The Cursed Alpha Prince's Replacement Bride-Chapter 36: She Wants to End It All

{Third Person}

Carefully, Jasper helped Alexander to his feet, supporting most of his weight without making it obvious.

Then, step by step, they moved out of the empty banquet grounds and toward the carriage waiting outside.

Every movement seemed to cost Alexander something. But he didn’t make a sound.

Once they reached the carriage, Jasper steadied him and helped him inside before stepping back. Then he mounted his horse, positioning himself beside it. With a signal, the carriage moved.

As they departed, Jasper’s gaze remained forward, but his thoughts churned. ’His Highness had gone too far tonight.’

He felt that the Alpha Prince killing that dancer in the middle of a state banquet... in front of the King was reckless and dangerous. And yet...

Jasper exhaled slowly. If the Alpha had shown even the slightest remorse—just a fraction—the King might have let it pass. After all, he was still his beloved son.

But Alexander was Alexander.

It was already a miracle that the punishment had ended at twenty lashes.

—

At the private residence where the Humans were lodged, the atmosphere was no better. The moment they entered, the tension followed them inside.

Groups formed naturally—small clusters of ministers speaking in hushed but urgent tones.

"This is unacceptable..."

"Did you see how he killed that girl without blinking?"

"If that man becomes king one day..." one of them muttered, lowering his voice further, "...the peace treaty will not survive."

Another nodded grimly. "Not even a chance."

Agreement spread quietly through the room as fear, doubt, and uncertainty took root in a single night.

—

In one of the private rooms upstairs, the mood was very different.

Lila sat on the edge of the bed, her earlier shock already gone. In its place was something else entirely—relief and satisfaction.

Her fingers traced absently over the fabric of her dress as her thoughts lingered. ’Amara truly married a monster. A real one at that.’

For the first time since arriving, Lila felt genuinely grateful that she wasn’t the one sent here. She was also grateful that her father had chosen Amara as the political bride instead.

A small, pleased smile touched her lips.

Just then, the bathroom door opened, and Torin stepped out, drying his hands with a towel. The moment he looked at her, Lila’s expression changed instantly.

Her shoulders trembled. Her eyes glossed over, and then she broke. Tears spilled down her cheeks as she let out a soft sob.

Torin crossed the room quickly. "Hey... it’s alright," he said, pulling her into his arms.

She clung to him, burying her face against his chest as if still shaken. "I was so scared..." she whispered.

He tightened his hold around her and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Nothing is going to happen to you," he murmured. "I’m here."

Lila nodded weakly against him, her grip tightening just enough to sell the act.

Elsewhere, in another room, Matilda had not recovered.

She sat on the edge of the bed, her face pale, her hands trembling slightly as tears slipped down her cheeks.

"I... I can’t forget it..." she whispered. "The way he—" Her voice broke.

Anthony stood nearby, his expression serious, though far more controlled. He watched her for a moment before stepping closer.

"Calm yourself," he said, his tone firm but not unkind.

Matilda looked up at him, her eyes filled with fear. "How is she supposed to survive here?" she asked, her voice shaking. "Anthony... that beast—"

"Enough." He cut her off. A brief silence followed before he continued, more measured this time.

"Her fate has already been decided," he said. "Whether she survives... or not... will depend on her own destiny."

Matilda’s lips trembled, but she said nothing more.

—

Back at the Alpha Prince’s residence, Amara was on her knees, still in her gown.

Her hands braced against the floor as her body convulsed, and she vomited again, her entire frame shaking from the force of it.

Mrs. Woods knelt beside her immediately, one hand gently patting her back, the other holding her steady.

"Lady Amara... it’s alright... let it out..."

But Amara couldn’t stop. Her mind wouldn’t stop.

The image—

The sound—

The blood—

It all crashed into her again and again until her body could no longer hold it in.

When it finally subsided, she slumped slightly, her breathing uneven, her face pale and damp with sweat.

"Prepare a bath," Mrs. Woods instructed softly to a nearby servant.

Not long after, Amara sat submerged in warm water. The bath was meant to soothe her, but nothing did.

She leaned back slightly, her arms wrapped around herself beneath the water as her thoughts spiralled uncontrollably.

She thought about Torin and Lila’s betrayal, and then, Alexander. The way he had moved and killed that dancer. Everything overlapped and blurred.

Her chest tightened painfully, and she pressed a hand against it as if it would ease the ache, but it didn’t.

Tears slipped down her cheeks silently at first, then more and more until she broke.

A quiet sob escaped her, then another, until her shoulders trembled and her cries filled the otherwise silent room.

For the first time, a dangerous thought crossed her mind. An ending.

She wanted to end everything and escape from all of this—the pain, the fear, and the betrayal.

Her fingers curled tightly against her chest as she cried harder, shaking her head faintly as if trying to push the thought away.

Outside the bathroom door, Mrs. Woods stood still listening. Her expression was heavy with helplessness.

She truly wanted to help, but this was not something she could fix, so she remained there, quietly, as Amara’s cries echoed from within.

---

The night had not yet settled.

In the Second Prince’s residence, Zarek sat in his study, the dim glow of lamplight casting long shadows across the polished floor.

The faint echo of the evening’s chaos still lingered in the air—but here, there was only quiet calculation.

Zarek sank into his chair and reached for the landline. The line rang once. Twice. Several times, then it connected.

"It is I, the Second Prince," Zarek said smoothly, his tone calm but carrying unmistakable authority.