Chapter 411: The Early Visitor

REBECCA’S POV

The following morning, I was awakened by the sound of my phone ringing. I groaned and reached blindly toward the bedside table, wondering who could possibly be calling at such an ungodly hour. I was still feeling sleepy, and the last thing I wanted was to be disturbed so early in the morning.

When I finally managed to open my eyes, I glanced at the clock.

6:03 a.m.

Oh, Moon Goddess.

Who the hell was calling me at six in the morning?

I picked up my phone and immediately sat up when I saw Melvin’s name on the screen.

"Melvin?" I answered sleepily.

"Good morning, Rebecca."

I rubbed my eyes. "Melvin, do you know what time it is?"

"I know. I’m sorry for waking you. Listen, I’m already close to the palace. I’ll be there shortly."

My eyes widened. "What?"

"I’m on my way to Kaden’s palace. Please tell Kaden to inform his border guards to let me in."

I sat up straighter, suddenly wide awake. "Melvin, are you serious? It’s barely six o’clock!"

"I know, Rebecca. I left very early."

I stared at the wall in disbelief. He had actually traveled all this way? Whatever had happened between him and Rola must have been serious if he was willing to leave his kingdom before dawn.

"Melvin, what exactly is going on?"

"Please, we’ll talk when I get there. I should arrive in a few minutes." He paused before adding, "Is Rola still there?"

I frowned. "Yes, as far as I know. She’s probably still sleeping."

"Alright. Thank you."

"Melvin—"

"I’ll see you soon."

The call ended before I could say anything else.

I lowered the phone and stared at it in disbelief. This was getting ridiculous. Melvin had called me several times the previous night, refused to explain why he was looking for Rola, and now he was almost at Kaden’s palace before sunrise.

I quickly got out of bed, freshened up, and changed into a comfortable dress. After brushing my hair, I slipped on my sandals and hurried toward Kaden’s bedroom.

I knocked several times before he finally opened the door. He was wearing a black T-shirt and gray sweatpants, and judging by his sleepy expression, I had clearly woken him up.

"Rebecca?" he called, rubbing his eyes. "What’s wrong?"

"Melvin is coming. He just called me, and he’s already close to the palace."

Kaden frowned and glanced toward the clock inside his bedroom. "At this hour?"

"Exactly!"

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Did he finally tell you what happened?"

"No. He just kept asking whether Rola was still here."

Kaden’s expression became serious. "Alright. I’ll alert the border guards to let him in. Give me a few minutes to get ready, and I’ll meet you downstairs."

I nodded and hurried toward the staircase while Kaden returned to his room to change.

By the time I reached the entrance hall, several guards were already attending to their morning duties. I informed one of them that we were expecting a visitor, then settled onto one of the sofas to wait for Melvin’s arrival.

A few minutes later, Kaden joined me. He had changed into a dark gray shirt and black trousers, although his hair was still slightly disheveled.

"Any word from Melvin?" he asked.

"Not yet."

He nodded and sat beside me. Neither of us spoke much as we waited, although I could tell he was just as curious as I was about Melvin’s unexpected visit.

Eventually, one of the guards approached and bowed.

"Your Majesty, King Melvin has arrived."

I immediately stood up.

"Let him in," Kaden instructed.

The guard hurried away, and a moment later, Melvin entered the palace.

The moment I saw him, I knew something was wrong. He looked exhausted, as though he hadn’t slept properly. His usually neat hair was slightly disheveled, and there was a tension in his expression that I had rarely seen before.

"Melvin!" I called, walking toward him.

He looked at me and managed a faint smile. "Rebecca."

I embraced him, and he briefly wrapped his arms around me before pulling away.

"How are you?" he asked.

"I’m fine, but you don’t look alright. Did you even sleep last night?"

"A little."

I frowned. "Melvin—"

"Where’s Rola?"

I stopped speaking and stared at him.

He had barely arrived, and he was already asking about Rola.

"She’s upstairs," I replied slowly.

"Is she awake?"

"I don’t know. Melvin, what’s going on?"

He glanced toward the staircase instead of answering.

Kaden stepped forward. "Good morning, Melvin."

Melvin turned toward him. "Good morning, Kaden."

Kaden studied his face for a moment. "Rebecca tells me you came all the way here because you wanted to see Rola."

"Yes."

"What happened?"

Melvin sighed. "It’s a personal matter."

Kaden’s eyebrows drew together. "A personal matter?"

"Yes."

Kaden folded his arms across his chest. "Melvin, Rola arrived here last night looking extremely upset. She wouldn’t tell me what happened, and now you’re standing in my palace at six in the morning asking where she is. I think I deserve to know what’s going on."

Melvin looked away briefly. "Nothing serious happened."

"Then why are you here so early?" I asked.

"Rebecca, please. I just need to speak to her."

Something about the way he said it made me pause. There was an urgency in his voice that I couldn’t understand. Melvin had always been calm and composed, even when dealing with difficult situations. But right now, he seemed unusually restless, and it was becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.

Kaden noticed it too.

"Melvin," he said firmly, "what did you do to her?"

Melvin’s head snapped toward him. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me. What did you do to Rola?"

"I didn’t do anything to her."

"Then why did she arrive here looking like she’d been through something terrible?"

Melvin’s jaw tightened. "Kaden, with all due respect, whatever happened is between Rola and me."

Kaden’s expression hardened. "Rola is my girlfriend, Melvin. She came here because she was upset, and she wouldn’t even tell me why. Now you’re telling me it’s none of my business?"

"That’s not what I said."

"Then explain yourself."

Melvin exhaled sharply. "Look, I understand why you’re concerned, but I haven’t harmed Rola. We had a disagreement, that’s all."

"A disagreement?" I repeated.

Melvin glanced at me. "Yes."

"About what?"

He hesitated. "Rebecca, I’d rather not discuss it right now. I need to speak to Rola first."

Kaden shook his head. "Whatever you said to her must have been serious because she was clearly hurt when she arrived here."

Melvin’s expression changed. For the first time since entering the palace, he looked genuinely troubled.

"I know," he said quietly.

I stared at him.

He knew?

"Then perhaps you should have thought about that before upsetting her," Kaden replied.

Melvin looked at him sharply. "Kaden, I’m not here to argue with you. Can I please just speak to her? That’s all I’m asking."

I looked between them, becoming increasingly uncomfortable. Kaden was clearly concerned about Rola, while Melvin seemed determined not to explain himself. If I allowed them to continue, they would probably spend the entire morning arguing without getting anywhere.

"Alright, both of you, that’s enough," I interrupted. "Melvin has already said they had a disagreement. We don’t know what happened, and standing here demanding answers isn’t going to help."

Melvin gave me a grateful look, but I wasn’t finished.

"And you," I added, turning toward him, "need to stop being so mysterious. You’ve been worrying me since last night."

He sighed. "I’m sorry, Rebecca."

I studied his face, trying to understand what he wasn’t telling us. There was something about the way he kept glancing toward the staircase that bothered me. He seemed far more concerned about seeing Rola than explaining himself to either of us.

And for some reason, I couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more to their disagreement than he was willing to admit.

Just then, a voice came from the staircase.

"What are you doing here?"

All three of us turned.

Rola was standing halfway down the stairs, wearing a pale pink nightdress with a matching robe loosely tied around her waist. Her blonde hair was slightly messy, and she looked as though she had only just woken up.

For several seconds, neither of them spoke.

Then Melvin took a step toward the staircase.

"Rola."

She stared at him. "I asked you a question, Melvin. What are you doing here?"

His expression softened immediately. "Can we please talk?"

Rola didn’t answer, and Melvin moved closer, stopping at the bottom of the staircase.

"Please, Rola. Just give me a few minutes."

I watched them silently, noticing how completely Melvin’s behavior had changed. The frustration he’d shown only moments earlier had disappeared, and he was looking at Rola with an expression I couldn’t quite understand.

He looked almost desperate.

"Rola, please," he repeated quietly. "I came all this way because I need to speak to you."

She lowered her gaze for a moment before looking at him again.

Then, to my surprise, she nodded.

"Fine. Come upstairs."

Without another word, she turned and began climbing the stairs, and Melvin immediately followed her.

I stood there, watching them disappear down the corridor. Melvin had barely paid attention to me since arriving, and now he was following Rola upstairs as though speaking to her was the only thing that mattered.

Slowly, I turned toward Kaden.

He was already looking at me, his eyebrows drawn together in confusion.

Neither of us spoke, but judging by the expression on his face, I knew we were both wondering the same thing.

What on earth was going on between Melvin and Rola?