The Cursed Alpha Prince's Replacement Bride-Chapter 45: Turning the Situation Against Them

{Third Person}

The next morning arrived quietly, as though the palace itself wished to bury the chaos of two nights ago.

Before the sun had fully risen, the Human delegates departed.

Cars lined the grand exit, one after another rolling past the towering gates of the Werewolf Kingdom. There were no grand send-offs this time, no elaborate gestures—only formal escorts and guarded expressions.

The Humans did not linger. Whatever impressions they had carried in with them had clearly shifted, and none of them seemed eager to stay a moment longer than necessary.

By the time the last car disappeared into the distance, a strange stillness settled over the kingdom.

And then, the summons came.

—

The council hall filled quickly.

Werewolf court officials gathered, their expressions a mix of expectation and unease. Some stood in quiet confidence, believing that the King had finally called them to address the Alpha Prince’s misconduct.

Others exchanged subtle glances, uncertain but hopeful that their petitions from the previous day had struck their intended mark.

Low murmurs filled the hall.

"His Majesty cannot ignore this matter forever."

"The kingdom’s dignity is at stake."

"He must take decisive action this time, despite the Alpha Prince already being punished."

Their voices overlapped, hushed but charged with anticipation. Then the doors opened, and King Sebastian entered.

Immediately, the hall fell silent. Everyone bowed deeply, but the moment the King took his seat, something felt wrong.

His expression was not calm or composed. It was storming.

He did not allow them to rise immediately. Instead, his sharp gaze swept across the hall, landing on each of them one after the other, heavy with something that made even the boldest among them uneasy.

"Raise your heads," he said at last.

They obeyed. And the moment they did, the storm broke.

"What exactly were you all thinking?" King Sebastian began, his voice low but laced with fury.

The question struck like a whip. No one answered. No one dared to because they didn’t even understand where his fury was coming from.

Just then, his hand slammed against the arm of his throne. "You submitted petitions," he continued, his voice rising, "against the Alpha Prince... while the Human delegation was still within our borders."

A heavy silence followed. The officials exchanged quick glances, confusion replacing their earlier confidence.

"Tell me," the King pressed, his gaze turning sharp as he pointed at them one after the other, "what difference is there between your actions... and his?"

The question hung in the air, unanswered.

"You stand here, condemning him for killing a dancer in front of the Humans—claiming he brought shame upon this kingdom..." he went on, his tone cutting,

"...yet you chose to air our internal conflicts before those same eyes." His voice hardened further.

The realization began to dawn, but it was already too late for them.

"You have done the exact same thing," King Sebastian declared, his voice echoing through the hall. "You have shown them that this kingdom is divided. That its court is unstable. That its officials are more interested in tearing each other down than preserving its dignity."

Not a single person made an attempt to speak. The King was furious at them. They had no words left.

"You speak of reputation," he continued, his anger no longer restrained, "yet you are the very ones dragging it through the mud!"

Several officials lowered their heads further, their earlier boldness completely gone.

"You are selfish," the King said sharply. "Blinded by your own agendas. So consumed with your personal grievances that you no longer care what image you present to the outside world."

His words struck harder than any physical blow.

The officials who had come prepared to argue now stood frozen, their thoughts scattered, their confidence shattered.

They had expected support and validation. Instead, they were being condemned.

King Sebastian leaned forward slightly, his gaze cold and unyielding.

"The only difference," he said, his voice dropping but no less severe, "between you and the Alpha Prince... is that he was punished for his actions."

The words landed heavily.

"And you," he finished, his eyes sweeping across them once more, "have not been punished."

A chill ran through the hall. No one did as much as attempt to breathe too loudly. 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

For a moment, it seemed as though he might go further and issue consequences. But instead, he rose abruptly from his seat.

"Court is dismissed." His words rang sharply

Without waiting for their bows, without acknowledging their presence any longer, King Sebastian turned and walked out, his robes trailing behind him as the doors shut heavily in his wake.

Complete silence enveloped the room. For several long seconds, no one moved. Then slowly, the low, uneasy murmurs began.

"What just happened...?"

"He turned it on us..."

"This was not what we expected..."

Some looked frustrated. Others were embarrassed, while a few were simply shaken. Not one of them dared to bring up the Alpha Prince again.

One by one, they began to leave, their earlier unity fractured, their confidence replaced with lingering unease.

---

In the quiet of his residence, Alexander sat in his study once again, a book open before him, though his eyes were not truly on the pages.

The morning light filtered through the tall windows, casting a calm glow over the room, in stark contrast to the unrest that had swept through the court earlier.

Jasper knocked and stepped in, closing the door behind him before offering a respectful bow. "Your Highness."

Alexander did not look up immediately. "Speak."

Jasper straightened. "There was a court session this morning. His Majesty summoned the officials."

That was enough to earn Alexander’s attention. His gaze lifted slightly, though his expression remained neutral.

Jasper continued, "The officials expected His Majesty to address your actions at the banquet. Instead... His Majesty turned his attention to them. He berated them for submitting petitions against you while the Human delegation was still within the kingdom."

Alexander’s brows shifted ever so slightly.

"He compared their actions to yours and accused them of damaging the kingdom’s reputation. None of the officials dared to bring you up again," Jasper finished.

Alexander left out a dismissive sound. "Those old wolves must be really disappointed this time," he said calmly, his tone carrying no interest beyond mild amusement.

Jasper did not respond to that. Instead, he changed the topic. "There is one more thing to report, Your Highness."

Alexander made a small gesture with his hand, signalling him to continue.

"Regarding the matter you asked me to investigate two days ago... The group of dancers invited to the banquet were brought in under the authority of the Minister of Rites," Jasper said, choosing his words carefully.

"But a few days before the banquet, Lord Zarek visited a brothel where that same group was performing," he continued. "It is likely that he used that opportunity to instruct one of them."

The implication was clear.

Alexander did not look surprised as this wasn’t the first time the Second Prince is scheming against him. So, he leaned back slightly in his seat, his expression turning faintly mocking.

"So, Zarek went through the trouble of using such a cheap trick to scheme against me," he said calmly. "Does he think I cannot do the same to him?"

His tone was light, but there was something underneath it—something far less casual.

On the other hand, Jasper didn’t think Alexander was right about one thing. He nearly sighed.

’Your Highness, if his method was so cheap... then you really shouldn’t have fallen for it in the first place.’

That was the whole point, but of course, he said none of it aloud.

He simply bowed his head slightly and remained silent.