SMITTEN

"Greetings, my lady," Lord Emilio bowed down to Aisha in the same way that the other Castle people are now giving courtesy to her.

His wings also seemed to honor her as they were curved in a cute way.

However, his face was stiff and void of emotions. And she understood why.

He has been against her ever since she stepped foot in Gaea. But she was not here for herself. 

"Greetings, my lord. I hope I am not disturbing you," Aisha bowed down to him. 

It was the next day and they were in one of the foyers, overlooking the expanse of the Castle.

From where they are, they can see the different areas in the Castle ground, places where Aisha has not visited yet.

"It's all right, my lady. The King has given me permission to go to your needs since he was just at the Royal Chancery. Do you need anything, my lady?" Lord Emilio asked with a worrisome tone.

She recalled his last statement when they were having a conversation the night before the wedding. 

Maybe she would use just that as an excuse.

She turned towards him and put both her hands together in a graceful manner.

"You told me that I should ask for your help when I'm in trouble. Well I'm not really in trouble just yet. But I want to prepare for it. Could you tell me more about the Gaean lands. Maybe it would be helpful for me someday," she said with a pleasant smile on her vibrant face.

Lord Emilio was taken aback at her question. He must not probably be expecting that. 

She has already done classes with Master Aurelius. He must probably be expecting that she knew all the things that she needed to know. But she needed an alibi.

It was obvious that he was hesitating as he scratched his head and paused for a minute. 

'He probably must have other things to do since he was the personal bodyguard of the King,' Aisha thought.

But Rosalia, who was on her side, butted in.

"It would be really helpful for my lady, my Lord. She has many things to face ahead now that she is a royal wife," Rosalia pleaded to Lord Emilio.

Aisha was surprised to hear Rosalia. She was not aware of her plan.

'Could she want the same thing that I have in mind?' Aisha's fingers flew to her mischievous smile in response.

To her delight, Lord Emilio seemed to listen to her request as he said, "Most certainly, my lady. It will also help the King if you don't get in trouble."

"That's splendid, I am really just curious. What is that part over there? The one with the thick trees. It was as if it was barren for a long time," Aisha said as she pointed to an area a few miles from the Castle but still visible to them.

Aisha wasn't really serious about it. 

She just pointed at it so that she could move away from being in between Lord Emilio and Rosalia so they could be together that time. 

She went on a little bit to the right side of the foyer and pointed at the area.

As she did so, her peripheral vision was glancing at the two, hoping that they could somehow spend a little time together even with their busy schedule.

To her joy, neither of them moved to her side and remained where they were.

Still, Lord Emilio was dutiful enough to orient her about her question.

"That was an off-limits place that was set there by the Great Theos. Anyone was banned from going there, even the King. That's the least place you want to go to if you want to stay out of trouble," Lord Emilio explained to her.

With that, Aisha's curiosity was piqued. 'How could a place like that exist in Gaea at all? It shouldn't have been placed there if it's not meant to be enjoyed.'

She was about to ask that when she noticed that Lord Emilio was talking to Rosalia in a low volume. A pleased smile cracked up Aisha's lips. 

She just kept the thought to herself and let the two talk.

'I didn't have to exert effort, after all. Those two were both natural. I hope they really end up with each other. They both have good hearts,' Aisha muttered to herself. 

Aisha already noticed about Lord Emilio's special attention to Rosalia. 

Even though his head was always bowed, he was sensitive to Rosalia's every move. Even just a slight itch or a change in position made him glance quickly at her.

He also asked her questions out of the blue even if it's unnecessary.

He might be interested in Rosalia, but he hasn't confessed to her yet. 

'If he has, Rosalia will surely tell me,' Aisha pondered.

Then she heaved out a sigh. 'I wish King Leandro was.also here. I miss him already.'

Like an angel's tongue, a servant came to them and said, "The King was looking for you, my lady."

Aisha's eyebrows both shoot up. She has already set her heart to wait for two weeks.

Her tutor and Master Aurelius both told her that the King has a rotation schedule for all his royal wives to prevent envy and strife.

Fortunately, the other royal wives whom she has befriended yesterday told her that even though the King visits them, he doesn't lay down with them. He was just obeying the traditions of the land. 

'But I have to confirm it too with him,' her lips pouted as she crossed her arms.

To give him the benefit of the doubt, she was lucky to be in the two-week schedule. The others weren't even visited at all.

Aisha immediately complied and went to the Royal Chancery where the King was. And just as she expected, Lord Emilio and Rosalia were following behind her.

'If only we could spend more time together, it would be beneficial for them too,' Aisha complained, but silently.

As soon as she reached the Royal Chancery, Aisha immediately bowed down to him.

He was seated at his table with a pile of scrolls in front of him.

His face seemed draught and weary. But when he gazed up and saw her, it was quickly replaced with a radiant one.

But it was only momentary.

"Leave us," he ordered the other servants in which they all complied, including Lord Emilio and Rosalia.

Aisha's forehead scrunched as she tried to guess what the King needed.

He was back to his formal neutral face. His tone again was cold and aloof. And he was not that warm and comfortable to be with.

'Was it perhaps related to the incident during yesterday's breakfast?' She thought. 

She couldn't think of any reason since she was not making a mistake so far.

"Is there an illness that came from eating Riso in your land? I tried to research it. But I can't find anything," he finally opened up.

"Not that I know of too, my lord," Aisha answered him immediately. 

As far as she knew, it could even heal malnutrition in poverty-stricken countries.

King Leandro exhaled a lungful of air as he clasped his hands together as if he was in deep thoughts.

"Is there a problem with Riso, your Majesty?" Aisha said as she drew near him.

She could sense his anxious state just by merely looking at him. 

"I don't want you to be bothered by it, my lady. But I guess you could know. Our guests during the wedding ceremony didn't tolerate it well. They are now complaining of stomach illnesses and were complaining again of the lack of Spelta produce."

He breathed in exasperation, probably because he expected that it would be the solution to Gaea's number one most pressing issue.

Aisha was appalled by the news. "How could that happen? I ate the Riso and I'm as fine as daisy. You ate them, too. And so does Martina, Diana and Estella."

Aisha's eyebrows knitted together as she thought about it.

"It could be perhaps because they have eaten so much and they were not used to it just yet. I can only eat it as much as I want to because I have been eating it before I could even call out Mama or Dada. And your Majesty, Martina, Estella and Diana only have a cup then," Aisha expressed her thoughts out loud.

"Or," she paused as she glanced at King Leandro, wondering if she would continue on what she wanted to say. 

"Or?" King Leandro repeated to her.

Aisha waved her hands in the air. "Forget it. I'm sure no one would try to sabotage the Riso and cause a conflict between you and them."

At her statement, Leandro's palms struck his table.

"Or not," Aisha muttered to herself as she pointed her forefingers together.

She didn't want to aggravate the King's already troubled state. But it was really the only reason that she could think of.

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To get the full value of joy, one must have someone to divide it with.