Said No to the Prince and Yes to the King novel Chapter 284

Chapter 284 Straightforward?

“Why won’t you talk to me, Ms. Campbell? Everyone here is quite pleasant. There’s no need to be so reserved. Think of this as your own home. Say whatever’s on your mind I’d be happy to chat.”

Margaret couldn’t resist rolling her eyes “If your idea of ‘chatting‘ is nonstop bragging about how close you are to Prince Theodore, then no, I really don’t have much to say.”

She paused, letting her words hang in the air. “However, there is one thing I should mention. At least I am his officially betrothed fiancée. You, on the other hand…”

A faint, knowing smile touched her lips as she deliberately left the sentence unfinished.

Myrna’s eyelid twitched, her expression visibly darkening. “I was trying to have a genuine conversation, and you accuse me of showing off?

“How shallow can you be? We in the military families aren’t raised to mince words or act coy. We speak our minds plainly. I hope you won’t take it to heart.”

She leaned forward slightly, her tone shifting. “Besides, Ms. Campbell, while you may have accepted Theodore’s proposal, whether you’ll be his wife remains to be seen. Proposing to you could mean making you his Princess… or merely a consort. There’s a world of difference between the two, wouldn’t you agree?”

Her implication was crystal clear. “Wife” meant Princess; “consort” could be anything from a secondary wife down to a mere concubine.

The thinly veiled provocation crackled between them, any pretense of civility beginning to fray.

Margaret merely smiled, “My future status is none of your concern, Ms. Hickman. I hear you’re nearly nineteen? Tsk. Most women in our kingdom are married with children by sixteen or seventeen. How is it you’ve been left on the shelf so long? Could it be you’ve been eyeing someone else’s intended?”

Myrna was taken aback by her retort, but she held her composure. “My marital prospects are none of your business either. Perhaps you should worry more about your own reputation. Word has it, during all those years you were engaged to Crown Prince Christopher, you threw yourself at him more than once Now that he’s a cripple and stripped of his title, it’s only natural you’d set your sights elsewhere. But a tarnished reputation… that’s not so easy to polish up again, is it?”

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Resting her chin on her hand, she added with a saccharine smile, “If I were you, I wouldn’t have the nerve to show up here uninvited. Look–it’s nearly evening. You and Theodore may be engaged, but you’re still unmarried. For a woman to visit at this hour… some might think you’re angling to spend the night.”

Margaret was utterly exasperated. “At least I AM his fiancée. If I stayed over, it would be perfectly proper- unlike some people.”

Myrna burst into laughter, covering her mouth with her hand. “Why compare yourself to me? I’m a general’s daughter. Things like reputation and propriety have never mattered much to me.

“Everyone knows I despise affectation, and Theodore knows it, too. If he heard you insinuating anything about our relationship, he’d probably laugh.”

Her laughter subsided into a smug smile. “But don’t worry. Even if you did stay the night, I wouldn’t

12:13 pm PTNM

34 raightforward?

Chapter 284

breathe a word. Us straightforward types can’t be bothered with underhanded tricks.”

She kept calling herself straightforward,” but her company was anything but pleasant. After only a short while in the study, Margaret felt suffocated.

hed

She longed to leave, yet she couldn’t stand letting Myrna have the last word. “Theodore this, Theodore that, always claiming you’re like buddies. Anyone with eyes can see what you really feel for him. Since it’s just the two of us here, there’s no point pretending, Ms. Hickman.”

A shadow flickered in Myrna’s eyes, though she showed no anger. “You’ve got me there. My feelings for Theodore are hardly a secret.”

She propped her face in her hands, gazing intently at Margaret. “But do you know how he feels about me?”

Margaret stared back coldly, waiting.

Myrna’s smile widened. “You already have an idea, don’t you? We’ve known each other since childhood. The bond we share runs far deeper than anything between you two. That’s why you feel so threatened by me–you know it’s true.”

Shaking her head, Margaret realized how foolish she’d been to waste her breath on this childish woman. She stood to leave.

Just as she reached the doorway, Myrna spoke again, “You’re probably thinking he must prefer you, since he proposed to you and not me.”

Margaret halted, not turning around. “What now? Spit it out.”

Myrna said, rising gracefully and moving to stand behind her, “Don’t be so hasty. Before he ever met you, Theodore and I had a terrible argument. I nearly broke his most treasured possession–a keepsake from his late mother.

“He shouted at me for the first time ever. He’s always been so gentle with me, you see. I was furious and decided to give him the silent treatment. And he, perhaps angry too, never came to find me…”

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