The Hero's Forsaken Princess
Chapter 31: Truth and Lies

Chapter 31: Truth and Lies

At Lotus Pavilion...

It was almost midnight, but still, Eve kept tossing and turning around her bed. She couldn’t sleep at ease, wary of Alaric’s presence. She hid a dagger under her pillow for her self-defense. In her loneliness, she was reminded of Annie.

"I missed Annie. I wish she were still here by my side," Eve murmured, tears threatening to fall. She longed for her.

Her body tensed when her chamber door slid open and Alaric came into her view. Her eyes widened at the sight of him half-naked! It seemed that he had just come out of his bath, his hair still slightly damp.

Alaric turned in her direction, locking eyes with her.

’Why is she still awake?’ He thought, furrowing his eyebrow.

Meanwhile, Eve gulped hard, her gaze still lingered on Alaric’s muscular figure. When Alaric strode toward the bed, she reflexively clutched her quilt, pulling it upward to cover her entire body.

The crease on Alaric’s forehead deepened further when he saw her actions. She resembled a frightened lamb who was about to be devoured by a wild beast.

"Why are you so scared of me?" He asked, displeasure evident in his smoldering eyes.

Before Eve could react, Alaric sat on the bed and roughly yanked the quilt that was covering her body. And with ease, he pulled her, making her sit on his lap.

His sudden action caught Eve off guard. Subconsciously, She tried to push him away as she struggled against his grasp.

But Alaric held her waist tightly, his free hand catching her wrists. "Stop moving, or else, you are going to fall." He warned her, his tone laced with concern.

Eve glared at him. Since Alaric was restraining her hands, she leaned in closer and bit his shoulder hard, her teeth sinking into his flesh.

"Are you a vampire?" Alaric casually said, unaffected by her bite.

Eve didn’t stop biting him until he almost bled.

Alaric stared at her helplessly. "My dear wife... if you don’t stop that, I might end up devouring you."

Sensing the danger in his threat, Eve finally stopped biting him. She gazed up with her pouted lips.

Surprisingly, Alaric’s thumb reached out to her face and wiped the smear of his blood from the corner of her lips.

"Eve, we need to talk," Alaric mumbled with a serious expression on his face.

’Talk about what? Will he try to confess his crime and beg me to stay quiet about it?’ Her heart was full of doubts and distrust toward her husband.

Alaric extended his free hand, taking the pad and a quill pen on the side table. He handed them over to Eve after releasing her hands from his grip.

"Tell me honestly, is the queen abusing you? Is she the one who gave you those scars on your back?" Alaric asked in his tender voice.

He was still shocked by the revelation he had uncovered. Queen Amara was the one who tried to frame Princess Eve. He couldn’t understand why her mother would try to get her daughter into trouble. Why did Queen Amara hate Eve?

Eve was taken aback for a moment. She had never expected that Alaric would ask her that question.

’Why does he look like he cares? If I hadn’t known better, I would have been brought in by his pretentious act.’ Her lips quivered at that thought.

"Don’t be afraid. Tell me. I’m here to protect you," Alaric said once more, urging her to speak up. He wanted Eve to open up with him.

Ever since his return to the palace, he had witnessed the unfair treatment of the royal family toward Eve.

On the other hand, Eve clenched the quill pen tightly as she scribbled on her pad.

[ Protect me? You were the one who wanted to get rid of me so that you could marry Princess Thalia. Stop pretending that you care about me. ]

Eve could no longer restrain herself from confronting Alaric.

Meanwhile, Alaric’s body stiffened upon reading her message, his brows knitting together in confusion.

"What the hell are you saying? What made you believe that I want to get rid of you?" He exclaimed sharply, his voice tinged with disbelief.

[ You sent me a note, telling me to meet you at the Moonshade Grove Forest. When I got there, I was surrounded by bandits. ]

Eve continued writing on her pad while Alaric patiently waited for her to finish her message.

[ They tried to kill me. They said it was you who sent them. Annie died because she protected me. It’s your fault. If you wanted to divorce me, then you could have told me. Why do you have to kill me? I hate you, Alaric! ]

She cried out silently, tears streaming down her face.

Alaric spat out curses, his dark orbs simmered with rage. ’So this was the reason why she tried to kill me as soon as she woke up. She thought I was the one who sent those bandits to hurt her.’

Things became clear in Alaric’s mind now. Someone was orchestrating all of this, instigating conflict between Eve and him.

Alaric exhaled deeply, trying to calm his raging self. His cold expression softened when he looked at her. She was still shedding tears, but her eyes were looking at him with hate.

"I could easily snap your neck right now if I wished to kill you." Alaric declared, placing his hand around her neck.

Eve’s heart raced in fear, her lashes fluttered as she shut her eyes. She thought Alaric would strangle her to silence her forever, but no matter how long she waited, he didn’t tighten his grip on her neck.

Instead, Alaric moved his hand, lifting her chin as he drew his face closer to hers. The next thing she felt was his lips gently brushing against hers in a tender kiss.

Eve snapped her eyes open, baffled by Alaric’s action. And before her mind could process everything, she just found herself being pressed against the soft cushions of her bed, their lips still connected.