Chapter 181 - Sit Down
Adeline simply glared up at him, realizing he was going to continue changing the subject. "And no more beating around the bush," she said. "Tell me what is bothering you."
"Darling, it's just—"
"Nevermind."
Adeline shook her head in disappointment. She simply turned around and opened the bedroom door again, finding the doctor was placing the device to the side with a grim expression on her face. There was a piece of paper lying on the bed, with a pen resting on it.
Adeline instantly knew it was a nondisclosure agreement, but believed this wasn't the cause of the doctor's somber expression. Before Elias could pull her away, Adeline quickly spoke up.
"Dr. Juliette," Adeline stated. "What did you see?"
Dr. Juliette's head snapped up, surprised the Queen was standing there. Then, she noticed the murderous glare of the King, directly behind the Queen. Dr. Juliette was conflicted. Her eyes nervously darted from the Queen to the King. She had applied to be a Royal Doctor, but now, she was wondering if she should withdraw her application.
The pay was great, the workload was light, and she'd have many off-days as long as no one in the castle was hurt.
"You are very healthy, Your Grace," Dr. Juliette suddenly commented, swallowing back her nervousness. She looked at the King again, seeing his face remained the same. She quickly wanted to fix the situation.
"Your Grace, I've never seen such a healthy human girl, pregnant with the child of a Pure-Blood," Dr. Juliette added on. "Of course, the prevalence of a human girl pregnant with a Pure-Blood's child is extremely low, so I've never witnessed it. OB-GYN's like me only learn about it in our textbooks."
Adeline blinked. What does this have to do with anything? She honestly thought she was quite unhealthy, especially with her previous morning sickness and frequent nausea.
"Your Grace, even in the textbooks, there isn't a lot of details about it, but a half human and half vampire child is considered a Half-Blood. However, I'm certain the future heirs of Wraith will be superior kinds of Half-Bloods," Dr. Juliette stated.
Before Adeline could register the doctor's words, she was talking again.
"You must be so healthy because of the King's love for you, Your Grace," Dr. Juliette affectionately added on with an encouraging smile, even though her heart ached at the sight of the Queen.
Everyone said the Queen was a gentle woman, who was wise and quiet. She was frail to the eyes, but her presence was powerful. Dr. Juliette realized it the second she laid eyes on the Queen, who didn't even seem to be suffering from the terrible pregnancy.
"Your Grace, as you're probably aware, the more present the vampire significant other is, the better," Dr. Juliette noted. "I truly recommend for the King to continue loving you as he has done now."
Dr. Juliette hastily packed her bags, continuing to debate taking this job. She had already signed the nondisclosure agreement, though it was quite useless. She had patient confidentiality to worry about. She didn't plan on risking her hard-earned license just to sell this information to the newspaper.
"Seeing as you're very healthy and you've mentioned your morning sickness has gone away," Dr. Juliette spoke again. "You're free to be a bit more mobile, however, please make sure to get ample rest, Your Grace."
Adeline didn't understand why Dr. Juliette seemed to be in a rush, until she glanced at her husband, and saw his frightening gaze.
"Elias," Adeline hissed at him.
Elias blinked. "Your service was spectacular, doctor. The door is this way."
Dr. Juliette swallowed hard. She glanced at the pitiful Queen, her mind suddenly going blank. She couldn't just not tell the Queen what both of them had just seen.
But with the King's reaction… Dr. Juleitte didn't want to jeopardize the Queen's life. The King did not seem like the type of man to hit his wife, but who knows what goes on behind closed doors?
"Dr. Juliette," Adeline suddenly said, in a cold and disconcerting voice. "As the Royal Doctor, you'd have to remain neutral, yet professional. Hiding the truth from your patient is a horrible practice."
"Your Grace—"
"It was a pleasure to work with you, Dr. Juliette," Adeline muttered, stepping aside to let the doctor walk out. Her attention was glued to the NDA on the bed. It seems they'd have to search for a new doctor.
Adeline gritted her teeth. Was nothing going to go her way?
"My apologies, Your Grace," Dr. Juliette suddenly said, her troubled expression soothing into neutral features. "I did not intend to take sides, I was just worried for youwell-beingng. I am truly honored and grateful to have the opportunity to work with you, however, I must reject this offer. Please do not misunderstand, Your Grace, I just believe I am unqualified to serve your supreme self."
It was just as Adeline predicted. She was disappointed, but said nothing as Dr. Juliette brushed past her. Instead, she was more apologetic, but couldn't voice her concerns.
"You've worked hard, doctor," Elias said, but his crude tone implied he didn't mean a single word he said.
Dr. Juliette held back a frown as she walked down the hallways. Adeline watched as Stella followed Dr. Juliette out, most likely to get the legalities of things sorted out.
"I shall ensure nothing leaks to the media, Your Grace, Your Majesty," Evelyn spoke up, knowing her presence here was no longer needed. She sensed an argument was going to break out, and she didn't want a part in it.
Evelyn hurriedly walked out the door and down the halls, where Stella was already handing Dr. Juliette a tablet of contract PDFs to sign.
Once Evelyn was out of sight and out of mind, Adeline turned to Elias. "You said you'd communicate with me, Elias."
Elias observed her expression. He could no longer predict what she was thinking about. Her eyes were blank, her features were aloof, and her heart was closed. He had royally screwed up. Hell hath no fury than a scorned woman.
"I'm sorry," Elias finally said. It was two simple words that were difficult to utter, especially for a prideful man like him. He grasped her hands.
"Darling, I am truly sorry," Elias stated, but she didn't react.
Instead, she stared at him, disappointment reflecting on her face. "I will not accept mindless chatter or teasing about this discussion anymore. We need to sit down and have a proper conversation about what just happened."
Elias stared at her astonishingly. He always knew she had it within her to be cold and calculated, but he didn't think it'd be used against him. When he looked at her, he didn't see the face of his wife. He saw the face of a woman who didn't take no for an answer.
With no other choice, and guilt weighing on his heart, Elias knew it was time to tell the truth and only the truth.
"If you truly mean your apology, then don't hide anything from me anymore," Adeline said. "I am not a child who can't handle the truth, Elias. I am a full-grown adult that can handle anything thrown her way. So talk to me, Elias, don't make me have to beg you for the bare minimum."
Elias swallowed. "It'd be better for you to sit down for this discussion."
Adeline wordlessly walked to the bed. He followed after her, closing the doors behind him. She sat upon the bed, and he joined the spot beside her. She waited patiently for him to speak, as he stared at the rug.
Adeline did not mind waiting. He waited years for her. So, she'd do the same. Finally, after a few seconds of silence, he spoke four words that moistened her eyes and dropped her heart to her stomach.
"You're pregnant with twins."