That Prince Is A Girl: The Vicious King’s Slave Mate Novel

Chapter 678: "Why are you looking at me like that?" she slanted her head, bewildered.

"No reason." Herod blinked, shaking off his thoughts.

"Forgive me."

Herod caught yet another worker stealing glances at her before hurrying off. "My workers are intrigued. They find it difficult to believe the Galilea they once knew… is now the grand king's female."

"I see the way they look at me. And then there is your son." She looked over her shoulder.

"He seems determined to follow us for the rest of the day."

Herod, already knowing what he would see, breathed deeply before he looked.

Sure enough, Dale leaned casually against a tree, arms folded as he nudged a small stone with the toe of his boot. When their gazes met, his son immediately feigned deep interest in the sky, as if that had been his focus all along.

Herod pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Ignore him."

Emeriel chuckled.

"He looks out for you. He is a good male." Then, teasingly, she added, "How do I convince him no harm will come to his father for being friends with his ruler's female?"

"Do not bother. I have tried-repeatedly. It does not work." Herod shook his head.

"Dale was born when the grand king was still feral, so he grew up on stones and legends. Tales of Daemonikai the Cruel, Daemonikai the Heartless, the Berserker King. Dale has never met him, only knows him by reputation."

The smile lingered on Emeriel's face as she looked again.

"I can only imagine what's going through his mind right now."

They stepped into the garden, the scent of fresh flowers drifting through the evening air, and Emeriel halted.

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"It is still the same," she murmured, staring at the rows of roses and vines woven into the trellises.

"I miss this place."

"I knew you would."

Herod remained where he stood, simply watching her, content to observe as she moved from one flower bed to another. She grazed the petals, caressing them with reverence, whispering quiet words to them he could not quite catch.

"So, tell me, my lord," she said suddenly, her tone light as she spared him a glance.

"Is there any new female in your life?"

Herod arched a brow.

"I will admit, I worry about you," she continued, plucking a rose and bringing it to her nose, inhaling deeply.

"I wish you had someone new in your life, a companion to share your days with."

"I am fine. I am not lonely." Had it been anyone else, Herod would have given them that standard answer. But Emeriel was not just anyone.

"That would be nice," he confessed.

"A companion would be a good thing… it does get rather lonely behind these walls. But the idea of courting for our kind, it is rather terrifying."

She quirked a brow.

"There is a lot at stake," he explained.

"You must first develop genuine feelings for someone before even standing a chance at a successful bonding ritual. And more often than not, the ritual fails. Then you are left to deal with the heartache of loving someone who can never be yours."

Emeriel sighed in understanding, staring at the beds of vibrant blooms.

"A true vicious cycle."

GRAND KING DAEMONIKAI

He had been in his study since morning, buried amidst ledgers, missives from foreign kingdoms, and matters of trade.

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