The Cursed Alpha Prince's Replacement Bride Chapter 136: The Strange Markings

{Third Person}

Werewolf Clan.

Later that afternoon, Alexander called for Mrs. Woods.

When she entered the study, she imdiately noticed that the atmosphere around him was calr compared to the previous day.

Still, sothing about his silence made her instinctively careful.

Mrs. Woods bowed respectfully. "Your Highness."

Alexander looked up from the docunts on his desk. "How is she today?"

The question imdiately softened Mrs. Woods’s expression.

"She has recovered very well," she answered warmly. "Her appetite returned, and she no longer complains about feeling cold."

Alexander gave a small nod. The room remained quiet for a mont, then he suddenly said, "Reduce the temperature in her bedroom."

Mrs. Woods blinked. For a second, she genuinely thought she had misheard him.

"Your Highness?"

Alexander’s expression remained calm and unreadable. "Do it gradually," he instructed. "A little each day."

Mrs. Woods stared at him in disbelief. "But... Her Ladyship only just recovered."

Alexander leaned back slightly into his chair. "She won’t know," he said evenly. "Leave the blankets, hot tea, soups, and warm baths. Continue providing all of those normally."

Mrs. Woods’s shock deepened rather than easing. Because now it sounded deliberate. Carefully deliberate.

And for the first ti in a very long while, she could not understand what the Alpha Prince was thinking at all.

Truthfully, it felt cruel.

The political bride had only just started feeling comfortable again after struggling so badly during the start of winter.

Why would he suddenly want the room temperature lowered?

Mrs. Woods could barely hide the confusion and discomfort on her face.

Alexander noticed, of course, but he ignored it. Instead, he added calmly, "Watch her carefully."

Mrs. Woods just stared at him silently.

"And the mont her body starts reacting again," Alexander continued, "inform imdiately."

The room fell quiet afterwards. At that mont, Mrs. Woods finally understood one thing clearly.

The Alpha Prince was testing Amara, though she did not know why.

Reluctantly, she lowered her head. "Yes, Your Highness."

Alexander gave a slight nod, signalling dismissal. Then, Mrs Woods quietly turned and left the study afterwards.

But as she walked back toward Amara’s side of the residence, her heart felt unusually heavy.

Because no matter how she thought about it, she could not understand why the Alpha Prince had suddenly beco so cold again.

***

Over the next several days, the changes inside Amara’s bedroom happened so gradually that she barely noticed them at first.

The fireplaces still burned every evening. Warm tea continued arriving regularly.

Mrs. Woods still prepared hot soups before bedti, and warm water was always ready for her baths.

Everything appeared normal on the surface, and yet, little by little, the warmth in the room began to decrease.

At first, Amara noticed herself waking more frequently at night. Then she started curling deeper beneath the blankets without understanding why.

Soon, even during the day, her fingertips remained colder longer than usual.

One evening, while sitting near the fireplace sketching possible patterns for Alexander’s shawl design, Amara suddenly rubbed her hands together lightly before frowning.

’That’s strange... The fire was burning properly. So why do I still feel cold?’

Nearby, Ginger had also started behaving differently.

The cat now spent most of her ti sleeping directly beside the fireplace or curled tightly against Amara whenever possible.

At night, she even forced her way beneath the blankets stubbornly until she could press herself against Amara’s side.

Amara noticed the behaviour imdiately.

"You’re becoming clingy lately," she murmured softly one night while stroking Ginger’s head beneath the blankets.

Ginger only owed quietly and curled closer.

anwhile, Mrs. Woods’s discomfort grew heavier with each passing day because, unlike Amara, she knew exactly what was happening.

Every morning, servants subtly reduced the room’s heating little by little according to Alexander’s instructions.

And every evening, Mrs. Woods watched Amara unconsciously struggle, not severely or enough for open concern yet, but enough for guilt to slowly build in her chest.

Especially because Amara never complained much. At most, she only occasionally muttered things like,

"This winter is truly unfair..."

Or,

"Why am I still cold?"

Each ti Mrs. Woods heard those innocent complaints, her guilt deepened further. Still, she could not disobey the Alpha Prince.

---

On the fifth day, Mrs. Woods finally returned to Alexander’s study once again.

Alexander imdiately looked up the mont she entered. "How is she?"

Mrs. Woods hesitated briefly before answering carefully, "She has started feeling cold again."

Alexander remained silent, waiting for more reports.

"She wakes more often at night now," Mrs. Woods continued softly. "And her hands stay cold most of the day."

Alexander’s expression did not change outwardly. But inwardly, his attention sharpened imdiately.

"What about the itching?"

"It returned yesterday evening lightly."

The room fell quiet. Then Mrs. Woods watched him carefully before adding, "But Her Ladyship does not suspect anything."

Alexander leaned back slightly into his chair afterwards.

Everything was happening exactly as he expected, which only made the situation more troubling because, despite all the warmth surrounding Amara, her body still reacted strongly to even slight environntal changes.

As though her constitution depended on sothing deeper than ordinary temperature alone.

Finally, Alexander spoke calmly. "Continue observing her."

Mrs. Woods lowered her gaze reluctantly. "Yes, Your Highness."

---

Later that night, Alexander quietly stopped outside Amara’s side of the residence.

He had not intended to enter. At least, that was what he told himself. But eventually, his steps still carried him there anyway.

The servants bowed imdiately upon seeing him.

Alexander said nothing as he stood quietly near the slightly opened sitting room doors.

Inside, Amara sat wrapped in blankets near the fireplace while Ginger remained curled tightly in her lap.

Even from a distance, he noticed her rubbing her fingers together occasionally. She was old again.

Alexander’s gaze darkened thoughtfully. For several silent monts, he simply watched her, observed her, asured every reaction carefully.

Yet strangely, instead of satisfaction from proving his suspicions right, a faint irritation settled inside him instead.

Because no matter how much he tried to view this logically, seeing her discomfort still bothered him.

---

The next morning, Amara woke up feeling unusually weak.

The mont she opened her eyes, a dull ache throbbed faintly through her head, making her close them again for several seconds before finally forcing herself upright.

Even Ginger, who usually beca energetic the mont Amara woke up, only lifted her head sleepily from the blankets and stared at her quietly as though sensing sothing was wrong.

Amara pressed a hand lightly against her forehead and released a tired sigh. "I feel terrible today..."

At a point, she started to slowly rub her temples with her fingers, but the effort did nothing to relieve her of the pain.

Another tired sigh escaped her lips.

Not long afterwards, Mrs. Woods entered the room with the maids to help prepare her morning bath.

The mont she saw Amara sitting weakly on the bed, concern imdiately appeared on her face.

"My Lady?" she called softly. "Are you alright?"

Amara nodded faintly, though the movent looked unconvincing. "My head hurts a little," she admitted quietly. "And I still feel cold."

Mrs. Woods’s heart imdiately tightened. Without wasting ti, she instructed the maids to prepare the bathwater hotter than usual.

Soon, steam filled the bathroom heavily.

Mrs Woods personally dismissed the servants thereafter and stayed behind to help Amara herself.

By now, she had beco accustod to closely monitoring the political bride whenever her condition worsened.

Amara looked exhausted as she slowly removed the thick outer robe. Then, she reached for the belt of her nightgown.

Mrs. Woods stood nearby, preparing the towels absentmindedly until Amara slipped the nightgown from her shoulders.

And suddenly, she froze. Her eyes widened instantly.

All over Amara’s pale skin, faint red and bluish lines had surfaced beneath the surface of her body.

At first glance, they looked almost like strange markings. But no, on closer inspection, they were veins and arteries faintly visible beneath her skin in an unnatural way.

Mrs. Woods instinctively took a step backwards in shock. For a brief second, genuine fear crossed her face.

anwhile, Amara noticed absolutely nothing.

She only climbed slowly into the steaming bath with visible relief before leaning back tiredly against the tub.

"The warm water feels so good..." she murmured weakly.

Mrs. Woods remained standing there silently, still staring. The faint veins remained visible across Amara’s shoulders, arms, collarbone... even parts of her neck.

Though the marks were not aggressive, they were enough to look deeply unnatural.

anwhile, Amara sighed again and closed her eyes briefly. "My head is aching badly today," she complained softly. "I think I want to stay in the bath longer."

Then she added tiredly, "And maybe drink hot tea while soaking."

Mrs. Woods barely heard the words properly. Her mind was already racing violently on whether she should tell her what she saw or pretend not to notice.

Or should she decide whether she finishes helping her quickly and reports imdiately to the Alpha Prince?

The longer Mrs. Woods stared at the strange veins beneath Amara’s skin, the more unsettled she beca.