Chapter 55: Denied

It was a miracle that I slept last night.

Even though I had to act tough over the last few days, I continued to be an untrained former Young Lady of the Withered Rose pack.

A young lady who was sure that by this time, after her marriage, I might have been pregnant with Kennen’s child by now. Reality was often disappointing.

Now, I questioned whether I wanted to experience love again or have a child condemned to this uncertain world.

How did I know if I’ll live long enough or grow strong enough to protect my child from greedy kings and traffickers?

Everything that man spoke kept ringing in my head.

Having experienced the dehumanizing gazes of that Lycan Delta, and having my only family taken from me, I couldn’t help but feel a chill run down my spine every minute.

No wonder Sir Martiel had the guts to hold hostage a woman he believed to be a moonborn wolf and a child.

He had no respect for werewolves or a woman’s autonomy. He was truly detestable.

A tear rolled down my eye, but I wiped it before it dropped. This wasn’t the time to wallow in these thoughts. While those documents were real, not everything that man said could be right.

If the North really worked together with the Lycan kingdom to do such a dreadful thing, then why did they give their big secret to the West?

Knock. Knock.

"It’s Aaron. Good morning. Time for breakfast."

I sprang up the bed like a soldier caught on duty. "Good morning."

He let out a sigh of relief. "I caught you this morning. Alright then, go down soon."

I nodded as he left. Had he always been missing me because I went out early for training? He was back to sounding like an older sibling.

Washing my face and cleaning my mouth took longer than it usually did. I took my time because my hands were less sore.

Arriving at the dining table, a place I rarely visit, Edward was the only one present. He met my gaze for half a second before continuing fishing out sauce.

I should ask about the mission yesterday. If he had heard anything about it, then he should’ve known that regardless of not getting the signal, be should’ve shown up.

Maybe if he had done that, I might’ve blindly burned those documents.

"Well, good thing he remained a disappointment." I mouthed to myself as I sat down.

I heard the steel spoon click. "What was that?"

"What was what?" I asked back. He didn’t hear me, so he was simply picking a fight. "Is that a suitable response to a greeting?’

"What you mumbled was too long to be a greeting."

So he didn’t hear me, but knew I didn’t compliment him. I ignored him, and soon enough he went back to dishing, though now grumbling.

When the rest joined us, he served the meal.

Our commander had walked in with the royal advisor. There was nothing in her face as he drank her soup. Aaron tried to raise a conversation, but only the Royal advisor and his cousin picked it up sometimes. The commander said nothing.

"Oh, and I heard there’s a new stall at the marketplace offering discounted items for women." Aaron raised another conversation.

I watched the Commander. From the little I know of her, she really liked new clothes and jewelry, though I rarely saw her wear them.

She made no reaction to what Aaron said.

"Will you go too?"

I dipped into my soup, then turned to Aaron, who asked the Commander again.

"Huh?" I found his gaze on me. "Uh... I don’t like crowdy places." That excuse was at the top of my head. Being reeled into their conversation was the last thing I expected. I looked back at my soup.

"It isn’t very crowdy in the night like the mornings." Escan added, as if encouraging me.

I glanced back at Aaron, then at him. Since when have they tried to bring me into their conversation? I was content to fade into the background.

"Thank you, but I have to train."

That wasn’t even a good excuse. There was no need to train at night as a Moonborn wolf.

Thankfully, the royal advisor looked away from me. I could breathe again.

"There’s a mission for us now. It needs volunteers," he announced. Edward’s hand raised.

Escan smiled. "We are to escort a representative of the lycan king to the Northern Werewolf Kingdom. They have peace talks, or something."

With Edward’s hand still raised, Aaron raised his, and I surely didn’t raise mine. Riyana remained out of it.

The Lycan kingdom was already making a move the very next day after the Western Kingdom’s representative left.

Was this the kind of information I, as a spy, should tell that man? He was yet to reach me.

"I injured myself recently." I said. "So I’ll stay back and get better. I hope it works out well."

Now this contradicted ‌my excuse to train, but it shouldn’t be a problem. After all, the mission was escort. Those two could handle it.

Edward, whose hands had been up all the while, suddenly fell. "I’ll stay back and watch you then.’

Should I act surprised? Or insulted? "Am I a child? What do you want to watch me for?’

"Yeah, didn’t you say that being at home was boring for you?" Aaron frowned. "We should go—"

"A member of our unit is injured. I’m being considerate." Edward insisted.

Riyana scoffed. The first reaction she had made on the table. "I will take care of her, Edward. Go do your mission."

She returned to her food in the melancholic way as before. Edward withdrew his statement. Escan never added to the banter.

While I remained still, hiding my trembling fists from hitting him. He was always so openly nosy. Now he claimed it, else consideration?

"Aster," the Royal Advisor called me, and I gave my attention. "If you need medicine, let me know. I’ll go get them at the market for you."

I nodded once. Amid everything, this Escan was someone I couldn’t read.

He may not have ill intentions, but he definitely has intentions. I needed to know what they were. I took ‌the letter from my pocket.

"Sir Escan. Could you do me a favor?"

His eyes lit up. "Me...? What is it?"

I pushed the letter to him after contemplating. Aaron was my first choice, but giving it to the advisor seemed more reasonable.

"I’ll like this to reach the Delta of your Kingdom."

Chapter Thirty-Nine —

Astrid’s POV

"I’d like this to reach the Delta of your kingdom."

Silence stretched for seconds. Escan reached for the letter, but his hand remained hanging.

"A letter for Mart? Why?"

’Mart?’ My face squeezed before I could help it, and my disgust lay bare. He called him in such a friendly way. Did he know who that man was?

I fixed my face. Why do I assume Escan wouldn’t know, or that he was very different? I don’t know him either.

"That is my favor. I am simply a member of the unit who wants to reach another person in his quarters. I hope you wouldn’t give him more details.."

"Then come with us to the Lycan Kingdom," Edward said. "Visit that person yourself."

I left my seat, while willing my fists not to search for his cheeks.

"I am speaking to the advisor, Edward." I kept my tone as respectful as I could muster. "Do not let me waste words on you."

He flared up, leaving his seat. "What—"

Aaron held him back. "She just means you should shut up. And I agree too, Ed."

The idiot returned to his seat.

"I can’t visit freely." I explained. "Sir Escan, if my request is too much, then..."

"It’s fine. It isn’t hard to give him this. Or I can just give it to another warrior to..." he noticed my expression. "I’ll give it directly to Mart."

My brows straightened. "Thank you." That was the only way I could be sure my feelings would reach Mary and Maya.

They didn’t know what became of me, as I didn’t know how they fared.

Sir Martiel might’ve kept them hidden, or the warriors wouldn’t even know they existed.

"I am positively obsessed."

Also the western king bec someone else who’s forward passionate and direct about his interest in a pretty capable woman who’s not his country’s designated moonborn because he’s fascinated by moonborns. so he’ll reveal quickly that he’s the king but she doesn’t believe him because the king is an older man in his forties acording to what she knew not a young man few years older than her.

he doesn’t correct her that the prime minister had been the acting regent and flirts w her as duke since hse desn’t belive him. he’s the third ml who tells her to be his spy and he’ll send a bird that that will follow her scent to give her letters.