Cillian did not waver as he addressed every one of Yitty's doubts with unwavering certainty. However, Yitty suddenly exploded. "Stop it! What is this archaic nonsense? You think you owe me something because of a misunderstanding?"Am I unwanted by everyone? We're all adults here. It was just a mix-up."The only reason I got mad was because you confused me with someone else. I get it, you're not into me, and guess what? The feeling's mutual."Don't dwell on this, okay? Once it's done, it's done. Trust me, I'm Yitty. I'm not the clingy type. I won't hassle you!"With an icy gaze, Yitty dropped those words like bombs and made to leave. Cillian's heart clenched, and he scrambled to his feet to follow her.However, Yitty, who looked so delicate, spun around and gave him a shove that sent Cillian tumbling onto the bed. He could only watch, wide-eyed, as Yitty grabbed her purse and walked out.Stepping out of the hotel, Yitty's head was still pounding with a nagging pain."Damn it!" sh
Watching Caleb fret and fume, Cillian sighed and said, "It's not what you think, Caleb. The Charleston royals have been nothing but kind to us. It's just that I, uh, kind of ended up sleeping with a woman..."Cillian's face was the picture of regret, but Caleb nearly spat out his drink.What! Slept with a woman? His little brother Cillian, the golden boy, actually slept with a woman? That was more jaw-dropping than ticking off the king of Charleston! "Spill it, man. What the heck happened?"Caleb leaned in, his eyes sparkling with a mix of excitement and the irresistible pull of juicy gossip.Cillian's mouth twitched involuntarily. Was his brother actually getting a kick out of that?However, Caleb was the only one he could talk to about it, so Cillian confessed, "Yesterday, Lucy turned me down. I was so bummed out that I hit the bar and got plastered."Caleb had to stifle a laugh, which came out as a coughing fit. It was sad that his little brother was nursing a broken heart wit
"Fine. You're my little brother, so I'll give you a hand this time."Caleb let out a sigh. It was his little brother, after all. What could he do but spoil him a bit?"Thanks, Caleb. You're the best. Her name's Yitty. She looks like a Daburinean, and she's drop-dead gorgeous. I'm counting on you to find her."Cillian rattled off what Yitty looked like in a hurry.Caleb gave him a look and blurted out, "You're not just after her for her looks, are you?"...Cillian just stared back at Caleb, silent. Caleb caved immediately."Alright, alright, I'll drop it. Yitty, got it. If she's in Charleston, I'll find her. But if she's not, don't hold your breath.""It's fine. I'll sketch her portrait. It'll make the search easier with that in hand."Cillian massaged his temples. Reassured by Caleb, he decided it was time to head back to his place. Caleb did not try to keep him any longer but threw in a last-minute caution as Cillian was about to step out. "Oh, and just so you know, Grandp
To top it off, there was an absurdly long line of people trailing behind her.Not this again...Lucy sighed internally. It was the third time this had happened, and she had only been back with her parents for less than two weeks! After the private council meeting, the ministers had showered her with gifts. Even Juliana had sent presents her way.Later that night, Arthur and Juliana had each sent more gifts."Velda, these are all the birthday presents from your mom and dad, from your first birthday to now."Juliana herself had said it. Lucy, who had never before received a birthday gift from her family, was overjoyed to accept the gifts.Imagine her shock when she found out her first birthday present was a pure platinum necklace, centered with a pink diamond as big as a pigeon's egg.Her second birthday present was an emerald stone of immeasurable value, the third a painting by a world-renowned artist, and the fourth a Barbie doll as tall as a child. It was decked out in a diamon
Matthew was ready to politely decline for Lucy, but she responded to the maid with a warm smile, "I got it. Tell my sister I'll be right there."Lucy knew her parents' greatest wish was for her to bond with Charlotte as true sisters.With her parents treating her so kindly, refusing an invitation from Charlotte herself just did not seem right."Of course, Second Princess."The maid nodded and backed out of the room, leaving Matthew to eye Lucy with a hint of disapproval. "Lucy, why on earth did you say yes? What if Charlotte's planning something sinister in her own quarters?"Matthew's concern creased his forehead. He was not one to cry wolf without reason. He had a habit of expecting the worst in people.Lucy shook her head, a gentle smile on her face. "Oh, Matthew, you're worrying too much. We're in the royal palace, for heaven's sake. Charlotte wouldn't dare tarnish her image with our folks watching."And let's be honest, we're only guessing her intentions. She invited me for
Lucy entered Charlotte’s room with a smile.Charlotte immediately suppressed all her emotions and greeted Lucy with a smile, “I didn’t wait long. You came at just the right time, Lucy. Please, have a seat. The refreshments the helpers prepared today are delicious.”Charlotte gestured for Lucy to sit down, and without dilly-dallying, Lucy naturally took a seat.“You didn’t just invite me over for tea, right? You must have something you want to discuss with me,” Lucy said straightforwardly as she sat down, cutting to the chase about why Charlotte summoned her.Charlotte stared deep into her eyes before smiling all of a sudden. “You’re quite clever, Lucy. I wanted to invite you to accompany me out of the palace for some shopping.”Shopping?Charlotte wanted to take her shopping?Lucy looked at Charlotte with confusion, so she hurriedly explained, “Whenever I leave the palace, I have to be accompanied by many guards and helpers. I find it so annoying, so I always secretly sneak out.
Charlotte even thought that once she was done with Lucy, she would look for Cillian and get together with him, but that was beside the point… Once Matthew entered the room, Lucy felt like her savior was here. With a smile, she stood up and walked to Matthew’s side. She wrapped her arm around his. “Matt, you came at the right time. My sister was just inviting me to leave the palace to do some shopping.”She briefly explained the situation to Matthew, who nodded understandingly and smiled. “I see. Would you like to go, wifey?”“Since my sister invited me, of course, I want to go with her. But carrying bags while shopping is such a hassle…“Charlotte, why don’t we let Matthew come with us? If we’re sneaking out, no one will carry our bags for us. We can let Matt do all the labor.“Matt, would you be willing to be our laborer for the day?”After saying that, Lucy immediately turned to Matthew. He chuckled lightly and replied, “It would be an honor to be my wife’s laborer. "Besid
"Let’s go to Nubis Mall. That’s where I usually go to shop. They have many exciting things there.”Charlotte mentioned the place she had agreed upon with Alice’s people.Matthew turned on the navigation system and headed toward Nubis Mall. The journey there was smooth, so they arrived quickly.The mall was indeed bustling. The ground floor was lined with colorful shops, each adorned with beautiful flowers.All the quaint shops sold a variety of couture, many of which were exported abroad and were highly sought after.The second floor housed luxury boutiques, dessert shops, an amusement park, and bars.It was a one-stop shop for all kinds of entertainment.Although Lucy had concerns on her mind, she could not help but feel relaxed upon seeing the vibrant scenery.She happily wandered from place to place, while Matthew and Charlotte struggled to keep up as they followed her around the mall.“Charlotte, Matthew, look at this! It’s a talking rabbit! That’s so funny!”Lucy held up