How to Tame My Beastly Husband

How to Tame My Beastly Husband — Chapter 191. Obstacles

Maybe the King only wanted to bind Raphael. He wouldn’t kill him now that he was Master of Swords, but he would keep him as a slave. That was why he was only planning to frame him, not kill him.

The thought of what the King might have in store for Raphael made Annette embrace him, pitying him. Abused as a child by his drug-addicted mother, then used as a tool by his ruthless father once he grew up.

No wonder he had never learned how to relate to people, until he met Annette. It hurt to think of him bristling like a hedgehog at everyone he met, trying to protect himself.

“Don’t look at me like that,” said Raphael, taking her hand in his. “I’ll be fine.”

The warmth of her went straight to his heart. How tragic it would be, if he had never known this in his life. Suppressing the surge of emotion, he went back to the original subject.

“I can’t refuse to attend a banquet if the King invites me in any case.” 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

“It looks as if it will be a grand banquet, from the invitation,” said Annette. “And since it will be held in the palace…there will be a lot of people.”

“The King will want to mark the occasion.”

“And Celestine will be there, too. It won’t be easy, but we should try to protect her in that crowd.”

“Don’t worry. Nothing bad will happen,” Raphael replied, determined. If he was a beast, he was a free one, who only allowed very few people to touch him. He was not a dumb animal to be used and put down.

And if anyone thought otherwise, he would have to remind them.

Raphael’s blue eyes glowed, ferocious.

* * *

Ludwig wondered what other sons did when their fathers did something wrong.

All his life, King Selgratis had been trampling ruthlessly on his opponents, and claiming it was for the sake of Ludwig’s future.

But how could love justify these actions? What happened to an herbivore if it was forced to be a carnivore?

It would die. It could not survive on such food.

Unfortunately, that was Ludwig’s reality.

“What do you mean? Why should I meet the daughter of Marquis Cherkess?” Ludwig asked, doubting his ears.

“Marquis Keers is useful enough,” the King said carelessly. “But I don’t think his daughter is fit to be Crown Princess.”

His words ended coldly. Celestine should be willing to risk her life to prove she was useful, to compensate for her lineage. But unlike Marquis Keers, she was not proving easy to manipulate.

“I don’t understand, Father. What will happen to Celestine?”

“That does not concern you. I will handle it. You focus on keeping Raphael under control and establishing the foundation for your reign as King. You will need to prevail over Duke Bavaria. Do you understand?”

It had been a long time since the King spoke to Ludwig so gently. Selgratis had always despised Ludwig’s weakness and indecisiveness. But he had been pleased with him lately, after Ludwig had come to discuss his own ambitions.

Of course, I have no further interest in Duke Bavaria’s daughter.

The King was glad to hear the malice in his son, and added it to the cold calculations running through his head. It was just unfortunate that the one who had stiffened Ludwig’s spine was Annette Bavaria.

Selgratis turned his heavy golden ring between his fingers as he thought. The weight of its seal had always represented his own royal dignity to him, and it satisfied his heart. No one would be able to upset the royal family’s power.

He would remove all the obstacles from Ludwig’s path. And the greatest one always seemed to be Annette Bavaria.

That girl is troublesome.

Selgratis’s well-honed instincts warned him of danger, wondering what she was hiding behind that calm face. Both Ludwig and the violent Raphael had been entranced by her, and even Celestine had fallen for her wiles.

Cunning Bavaria.

Celestine was a great disappointment. She had almost become his daughter-in-law. He had accepted her as Crown Princess despite her fallen family. Foolish girl. Such a foolish girl could not be allowed to become Crown Princess.

He would have to get rid of her.