Stolen by the Rebel King-Chapter 538: A Lack of Presence

Meanwhile, Daphne watched Cordelia watch Jonah speak, the fondness in her eyes unbearable.

"Close your mouth before the flies fly in, sweetie," Daphne said, her lips curling into a grin as she watched her husband gape.

Jonah and Cordelia were immersed in their own little world, and with each frantic scribble of the contestants’ quills a distance away, Jonah was listing out more and more solutions, each one more probable than the last. He was practically a walking answer sheet at this point.

Atticus didn’t say a word, but his wide eyes as he looked at Jonah and then back at Daphne, the action repeating itself a couple of times, was enough to elicit a short bark of laughter from Daphne’s lips.

"Have you forgotten?" Daphne mused, unable to suppress her amusement. "Jonah used to help you with Vramid’s politics before he moved to Nedour. He is perfectly in his element."

"Jonah was a man suited for battle," Atticus finally said, his eyelid twitching. "He was great with government, but there was a reason why he never wished to rule. He hated politics and the little games of nobility and royalty!"

He would know! They spent nights complaining about nobles and their political games!

"But that doesn’t mean he’s unskilled," Daphne reminded, and she might as well have run Atticus through with a sword, for he gave her a look of pure betrayal she almost felt bad for what she was about to say. "Even when I first arrived in Vramid, it was Jonah who helped me feel more welcome. He’s great at diplomacy."

Atticus let out a wounded sound. He couldn’t deny the truth of her words. It was Jonah who suggested that he bring Daphne out for a date at the Winter Fair, setting in motion a course of events that changed their lives forever from then onwards.

Even before Daphne arrived, it was Jonah who he discussed policy with, working out the nitty-gritty details and offering suggestions when all Atticus wanted to do was to lop off a few heads to make a point.

Which is why he needed Jonah back! How could Jonah be willingly offering his expertise to someone else!

Atticus shot Jonah a baleful look; Jonah and Cordelia had moved on from the earlier topic, and instead, they were now in a heated discussion over tax reform. Scowling, Atticus cleared his throat. Surely Jonah wouldn’t ignore him because of this debate!

Jonah didn’t even register his presence. Daphne snorted at the affronted look on Atticus’s face.

"If you think you can interrupt them, go on ahead," Atticus said, a challenge in his tone. "I bet you would meet with the same outcome."

Daphne pulled herself to her full height. Atticus was going to be disappointed. Cordelia would definitely respond to her. She was her best friend!

She cleared her throat. "Cordelia..."

To Daphne’s utter surprise, she was ignored as well and the couple now moved on to talk about fishing.

Atticus shot her a smug look. "Not so easy now, is it?"

Daphne glared back at him, before calming herself down.

"Well, in any case, I’m the one winning in the end," Daphne sniffed. After all, if Cordelia and Jonah could not take their eyes off each other, it wouldn’t matter if Nikun did well on the test or not. In the end, everything was up to Cordelia.

But still, it would be nice to not be ignored. Daphne went to tap Cordelia’s shoulder, and Cordelia whirled around so fast Daphne was nearly smacked by her long ponytail.

"Daphne!"

"Why do you sound so surprised? I was here all this while," Daphne said meaningfully, and delighted in the way Cordelia coughed slightly in embarrassment. "I just want to remind you to keep your voices down. Cordelia, if you speak any louder, your contestants will be quoting your words in their essays."

"You have a point," Cordelia said, mollified. "How long has it been?"

"Only half an hour," Atticus groaned. "Can we end this early? I doubt any of these fools have something worthwhile to suggest." freēwēbηovel.c૦m

"You’re free to leave," Cordelia said with a raised eyebrow. "No one is making you stay." She gave Daphne a fond look, her tone much kinder. "Really, you don’t have to stay here on my account. I would not be offended."

"Princess Cordelia, I expected more bloodshed and entertainment," Atticus complained.

"So sorry to disappoint," Cordelia said dryly. "There can still be bloodshed later."

"Of course we’re staying," Daphne said, even as Atticus gave her a pleading look.

So, they spent the next few hours watching the candidates suffer. Atticus delighted in floating above them, watching as their faces paled at the effortless display of magic.

For those that were not so easily awed, he deliberately made hemming and hawing sounds as he peered over their essays, as though he was a nosy teacher judging their work and finding it lacking.

Finally, it was over. Atticus was so ready for the event to end that he used his powers to gather all the parchments together the moment Cordelia announced for them to tuck their quills away, much to the dismay of several people who apparently, had not written their names.

"Foolish of them," Jonah said with a sigh. "It’s a pity though..."

"You could just give the papers back and get them to put their name on it," Daphne added, not wanting their work to go to waste.

Cordelia and Atticus looked at the both of them as if they were insane.

"If they’re foolish enough to not write their names, I doubt anything they write will be of value," Cordelia said. "Common sense is the first thing I would look for in a husband."

"Better luck next time," Atticus added, with no sympathy in his voice. "Oh wait, there is no next time."

Daphne could only shake her head. Perhaps the reason why Atticus and Cordelia could hardly see eye to eye was because they were simply too alike.

Cordelia then passed half the essays onto Jonah, and Jonah wordlessly took a seat next to her and began perusing them, as though he had always done so, and would always do so.

They made such a good picture together that Daphne had to do a double-take― Jonah seemed like he belonged by Cordelia’s side, and Daphne could easily imagine the rest of their lives together. The both of them worked quietly in unison to judge the work, debating over certain entries, and there a pile of rejected essays began to grow higher.

The crowd was going restless with waiting.

Eventually, they were done. In front of Cordelia were thirty essays that have passed both of their standards, and the name right on top was Nikun’s.