Loving The Cursed Werewolf King-Chapter 273: Duke Ambrose’s Kindness

Arielle felt bad just sitting on the bed. She wanted to stand up to greet Duke Ambrose, but the man stretched out his hand to prevent Arielle from standing up.

"You don’t have to stand up, Your Highness. Archie already told me about your condition."

"Ah... sorry if I’m being rude," Arielle replied nervously. She lowered her head, feeling too awkward to look at the old man.

"No need to feel shy. You’re Archie’s little sister. You are also part of our family."

Arielle’s heart was thudding. She then nodded. There was a feeling of guilt because she realised that the old man in front of her had also lost another member of his family. His daughter and one of his granddaughter became victims of the palace fire last night.

"Whatever you need, don’t hesitate to ask. The Ambrose family has promised to protect you while you are in Nieverdell."

"Ah.. th-thanks for your kindness."

Arielle still did not dare to lift her face. She kneaded the blanket on her lap as the old man walked closer. From where she was, she could see a wooden stick and a pair of cleanly polished shoes stop beside her bed.

Suddenly a white rose and a book were placed on top of her lap. The girl looked up and was surprised to see Duke Ambrose, who was smiling kindly at her.

"This is a good book I recommended to you. I hope you like it," said the old man. Then, he turned away from Arielle, who was still contemplative because of the confusion.

"D-Duke Ambrose!" called Arielle before he left the room. "Th-thank you very much!"

The old man just smiled and left the room Arielle was in.

***

Duke Ambrose’s cold and stiff figure did not reflect his character. He was a warm and friendly man inside. Arielle felt like she had met an extraordinary teacher.

Since the day the old man lent her a children’s fairy tale book, every day Duke Ambrose brought in a new book for Arielle to read. It had been three days since she stayed at the Ambrose residence. Archie got busier day by day, so they rarely met. The last time they met was when he delivered a newspaper containing the news about them.

Archie introduced Arielle as his younger sister, besides Princess Ariana. Of course, it was with Duke Ambrose’s approval as well. Archie did not give his reason Arielle had not been seen in public until now. He only said what was needed. Hence, he said nothing about the funeral of the royal family.

Several bodies with luxurious clothes were found in the ruins of the dungeon. Archie found some of his family’s bodies which had been cremated on the same day.

The funeral procession was carried out by him and some church members. Only Alexis’s body couldn’t be found because, during the night of chaos, Archie threw Alexis, who was unconscious, into a flowing river.

Archie gave his last respects to Alexis in the river, all alone.

The rumors of the chaos that night had not completely died down. Archie and Arielle came into an agreement to reveal Arielle to the public earlier than planned to divert public attention and talk.

In the latest newspaper that had spread around the kingdom, Archie’s and Arielle’s faces appeared on the front page for the first time.

So far, both of them had received positive responses because some citizens in the capital already knew Arielle as one of their friends, she was a cheerful and friendly person.

Lucas didn’t waste this opportunity and sent the newspaper to the North to give it to someone.

Duke Ambrose also congratulated Arielle on her public debut by bringing a bouquet of white roses. The old man was exceptionally kind to her. Before Arielle and Archie appeared together on the news, Duke Ambrose taught her a few things beforehand.

Archie had told his grandfather about her condition, therefore Duke Ambrose figured everything out and taught her what she needed to know slowly.

Arielle was a bit reluctant to accept Duke Ambrose’s kindness, but Archie gave her assurance. He said that Duke Ambrose never had the chance to pamper his daughter or granddaughter, so Arielle’s presence brought back the old man’s memories.

Lady Maia and Princess Ariana rarely visited the Ambrose residence. Both of them preferred the life in the palace and the hustle and bustle of the capital to Ambrose castle, which was on the outskirts.

As a noble, the Ambrose family was also quite influential in the kingdom, so King Hugo married Lady Maia to strengthen his position. That made it even hard for the Duke to meet with his daughter.

"Good afternoon, sir. I brought tea and snacks for you."

Duke Ambrose allowed his servant to arrange the tea and snacks on his table. Arielle and the Duke were sitting in the backyard, enjoying the bed of roses. They held a book in each hand.

"Is Archie not going to join in?" Duke Ambrose asked his maid.

"It looks like Prince Archie couldn’t join in the afternoon tea, sir. He is still busy with the preparations for the coronation, which will take place in three days."

Hearing Archie would be crowned, Arielle lifted her face from the book she was reading. The book she read was a fairy tale story about a princess who would marry a prince and become king and queen.

"Duke Ambrose, is it mandatory for a king to have a queen in leading the kingdom?" asked Arielle.

Duke Ambrose closed his book and took a sip of the tea the maid had poured for him. "Every king must have a queen and give birth to a child to inherit his throne. If there is no heir, several affiliated families will try to seize the power to fill in the king’s seat. That would only lead to an even bigger mess. Without an official heir, war is inevitable."

"Is... that all? Just to make an heir?"

Duke Ambrose chuckled and cleared his throat. With a trembling voice, he explained to Arielle slowly. "Not only that. The position of the queen is as important as the position of the king. Perhaps all this time you saw your father, King Hugo, doing everything and Queen Rosalie doing nothing."

He added, "Each kingdom has its own rules. Even in the same kingdom, every king has his own rules. It cannot be equalized. However, ideally, the king and queen should have the same responsibilities. A queen should be able to protect her people and be a mother to them."

Arielle nodded in understanding.

"Arielle, if it is you, then I have nothing to worry about," added Duke Ambrose.

"Pardon?"

Duke Ambrose stretched out his hand. Arielle blinked in confusion. She didn’t understand the old man’s action. However, he grabbed her hand and placed it on top of his warm palm. His wrinkled skin felt soft on Arielle’s.

"I’ve lived over eighty years. I have seen different kinds of people and this is the first time for me to see a woman shining so brightly. You have a different heart from other people I have met."

"Thank you, Lord Ambrose," Arielle replied. She felt she was not that special. She wasn’t that different from most people. Keep on living as usual and be friendly to others, that was it.

"Princess Arielle has a kind soul. I believe you will become a great queen in the future."