Chapter 109 - - 109 - Unexpected Reunion at Court

Chapter 109: Chapter - 109 - Unexpected Reunion at Court

Aelene sat still in the warm bath, allowing the fragrant water to soothe her tired muscles while her maidservants tended to her. Gentle hands washed her smooth skin with scented oils, moving with practiced care. After rinsing away the milk-infused water, they helped her dry off and dressed her in a sweeping gown of soft fabric that accentuated her quiet elegance.

As a maid swept a brush through her long hair, another servant stepped forward, bowing her head slightly.

"Lady Aelene, tomorrow you have a dinner scheduled with Prince Rumil," the servant said, her tone respectful. "Should we begin preparing everything? What kind of dress would you like to wear, which perfume should we set out, and what style of hair would you prefer?"

Aelene offered a small, reassuring smile and shook her head gently. "Don’t worry, the dinner is only tomorrow. Instead of worrying over my dress, prepare a few thoughtful gifts for Prince Rumil. He is going through so many hardships nowadays."

Her mind briefly drifted to her betrothed. Their engagement carried political weight, but she genuinely cared for Rumil and knew the heavy burdens resting on his shoulders.

Once her attire was finalized, Aelene prepared to leave for the healing sanctuary. It was her duty, but more than that, saving lives was her true passion. Being the fiancee of a prince carried vast social prestige, yet nothing brought her greater fulfillment than easing the suffering of others.

Still, as she stepped toward her private carriage, a dark cloud hovered over her thoughts. For the past few days, a persistent worry had refused to leave her mind.

No matter what I do, Prince Andrin isn’t waking up, Aelene thought, leaning her forehead against the cool glass of the carriage window as the horses set off. What should I do next?

The carriage glided through the bustling streets of the capital before drawing to a halt in front of the sanctuary. Without wasting a moment, Aelene made her way inside. Every morning, her very first stop was to check on Prince Andrin. Because of the lingering political sensitivities surrounding his condition, he had been placed in a room within the public ward, though the surrounding beds were kept entirely empty. In effect, he had the entire room to himself.

Let’s see if there is any improvement in his astral pool today, Aelene mused as she walked down the quiet, polished hallway.

She paused outside his room, considering the unusual nature of his affliction. Usually, an astral pool slowly heals itself once the basic needs of a realm master’s body are fulfilled. But in Prince Andrin’s case, the standard recovery process isn’t working at all.

A quiet sigh escaped her lips. I would love it if I could take him to my own estate and take care of him personally. But if word gets out and Prince Rumil finds out I am nursing another man in my home, it will be a complete disaster.

Reaching for the heavy wooden door, Aelene pulled it open.

Her breath hitched. She froze in the doorway, absolute shock washing over her.

Prince Andrin was sitting up on the edge of his bed. Unassisted, he had managed to push himself upright, his head bowed as if lost in deep, solitary thought.

"Andrin! Are you okay?" Aelene cried out, her lingering anxiety evaporating in an instant.

She rushed forward, throwing her arms around his shoulders in a sudden, emotional hug. "I’m so glad you have woken up! I was trying so hard to heal you, but nothing was working..."

Andrin didn’t hug her back. He remained entirely still, his eyes staring blankly into the empty space in front of him, fixed on nothingness. After several quiet seconds, he slowly turned his head to look at her, his expression vacant and lost.

"Aelene?" Andrin asked, his voice rough from disuse. "What are you doing here? What am I doing here... where am I?"

Aelene released him slightly, searching his cloudy eyes. It seems like he is confused, she thought, keeping her voice soft and soothing. Must be an aftershock from waking up after being unconscious for so long.

"Don’t worry," Aelene reassured him, gently patting his hand. "We will figure everything out. For now, you just need to rest. I’ll come back again in a few hours, and then we will talk."

On the other side of the healing sanctuary, Besriel moved tirelessly from bed to bed.

She was carrying trays of medicine, changing bandages, and tending to dozens of frightened patients. Ever since the being known as the Man-Eater had started attacking people in the region, fear had settled deep into the population like a heavy mist. Paranoia ran rampant. Every night, whether someone was a common mortal or a powerful realm master, they lived in constant dread that whoever walked beside them in the dark might secretly be a monster.

When trust among citizens completely collapsed, suspicion flared into violence. Paranoid people struck out at the slightest provocation, resulting in countless innocent lives being harmed. Mortals and realm masters alike suffered not just from the monster, but from their own rampant fear.

Consequently, the influx of wounded people at the sanctuary had increased drastically, giving Besriel very little time to rest.

Yet, she didn’t complain. She was an exceptionally hard worker, driven by a simple, profound goal: she wanted to give her mother a good life. Her mother had endured decades of painful poverty, and Besriel was determined to ensure her remaining years were filled with comfort. Naturally, Besriel had her own youthful desires and dreams, but in her heart, taking care of her mother always came first.

While she was carefully treating the fresh wounds of an injured man, another healing assistant walked up to her, breathing slightly heavily.

"Besriel, there is someone who wants to meet you," the assistant whispered, a teasing smirk tugging at her lips. "He is waiting outside for you."

Besriel paused, holding a strip of linen. "Who wants to meet me?"

Deep down, however, a sudden warmth blossomed in her chest. She already had a strong guess as to who it was.

"You know," the assistant leaned in closer, whispering in a dramatic tone, "a man with handsome blonde hair? The one you took care of? The one who saved your life, so you gave him a room in your house? The one whose life was in danger, so you tended to him all night while he was unconscious... and then you saw him without any clothes when he was bath—"

Besriel instantly slammed her hand over the assistant’s mouth, her face flushing crimson.

"I—I understand!" Besriel stammered softly, her ears twitching in embarrassment. "You don’t have to go into so much detail!"

Leaving the laughing assistant behind, Besriel didn’t waste another second. She smoothed down her apron and hurried outside into the sanctuary’s courtyard.

Standing beneath the afternoon light was a man with brilliant blonde hair. He was wearing clothes that looked moderately expensive—refined enough to suggest wealth, but subtle enough not to draw unwanted eyes.

"Axel..." Besriel breathed.

A sudden surge of joy washed over her, and she ran across the courtyard, throwing her arms around his neck in a tight embrace.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, pulling back slightly to look at him with bright, curious eyes.

Lucien smiled down at her, raising a hand to lightly stroke her pointed ear. "Can’t I come see my favorite elf?"

Besriel blushed, her ear twitching beneath his gentle touch. "You really love my ears, don’t you?"

"Who knows?" Lucien said, a playful smirk spreading across his handsome face.

Besriel composed herself, crossing her arms as she gave him a mock-suspicious glare. "So, tell me why you’re really here. I know you never come all the way to the sanctuary without a reason."

Over the past few days, ever since Lucien had moved into her modest home under the false name of Axel, the two of them had grown significantly closer. They teased each other constantly, shared casual banter, and Lucien found her simple, earnest nature deeply endearing.

Lucien might not readily admit it to himself, but deep inside, a genuine affection had taken root for her. In a world full of scheming, politics, and deadly mind games, Besriel was refreshingly normal. His warmth toward her felt natural and unforced. It was a simple truth of life: when you share a living space with someone and pass quiet days together, affection is bound to grow.

At first, Besriel’s mother had been strongly opposed to the idea of allowing a human stranger to stay under their roof. But after learning that Lucien had saved her daughter’s life—and after tasting his incredible cooking—the woman had quickly succumbed to his charm as well.

Lucien folded his arms, his tone casual. "Today, an influential person invited me to dinner. Naturally, there will be his fiancee present as well. If I went all by myself, it would be a bit awkward. So, I wanted to invite my favorite elf to come with me."

Besriel blinked, caught off guard. "Dinner? And it’s today? With you? Why didn’t you tell me earlier! I would have prepared myself!"

Lucien watched her reaction with an amused glint in his eyes. He noticed that even though he had mentioned an "influential person," Besriel hadn’t even bothered to ask who it was. She didn’t care about high society or powerful figures; she was simply thrilled at the prospect of going to dinner with him.

"Don’t worry," Lucien said smoothly. "I’ve already prepared everything for you."

"What?" Besriel asked, her jaw dropping slightly in shock.

Without another word, Lucien reached into the air. The space before him cracked slightly as he reached into his spatial storage dimension, pulling out several neatly wrapped, high-grade boxes.

Curious and hesitant, Besriel took the smallest box and opened it. Inside lay a pair of stunning earrings, featuring deep red gemstones that caught the light beautifully. She opened the larger box to find a breathtaking wine-red dress crafted from exquisite fabric. Alongside it was a delicate hairband with a minimalist, eccentric design—the exact style that elves cherished, as it naturally enhanced their features without looking overly flashy.

As Besriel stared at the gifts, she realized immediately that these were far from cheap. They were incredibly expensive treasures.

"Axel..." she whispered, looking up at him with wide, emotional eyes. "How much did you spend on these things? Isn’t this... way too expensive?"

Lucien gave a light shrug. "It wasn’t expensive for me. Besides, I wanted to say thank you for taking me in when I had nowhere to go."

Overwhelmed by his generosity, Besriel stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him tightly. A few tears spilled from the corners of her eyes, but they were tears of pure happiness.

"I’ll definitely wear it," she murmured against his chest.

By the time evening arrived, the grand estate of Prince Rumil was bustling with activity.

Following strict orders from the prince himself, the staff worked frantically to prepare the most exquisite meal possible for their upcoming guests, ensuring that not a single mistake was made.

Rumil was in high spirits. After so many stressful days, he was finally going to spend an evening with Aelene, the absolute love of his life.

Driven by his excitement, he personally inspected the dining setup. Although there were only going to be two guests, he personally ensured that every arrangement was flawless for his close friend and his future wife. Dressed in his finest formal suit, looking noble and sharp, he waited with eager anticipation.

A servant soon approached and announced that Lady Aelene had arrived.

Delighted, Rumil immediately walked to the entrance and opened the door for her himself.

There she stood, radiating beauty in her elegant dress. The subtle slit of her gown offered a faint glimpse of her long, flawless legs as she stepped inside. Without hesitation, Aelene leaned in and warmly hugged Prince Rumil before moving to take her seat beside him at the grand table.

Before much time could pass, a guard hastily entered the room to report another arrival. The soldier bowed deeply, informing the prince that a blonde-haired man was waiting outside for permission to enter.

Rumil granted the request immediately, and moments later, Lucien walked through the heavy doors.

As Lucien stepped into the dining hall, he took in the surrounding grandeur. Everything in the estate was lavish beyond measure; even the intricate carpets beneath his boots cost a fortune.

So this is how he lives? Lucien thought to himself, a dry amusement stirring within him. He truly is a prince. Quite a contrast to how things were back then.

However, the moment Lucien walked in, the atmosphere in the room shifted instantly.

Aelene froze in her seat, her eyes widening in sheer disbelief. She had known Prince Rumil was expecting a friend, but even in her wild dreams, she had never imagined that this friend would be Axel—or that he would walk into the grand hall holding hands with Besriel.

"What are you doing here?" Aelene blurted out, her voice filled with complete surprise.