Chapter 166 Strange unease CAS SANDRA I sensed a strange unease in my heart, restlessness and exhaustion creeping in that I didn’t know how to curb. Perhaps it was due to Asher’s absence from Anemond, or maybe it had stemmed from Kane’s strange behavior from the day before. The words he’d uttered to me were ambiguous and set me on edge in a way I couldn’t explain. Asher’s stepbrother had told me that I hadn’t changed much, which at the time had caused my heart to sk ip a beat in panic. What did that really mean? And why had he said such a thing to me in private? While Kane had attempted to explain that many people changed considerably after attaining a significant position in Anemond, such as that of a royal healer, his reasoning didn’t quite convince me. I could sense that he was hinting at something else, yet I couldn’t decipher or make sense of his true intent. Was it possible that he could know something about me, that he could know who I’d been in the past? The idea startled and scared me; after all, I’d never been particularly close to Kane. During our childhood, I had spent most of my time and days with Asher, while Kane had seemed like a distant figure. He’d always been Asher’s brother and little more. We might have exchanged a few words occasionally and made a few niceties here and then, but nothing significant lingered in my memories of the past. As we’d grown older, we became little more than strangers, since my attention was solely focused on Asher. Yet, a nagging possibility haunted my mind. Could Kane Collins have somehow uncovered something about me? III 1/4

I knew he was astute. Margaret had once foolishly insisted and campaigned amongst others that her son could ascend to the throne and rule over Wegalla, and I was certain it wasn’t for nothing.

If Kane had information about my past, why hadn’t he brought it up directly? And why did he regard me with that uncomfortable gaze? His violet eyes were beautiful, but there was something in them that made chills run down my spine. It was as if he knew something he didn’t want to share, a joke or conspiracy that belonged to him and him alone. Was Asher’s brother planning something devious? Though I didn’t want to suspect him, especially considering how much the Alpha King trusted him, it was odd that Kane offered me company yet only spoke so ambiguously. Encounters with him often left me confused and nervous, which only hurt my m ental state. I was under so much stress with the clinic, the poison, and the mysterious disease already. Did I now have to fear Kane Collins in the same way that I did his mother and the rest of the people in Merliscire who didn’t want me around? Just as I started to drown in my sea of thoughts, a voice interrupted my descent into worry. “Cas sandra?” Erika tried to get my attention. “Ca ssandra?” I blinked a few times and then met the maid’s worried gaze. For a moment, I couldn’t formulate a reply and simply stared back at her until she spoke again. “Cas sandra, honey, you’ve been staring at those boxes for ten minutes now,” she said gently, and her big blue eyes were full of concern. “Are you okay, sweetheart?” At once I remembered my purpose in the room, and embarrassment flooded through me. I had come into the medical supply room in the clinic to retrieve a heartbeat monitor and meant to return to my patient shortly after. L 2/4 “Sorry,” I uttered quietly, and heat spread through my face. “This isn’t like you,” Erika said as she walked toward me. “You’re usually more professional when it comes to a patient needing attention. Do you need some help?” Though her words could have been construed as harsh, I knew her well enough. to know that that wasn’t the case.

“I’m alright,” I assured her, and I forced an apologetic smile as I tucked a loose strand of hair back into my bun. “Thank you for offering, Erika.” She nodded but continued to study me. “Is this about the king?” she wondered as she took a step toward me. I’d off-handedly mentioned to her that Asher was leaving the capital for a brief, unknown reason, but she hadn’t asked too many questions. “Are you worried about him?” “A little,” I admitted. “But I know he’ll be alright.” Asher had mentioned a three-day return upon his departure, which was nothing compared to the five years we’d spent apart. If I could handle that, I could handle this. Besides, it was his brother I was more anxious about. I managed to snap out of my daze and continued about my business as usual. It was yet another busy day with plenty of patients requiring assistance. There were a few with minor injuries along with a few dealing with colds or instances of seasonal allergies. I administered medicine, and herbs, and even had to stitch up the knee of a young girl who had taken a tumble in the district not too far from here. While the work seemed never-ending, I was grateful for the distraction. With how much focus my healer duties required, I was able to push Asher and Kane from my mind and worry about my patients. 3/4 I was grateful that Asher had given me this building and allowed me the honor of helping the people who lived here. It was one thing to treat the people of Merliscire and another to take care of the commoners who lived on the outskirts of the palace. I was glad to be able to aid my new community, and it was rewarding to heal people who really needed it. 牢牢牢 Later on, during a patient checkup in the afternoon, Lancel made an unexpected visit. When he walked into the clinic, his typically serious demeanor seemed more pronounced than usual. Erika offered him a seat, but I heard him refuse from the entry.

“Thank you for the offer, but I don’t need to sit,” he insisted. “I wish to speak with Healer Cas sandra privately,” I finished up with my patient, and once I had sent them on their way with some medicine to take care of their cough, I followed Erika to the waiting room. Once the maid departed and Lancel and I were alone, the older guard approached me. His expression was intense and my heart began to race. Had something happened to Asher? “I have a message for you, Miss Cas sandra,” he stated with urgency. “Spi ke wishes to see you immediately. Will you come with me?” While I was relieved that his concern had nothing to do with the Alpha King, his tone was more strange than usual. Lancel was usually very collected and curt. If Spi ke needed me immediately, something was up. Perhaps he had the results of the water sample or some other important findings to share. Either way, I couldn’t refuse him an audience. 4/4

Chapter 167 Hope CAS SANDRA I struggled to keep up with Lancel’s long strides as we reached Merliscire. The older guard was much taller than I, so the effort made my heart race, but I managed to speed up enough to follow alongside him. His urgent gait only made my worry increase. What had Spi ke discovered? And how did he manage to get Lancel’s attention in the first place? Had the guard been posted near the dungeon at the right time? Or had Spi ke merely waited for him to appear so he could relay the message? Focus, Cas s andra, I urged myself. I knew the more questions I asked, the more I would panic, and I needed to remain level-headed. For all I knew, the news was going to be important, and I needed to be calm in order to think clearly. When we reached the dungeon, we practically raced down the stairs until we arrived at the hall of cells. I nearly tripped as I speed-walked, but Lancel managed to steady me before I could fall and hurt myself on the cold stone floor. “Thanks,” I said gratefully, and after he nodded, I slowed my pace and walked at a normal speed toward Spi ke’s cell. As we approached, I was surprised to see that the imprisoned imposter was in such high spirits. His face was visibly excited, and his trembling hands repeatedly skimmed over the paper he held. He murmured phrases like “right”, “brilliant”, and “perfect”, and with each utterance, my curiosity grew stronger. myc As he noticed me, Spi ke tossed the paper aside onto the table and rushed over to the bars in an almost frenzied manner. His dark eyes were frantic, and if it weren’t for the iron fence that separated us, I wondered if he might have launched into an attack.

1/5 “What’s going on?” I wondered, curious about our unexpected meeting. “Lancel mentioned you urgently wanted to see me. This isn’t our usual time to meet.” Spi ke’s eyes glinted with even stronger intensity and he clenched the bars so tightly that his knuckles paled. “Where did the water sample originate from?” he asked. I hesitated for a moment as my stomach twisted into a knot as I considered telling him it was none of his concern. While confidentiality had been the name of the game this entire investigation, I quickly debated whether or not I needed to continue on with the secrecy.