9 Chapter 9

Prince Conrad's POV

I sighed as I hold a tray of food firmly. I brought porridge and hot tea for Princess Liviana. As I was about to open the door, I heard my wife and Prince Elias laughing. By that mere thought that she's happy with the other man makes me mad. I know he is my brother-in-law, but I cannot help it. I sighed and shook my head. I should calm down.

They both stopped laughing when they saw me entering the room. "I brought food." I said without looking at her.

"Oh! Thank you, your highness." She said.

"Let me take that." Prince Elias was about to get the tray from me, but I shoved him away.

"No, let me feed her." I said as I looked directly into his eyes. He just gazed at me and did not say anything. I sat on the chair beside my bed and placed the tray on my lap. "Eat this before it gets cold." I told the Princess.

"No, it's alright. My brother can do—"

"I will feed you." I said firmly. She must be surprised by my sudden change of treatment, but this is my first step to get her.

"Are you alright, your highness?" I finally decided to look at her. She looks confused and worried. "Are you sick?" She added.

"What? No! You're sick, that's why I'm feeding you." I said.

"I will leave you for a moment." Prince Elias said as he leaves my room.

"I'm not disabled. I can feed myself." She protested.

"I know, but you're still weak, and I wanted to make sure that you'll eat." I told her as I avoided her gaze. I wonder if she also feels a strong pull between us.

I heard her chuckled, which made me look at her again. "What's going on?" She looks doubtful. Well, who wouldn't? "I don't need your pity, your highness."

"Stop calling me that." I blurted out.

"Stop calling you what, your highness?" She asked as she grinned. I shook my head and gave her a spoonful of porridge. She hesitated to eat it at first, but she gave in afterward.

"Stop calling me your highness." I said.

"What do you want me to call you, then?" She asked before she opens her mouth to eat.

"Just call me by my name, that's it." I answered her as I mixed the remaining porridge.

She shook her head. "I cannot do that."

"Why not?" I questioned her.

"I don't know. I don't feel like calling you by your name, your highness." She said, smiling. I shook my head in disappointment. I just want her to treat me like how she treats my brothers. I want to call by her nickname as well. I want to call her Lili.

She ate all the porridge and drank the tea. "Get well soon." I said as I tucked her in under the blanket.

"Can I make a request, your highness?" She asked.

"What is it?"

"I want to have a separate room, is that alright?" She asked, pleading.

"No." I said as I looked at her.

"What? Why?"

"It's because I said so. You'll stay here in our room. You're my wife, and my wife stays with me." I said before I exited our room. My heart is pounding hard, and I felt a pang on my chest. Asking for a separate room is like walking away from me.

"Prince Conrad." Prince Elias called me as he walked near me. "May I have a word?" I nodded, and we walked to the garden.

"I apologize for not attending your wedding; I didn't know that was our parents' plan." He started talking. "If I knew, I should've let it happen." I looked at him, angrily.

"What did you say?" I blurted out.

"I don't want her to rot in a cage." He said seriously. "Lili is a bookworm yet an adventurer kind of a lady. She loves archery, she wanted to be the best archer in our kingdom, and I think it's still early for her to get married."

"She's not in a cage; she's free to do whatever she wants." I protested.

"Your marriage is her cage." He said fearlessly, and all I can do is stare at him. That idea didn't even cross my mind. How stupid! "Ever since she's young, she's been through a lot of difficult challenges in life. I never thought that even her marriage life would suffer."

"What exactly are those difficult challenges? Does it have something to do with cuts on her wrist?" He glared at me, surprised. I discovered few cuts on her wrist when I held her hands; some of them are deep cuts, so I realized that she intended to end her life.

He sighed and shook his head. "That happened around five years ago, she suffered from depression. I cannot tell you the details because it's not my story to tell." Imagining how she suffered from depression made me worried more about her. "I love my sister more than our relationship as future Kings of our kingdoms." He declared. I never thought that my wife's brother is willing to risk everything for his sister. He must love her that much. "When the time comes that my sister decided to return home because she was hurt, I won't hesitate to cut our ties." He threatened me.

"This is her home now, Prince Elias. This is where she belongs." I said confidently. "I won't make her regret that she accepted to be my Crown Princess."

"That decision is not for you to make, Prince Conrad." He said.

"Enough!" I yelled as I lost control of my temper. I tried my best not to growl at this human. "Her decision won't rule over me! I won't let her go home! I won't let her leave me!" I shouted angrily before leaving him dumbfounded.

I will make sure that my wife will never leave me.

Princess Liviana's POV

"It's because I said so. You'll stay here in our room. You're my wife, and my wife stays with me." He said seriously before leaving his room. My jaw dropped as I stare at the door. Did I hear it right? Did he call me his wife?! Am I still sick?

I dropped myself on his soft bed and closed my eyes. I cannot believe he said those things; he even feeds me. What has gotten into him?

I just don't want to bother him anymore. Maybe the reason why he's coming home late was because of me. I also think that he's having a rough time because of me. He cannot marry the one who truly loves. He doesn't even know that I know his relationship with Thalia.

I hope there's still a way to achieve our freedom to love who we truly desire.