Chapter 39: Rivalry
Carlos watched as Sophia walked away, his heart tightening with despair. Oh, how tragic his fate was! How could a man possibly endure such suffering? To be separated from his muse for so long, an eternity, some would say.
As she slowly walked farther from him, the man collapsed to his knees, tears escaping his eyes. He continued to watch those beautiful golden strands drift away with each step.
The worst part was knowing that it was his own fault. He was the one who had accepted this task instead of staying by his queen’s side, as he should have. And along with his sorrow came the burning frustration of not being with her.
"Why did you come up with this sudden meeting?" he turned, ready to vent his anger on Ana. "That spoiled, vain fool has no future, there’s no reason to waste time on him!"
Ana would normally have stayed quiet. The last thing she wanted was to irritate anyone in a position of power, even though she had long since abandoned any thoughts of seducing Carlos.
"He dismissed his honorary knight," she replied calmly, confident that this piece of information was valuable enough to change everything.
The man before her was left speechless. At first, he doubted what he had just heard, but Ana reaffirmed it. He then fell into deep contemplation, struggling to understand how anyone could be so foolish.
"A Valtherion knight came to visit. She said she’d like to speak with us," a maid interrupted their conversation, delivering the message.
Alexia had arrived much earlier than expected, perhaps because her mind and heart were too restless to wait any longer.
Carlos barely had time to process how idiotic that decision had been or to consider the immense advantages they could gain from it.
Either way, his expression turned serious as he calculated the best way to bring Luis down once and for all. If Sophia could absorb everything the blonde had, her position within the family would improve significantly.