Chapter 282
My Lifetime With
Gavriel could no longer hold himself back. As soon as he finished his duties at the palace, he headed straight to where Althea was.
It was already late noon when he arrived. From a distance, he saw her laughing freely while playing cards
with Melva and Tristan.
He didn’t approach her right away. Instead, he stayed where he was and simply watched her for a
moment.
Rudy quickly came forward to greet him and began reporting what had happened during the picnic by the
shore.
“Lord Tristan has started approaching Trudis as well. It seems Her Majesty and Lady Melva are trying to play matchmaker between the two,” Rudy added.
Gavriel gave a small nod, his lips curving slightly as he watched the bright smile on his wife’s face.
“I want to go to the market with her today,” Gavriel informed Rudy before walking toward Althea.
As soon as Melva noticed him, she quickly stood up from where she had been sitting on the ground. Tristan and the twins followed her lead and greeted him politely. Gavriel gave them a brief nod before
turning his attention back to Althea and helping her to her feet.
“Would you like to go to the market?” he asked directly, his arm already wrapping possessively around her waist.
“Yes! Let’s all go together,” she beamed, glancing excitedly at the twins and the others.
Gavriel simply nodded and escorted her toward the carriage. Before stepping inside, he cast a meaningful look behind him. Melva caught it immediately and quickly guided the others toward the second carriage.
The moment the carriage doors closed, Gavriel pulled Althea onto his lap and buried his face in the crook of her neck, breathing in her familiar scent.
“I missed you,” he murmured, pressing soft kisses along her neck.
Althea giggled softly. “But we were just together this morning.”
“I know, but I can’t help it… Did you have fun today?” Gavriel asked softly.
“I did,” Althea replied with a small sigh, “Though not as much as I hoped. We couldn’t swim since the water was too cold.”
She leaned closer and gently kissed his lips. The kiss quickly deepened, but Gavriel pulled back sooner than she expected and buried his face against her neck instead.
“I have to behave for our baby…” he muttered under his breath, making Althea chuckle.
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Ever since he learned about her pregnancy, Gavriel had been especially careful with her. He treated her with such gentleness that sometimes she felt he was holding himself back too much, as though she were something fragile he was afraid might break.
Still, she loved how he adjusted himself just to make sure she was comfortable. Every day, she discovered something new about her husband that made her love him even more.
After a moment, he let out another quiet sigh. “It’s a pity you can’t read thoughts anymore.”
That made Althea frown slightly. As she gently stroked his hair, she asked, “What’s wrong?”
Gavriel lifted his head and met her worried gaze.
“Kael has already arrived,” he admitted. “And I don’t trust him, Althea.”
Althea cupped his face thoughtfully. “Don’t worry. I’ll know once I meet him. Remember, I can still see angels… and unclean and demonic spirits. If his intentions aren’t pure, I’ll be able to tell. Darkness clings to those whose hearts are open to it.”
Althea hesitated for a moment before continuing, “He also sent me a message through one of the children who were playing near the shore with the twins. It was… a request to meet.”
Gavriel’s expression darkened immediately. “You see how sneaky he is?” he muttered.
Althea wrapped her arms around his neck, trying to calm him. “How else could he approach me? You’ve placed strict security around me, and he’s clearly wary of you. I think he’s just worried about me. Maybe I should meet him and reassure him that I’m happy… that I love you.”
But Gavriel’s expression remained tense despite her gentle reasoning. “If he wants an audience with my Queen,” he said firmly, “then he should request one properly. Not send secret messages like some kind
of hidden lover.”
“I still want to meet him,” Althea replied softly. “Not alone, of course. You’ll come with me.”
She studied his face before continuing more gently, “Don’t be upset. Let me have closure with Kael. Like Tristan before, he might only be worried about me. But once I reassure him, I’m sure he’ll understand. Remember how our last encounter ended so badly? He might still believe I need saving from you. That’s why I need to see him… to clear things up.”
A heavy silence followed.
Althea could feel the tension in Gavriel’s body even without him saying a word. It was obvious he didn’t
want her to meet Kael at all.
“And if he does have other intentions,” she added carefully, “then you can decide what to do. I promise I won’t stand in your way this time like I did before.”
Gavriel’s brows drew together as he looked at her. “If I say no, will you still meet him behind my back?” he asked directly.
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Althea swallowed but held his gaze firmly. “If you don’t want me to meet him, then I won’t. But like I said … I believe closure is necessary. It might even prevent Kael from doing something reckless. I know him. If he still believes I’m unhappy here, or that I’m only staying because you threatened me or because I’m afraid of you, he might try something foolish.”
She knew Kael well.
He was the type to stay quiet and patient on the surface… but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t make another bold move like before if he truly believed she needed saving.
Althea noticed how gloomy Gavriel’s expression had become.
“Aren’t you quite familiar with him?” he asked quietly.
She blinked at him, immediately recognizing the jealousy written all over his face.
“You knew how we grew up together,” she pouted. “I may have known him longer, but you… You’re the only man I want to keep knowing better. The only one I want to spend my lifetime with.”
Then she wrapped her arms tightly around him and hummed softly against his shoulder. “I love you so much. You don’t have to be jealous of anyone who was in my life before I even met you.”
She leaned in and kissed him, and only then did his body finally begin to relax.
“Tomorrow,” Gavriel said after a moment, his eyes fixed on hers, “I’ll summon the remaining candidates
for the position of Minister of Justice to attend the court session again. You’ll see him there. Reassure him then… that you’re very much in love with me.”
“Huh?!” Althea gasped, her lips parting in surprise. Was her husband seriously suggesting she show her affection for him publicly during a court session? Or openly declare how much she loved him in front of
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