Reborn to Flee My Fiance's Obsession (Fiona and Soren) novel Chapter 302

"Why didn't you tell me ahead of time when you returned to Jexburgh?" Zephyr said, a trace of displeasure in his voice.

In truth, Fiona had no real tie to him at all. Not notifying him was the most normal thing in the world.

But the way he carried himself now, he was plainly speaking from the place of a husband.

That made Fiona think of Soren.

She really couldn't tell why men were always like this. A thing that hadn't even begun to take shape yet, and they were already acting as if they could step right into the role of husband.

And once Soren came to mind, her attention shifted with it.

She started measuring where he ought to be now. If things were following the last life, then before long Emperor Aldric would fall critically ill and the Steppe Nomads would invade. By that count, Soren should already have reached somewhere near Broadmoor.

"Fiona, why did you drift off just now?" Zephyr asked.

Fiona came back to herself and gave him a small smile, but she didn't answer.

Zephyr had never liked being ignored.

Yet when Fiona did it, he didn't take offense. In his eyes, a man was supposed to be a little more forgiving toward his own wife.

"Florence has been thinking about you this whole time," Zephyr said. "When she heard you'd returned to Jexburgh today, she made me remind you that you must go to the Imperial Palace and see her."

As long as he didn't bring up the marriage, Fiona had no easy way to refuse him.

And Princess Florence had always treated her well, so she agreed.

But when Fiona went to the Imperial Palace this time, she first attended a banquet Emperor Aldric had arranged.

Claudia was there. So was Her Majesty the Empress. Both of them showed deep concern for her, but the thoughts behind that concern couldn't have been more different. One wanted her as a daughter-in-law. The other wanted to stop her from marrying Zephyr.

Cornelius still had no idea that Emperor Aldric had already chosen the heir to the throne in his own mind.

So Her Majesty the Empress was still making preparations for Cornelius.

Emperor Aldric had visibly thinned down. His spirit wasn't what it had been before either.

His serious illness had likely already grown severe. He was only forcing himself to look as though he was still in decent shape, probably because he couldn't afford to let the situation slip out of control.

"You've recovered quite well, girl," Emperor Aldric said with a smile, his tone mild.

But he no longer had the energy he used to.

Even that kindness didn't feel as real as it usually did when he wore it on purpose. Fiona could even catch a faint edge of violence underneath it. The situation before him was likely weighing heavily on him.

She couldn't tell whether news had arrived from Soren's side, and whether that was why Emperor Aldric looked this way.

"I heard Uncle Aldric also fell ill some days ago. Looking at you now, Uncle Aldric seems to have recovered quite well too," Fiona said.

At that, Emperor Aldric smiled.

Someone carrying a grave illness always wanted to hear words like that. "It was only a chill. I had a fever for several days in a row. I'm still not fully back on my feet yet."

Fiona glanced over the people present.

Cornelius and Marcus each wore a different look, each holding to his own calculations. Marcus, meanwhile, kept an even, almost indifferent manner, as if he were the only one there who truly believed Emperor Aldric had merely caught a chill.

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