79: 79 Prince's Troubles

79 Prince's Troubles

Alen's POV 2

Today, Prince Kral seemed somewhat nervous, although he didn't seem aware of how out of character he was behaving. In the three days leading up to the engagement ceremony, I had been busy with preparations and hardly had a good night's sleep. Yet whenever I went to discuss the details with Kral, he maintained an unusual level of energy. It was as if he hardly needed sleep.

Now, in Kral's reception room, Susanna, Bud, and I, along with some staff members, were reporting our progress.

"Your Highness, the preparations for the engagement ceremony are complete. I double-checked and finalized the guest list. All the nobles have received their invitations," Susanna handed over the list to Prince Kral. He took it with one hand, opened it, but remained silent.

"The security arrangements have been taken care of. The wolf warriors will protect the safety of the ceremony with our lives," Bud and I exchanged a glance before he stepped forward and bowed.

"The food and desserts for the banquet have also been prepared. Your Highness, do you have any special requests?" The head chef in charge of the cuisine took a step forward. His tone was eager, hoping Kral would make some requests to demonstrate his loyalty.

I understood him. If Kral didn't attach such importance to this engagement ceremony, he would never have had the chance to meet Prince Kral as a head chef.

But Kral leaned back in his velvet chair, his gaze lowered. I couldn't make out his expression, but I knew that he wasn't even looking at the head chef.

Embarrassed, the chef stepped back. His face turned bright red.

Prince Kral still remained silent. His attitude left us confused. A heavy tension began to fill the air.

I sighed inwardly. Others might not know, but growing up with Kral, I understood his current state of mind very well. He was facing a dilemma that was making it difficult for him to decide. In other words, he was hesitating because of something or someone.

I didn't need to guess. I knew that someone had to be Delia.

Everyone nervously watched the prince. His long fingers flipped through the guest list. His golden eyes revealed nothing about his emotions. Susanna and Bud both looked at me with confusion. I had to step forward, deliberately coughing.

Finally, Kral lifted his eyes. His train of thought was interrupted, and he furrowed his dark eyebrows, staring at me.

"Your Highness," I held his displeased gaze and respectfully took a step forward, "Tomorrow is your engagement day. To avoid any mistakes, it would be best for you to review the details. May I suggest that?"

It was obvious that I wanted Prince Kral to realize his distraction. But as his closest companion, I also wanted to spare him from an embarrassing situation.

"I'm tired," Prince Kral suddenly spoke. He said expressionlessly, "You can leave, but Alen, you stay."

I was taken aback, gazing at him for a while with mixed emotions. This was strange. Prince Kral, who had been bursting with energy these past three days, now claimed to be tired.

After everyone else had left the room, the reception area fell into silence once again.

"Your Highness, what's the matter? What is troubling you?" It was just the two of us now, and there was no need for me to hide anymore. So I voiced the question I had been wanting to ask all day.

"Alen," Prince Kral sighed my name. I watched as he dropped the list he was holding and stood up from his high-backed chair, walking towards me. He asked with a tone of confusion and bewilderment, "Alen, I've encountered something. More precisely, it's something I can't quite comprehend."

I was inwardly surprised. Various faces flashed through my mind—Elder William, Lanchester, and others. But as far as I knew, they were keeping quiet under Kral's strong pressure and not doing anything. Kral was not someone who made a big deal out of nothing, so he must have encountered some kind of difficulty.

As I struggled to figure out what might have gone wrong, Kral, with a serious expression, said, "Alen, Delia has been acting strangely lately." His lips tightened, and after a moment of hesitation, he continued, "She hasn't been talking to me much lately."

... F.uck!

It was the first time I found it so difficult to speak with him.

I must have had an awful expression on my face right now because I was trying hard to suppress the twitching corners of my mouth.

"Prince Kral, so you've been...," I held back the urge to roll my eyes, "you've been thinking about Delia? And what's been bothering you is that she's been talking to you less?"

Raising an eyebrow, I looked at Kral's face, which showed signs of shyness.

"I'm just not accustomed to Delia changing like this," Kral spoke with difficulty, but a hint of a smile appeared in his eyes. "She used to be so gentle, like a little lamb drenched in rain, cradled in the palm of my hand."

"...And then?" I felt like I was about to roll my eyes for real.

"Now she's different," Kral's voice became heavy, sadness evident in his eyes. "Ever since her father was imprisoned by me, she's been hiding in her room and avoiding me. I don't understand, Alen, why is that?"

"Perhaps it's because of her father. She's a kind-hearted person, so she definitely doesn't want her father to suffer, but she also doesn't want to defy you. That's why she's avoiding you," I tried to speculate on Delia's thoughts.

"No!" Prince Kral firmly denied my speculation.

"Delia could never have any attachment to her father. When I took her away from her pack, I made it clear to her. I told her that from then on, she could only think of me and never leave my side."

A possessive impulse flickered across his face. He resembled a fierce beast, baring its fangs at an intruder in its territory.

"Prince Kral, can you calm down for a moment? You can't lose your composure every time something related to Delia comes up."

"You know she is important to me, Alen. If it weren't for my special situations, and if she didn't have the ability to calm my restlessness, why would I have brought her back?" Prince Kral stated matter-of-factly.

Oh, Moon Goddess, this man is clearly infatuated, yet he still believes he's using Delia.

I felt a slight headache coming on, so I rested my hand on my forehead. "Anyway, tomorrow is the day of your engagement. Who says she will leave you?"

Is this how relationships between mates work? Prince Kral is like a completely different person. Any change in his mate makes him excessively anxious. If someone had told me before that the arrogant Prince Kral would be so unsettled by a woman, I would have laughed out loud. But now?

Reality has truly surprised me to the point that my jaw drops to the floor.

"Prince Kral, do you remember the news brought by Delia's father? There are some rogues now attempting to challenge your authority."

Kral's mind is filled with thoughts of Delia. It seems he has forgotten about this matter.

"And there's the matter of Catherine marrying the Werebear's king in exchange for their army," I cautiously added, "You wouldn't actually go through with that, would you? We grew up with Catherine... and, you know, Bud..."

Prince Kral scoffed coldly, returning to his indifferent and ruthless expression. I must say, this version of Kral puts me at ease.

"That's the path she chose for herself, and I have no need to interfere. As for Bud, it's their own business. If they're still indecisive, there's no one who can help them."

It seems Prince Kral's mind has finally refocused on important matters. He began attending to the affairs that had been delayed during this period. Orders were given in an organized manner, and I noted them down one by one.

"Tell Susanna that the arrangements for the guests are okay. The elders don't need to be seated in the front. I don't want to see their faces. Inform Bud that the guards around the palace need to be strengthened, but the temple doesn't need to be completely closed off. Tomorrow is a day of celebration, and I want to celebrate with my people. Inform the nobles that during tomorrow's banquet, I have an important announcement, so they shouldn't drink too heavily. Also..."

I looked up and saw him turn his face, the bright light casting a glow on his features.

"After the engagement, I will personally lead the troops to the Pack. I want to witness the werewolves who can wield magic."

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