Chapter 173: You are not a threat

"I’m not jealous. I’m only curious," Lauren said, more calmly this time.

"Hmm... I can see that." Alec nodded, smirking. It got her more annoyed, so she rolled her eyes at him.

"Don’t believe it if you don’t. If you won’t answer me properly, then I’ll just leave."

She tried to free herself from his grip, but he only pulled her closer to him, and it didn’t help that she was physically weak. She was never stronger than him but she had been weaker these days. It was because of her condition, and she feared that her illness might attack her again. So she sent a missive to Darius on her way to the garden earlier so he would come to the castle. She needed a stronger kind of pacifier to relieve her pain.

"Fine, let me tell you."

Lauren sighed and stopped struggling to get away. She raised a brow at him, "Tell me, then."

"Amber and I had known each other since childhood. She was once a little girl my mother took in our home. She wasn’t adopted by my family but somehow, she became a part of it."

"What do you mean?" Lauren was stunned and confused. Why would Amber be a homeless girl in the past when she was the Supreme House’s chief’s daughter?

"She was an orphaned girl that my family had once taken care of before she was adopted by Eleazar. Only a few people know the truth behind her birth, and now it includes you, so I hope you keep it a secret. It would be hard for her to succeed the chief’s position if people would know about it."

Lauren nodded. "I am the kind who doesn’t spread secrets, you don’t have to worry. So... after she was adopted by Lord Eleazar, you still meet each other often?"

Alec’s eyes narrowed at her. "Are you thinking that she is a former lover of mine?" he smirked darkly. "For your peace of mind, no, she wasn’t. She is like a younger sister to me. And we didn’t really make time to meet each other all these years. We only met on a few occasions."

The weight on Lauren’s chest was lifted. She wasn’t sure what she was worried about when all this time Alec had been showing her every affection he could offer. She shouldn’t have thought about it too much. Perhaps it was Vincent. He kept looking at her earlier like he was taunting her because of Amber.

"Is it the reason why you trust that she wouldn’t speak a word about what you and Vincent did?"

"I don’t really think she is doing it solely for myself. I know how Amber thinks. She has been trained to succeed the chief position in the Supreme House, so she would likely act according to what she thinks is the best for the people. Evardin is in turbulence with the rise of black mages and deranged humans. If the king becomes the center of controversy, it will only worsen the people’s fears."

"She is indeed the perfect candidate to lead the Supreme House." It now made sense to Lauren. Why did she let her prejudices rule her anyway? She didn’t know the person, yet she put her in a bad light just because she thought she and Alec shared a history.

She also understood now why Alec didn’t tell Vincent about it. Apart from the fact that he wasn’t the kind to do random storytelling, it wasn’t his secret to tell. If such information were enough to ruin a person’s life, the one holding it must be cautious.

"By the way, I asked a little favor from Amber. There are a lot of materials in the Supreme House about black mages and sorcery. I thought it could help us, so I asked her to do something so we can have them in our hands. I didn’t tell her what your condition is, though. I trust her but she’s still part of the Supreme House. I don’t want to end up killing her if she tries to harm you," Alec said the last words quietly, which told Lauren that he wouldn’t hesitate to do it if he had to. It made her heart ache a bit. Amber was once his family, and perhaps she still was, and to think that he was willing to go to such lengths for her wasn’t something worth celebrating for. The last thing she wanted was for him to kill people he was close with because of her.

"Even if that happens, you shouldn’t do that. As you said, she’s still part of the Supreme House. She has obligations to fulfill, and that includes eradicating potential threats to the people."

"You are not a threat," Alec sounded pissed. "You will never be. Do you understand me, Lauren?" He guided her chin so she would look straight into his eyes. "And I would always choose to protect you no matter what happens. No matter who stands against me."

Lauren was rendered speechless. Every time Alec talked like that, she always ended up tongue-tied. She found it amazing how he could make her heart flutter despite the viciousness behind his promises. He was both the light and the shadow for her—a beautiful yet deadly combination.

"What? Are you having your honeymoon for the nth time?"

Lauren jolted in Alec’s lap when she suddenly heard Vincent’s voice. Her gaze flew to the closed door, where Vincent was leaning with a freshly plucked red rose in his hand.

"When did you arrive? I didn’t notice the door opening." Lauren looked at Alec like she was asking if he also didn’t notice.

"It’s his ability. He can pass through doors without actually opening them. Quite ghostly, if you ask me."

"Don’t worry, I just came. All I heard was ’I would choose to protect you no matter what happens. No matter who stands against me’," Vincent said the line the way Alec said it seriously, then it was followed by his laughter. "My, my, I never thought you could say such sweet words, brother."

Lauren’s mouth fell agape when a chair suddenly flew towards Vincent, which he easily dodged while still laughing. Alec glared at him and muttered a curse.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay Read