Chapter 193: An Opportunity to Bond
{Third Person}
Meanwhile, somewhere far away from Lysandra’s scheming, Barron was having the time of his life.
Unlike the tense atmosphere in the royal palace, Barron was in exceptionally high spirits.
The moment Alexander’s decision was finalized, he threw himself fully into preparations for their move into the city.
And naturally, he had taken the task very seriously.
The residence chosen for Alexander was located in the wealthiest and most secure part of Werewolf City. It was spacious enough to accommodate Alexander, Amara, a select number of servants, and guards, while still remaining private enough to give Alexander the peace he wanted.
Barron had personally taken charge of everything. Every detail mattered.
That morning, he was already at the residence, inspecting every room with a level of focus that surprised even the servants.
He moved through the estate with quick steps, giving orders left and right.
"No, move that." He pointed toward a decorative cabinet. "It blocks the view."
A servant immediately bowed and rushed to obey.
Barron turned toward another group. "The curtains in this room need replacing." His expression sharpened. "Lighter colours."
One servant hesitated. "My lord... lighter colours?"
Barron gave him a look. "Yes." Then he added with a straight face, "The current ones look depressing."
The servants immediately moved.
Barron continued walking. His priorities were clear. Security, comfort and privacy. Those three things mattered most.
The outer perimeter needed to be heavily guarded. The internal living areas needed to feel calm and comfortable. And most importantly, Alexander needed peace. Real one. Something the palace had failed to give him for years.
Barron stepped into the main sitting room and looked around thoughtfully. A slow smile spread across his face.
He could already picture everything coming together. Alexander sitting here in silence, and Amara somewhere nearby with her cat.
No palace politics. No constant scheming. No endless formalities.
Just peace.
The thought pleased him immensely.
Right then, one of the guards approached him. "My lord, what about the security rotation?"
Barron’s expression turned serious again. He immediately shifted back into work mode. "No weak links. I want only trusted men."
The guard nodded.
Barron continued. "Rotate shifts regularly. Keep the outer area monitored day and night." His eyes narrowed slightly. "And double the night watch."
The guard bowed. "It will be done."
Barron gave a satisfied nod. As the guard left, he looked around once more. Then a grin slowly spread across his face.
He folded his arms. "Oh, Alexander..." There was obvious amusement in his voice. "You have no idea how much fun I’m having with this."
This move felt right. It felt like the beginning of something better. And for Alexander’s sake, Barron intended to make sure everything was perfect before moving day arrived.
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In the Second Prince’s residence, Julia learned the news not long after everyone else.
One of the servants had quietly brought the information, thinking it was simply another piece of palace gossip worth sharing. The servant had not expected the reaction it would provoke.
The moment Julia heard that Alexander would be leaving the palace in a few days, the colour drained from her face.
She sat frozen for several seconds, as though she had not heard properly. Then the second wave hit her.
He was truly leaving. Not just withdrawing for a few days, travelling or relocating temporarily. He was moving out.
And suddenly, the reality of what that meant crashed into her with devastating force.
She would no longer see him. No more accidental glimpses during family gatherings. No more stolen looks during banquets. No more chances to simply exist in the same space as him.
The pain hit so sharply that she could barely breathe. By the time she made it back to her bedroom, she could no longer hold herself together.
The moment the doors shut behind her, Julia broke. A choked sob escaped her lips before tears began streaming down her face. She clutched her chest as if trying to physically ease the ache there, but it only worsened. Then her grief turned volatile.
The nearest decorative bowl was the first casualty. She grabbed it and hurled it across the room. It shattered loudly. A glass followed, then a small vase.
Her personal servants gasped and rushed toward her. "My Lady! Please calm down!"
Julia looked like she could barely hear them. Tears continued pouring down her face. She had spent years burying her feelings.
These were years of pretending and forcing herself to move on. Yet somehow, hearing that Alexander was leaving had torn open everything she had tried so desperately to suppress.
One of her servants, realizing how dangerous the situation was, quickly lowered her voice and spoke urgently.
"My Lady, please!"
Julia did not stop. Another item crashed to the floor.
Seeing that her mistress wasn’t listening, the servant stepped closer. "Please calm yourself!" She hesitated before saying the thing she knew would reach Julia. "Lord Zarek might hear."
Immediately, Julia froze. Her breathing became ragged.
The servant continued in a hushed voice. "He might feel your emotions through the bond."
Those words snapped Julia back to reality. Panic immediately replaced her emotional outburst. She quickly shut her eyes and forced herself to breathe slowly and deeply, again and again.
She had to calm down. The last thing she needed right now was Zarek storming in and demanding an explanation.
Worse still, if he found out that this emotional breakdown was because of Alexander—
Julia’s blood ran cold. Zarek would never spare her; she knew him too well. With trembling hands, she wiped her tears and tried to steady herself.
Her servants watched nervously. The silence in the room felt painfully heavy.
Though Julia had regained outward control, the pain inside her remained unbearable. She pressed a hand against her chest again. It still hurt so much.
Then, through clenched teeth, she finally spoke. Her voice trembled with pain and bitterness. "I know why he made this decision."
Her servants remained silent.
Julia’s eyes darkened as hatred slowly crept into her expression. "That little human girl." The words dripped with resentment.
Her breathing grew heavier again. But this time, the tears in her eyes mixed with something darker and uglier. Hatred.
"I know it." Her voice turned cold. "He is doing this because of her."
At that moment, every ounce of pain in Julia’s heart redirected itself toward one person.
Amara.
Her hatred for Amara, which had already been growing quietly, deepened into something much more dangerous and personal.
---
Meanwhile, Princess Elowen could no longer sit still.
Excitement filled her from head to toe as she immediately left her residence and went straight to Amara. By the time she arrived, she was practically glowing with excitement.
Amara had barely finished greeting her when Elowen began talking. "I still cannot believe it!"
She stepped inside and looked around as if the walls themselves were responsible for keeping this secret from her.
"How could both of you hide something this huge from me?"
Amara smiled helplessly.
Elowen did not wait for an answer. She was already talking again. "This is wonderful." Her eyes sparkled. "Do you know what this means?"
Amara already had a feeling about where this was going, but she still let the Princess continue.
Elowen clasped Amara’s hands excitedly. "It means I can visit whenever I want. We can go shopping in the city." Her smile widened. "We can spend time together whenever I feel bored in the palace."
She paused, then quickly corrected herself. "Which is almost every day."
Amara could not help laughing. Elowen was simply too energetic.
"I am serious," Elowen continued. "The city is far more fun than this boring palace." She looked genuinely delighted. "And now that you’ll be there too, I finally have a proper reason to visit often."
Amara smiled warmly. Seeing Elowen so excited unexpectedly made her own excitement grow even more.
For a while, Elowen continued talking nonstop, jumping from one idea to another; Shopping. Tea visits. Walking through the city. Spending time together.
Amara eventually stopped trying to interrupt and simply listened with amusement.
After spending some time with Amara, Elowen finally decided to visit Alexander as well.
The moment she entered his residence and saw him, she folded her arms and narrowed her eyes. "You."
Alexander looked up calmly and watched her march closer. But inside of him, he released a deep, helpless sigh. Trouble had found its way to him.
"How could you not tell me something this important?" Elowen’s tone carried clear accusation.
Alexander looked entirely unbothered.
Elowen continued before he could even respond. "I had to hear about your plans from palace gossip." She shook her head. "As your only beloves sister, that is unacceptable."
Alexander briefly shut his eyes. He was tempted to press his temples, but in the end, gave up.
Elowen stared at him for a moment before sighing dramatically. Still, her irritation quickly softened. Then a smile appeared.
"Even so..." Her expression became gentler as genuine warmth showed in her eyes. "I’m happy for you. You deserve peace."
Alexander slowly nodded. That alone was enough response. Unfortunately, Elowen was far from done. She quickly returned to talking. She spoke about everything, about how much better the city would be, and about how often she planned to visit.
"I’ll come all the time." She smiled brightly. "I’ll visit often."
That was where Alexander finally stopped her. "No," he said to her without mincing words.
"What?" Elowen blinked. She thought she had misheard him, but he looked at her directly and said, "Do not disturb me often with your visits."
Elowen narrowed her eyes slowly, then she stared at him suspiciously, watching as he remained perfectly calm. Though she said nothing aloud, her mind had already started racing.
A thought quickly formed. Her narrowed eyes sharpened. Was this really about not wanting visitors, or did he simply not want anyone disturbing him and Amara while they spent time together and bonded?
The thought instantly became very amusing.
Right then, a smile slowly formed on her lips. ’Brother is very interesting.’