The Cursed Alpha Prince's Replacement Bride Chapter 124: He Saw the Content

{Third Person}

anwhile, Alexander was already glaring at Barron hard enough to make any sensible person retreat.

Barron, unfortunately, was not a sensible person.

Amara struggled for another second before Barron finally laughed softly and waved a hand.

"Relax," he said kindly. "There’s still plenty of ti before the banquet. You can think about it slowly."

Amara let out the breath she had been holding. "Thank you," she said quietly, though she still looked slightly flustered.

Barron smiled with clear amusent before glancing briefly toward Alexander, who still looked thoroughly unimpressed by the entire conversation.

Then, just as Amara thought the awkwardness had finally passed, Alexander spoke.

"You seem troubled tonight."

Amara blinked and looked at him. His expression stayed calm, and sohow that made her even more nervous.

"I’m not troubled," she replied quickly.

Alexander held her gaze for a mont longer than necessary. Then, with complete seriousness, he asked, "Is that so?"

A mont later, he added, "Your face says otherwise."

Amara’s heart skipped violently. For one horrifying second, she was certain he knew.

Her friends’ teasing imdiately exploded inside her head again, making her face grow warm almost instantly.

’He couldn’t have read the letter, right?’

She looked away too quickly and said, "I-I’m just tired."

Beside them, Barron’s lips twitched suspiciously, as though he was trying very hard not to laugh.

Alexander noticed her reaction. And though his expression barely changed, sothing unreadable flickered briefly in his eyes before he finally looked away.

"Then you should rest," he said calmly.

Amara nodded too fast. "Yes. I will."

And without daring to linger there any longer, she quickly excused herself and headed back inside with Ginger following behind her.

The mont she disappeared into the residence, Barron finally let out the laugh he had been suppressing.

Alexander turned his cold gaze toward him imdiately, but Barron only grinned wider.

"You are enjoying this far more than you should," Alexander said flatly.

"Oh, absolutely." Barron looked utterly unrepentant as his laughter followed them long after they stepped out of the residence gates.

The cold evening air did little to calm him down. Every now and then, another chuckle escaped him, earning increasingly darker looks from Alexander.

Finally, Barron placed a hand dramatically against his chest and sighed. "You know, I almost feel bad for her."

Alexander frowned faintly. "For who?"

"For your poor human bride," Barron replied imdiately. "She looked seconds away from collapsing under pressure."

Alexander looked away dismissively. "She is overthinking."

Barron glanced sideways at him. "And whose fault is that?"

Alexander did not answer.

They continued walking through the quiet palace pathways for a while before Barron’s expression suddenly shifted into curiosity again.

"Wait," he said slowly. "What exactly was that earlier?"

Alexander gave him a sideways glance. "What?"

"The way you spoke to her," Barron clarified. "You sounded as though you knew sothing she didn’t."

Alexander’s silence lasted just long enough for Barron’s eyes to narrow. Then, finally, Alexander said calmly, "Her friends sent another letter."

Barron nodded slowly, waiting. "And?" he prompted.

Alexander looked entirely unbothered as he replied, "I was curious about its contents."

Barron’s steps stopped completely. "You what?"

Alexander continued walking. Barron stared at his back in disbelief before quickly catching up again.

"You opened her letter?" he asked, sounding genuinely shocked now.

Alexander remained perfectly calm. "Only briefly."

"That is not the point!"

Alexander looked mildly annoyed already. "You are making unnecessary noise."

Barron looked at him as though he had just discovered a completely different person.

"The mighty Alpha Prince secretly reading his wife’s personal letters out of curiosity?" he repeated dramatically. "Oh, this is incredible."

Alexander’s expression darkened. "Lower your voice."

But that only made Barron grin harder.

"No wonder she looked so nervous around you earlier," he continued rcilessly. "You were tornting the poor girl while holding forbidden knowledge."

Alexander scoffed softly. "You speak too much."

"And you are far more interested in your human bride than you pretend to be."

Alexander shot him a warning glance.

Barron imdiately raised both hands in surrender, though the amusent never left his face.

"I’m just saying," he said lightly, "if you continue like this, you might accidentally fall in love before realizing it."

Alexander’s gaze turned colder at that.

Barron wisely stopped there, but the smile remained on his lips the entire walk.

---

anwhile, back inside the residence, Amara had not fully recovered from that brief interaction outside.

Even after returning to her room, she still found herself replaying Alexander’s words over and over in her head.

Your face says otherwise.

The more she thought about it, the more suspicious it sounded.

There had clearly been sothing hidden beneath his tone, sothing deliberate.

Amara sat on the edge of her bed while Ginger curled lazily beside her, and for the first ti in a while, she genuinely felt unsettled around Alexander.

She was not frightened, just rather suspicious. She was wondering if Alexander truly knew sothing.

Then, she shook her head. ’No. This is impossible. He can’t do that, right?’

And yet, the thought refused to leave her mind.

Eventually, she forced herself to stop thinking about it and went to sleep.

═════ ❄✦❄ ═════

The next morning, however, Amara’s mind beca occupied by sothing entirely different.

A birthday gift for Alexander.

She sat at the breakfast table, absentmindedly stirring her food while Ginger rested comfortably in her lap.

Every now and then, the cat would ow impatiently until Amara snapped out of her thoughts long enough to feed her another small piece of at.

Mrs. Woods noticed almost imdiately.

Normally, Amara ate neatly and attentively, but this morning she barely seed aware of what was happening around her.

At one point, she almost lifted an empty spoon toward her mouth before Ginger owed loudly in protest.

Amara blinked and looked down. "Oh," she murmured softly. "Sorry."

Ginger stared at her accusingly while Mrs. Woods hid a smile.

By the ti breakfast ended, Amara still looked deeply distracted.

She carried Ginger into the living room afterwards and sat quietly near the fireplace, her thoughts clearly elsewhere.

A few monts later, Mrs. Woods entered carrying a fresh cup of tea. She paused briefly before studying Amara carefully.

"What is troubling you, My Lady?" she asked gently.

Amara looked up. She hesitated at first before releasing a soft sigh. "It’s His Highness’s birthday," she admitted. "I don’t know what to give him."

Mrs. Woods blinked once in surprise.

Amara lowered her gaze toward Ginger again and continued honestly, "I’ve been trying to think of sothing appropriate, but everything feels wrong sohow. Nothing seems suitable for him."

Mrs. Woods’s expression softened slightly, seeing that this was clearly not a matter Amara had taken lightly.

Amara looked genuinely troubled by it. "I thought perhaps... you might have an idea," she said lightly.

Mrs. Woods beca thoughtful for a mont as she looked at the young woman sitting quietly before her.

Then, very slowly, a faint smile appeared on her face.