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Chapter 31 Get to the Bottom
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2024-08-14 17:12:00
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Alpha King's Caged Mateย ย ย Chapter 32 Wretched Palace
EVELYNThe next day, the palace was enveloped in gloominess, and the overall atmosphere was tense.The remaining ladies of the Luna Selection were advised by Mistress Anastasia to remain in their rooms and dine alone. The food served to them by the cooks and servants was meticulously examined and the entire kitchen was overseen by a troop of heavily-armed guards bearing the Alpha Kingโs golden crest on their chests.Anyone who appeared even remotely suspicious would be arrested and interrogated immediately by appointed guards, Mr. Barrett, and Beta Flynn.I heard whispers from the maids that Mr. Barrett had inspected all the servants and chefs involved in the dinner late last night when the rest of the palace was asleep, but nothing seemed to have been found.Perhaps information had been suppressed from spreading. Rumors spread in this place like wildfire, and Iโm sure they wanted to keep the blaze contained.When I went to the kitchen to get breakfast for Lady Leila, I noticed Elsa w
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๋ฐ์ดํธ : 2024-08-14Alpha King's Caged Mateย ย ย Chapter 33 Brutal Selection
EVELYNI suddenly felt a pang of anxiety at Leilaโs bluntness. It was as if lightning coursed through me and my hands began to shake. I peered around nervously, suddenly nervous.โLady Leila,โ I reminded her quietly, my eyes darting around us. โI must remind you that here in the garden, we could be overheard by anyone passing by. The hedge may shield us but sound still carries.โLeilaโs eyes narrowed and then she shrugged nonchalantly. โThen we shall walk.โI was impressed by her casual air and dutifully followed her as she rose from the bench and ventured away from the pond.We wandered silently as we wove through the garden and then, as we approached a succession of flowering bushes, Leila spoke again.โThis palace is a cage,โ she uttered, her gaze shifting to the castle beyond us. โIts wall looming above us like bars and stripped bare of sincerity, trust, honesty, and kindness. Its corridors are filled only with endless conspiracies.โA cage. That was often how it felt.A shiny, lov
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๋ฐ์ดํธ : 2024-08-15Alpha King's Caged Mateย ย ย Chapter 34 Indecent Guard
EVELYNMy heart raced in my chest and against my intuition, I had to know who the voice belonged to. It wasnโt one I recognized but I needed to know if there was an imminent threat to the noble lady I was meant to serve.So, I bravely stepped forward, but to my disdain, Leila followed suit.โStay back,โ I urged but she shook her head. I knew there was no sense in disputing it further, so together, we continued until we spotted a young man in a guardโs uniform. He was tall, with long, inky black hair that hung past his shoulders. He appeared to not be much older than I and to my surprise, he wasnโt alone. Beside him was a petite blonde, and when she turned around, I was shocked to see it was Elsa.As we glanced between them, the guard straightened his posture and studied our faces cautiously.โWho are you?โ he demanded, but just as his temper appeared to swell, Elsa tugged on his sleeve. Her doe-like eyes widened innocently and even though his nostrils remained flared, he relaxed his s
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๋ฐ์ดํธ : 2024-08-16Alpha King's Caged Mateย ย ย Chapter 35 Eanica
EVELYNBefore I could grow too considered by Leilaโs warning about Elsa, the sky darkened further and it appeared as if a heavy rainstorm was approaching.โWeโd better return inside at once,โ I advised, worried about Leila getting caught in bad weather. It was my duty to keep her happy and satisfied and though weโd grown closer, I had to remember my place as a maid.So, I led her back into the palace, and per the instructions given by Mrs. Porter, we went straight back to Leilaโs chamber. Just as the door to the room closed behind us, the sound of thunder rang out, and Leila rushed over to the window. She stared out in wonder and for a moment, she appeared like a young girl rather than a highborn lady.โWeโre lucky we came inside when we did,โ she remarked, turning to face me with a grin. Just as I smiled back, Leila crossed over to her bed and fetched a leatherbound history book from her bedside, a book she told me sheโd been reading whenever she was in this room.โIโm well past the
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๋ฐ์ดํธ : 2024-08-16Alpha King's Caged Mateย ย ย Chapter 36 Brother and Sister
EVELYNLeila clearly had no idea what I was speaking of and I wished I could share in her naivety. Though she was one of the most well-read people I knew, she seemed unaware of the weight her words would carry if the wrong person in this palace were to hear her declaration of travel.See, the werewolves of Hescor could never visit another continent, at least not officially.Any wolf who left Ozora to try to reach Eanica would be considered a deserter, a traitor to this continent and to this kingdom.A deserter wouldnโt survive the treacherous winds and tides of the moonlit sea unless they had a ship large enough to withstand the stormy weather. The sea was cold and unforgiving, and I had heard plenty of ghost stories about wolves who lost their lives trying to travel to Eanica.I set my feather duster down on a nearby table and approached Leilaโs bed swiftly. She stared at me in alarm and tugged at one of her dark braids anxiously.โYou cannot speak those words aloud,โ I repeated, but
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๋ฐ์ดํธ : 2024-08-17Alpha King's Caged Mateย ย ย Chapter 37 Fight with Attacker
EVELYNI crashed to the ground with an awful thud and cried out as I collided with the cold marble floor. My ankle cried out in agony and I quickly shifted my position to avoid harming it further. My heart pounded like a dream and heat spread through me as I anticipated being found by Lady Anna.But to my surprise, no gasps, screams, or admonishments were heard.The room was empty, save for me and my injured ankle.I breathed a sigh of relief and wiped the sweat away from my forehead. I was certain I was about to be caught but now that the threat of Mrs. Porterโs inevitable wrath was avoided, I gingerly touched my ankle.It was slightly swollen but as I examined it, I knew it was only a sprain at most. It was a massive relief and I breathed a sigh. A broken ankle would have raised too many suspicions and would have sent me right back to the maidโs quarters. A swollen ankle I could handle. Broken bones were hell to a maid in the palace.I glanced around the chamber. The vast room was s
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๋ฐ์ดํธ : 2024-08-17Alpha King's Caged Mateย ย ย Chapter 38 Who was she?
EVELYNI half-expected the voices to belong to two male guards or perhaps some other man with fighting experience, but just as I got my hopes up, I realized that the speakers were clearly feminine. Part of me wanted to weep from disappointment but I kept my ears open as the woman panted across from me.Unfortunately, I recognized both of their voices at once.โIt was very nice talking to you,โ Jasmine Madden gushed kindly. โI appreciated getting to know you further, Lady Anna.โโMe too, Lady Jasmine,โ Anna replied weakly. โIt was kind of you to seek me out.โMy jaw tensed and my aching body prepared to go another round with the attacker. If she could take me down, she could surely strike a fragile girl like Anna down with one swift motion. The poor girl didnโt stand a chance against this assassin, and even though I didnโt know or particularly care about her, I would protect her at all costs.Before I could make my move though, the woman who had been preparing to attack suddenly turned
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๋ฐ์ดํธ : 2024-08-18Alpha King's Caged Mateย ย ย Chapter 39 Talk with Flynn
EVELYNEven though every part of me hated the idea, I obediently followed Flynn down the corridor. The Beta strode quickly, and I had to lengthen my gait just to keep up with him. The effort brought me a good deal of pain, but I didnโt dare complain. The circumstances were too dire for my injuries to matter, so I shoved my feelings aside and forced a calm expression.As we descended a flight of stairs, we encountered a patrolling guard. He stared at me in shock, his eyes fixing on my bloodied uniform, but focused when Flynn demanded his attention.The Beta issued some brief orders, and the guard saluted him obediently before hustling away.To protect the privacy of the ladies, there were no guards on the third floor wherethey were accommodated. Now, after this attack, it seemed like a significant risk and oversight.As we reached the ground floor, Flynn stopped abruptly. I nearly lost my footing and bumped into him but I steadied myself before I could crash.The Betaโs expression was
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๋ฐ์ดํธ : 2024-08-19
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Alpha King's Caged Mateย ย ย Chapter 249 Epilogue: Past and Future
EVELYNThe next page contained two detailed sketches. The first depicted a monstrous figure labeled The First Alpha of the Werewolves, Alpha Elrodโa nightmarish fusion of man and wolf. His expression twisted in eternal agony, his heart pierced by a silver dagger.The second sketch, in stark contrast, portrayed his daughter, Moon. The artist had been far more merciful in painting her. Unlike her father, she was drawn with an ethereal beautyโher features fierce yet strangely soft. Cascading hair framed her delicate face, resting elegantly on her shoulder, and she wore a dress woven of moonflowers. Though faded with time, her features carried an eerie familiarity, strikingly similar to the woman in my dream.My fingers traced the contours of her face, almost as if moving of their own will. For a moment, it felt as though she were gazing back at me, whispering something just beyond my grasp.But truth isnโt always comforting. Sometimes, it is agonizing. Horrible. Sometimes, you wish you h
Alpha King's Caged Mateย ย ย Chapter 248 Epilogue: News from Tiryn
EVELYNIt was well past noon when I finally had a moment to stretch my overworked body. I devoured a sandwich and drained a full cup of strong tea that the servant had brought me before I finished reading the last three petitioning papers on my desk.One might assume that being a queen promised endless luxury, unchallenged authority, and an insouciant existence. But in reality, this had been my daily routine ever since I was crowned the Queen of Hescor three months agoโgorging down cold sandwiches and fueling myself with cups of strong tea between work breaks. Still, even that was preferable to enduring extravagant banquets filled with pompous lords and prying officials.I pushed the tray aside and reached for the two letters on the cabinet. Both bore an indication of the senderโa seal at the corner of the envelopesโmarking them as messages from Tiryn. I pried the first one open and pulled out the folded parchmentโit was from Leila.Over the past months, Leila had sent me five letters
Alpha King's Caged Mateย ย ย Chapter 247 Epilogue: Strange Foreingers
EVELYNIf storms were made of reporting sheets, endless queues of petitioners, and nagging lords filled with complaints and unrealistic pleas, then my life after the coronation could only be described as stormy.I rubbed my temples as I put down yet another ridiculous petitionโthis one requesting justice for a missing kitten. According to the petitioner, the kitten had disappeared while he was visiting the main market of Halian, and he suspected that a human foreigner had used some โnastyโ trick to steal it away.Thanks to the Ozora-Eanica Treaty of Friendship, Commerce, and Navigationโsigned by Hescor, Tiryn, and the two other werewolf nations of Eanica half a month agoโthe number of foreigners traveling from Eanica to Ozora had been steadily rising. Though other nations remained cautious, Cole and I were expecting to receive their diplomats in the coming weeks. Tirynโs example had piqued their interest, and they were beginning to see the great potential in establishing trade and dip
Alpha King's Caged Mateย ย ย Chapter 246 We are together
EVELYNโYou donโt believe us, do you?โ The words left my mouth before I could stop them, sharper than I had intended. โYou donโt believe in our determination.โOakley studied me for a long moment before a grin flickered across his face, his usual cavalier attitude returning. โLetโs just say Iโm afraid. Or maybe Iโm tired of fighting for myself. Time to seek something else in life, isnโt it? Perhaps an exotic beauty in a foreign land. I hear some human girls have a particular taste for fluffy animalsโโโDonโt change the subject,โ I cut him off, glowering. โYouโre not someone who scares easily.โโI wasnโt,โ he admitted, inhaling deeply. โBut I am now.โ His smirk faded, replaced by a hardened expression. โHer husband has erased her past to give her a new life, a paradise of his own making. And I wonโt be the one to destroy it.โIt took me a moment to understand who he meant. Maria.โI saw her three days ago,โ Oakley continued. โI imagined sheโd be suffering under the hand of some lord, a
Alpha King's Caged Mateย ย ย Chapter 245 I am happy
EVELYNI had never known there was a secret room attached to the Alphaโs Study, hidden behind the towering bookshelves that lined the wall opposite the long marble desk. A concealed passageway linked the two, its entrance masked by books that Cole now pushed aside. He twisted a small, inconspicuous knob, and the hidden door clicked open.I followed him inside, ducking low as we maneuvered through the narrow, dark passage. When he opened another door at the end, we stepped into a small chamber. It was even tinier than the room I had once lived in as a maid, furnished only with a round desk, a few chairs, and a cabinet against the wall.Despite its minimalism, the chamber exuded opulence. The desk was inlaid with jade, and each chair gleamed with embedded gemstones that caught even the faintest light.Clearly, this space had been intended for secret meetingsโperhaps even assignations. Against one wall sat a low love seat, large enough for one person to rest comfortably. Or two, if they
Alpha King's Caged Mateย ย ย Chapter 244 Queen's Duty
EVELYNSkyla blinked.For the first time since I had stepped into her cell, she looked truly caught off guard. Her lips parted slightly as if to form words, but no sound came out.I could understand why she was so shocked. According to the traditional Hescorian law of crime and punishment, as the heir of a rebellious Great Lord, she would be sentenced to death. If not death, it would be a life-long sentence of heavy labor and exile โ just like the punishment my family had received.Personally, I wanted her to suffer that fate. I had no intention of showing her mercy โ mercy she neither deserved nor ever would. But as the future queen of Hescor, I couldnโt. I couldnโt let my personal hatred dictate justice. I was determined to change Hescorโs wretched, severe penal system, and I wouldnโt allow myself to become a hypocrite in the process.Collective punishment had a long history in Hescor. Itโd be difficult to abolish, as many lords firmly supported it, or so I had been told.I recalled
Alpha King's Caged Mateย ย ย Chapter 243 I'm no bird
EVELYNโSo he punished himโmade him kneel on the cold stone floor of the Great Hall, day and night, with the servants as witnesses. He kept him there until he was exhausted, starving, and on the verge of collapse,โ Stephanie said. โAnd still, Jack never gave him an answer. He only said it was a girl from a dream. That was all. In the end, Father had no choice but to give up. But before he did, he tore the painting to shreds and warned Jackโif he ever dreamed of that girl againโฆ he would find her, dig her out, and destroy her.โA shiver ran down my spine.I could almost see King Theodoreโs looming figure, feel his hands closing around me, tearing me apart as he had done to that painting.I felt paralyzed by Stephanieโs words. And angry. Why was she telling me this? What did she expect from me? This had nothing to do with me, did it? It wasnโt my fault Jack had drawn a picture of me.And yet, beyond the anger, there was something else. A deep, inevitable sorrow.I didnโt know why.I tri
Alpha King's Caged Mateย ย ย Chapter 242 Caged Bird
EVELYNI searched Stephanieโs chestnut-brown eyes with scrutiny, trying to make sense of her words. I was relieved she wasnโt lying, but I couldnโt understand why she had bothered making such a request after everything that had happened.Her expression remained composed, as if she saw no issue with her decision. But even at my most optimisticโeven if Cole ever found an excuse to forgive his brotherโStephanieโs request to move Jackโs body to the Royal Crypt was absurd.Crypts held deep significance for every noble family in Hescor, and the Royal Crypt was the most sacred of them all, reserved for the royal bloodline. The people of Hescor believed it was a resting place only for revered monarchs who had contributed to the kingdom, rulers whose legacies were honored by both history and the people. Only the purest souls were meant to be laid to rest there. Of course, that was an exaggerationโone could hardly call King Theodore a saint, considering his debauched ways in his later years.As
Alpha King's Caged Mateย ย ย Chapter 241 Beta's Trouble
EVELYNโSometimes, I canโt tell if youโre supporting me or siding with those who oppose my ascension,โ I muttered, lifting my head from the stack of documents to glower at Flynn. Across the room, he met my gaze steadily, unfazed.โWhy donโt you go bother your King instead?โ I snapped. โIf anyoneโs to blame for my ignorance of these documents, itโs him! If he hadnโtโโ I bit off the words, heat crawling up my face as memory surged forward, unbidden and all too vivid.Cole had been unbearably possessive last night after I returned from my conversation with Aiden by the river. He had exhausted me until dawn โ until the first golden rays of sunlight spilled over the horizon, peering into the room to find our bodies tangled in the damp sheets.Flynn arched a brow but returned his attention to the report in his hands. โIโll remind him to exercise restraint,โ he said coolly. โHe shouldnโt wear you out when your schedule is this full.โ Then, without a hint of emotion, he added, โTell your maid
