Chapter 75: A Generic Face
"Alright," Soleia said agreeably, holding out her hand for him. He eagerly took her hand, childish joy on his face as he tugged her away. Soleia hurriedly bowed to her sisters and relatives for leaving early.
Sir Ralph stood up to follow, but Reitan narrowed his eyes.
"Not you! I want to spend time with Soleia only!" He stomped his feet irritably, and Soleia could only shoot Ralph an apologetic look as she was dragged away by her younger brother.
Celestina and Bellaflor laughed good-naturedly at the surprised expression on Rafael’s face. He was torn between following them at a safe distance, or just sitting back down to finish the delicious meatloaf on his plate.
"Don’t feel bad, Sir Ralph. Reitan means no harm. He just has his favorites," Bellaflor said with a teasing smile.
"You will get used to it. Eventually," Celestina said with a shrug as she picked up her cup and sipped at the tea. In a softer voice, she leaned into her older sister and said, "Especially if he plans to marry Soleia."
Bellaflor looked scathingly at Celestina, as though she was aghast by such a suggestion. But it took no more than a mere second before the two exchanged a knowing smile and turned back to their plates.
Rafael could only smile as naturally as he could, his toes practically digging into the carpets.
"Say," Prince Gilbert suddenly said, offering his wife a brief confused glance. He then turned his gaze back to Ralph. "Sir Ralph, where are you from?"