The Alpha King's Mind Reading Maid (Cecilia) novel Chapter 26

Chapter 26

Leopold’s POV

“Arden?” I snapped.

That name was familiar to me.

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Before I had ascended the throne, I had gone to the Walf Witch, to ask of her to help me find my Ture Mate. To assist me, she had performed a divination with chanting, calling upon the Moon Goddess and my ancestors. With the use of my blood and her powers, she was able to help pinpoint a location before her energy entirely depleted. Unfortunately, she had passed away soon

after.

The area was rather broad and contained several regions within my kingdom. One of the regions was Silver Moon pack, of which Alpha Arden was presently leading.’

There was something else… Some other connection I wasn’t thinking of…

I’d been ready to only half-listen to Landon as he read the list, but now, I was focusing with apt attention.

Landon looked up. “That pack is where Cecilia is from, Sire.”

Cecilia. A woman who was quickly becoming a bane in my side, if only because I was having trouble ignoring her.

When I had saw her wounds, after she had gone away, I had called my doctor to demand ointment for her. I had lied about needing it for myself. I had only ever acquired it just for her. Then I had called her in here so that I could personally give it to her.

Why had I done that? Never before had I felt the need to go through so much effort for any slave, maid, or concubine. Yet, with Cecilia, I found myself at odds.

Was it possible…?

It couldn’t be that I actually cared for her?

No, that was impossible. It just couldn’t be. I barely knew her, and she was an Omega. No Omega would ever be valuable to me, not above how a slave could serve their master.

Inwardly, I rejected the idea. I must have been fooling myself.

Yes, I had gotten her the ointment, but it must have been only because I felt somehow responsible. Yes, that was it. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have done it.

Cecilia meant nothing to me. And any hints to the contrary were just delusions.

Cecilia’s POV

After hearing my own surname, I stopped. Rage bubbled up inside of me so hot and fast that it threatened to spill over.

My relationship with my father was never very strong, but I would have never expected him to be so heartless.

Not only had he tossed me away like garbage, sending me to the palace as a slave without a care of my wellbeing. But now he was also letting Sophia, his illegitimate daughter, take my place at the mating selection. That was a place of honor, a chance to become Queen.

Maybe he had never intended for me to be there. Maybe he’d always wanted Sophia to be his true daughter.

Whatever his motives, it was clear he wanted me gone. Sending me here, condemning me to live forever as a slave, he was trying to erase my existence entirely, like I’d never been born. Like I’d never been a part of his life.

I guessed to him, I was someone easily disposable. Forgotten.

I forced my legs to move, wanting to be away from here and that spot right there where I had felt the hurt of this realization.

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I turned the corner and nearly walked into someone. I moved at the last moment so only our shoulders brushed instead.

“How are you still alive? Vivian gasped.

I looked up, over to Vivian, realizing that she had been the one I nearly knocked over in my haste to be out of these hallways.

Her shocked expression pulled me from the downward spiral of my thoughts and into the present moment.

What did she have to be shocked about? And what had she said… how are you still alive? Why would she have been so certain that I’d be dead?

Nothing about this felt right. Something was clearly wrong here, and looking down at the Alpha King’s ointment, I started to put the pieces together.

That slave who had given me that floral scented ointment, bringing it to my room. I had never seen her before. I’d only been here two days, so it wasn’t odd for me to not know everyone. I’d easily dismissed the odd appearance before because of my

newness.

Now, I was seeing it in a new light.

Had that floral-scented ointment truly been from Leopold?

Warren had had such a visceral reaction to it. He’d hated it so much. Why would Leopold give me an ointment that would make him uneasy? Why would he mention nothing of the first ointment while he provided me with the second?

Unless he didn’t know about the first ointment. Unless he never commanded the slave to deliver it to me..

That slave had lied to me.

I had been set up.

Now I just needed to prove the connection to Vivian.

Thinking quickly, I lied through my teeth. “I overheard Landon mention that a vial or iris ointment went missing from the royal infirmary. I guess that kind of ointment was extremely rare. It’s a big mystery who could have taken it.”

“I don’t know anything about that,” Vivian said, sticking up her chin a little in defiance.

Liar.

I continued with my own concocted tale. “I also heard that this vial had a kind of filament on it. Anyone who touched the vial or the ointment within would have some discoloration left behind on their hands. Apparently, it leaves a mark that can’t even be washed away.”

As if on reflex, Vivian looked down at her hands. And just like that, I had my proof.

I smiled faintly. “Why so nervous, Vivian? Why check your own hands? It couldn’t be that you had anything to do with this theft, could it?”

Vivian looked up again in a rush. Her face was turning red with anger. “How dare you. I am an honored royal concubine. To accuse me of something as disgraceful as stealing is beyond reproach!”

I feigned surprise. “I never said you did.”

Vivian’s face turned red as a tomato as she glared at me in full, open hatred. “I will not stand here and be insulted by a lowly Omega!”

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