71 The Confession
Selma Payne’s POV:
Aldrich was flustered. He hugged me in a hurry and said incoherently, “Then let’s not keep it a secret anymore. Let’s go public immediately and announce our relationship, okay? Don’t worry. I’ll accept all the blame from the King and the Queen. I won’t leave you alone, and I won’t give up on you!”
“Not this one!” Now it was my turn to be a child, crying unyieldingly, but I couldn’t speak clearly!
“What’s that?” He pulled out a tissue and gently wiped my face. “It’s okay. Cry it out and vent your emotions. We’ll talk about it when you want to.”
So I cried in his arms.
When I calmed down, I wanted to find a hole to hide in. I came to apologize to Aldrich, but why was he the one who coaxed me in the end? I was crying like a baby!
Maxine was silent the entire time, and now she came out and said in disdain, “I understand now. With your boring personality, you’d be waiting to die alone if you didn’t meet a boyfriend like Aldrich who is willing to put down his ego and play straight shots.”
“But I just had to meet Aldrich, didn’t I?” I sniffed and retorted.
“Evil!” Maxine pretended to vomit. “Listen to yourself. It’s more pretentious than a nursery rhyme. Don’t cry. Come on now! Tell Aldrich.”
I didn’t say a word. Finally, Maxine asked in disbelief, “You’ve already come to this point. What are you still persisting for?”
“This is not something I can decide on my own!” I tidied my hair in frustration.”I’m a princess, not a delicate flower with no responsibility like in ‘Roman Holiday’. My every move is related to the pack’s fate and the werewolves! I don’t have the right to decide whether to reveal my identity. I need my parents’ approval!”
“But didn’t you hide your identity to guard against bad people?” Maxine did not understand. “Is Aldrich a bad person? He loves you, and you love him. He’s a good person, and you’re not bad either. So what’s there to guard against between the two of you?”
“You don’t understand what I mean.” I didn’t know how to explain the complexity of politics to a little wolf cub born less than a day ago. “This is not my personal choice. It has nothing to do with my feelings or our nature. This is a purely political problem! My identity isn’t just my identity, it also has political implications, so I have to be on guard against everyone, regardless of whether they’re good or bad.”
“Alright, you always have so many excuses. I can’t beat you in an argument. However, you have just told Aldrich you have a secret you are hiding from him. If he asks, what will you say?”
Yes, how should I put it?
Perhaps I didn’t have to say anything.
Aldrich was a person who respected me unconditionally. Even if I put the secret before him, he wouldn’t go back to investigate a word if I didn’t turn to the first page.
This made me proud and satisfied, but it also made me feel pain and guilt.
I’d always been determined to come clean with Aldrich, but I always found various reasons to escape at the last minute.
I hoped this would be the last time. But no, this must be the last time.
We’d be honest with my parents, and with their permission, I didn’t have to think about politics, emotions, escape, and quarrels. I only needed to show the real me before Aldrich.
The first person was Duke Frank.
He was sitting in the living room, reading the newspaper and drinking coffee as if he knew we were coming to find him.
“Good morning, Miss Selma. I hope this little brat didn’t make you sad,” Duke Frank said kindly.
I subconsciously rubbed my eyes to hide my reddened eyes. I smiled and returned the greeting. “Hello, Your Lordship.”
Aldrich and I sat on the sofa opposite Duke Frank. Neither of us spoke first. The Duke was still drinking his coffee but no longer reading the newspaper. Instead, he turned his attention to us as if he was trying to figure something out.
“You guys have something to tell me.” Then, not long after, he suddenly said with certainty, “So say it boldly. What are you hesitating for?”
Faced with the suddenly serious Duke Frank, Aldrich and I subconsciously sat up straight.
Then, just as I was about to speak, Aldrich suddenly said, “Father, Selma and I are together now. We love each other and will never be apart.”
“Wait a minute!” I choked on my saliva, surprised by his recklessness.
That was too straightforward! Couldn’t he, at least, lay the foundations first?
Duke Frank was expressionless and said, “Oh? Is that so?”
He looked at me, and I knew he had no reason to be dissatisfied with me, but I still felt myself getting even more nervous.
“Yes, my Lord. Your son and I are very serious about getting along with each other for marriage.”
After that, Aldrich suddenly looked at me in surprise.
Only then did I realize what stupid words I had said. Here I was, saying that Aldrich was reckless when I mentioned ‘marriage’!
