Chapter 61: She is Not A Caldwell
{Third Person}
Alexander didn’t waste a second. At Mrs. Woods’ words, he stood and followed her back into the bedroom in quick, controlled footsteps.
Behind him, Jasper instinctively bent down and scooped Ginger into his arms, holding her back as he stayed in the living area to stop her from chasing after him.
Inside the room, the air felt tense. Mrs. Woods moved to the bedside immediately and rolled up Amara’s sleeve with trembling hands.
"Your Highness... look."
Alexander’s gaze dropped, and for the first time in ages, he became still. Amara’s veins were visible, not faintly, but boldly.
Bright blue, running beneath her skin in clear, defined lines, as though someone had traced every vein and artery with ink. The colour stood out unnaturally against her pale skin, winding along her wrist and up her arm in a pattern that should not exist.
Mrs. Woods, still shaken, quickly rolled up the sleeve of Amara’s other arm. It was the same.
Then, she stepped aside, and Alexander stepped forward.
Without hesitation, he reached out and gently parted the collar of Amara’s nightwear, exposing the base of her neck.
The same blue lines were there, faintly stretching across her skin, trailing down toward her chest, branching in delicate but unnatural patterns.
His frown deepened. "Is it on her back as well?" he asked.
"Yes, Your Highness," Mrs. Woods answered quickly. "It appeared all at once."
Alexander’s gaze remained fixed on her as he asked, "How did this happen?"
Mrs. Woods swallowed. "This servant was following your instruction... to clean her with cold water when it started appearing shortly after."
Alexander didn’t respond immediately. He observed the steady rise and fall of Amara’s chest. Then he moved, gently pressing the back of his hand against her forehead and immediately felt the coldness.
He picked up her wrist, his fingers settling at her pulse. A few moments passed. Finally, he released a quiet breath and let her hand fall back onto the bed.
Straightening, he spoke, his tone measured. "It doesn’t appear to be poison."
Mrs. Woods looked at him in shock. "Your Highness... I have never seen anything like this in my life."
Alexander’s eyes narrowed slightly as he looked down at Amara again. "Her body is naturally cold," he said. "This is likely an extreme reaction."
Then, without delay, he passed an instruction, "Boil water, and use it to clean her again."
"Yes, Your Highness."
Turning, Alexander walked out of the room and returned to the living area, his expression unreadable as he took his seat.
But his mind was far from still. Something about this didn’t sit right with him.
Jasper noticed, but said nothing.
Even when Ginger meowed softly in his arms, attempting to wriggle free, Jasper held onto her, not daring to let her wander toward Alexander in that moment.
—
Inside the bedroom, Mrs. Woods moved quickly. Water was boiled, and a fresh towel was prepared.
Carefully, she began again—this time using warmth to gently wipe Amara’s arms, her neck, her shoulders.
Ten minutes passed before Mrs. Woods returned to the living room, but this time, she wasn’t panicked.
"Your Highness," she said quickly, her voice filled with relief. "It worked."
Alexander didn’t rely on her words alone. So, he stood immediately and followed her back into the room to check for himself.
Amara’s arms were clear. The blue lines had faded, leaving only faint traces that were already disappearing. Her neck and chest showed the same.
Within moments, there was almost no sign that anything had ever been wrong.
Alexander’s gaze lingered on her as he confirmed that, truly, her body reacted to cold... in a way that defied normal explanation.
He straightened slowly. There was no outward reaction, but something in his eyes had shifted. ’There is more to this woman. She can’t be a Caldwell.’
The thought settled quietly in his mind. Then his expression hardened again, and he turned to Mrs. Woods.
"What you saw today must not leave this room," he said, his voice low but firm.
Mrs. Woods immediately dropped to her knees, her forehead nearly touching the floor. "This servant understands. I will not speak of it."
"If it does," Alexander continued, his tone sharpening just slightly, "I will hold you responsible."
"Yes, Your Highness."
He gave a final glance at Amara, who was still peacefully asleep as if nothing had happened and added, "There is no need to send for a physician."
Then he turned and walked out. And just like that, the room returned to silence, carrying with it a secret that was never meant to be known.
---
That same afternoon, the palace carried on quietly, but not everyone was at ease.
At the Princess’s residence, Elowen paced around her room, hands on her waist, her brows slightly furrowed in rare frustration.
"I’m not going there." She said it out loud, as if to convince herself.
The memory of Alexander’s face from the previous night—cold, dark, and absolutely unforgiving—flashed through her mind, and she immediately shook her head.
"No. Absolutely not."
But then, her gaze shifted to the neatly arranged shopping bags sitting by the door. Her expression fell.
"...I forgot to give her these."
For a brief moment, Elowen considered going herself, then she imagined Alexander standing there again with an ice-cold expression and her shoulders dropped.
"Not worth it." She shook her head. With a quick clap of her hands, she called for her attendants.
"Take these to the Alpha Prince’s residence," she instructed, pointing at the bags. "Deliver them to Lady Amara."
Her servant bowed. "Yes, Princess."
"And don’t linger. Drop them and leave," Elowen added quickly.
The servant nodded again, more briskly this time. Within minutes, the carriage carrying Amara’s belongings had already set off.
Elowen, meanwhile, let out a breath of relief as soon as they were gone. "Crisis avoided."
---
At the Alpha Prince’s residence, the carriage arrived quietly.
The servants delivered the items without delay, handing them over respectfully before taking their leave just as quickly as instructed.
But news travelled fast. It didn’t take long before Jasper stepped into the living area where Alexander sat.
"Your Highness," he said, "the Princess has sent over items for Lady Amara."
There was a very brief pause before Alexander’s expression darkened slightly. The memory of the previous night resurfaced just as quickly as Elowen had tried to forget it.
His fingers tapped once against the arm of his chair, then stopped. For a moment, it seemed like he might say or do something.
But instead, he leaned back slightly and closed his eyes for a second. When he opened them again, the anger was still there, but just buried.
"...Leave it," he said calmly.
Jasper nodded and wisely said nothing more.
