When the twins were back to the pavilion, Valerie also heard everything now. Orius asked Arin to tell her because he didn't want his wife to feel left out and Iria was also okay with it.
After all, they were family now.
Lady Valerie was quite good at lifting the mood and they had a good time in the pavilion. Soon enough, they all walked inside the mansion for dinner.
"Valerie loves to cook," Orius said to his sister and brother-in-law. "She prepared some of the dishes before you arrive. You will surely like it."
"Really?" Iria exclaimed and turned to her sister-in-law. "You never told me about that."
"I can only make a few dishes," Valerie promptly said. "It's nothing to brag about."
"But I think people who can cook are amazing," Iria stated and with a chuckle, she added, "Maybe because I can't cook at all." She gave Arin a brief glance and continued, "Arin loves to bake. He often bakes some cakes for me."
Orius Alewine blinked at the revelation and shifted his gaze to the Qalagon King. "Is that true? You will need a kitchen for that."
He won't use the kitchen in the palace, right?
"I already have a small kitchen specially set up for me in the palace," Arin simply said. "Iria loves my baking. So, I bake when I have time. I bet everyone in the palace know about it."
Valerie stared at Orius who turned away and said, "I don't know how to bake."
Iria laughed when she saw the expression on her brother's face and Arin quickly spoke up.
"Iria told me that you will soon come to Qalagon. I will teach you when you come."
"Baking is even complicated than cooking," the Duke remarked. "I don't think it's for me." He turned to his wife and with a sigh, put away the wine cup which she was trying to lift. "You have a low tolerance. I think it's enough for tonight. You won't want to get drunk before them, don't you?"
Valerie slightly frowned but she still shook her head. This made Iria smiled.
It seemed like her strict brother was also a strict husband.
Yes, the word 'strict' suited Orius's right. He was always firm but it was always for her own good.
"I'm glad to see that you two are doing fine," Arin pointed out after witnessing the same scene. "Iria always talked about you and wondered if you would get along well or not." With a peal of laughter, he added, "She will finally be at peace."
*
Arin and Iria were on their way back to the palace after dinner. Though Orius and Valerie wanted them to spend the night at the mansion, they said that they will do that tomorrow night as the Emperor and Empress will be expecting them back for tonight.
Though the mansion wasn't far from the palace, Iria still used the carriage as they already expect to be late. The night weather was very cold compared to the day.
Rather than riding a horse, Arin also sat with her inside the carriage.
Throughout their ride, Iria grabbed Arin's arm and placed her head on his shoulder.
"Orius took it well than I thought," she muttered. "I'm grateful, Arin. If I was the one who tell him, I'm sure that everything will be a mess."
"But I think you still don't look fine," Arin Helev pointed out and asked, "What's the matter?"
Iria thought about it and said, "Do you ever notice how Andres and Orius are very similar in terms of personalities? Though Andres is always the mood maker and Orius the quiet type, they share many similarities."
"Like what?"
"They are hard to read," she murmured. "All the time, Andres conceals his inner side with a smile while Orius used to act indifferent despite noticing everything. Even if they plan to make a move because of me, I won't know anything. This was why I felt so reluctant to let them know even during the past year."
Arin Helev knew that she was right. Though he had known Andres for years now, he always finds it hard to know what he actually thought.
"It seems like you know that your cousin can be very cruel at times," he muttered. "I still remember what happened 5 years ago. Andres was 18 back then and he used to have a trusted General whom he regarded as a friend. However, the General was captured by the Miron Army in Crilia Empire during his journey.
"Despite the ongoing negotiation, the General still ended up dying and you know what he did to avenge him."
Iria nodded. "He wiped out the whole Miron Army though they surrendered during the war. Thousands of soldiers but... he didn't spare any single soul." Iria briefly paused and said, "Back then, I heard the news and thought that the cousin whom I never met was such a cruel being. Besides, at that time, I still thought that my mother's family usurped the throne because of their greed."
With a smile which was almost a mocking one, she muttered, "I was so blind. I ignored the ones who love me and stayed loyal to the one who killed my father and took my brother away.
"Whenever I thought of how I spent those years, I can't stop hating myself." She looked at her palms and murmured, "These hands slashed so many souls just to satisfy him."
Whenever she thought of what Dilan Lorin said to her that night, she used to think that he was right. Her hands already end the lives of many people, so it must be fair that she can't used her right hand that much anymore.
Was this a punishment?
If the corpses of the ones she killed until now were to be laid in one place, she believed that it will be enough to occupy many provinces!
"You don't know and that's not your fault," Arin calmly said to her. "What matter is that you set things straight as soon as you know. If anyone blames you for doing things out of ignorance, that person is at fault, not you. So, don't blame yourself for the past anymore."
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