{Third Person}
Later that evening, Barron finally cornered Alexander alone in the study.
The mont he entered, he shut the door behind himself and folded his arms while staring directly at Alexander, who sat calmly behind the desk reviewing docunts as though nothing unusual had happened all day.
Barron, however, was not fooled.
"I knew sothing was strange the mont I stepped into her room earlier," he began without ceremony.
Alexander did not even look up. "You always think sothing is strange."
Barron ignored the response completely and walked closer. "Why did you summon a physician for her?" he asked directly. "Is she sick?"
Alexander finally lifted his gaze from the papers. "She’s cold."
Barron blinked. "...Cold?"
Alexander leaned back slightly into the chair and replied calmly, "Her body constitution is naturally cold."
Barron frowned imdiately. "Does she have a fever?"
"No."
"Runny nose?"
"No."
"Cough?"
"No."
Barron looked even more confused now. "Then what exactly do you an by cold?"
Alexander’s gaze lowered briefly before answering, "Her body temperature is abnormally low."
The room fell silent for a mont.
Barron stared at him carefully now. Then slowly, his expression changed.
"That’s..." he muttered. "Strange."
Alexander said nothing.
Barron remained thoughtful before asking another question. "What did the physician say?"
Alexander’s expression remained unreadable. "She said there is no solution to that."
"No treatnt?" Barron’s brows knitted together faintly.
Alexander shook his head once. "She was born that way."
That answer caused Barron to fall quiet completely.
The atmosphere inside the study shifted subtly afterwards because even Barron knew that was not normal.
He slowly sat down across from Alexander, his usual playful nature noticeably restrained for once.
A naturally cold body.
Fast healing.
Abnormal reactions to temperature.
Barron’s thoughts quietly began connecting pieces together. But after a long silence, he still chose not to voice his suspicions yet.
Instead, he simply looked toward Alexander and asked carefully, "And what exactly are you thinking now?"
Alexander’s fingers paused lightly against the docunts before him. Then after a brief mont, he replied evenly,
"I’m thinking that she’s hiding sothing."
Barron studied him quietly after hearing that answer. Then suddenly, his lips curved slightly.
"So?" he asked. "Does that change anything?"
Alexander looked at him.
Barron leaned lazily against the chair and continued, "She may be hiding sothing, but she still looks harmless to ."
Alexander’s expression remained calm.
"That’s exactly why people are dangerous," he said. "The harmless ones are usually the hardest to see through."
Barron did not argue imdiately this ti. But inwardly, he could already tell Alexander was becoming too emotionally involved in this matter.
And perhaps that was what unsettled him most.
---
Not long afterwards, Alexander finally left the study and headed toward Amara’s side of the residence again.
The servants outside imdiately bowed upon seeing him approach.
Mrs. Woods quickly ca forward. "Your Highness."
"How is she now?" Alexander asked.
"She ate a little after waking up," Mrs. Woods replied softly. "And the itching reduced significantly."
Alexander gave a slight nod before entering quietly.
Inside the room, the atmosphere was far calr compared to earlier.
Amara sat near the fireplace, wrapped in a thick fur blanket, while Ginger rested comfortably in her lap.
The cat was still wearing the small winter fur accessory Elowen had t her in, making her look oddly elegant.
The mont Alexander entered, Ginger lifted her head first.
Then, surprisingly, instead of reacting coldly like recently, the cat simply stared at him quietly before settling back down against Amara.
Alexander noticed. And sohow, so did Amara. A small smile appeared on her face imdiately.
"She has been giving an attitude to almost everyone recently," she said softly while stroking Ginger’s head. "But she seems calm around you lately."
Alexander’s gaze lingered briefly on the cat before shifting back toward Amara. "You look better."
"I feel better, too," Amara admitted honestly.
The warmth in the room remained overwhelming to him, but compared to earlier, Amara no longer looked as miserable.
Alexander stood there silently for a mont before asking, "Did the itching return?"
"A little," Amara replied. "But it’s manageable now."
Alexander nodded once, then his eyes moved briefly toward the fireplace. "Keep the room warm tonight."
Amara blinked slightly before nodding obediently. "Alright."
The atmosphere between them grew strangely quiet afterwards. Not awkward, just... softer than usual.
Finally, Alexander spoke again. "I will have breakfast here tomorrow morning."
Amara looked visibly surprised. "With ?"
Alexander’s expression did not change. "Yes."
Amara nodded slowly, though inwardly, she could not understand why her heart suddenly felt slightly restless hearing sothing so simple.
After speaking a little longer, Alexander finally left the room.
And naturally, Ginger’s eyes followed him all the way to the door before the cat quietly curled deeper into Amara’s lap again.
---
Later that night, after retiring to his own side of the residence, Alexander called for Mrs. Woods once more.
The older woman arrived quickly and bowed respectfully.
"Your Highness."
Alexander spoke calmly. "I will have breakfast with her tomorrow morning."
Mrs. Woods looked visibly surprised for a second before quickly lowering her head again. "Yes, Your Highness."
"Prepare properly and be mindful of the temperature."
Mrs. Woods nodded imdiately. After receiving the instructions, she quietly excused herself.
And truthfully, the mont she stepped out of the study, her heart had already grown warr again.
anwhile, back inside the now quiet study, Alexander remained seated alone.
The fire burned steadily nearby while the winter wind brushed faintly against the windows outside.
For the first ti in a very long while, Alexander found himself thinking deeply about his own behaviour.
The warming cloaks.
The physician.
Checking on her personally.
Holding her hand until she fell asleep.
Even arranging breakfast together tomorrow morning.
None of this resembled him. None of it matched the person he used to be.
Alexander slowly leaned back into his chair, his gaze darkening thoughtfully. He disliked this feeling.
This growing instinct to protect Amara at all costs.
Because emotions complicate judgnt. And right now, what he needed were answers, not attachnt.
Finally, after a long silence, Alexander’s expression gradually turned colder again. Then slowly, a resolve settled inside him.
Perhaps the fastest way to discover what Amara truly was... was to stop protecting her so carefully.
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