Reborn to Flee My Fiance's Obsession (Fiona and Soren) novel Chapter 314

Something in Fiona's chest gave a sudden shake, and a faint sting rose up without warning.

Xavier only looked at her, calm as ever.

"Ms. Fiona, don't be upset with me anymore, all right?" Xavier said, patient to the end. "If you stay upset one more day, then that's one less day I get to spend with you. A person's life is only a few short decades."

For him, though, there might not even be a few decades.

Fiona had always folded before softness and never force.

Besides, she had never truly been upset in the first place.

She said, "I'm not upset with you."

After Xavier left, Pearl smiled and teased her. "Ms. Fiona, Mr. Xavier just now really looked like he was coaxing his own wife. A man like him, even if he's the practical type, I honestly thought he wouldn't know how to coax anyone at all."

But Fiona remembered that no matter who Xavier faced, he never once gave ground.

If anything, there was always that detached, above-it-all ease about him.

Even in front of Zephyr, he had been the same. He carried himself exactly like a man born to stand at the center of power.

Then she remembered that in his last life, he had already stood high above everyone else.

After that, she let the thought go.

What Fiona hadn't expected was how fast Florence's matter would arrive.

The Steppe Nomads had been winning battle after battle, and their momentum was at its peak.

This time, the envoy they sent to the capital defeated Duflana's generals across the board in mounted archery.

The arrogance on his face didn't even bother to hide itself, and he openly named the Zonfrillo Estate, demanding they come out and compete.

At the moment, the only one from the estate still in Jexburgh was Mr. Callum.

Callum's temper was a little too straightforward, but when it came to fighting, he did have real ability.

He barely managed to win back a little face for them.

Only then did Emperor Aldric's expression ease a little.

"In the end, it still comes down to the Zonfrillo Estate," Emperor Aldric said with a smile that gave nothing away.

At the time, no one yet knew that he had already begun to consider using the Zonfrillo Estate again.

That night, the envoy got drunk.

No one knew how, but he ended up at Florence's residence and tried to force himself on her.

Florence was a princess of Duflana. There was no way she could bear that kind of humiliation.

On the spot, she bit her tongue and tried to kill herself.

She would rather die than let the royal family be disgraced, than let Duflana be disgraced.

Thankfully, they found her in time and managed to pull her back alive.

Emperor Aldric flew into a rage and personally executed the envoy.

Somehow, the news still spread out beyond the palace.

People across Duflana were stirred up as well, and one after another they took to the streets, calling for a campaign against the Steppe Nomads, demanding justice for the princess and justice for Duflana.

But Fiona knew there was no telling how many hands were pushing from behind the curtain.

Alexander's expression did not shift in the slightest.

"I am your subject. All I can do is receive the decree and obey. His Majesty was thinking for Duflana's sake. We were only standing in different places, that's all."

Emperor Aldric tugged at the corner of his mouth, whether he believed that or not impossible to tell.

Then he said, "How is Soren these days?"

Alexander fell quiet for a long while before he answered.

"I don't know."

"I had no choice when I dealt with you. And weren't you the same when you dealt with him? Since you can understand me, he should be able to understand you as well."

Alexander knew at once that Emperor Aldric had dug a pit for him with those words.

If Soren did not understand him, then that would also mean Alexander had never truly understood Emperor Aldric either.

That was the kind of thing that could plant trouble for the future.

Not a trace of that showed on Alexander's face.

Emperor Aldric let out a cold snort.

"With Sixth Prince suffering a defeat like this, even if I wanted to raise him up, I can't. Useless thing."

Alexander had been the old fox for too many years not to catch Emperor Aldric's meaning at once. Bringing this up now meant the emperor wanted his cooperation. If it could be made to look like Zephyr had persuaded the Zonfrillo Estate to march, then Zephyr could claw back part of the blame from his defeat.

And if Zephyr became Crown Prince, that would also be the best outcome the Zonfrillo Estate could hope for. That was why Emperor Aldric dared to lay bare his thoughts about naming an heir.

"His Majesty need not worry. If the estate goes to war, then Prince Zephyr will naturally have played a key part in making it happen. That merit won't be small," Alexander said.