Nichs was standing on his balcony, looking at that window over there, hoping he could see a glimpse of Sophie so he could be sure that she was fine.


    No, she was not fine, that was for sure. However, something within him felt aggrieved by her situation. Being a king, powerful and wealthy, didn''t mean anything. He could not help the woman he loved.


    The only thing he could do now was provide a roof over her head and her children''s heads, making sure they would want nothing physically. However, what could he do to ease her pain? What could he do to help her wounded soul?


    Sophie had been disappointed by men and she suffered so much. She didn''t deserve any of those. Every time Nichs met his sons, he would ask them if Sophie was feeling better and they would always shake their heads gloomily.


    "Mom is still feeling sad," Luciel would say.


    "She thought we didn''t see it, but she was crying a lot when she thought we were sleeping," Jan added. The boy clenched his fists and pursed his lips. "I don''t understand why father did that. It was shocking and... over the top. It''s really not like him."


    Nichs didn''t know Lnd that well, but he also thought the Alpha''s action was unusual. Was Lnd hiding something? Nichs looked at Jan deeply and thought about the whole situation more thoroughly.


    Jan must know Lnd much better than he did, but even Jan couldn''t understand what was going on. Or... could it be that Jan and Luciel were in denial after what Lnd did to their mother and them?


    They couldn''t ept that the man whom they looked up to as a father figure apparently didn''t truly love them as they thought he did, and the betrayal at this point was too deep that they couldn''t ept it as the truth...


    If this was what happened, Nichs'' heart ached for all of them. He took both boys into his arms and hugged them tightly.


    He didn''t say anything... because no words were useful at this point. Suddenly, Luciel started sobbing, followed by Jan.


    "Father said he thought we are parasites..." Luciel stammered between his sobs. "How could he say that to us after all these years...?"


    Jan gritted his teeth. He held back his feelings better than his twin but he couldn''t help the tears that fell from his eyes.


    Luciel continued venting his sadness in his father''s embrace. "If he really didn''t want us, he should have let mother return to you when she was reunited with you at the royal party. However, he kept pretending for a long time and let us believe that he loved us."


    Nichs also clenched his jaws in anger. His memory returned after he saw Sophie at Karenina''s birthday party but at that moment, he had to step back because Sophie was already someone else''s wife.


    When he and Lnd had a duel in the moor, Nichs decided to stay away from Sophie and let her be happy with Lnd because he thought Lnd loved Sophie and he was also formidable, he was strong enough to protect Sophie.


    However, now, it was Lnd who inflicted the most pain on her. Yes, Luciel was right. If Lnd truly didn''t want Sophie and the children, he should have let Nichs take her back then.


    "Never think that you are parasites or unwanted," said Nichs finally. "It cannot be further than the truth. You are both loved, wanted, and the heirs to the throne of Riga. I don''t know why your father said those words. Perhaps there was something that he was hiding and he cannot tell you."


    Nichs didn''t know what to believe, if Lnd truly had abandoned his family or if he was hiding something. However, for the sake of his sons, he said those words, to make them think that Lnd didn''t mean all his hurtful words.


    Nichs wouldn''t know the truth until he could meet Lnd and talk to him directly. The young king kept hugging his sons and tried his best to console them. This was the first time they finally let out their frustration and express the hurt they had been feeling after Lnd rejected them.


    Nichs hoped after this, they could start the process of healing. He couldn''t imagine being in their position. His own father was cold and distant but thete King William had always been that way from the day Nichs was born, so he was used to it.


    However, Luciel and Jan were loved and adored by their parents from day one, so being so suddenly rejected by their father must have hurt like hell for the seven-year-olds. Nichs hugged them more tightly.


    Sigh. The memory from that day filled Nichs'' mind as he looked up and checked Sophie''s windows again. After Luciel and Jan expressed their pain and anger, slowly they opened up more with their emotions regarding their parents'' separation and Nichs did his damn hardest to help them.


    He made sure to give more time every day for them and he started to involve them in taking care of royal affairs. He wanted to keep them busy so they wouldn''t keep thinking about Lnd. His efforts worked. Not only did they learn to process their grieves faster, but they also became closer to him because they spent so much time together.


    Now, Luciel and Jan had slowly recovered. However, Sophie and her babies still locked themselves up in their room. The only way Nichs could know their condition was from Luciel and Jan.


    Even though he badly wanted toe and see her, Nichs didn''t want to vite Sophie''s personal space, just because he was the king and they were in his pce. He respected her so much to leave her alone and let her take as much time as she needed.


    He missed her so badly. The feeling he was experiencing every day was simr to being lovesick. Thinking about how much she was feeling sad and hurt made him feel sad and hurt too. All his power and wealth truly didn''t mean anything if he couldn''t make the woman he loved happy.


    KNOCK KNOCK


    Nichs was moved from his reverie by the sounds of knocking on the door. He turned around and went inside his study to open the door. He could smell Luciel''s scent outside the door so, before the boy could ask permission to enter, Nichs already opened the door for him.


    "Come on in," he said gently. Luciel looked up at his father and spoke rather excitedly.


    "Dad, Mom said she wants to see you."


    Nichs'' heart skipped a beat. His eyes widened when he heard his son''s words. Did he mishear?


    "Really?" he asked Luciel to confirm. The boy nodded.


    Before Luciel could say anything else, Nichs had strode out of his study, pulling the boy''s hand to walk with him. Nichs wished he could fly so he could see Sophie as soon as possible.


    When he arrived in front of Sophie''s door, Nichs halted his steps. He stood silently at the door and took a deep breath. He fixed his shirt and then knocked.


    "Sophie, it''s me," he said calmly. "Luciel said you wanted to see me?"


    "Pleasee in," said Sophie with a very soft voice that made Nichs worry that she was sick. The king opened the door and then stepped inside. Luciel followed behind him.


    Inside the huge room, Nichs was weed by Jan who took his hand to see his mother. Sophie was sitting on a big chair with a little wolf pup on herp and another one purring on her foot. Nichs could tell the one on Sophie''sp must be little Anne who was still sick.


    ording to Luciel and Jan, their younger brother, Jack, had fully recovered and he was so active, always trying to follow them wherever they went, while Anne was inseparable from their mother.


    "How are you feeling?" Nichs approached Sophie and spoke gently to her. "Do you need anything? How is Anne doing?"


    Sophie was feeling the weight of the world on her back and couldn''t even smile or exchange pleasantries with the king. She tried, but she just couldn''t do it. Not in her current situation. Her voice was small, but firm when she spoke to Nichs.


    "Nic... I want to leave the pce," Sophie said.


    "Huh?" Nichs was taken aback by Sophie''s words. "Leave? Why?"


    The woman replied as a matter of factly, "This is not our home. I have spent so much time crying and grieving for my misfortune. I can''t keep dwelling in sorrow. I have to restart my life so the kids can have stability."


    "You can restart your life here. I don''t see the problem," said Nichs.


    "I don''t want to," Sophie said firmly. "It''s not right to put you in this position."


    "Why not?" Nichs protested. "Luciel and Jan are MY sons and they are the heirs to the throne of Riga. It is in my best interest and the kids'' too to make sure they grow up in the best environment. which is the royal pce. You are their mother, so by extension, it is also in their best interest for you to stay here with them."


    Sophie shook her head. "They cane here to visit anytime, but I don''t want to live here."