CH 22.2

22. Why do you keep making fun of people? (2)

It rained again today and it felt like the soreness in her body had intensified along with her headache.

So-hee was in so much pain that she wanted to leave this setting as soon as possible.

How long would this story take before it’s finally over?

She guessed she still have a long way to go.

How much longer did she have to suffer?

A thick finger tapped Sohee’s forehead as he clutched a document in his hand.

“You have a fever, Ariad. Just stay in bed and sleep.”

She shook her head no and it made Joshua sigh.

“I’m not going to kill him right now so just rest.”

Both felt like judges at this point.

Joshua was aware of Ariad’s plans and he did not bother to hide that fact anymore.

He even held her as he talked to Macon about Bandelli’s trial this morning.

He didn’t know exactly what would happen but he was sure the trial would have found a way to kill Deon.

Ariad was confident in her actions which caused him to be wary of her.

He wondered if she would dare do something today just like what she did yesterday.

“No, I want to be right next to you. I want to be by your side.” She proclaimed, coating each word with sugar.

Joshua knew she was lying but he allowed her to believe he believed her.

He picked up the steaming cocoa on the table.

“Drink this before you lay back to the bed.”

“No.”

“Why are you being so stubborn, Ariad?”

“I’m fine. I don’t have a fever.”

Joshua exhaled a deep sigh and no longer forced her to drink it.

Linking her arm with Joshua as he held the document,Sohee gulped down the cocoa.

* * *

As soon as Briggs came back from his business trip, he heard a strange rumor going around before he left the mansion.

Soon after, he arrived at Joshua’s palace.

According to what he heard, the crown prince had gone insane over a woman.

He couldn’t believe it at all and he grew obsessed with the idea of checking it with his own eyes.

A man, whom he had known to have studied and worked all his life, was crazy about a woman?

Their Empire was doomed.

Briggs entered the crown prince’s study and greeted him.

“Hello my lord.”

As his voice rang loudly in the room, Joshua was seated on his chair with his long finger touching his lips as if telling him to be quiet.

Briggs was stunned to see a sleeping purple-haired woman with a blanket wrapped around her as she leaned against his chest.

Seriously, their Empire was hopeless.

“What is this? Did you change your job as this lady’s nanny?” He muttered.

Upset, Joshua’s brows drew together.

“If you’re not here to talk about something important, then get out.”

“I have to watch this strange sight, but then you want me to go out.”

“Get out.”

Despite his firm tone, Briggs just plopped down on the sofa as he carefully examined the woman’s profile.

He was well acquainted with the lady’s identity.

She was a celebrity known to all men whom others weren’t interested in.

The guys she entangled herself with were those who weren’t famous enough to joke how handsome they were.

In short, men with low self-esteem just want to f*ck this beautiful woman to boost their ego.

When Joshua and Ariad got married on a whim, everyone were sure they would get divorced soon.

The McKinley Family couldn’t stand her acting like a whore so they didn’t even bother watching her every move.

Joshua seemed indifferent to her in the past.

He didn’t care what his wife did, whether she was sleeping around or not.

So, when Briggs heard that the crown prince was going crazy over a woman when he had an empire to lead, he couldn’t believe it.

It was even more shocking to know that Ariad Pearson was the star of that rumor.

What happened?

Joshua going crazy over Ariad was even crazier.

“Did you get struck by lightning?”

Joshua’s finger touched his lips again, signaling him to shut his mouth so that Ariad wouldn’t wake up.

“Alright. I’ll just tell you the important part.”

Aside from checking whether the rumors between Joshua and Ariad were true, Briggs brought up something interesting as he examined the strange scene in front of him.

“The news is still hot when it came out. After Montrol was taken away, Daniel McKinley was cornered to the wall.” He said grimly. “It will probably stay like that for quite a long time.”

Briggs opened the pack of cigarettes he had put in his jacket.

He was about to light a cigarette in his mouth when Joshua told him, “Briggs. Put it back.”

“What?”

“I said, put the cigarette back.”

With his cigarette still in his mouth, Briggs straightened his posture.

“Don’t tell me—-”

Was he making a big deal out of this because of Ariad?

He wanted to ask Joshua about it but his fierce scowl urged him to swallow his words.

Briggs returned the cigarette into his pack and put it inside his jacket without further complaints.

The crown prince seemed scary in this mood.

Briggs smirked at the absurdity of it all and continued, “It wouldn’t be bad for you if Daniel died on the battlefield.”

“I don’t really care whether he’s dead or alive.”

Wincing at the cold declaration, Briggs watched the monster once more as he recalled the time when he first met him.

Joshua maintained his superior status as a student during their academy days.

Briggs, who always got second place even though he studied so hard until his nose bled, knew that the crown prince was a monster.

Even in an environment where he could not study due to his royal responsibilities, he always took the lead in the student rankings.

Still, no one cared that much about him.

“Yes, but I still want Daniel to die. He’s insidious so he will not do any good.”

Daniel McKinley, Joshua’s older brother, was his rival for the emperor’s throne.

Joshua was a bit unfortunate for only showing a particular side of him to different people while Daniel’s slickness drew more attention.

Nevertheless, he still thought Joshua was better at hitting the back of people’s heads with a simple greeting.

“Alright. Now shut up and get out.”

Briggs chuckled as he ran his fingers through his hair.

When the woman in Joshua’s arms squirmed in his lap, he put down the document in his hand to give her some gentle pats on her back.

Briggs stared at them with his mouth wide open.

He had never seen something like this before.

However, Joshua’s intense glares kicked him out in the end.

“Yes. Love to your heart’s content, Your Highness. I’m going now.”

Briggs closed the office door carefully  and got out of there.

What else was he supposed to say except that it’s a crazy love between a man and a woman?

It seemed rather fun to watch.