Chapter 63: Couldn’t Believe Herself
{Third Person}
Amara woke slowly. Her brows were already furrowed before her eyes even opened, her hand instinctively rising to her temple as a dull, pounding ache settled deep in her head.
She stayed still for a moment, then shifted and immediately regretted it.
"...ugh."
"My lady, you are awake."
Amara blinked, her vision clearing enough to find Sonia standing nearby, relief written plainly across her face.
Amara pushed herself up slightly, wincing. "How long... have I been asleep?"
Sonia hesitated for a second before telling her. "Almost twenty-four hours, my lady."
"...What?" The shock was instant. Amara lifted her head despite the pain, her eyes widening. "Twenty-four hours?"
"Yes, my lady," Sonia said gently. "The sobering soup you were given... it was too strong. The ingredients were heavy for your body."
Amara stared at her, completely stunned. Then her brows furrowed again as she tried to piece things together.
"How did I even get back?" she asked. "I don’t remember..."
Sonia nodded. "It was the Princess who brought you back."
A small breath of relief left Amara. "At least..." she muttered under her breath. Then, almost immediately, her expression shifted.
"...Did I cause any trouble?"
Sonia’s smile faltered slightly, and that was enough for Amara to be suspicious. She narrowed her eyes. "Sonia?"
Sonia’s lips parted, but just as she was about to speak, the door opened, and Mrs. Woods stepped in. The moment she saw Amara sitting up, her face lit up with relief.
"Lady Amara, you’re awake."
Amara glanced at her, still holding her head. "Barely."
Mrs. Woods moved closer, her expression softening. "Is your head hurting?"
"It feels like someone is knocking from the inside," Amara muttered.
Mrs. Woods couldn’t help the small smile that slipped through. "You must be hungry."
Right on cue, Amara’s stomach growled loudly. Both Mrs. Woods and Sonia smiled.
Amara closed her eyes briefly in defeat. "Don’t even say anything..."
Mrs. Woods chuckled lightly before turning to Sonia. "Go and set the table. Have dinner served immediately."
"Yes." Sonia left quickly.
Then, Mrs. Woods turned back to Amara. "You will need to freshen up first."
Amara groaned softly. "Do I have to?"
Mrs. Woods shot her a look. She let out a helpless sigh. "...Fine."
Not long after, warm water filled the bath.
Steam curled softly into the air, easing some of the tension in Amara’s body as she soaked, her head still aching but less sharply now.
By the time she stepped out, dressed and a little steadier on her feet, the hunger had taken over completely.
The moment she entered the dining area, her eyes fell on the generous spread of a sumptuous meal laid out on the table.
Her shoulders dropped in relief. "...Finally."
She didn’t wait. She sat and immediately began eating, barely giving herself time to breathe between bites.
It felt as if she didn’t eat quickly, the food was going to disappear. Well, that was until she choked.
Mrs. Woods reacted instantly, pouring water and handing it to her. "Slow down, my lady."
Amara grabbed the glass, coughing lightly as she drank.
"Eat properly," Mrs. Woods added gently. "No one is taking it away from you."
Amara waved a hand weakly. "My brain is not functioning right now. My body is far too weak, and I feel faint."
Still, she slowed down eventually. Only after she had eaten her fill did her mind begin to settle. And with that, she finally noticed the silence. The house felt too quiet.
Amara frowned slightly, wondering what was missing until she realized it was her pet. Then, she looked up.
"Where is Ginger?"
Mrs. Woods paused briefly before answering, "The cat followed His Highness back to his side."
Amara nodded absentmindedly. Suddenly, she stopped and looked back at Mrs. Woods. "Wait a minute. Did he come here?" Her brows knitted together.
Mrs. Woods nodded.
Amara stared at her as suspicion slowly crept in. "Why?" She leaned forward slightly, her eyes narrowing despite the lingering headache. "What happened yesterday?"
Her voice dropped, more serious now. "And why did His Highness come over to my side?"
Mrs. Woods released a deep sigh "My lady, you were..."
Amara listened. At first, she thought it wouldn’t be anything serious—just a little embarrassment, maybe a few careless words. But as Mrs Woods spoke, calmly and thoroughly recounting the events of the previous night, the colour slowly drained from her face.
"...You kept talking, my lady," Mrs. Woods said gently. "Even after we tried to stop you."
Amara stared blankly at her. "Talking?" she repeated, almost faintly, refusing to accept what she was told. "I kept talking?"
"Yes."
"What... what did I say?"
Mrs. Woods hesitated for a brief moment, choosing her words carefully. "You complained about His Highness for a long time."
Amara’s heart dropped.
"And because of that," Mrs. Woods continued, "His Highness was disturbed and came over himself."
Amara blinked once, then again. "I was screaming?"
Mrs. Woods tilted her head slightly before answering, "Not exactly screaming. But... our hearing is stronger. What may seem like a normal voice to you sounded loud enough to disturb the entire residence."
Amara’s fingers slowly curled into her dress. Inside, she was already collapsing.
’I’m finished.’ Her mind raced. ’I talked badly about him... in his own residence... in the middle of the night...’
She drew in a slow breath, her shoulders subtly tightening. "How am I supposed to face him now..." she muttered under her breath.
Real fear crept in quietly. Before she could spiral further, Mrs. Woods spoke again, completely redirecting the topic.
"Oh, my lady, the Princess sent your things over. The shopping bags from yesterday."
Amara blinked, momentarily pulled out of her thoughts. "Oh..."
Then Mrs. Woods added, almost as an afterthought, "It seems the Princess may not visit for a while. His Highness... is also displeased with her."
Amara exhaled softly. ’So Elowen is avoiding him? This makes sense.’
"...Smart choice," she murmured.
Then, after a moment, she lifted her head. "Can you contact the Princess for me?"
Mrs. Woods nodded. "Of course."
A few minutes later, Amara stood in the living room as Mrs. Woods connected her to the Princess before handing the telephone to her.
"Hello?" Elowen’s voice came through, light and familiar.
Amara straightened slightly. "It’s me. Amara."
There was an immediate shift on the other end. "Amara!" Elowen’s tone brightened instantly. "You are awake!"
Amara couldn’t help the small smile that tugged at her lips. "Yes."
"I was worried," Elowen said. "You almost scared me to death yesterday."
"I’m fine now," Amara replied. "I just wanted to thank you for sending my things over."
"Oh, that?" Elowen chuckled softly. "It’s nothing." Then her tone softened a little, more sheepish. "And sorry I didn’t come myself. I think it’s better I stay away until my brother’s anger cools down."
Amara almost smiled again. "I understand."
"Are you really okay?" Elowen asked again after a moment.
"Yes," Amara answered simply.
"Okay," Elowen said. "Rest well."
"You too."
The line disconnected, and Amara slowly lowered the receiver, her gaze lingering on the telephone. Then she turned to Mrs. Woods.
"So I really can’t contact my friends with this?"
Mrs. Woods shook her head gently. "This line only works within the palace network, my lady."
Amara nodded quietly. Her gaze dropped slightly as she briefly worried if there was a way she could ever reach her friends.
Lifting her head, another thought surfaced, forcing her brows to knit faintly.
Her cat was still with Alexander, and somehow, that felt like a bigger problem than everything else.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the residence, Jasper had just informed Alexander that Amara had woken up.
"Mm." Alexander hummed, showing no interest, as if Amara’s matters no longer concerned him.
He simply turned a page in the document before him. It was only after a moment that he spoke. "Inform her of the family breakfast tomorrow morning at His Majesty’s residence."
"Yes, Your Highness." Jasper bowed and turned to leave.
