** This chapter is dedicated to Maude Fluckiger. Thank you so, so much for gifting this book its first magic castle, among your other gifts. ^^
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Mars watched silently as Gewen kept trying to coax his baby. A faint smile curved up on his face as he remembered growing up with Gewen and watching him become a womanizer who would always avoid his mother's plan to find him a wife.
Having kids was surely never in Gewen's plan. However, it looked like he actually had the talent with children. Well... at least, if he didn't have children of his own, he could be a good uncle.
Mars wanted to laugh at the thought that Lady Athibaud would definitely pressure Gewen to get married if she saw him with Harlow now.
"Hey... are you happy now?" Gewen coaxed Harlow again. "Uncle Gewen loves you, Little Bear. You are so pretty. Did you know that? I think you will grow up to be the most beautiful woman in the world."
Mars wanted to laugh at seeing Gewen talk to Harlow, but the baby couldn't reply. So, it looked like the handsome man was conversing with himself, which was funny.
The king pressed his chest and felt a slight relief. He had been mourning and feeling devastated after all the crazy things that happened in his life in the past several months.
He had been crying for days before he finally found the letter that Emmelyn left behind and that gave him a new sense of purpose. He must punish those who had wronged his wife and were responsible for their sufferings now.
That was why he pulled himself together and picked up Harlow from the Greenan's home and brought her to go back with him to his residence. He had also invited the people who were close to him to visit him and Harlow for a tea party later today.
He asked Gewen to invite Ellena too because, well... didn't they say you have to keep your friends close and your enemy closer?
He was convinced that Ellena had killed his mother and framed Emmelyn. And that wicked witch dared to blame Emmelyn too, before she took her last breath, just to make Mars Strongmoor and his family suffer more.
If Thessalis Morelli was not dead, Mars would be happy to kill her again. And again.
"Uh... you're here?" Gewen who was walking with Harlow in his arms, wanting to put the baby in her crib, suddenly caught sight of the king. "How long have you been there?"
Mars shrugged "Not long."
"Oh... good. Good." Gewen's face flushed in embarrassment. He narrowed his eyes and tried to read Mars' reaction to see if the king saw him acting silly earlier for a baby. Fortunately, Mars didn't show any judgment or anything on his face. Gewen heaved a sigh of relief.
"What are you doing here so early?" Mars asked Gewen as he walked closer and tilted his head to see his baby's face.
His expression immediately turned gentle and the king smiled dotingly at Harlow. He touched the baby's pinkish cheeks and had to immediately retract his hand when Harlow grabbed his finger and wanted to put it in her mouth.
"I think she is hungry," Mars commented. "Let me call the wet nurse to feed her."
"I think she is just lonely," Gewen said. "She wants her father."
"Hmm..." Mars didn't say anything to that. He reached out his hands and took Harlow from Gewen's arms.
Gewen watched his friend sat on the couch and held his baby dotingly. The man intentionally came early today to the royal palace, even though the invitation for the tea was only after lunch. He wanted to make sure that Mars was doing better.
He was worried when he witnessed how disheveled Mars was yesterday when he came to pick up Harlow. So, today, Gewen came early and wanted to see how the king was doing.
However, when he came to the king's residence, he found Harlow crying incessantly and the royal physician said the baby was having colic and her father was busy at work. Gewen felt so sympathetic toward his friend and his baby and immediately tried to find ways to help.
He had been making silly faces and coaxing the baby for a good half hour when Mars arrived. Luckily the baby was too tired from crying that she didn't have any more energy to show animosity toward Gewen. The man could hold her without getting any scratches like before.
This made him extremely happy. It showed that he did still have the charm. Everyone loved him, and this baby, the only one who didn't, now seemed to like him too. Ha. This made him feel good.
"I came early because I had to do something around the area. So, I decided to stop by," Gewen said, lying. "How are you?"
"I am better," Mars said, also lying. He was not fine. "So, have you told Ellena about the tea later today?"
Gewen nodded. "I did. You should have seen her face. She was very happy. She was also worried about you and kept asking me how you are doing."
"What did you tell her?" Mars asked back.
"I told her the truth, that you are a wreck," Gewen replied. "She was crying despondently when she heard it."
Mars tried to keep his boiling anger inside. He believed Ellena was responsible for everything that happened to him, yet she dared crying now?
What a good actress! Now, come to think of it, he remembered Ellena always had that talent when they were younger. He just didn't see it, or couldn't believe someone could be so evil, until after it was too late.
Emmelyn's last letter was what opened his eyes. The current Ellena was not the same Ellena he knew in the past. She had changed. She had become evil.
"So, she will come to the tea later today?" Mars asked again.
"She will," Gewen said. "She couldn't wait."
'I couldn't wait too,' Mars thought to himself.
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