Chapter 199: Lively Little Lily

"Vivian stays, but I won’t," Ethan declared, earning a contemptuous glance from Vivian. "I cannot abandon my family, Lauren. Even if it’s only for a few days, managing my family’s affairs is my responsibility, and I have an adequate number of guards to ensure my safety. I am capable of protecting myself."

Lauren had expected this but she still asked Ethan to come so they could talk.

"I will stay with you then," Vivian said to Ethan.

"No," Ethan shook his head. "The castle is the safest place so I want you to stay here, Vivi. A war will break out in our land so you must stay in the place with the strongest defense."

"Oh yes, I will stay safe and worry about you the whole time!" Vivian replied sarcastically, her nostrils flaring.

"Wait..." Julian suddenly interrupted, his gaze going back and forth from Ethan to Vivian. His look was quizzical. "Did you two finally patch things up?"

Lauren rolled her eyes at Julian. "Don’t you see the ring on Vivian’s finger?"

Julian almost choked, looking at Ethan in disbelief. "It’s an engagement ring?!"

Vivian glared at Julian, her cheeks flaring.

Julian burst into laughter. "I thought it would take you years to express your true feelings, Sir Ethan! I remember how you used to bicker every time you met. Is this the new romantic trope nowadays? Enemies to lovers?"

Ethan smirked.

"We are straying far from our discussion, I believe," Vivian said as she rose from her seat and gestured for Ethan to stand as well. She turned to Lauren and requested, "Excuse us for a moment, Lauren. I need to have a good talk with this man."

"Of course," replied Lauren and she gave Julian a look before both of them left the tearoom to give the couple privacy.

While walking down the hallway, Julian asked Lauren, "If I may ask, Your Majesty, do you happen to know when Sir Ethan and Miss Vivian got engaged? They were still very annoyed with each other the last time I saw them."

With a smile, Lauren gently tapped Julian’s shoulder and remarked, "As the saying goes, love moves in enigmatic ways. Its true meaning can only be grasped when one falls in love."

As they walked through the kitchen hallway, they came across Isobel who held little Lily in her arms.

Isobel greeted them. The baby was wide awake and her tiny arms were moving about restlessly. Her chocolate brown eyes were shimmering and Lauren’s eyes beamed with mirth.

"She’s so very lively, isn’t she?" said Lauren, peeking down at the baby whose eyes were full of innocence and glamour.

Isobel chortled, agreeing with Lauren. "Yes, you’re right, Your Majesty. It seems that little Lily is quite an energetic one."

"I can see that she will grow into a sprightly girl in the future," Julian said as he crouched to touch one of Lily’s hands with his index finger. He touched her ever so gently, afraid that his calloused finger might be too rough for her delicate skin.

However, when the imminent war crossed Lauren’s mind, her once serene smile faded, replaced by a somber expression etched with horror. Waves of unease coursed through her, consuming her very being. The grim reality of the situation gripped her, and her heart ached at the mere thought of the castle becoming a battleground.

The castle would surely be attacked and the thought of innocent little Lily caught in the middle of chaos filled Lauren with dread.

How many innocents would be sacrificed before this mayhem would end?

Lauren found herself grappling with a profound question. Why did the world need to be plagued by such intricacies and disorder?

Perhaps it was because people never stopped committing evil deeds.

Sure, it was inevitable to do something bad once in a while, given of course, if it was the only course of action at hand, but when it became a habit, that’s when it would become a problem.

At the end of the day, Vivian was able to convince Ethan to bring her with him instead of staying in the castle. Although Lauren did not have doubts that Ethan could protect himself and Vivian, with her friends out of her sight, she couldn’t suppress the worry in her chest, but she chose not to voice it, allowing them to follow their own course.

Besides, she wasn’t very sure that the castle was the safest place during a war. If the rebels were to launch an attack with their best fighters, Lauren was uncertain whether their defenses would remain impenetrable. So she thought that maybe it was for the best for Vivian to stay with Ethan.

"I heard from Matthias that you asked your friends to stay in the castle until the lunar eclipse," said Alec as he planted a gentle kiss on Lauren’s cheek when he arrived in their room later that night. He just came from a long meeting with Vincent, the council chief, and his commandants, about the forthcoming war.

"Yes, but they declined. Vivian will stay with Ethan," said Lauren while Alec’s breath, heavenly as ever, was fanning over her face. "I think it is for the better. I realized that the rebels will come after the king and queen which will endanger the lives of the people around us. That being said, I would like to suggest something to you, dear husband."

"Pray tell, what might that be?" He pulled her to the bed along with her, and she landed on his lap.

With Lauren’s arms clinging to Alec’s nape, her gaze fixated upon him with a wistful, dreamy expression.

With her arms entwined around Alec’s neck, Lauren’s heart dared to envision a serene life, free from the shackles of conflict and adversity. Her deepest desire was to linger within this blissful sanctuary, shielded from the harsh realities that awaited them beyond their embrace.

How she wished they could just stay like this forever...

"The rebels will attack the castle," she began.

Alec nodded in understanding. "That is for sure."

"I came across little Lily earlier and this idea came into my mind-"

"Little Lily, that baby Edith brought, you mean?"

"Yes."

"Go on," he urged, his fingers playing with the lockets of her hair that felt no different from silk.

"As I was saying, I came across her, she was in Isobel’s arms, and I realized we have a lot of vulnerable people in the castle—the servants, the maids, and little Lily, especially. So I am thinking that we can arrange a place for them to stay during the lunar night, so they wouldn’t be around the castle when the rebels attack."

"Mmm... sounds like a good idea," said Alec, his crimson-rimmed orbs fixed upon Lauren with an intensity that spoke volumes. Bathed in the soft, flickering glow of candlelight, his gaze radiated immense warmth and tenderness.

In this fleeting respite, Lauren cherished the simplicity of the moment. Alec had become a refuge from the chaotic world they lived.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay Read