"Is pretending to be sick so that you can skip your classes worth skipping breakfast?" Harold asked, surprising her.
"Beth! That bitch! She came to you, didn't she?" Alicia hissed in annoyance, standing up abruptly from the bed.
The sides of Harold's lips twitched in amusement, but he made sure to hide it from her. How she could switch from sick and dying to this in one moment was something he needed to study.
"You haven't answered my question," Harold reminded her with his hands behind him. When Beth mentioned to him that his bride was faking her illness, he partially believed her, but he kept his doubts because he knew how much she loved food. He was surprised to see that she had actually given up food just so she wouldn't have to attend the classes. Did she hate the classes that much?
"Those classes are stupid, and Beth is even more annoying! I can't stand her!" Alicia said, irritably.
"You need those classes if you're going to survive in this palace," Harold explained patiently.
"Why does it have to be Beth? Can't someone else be put in charge?" Alicia asked, even though she had no intention of taking the stupid classes regardless of who the teacher was.
He pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed.
"You can't escape from your classes."
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
Harold slapped her mouth gently with his hand and chided her, "Don't swear."
"What the hell are you doing touching my mouth?" She tried to slap his hand away, but his hand was already back beside him.
Harold just watched her for a moment without saying a word, and then he sighed again. "I don't know what I did to deserve a bride like you," he muttered under his breath.
Alicia was tempted to give a sharp retort, but she refrained from doing so. She was the one who had been caught pretending to be sick after deceiving the entire royal family. Who knew what would befall her if she annoyed him and he was tempted to expose her?
Her eyes widened in surprise when he pulled something from behind him and threw it at her. It was wrapped in paper, so she didn't know what it was when she caught it.
She smelled the aroma before she finished unwrapping it and saw the pieces of meat and other small snacks. He had brought her food, knowing that she was pretending to be ill?
She glanced at Harold, who looked at her with slight indifference and said, "I saw it on the floor."
She didn't buy it, but she smiled brightly and devoured one of the snacks before he finished blinking. She ate another and was about to eat the third one when he suddenly snatched it from her.
"WHAT THE—"
"The queen is almost here," he said, alerting her.
She didn't know how he knew that since they were both in here together, and she didn't bother to ask, especially when he went behind her dressing curtain. She jumped on the bed, covering the quilt and swearing at both Harold and the Queen. Why hadn't he given it to her earlier? And where was the so-called quee—
A knock came on the door, interrupting her, before it was pushed open and the Queen entered with an older maid behind her.
Harold could mask his scent from everyone, so he knew the Queen wouldn't suspect him.
"You don't have to get up. How are you faring?" The Queen asked Alicia, who groaned as if she was carrying all the pain in the world before she sat up, looking sick.
"I... I feel like dying." She said in a very faint voice. "It makes me feel heartbroken that I missed those eye-opening classes. I... I was always looking forward to them." She sobbed.
"Oh dear, you don't have to cry," the queen said, handing her a handkerchief. "The classes span for 14 days. Whenever you are fine, you can always make up for the 13 days left," she said with a kind smile, but Alicia had stopped sobbing as she asked, "Eh?"
Harold's wolf burst into laughter while Harold tried to stop his smile, but it was impossible, especially when he saw her facial expression and how she was trying not to break her character.
"I heard from Susan that Beth gave you a difficult time. I will punish her," The queen assured her, but Alicia was still finding it hard to accept that news.
"I also heard you could not eat."
Since it seemed like only the queen was talking to herself at this point, Alicia forced herself to get back into character and began to sob.
"I... I can't eat anything... I don't have an appetite and everything makes me want to throw up," she said in a tone that would have even the coldest heart pity her.
If she could see Harold's wolf, she would see how slack-jawed he was. Wasn't she the same person devouring snacks just now?
"I will ask your maid and have them make you something you like. You should rest for now."
"Thank you, my queen,"
As soon as the queen left, Alicia hurried to close the door, and when she turned around, Harold was already standing there, looking amused.
"Why the hell did you not tell me those stupid classes were waiting for me?" She asked angrily as she caught the snacks he threw at her.
"Told you you couldn't escape from them," he said calmly.
"Shit! I need a better plan," she said to herself as she shoved another snack into her mouth.
"Behave and attend your classes. And do not repeat this next time. You... got everyone worried," Harold said as he returned to the window.
"Everyone? Including you?" She asked hopefully, not knowing why she wanted to know, but somehow she was curious to know if this man, whom everyone called a cursed prince, and who people referred to as hot-tempered and hard-hearted, actually cared about her... No, not her. Princess Amber.
Harold didn't respond to her question as he moved to climb out of the window, but she stopped him.
He looked at her with a raised brow, wondering why she stopped him.
"I need painting materials," she said, remembering she had promised Paulina.
'Oh no! What does she need painting materials for now?' His wolf wondered.
Harold eyed her suspiciously. "What are you planning?"
"Why do you think I am planning anything? It's not like I'll go paint your chamber walls."
"You may do that in the king's chamber," he said, causing her to laugh.
"This is surprising. I had no idea you had a humorous bone in you," she said in amusement, causing him to frown.
"Well, it's for Paulina. She likes to paint and wants to complete a painting that she plans to gift to me. Who else should I ask for these things if not my lovely hubby?" She winked at him.
"Hobby?" He muttered in confusion.
"Hubby. As in husband. Not hobby." Alicia corrected, already frustrated that she had to explain every word to these people.
He snorted and got into position to climb out.
"By the way..." He looked at her seriously before he continued, "Your maid is bad at acting," he said before he quickly climbed out of her window, going his way and leaving Alicia raising her hands in an 'I also said the same thing' gesture, before she remembered that he had not said anything about the painting materials.
As far as Harold was concerned, he had checked on her and given her something to eat. He could go about his day like nothing had happened. He didn't have the time to do any of the husband or hubby whatever nonsense.
"How is her highness?" Alvin asked when Harold met him at the training grounds.
Harold looked at him, a little surprised that Alvin knew where he had gone to. But this was Alvin. He knew everything that was happening inside the palace.
"She is sick," he said in a dismissive tone as he caught the sword Alvin threw at him.
"She wants painting materials for her maid," he said uninterestedly as he wielded the sword, ready to spar with Alvin.
"Oh... maids are not allowed to do those things," Alvin recalled. "So... how many materials should I provide for her?" He asked as he also got into position and wielded his sword.
"Who said I was going to give her that? Do I look like her servant whom she can send on errands as she pleases?" Harold hissed in annoyance.
Two hours later, Paulina was asked to clean a room with a lot of painting materials, some of which she had never seen before in her entire lifetime, since in the past she had to make do with whatever Madam Grace was kind enough to provide her with.
She was assigned to clean the place every evening by herself. Surprisingly, the place was already clean. But she figured this was a great opportunity for her to complete her painting. She was very thankful to whatever deity had provided her with this opportunity.
This 𝓬ontent is taken from fre𝒆webnove(l).𝐜𝐨𝗺