Some people just aren’t smart enough

"Where have you been exactly?"

"Blair, I don't know what you mean. Of course, I was in my little rundown house to take care of my mom. Where else would I be when I have nothing left?"

Blair's hands roughly grabbed Evanthe and slammed her against the wall. His huge body loomed in front of Evanthe. It was obvious he was angry. "Don't mess around, Evanthe. I know you went to Tullia."

It turns out he did know, Evanthe thought in a bit of panic. "There was nothing I did there. I only-"

Blair's fingers on Evanther's neck were cold—and so were the look in his eyes—the mistake for Evanthe to turn her face away in fright.

Evanthe shouldn't have refused to look at Blair. Evanthe shouldn't have lied to Blair. She should have been able to do it as well as her mother and Selah, who never flinched.

But at least I tried, whispered Evanthe's heart.

She had done what she thought was necessary. Evanthe had done something to get revenge on Selah, even if it was just a small thing. Selah had to feel a little of what she felt. It didn't mean that Evanthe killed Baron Tullia anyway.

"Did you know that what you do is very risky?" Blair hissed. "What do you think Selah is thinking right now, Evanthe?"

Blair's hand tugged Evanthe's chin, forcing her to stare at Blair's anger. Evanthe chose to answer with a slight shake.

"Selah thinks that I was the one who harmed Baron Tullia!" Blair snapped.

This was the first time Evanthe had heard Blair's loud voice, and it was making her heart skip a beat now. No one had ever spoken harshly to Evanthe before.

"I-I don't know," Evanthe squeaked. "I'm sorry, Blair. I-"

"Not thinking clearly? Have you acted stupidly?" interrupted Blair in disgust. "Is it hard for you to stay home and care for your mother?"

Evanthe's blood boiled instantly. "How can I just stand by while she enjoys what should be mine?!"

"Evanthe," Blair sighed breathlessly. "You still think that being a duchess is easy? Can't you see how Selah is toiling to finish her job? Do you think you can take on those damn old ministers?!"

"I can if I want it!"

"And have you ever done that?" Blair chuckled. "This is what made me hesitate in the first place to make you my partner; you take it all too easy. You think if you have a high position, everything will be easy."

"You underestimate me?" Evanthe asked in disbelief.

"Yes," Blair replied coldly. "Forget it, Evanthe. Some people just aren't smart enough. You better sit down and drink tea with your mother. Let me take care of all of this."

After that humiliation, Blair left Evanthe in the middle of a quiet and dark Palace corridor.

Her eyes watered with anger because she had been indirectly called stupid by Blair just now.

If this is the way, fine. Evanthe will show that she deserves to be by Blair's side and become Queen of Balthasar.

***

It's already too much for Blair to realize that Aeneas intended to mess with their father and Blair himself. Now Evanthe is actually looking for trouble.

Damn it!

Blair threw things across his desk in frustration. Meanwhile, at the room's far end, Raul stood quietly without feeling scared or disturbed.

"Should I keep an eye on Lady Gilmore too, Your Highness?" asked Raul.

"Don't waste your energy on that stupid woman," Blair sneered. "Rather than that, what about your investigation of Father?"

"Until now, the drugs going in and out of His Majesty's room are as they should be. Perhaps Prince Aeneas has already sensed your suspicions. Therefore, the operation has been halted for the time being," Raul explained.

"Even so, keep an eye on things, Raul. We won't know when something strange enters his body again." Blair massaged his temples. "Then what about Aeneas himself? Is there any movement from him?"

"There isn't any. Ever since Duchess Dulcia left for Tullia, Prince Aeneas has always been in his place. They haven't exchanged any news in almost a month either."

"What? Even though they are getting married soon…."

"But just now, Prince Aeneas approached Duchess Dulcia and invited her to his place. They're talking right now."

Blair thought for a moment. Aeneas and Selah were talking… Judging from how Selah was, the two of them must be trying to make up right now.

And it will work, Blair thought irritably.

It seems that Aeneas and Selah had a good life even though Blair is here worried about his father's condition and what Aeneas is trying to do. Not to mention the trouble Evanthe caused just now.

Nothing is going well in Blair's life.

"Should I be watching them?" asked Raul.

"No need. You know that damn Azel hovers around Aeneas," sighed Blair. "You just pay attention to how the atmosphere between the two. Soon they will be married. I don't want any enemies from the Dulcia family to hurt Aeneas. You can go now."

"Yes, Your Highness." With one small nod, Raul left.

Blair came out of his study balcony; a strategic place to see almost the entire Palace. King Tristan himself used to give this room specifically for Blair on the day of his coronation as crown prince.

Now it seems Blair knows why his father gave him this strategic balcony room.

From a distance, he saw two figures walking together. They were about the same height, but Blair knew the one on the left and was flirting with someone beside him was Aeneas. Selah herself is seen trying to stay away from Aeneas. They both looked odd to Blair's eyes.

Because during his engagement with Selah, they never joked like that. Because in all her time with Aeneas, Blair had never seen her laugh after that.

Why? Did all this blame really come from Blair?

"What wrong did I do to you guys?" whispered Blair.

Unable to bear what he saw, Blair turned and walked back into the room.

This is the first time Blair has envied Aeneas and Selah.