Chapter 4 Royal Family Of Vulon

• AURETTE EVIGHEDEN ROOSEVELT
• “Prepare yourself, Princess Aurette. The King of Vulon will be coming here today along with his wife and their two children,” said the king seriously after we finished breakfast.
• It felt like drums were pounding against my chest upon hearing his words. Is today the day they’ll tell me about their plan? I glanced at the queen, who was calmly dabbing her lips with a table napkin. She looked composed, as if she was excited for this day.
• “Uhm… may I know why, Your Highness?” I asked, pretending to be clueless.
• The king smiled. “Isn’t it only right that we welcome your future husband during their visit? You will be his very first royal concubine, so you should be glad.”
• Glad?! What part of this is supposed to make me happy?!
• I merely observed their movements. I couldn’t believe they would tell me something this important in such a casual way, as if it wouldn’t impact the rest of my life.
• I had expected them to summon me into their office to discuss it seriously and explain why they agreed to this without my consent.
• Well, I already know the real reason, but if I hadn’t overheard their conversation that day, I think I would’ve gone crazy just trying to figure out why they agreed to make me the mistress of a king who already has a family!
• Where am I supposed to insert myself into their life when I can’t even find a place for myself in my own home?
• I took a deep breath and looked seriously at the king and queen. “With all due respect, Your Majesty, but I refuse. I don’t want to be tied to anyone, and worst of all, become a mistress or a concubine—whatever you call that.”
• There. I said it. I had thought about those words for days. I had decided I would not agree with them this time. And I had long resolved to look the king straight in the eye as I said it.
• He looked at me in disbelief. Even the queen quickly lost the light in her aura from earlier.
• “How dare you go against our will? You ungrateful child!” the Queen burst out. She even stood up and pointed at me, but I showed no emotion. I had already prepared for this kind of reaction because I knew it would happen.
• “My Queen, sit down,” the King said sternly to his wife, so she sat down in a huff, glaring at me as if I weren’t her daughter.
• “Whether you like it or not, you will follow our will because we are your parents. We are the ones who will decide how to place you on the right path, and all you need to do is obey. This is not a request from your father; it is an order from the King of the Ruilux Kingdom. This discussion is over.”
• After he said that, he stood up to leave the dining hall. The Queen followed him quickly, casting me one last sharp glance. I looked back down at the now-empty plate in front of me.
• I could feel the daggers stabbing into my chest. Daggers that had long been embedded there, but this time they seemed to pierce through my back.
• Tears welled up in my eyes, but I immediately tilted my head upward to stop them from falling. I can’t break down here.
• “Your Highness, are you alright?” Wanda’s concerned voice came from behind me.
• I closed my eyes tightly and nodded with my back still to her. “I’m okay, Wanda,” I assured her.
• I didn’t stay there any longer and quickly returned to my room to follow the King and Queen’s orders.
• “This one, Princess Aurette? I think this suits you perfectly,” Wanda said with a smile as she showed me a royal purple gown she had taken from the garment rack brought earlier by a servant.
• The gown was off-shoulder but not too revealing. The sleeves were slightly puffed at the top and slim down the arm to the wrist. It had intricate gold embroidery resembling veins and royal patterns, especially around the chest area. The skirt had layers with a darker inner layer, which I guessed was made of satin.
• “Whatever you decide,” I replied and returned my focus to the book I was reading about medicine, though its cover had been changed to look like a book about the laws of Yaunus.
• I had secretly done this in the library, and it wasn’t the first time I had done it just to read up on medical knowledge without being caught.
• Five hours passed, and I was fully dressed and prepared to welcome our guests. As much as I wanted not to welcome them, that was not an option, since I would definitely be punished by the king if I embarrassed them in front of our visitors.
• “You’re so beautiful, Your Highness,” Wanda praised as she fixed my ginger-colored hair that was left loose.
• “Thank you,” I replied and stared at myself in the mirror.
• What completed my look was the choker with a large Alexandrite gem. Even my earrings and elegant necklace had natural amethyst stones.
• Suddenly, there was a knock at my door, followed by the voice of one of the palace servants informing me that the Coxus Royal Family was about to arrive.
• I took a deep breath and went downstairs. I was the first to reach the reception hall, where we would receive the guests. It wasn’t long before the king and queen also came down, clearly well-prepared to welcome the visitors.
• “I can’t wait to see Queen Yun, my king. The last time I saw her was during the grand assembly in the Kingdom of Dasta seven years ago,” the Queen said eagerly, holding onto her husband’s arm.
• “I’m excited to see them as well. I hope King Korigo is still in good health so that tomorrow’s banquet will be a success,” my father replied.
• I grimaced. Good health? Don’t tell me they want to marry me off to someone that old? If that’s the case, I really need to find a way to stop this madness! I won’t let all my suffering in this palace be for nothing.
• I had barely warmed my seat when the Royal Guards of our palace signaled that the guests we were waiting for had arrived.
• My parents quickly moved into position near the doors, and so I followed without saying a word. Once I reached behind them, the hairs on the back of my neck stood up when the king suddenly whispered.
• “Behave yourself, Aurette. I don’t care if you’re my daughter—you will face punishment by my own hands if you do anything improper in front of our guests.”
• “I understand, Your Majesty,” I answered blankly.
• Soon enough, our guests finally arrived.
• “Welcome to Ruilux Kingdom, King Korigo and Queen Yun!” My father greeted.
• I nearly turned pale when I saw the man he was greeting. He was King Korigo Kyrarax Cosux—the same man who had sent me an expensive dress five days ago?! He looked at least ten years older than my father!
• There’s no way I’m letting myself be tied to that old man! Just kill me instead!