Substitute Wife for the Mafia King R18-Chapter 457: His Choice

"Are you guys having fun?" I asked.

"Yes, of course!" Bella replied as Will nodded his head enthusiastically by her side.

We spent some time walking around before running into one of our most esteemed guests of the night. Desmond arrived a little late-if you could say that a king could be late to an event. I already knew that Desmond was on the invitation list, or that he would invite himself either way, so I wasn’t at all surprised to see him.

The children ran toward him as if they couldn’t wait to hug their friend. Despite being the king, Desmond had an extremely friendly relationship with our children. Sometimes, watching them together, I couldn’t help but think that Desmond would make an amazing father.

That was a role that seemed very far away for Desmond, a man who seemed to have developed commitment issues and had turned down multiple opportunities to date and get married. Settling down wasn’t something on Desmond’s mind, and I doubted that he would be willing to do so, even if his plan to reform the country had been completed.

"Why don’t you two go ahead and have some fun with Nanny? There’s also a lot of good food," I suggested to the children.

Our nanny took the cue to lead the children away so that we could have a private conversation with Desmond.

"Congratulations. This place is going to be a massive hit as always," Desmond commented casually as he took a look around.

"Thanks. Hope you have a good time looking around," Bradon replied.

"As you already know, I always like your businesses. Looking forward to seeing you do more great things," Desmond said before flashing us both a smile.

"If only I had more time to focus..." Bradon muttered, as if he were talking to himself.

Desmond chuckled before clapping Bradon on the back, as if he wanted to comfort him a little. We both knew that taking on both roles was keeping Bradon extremely busy, but I truly thought that Bradon was doing great for himself and enjoying both roles.

"Everything is progressing well. Who knows, maybe in a few years, I can hand everything over to you and retire for good," Desmond said with a pleased smile. 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

"Don’t dump your shit on me," Bradon said curtly.

"Don’t call this country and its people ’shit,’ please," Desmond quickly joked.

I couldn’t quite stop myself from laughing at Desmond’s twisted humor. I knew very well that, despite what he said, Desmond truly cared for his people deeply. Even if he were to step down as king at some point in his life, he would never abandon his country or his people.

"What will you do? You know, after you’ve achieved all that you have planned," I asked curiously.

Everything was moving so fast-perhaps even smoother and faster than planned. It wasn’t unrealistic to think that in a couple of years, the country would have a political system independent of the monarchy. As Desmond wanted, he planned to end the royal family. With the pace things were headed, and the fact that Desmond still didn’t have an heir, it seemed very likely that the royal family would simply die out.

"I don’t know. An endless holiday would be perfect," Desmond said dreamily.

"What about finding yourself a bride?" I suggested with a smile.

"Not in this lifetime," Desmond replied without missing a beat.

"Let’s not pretend that we don’t know just how many women are after your hand," I teased.

"And my throne..." Desmond replied before rolling his eyes playfully.

"But seriously, it’s not so bad to find a companion..." I insisted softly.

"I should just go over there and play with the kids," Desmond said as he looked wistfully in the direction that Bella and Will had headed.

"Don’t you want kids of your own?" I asked before I could stop myself.

By that point, it seemed that Bradon had already tuned out of the conversation completely. His attention was on something else, as if he couldn’t care less what Desmond wanted to do with his personal life.

"Not really. They’ll just be a problem," Desmond replied.

I knew what he was referring to. If he were to have children, they would automatically become heirs to the royal family. Even if Desmond were to step down, as long as he had at least one heir, the royal family could be revived somehow.

"Maybe when you’re no longer the king, you can find someone who doesn’t have their eye on the throne," I suggested, trying to keep the mood light.

"Maybe..." Desmond said before he smiled warmly at me.

For a moment, I didn’t know what else to say. I knew very well that it wouldn’t be wise to push Desmond any further. Desmond and I were on friendly terms, and with the bond that he had with my children, he was like a part of our family. However, I knew better than to push him too hard.

"Whatever makes you happy, I guess..." I said brightly after reaching my own conclusion.

"One day, I’ll find my own happiness. Just like you have," Desmond replied before his eyes glanced over at

Bradon.

When his attention returned to me, he showed me a smile that seemed all-knowing. It made me wonder if he had somehow envisioned or planned for my life as well as Bradon’s to turn out this way.

After that, we spent time with the children. It felt like a soft introduction to what Bradon’s life was like. The children seemed excited about everything, to the point where I didn’t think that they truly understood the context of what they were seeing. Perhaps it was better that way, for them to naturally let everything sink in.

Bradon looked like an extremely proud daddy as he showed our kids around.

"They seem to be enjoying themselves so much," I commented to Bradon as I stood by his side.

We watched Bella and Will wander around and explore the casino to their hearts’ content. I had mixed feelings at first, but Bradon had just the right words to reassure me.