Chapter 90 - Regret Your Decision?

Only Giselle knew how difficult it was for her to leave Princess Beatrice's room without offending the young princess more than she had already done. 

As she reached the end of the princess's wing's corridor, she sat on the ground holding her stomach and burst out laughing. She laughed so hard that tears leaked out from the corner of her eyes, her stomach was aching badly but she couldn't stop laughing. 

Oh, God, she had never seen someone so cute and amusing acting haughty and scheming before. The princess wasn't even afraid that she would complain about her to her father for how she tormented the lady, Sabrina. 

The princess was so fearless that she openly laid her cards before her. 

Truth be told, her warning worked on Giselle. Beatrice wanted her to know that she was watching her and if she dared to hurt the prince, she wouldn't hesitate to make her life hell. 

"I have never seen someone leaving my princess's courtyard so happy, " Giselle jerked up in shock as another raspy and slightly amused voice entered her ears. She looked up to find the haughty princess's arrogant father standing close to her. Well, too close for her sanity. 

Not wanting to give a chance to Leonardo to find that the royal twins made her comfortable, she calmed herself down. She greeted him as per the courtesy with a slight bow. 

"You didn't answer my question," Leonardo said to her again when he found her avoiding him. The fearless woman he knew was nowhere in sight. In front of his eyes was an awkward woman trying to find any chance to disappear into the thin air. 

No chance in hell, babe. 

"Pardon?" Giselle said with scrunched up brows. She didn't catch him asking her a question. 

"I said what makes you so happy leaving the Princess's courtyard. As much as I understand her, she tends to keep women your age at an arm's length. Almost everyone comes out of her room bursting into tears," King Leonard replied to her. 

He knew that his daughter was a brat. But she was his daughter and daughters were meant to be cherished. Furthermore, he didn't have the heart to scold her for her mischievous act. 

If someone comes to him bearing Beatrice's complaint, he just replies to them by saying not to try getting closer to her if they can't handle her aggressive temper. 

In addition, if he scolded Beatrice for acting cold and aloof with ladies, he had to face the wrath of the little but fiercely cold prince. The prince had made it clear to him several times that his bottom line was his twin sister. As long as they don't provoke her, he would be all fine. 

Giselle didn't reply to him for a long time. She seemed to have been staring at the pillar behind him and when she spoke, she turned her eyes to look at him, "Your children are very interesting characters, Your Majesty. One is ready to shoulder the huge responsibility on his little shoulders to protect his sister and another is ready to rip off anyone who dares to hurt her brother." She paused for a moment only to find a glint of pride shining in his eyes. Who wouldn't be proud of such children? Truly, he taught them well. 

She continued, "However, I still wonder why both of them tried to hide their apparent care of each other in front of everyone. To everyone, the princess is a brat who knows nothing but throwing tantrums on every occasion. And the prince is aloof, cold, and apathetic." 

The more Leonardo heard her, the better he understood what she was saying. 

"Walk with me," Leonard said and Giselle naturally complied. There was a unique charm in him that could make anyone listen to him naturally. Perhaps, it was the reason why he was such a great leader. 

"Nero is not cold and aloof as people make him to be, if you ask me will say he has the softest heart and Bea is his weakness. They are young but royal children tend to grow up more quickly than the common children," King Leonard said in a soft voice. "Nero has made it his responsibility to look after Bea. He thinks that he is the reason behind Bea's aggressive personality. My children had seen their fair share of palace politics in their little life. Bea was emotionally bullied for being protected by Nero all the time. And now they think if they show their feelings for each other openly...they will attract hostility." 

"They are just five," Giselle whispered while walking beside him. Thankfully, the corridor was empty and nobody was there to encounter their strange exchange. 

King Leonardo just smiled at her. When they were standing under an old and shady tree, he asked, "Do you regret your choice, Elle?"

How long has it been since she heard him call her Elle? 

Whatever…

Their time together had ended. After all, their relationship had an expiry date from the very start. 

And now she must not let herself be swayed by emotions. And this man was a genius at messing up her emotions. 

She turned to look at him. Hardening her heart and those hazel eyes which had the power to devastate him, she began in a soft yet determined voice, "I don't, Your Majesty." She didn't call him Leo as she usually did whenever they both were alone. She reminded him of his position and then her status by calling him formally. She wanted him to know that she didn't belong to their world and couldn't be part of it no matter how much he wanted her to be. "I have never made any choices that I will regret in the future. Neither the one I made seven years ago nor the one I made five years ago." 

"Does it not bother you that they are growing up without a mother? Why must they be devoid of the warmth and affection of a mother? Can you live without them?"Leonardo questioned her. He had never raised any question all these years. He accepted her decision five years ago without any qualms. But today, when Callum reminded him that she was leaving forever. His restless heart couldn't bear it anymore. He had to find answers to the question his children would ask him many years from now before it was too late. 

" Your Majesty, there is no world where you and I can coexist with something common between us, "Giselle replied to him with a smile. "The media will tear me into pieces. And it will change the course of your children's life. They would be called names I dare not to think even in my vicious dreams. What would they do by living with a mother who can only give them love but no security? They are better with you. You can give them everything; love, security, name, status, and honor. All the last four and significant things that I couldn't." 

Lord knows why but Giselle's words were making him anxious. No words that she uttered were nonsense, instead, each and every word was the undeniable truth that not even he, the king of this beautiful land, could not dare to deny. 

"Is this your final decision?" Leonard found him asking the question. 

Giselle paused for a minute but then nodded her head. 

"I heard you will be leaving soon," He said after a while. 

Giselle wasn't in condition to say anything so she just nodded her head again. 

"Can I ask where you would be settling down? "he asked her. 

"New York," Giselle replied after a long time. Jokingly, she added, "Perhaps, I will find my soulmate in my dream city. Mr. Vitello informed me that he had made all the preparations for me. I have enough money to sustain this lifetime without bothering to work again. All courtesy to you." 

Leonard scoffed, "You didn't take a dime from me!"

"You paid Mr. Vitello well enough for me," Giselle just shrugged. 

"You know what I am talking about!" He hates it the most when she calls her his whore. When would she stop reminding him of the ugly truth? 

"Oh, that? For being a surrogate for your kids? Consider it a discount from my side as you were my only customer who cherished my services the most." 

"Damm, Giselle. Will you stop reminding me?"Leonardo growled. 

"What do you think of Persephone as your queen? She seems like a socialite. I think she will be a wonderful queen. Way better than Lady Sabrina," Giselle commented. 

Leonard scoffed, "Do you think I have a death wish?"

Giselle glanced at him in confusion. This arrogant ass was scared of someone? 

"Do you even know whose daughter she is?" Of course, she doesn't. "She is the eldest daughter of Don Marino. The untouchable Don Marino of New York. Villain kidnapped her before she could reach the altar. In short, she was kidnapped by Santiago on her wedding day. And her groom was no one else but Nicolas Scuderi, yes the very same Nicolas Scuderi whose father kept you as his toy in Sicily." 

Giselle could only widen her eyes in horror. She knew her previous master was a big shot but she never did know who exactly he was. 

"I can't go to New York," Giselle whispered. 

"Relax, he is dead," Leonard answered. 

"You killed him?" Giselle asked him. 

"Oh, how I wish but that damm Killian asked me to wait for a few years. Fuck! Someone else got the chance before I could torture the hell out of that fucker," Leonardo growled. 

...

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