Chapter 230 Playing a Game of Hide and Seek (1/2)

The next day, Ophelia appeared at the Cookie Sect again, almost as if she was possessed.

She would usually have tried to play coy as she avoided making herself seem as if she was too eager, but for some reason, she actually found herself heading to the café again without putting much thought into it.

Surprisingly, the café was half empty, and even the half of the women that sat inside the café looked dispirited and lifeless, as if they were only hanging on by sheer willpower alone.

It was a stark contrast to the usual high-spirited and longing gazes that they used when looking at Alexander's peaceful face.

Ophelia was briefly confused, and she had a bad feeling seeing their reactions.

Immediately, she looked around, and sure enough, the spot that Alexander was supposed to always sit at was glaringly empty.

There were various ladies casting sad eyes at the empty seat.

Ophelia rolled her eyes.

They were acting like someone had died.

At that thought, the princess felt a sudden surge of anxiety.

He couldn't have died, could he?

Surely her father or her brothers didn't hear that she'd humiliated herself in front of a man, thus dispatching those under them to 'take care' of him?

Hurriedly, Ophelia left the shop, glaring harshly at the guard that was accompanying her for the day.

”Hurry up and prepare the carriage!” she commanded, before stopping. ”Wait, no. Bring me to that bookstore!”

They made their way to the store at a quick pace, but unfortunately, the bookstore indeed did not contain Alexander's shadow inside, and Ophelia hurriedly left, feeling as if something was chasing her, urging her to go faster.

What was this?

Why was she feeling like this for a man she'd only just met?

She didn't understand what she was feeling, but there was a bad feeling that was born inside her for the first time when it concerned someone else's problems.

Ophelia bit her lips and boarded the carriage again, fire in her eyes.

”Back to the palace!” she commanded, and the carriage started moving quickly without any outside interference.

She was halfway back when she calmed down slightly, her rationality returning to her.

No… it shouldn't have anything to do with her family. How could they have found out, anyway? So just where was he?

There was an itchy feeling in her heart now that she'd calmed down a little.

Hmph. To think that a man was making her chase him. She must have been possessed, acting like that.

How could she act so out of character like that?

Ophelia still returned to the palace in a huff, no longer in the mood for any fun.

She very consciously didn't ask her family whether or not they did anything to Alexander.

-Author only posts this on w.e.b.n.o.v.e.l.-

Alec was taking an off day for himself.

It was likely that soon, he wouldn't be able to do it anymore, so he was spending it away from any disturbances that he was going to face before it all started.

And, by that, he meant that he holed up in his room, relaxing and working on his seals and whatever projects that he wouldn't be able to physically touch for a while.

Alec hummed, in a strangely good mood. But he knew it wouldn't last. There were probably no end of idiots in the palace, and he wouldn't be in any position to take action any time soon.

”Ye Sha, were you able to detect anything strange going on with the princess?”

Ye Sha shook his head. ”Not from her, no, but the guard that came with her was watching her actions strangely intently. I figure he's probably in either the emperor's pocket or one of her brothers.”

Hm. There was nothing wrong with that, but Alec was surprised that they even bothered to place one of them so near the princess. Yet, the princess didn't seem to care one bit about it.

Was there something more to this, or was she just completely oblivious?

Somehow, he couldn't help but feel like this situation was more complex than he thought.

Was there also infighting regarding the decision to attack the Neil Clan, or was it something else?

He didn't have answers right now, but he also couldn't hurry up how he reeled the princess in.

It was better to have steady results in the future rather than botch it up for a bit of quick success.