chapter 2

Chapter: The Whispers of Royalty

The heavy double doors of the audience chamber opened with a synchronized groan from the guards.

Inside, the air was thick with the scent of expensive incense and old traditions.

The King and Queen sat on their thrones, their expressions softening the moment Ria stepped into the light.

“Ria, my dear,” the Queen spoke first, her voice warm and maternal. “Look how much you’ve grown since the winter gala. Come closer.”

“I am honored to greet Your Majesties,” Ria said, sinking into a flawless, deep curtsy.

The King smiled, leaning forward against his hand. “Ria, we were just discussing the upcoming term. The royal tutors are preparing specialized lessons for Lucy and Melvin. Would you like to join their private classes here at the palace?”

The offer was significant. It would elevate her status directly.

Ria’s breath caught slightly in her throat.

She looked at Lucy, who was practically vibrating with excitement, and then she thought of the quiet, stifling nature of the inner palace.

“It is a great honor, Your Majesty,” Ria began, keeping her voice steady, respectful, and firm. “But I must humbly decline.”

The Queen’s eyebrow lifted in mild surprise. “May we know why, child?”

“I am quite comfortable with my current studies and my family's tutors,” Ria replied smoothly. “I fear that changing my routine now would only disrupt my focus.”

The Queen exchanged a long, knowing look with the King before nodding gently. “Very well. It is your choice, after all. We will not force you.”

The moment the doors closed behind them, Lucy dragged Ria down the corridor, her eyes wide.

“Ria… what do you honestly think about my brother?”

Ria froze mid-step, her heart doing a sudden, uncomfortable thud. “…What?”

“You heard me,” Lucy smirked, leaning in close. “You’ve known him since we were children. He’s handsome, he’s the future king, and he clearly has feelings for you. Do you like him?”

Ria felt a nervous sweat break out under her collar. “He is… a good person, Lucy. He is a perfectly fine prince.”

“A perfectly fine prince? That’s it? I knew you liked him!”

“If you already made up your mind, why did you even ask me?” Ria complained, her cheeks flushing pink from frustration.

“I was just confirming!” Lucy laughed loudly, skipping ahead. “Should I tell my mother to start planning? Should I play cupid for you two?”

“Absolutely not! Do not dare say a word to the Queen!”

Lucy’s smile faded into something more serious, her voice dropping. “Well, you can deny it all you want, Ria, but the capital is already talking. The rumor is everywhere.”

Ria stopped walking. “…What rumor?”

“They’re saying the King didn’t invite you to classes for your education,” Lucy said casually, leaning against a marble pillar. “They’re saying you’re already being prepared to be the next Crown Princess.”

The blood drained from Ria’s face, replaced by a deep, hot flush of embarrassment. “What?! Why did no one tell me this?”

“Your parents probably hid the newspapers to keep you from panicking,” Lucy laughed, seeing Ria’s frantic expression. “But it doesn’t matter. It’ll probably become the truth anyway!”

“Lucy!”

Ria chased her down the hallway, her dress rustling loudly as the princess’s laughter echoed off the high stone walls.

Three days later, a heavy black carriage marked with the secondary crest of the Raven family pulled up to Ria’s estate.

The door opened, and a girl with perfectly curled hair and a sharp, calculating gaze stepped down.

“Ria! Oh, look at you, you look wonderful!” Bella cried out, her voice sweet as syrup as she reached out to clasp Ria’s hands.

“Welcome to the capital, cousin,” Ria replied, her tone polite but entirely guarded. “I trust your journey was comfortable?”

They exchanged the usual, superficial pleasantries expected of high-born ladies. But the moment the servants cleared the foyer and they were left entirely alone in the grand hall—

The warmth vanished from Bella’s face.

A cold, mocking smirk pulled at the corner of her lips. “You really haven’t changed at all, my dear cousin. Still trying so hard to be the perfect little doll.”

Ria’s smile turned razor-thin. “And you are exactly as I remember you, Bella.”

Their eyes locked.

A silent, invisible line was drawn across the marble floor.

That afternoon, at the insistence of Ria’s parents, Bella accompanied her to the palace gardens.

While Ria and Lucy were speaking with the head gardener, Bella excused herself, wandering deep into the maze of white rose bushes.

That was when she saw him.

Melvin was walking down the path, the sunlight catching the gold of his hair, his blue eyes distant and beautiful.

Bella’s heart stopped.

The Crown Prince.

She had heard the stories, but seeing him in person was entirely different. He was magnificent.

But then, a dark, venomous thought crept into her mind.

"Why does someone like him have to be tied to Ria? Why does she get everything?"

An unpleasant, sharp glint hardened in Bella’s eyes. The cousin she had despised her entire life was standing in the way of the most beautiful thing she had ever seen.

She smoothed down her skirt, took a deep breath, and stepped out from the roses with a flawless, practiced curtsy.

“Your Highness. It is an absolute honor to meet the light of the kingdom.”

Melvin stopped, looking at her with polite, distant curiosity. “May I ask who you are, my lady?”

“My name is Bella Raven,” she said, tilting her face up to give him her most charming, innocent smile. “I am Ria’s cousin.”

Melvin’s demeanor instantly thawed, a genuine smile breaking across his face. “Oh! Ria’s cousin. The pleasure is mine. I did not know she had family visiting.”

“Yes,” Bella purred, stepping closer. “Ria talks about your brilliance so often during her visits home. I simply had to see it for myself.”

“Does she?” Melvin looked thoroughly amused. “What exactly does she say about me?”

Bella kept the conversation going for nearly twenty minutes, weaving compliments and subtle fabrications so smoothly that Melvin remained entirely engaged.

By the time Ria and Lucy finally found them near the fountains, the two were laughing.

“Brother!” Lucy’s voice cut through the air, sharp and uninviting. “What are you doing here with her?”

Melvin looked up, surprised by his sister’s tone. “We simply ran into each other in the corridor, Lucy. Lady Bella is Ria’s guest, after all.”

Lucy’s eyes narrowed as she looked at Bella’s overly sweet smile. “Right. And what exactly were you talking about for so long?”

“Nothing of consequence,” Melvin replied smoothly, his eyes briefly finding Ria’s. “Just about Ria. She is our common ground, after all.”

Ria stood slightly behind Lucy, her stomach twisting into a tight, uncomfortable knot.

Watching Bella stand so close to Melvin—watching the calculated way her cousin adjusted her posture—stirred something deeply unsettling in her chest.

It wasn't jealousy. It was danger.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***