[The Next Day: Dawn]
Ovelia’s POV
A sharp, throbbing pain split my skull as consciousness returned. This must be what they call a hangover, I thought miserably, pressing my palms against my temples. The room was still dark, but pale moonlight filtered through the curtains, casting everything in a silvery haze.
I turned over—and froze.
Ace lay beside , his bare chest rising and falling with each steady breath, his arms wrapped securely around my waist. The warmth of his skin seeped through the thin fabric of my shirt.
"Ehhh!" The yelp tore from my throat before I could stop it. Without thinking, I shoved him with all my strength.
*BAM!*
Ace hit the floor with a grunt, blinking up at in groggy confusion.
Lady Firera’s laughter echoed in my mind, sending a fresh wave of heat to my cheeks.
Ace groaned as he sat up, rubbing the back of his head. "Ouch! What’s the matter with you, Ovelia? Having a bad dream or sothing?"
My pulse hamred in my throat. "Why aren’t you wearing a shirt? Did sothing happen between us last night?" The words tumbled out in a rush, panic clawing at my chest. The mories of last night were hazy at best—flashes of laughter, the warmth of the bathwater, Ace’s steady hands guiding . But beyond that? Nothing.
He arched a brow, his lips quirking into an infuriating smirk. "What are you talking about? I took it off because it was too hot. Besides, you’re still wearing yours." He rose to his feet, stretching lazily. "Don’t you rember? I promised to respect you last night in the bathroom." His smirk deepened. "Unless... were you hoping sothing did happen?"
My cheeks burned with embarrassnt at his teasing.
"Lady Ovelia, what’s going on?" Ann’s voice cut through the tension like a blade.
"Ann, can you please get rid of Ace?!" I blurted, mortification choking .
To my shock, Ann moved like lightning. One second she was by the door, the next she had Ace pinned, her dagger pressed to his throat. Ace’s eyes widened—but he didn’t look afraid. If anything, he looked... amused.
"Are you really going to do this, Ann?" he asked, his voice dangerously calm. "You know who I am, right?" His eyes glowed faintly in the dim light, the wolf stirring beneath the surface.
I could see Ann’s hand tremble—just slightly—but her voice was steel. "I swore to protect Lady Ovelia. If you harm her, even if you’re a prince, I won’t hesitate to fight. Or kill you."
I watched in horror as the situation escalated. I didn’t want anyone to get hurt, especially not because of my overreaction.
"Ann, stop! I was just joking! I’m so sorry, Ace!" I scrambled off the bed, my heart in my throat.
Ann hesitated, then slowly lowered her dagger. When she turned to , her expression softened. "It’s okay, Lady Ovelia. But you really scared ."
Guilt crashed over . I rushed forward and pulled her into a tight hug. "I’m sorry, Ann. I didn’t an to put you in such a difficult position."
Ann wheezed, squirming in my arms. "It’s okay, but—Lady Ovelia, your... um, your chest is a bit too big. I can’t breathe!" She laughed, wriggling free.
I released her imdiately, my face flaming all over again.
A snicker ca from the corner of the room. "Hahaha, is this so sort of role-play?"
I whirled around. Ray lounged on his bed, grinning like a fool. I hadn’t even realized he was awake.
"Oh, I’m glad you find this so amusing, brother," Ace drawled, his tone dripping with sarcasm.
Just then—
*KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK.*
The sharp rapping at the window startled us all. Ray crossed the room and yanked it open. A carrier pigeon fluttered inside—the sa one he’d sent off yesterday.
A wave of astonishnt washed over . I couldn’t believe it had found its way back so quickly.
Ray caught the bird with practiced ease, his fingers untying the small scroll from its leg. The parchnt unfurled in his hands, and as his eyes scanned the ssage, his playful smirk vanished.
Ace’s POV
The sight of Pati, our trusted carrier pigeon, sent a wave of relief through . The bird cooed softly.
"What does it say?" I demanded, my fingers drumming impatiently against my thigh.
Ray’s brow furrowed as he scanned the parchnt. "They’ve captured the werewolf bandits we left in the forest yesterday," he said, his voice tight. "And there’s backup coming to Thunoa Village from the Crimsonheart Kingdom."
"Backup?" The word tasted bitter on my tongue. "That ans sothing serious must have happened in Thunoa Village that we don’t know about yet."
Ann nodded in agreent. "If it were just a normal bandit situation, they wouldn’t send reinforcents."
Ray folded the letter with deliberate slowness before tucking it into his pocket. "Most likely, it’s not a large army, just a small group of about five or six mbers. But the fact that they’re sending backup ans there’s important information we’re missing about these bandits." He trailed off, his jaw clenching.
His words made sense but still left us with more questions than answers.
It appears that the bandits were not human, but rather werewolves, similar to those who attacked us yesterday. This is likely the reason Crimsonheart dispatched reinforcents.
I felt my wolf’s sense of unease settle in the pit of my stomach. "We should pack our things and get so breakfast downstairs. We need to leave as soon as possible," I said, my voice filled with urgency.
We quickly gathered our belongings and made our way downstairs.
Ovelia’s POV
As we descended the stairs, the aroma of breakfast wafted through the air, and we spotted patrons enjoying their als in the cozy dining area.
A cheerful waiter approached us, his smile wide and welcoming. "Ma’am, sir," he began enthusiastically, "it seems you’re about to leave, but the inn owner would like to treat you to a complintary breakfast to thank you for what your friend did last night."
We exchanged glances, and my eyes landed on Ray. He stood there, an amused smile playing on his lips, one hand casually resting on the back of his neck.
"Oh, it was no big deal!" Ray chuckled, his voice light. "That guy threw a knife at , so I just punched him in the gut. Basic self-defense, really," His laughter danced through the air.
"What kind of reason is that?" Ace chid in, a teasing smirk tugging at his lips, clearly enjoying the mont. Ray simply shrugged, the grin never leaving his face.
I couldn’t help but wonder if this was just how they interacted as siblings or if they were genuinely teasing each other. A pang of envy shot through ; their close bond was palpable. I felt the sa closeness with my non-biological sister, but I never expected that the warmth she showed was nothing but an illusion.
"Ann and Ovelia, go ahead and pick a table," Ace suggested, adjusting the backpack slung over his shoulder. "R and I will just stow our stuff in the wagon."
Ann nodded.
"Of course!" I forced a smile.
Ace and Ray smiled, and they headed outside.
The waiter led us to a window seat, where sunlight pooled like liquid gold across the wooden table. But even as I sank into the chair, my mind churned. Crimsonheart reinforcents. Bandits. A threat we still didn’t understand.
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