Chapter 80: Fragile Pedestals

Chapter 80: Chapter 80: Fragile Pedestals

"Would you rather dine inside the tavern or on one of the pleasure boats?" Cassiel asked.

"The tavern," Elysia replied without hesitation.

"Very well."

Cassiel glanced at the thoroughly subdued servant.

The man immediately scrambled to make the necessary arrangements.

The moment he entered the tavern, the manager hurried over and whispered anxiously,

"Didn’t I tell you? His Highness is here today! No outsiders are allowed! What are you doing?"

The servant wore a miserable expression.

"Manager... they aren’t outsiders... It’s the Duke and Duchess of Draevenor."

The manager froze.

His face instantly paled.

"The Duke... Duke Cassiel is here?"

He immediately barked at the servants nearby.

"Hurry! Bring out the finest wine and prepare the best dishes at once!"

"Yes, Manager!"

The servant hurried off again.

The manager rubbed his hands together nervously.

The Crown Prince’s visit was already a great honour.

But the Duke of Draevenor...

That was an entirely different matter.

If he could leave a favourable impression on the Duke today, his tavern’s reputation would soar throughout the capital.

Since Cassiel used a wheelchair, the manager thoughtfully arranged a private room on the ground floor.

Bran wheeled him inside while Elysia followed close behind.

Their arrival happened to be witnessed by a young nobleman returning from relieving himself.

Because Cassiel entered first, the young man only caught sight of Elysia as she stepped through the doorway.

He recognized her immediately.

His eyes lit up with excitement.

Without another thought, he hurried back upstairs.

Entering the private room on the second floor, he sidled over to Barek with a grin.

"Barek, guess who I just saw."

Barek was busy flattering the guest of honour, Vaelen, and waved him away impatiently.

"The tavern has been cleared out. Who could you possibly have seen? Stop bothering me."

The young man chuckled.

"I saw Elysia."

His voice wasn’t particularly loud.

Yet everyone at the table heard it.

Barek looked over.

So did Deborah.

Vaelen’s brows drew together almost imperceptibly.

Deborah was the first to react.

She covered her lips in surprise.

"Oh my... could it be Lady Elysia heard that His Highness was here and deliberately followed him?"

Vaelen remained silent.

Deborah sighed softly, "His Highness even reserved the entire lakeside to avoid unnecessary interruptions. Lady Elysia must have relied on her status as the Duchess of Draevenor to force her way in. The poor servants probably didn’t dare stop her."

Vaelen still said nothing.

He hadn’t reserved the lakeside to keep Elysia away.

He had only wanted to avoid unnecessary gossip about meeting Deborah alone.

In truth, Deborah’s appearance wasn’t particularly remarkable.

Compared to Elysia...

She was merely pleasant to look at.

However, she was Alhena, her family background was suitable, and His Majesty had been urging him to spend more time with her.

That was why he had agreed to today’s outing.

What he hadn’t expected was for Barek to bring several friends along.

The lively gathering had left him annoyed from the moment he arrived.

Now that he knew Elysia was here, an unfamiliar feeling of anticipation quietly surfaced in his heart.

He found himself wondering...

Why had she come?

Was she here to see him?

"Your Highness," Barek smiled ingratiatingly.

"Allow me to take a few men and escort her out. She won’t disturb you and my sister."

Vaelen glanced at him.

"You?"

Barek puffed out his chest confidently.

"Elysia has always treated me like an elder brother. If I tell her to leave, she’ll listen."

But Vaelen had no intention of sending Elysia away.

He wanted to see her.

More importantly...

He wanted to know why she had come.

After a brief silence, he said calmly,

"Leave her alone."

Barek looked puzzled.

"Why?"

One of the young noblemen at the table laughed.

"Could it be His Highness is worried she’ll get her feelings hurt?"

Vaelen’s expression darkened instantly.

Barek shot the speaker a warning glare.

"Don’t talk nonsense. His Highness has no feelings for her. Why would he care?"

Vaelen spoke indifferently.

"Whether her feelings are hurt has nothing to do with me. But she is now married to my uncle. If she feels slighted and complains to him, it will only create unnecessary trouble..."

"I have no wish to upset my uncle over such a trivial matter."

Deborah looked at him with understanding.

"Exactly. His Highness and the Duke are uncle and nephew. When His Highness ascends the throne in the future, the Duke will naturally be one of your greatest supporters..."

"Woman can be jealous by nature. It would be a pity if someone outside the family damaged such a precious relationship."

Barek nodded repeatedly.

"That’s exactly why choosing the right wife is so important. If you marry someone like Elysia, your household will never know peace. My sister is different..."

"She’s gentle, virtuous, and understands how to manage a household. She’ll be an excellent wife."

Vaelen neither agreed nor disagreed.

Deborah lowered her eyes shyly, unable to hide the smile at the corners of her lips.

Just then, another young nobleman spoke hesitantly.

"But... wasn’t Lady Elysia’s marriage to the Duke arranged by His Majesty? If that’s the case..."

"Wouldn’t saying she’s unsuitable mean His Majesty made the wrong decision?"

The room instantly fell silent.

Deborah’s smile stiffened.

Vaelen shot the speaker a cold glance.

Realizing he’d misspoken, the young man immediately covered his mouth.

Barek quickly forced a laugh to ease the awkwardness.

"Enough, enough. Let’s stop talking about these things. We’re here to enjoy ourselves."

The atmosphere gradually relaxed once more.

Yet Vaelen found himself glancing toward the doorway from time to time.

Without even realizing it...

His thoughts had already drifted elsewhere.