Chapter 18: Chapter 18: You Cannot Escape Your Fate

Swan slowly regained most of her consciousness after Gale left. She slowly got up and looked around the sheet that had been stained with blood.

So she called the cat maids with her weak voice.

To her surprise, Myra and Maya entered the room immediately, so they must've heard about the conversation between Gale and Swan just now.

Swan realized that the cat maids were dodging her eyes as she said, "Please help me change the sheet, and uhm… please get me another dress. I will go to the bathroom to wash my face. There was blood on my face, right?"

"Y-yes, Princess…"

Swan didn't want to make them even more distressed, knowing that they must've been scared hearing the conversation just now.

She grabbed her crutches and walked to the bathroom.

Swan stared at her reflection and saw the bloodstain on her lips, cheeks, and chin. There were also some on her bosom.

She washed them all with cold water and went out.

She saw the sheet had been replaced with a clean one. There was also a new dress that had been prepared for her.

Myra and Maya were kneeling next to the bed, but they kept their heads low as they wished their Princess would just tell them to leave.

Swan sat on the bed and asked weakly, "Did you two hear everything?"

"… yes, Princess."

"We're sorry. But we have always been attending you outside, and we have sensitive hearing. We didn't mean to eavesdrop."

"It's alright," Swan smiled. "But I want to know if you two have ever heard about the King's curse."

Myra and Maya's body stiffened. They shook their heads and replied, "We don't know anything, Princess."

"… okay then. Don't worry, His Majesty is alright. Those aren't his blood."

"We know. His Majesty is unchallenged. There is no way for him to lose."

Swan was relieved that the beastmen had such a strong faith in their king. She didn't want them to think that Gale was weak because it might lead to another rebellion and his death.

"You may leave," Swan said, and the cat maids scurried out of the room.

Swan lay on her bed once more, but her eyes were staring at the open window. She saw the full moon and murmured, "But I don't mind dying for you, Gale. You are a king, and I'm just… Swan."

Gale leaped through the forest and reached a small lake in the middle. He took off his trousers and blindfold and then dipped in.

The cold water washed his body from the blood of his enemies, but it also washed all the anger and pain accumulating inside his heart.

Swan was right.

He was in pain, always is.

Every fiber of his body had this constant itchiness, followed by a burning sensation that he could not control, but he had always let it all out on the battlefield so he wouldn't be irritated when he had to be a proper king.

It was part of his curse, but it worsened each day as he still hadn't been able to find his remedy.

At this point, he doubted he would even find her—his fated mate, the real remedy of his curse.

Gale clenched his jaw as he dipped into the lake, submerging his entire body, and then emerged after a while.

Once he came to the surface and walked to the lakeside, he detected a sign of a non-hostile werewolf near him. He noticed the familiar scent, so he closed his eyes and turned around to face her, "What kind of poison did you put in her ear, Jade?"

"Poison? I just told her a few things that she needs to know, like how you will have many wives and also a curse. Worry not. I didn't go into detail about the curse since it's your right to tell her everything. But you can't just keep her ignorant forever, especially since you've marked her," Jade said. She sat on a stone slab and then crossed her legs while staring at the naked man on the lakeside. "Though, I was surprised when I heard that you've marked her. I don't know if she's your type or if you are just promiscuous enough to mark the first woman you mate with after you rejected my advances."

"It's none of your business," Gale dismissed her. "She is my first wife, so it's normal for me to mark her."

"It is my business. You appoint me to manage the harem you will have in the future. It would be worrying if you might be promiscuous enough to mark a hundred women."

"I'm not that insane, Jade," Gale denied. "I told you to manage the harem, but you have no right to tell my wife about my curse."

"She has the right to know about that. After all, that curse is the reason why you have to mark many women," Jade scoffed. "Or are you so afraid that you'd hurt her feelings? That's hypocritical."

"Hypocritical?"

Jade's lips curled as she continued, "You've ruined the lives of many. Killed countless soldiers, knights, and kings. You broke their wives and children's hearts. So what's the problem with breaking one more?"

"She is the Princess of Holy Achate and MY wife. Those are different!"

"Is she really?" Jade chuckled. "She is gorgeous, especially her innocent eyes, I admit that. But I doubt she's truly the first princess as you think she is. They have probably duped you and given you a maid instead of the real one."

"YOU—!"

"Now, now, don't be angry. It's just my theory. After all, I have more knowledge about Holy Achate than you," Jade shrugged. "My advice is, you shouldn't think too much of her. She will just be one of your many wives."

…

Gale went quiet, and Jade struck while the iron was hot by saying, "And don't even think about not wanting to mark another woman. You know you need to. It's for your own good. Sleeping with them all is the only way to suppress your constant rut, or you will turn into a mindless beast."

"I'm doing this for you, Gale. I'm the only family left for you after what happened to our pack."

With that, Jade got up and walked out of the lake, leaving Gale feeling frustrated about the whole ordeal.