I went to the nearby pavilion with Lucy and her son. I had intended to leave in a short while, but Lucy warmly served me tea and exquisite desserts.
Lucy and Firman had made these desserts. Although they weren’t very presentable, they tasted good.
“You must have heard about my history, right?” Lucy casually asked while pouring tea into my cup. I put down the plate of dessert I was holding and lightly said, “I’ve only heard a little bit about it, but I don’t know any details.”
Lucy smiled and nonchalantly said, “It’s actually good that you don’t know much. I’m not proud of it after all. When I was young, I was reckless and met a bad man. Now I have already let go of the past. All I want is to see my child grow up safe and sound.”
I stayed silent and listened to Lucy. Firman was munching on the cream cake. Cake crumbs were smeared around his mouth. I took a tissue to wipe them off. He glanced up and gave me a sweet smile.
Firman didn’t resemble Lucy at allhe looked more like his biological father, Kyle. His hair was also fair blonde and his irises were silvery-grey with a tinge of blue.
Fortunately, Lucy’s eyes were also light blue, so people hadn’t really notice the difference in their eye colors yet. Perhaps they would figure it out once he grew up.
“When I was living in my pack, I was eager to come to the imperial palace. But when I really came here, I couldn’t wait to leave this place. You see, people always covet what they don’t have,” Lucy said with a sigh.
I pretended to be ignorant of her past and simply echoed, “Just live in the moment.”
Lucy curiously asked, “Are you going to stay in the imperial palace for an extended time? Are you not going to return to the border?”
“No, I just have some business here. I’ll be going back to the border soon.” I gave a very concise statement and didn’t launch into a detailed explanation of the reason I was staying at the imperial palace. Lucy was very sharp. The more I spoke, the more likely I would let slip.
Lucy sensed that I didn’t want to continue this subject. She didn’t push me and changed the topic. “I have heard that you also have a child. Maybe your child can become friends with Firman in the future.” As she said this, she gently stroked Firman’s hair, and said in a helpless voice, “My poor baby is quite an introvert and doesn’t really have many friends.”
Firman swallowed the food he was chewing and interrupted in a soft voice, “Mom, I have a friend, Merle. He lives in the backyard of the palace.”
Lucy was torn between crying and laughing. She clarified, “Merle is a cat one of the servants has adopted. It often comes to my place to play with Firman.”
I felt sorry for the child, but even of my Arron and Firman became friends, it wouldn’t resolve this situation once and for all.
I sighed. “I won’t be at the palace for long. Firman still needs to open up and make some friends. There’re actually many nice children in the school who I’m sure will be happy to make friends with Firman.”
“I’m afraid that will take some time and effort,” Lucy replied worriedly.
I comforted her, saying, “Don’t stress too much about it. As long as your child doesn’t pick up bad habits, his personality will be easy to mold, and he will make friends. While I’m still a teacher at the school, I will give special attention to Firman and try to guide him to become more familiar with the other kids and hopefully make friends with them.”
Lucy smiled. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
Contrary to my previous belief, I preferred that Lucy get close to me on purpose. That way I could spot her motives instantly. Firman was probably her only weakness now. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have worked so hard to become acquainted with me.
I was about to leave when Lucy packed some tea bags for me. I didn’t want to refuse her kindness, so I just accepted them, wanting to get out of here now.
As soon as I stepped out of the pavilion, Lucy shouted from behind me, “Sylvia.”
For a moment, I froze.
Lucy’s POV
I fixed my eyes on Crystal as she paused for a brief second before taking a few more steps forward. She didn’t respond to the name I had just called.
She kept walking until she was about to exit the winding gallery, and then she turned to look at me. “Who were you calling just now?”
Crystal’s eyes flashed with surprise behind her mask, and her tone was curious. She almost fooled me.
I mustered a faint smile. “Oh, I called you the wrong name by accident. It’s just you suddenly reminded me of an old acquaintance.”
“An old friend of yours?” Crystal asked with mild interest.
“Not a friend.” My smile widened, and I stared straight into her eyes as I added, “An enemy.”
Crystal’s expression turned awkward and somewhat apologetic. “I see, I apologize. I shouldn’t have pressed you to dig up some bad memories.”
I shook my head. “I’m the one who should apologize. I didn’t mean to call you by the wrong name. It’s just that your figure is so similar to hers, and I uttered her name without thinking. I hope you don’t mind.”
Crystal casually waved a hand. “No big deal. Well, if there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave now.”
“Sure, bye.”
I watched her disappear into the distance, my smile still in place. As soon as she was out of sight, my face fell.
That little test of mine had just confirmed my suspicions. Crystal was indeed Sylvia, Rufus’ mate.
The way she had stiffened ever so slightly at that precise moment was what gave her away.
My hand tightened around the tea cup I was holding as my pent-up hatred swelled in my heart. I never expected Sylvia to still be alive. She was supposed to have been executed after committing such a heinous crime! Not only was she alive, but she had been living a good life, too. She had become an Alpha, and had acquired glory, wealth, and power.
I smashed the cup against the floor in a fit of rage.
She was the most despicable person I had ever known. And yet, Rufus loved her, and many people rallied to protect her. She had somehow managed to fake her death and cover her tracks.
Just as I was about to let my fury loose, I felt a pair of tiny hands come around my waist.
“What’s wrong, Mom?”
I jolted back to my senses to see Firman’s worried face in front of me.
It instantly calmed me down. I sat on my heels and reached out to stroke his hair. “Mom is fine, so don’t worry about it. Are you still hungry?”
Firman shook his head, and then shot me a quizzical look. “I have a question, Mom.”
“What is it?” I asked patiently.
“Why did you ask me to come?” my boy murmured through pursed lips. “I didn’t make those desserts at all. You ordered a maid to prepare them in advance.”
I ruffled Firman’s lustrous hair. His hair felt like the softest silk, and I ran my fingers through them every chance I got.
More Kickass Werewolf Reads
Dive into our collection of free werewolf romance novels—where fierce Alphas, daring heroines, and heart-stopping twists await. Every story burns with forbidden desire, loyalty, and destiny. Don’t wait—here’s a world where love bites hard and nothing is stronger than the call of the mate.
Leave a Reply