?Chapter 1004:


    “Fire! Fire!” I called out, my voice slicing through the prison’s quiet.


    Alden bolted upright, frantically searching the cell. “Where’s the fire? Where?”


    His panicked expression sent me into a fit ofughter.


    Recognition dawned in his eyes as he realized my prank. His startled expression melted into a mix of exasperation and fondness.


    “Why did youe over sote and scare me like that?”


    I met his gaze with feigned innocence. “What? Can’t Ie to see you?”


    Alden sat back on the bed, his lips curving into a mischievous grin. “It’s sote,” he teased, eyes …


    Twinkling with suggestion, Alden teased, “Do you really want toe and see me, or are you missing my body and wanting to make love with me again…”


    Heat rushed to my cheeks in an instant. “Alden, if you keep talking nonsense, I’m leaving!” I snapped, shooting him a mortified re.


    “Don’t!” Hands flying up in surrender, Alden’s yful demeanor vanished. “I’m sorry, I won’t say it again! Please don’t leave.”


    Though not truly angry, I maintained my stern expression as I pushed open the cell door. I crossed the small space without a word and settled beside him on the bed, my gaze fixed on the cold stone floor.


    Silence stretched between us like a taut thread. Eventually, Alden sensed the weight of my thoughts.


    With gentle concern, he nudged my arm with his elbow. “You came over in the middle of the night and haven’t said anything. What’s going on?” His raised eyebrow punctuated the question.


    I turned to face him, meeting his inquiring gaze. After gathering my scattered thoughts, I finally voiced the question that had driven me here. “Alden, have you ever thought about what you’ll do after avenging the white werewolf n?”


    “Of course, I’ll search for the Saint!” The answer came without hesitation, his eyes lighting with fierce determination. “I heard the Saint was pregnant when she disappeared, and that child is the true heir of the royal family. My existence is to assist the Saint and her descendants, so I must find the Saint.”


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    Alden’s passionate deration stirred something within me. I couldn’t help but smile, though the expression carried an undercurrent of sadness that I couldn’t quite hide.


    Drawing a slow breath, I gathered my courage. “Alden, let me tell you a story.”


    Curiosity immediately transformed his features, his eyes brightening with interest as he leaned forward. “Yes, yes, tell me,” he urged.


    I paused, carefully arranging the narrative in my mind before beginning in a measured voice. “Once upon a time, there was a viin who, for power, ruthlessly killed the king and took his ce. Only a young princess from the royal family survived.”


    My fingers traced invisible patterns on the bed as I continued, “By a twist of fate, this princess entered the pce and fell in love with the three sons of this usurper. Unfortunately, there was a deep-seated enmity between them. However, because of this love, the three princes resolutely chose to stand by the princess, betraying their father…” The story flowed from my lips—my own experiences thinly veiled as fiction.


    When I finished, silence reimed the cell.


    After a long while, he raised his head, eyes gleaming with newfound rity as he studied my face. “Since all three princes love the princess and are willing to give everything for her, why not let them be the princess’s lovers? That way, they could be together.”


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