Outcast: The Alpha King’s Beloved by Blue Tears
CHAPTER 45 SOUND THEM OUT
Austin’s POV:
“Mr. Jones, your brother and Miss Smith have arrived. Would you like to invite them in now?”
I was dealing with state affairs in the study when an attendant came to inform me about Anthony and Jennifer’s arrival.
I raised my gaze from the documents on the desk and stared at the door. It was hot outside. I really wished that I could make Anthony wait longer in the burning heat, but I couldn’t humiliate him like that for the time being.
That bastard had been lucky enough to survive. But since he had come back alive, I had to express my condolences to him in person. In this way, I could not only show my concern for my younger brother to the elders, but I could also take the opportunity to ask Anthony about those vampires.
Moreover, I was curious about the trainee who had been caught together with Anthony. Even though Anthony had been up against so many vampires, he had managed to escape in the end. I highly suspected that the trainee had made a great contribution.
“Call them in,” I ordered.
“Yes, Mr. Jones.”
Not long after, the attendant returned to the room with Anthony, who was followed by a beautiful girl.
I heard that this she-wolf was the strongest one among the current trainees. Now that I saw her in person, I was even more interested in her. I sat upright, feeling a lot less upset all of a sudden.
“Greetings, Mr. Jones.”
The two of them greeted me and bowed to me. I wasn’t pleased to see Anthony, but as reluctant as I was, I had to come to him and help him up.
I wished that Anthony would’ve died in the vampires’ territory, but he was lucky enough to survive. Now, I had to pretend to show my condolences to him. I held his hand as if I was sincerely concerned. “Why are you being so formal? You did a great job fighting against the vampires this time.”
“That was my duty as a member of the Osman Kingdom.” His words were so noble and lofty that I could not find anything wrong with them.
“By the time my guards arrived, you had already managed to escape on your own. As your elder brother, I have to take responsibility for not saving you sooner,” I said, pretending to be earnest.
“It was an accident. You don’t have to blame yourself.”
“All right. Well, it’s good to see you back here safe and sound.”
After exchanging a few pleasantries with Anthony, I let go of his hand and turned to the she-wolf beside him. “What’s your name?” I asked her.
“Mr. Jones, my name is Jennifer Smith.”
Jennifer was quite attractive, especially her eyes, which were filled with both the tenderness of a she-wolf and the toughness of a werewolf. But still, why would Anthony take only a mere trainee on such a dangerous mission with him? Was there more to their relationship?
Judging by the chemistry between the two of them, I guessed that my younger brother had fallen in love with she-wolf, so I decided to sound them out.
“Miss Smith, I heard that out of all the trainees, you’re the strongest. Since that’s the case, I would like to give you a royal mission. If you can fulfill it, you will be praised by the royal family.”
As I spoke, I secretly observed Anthony’s reaction. Sure enough, he pulled a long face and refused me before Jennifer could even say anything.
“Jennifer is not qualified to carry out a royal mission yet. She hasn’t been training for long. The most important thing for her now is to continue training and improve her strength.”
Anthony’s words more or less confirmed my guess—there was something going on between him and Jennifer. I nodded at Anthony. “Then let’s not talk about it anymore. Well, since the two of you are already here, you should stay for dinner before you leave.”
I wanted another opportunity to test them. Jennifer might become the most powerful weapon in my arsenal to take down Anthony.
Jennifer’s POV:
Austin invited me and Anthony to the royal palace to discuss our battle with the vampires recently. Unexpectedly, there was a strange tension between Anthony and the king. The king told me that he wanted me to carry out a royal mission, but Anthony refused him immediately without giving me a chance to speak.
I didn’t know what Anthony was thinking. After all, a royal mission would be a great way for me to develop my skills and learn faster. However, I knew that he must have a reason for refusing the mission, so I didn’t say anything else.
After that, the king insisted that we stay for dinner. Tonight, the atmosphere was very different from the time when I had dinner with Elizabeth. The dishes and the tableware were a lot more luxurious, and the whole affair was stiff and formal. Moreover, Anthony and Austin didn’t look close at all. If anything, they looked like they were strangers.
I found this particularly odd, since Austin looked only a few years older than Anthony. Usually, brothers with such a small age gap would be close. But at the long dining table, Austin sat at the head of the table, while Anthony sat several seats away. Neither of them spoke, which made the whole dinner even duller.
Just when I thought the dinner would end in the same depressing atmosphere, Austin took the initiative to chat with me.
“Jennifer, there’s no need to be so reserved. You made a huge contribution to our victory against the vampires this time.”
“Thank you, Mr. Jones,” I replied with a polite smile. The attendants nearby poured some wine in all our glasses. I raised my glass, stood up, and proposed a toast to Austin.
“Don’t be so formal. Sit down,” he said. “I heard that Mother went to Marge Island last week. Did you meet her?”
I stiffened in confusion. Why was the king asking me about Elizabeth all of a sudden? And why was he asking me about her visit instead of Anthony?
After all, Anthony was the one who knew Elizabeth best.
I stole a glance at Anthony, who gave me an imperceptible shake of the head. I knew that he didn’t want me to tell the truth.
“Mr. Jones, I’m afraid I didn’t know about it,” I answered apologetically.
“She came to see me. Since the island is so beautiful, she decided to stay for a while. And I agreed with her,” Anthony hurried to explain.
Unexpectedly, Austin chuckled. “It’s rare for my brother to defend someone like this. By the way, he hasn’t found a mate yet. You two look like a perfect match.”
Anthony’s face changed when he heard this. “Austin, you must be joking. Even if I never find my mate, I won’t just casually date someone. Besides, I have no interest in finding a mate in the first place.”
I pretended to be scared, as if I couldn’t believe that Austin had suggested such a thing. “Mr. Jones, I’m flattered. But I’m just an ordinary trainee. How could I be a match for the noble prince?”
After the two of us denied our relationship with such vehemence, Austin didn’t bring it up again. While Anthony and the king continued chatting, I excused myself to go to the restroom.
It was getting dark outside. The lights in the palace slowly flickered on one after another. After using the restroom, I walked along the corridor back to the dining hall. There, I suddenly spotted a figure in black.
When he leaped down from the rooftop not far away, a familiar smell drifted over to me. I wanted to follow him to see what he was up to, but he moved at the speed of lightning, swiftly disappearing from my sight.
I couldn’t shake off the feeling that I knew his scent from somewhere. Who could it be?