How to Tame My Beastly Husband — Chapter 231. Winter (2)

“Your visitor has arrived. Shall I show him in?”

“At once!” Quickly, Annette wiped the smudges of rouge from the corners of her mouth. Fortunately there was a mirror in the drawing room, or the visitor might have been scandalized.

Soon, the faithful servant announced the visitor. When Ludwig entered the cozy drawing room, his nose was red with cold, and his face was so frozen, his smile seemed a little twisted.

“I appreciate your hospitality, Marquis and Marquise Carnesis.”

It was the first time he had ever called her something other than Annette. At last, he had accepted that she had become another man’s wife.

Annette bowed politely to the Crown Prince, but inwardly, she was uneasy, wondering what agreement Ludwig had reached with the King.

“Please sit down, Your Highness,” said Raphael. He was thinking many of the same thoughts. He was no longer a lonely beast, now that he had someone to protect. That was why he offered Ludwig the seat nearest the fireplace, where he would warm up and talk faster.

“Thank you. I thought I would lose a limb in that cold.” Ludwig pulled off his felt hat as he sat down. Though the servants had meticulously brushed off his clothing, there was still a dusting of snow on them.

It was admirable that a generally sedentary man had come here in such conditions; Ludwig was so clumsy, he could trip on a flat surface.

“I appreciate your coming in such terrible weather, Your Highness,” Annette said cordially.

“Actually, I stopped on my way to see my fiancée, so I must thank you for making time for an unannounced visit. How is His Excellency, your father?”

“Thanks to your kindness, his arm has recovered almost completely,” Annette replied, smiling. Though he was still stubborn, her relationship with her father had greatly improved. She was no longer intimidated by his attitude, and sometimes she could even laugh at his moods.

Annette smiled as she saw him scowling. In the past, it would have made her nervous, but now it seemed adorable to her.

“I want to show you something,” said Ludwig, slipping off his gloves and lifting one hand in the air. His hand looked clear as ice. His skin was always pale, but now it looked almost bloodless.

What was he up to now? Raphael didn’t understand the gesture, but Annette caught her breath, her eyes widening as she spotted the ring on his finger.

“Isn’t that the seal of the royal family?” She asked. That was the King’s ring. She knew it well; she had kissed it before, when it had adorned Selgratis’s hand.

“Yes. The coronation ceremony will happen next year,” Ludwig said, with a broad smile. His face was not as placid as before. His eyes shone with the sharpness of a future monarch.