Chapter 84: Her plan

Night had fallen over Basileia, but Ethan had no intention of returning to his mansion. Instead, he sat on the roof of the palace with a bottle of wine beside him, staring at the dark sky as he took one sip after another.

His mind was a complete mess, and for once, he had no idea what to do.

Caius was lying weak on his bed, barely able to control his condition, and the thought of losing his friend was slowly driving Ethan crazy. They couldn’t force Hazel to give him her blood because she had to offer it willingly, yet Caius wasn’t even on good terms with his own mate.

The situation was ridiculous.

Caius needed Hazel, Hazel wanted to help him, and somehow, the two of them were making everything more difficult than it needed to be.

Ethan lowered the bottle and rubbed his face tiredly. He couldn’t understand why Caius was so afraid to ask Hazel for help when his life depended on it, but he knew the answer was probably connected to the way Caius had treated her. The king believed Hazel hated him, and instead of finding out the truth, he had chosen to suffer in silence.

He should at least try talking to her.

Ethan sighed and took another sip of wine, unaware that someone had been watching him from behind.

Janet had been standing there for several minutes, watching his back with a troubled expression. She wanted to walk over to him, sit beside him, and wrap her arms around him, but she wasn’t sure how he would react. Seeing Ethan like this was difficult because he was usually the kind of man who kept his feelings to himself and never allowed anyone to see him struggling.

Tonight, however, even his silence seemed heavier than usual.

Janet sighed for the third time, hoping he wouldn’t notice her, but Ethan suddenly turned his head and looked over his shoulder.

"You’re distracting me."

Janet flinched. "Oh... ahhh." She stepped out of her hiding place, trying to look as if she hadn’t been standing there watching him for so long.

Ethan raised an eyebrow, making her clear her throat before she continued. "Anyway, you don’t have to worry too much about Caius. Remember how much he hates the grim reaper? He won’t allow that fellow to take him anywhere, so there’s really nothing to worry about."

For a moment, Ethan simply stared at her before a laugh escaped his lips.

Janet immediately smiled in relief, and soon both of them were laughing at the ridiculous thought of Caius arguing with the grim reaper if death ever came to collect him.

"That’s right," Ethan said, shaking his head as he wiped a hand across his face. "Caius has had a serious problem with the grim reaper ever since he took his parents away. I wouldn’t be surprised if he threatened to destroy the entire underworld before allowing that fellow to touch him."

Janet laughed harder, feeling some of the tension leave her chest as she watched Ethan relax for the first time that night.

When he finally turned toward her, his expression softened slightly.

"Thank you."

Janet, who had just sat beside him, paused before looking at him in surprise.

...

Inside her chamber, Hazel stood in front of Rita while the witch examined her with a thoughtful expression.

"Are you sure you’re ready to wash away the potion completely?" Rita asked, looking at the small bottle in her hand. "Your scent-covering potion would wear off by tomorrow anyway, so you could simply wait until then."

Hazel rolled her eyes impatiently.

"I can’t wait until tomorrow. I want to go to Caius’s chamber tonight."

Rita studied her for a moment before handing her another small bottle.

"Fine, but you need to follow my instructions carefully. Pour this into your bathtub and let it mix with the water before you get in. It will remove the remaining effects of the potion, making it easier for your maids to help you prepare afterward, although I heard you banished them from your chamber."

Hazel took the bottle and smiled sweetly.

"Of course I did. I have a score to settle with them in the future, and I don’t let things slide simply because someone has decided to apologize."

Rita blinked at her response, wondering whether Hazel planned to hold grudges against everyone in the palace.

"Will you ever forgive Azula?"

Hazel rolled her eyes and turned toward the bathroom. "I don’t care about Azula."

Rita watched her leave with a small smile, knowing perfectly well that Hazel cared much more than she wanted to admit. Still, she decided not to question her further because Hazel already seemed determined to carry out whatever plan she had in mind.

After preparing her bath, Hazel poured the contents of the bottle into the water and watched as it dissolved. She waited until everything was ready before stepping into the bathtub, allowing the warm water to wash away the potion that had hidden her natural scent for days.

When she finally finished, she stood in front of the mirror and examined her reflection nervously.

She had prepared herself for the worst, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t afraid of what might happen when she stood in front of Caius again. She put on a thin, transparent robe without anything underneath, then covered herself with a thick coat so she wouldn’t feel too exposed while walking through the palace.

After adjusting the coat around her body, she took a deep breath and stared at herself in the mirror. "Good luck, Hazel."

She gave herself one last encouraging nod before leaving her chamber.

The journey to Caius’s room felt longer than usual because she could feel the guards and maids staring at her as she passed. Her natural scent was strong, sweet, and almost impossible to ignore, and she knew they could all sense the change even if none of them dared to ask her about it.

Hazel kept walking, trying not to let their attention make her nervous. She had already made up her mind, and she wasn’t going to turn back simply because a few people were looking at her.

When she finally reached the two huge golden doors leading to Caius’s chamber, she stopped and released a slow breath.