Chapter 44

"Does he have any siblings?"

Eulisses frowned but didn't answer immediately, finishing serving me tea. I knew that my question must have sounded weird for him but it was important.

"Are you referring to His Majesty the Duke?"

I quickly nodded:

"Does he have any siblings?"

I didn't recall Ephraim having any siblings in the novel. Actually I didn't know about him having any type of family but I could have forgotten about it. Or they could have been minor characters that the author forgot to mention. I had to know.

"The Duke doesn't have any siblings.

-Then any cousins maybe."

Eulisses thought about it for a second:

"He does have third cousins but they aren't on good terms.

-How shocking."

I couldn't really imagine Ephraim being on good terms with anyone. The only term he knew was the scary term.

"Where do they live?"

I tried grabbing my tea cup but had a hard time because of the bandages on my hands. I tried three times from three different angles before sighing. I felt ashamed but looked up at Eulisses:

"Hum... Could you?"

I just couldn't bring myself to ask. I wasn't a toddler. I could drink on my own. The doctor didn't have to bandage my hands in the first place. I was fine. I only accepted because Arora kept looking at me with her huge teary eyes.

"Nothing."

Arora, who had been observing me silently, immediately stood up from her seat and grabbed my tea before gently blowing on it.

"Arora?"

She raised the cup towards my lips, focused on not spilling it on my clothes:

"Drink slowly, dad. It's still hot."

I tried getting away from the cup as much as possible:

"I don't need help."

Arora ignored my words and continued holding the cup, waiting for me to drink.

"I really don't need help. I can hold it myself."

There was nothing I could say that would make Arora give up:

"Arora... I'm your father. I should help you, not the other way around."

Silence.

"You're a child. I'm the adult."

She kept staring at me.

"Do you even hear me?"

Sometimes she really reminded me of her father and at the end I had to drink. Arora looked very happy and she continued feeding me for long minutes. Eulisses had to hold back his laughter seeing my cheeks turn bright red. I wished for that moment to end but it just kept on going. After ignoring my pleading eyes for way too long Eulisses finally decided to step in and brought me the newspaper:

"Mister Sliske, there is an article about yesterday's incident.

-Already?"

I could have hugged Eulisses. I didn't care about the article. I never read a newspaper in my entire life but at that point it was the thing that I cared about most. Arora tried helping me again to hold the newspaper but I showed her that I could hold it without problem and immediately started reading silently.

I shouldn't have read it.

"Dad! Do your hands hurt?"

Arora looked so worried that I tried my best holding my tears back but it just couldn't be helped. I had never felt so sad in my entire two lives. Seeing my tears flow made Arora panic:

"Quickly call for the doctor!"

Eulisses had already pulled on a string before bringing me ice wrapped in a towel:

"The doctor said that the cold could help with the pain."

I quickly shook my head:

"No, it doesn't hurt.

-Then why are you crying?"

I looked down at the newspaper on the table. I couldn't admit the truth. But seeing the article made me tear up even more.

"Dad! Please don't cry. The doctor will be here soon."

I bit my tongue with all my strength, trying to regain control over my feelings. How could a grown man cry because of a stupid article? But I knew it wasn't stupid... After all, the article was showing the damage that had been made by the attack at the exhibition. All of those ruined paintings... Just thinking about them tore my heart apart. I didn't want to know which one got destroyed. I preferred to never know. I wouldn't be able to take it.

The doctor arrived rushed inside not even a minute later. He immediately fell to his knees and looked at the bandages around my hands. He was shaking for some reason but I didn't have time to understand why. Ephraim followed soon after and having that man see me cry pissed me off enough to finally stop my tears.

The doctor kept shooting glances behind him towards a visibly angry Ephraim. He was always angry. Didn't he know other feelings? Seeing him frowning just made me roll my eyes.

Eulisses was the first one to break the silence by bowing deeply to Ephraim:

"I should have noticed that my Master was in pain. I apologize, Your Majesty. I deserve punishment for my negligence."

The doctor finally stood up to fall to his knees in front of Ephraim right after:

"I beg your forgiveness, Your Majesty. I should have taken better care of your wife."

I rolled my eyes.

"I am not his wife."

Ephraim looked down at the doctor:

"He seems better now. Don't make me waste my time again."

The doctor quickly nodded:

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Of course Ephraim wasn't worried about me. He only cared about himself.

"I was in the middle of a very important meeting and had to come here because of your unprofessionalism.

-I apologize, Your Majesty. It won't happen again.

-That I am sure of."

The doctor started shaking even more. Seeing Ephraim angry made me sight. I didn't have the strength to get mad at him anymore after everything that happened but it didn't mean that I would just let him be either:

"You should have stayed at your meeting, your Majesty. There was no need for your presence."

Ephraim's eyebrows twitched for a second. Everyone looked at me, wondering what was going on. They were used to me screaming at Ephraim at that point and the latter teasing me mercilessly. For them this scene was... New.

"There's no need for such formalities, darling. You can continue acting comfortably around me.

-What are you referring to? I have always talked in such a way."

I could feel Ephraim losing patience:

"I have never heard my dear wife talking so politely to me.

-Is that so?"

Scared that things would turn against him again, the doctor discreetly backed away, letting out a sight when he finally got away.

"Are you perhaps acting shy because of the doctor being present?"

The latter flinched, seeing his life flash before his eyes.

"Not at all. I feel perfectly comfortable right now.

-You..."

Ephraim sighed, rubbing his forehead angrily.