fanqie novel
Chapter 7
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Chapter7
THE SOUND OF KNOCKING on the door startled 11elga awake, bringing her out of her deep sleep. She groggily looked at the ceiling, disoriented and confused, only to find herself lying on the bed instead of on the sofa where she was certain she had fallen asleep. Frowning, she rubbed her eyes and sat up, peeing at the sofa across the room, as if trying to remember how she ended up in bed. "Hmm, did someone move me?" she whispered to herself, her body slowly stretching as she turned towards the door at the sound of a woman's voice after another knock. "Lady Helga, are you awake already?"Content bel0ngs to Nôvel(D)r/a/ma.Org.
"Ah, y-yes. The unexpected formality of being addressed as 'lady left her feeling flustered and slihtly uncomfortable. In
le noble titles may this era, such formalities were already uncommon among servants and those of higher standin have ceased to exist, however, there were still individuals who clung to traditions and customs "May I come in? The Beta instructed me to attend to you and inform you that the Alpha King has required your presence breakfast" Helga's eyes widened in surprise as she quickly got out of bed. She almost tripped, but she caught herself and made her way to the door, opening it to reveal a woman in her late fifties. "Good morning. Lady Helga. My name is Selina, but you can just address me as Lina, I'm the head maid of the palace." the woman introduced, her demeanor was one of grace and elegance. Her chestnut hair was pulled back into a neat bun, framing her kind face which held a genuine smile. She wore a simple dress, but it seemed to exude an air of sophistication. But what caught Helga's attention the most was the absence of any disdain or arrogance in Lina's presence. It was clear that she was genuinely pleased to meet her. for "Good morning, Lina. Uhmm, what did you mean earlier?" she asked as she welcomed the head maid into her chambers. She then realized that she was no longer wearing her cloak, prompting her to scan the room and saw it hanging on the coat stand. She wondered if the servant took care of her last night. "It was customary for the chosen Luna candidate to share a breakfast with the Alpha King, allowing for further discussions and for his majesty to get to know them better." Helga's focus shifted to Lina when she spoke, listening to her intently. "The previous chosen candidate had also shared breakfast with the King, but unfortunately, they never got to do it again as they, ended their own lives when nightfall arrived" "I see." Helga muttered, which surprised Lina. The woman before her seemed completely unfazed by their topic of conversation. She had purposely revealed this grim piece of information to gauge Helga's reaction, testing her bravery, but she did not flinch or show any "Did the first and signs of fear. "Did candidates chosen "That's right." It second t." It was just a simple nod, but it held so much Luna both take their own lives in the evening after sharing breakfast with the King in the morning?" weight. Lina couldn't help but wonder why she was asking that particular question. Honestly, her ears had picked up murmurs of something unusual happening during the Luna selection last night, and when she learned that someone had actually volunteered, her curiosity was immediately piqued. Now, standing face to face with the brave she-wolf in front of her, Lina feels a sense of a awe at at the possibility of the King finally finding a Luna and mate this year. "Pardon me for asking, but aren't you afraid?" "I am, but unlike the past chosen candidates, I don't have any intention of taking my life, Helga answered with determination etched on her face, watching how Lina expertly prepared an outfit for her. Filled with exhaustion from the previous night had left her unable to appreciate her bed chamber properly before retiring to sleep. But now she was taken aback by the sight of a full wardrobe, brimming with beautiful dresses, blouses, and long skirts. As Lina helped her get ready, they engaged in lively conversation with Helga learning the names of the high-ranking members of the royal pack. Once she was done, they made their way to the dining hall where the long table was already laden with steaming dishes of breakfast food. She swallowed hard, feeling her stomach grumble at the sight of the feast before her
for
For the past three months, her meals consisted of a meager piece of bread and water or whatever scraps were left over from
the other servants. Telgs could barely recall the last time she had enjoyed a proper meal ever since Miranda arrived at Incarnadine Park House. So, when she was finally served such delicacies today, her stomach growled in protest, and she felt a pang of hunger so strong that she almost drooled in anticipation -The Alpha King will arrive shortly, please have a seat." Lina's words pulled Helga out of her thoughts, making her nod in understanding, and sat down in the chair that one of the maids ad pulled out for her. "Thank you." Helga smiled gratefully, but she quickly stood up when the doors opened, revealing the imposing figure of the Alpha King. His aura exudes power and authority as all eyes turn to him, and everyone in the room bows to show their respect. Helga followed suit, her heart beating rapidly in her che. Siegren then entered, his jet-black hair styled in a neat bun at the nape of his neck. In contrast to his well-embellished cutfit last night, he was now wearing a simple suit, his piercing red eyes locking in Helga's direction. "Good morning. Your Majesty," she greeted, curtsying her head before straightening up and meeting his gaze. However, he didn't acknowledge her greeting as he made his way to the head of the long table. "Leave us," he commanded, his voice ringing with authority as he took a seat on the plush velv
servants inside inside immediately obeyed, bowing their heads
he and quickly exiting the room. Once they were gone, Siegren nimed to Helga, taking in her appearance. She looked much more pleasing in the morning light compared to the night before. Her red hair cascaded in loose curls around her face and her color peach dress hugged her curves in all the right places. He couldn't help but feel a stir of desire, even though they had only met last night, Realizing the thoughts that just crossed his mind, he quickly pushed them away, clearing his throat to distract himself. Helga couldn't help but feel a sense of awkwardness when silence filled the dining hall. She was worried that his presence would create tension between the However, to her surprise, the atmosphere was not as tense as she had expected, despite being alone with him.
"I heard from David the real reason why you volunteered last night," Siegren spoke up after a few moments of silence. Helga nodded as she sat down, knowing that the Alpha King must have already been informed of her conversation with Beta David. It didn't surprise her, but she did wonder how he reacted to everything she revealed to his beta. "So? What makes you certain that Melissa or whatever her name is, will bring ruin to the Incarnadine Pack?" Helga suppressed a snort at the mention of the random and unfamiliar name, her composure held tightly in check. She knew that any display of disrespect could result in swift execution at the hands of the Alpha King. She thought he was simply terrible at remembering names, or perhaps he didn't care enough to try. Either way, she knew better than to question his
memory
I
have a strong feeling, Your Majesty," she answered, her voice ringing clear and confident. "For the past three months. T have observed her closely, studying her behavior and actions. Despite being a beta's daughter, she displayed a great lack of maturity and responsibility. She didn't seem like someone who could handle the weight and demands of being a Luna for one of the strongest packs in the nation." Siegren's keen eyes narrowed slightly as he examined the young lady sitting on the opposite side of the long table. Despite the distance between them, his gaze was sharp enough to catch every nuance of her body language and expression. She appeared to be telling the truth, but she wasn't being completely honest. Siegren tapped his fingers on the polished wood of the table, propping his cheek on his knuckle as he continued to lock eyes with her. His intense stare seemed to demand more from her than she was willing to give. Helga held his gaze for a a few moments longer before finally breaking eye contact, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment as her stomach let out a loud rumble.
Siegren's eyes slightly widened in shock, he then blinked as he watched Helga's reaction. Her face flushed a deep shade of red, her eyes filled with embarrassment and shame as she averted her gaze from his. Her lips trembled as she bit down on them, her expression conveying the weight of her self-directed curses for making such an embarrassing noise.
A small twitch formed at the corner of Siegren's mouth as he suppressed a smirk from spreading across his lips, amused by what he was witnessing.
"Let's eat," he told her, which only made Helga more embarrassed. Still, she obediently followed his order and ate her breakfast together with the Alpha King. She couldn't help but feel mortified at the situation, but she was relieved that the conversation quickly died down after she made an embarrassing noise in front of him. After all, she couldn't disclose the real reason why she was certain Miranda would bring destruction to the Incarnadine Pack just yet.