Chapter 141: What happened at the banquet 3
Noelle’s mask of politeness shattered, his voice laced with a sharpness he no longer cared to hide. "Oh dear, did you expect me to burst into tears?" he mocked, his tone losing any pretense of respect. "The Robbens already spoke of this ’grand plan’ of yours. Or perhaps you expected me to be filled with immense gratitude?"
The prince’s expression darkened, his gaze turning venomous. "You dare speak to me that way?" he spat, voice taut with fury.
"Oh, I do," Noelle replied, his tone steady, though his words cut deep. "Respect is earned by those worthy of it. Unfortunately, that isn’t you. You’re nothing more than an insecure shell of a man, desperately clawing for justification for your mediocrity. It eats at you, doesn’t it? Despite having everything handed to you, you’ll never match my husband —no matter how hard you try."
The prince’s composure cracked, his face twisting with a rage he struggled to conceal. His forced, bright smile was both bitter and brittle as he forced out, "Perhaps that insolence of yours is another reason why the Crimson General chose you." He leaned in, voice low and dripping with malice. "You’re both nothing but fools."
"Then perhaps it’s you who’s deluded, Your Highness," Noelle replied coolly, meeting the prince’s gaze unflinchingly, refusing to be intimidated.
A smirk spread across the prince’s face, his eyes narrowing, as though calculating his next move, but Noelle held firm, his heart steady despite the simmering tension hanging heavy in the air.
The prince’s eyes gleamed with an unsettling intensity as he closed the distance between them, leaning in with a twisted smile.
"You see, there’s something about this new Thorne, something... different. He’s acquired a weakness. A raven-haired, green-eyed weakness." He watched Noelle’s face, savoring the moment, hoping to see a hint of vulnerability.
Noelle’s expression remained steely, though his revulsion was barely masked. "You might not understand," he replied with an icy edge, "but it’s called falling in love."