CHAPTER 259: CHAPTER 259 DIMITRI ROSENTHAL

Seeing Addison acknowledge her efforts, the former Luna dipped into a courteous bow, her smile warm with pride and relief. While addressing her, Addison simultaneously reached out through the mindlink to Lance.

"Lance, send a command to the guards outside. Tell them to stay vigilant and watch for anything unusual, shadows moving, disturbances, anything at all. If they notice even the slightest trace, they must investigate and report back immediately."

When she finished, Addison’s gaze shifted to Lance, who sat not far away. Their eyes met, and he gave a firm nod of understanding before relaying the order through the mindlink to the guards stationed outside.

But even after breakfast, no word reached Addison. With silence hanging over them, they all returned to their rooms to pack, yet still no news came. Addison’s thoughts grew heavy.

’Could it be... did the dark fairies already perish and turn to dust?’

She couldn’t think of any other explanation. Still, they couldn’t linger here, too many people were waiting for them at the western frontline. With no answers and no time left, Addison had no choice but to leave the matter unresolved, at least for now.

As everyone gathered around the carts, preparing to depart, the Former Luna and Former Gamma personally escorted Addison out of the packhouse to see her off. Just before she boarded her cart, Addison paused and turned back to the Former Luna.

"If you ever need anything, let me know right away. I’ll do everything in my power to help. And if any strange phenomenon occurs, don’t attempt to handle it on your own; inform the kingdom immediately," Addison said firmly.

The Former Luna blinked in surprise, her brows knitting slightly as she asked, "What do you mean, Your Royal Highness?"

"I’m just saying, if anything happens, remember that the kingdom stands behind you. You don’t have to shoulder everything alone, and letting those higher up know would ease your burden." Addison gave the Former Luna’s hand a reassuring pat before offering a gentle smile and climbing up onto the cart.

Her gaze drifted to the mages who had collapsed the night before; they must have gone to the Pack’s clinic for treatment and rest. Though still weak, their faces had regained some color, which eased her worries a little. Still, her focus sharpened again as she scanned her surroundings, exhaling heavily when she found nothing amiss.

Zion, Maxwell, and Levi climbed onto the cart as well. Levi gave Addison a look before he started reporting. "We did one last sweep of the surroundings but found no trace of the dark fairies. Elric even performed a full magical scan of the pack, but the results were the same, as if the dark fairies had vanished into thin air..."

Knowing how much this weighed on Addison, Levi gave her hand a gentle squeeze of reassurance. But even that small gesture earned him a possessive glare from Zion, and a restrained one from Maxwell.

Not wanting to spark tension in the cramped cart, Levi quickly withdrew his hand. The last thing Addison needed was their petty rivalries adding to her already heavy burdens.

As the caravan began to move, Addison stayed quiet. She noticed, however, that the light fairy she had contracted with was still unresponsive.

When it claimed it was only "sleepy," it must have meant it was hibernating inside her. Still, she felt nothing amiss, no drain on her energy or life force, so she pushed the thought aside for now.

Since they couldn’t find the dark fairies, it seemed unlikely that the attackers were still around. Addison chose to believe the dark fairies had simply perished in the end.

Thinking of it that way felt more plausible, especially with no other clues pointing to someone sneaking into the pack to steal them. Accepting that, she let the matter rest, and their journey continued, this time without incident.

「Meanwhile, in the Royal Palace...」

"What did you say?!" The Alpha King roared, his hands clenching the armrests of his throne so tightly that the golden metal nearly crumbled under his grip. His furious gaze bore into his younger brother, the same brother who had spent his life drowning in indulgence and debauchery. "Repeat that," the Alpha King demanded through gritted teeth.

"Brother," Dimitri said, standing tall as if his words were justified. "I said, this is my daughter. Decades ago, when you sent me to the border to train and fight in those skirmishes with the vampires, a pack there hosted me for a year."

"During that time, I... became involved with the Beta’s daughter. She was my first love. But when I returned to the palace, I met my fated mate. And when I tried to find her again, she was gone. I never knew she carried my child. Only when I met this girl now did I recognize my scent upon her. There is no doubt—she is mine."

"So you’re telling me," the Alpha King growled, teeth grinding as his glare burned into his brother, "that the one who took her away during my birthday banquet was you?!"

For so long, they had scoured every corner of the palace in search of Claire, finding no trace. And only now, to discover she was his brother’s long-lost daughter? The realization struck him like a bolt of lightning.

No wonder she had vanished so suddenly, without leaving the slightest clue. Someone from within the palace had indeed helped her escape. But for that someone to be his own brother, it felt like a betrayal that left his chest seething with rage, but at the same time, he couldn’t blame him for it.

Behind Dimitri, Claire kept close, half-hiding in her newly acknowledged father’s shadow. Fear prickled through her. If she stepped forward, would the Alpha King have her executed on the spot?

Yet another thought steadied her trembling: she was no longer just a nobody. She was the daughter of the Alpha King’s brother. That made her a princess. And she had never lied about it.

More than anything, Claire felt a smug satisfaction. Let them be furious; none of them could touch her so easily now. Royal blood flowed in her veins, a shield as powerful as any weapon.

And yet, despite that comforting truth, the Alpha King’s oppressive aura pressed down on her like a crushing weight. Without the safety of her newly acknowledged father standing before her, she was certain her knees would have buckled instantly.

The King’s growl of rage reverberated through the throne room walls, each sound a reminder of the danger she now stood in.

But really, could anyone blame her for such incredible luck? Ecstatic, she couldn’t stop herself from recalling the night of the birthday banquet...

「Night of the Birthday Celebration Banquet」

’Fuck! To think that bitch was actually the Royal Princess, the Alpha King’s daughter?! What cursed luck! Why does everything always revolve around her? Why must I be dragged into humiliation while she basks in glory and love?!’

Claire’s eyes blazed with hatred as she glared at Addison, but her body betrayed her, trembling like a fragile leaf in the wind. Fear coiled around her chest, tightening with every breath.

One by one, every cruel thing she had done to Addison replayed in her mind, each memory striking harder than the last. The truth gnawed at her: every act of malice she committed was a capital crime, each one punishable by death.