Alpha King’s Lost Luna

CASSANDRANôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

The moment | agreed to help Helene, | regretted it and wished | could take my promise back. H Ronald's fiancee escape from Yurene when | was still in trouble myself?

But Helene appeared greatly moved. Her light brown eyes filled with tears, and her cheeks blushed a de she reached across the table and took my hands in hers.

“Thank you,” she uttered quietly as she squeezed lightly and gave me a grateful smile.

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| smiled back at her, but before | could reply, the door to the cafe opened, and the bells chimed as Helene’s maid retu The poor girl’s cheeks were flushed and she panted heavily as she rushed over to the table.

“| searched high and low, but your ring wasn’t in the shop, my lady,” Alana lamented, and her eyes fell to the ground as in were steeling herself for physical punishment. “I don’t know what could have happened to it,”

As the maid tensed up as if by instinct, Helene pondered her statement for a moment, and then, as if a sudden realization: hit her, her berry-painted lips parted.

“| wonder...” she murmured, and then she reached into the pocket of her heavy coat. She rummaged around for a moment and then retrieved her ring.

Alana appeared as if she were about to cry from relief, and Helene gave her a small smile.

“Silly me.” she said as she slipped the ring back onto her finger. “I must have put it in my pocket when | tried the other ring on in the shop. So sorry, Alana.”

“It's no trouble at all, My Lady, the maid replied quickly, and when she raised her pretty blue eyes, they were wet with tears. “I’m simply glad the ring is still in your possession,”

We all knew that she was more relieved not to be punished, but | didn’t blame her in the slightest. | could only imagine what it felt like to be a maid in Viokwell. Hell, what it was like to serve as a maid in Yurene in general. While Helene didn’t seem the type to inflict pain on others, surely Alana had been subjected to methods like that by others in the fortress if she’d flinched like that. After we finished our food and drinks, we visited a few other shops before returning to the castle. Helene didn’t say a single word about her situation or intended escape, but when the car returned to the fortress and stopped outside of the building | was housed in, Helene caught my hand and asked if | was willing to have tea with her tomorrow.

She squeezed my fingers gently as a hint, and my stomach twisted into knots. | had no idea what she was planning, nor how to navigate this situation.

“Thave to visit Kaleb tomorrow morning, but I'll be available after that.” | said after | took a short breath. “Is that

“After will be perfect, Helene replied “I would like to have lunch with you”

“That sounds nice” | said, and after we exchanged smiles, we parted ways.

that alright?

1 didn’t sleep very well that night When I'd returned to my chamber after my trip with Helene, Thadict rald Erika any thing sung thought. | wasn’t sure if lever would

lzern capeletally thing for her

anhat was clear that this journey to Yuuene lud

strar. But | didn’t want

.

to add to it further, so I-remained silent and pondered what Ronald and Helene told me as

I still hadn’t decided what to do when Ms. Benn turned up at my door the next day to lead

The head housekeeper was pale, far more than usual, and her ice-blue eyes had dark circles remained expressionless like usual, | could detect a trace of worry in her eyes. As we walked sile main building, | remembered that Ms. Benn’s daughter had been ill. | wondered if that was why s

“How is your daughter, Ms. Benn?” | asked before | could lose the courage to do so.

The housekeeper remained silent at first, and | figured that she wasn’t going to answer like always.

But then, when we turned the corner and stepped on the staircase, she paused and turned to glance at me. Her com was even paler still, and her lips trembled.

“She’s still very ill,” she said quietly, and then her mouth drew into a thin line as her gaze fell to the ground.

My heart ached for her. | knew what it was like to be worried for my child.

“I'm sorry to hear that,” | said gently. “I hope she will recover very soon.”

Ms. Benn looked back at me but didn’t move. After a long, tense moment, she spoke again. “My daughter won't recover.”

| widened my eyes in confusion, and before | could ask her what she meant, she continued on.

“| can’t afford the medicine required to cure her,” she lamented.

My eyebrows knitted together as | tried to understand, in Wegalla, even the lowest level servant working in the palace earned very decent money. How could the head housekeeper not have enough to take care of her daughter?

Ms. Benn began to climb the stairs and | began to wonder if there was anything | could do. Though she wasn't the kindest to me, no one deserved to go without medicine if they were ailing.

An idea crossed my mind.

“If you're willing. | could check her condition,” | offered, and Ms Benn paused again. “Bring her to my room if you're able. I'll examine her.”

The housekeeper remained frozen, but after a moment she nodded.

The bluntness of the Northerners never failed to surprise me. When Ms. Benn and | arrived at the meeting room, she didn’t utter a word to me. Instead, she simply knocked on the door and announced “It’s Ca ssandra Keller, and then turned and left.

1 let out a soft sigh and then entered the room a few seconds later

There were two other people in the meeting room aside from Kaleb. One of them was Raven, and the other one was a black- haired man I'd never seen before As his equally black eyes trailed over me and a cruel smile formed on his pointed face. | hadd the sense that he seemed to know me

“Helo be greeted me, and a shiver ran through me. Tin Arabis

“Hello” Exeplied politely, unsure of what the to say

eto be interested in raplating more to me fibead be gestured at the table and told me to take a seat.

11:48 En, Feb 23

| obediently sat on the couch opposite Raven, and the sorceress blinked at me. | wasn’t quite sure what was did | understand her strange demeanor

“Go ahead, Raven,” Kaleb instructed in a bored tone. “Tell her your request”

Raven nodded and then turned to me. “I think you should visit the prison tower, Ca ssandra. You need a thorough examination.”

| was taken aback. A physical exam? Whatever for?

“What's going on in the prison tower is top secret,” Anubis spoke up, and he shot me a suspicious glare. “It’s dangerous to let a Southerner in the building. Besides, why is it necessary to do the check in the prison tower? It could be conducted anywhere.” “The exam is private. Raven sighed in annoyance, and she rolled her bluish-green eyes. “The check and the results aren’t anyone’s business. There are spies and informants everywhere. Besides, Ca ssandra isn’t going to be a Southerner for much longer. She’s going to marry Kaleb and be our queen.”

| wasn’t quite sure what their true intention was or why this physical exam was so important, but my body stiffened when Raven said the word “queen”.

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