Free Web NovelChapter 87: The Rumours
{Third Person}
The news did not take long to spread. By mid-morning, it had already reached the Queen’s quarters.
Lysandra sat upright in her receiving hall, her posture composed, her fingers resting lightly on the arm of her chair.
At first glance, nothing about her suggested agitation. But the maid-in-waiting standing beside her knew better. She had served the Queen long enough to recognize the quiet before a storm.
"Your Majesty," the maid said cautiously, "it has been confirmed... the two servants who handled the cat yesterday cannot be found."
Silence followed as Lysandra did not respond immediately. Her gaze remained fixed ahead, unreadable, as if she was still deciding how to receive the information.
"Not found?" she finally repeated, her voice calm, almost too calm.
"Yes, Your Majesty. They did not return to their quarters last night, and no one has seen them since."
Slowly, Lysandra leaned back into her seat. Her lips curved into something sharper.
"He dares punish my people?" she said, her tone low, controlled, but laced with unmistakable fury.
The maid lowered her head further, not daring to speak.
Lysandra’s fingers tapped once against the armrest before she stood. "So, he still chose to act after he retrieved the cat," she continued, almost as if thinking aloud.
Then her gaze darkened slightly. "That boy..." she muttered under her breath. "He truly believes he can do as he pleases without consequence."
For a moment, she reeled in the silence, then she turned, her expression settling into something colder and far more deliberate.
"He has gone too far this time, and he will not escape my retaliation."
The words were not loud, but they carried weight.
—
In the Second Prince’s residence, the atmosphere was entirely different.
Julia reclined comfortably on a cushioned seat, one leg stretched out as a maid carefully massaged her foot.
A book rested in her hand, though her attention drifted as another maid stood nearby, clearly eager to speak. freēwebnovel.com
"My lady..." the maid began cautiously, "there is something circulating in the palace."
Julia didn’t look up. "Then say it properly instead of hovering."
The maid nodded quickly. "It is about His Highness—the Alpha Prince."
That caught her attention. Julia’s eyes lifted from the page, her expression sharpening slightly.
"What about him?"
The maid hesitated for only a second before continuing. "It is said that he went to Her Majesty’s palace yesterday... over the political bride’s cat. And now... two of Her Majesty’s servants are missing."
Julia’s brows drew together. "A cat?" she repeated, clearly unimpressed.
"Yes, my lady. They say he confronted Her Majesty because she had the animal taken away, and—"
"That little human is really something," Julia cut in, her tone edged with irritation as she closed the book with a soft snap and set it aside.
"She has only just arrived, yet she is already stirring conflict between the Queen and the Alpha Prince... and making him act on her behalf." Her lips pressed into a thin line.
One of the maids, emboldened by the conversation, spoke up carefully. "It almost seems as though His Highness has... taken a liking to her."
Julia reacted immediately. Her head snapped toward the servant, her gaze sharp and unforgiving.
The maid froze. "I—my lady, I didn’t mean—"
Before she could finish, Julia’s hand moved, and a sharp slap echoed through the room.
The maid staggered slightly, then dropped to her knees, trembling. "Forgive me, my lady! I spoke out of turn—"
"Never let such nonsense leave your mouth again," Julia said coldly. "Not if you wish to keep your place here."
"Yes, my lady... I understand."
Julia exhaled lightly and leaned back again, as if the moment had already passed. "Continue," she said to the maid at her feet.
The massage resumed.
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Elsewhere, Zarek received the same news, but his reaction was far from anger.
He sat back in his chair, one arm draped lazily over the side as the report was delivered. Unlike the others, he did not interrupt.
He listened to everything—the cat, Alexander going to their mother, and the missing servants.
When the guard finished, Zarek let out a low chuckle. "So... he went that far over a cat," he said, almost amused.
The guard remained silent.
Zarek’s eyes narrowed slightly in thought. "No... not just a cat," he corrected himself as his fingers tapped lightly against the armrest. "The human girl."
A slow smile spread across his lips.
"So she can move him like that..." he murmured. Then, he leaned forward slightly, his interest clearly piqued now.
"If that’s the case..." he continued under his breath, "then things might become very interesting."
The guard shifted slightly. "Your Highness... should we—"
Zarek waved his hand dismissively. "No. Not yet." His gaze lingered somewhere distant, calculating. "Let’s see how far this goes first."
Then, almost as an afterthought, he added softly,
"If my dear brother truly likes that spineless human girl... then we might finally have something useful to work with."
—
On the other hand, Rowan’s reaction was more calm.
He stood by the window of his residence, listening as the news was relayed to him. Unlike Zarek, he showed no amusement. Unlike Lysandra, no anger. Only a faint frown.
When the servant finished speaking, Rowan remained silent for a moment before finally responding.
"He shouldn’t have gone that far," he said calmly.
The servant lowered his head.
Rowan’s gaze drifted outward, thoughtful. "Retrieving the cat would have been enough," he continued. "But now... he has given the Queen more reason to act against him."
There was no judgment in his tone, only observation.
"Not every situation requires a direct strike," he added quietly. "Sometimes... it is wiser to step back."
He exhaled softly and concluded, "But Alexander has never been one for restraint."
And that, more than anything, seemed to concern him.
---
By midday, the palace had turned restless with whispers.
Servants spoke in hushed tones in corridors, pausing whenever footsteps approached, only to resume the moment they thought it was safe again.
"The Alpha Prince warned the Queen..."
"I heard he didn’t even lower his voice."
"And those servants... they disappeared overnight."
"All because of that Human woman’s pet..."
"Not just a pet," another corrected quietly. "His bride’s pet."
The words carried weight, bending into something bigger with each retelling.
