked into my eyes, I felt deep disappointment. King Richard had been deeply wounded by Fiona's betrayal, and now he worried about how to protect his sons' future.
However, I wanted to dig deeper into a matter where no one had changed. I knew that Huykaun was the real person behind it, but I didn't want to blame him because he was the third most powerful person after my father and the archmage. The weakest person in this room was me and then my mother. If things got worse, my mother could be hurt. Isabella could protect herself, but in the end, she and her family could not do anything against the Asina army.
But when I looked at my mother next to me, her anger had increased because of this unjust sentence. After trying to assassinate her only son, as well as failing to get the culprit punished, it further enraged him. Indeed, when he looked at Richard with dagger-like eyes, I understood that all the bridges between them had collapsed. Probably the second time tonight that Richard had ruined a relationship with another wife, and both times it was because of Fiona.
Although there was not a strong bond between my mother and Richard, it was strong enough for a marriage. Unfortunately, Richard lost a perfect wife tonight. Of course, divorce from a king was not an option, but in the end, it was clear that they would only be husband and wife on paper.
Frankly, I can't say I have a lot of hatred for my father. After all, like most men, he fell in love with a woman and knew that this love led him to make wrong decisions, but he did not give up on her. I had a similar situation in my previous life, although not to this extent, but of course if that woman had tried to kill my son I would not have been kind to her. Maybe having too many children diminishes the value of children in your eyes, but of course I don't know because I never had children.
But nevertheless, today I could feel that something had broken between Richard and Fiona. It wasn't certain that it wasn't Fiona who killed Isabella's son, or rather caused his death, but it certainly was this time. For now, though, being angry with my father won't change much with my current power.
...for now
But now, I should ensure the safety of my mother, who is the most valuable person in this life. At the moment, she was having difficulty controlling herself and perhaps the effort to control herself was for me. It seemed like she didn't want to go crazy in front of my eyes, but she didn't want to turn a blind eye to this injustice, either. Now the only thing I could do was hold my mother's hand like a scared child. This could calm her down a little.
My mother looked down and her face seemed to calm down a little. She patted my head lightly and then turned to Richard with fierce eyes. "At least I want to be the one who killed him." Said Luciana, breathing hard from her mouth. “Ethan, Please get out of here with Isabella.”
When I heard my mother's instructions, I felt my heart tighten. I did not want to leave my mother in such a situation, but it did not seem right to oppose her. I looked Isabella in the eye, realizing she understood the situation. Isabella gently nodded her head at me, trying to reassure me. "Come on, Ethan," Isabella said, putting her hand on my shoulder. "Let's go out. Your mother needs some time."
I held my mother's hand tightly. After a few seconds, she nodded at me with gentle eyes, then I slowly left her. As the door closed behind me, I continued to feel the weight of the tense atmosphere inside. When we stepped into the corridor, Isabella took a deep breath. "I know how difficult this situation is for you, Ethan," she said. "But you must be strong now. Your mother needs you by her side."
I nodded as I listened to Isabella's words. "I know," I whispered. "But I can't stand my father being so blind. How can't he see Fiona's true face?" Honestly, saying such to learn only Isabella's feelings was great, but there was a great deal of reality in it.
Isabella gave me an empathetic look. "Sometimes people can be blind because of love," she said. "But your duty is to protect your mother and yourself. And when you grow up and fall in love one day, don't let that woman blind you. Remember, Ethan, you must act wisely to survive in this kingdom." She said as he stroked my head gently.
"I know... But as long as you're by my side, I'm sure my job will be much easier, right?" I said with the sweetest smile I could manage.
Isabella looked at me with a warm smile and said, "Don't worry, I'll always be by your side."
Forcing myself to put on another sweet expression, I smiled and asked, "Really?"
"Really!" Isabella said, and she picked me up, calmly walking towards the garden since we were already nearby. Ignoring the agonized screams of a man coming from behind us...