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Chapter 21 The Curse
Chapter 21 The Curse
Ethan's POV:
Rufus' words pierced my heart like sharp daggers. It was my fault he had become like this.
Many years ago, there was a witch who I had an entanglement with, and she had fallen deeply in love with me. But I refused to promise her anything. This made her so angry that she cursed me and Rufus, who at the time was only seven years old. She cursed his bloodline, saying that he would never bear any children and that every full moon, he would transform into a vicious monster.
It was my debt that I owed, but my son was paying the price. I would always be ridden with guilt whenever I was reminded of it. Property © 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.
At the same time, one of my mistresses was already pregnant with my child, but fortunately the witch did not know of it.
I had to come up with a plan. I sent out some of my men to find a way that my son's curse would be removed. But just in case, I had brought in my newborn illegitimate son and named him Richard, announcing that he was the queen's second son. After all, I was going to need an heir to the throne no matter what was going to happen. This illegitimate son of mine still had my blood anyway. If the curse could not be removed and Rufus wouldn't be able to have children, the Duncan family bloodline would end with him.
So, as a king, I had to make a tough decision and be ready with a backup plan. If Rufus' curse still had not been broken by the time I died, I would have no choice but to bequeath the throne to my second son.
It was only Rufus and I who knew about his curse. Even the queen did not know. Fortunately, she was sensible enough to accept my illegitimate son as her own eventually, although we had quarreled about it many times. Deep down, I also felt guilty to my queen.
As my first child, of course I looked forward to Rufus taking on the world on his own. I loved and raised Rufus just as much as the queen. He had been excellent since childhood. I was impressed by his talents and courage even at a young age. If he were to end up on the throne, I had no doubt he could become an even better lycan king than I.
But now, I was already getting too old. My health worsens every waking day. Yet until now, we had no clue as to how to undo Rufus' curse. I had to consider the future of the royal family and thought carefully about who the heir of the throne was going to be.
I just didn't expect Rufus to find out that I had been training my second son in secret as well.
"I'm sorry," I sighed. I was afraid this would make Rufus distance himself from me.
"Maybe Sylvia isn't the daughter of a traitor. I'm going to find out the truth," Rufus said softly, purposefully changing the subject.
I had known Rufus since he was born. Never had he ever come to the defense of a she-wolf like this. A part of me was relieved, but I was also a little sad.
I decided to let him be. As long as he really liked the girl, I guessed it was okay. Like he said, what was the meaning of his life if he could not even choose his own mate? Besides, I did owe him a lot.
"Fine, I can let the she-wolf stay with you. Although I didn't have time to stop the news about the traitor from spreading, I was able to suppress the fact that she is your mate." I had taken the initiative to compromise. Rufus was still my son and I had to protect him. With the she-wolf's lowly status, I supposed she could stay with him as his mistress.
"I'll deal with the traitor news myself." Rufus seemed so determined to find the mastermind behind this.
This boy was always sharp minded. He was decisive and tough. I couldn't help but feel proud of him, but regretful at the same time.
"That's up to you. I just hope you will also consider the dignity of the royal family. Do not expose her identity or get too close to her. At least not until you figure out the truth," I reminded him.
He looked at me for a while before finally nodding.