70: 70 She Is My Mate

70 She Is My Mate

Alen's POV 1

After being carried back to the palace by Kral, Delia fell into a strange slumber. When the doctors couldn't determine the cause of her unconsciousness, Kral commanded Vivian to concoct a potion that would awaken Delia.

In exchange, Vivian had access to anything within the palace, including me, which was much to Susanna's disapproval. I opened the storage room under Susanna's disapproving gaze, allowing Vivian to select whatever she needed.

"Mercury, golden dragon scales, poppy flower extract. Ah! And mermaid bones and deep-sea pearls."

Today, Vivian adorned herself in her favored silver robe. Her golden hair was braided into a long plait. She was delighted in perusing the royal collection, murmuring to herself.

"There's nothing wrong with Delia's body. She's just tired and will awaken soon. Prince Kral is overly worried. But he truly possesses a plethora of treasures. Tsk tsk."

"Well, you can take advantage of this opportunity to request something you fancy from him," I chuckled, observing her.

"I would never covet someone else's belongings!" she pouted. "I'm just assisting Kral. My mentor always taught me that as witches, we should lend a helping hand."

"You have a point there, my esteemed witch," I laughed, gently tousling her hair. It was as soft as the fur on a cat.

"What did you just do?! You actually touched a witch's head!" Vivian suddenly recoiled from my touch, shrieking. She stood with her hands on her hips, her emerald eyes wide open, displaying a look of disbelief.

"You're not allowed?" I raised an eyebrow, observing her flushed face. So adorable, I thought to myself. I wanted to take a bite on her cheek.

"My mentor told me that witches should never have their heads touched! A witch whose head is touched will have terrible luck!" Vivian held her head with both hands, wearing a frustrated expression.

"Listen to me, Vivian," I leaned down slightly, meeting her eyes and speaking softly. "Have you ever considered why a witch who had her head touched would face such misfortune? Did your teacher explain it to you?"

She transitioned from the brink of tears to instant confusion. She shook her head honestly and looked at me, as if waiting for me to provide the answer.

"Well... Perhaps your teacher was just teasing you. You don't have to take her words so seriously," I paused briefly.

"My teacher would never casually tease me like that!" Vivian pouted unhappily, so I had to change the topic.

"...Today in the kitchen, they have cranberry cake and Black Forest cake. Which one do you prefer? I'll go fetch one for you." I knew my attempt to change the subject was rather clumsy, but it worked for Vivian. Sure enough, she deliberated for a while, then expressed her desire for half Black Forest cake and half cranberry cake.

She then resumed selecting the materials for making the potion. I breathed a sigh of relief, watching her move her nose while discerning the scents amidst a pile of herbs. After a while, she held a few unfamiliar items and looked up at me.

"I'm done. Hurry up, I need to go to the dungeon and make the potion for that person called...Lan-something."

"Lancaster?"

I furrowed my brow and took all the items from her arms, asking in a serious tone, "What were you doing in the dungeon?"

Vivian adjusted her clothes casually and said, "Kral said that person shouldn't die, so he asked me to feed the potion to him. He smelled really bad," she wrinkled her little nose and then glanced at me, "but your scent is more pleasant, like honey."

"When did His Highness give you this order? Why wasn't I informed about it?" I felt a sense of unease creeping in.

"Um... probably before Delia participated in the trial. One day, when Delia went to Elder William's castle, I caught the scent of Lancaster there. Do you remember the subtle scent that appeared in the cell when Bernice was killed? I found that Lancaster's scent is exactly the same as that scent," Vivian winked at me.

Her light golden lashes fluttered like butterfly wings.

"Although werewolves have keen noses, witches are also skilled at discerning scents."

So, it turned out that Kral had known all along that Lancaster was the culprit who killed Bernice.

According to Kral's character, he would undoubtedly exploit this situation. So, he must have already anticipated that Lancaster would disrupt the trial. He purposely left Lancaster in a weakened state, only to present the evidence and coerce Elder William and the others, who were leading the council, into agreeing to his engagement. Vivian played the role of a crucial witness in this plan. I doubt Elder William wouldn't easily let her off the hook.

As I gazed at Vivian, who had a seemingly innocent expression, I sighed inwardly. Despite being a witch, Vivian had been unable to find a way to successfully shift Delia into a werewolf. Moreover, the palace maids, led by Susanna, had always treated Vivian with hostility. If I wished to keep Vivian within the palace, what could I possibly do?

"Why are you making that expression?"

"I..." but before I could finish my sentence. She unexpectedly reached out and tenderly touched my face. Her touch was gentle and velvety. Perhaps it was because she was a witch that her skin felt so remarkably different from mine.

I must be overthinking it; otherwise, I can't explain why my face suddenly turned red.

"Smile, will you? I love the way you look when you smile," she said, tiptoeing to meet my gaze. Her hand shaped my facial muscles into a rather peculiar smile.

Vivian's innocent face enlarged in my field of vision. Her green eyes resembled the color of a vibrant, melting forest, exuding extraordinary beauty.

Damn it, don't get so close to me! I couldn't help but hold my breath, and I could already hear my wolf breathing in excitement.

An unusual tension pervaded the air around us. I found myself drawn to her, wanting to inch closer, my gaze fixed on her eyes, longing to catch a glimpse of my own reflection.

"Oh! What are you doing here?" Susanna's voice suddenly turned sharp, reaching us from the corridor.

Vivian immediately withdrew her hand, taking a few steps back as if she were a child caught misbehaving, distancing herself from me.

Never before had I despised Susanna's voice as much as I did at that moment.

"We..."

"I..."

Vivian and I spoke simultaneously, and then we exchanged a quick glance. She appeared momentarily stunned before suddenly turning her head and snatching the items from my arms, then running away.

"Alen, perhaps I have the honor of hearing your explanation?" Susanna's cold gray eyes locked onto me. While Vivian could escape, I couldn't. So, I had no choice but to face her anger.

"As you can see, madam, Prince Kral required Vivian to prepare some potions. I was merely assisting her with fetching the necessary items."

"Prince Kral?" Her eyelids drooped, and a sharp glint appeared in her eyes. "I believe, Alen, you should understand. Vivian is a witch, not a werewolf. It goes against tradition for her to stay in the palace for such a long time. And yet, you brought her to the palace storeroom? This is... If it weren't for your presence by her side, I would have ordered her arrest..."

Susanna continued her incessant rant, leaving me increasingly frustrated. If I didn't know of Susanna's loyalty to Prince Kral, I would almost suspect her of plotting something sinister.

Once the thought of Vivian encountering Susanna every day in the palace crossed my mind, a sense of worry welled up within me. So, I interrupted her and spoke directly, "I apologize, Susanna, but I don't believe Vivian has done anything wrong. She was simply following Prince Kral's orders."

I dropped my usual smiling expression, adopting a rare serious demeanor. "I want you to know something, Susanna. Vivian is my mate, and I hope you can treat her with more kindness in the future."

Susanna's expression stiffened, and she appeared frozen upon hearing this news.

"You said...?" she exclaimed, once again taken aback.

"Yes, you heard correctly. Vivian is my mate," I reiterated firmly.

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