Chapter 245 She Said She Had Affection for Him

So, that night, after Xavier helped Ava outta the carriage, Benjamin finally got the guts to climb down, shaking like a leaf. He wedged himself between them, arms spread wide, trying to shield Ava, and gave Xavier the stink eye.

The poor kid was scared outta his mind, legs wobbling, lips quivering, making these pitiful little noises to scare Xavier off.

Xavier and Ava exchanged a confused look. What the heck was going on? Was this backfiring?

Ava facepalmed, finally getting it. Benjamin had no clue she wasn't Ethan's wife anymore, or that she was about to marry Xavier.

That night, they had a heart-to-heart by candlelight.

They couldn't treat Benjamin like a kid anymore. The past two years, he'd been begging on the streets, and he'd get it if they explained things to him.

Plus, he'd heard about the family's massacre from the townsfolk, but he didn't know the details.

He was seven now; it was time he knew some stuff.

"The guy who wiped out the Andersons was a spy from the Western Capital. I thought you were dead; I didn't know you got away. You're the last Anderson now, carrying the hopes and legacy of your grandpa, uncles, and dad. You gotta be as brave and upright as they were. As for me..." Ava held Benjamin's shoulders, looking at his tear-streaked face, and continued, "I divorced Ethan. We're not husband and wife anymore; we're strangers now."

Benjamin quickly wiped his tears, staring in shock.

Ava said, "I'll explain why later. What you need to know is that the Duke is my fiancé, and we're getting hitched at the end of the year. You might wonder why I'm marrying him? That story starts with the war at the Southern Border..."

Ava gave him a mix of truth, half-truths, and some fibs.

The truth was that the massacre was done by a spy from the Western Capital, which he’d find out anyway when they got back to the Capital City.

The half-truth was about Verdant Sky Pass, which he wasn't ready to hear about yet.

The fib was that she and Xavier had fallen for each other on the battlefield, leading to their decision to marry.

Her eyes softened, like she was really talking about someone she loved, "He's just like your grandpa and dad, a general who fights to protect our land. He's super capable. He did what your grandpa once did; he reclaimed our Southern Border. He's a hero, and he found you for me. I'm really grateful to him and have deep feelings for him."

When Ava talked about her feelings, Xavier's cold, noble face popped into her mind, making her heart race and her breath hitch.

She meant to deceive Benjamin, wanting him to think she was marrying someone she loved, and that marrying for love brought happiness.

But after saying all that, she realized she had this faint, indescribable feeling for Xavier.

It was something she'd never felt before, with anyone.

Benjamin looked at her, pointed outside, then at Ava, like he was asking, "Does he like you?"

Ava blushed. Since she was already lying, she decided to go all in, softly saying, "He likes me too."

Benjamin's eyes were still teary, but a smile was already forming on his face.

In the next room, Xavier was meditating on the bed. Even though the voices next door were soft, he heard every word.

At first, he listened intently, and later, he kept listening just as intently.

When Ava said she had feelings for him, he knew she was lying to Benjamin.

But it was a sweet lie.

He slowly pulled the blanket over himself, covering from head to toe, his stern expression melting into a bright smile in the darkness of the blanket.

'She said she has feelings for me.' Xavier thought.

The kind lie was told to Benjamin, not to him, so what he heard wasn't a lie but a confession