"But I just want to take a look at her. She's due any day soon. The books said someone has to be with her at all times," Zorion said matter-of-factly.
Madam Quartley roared, "Even so, she doesn't need you seeing her. It has nothing to do with you!"
"I have to! She's my friend."
Madam Quartley was rendered speechless with rage seeing his innocent face.
Finally finding her voice back after some time, she pointed to the door with a trembling hand. "Get lost! Now!"
Zorion searched all over Quartley Palace but still couldn't find Ruth.
He had no choice but to go to Tremaine.
"Tremaine, do you know where Ruth is? She disappeared. Grandma doesn't want to tell me where she is. You tell me," he said to Tremaine.
However, Tremaine asked instead, "Isn't there someone else missing too?"
Zorion was stunned.
He scratched his hair in bafflement. "No, just Ruth, no?"
"Yuliana?" Tremaine reminded him.
Only then did it dawn on Zorion.
"Where is she? I haven't seen her in a while. Where is she?"
A dull light flashed across Tremaine's eyes.
It had been a long time since Zorion woke up, but he had only noticed Ruth's disappearance and not Yuliana's.
Doubt began to fill his mind.
Did Zorion have feelings for Yuliana in the slightest? He couldn't help but wonder.
"Do you like Ruth or Yuliana?" Tremaine asked directly.
"Both." Zorion chuckled foolishly.
"I mean the kind who you want to marry." Tremaine explained, "You can only have one wife. You know, you can have Ruth as your wife if you wish."
Anyhow, he had always thought Yuliana wasn't a suitable wife for Zorion.
They weren't a good match.
Her morality was questionable.
But he only remained silent since Zorion liked her.
It came as a bolt in the blue for Zorion when he heard Tremaine's words.
After a long while, he said in a panic, "What are you talking about, Tremaine? Yuliana is Yuliana. Ruth is Ruth. Yuliana is my wife; Ruth is my friend. Yuliana isn't Ruth; Ruth isn't..."
Flustered, he had become incoherent.
Tremaine interrupted, "If she is just a friend, why would you only look for her after you woke up and didn't notice Yuliana's gone? Why would you go to Ruth every day? Don't you know you should avoid arousing suspicion?"
However, Tremaine's commanding series of questions only bewildered Zorion.
He moved his lips, wanting to say something but didn't know what, only looking at his brother with panic and helplessness in his eyes.
Tremaine sighed in his heart.
He shouldn't have pressed Zorion like that.
His brother was different from ordinary people, after all.
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