The Crown's Fire - Chapter 284

Chapter 284: A Good Pond
Another morning dawned, and Katelina smiled lovingly as she opened her eyes to find Ezekiel watching her. “Why are you still here? Don’t you have work to do?” she murmured sleepily. Like every morning, she felt a deep contentment waking up to Ezekiel’s face.

Ezekiel leaned down and kissed her tenderly. “I’m about to leave now. I’ll have Asura join you for breakfast,” he said.

“Hmm, no. Let Asura stay with Kasper a bit longer. How about Floria? Have her join me for breakfast,” Katelina suggested as she sat up in bed.

“But it’s dangerous,” Ezekiel objected, still concerned.

She cupped his face, pouting playfully, “Goodness, are you underestimating my abilities?” She kissed the tip of his nose and pressed her forehead against his. “I’m Katelina Grimaldi Ward. Let me remind you, I’m no longer weak—I’m back to my strong self.”

“But what if she poisons your meal?” Ezekiel grumbled.

“I’ll know. I’m well-versed in poisons, and I’m the best healer mage around,” she boasted. “I won’t risk myself or our baby.”

Ezekiel sighed deeply and said, “Fine. I’ll let her join you for breakfast, but only after the food has been prepared and served by people I trust. That’s final, no more debating, Kate. I will not let that woman handle your food and even serve it!”

Katelina chuckled and relented, “Alright, let’s do it your way.” Though she still believed it would be better if Floria handled everything, confident she could detect and dispel any poison.

Ezekiel kissed her passionately before growling in frustration as she reminded him to leave—they couldn’t afford to indulge in another round of lovemaking. She was still sore from his passionate midnight and dawn sessions!

Soon, the meals arrived in Katelina’s bedroom, prepared by servants personally selected and vetted by Ezekiel and Wizard Lurio. Each servant even tasted the dishes before leaving.

Her husband was so overprotective, and her heart swelled with love and joy. That was why she couldn’t just stay idle as he wanted. She couldn’t let her wonderful husband handle all their enemies alone—she needed to do her part in helping and supporting him.

There was a knock on the door. “Your Majesty, it’s Floria,” came the voice from the other side.

“Yes, come in,” Katelina replied, watching as Floria entered the room and greeted her with a polite bow.

“Please sit and have breakfast with me,” Katelina invited. “Ezekiel had to leave early, and I’d rather not eat alone. Usually, Asura would join me, but she’s quite busy today.” Floria sat down across from her.

“I hope my little brother is awake and can join us,” Katelina mused. She asked one of the servants to check on Levi, instructing them to let him sleep if he wasn’t up yet.

Katelina loved sharing breakfast with Levi, but her sleep schedule had been irregular lately. She tended to fall asleep in the late afternoon or early evening, then wake up early—like now, just as the sun was about to rise.

She and Floria had begun eating when the door suddenly swung open.

“Sister! Am I late?” Levi exclaimed as he rushed over and sat beside her. “Your Highness,” Floria greeted him politely. Levi nodded and glanced at Floria, whom Katelina had already briefed him about.

“You’re just in time, Levi,” Katelina said, placing some dishes on his plate.

“I woke up early because I have training with the others. Master Kasper said we’d start as soon as he finished his meeting with Brother-in-law,” Levi commented enthusiastically.

They continued eating, with Katelina engaging in light conversation with Floria.

“I haven’t been to the southeast region of Ebodia, Floria. What’s special about your area?” she asked curiously. Floria’s brother, Lord Hebron, was the Marquess of that region.

Katelina had heard many good things about Floria’s family, but she still wasn’t fully convinced that Floria wasn’t connected to an enemy, especially after the soul-swapping incident with Tessa. She had seen Floria being kidnapped, so there was a possibility…

“If you’re interested, I can arrange a tour for you and His Highness Leviticus to visit our region. We have beautiful spots and some lively festivals this season,” Floria suggested.

“Wow, that sounds great!” Levi beamed, turning to Katelina. “I’d love to see that, Sister!”

Katelina chuckled. “We should. I’ll have it scheduled, Levi.” He nodded and reached for a piece of bread near Floria. As Floria extended her hand to help, their skin brushed against each other.

Levi suddenly grabbed Floria’s hand and stared at her intently. Katelina could tell he was seeing something.

Floria, startled, began to pull her hand back. “Your Highness, my hand…”

Katelina quickly signaled to Floria. “Don’t pull your hand away. Let him release it on his own.”

Confusion clouded Floria’s eyes, soon replaced by fear. Katelina smiled reassuringly. “Don’t worry. This happens often. My little brother has been like this since we escaped Devon’s captivity. He’s just overprotective of me and tends to assess those who get close, to see if they can be trusted.”

Of course, this was a lie—an alibi. Levi continued to stare at Floria, so Katelina added, “Just let him look into your eyes. He has this habit, of believing that the eyes are the window to someone’s soul.”

“S-Someone’s soul?” Floria stammered, visibly nervous. Katelina wondered, ‘Did I hit a nerve? Could there be a different soul inside Floria’s body?’

“Hmm, she passed!” Levi suddenly announced, releasing Floria’s hand. Katelina turned to him, scolding gently, “You know you’re creeping people out when you act like this.”

“I’m sorry, Sister. I just can’t help it,” Levi winked at her. Katelina couldn’t believe how well her little brother had mastered the art of acting. She was certain Asura would take credit for this if she were here—after all, it was Asura who had been training Levi to act convincingly and to conceal his abilities and weaknesses.

Asura had done a great job teaching Levi to be calculative and smart. “So, Lady Floria, when do you think would be the best time for us to visit?” Levi asked with a grin.

“Oh, that…” Floria’s face was still pale, but she tried to regain her composure with a smile. “As soon as you and Her Majesty are ready, we can arrange it immediately.”

“Ah, by the way, Sister, you promised we’d go fishing. But where can we do it around the castle? I’m sure Big Brother won’t let us go outside. Are there any fish in the ponds on the royal estate?” Levi suddenly blurted out, seemingly out of nowhere.

Then she looked at Floria and asked, “Do you think you can recommend a good pond where we can safely go fishing?”