Chapter 48 - She's Hysterical

When will people give it a rest? Yeah, Lilith didn’t really expect many people to be mourning on a day like this but was it really appropriate to ask such a question? And besides, the fact that Raymond had not told anyone about it should speak volumes. The King had not revealed who she was yet so why couldn't people take a hint? So why are people still nosy? Gosh, Lilith was beyond sick of that question to the point where it just makes her mad.

Although it would be funny if she outright said that it was her, that would not do her any good. Except for a few seconds of facial expressions that looked like gold, more good than bad would come out of it. A servant of the King claiming that they were the one to soon be the Queen. Absolute madness.

So she just did something simple. “Truthfully, I have only heard her voice and seen her shadow. And that was when the King had me bring things for them. Other than that, I don’t know anything.”

“What else?” the male asked.

Lilith shrugged. “I said that’s all I know. They are very secretive.”

“You know, there has been talk that it’s the Princess that showed up at Duke Lucan- I mean, Prince- Prince Lucan’s ball not long ago. It must be her right? There are too many witnesses for the thing not to be true.”

“What country could she be from?” the female thought out loud. “Definitely not from here since the royalty here does not have things like that. And, if she is from outside that means that she must have Crenese blood in her. How exciting.”

Lilith nodded enthusiastically, seeming to have just remembered something. “Apparently she’s from the west. From the way she talks and things I’ve heard mentioned. I know she’s not from this part of the world.”

Lilith could make up just about anything about the Princess. It was not like she w hear about the things and contradict them. And if Raymond heard then he would just know that it was her coming up with all the information. Lilith could make the Princess out to be the most benevolent person in the world. But for now, she was only a mere servant who had not even laid her eyes on her. So there was only so much she could say.

While Raymond’s lunch was prepared, she ate her own, listening to the endless conversation between the servants in the kitchen. Mrs. Potts stayed silent as usual, and no one bothered to try and include her in the conversation. Lilith wondered if they just sensed the vibe she was giving off or if she had to tell them not to speak to her. Imagine having to deal with the nonsense all day after experiencing the decades of peace in Raymond’s manor.

Once the food was prepared, Lilith went back to Raymond’s office, and even though she took her time, he was still not back there when she arrived. So Lilith laid the food out on his table and waited for him to come back.

Making herself comfortable at the side table, Lilith fished her journal out of the pocket in her dress. Earlier that day, she remembered it and so she tucked it away for a moment like this. There was so much she needed to write and so she took the time to do so while she waited for Raymond to return. It only took a bit for her to realize that his food was probably getting cold and that it would have been best to have it made a little later but she could not do anything about that. So she simply moved the tray to the ledge by the window where the sun was shining through it.

Just a couple of seconds in the light had Lilith squirming away because of the heat. So it was perfect for now.

Another ten minutes passed before Raymond finally make an appearance. When he closed the door behind him, his entire body hunched and he let out a heavy sigh. His eyes drifted over to her for a couple of seconds before he made his way to his desk and slumped down in his chair.

Lilith was unsure of what to do for a couple of seconds, but she closed her journal and crossed to the other side of the room to collect the tray and place it back on the desk. The King gave the food an exhausted look and then directed it at Lilith. Her heart squeezed and she stepped around the desk slowly. Having to go to his mother after all of that must be a lot for him. Lilith felt for Nora. She may be annoying and overbearing as hell, but she was still a mother. And Raymond was her child. Even if he was not the best with emotions, seeing one's mother in distress like that was never good. That was something no one should ever experience.

He had the food there for him and when he felt like he could eat he would. There were things that he needed to sort out and so Lilith decided that she would leave him alone. Gently, she ran her hand over his shoulder before turning and going towards the door.

“Lilith,” Raymond spoke up gently, making her freeze. “Please, don’t go.”

She returned to his side within the same second that she said that phrase. And unexpectedly, he reached out and pulled her onto his lap, securing his arms around her waist and placing his head on top of her breasts. Lilith flushed and she completely froze up. This was definitely not something they had done before. The leap from a simple hug, to this, was not registering well in her head.

Her arms were stuck stretched out in front of her. Where was she supposed to put them? Around him? If they stayed there awkwardly then it would make things uncomfortable for the both of them, so she placed them around his neck. Lilith settled her hands on his shoulder and the nape of his neck, gently massaging the area.

“How is she doing?” she asked him softly.

There was silence for a moment and Lilith wondered if he even heard her. He could be so deep in his thoughts and not aware of what she was saying. His breathing was also stable and Lilith was led to believe that he was falling asleep. If that was the case then she would have to haul him to his room. But then he spoke.

“She’s hysterical.” his voice cracked a little. And so did her heart.

As soon as Raymond and his brothers entered his mother’s room she had broken down. She had gone from waiting in extreme anxiety to losing it within a second. It must have been torturous for her to wait that out. As soon as she had seen the look on their faces it was all over for her.

Landon was the child she spent the most time with. And although she lived in the castle with him, she still frequently visited Raymond and his brothers outside of the castle. They were also her children and so it only made sense. It was hard for Raymond when he was young to accept the fact that he could not stay with her all the time but when he grew up he had to accept it. There was even a moment in his life when he resented her because of it. But he learned that it was not her fault.

Raymond felt contact on his head and realized that Lilith had kissed him. “I’m sorry,” she murmured.

He only held her tighter and stayed in her embrace for God knows how long. Raymond knew that staying like that for too long was not practical. He was the King and there was always work to do. He needed to push through and show everyone that he was the right choice for them and that he would be able to get past everything that Landon did and lead the country the right way.

When he finally decided to move, he realized that Lilith had actually fallen asleep on him. If he had not made the decision to continue with his day, he would have let it diffuse him. Her head lulled back into his shoulder and he watched her for a couple of seconds.

He smiled and brushed some of the hair out of her face before securing her in her arms and carrying her to his room to rest. He was sure that she would be shocked to wake up there but he wanted her to get used to sleeping in his bed. Admittedly more times than he would like to admit, he wondered how much better he would be able to sleep if Lilith accompanied him. She made him feel safe and also tried to some extent. Raymond definitely wanted to take advantage of that.