Claire's POVPushing open the door of the cabin, I saw Louis sitting by the fireplace with his back turned to me.I took a deep breath and called out his name in as light-hearted a tone as possible. "I knew I'd find you here! Alfred asked me to bring your favorite sandwich and wine. Want to give it a try?"Louis remained motionless, as if an invisible barrier separated us and my voice was completely shut out by this barrier.Sighing, I cautiously entered the cabin and placed the carefully prepared food on the small table next to the fireplace. Then, I walked around the armchair and crouched down in front of Louis, placing my hand on his knee, warmed by the fire."Louis, please talk to me. Please," I pleaded.My plea finally caused Louis to tear his gaze away from the flickering flames. He looked at me, his expression hollow and helpless, like a lost wolf in a snowstorm."Claire..."Louis's vulnerability saddened me, and I stood up, enveloping him in my embrace."I know you're hurting,
Claire's POV"What do you mean by that, Louis?"Not only my body trembled, but also my voice. I looked at the handsome man in front of me in disbelief. Just yesterday, he held my hands firmly, calling me his only fated mate, but now he wanted to give up on me!"You want to give up on me?""What!"Louis widened his eyes at me, realizing instantly that I misunderstood him. "Of course not, my dear. I'm just..."Louis didn't continue but let out a deep sigh."Just what?!" I immediately pressed."I'm just thinking, perhaps being a member of the royal family isn't something worth longing for."Louis wiped away the tears from my cheeks with his fingers, and his tone finally softened."You see, my brother had to give up his true fated mate for his reputation and then married Maria at my father's request to become a proper heir. Now, almost the same thing is about to happen to me. This d.amn royal status is like a curse, preventing everyone in it from being with their beloved for a lifetime."
Claire's POVOh my god.In the moment of my distraction, Louis pulled me into the armchair near the fireplace. He lifted my hips, letting me straddle his lap.Wearing only a dress, I had to spread my legs. My skin pressed against Louis's trousers, and his hard erection pressed against my panties. I could even feel its hot temperature and burgeoning desire."You look beautiful, my dear mate," Louis said as he paused the heated kisses, his deep blue eyes like oceans, luring me in. I couldn't help but wrap my arms around his neck and press my body against his.Louis gladly accepted my initiative. His fingers tangled in my thick curls.Then, when I least expected it, he suddenly wrapped his large hand around the back of my head, pulling my hair harshly."Ah!"My head jerked backward, exposing my neck almost entirely to Louis.His hot kisses quickly followed. His lips trailed from my jawline to my neck, finally landing on my swollen breasts.With the sound of fabric tearing, Louis took my
Garfield's POVRevealing Kitty's true identity barely saved both mine and Kitty's lives, but it didn't grant us our freedom.Louis ordered us to stay within the castle. Despite being given guest rooms, several armed guards were stationed outside our doors. To me, it felt more like confinement than anything else.However, that wasn't my biggest concern at the moment.I lay on the bed with my injured leg, which had been treated by a doctor and wrapped in thick bandages. I couldn't even get out of bed, let alone approach Kitty who sat curled up in the corner."Come back here, Kitty. That corner won't be as comfortable for you to sleep in."I patted the empty space beside me and called out to Kitty in a hoarse voice, but she completely ignored my plea. At that moment, her blue eyes widened, scrutinizing me like a cautious little wolf.I could feel the anger, sadness, and confusion emanating from her gaze, making me sigh deeply."My dear daughter, no matter how much you hate me right now,
Claire's POVWatching Louis return, I helped him take off his thick coat and hung it on the nearby rack before handing him the hot tea I had prepared."How did it go? Did Evans confess anything to you?""He swore it had nothing to do with him and hinted that it might be related to Maria.""Maria?" Hearing that name, I furrowed my brows, a hint of confusion creeping into my mind. "But before this, Evans always seemed to defend Maria fiercely. It looked like they had some sort of alliance...""That was my thought too. But it seems there's obviously a rift between them now. But maybe it's a good thing for us, after all, one is as cunning as a fox, and the other as venomous as a snake."Louis finished speaking and closed his eyes, leaning back in his chair.I moved behind him, starting to gently massage his temples with my fingers. Under my ministrations, Louis's furrowed brow gradually relaxed, and he raised his arm, grabbing my hand."I want to hear your thoughts, Claire. What do you th
Maria's POVAfter admiring my beauty in the mirror, I glanced sideways at Andy, who was leaning against the door.At the moment, he was idly kicking the carpet by the door, looking utterly bored, which annoyed me to no end."Have you remembered everything I told you to do?""Of course, my queen."Andy impatiently rolled his eyes, but upon noticing my icy gaze, he quickly approached me, trying to sweet-talk his way back into my favor."Didn't I remember every word you said? Come on, stop frowning, give me a kiss, my beauty.""Get lost!"I pushed Andy away with disgust, glaring at him as he stumbled a few steps before regaining his balance."You almost ruined my carefully prepared makeup.""Hah, carefully prepared?" My rejection made Andy embarrassed and angry. "You only dress up like this when you go to see Louis, right? Too bad, he only has eyes for—""Shut up!"I snapped at Andy angrily, slamming the wooden comb on the vanity.The comb broke with a sound."Never, ever mention that wo
Claire's POV"Oh, Claire, it's so good to see you!"Upon receiving the servant's notice, I hurried to the castle's hall where Maria, dressed in her finest attire, quickly rose from the sofa and approached me with a fake smile. She gave me a perfumed, insincere hug."Maria? Why did you..."Before I could ask her purpose, Maria had already grabbed my hand and started complimenting me in an overly exaggerated tone."Oh, dear, you must tell me what cosmetics you're using! You look even more stunning today than the last time we met!"For the sake of the Moon Goddess.I suppressed the urge to roll my eyes and forced a smile as fake as hers. But I wasn't here to engage in meaningless social pleasantries with her. I decisively withdrew my hand from Maria's grasp."Sorry, dear, but actually, I'm not wearing any makeup today."This sarcastic response caused a crack in Maria's smile. Although she maintained a warm expression, her eyes turned cold like a snake's.This woman definitely doesn't hav
Maria's POVAs I glanced at the grandfather clock in the hall, I quickly realized that it was already fifteen minutes past the time I had arranged to meet Andy.That useless fool, did he manage to steal the letter or not? Doesn't he know how disgusting it is for me to flatter this foolish Claire against my will?!Damn it, what happened?!“Well, I’ll consider what you said today, Maria.”Just as I was feeling increasingly irritated, Claire suddenly stood up from beside me. She lifted her chin high, giving me a disdainful glance, clearly indicating she wanted me to leave.“And regarding what you said about Garfield Evans—I will inform Prince Louis. But in fact, he is already wary of Evans. Evans is currently detained by Louis in the castle, so there's no need for you to worry about him anymore.”“What?!”Bad news kept coming one after another. Hearing that Evans was detained, I almost jumped out of the sofa in shock.“Evans is detained by Louis?! Why have I never heard about this?!”“It