Chapter 536

Chapter 0536

“Selma!” Julian called.

“Can you come here a minute? There’s something I want to talk to you about.”

“Of course, Prince Julian,” Selma said and she came near. I couldn’t see her with Julian in the way, but I could hear her well enough when she said, “How can I help you?”

“Selma, listen, I’ve been hearing some rumors...” Julian said. “I’m not sure what to believe.”

“you shouldn’t believe every rumor,” Selma said. Compared to her previous greeting, these words seemed to dip lower in tone. If we hadn’t have known for sure that she was hiding something, we would have known by now. She was practically a stranger to me, but even I could tell.

I worried a moment that she might clamp up and not tell Julian everything.

Julian inched closer to her. “I’m y concerned for you,” he said. “If mom and dad are asking you to do things outside your moral range...”

“Qh, Julian,” Selma said. “You don’t know what you are asking of me.” julian shook his head a little.

“Just tell me what’s going on, Selma. Please. Maybe I can help.” God, he was smooth. I'd want to pour my heart out to him too if he talked to me like that.

Selma sighed. “The orders came from the King himself. At first, I didn’t mind so terribly much. It was a vague request: anything I could do to lift Bridget while making Piper look bad.” “I see,” Julian said. He sounded understanding. Meanwhile my insides were all tangled up with anger.

“But after... the incident... on the island, everything became more pressing, and more specific,” Selma continued.

“Did they have something to do with what happened on the island?” Julian asked.

“That I don’t know,” Selma said.

They didn’t say a word about it to me, but then, I was never the one going to the island. I only ever stay here.” Julian nodded.

“But the missing swimsuits, and the alarms being turned off, and Charlotte’s disappearance...”

“Charlotte is fine and well,” Selma said.

“I made sure she’s had food to eat. I know she’s unhappy down that. And I know Miss Piper is concerned...” Selma exhaled again, louder.

“You must think I'm some kind of monster. I don’t like what’s being asked of me. I like Piper, from when I watch the events on television.”

“I don’t think that,” Julian said, voice soft and comforting.

“I think you are simply a woman trying to serve her kingdom and her king.” Stronger, he asked, “Do you have any idea why the king would want to take such drastic Bebihha measures to bring up Bridget and lower Piper in the public’s eye?”

“I'don’t, and it would be wrong of me to speculate...” The words lingered.

She clearly wanted to say more.

“But...?” Julian prompted.

It didn’t take much convincing to get Selma to continue. “But... the incident on the island changed everyone’s favorite back to Piper. When Bridget arrived, we wanted to root for her, but after seeing how Prince Nicholas rushed to rescue her, it’s difficult not to root for those two.”

She paused a moment. “My apologies.”

“I'm not offended,” Julian said, Nicholas and I may be competing for Piper’s attentions, but even I can admit he bested me there. Has it really changed so many minds?”

“Ican’t speak for the entire kingdom, but the minds of the staff here on the island? Most definitely.” A While I was honored to have gained

favoritism over the other competitors among the staff, I was shaken. My blood ran cold.

If I was pulling ahead of popularity enough to make the king and queen nervous, who knew to what depths they would go through now, to lower me back down again? Selma had said the orders were getting more specific.

How much farther would they go? Was I in danger?