"How could your face be like this?!"

William sat on the edge of the bed, pulling me into his arms with a heart full of pity. He lifted my chin, his fingers pressing so hard against my cheek it made me flinch with pain.

"How could it be covered in rashes?" William’s brow furrowed in anger as he glanced at Lina, who stood beside me.

"Is this how Delia ended up like this because you didn’t take care of her properly?!"

Lina was so frightened that she immediately knelt down, trembling uncontrollably, unable to say a word.

Tears fell down my cheeks, and I covered my rash-covered face, struggling to pull at William’s sleeve.

"Your Majesty, it wasn’t Lina..."

"Then tell me! Just a few days ago, you were perfectly fine, but today... how did you end up like this?!"

William’s sharp gaze swept across the entire room. I quickly covered my face with the white veil, hiding my frightening appearance from him.

"Why is it that it’s only your face...?" William’s expression darkened as he stood up, turning his back to me and looking out the window.

A cold wave of realization washed over me. Indeed, all of William's affection and care seemed to be tied to this face.

With that thought, my hand, which was hanging by the bed, subtly moved. Lina, still kneeling, lifted her head and nervously met my gaze.

Don’t disappoint me, Lina.

Lina lowered her head immediately, and then spoke up with a tremor in her voice: "Your Majesty, Miss Delia has always been healthy. The rash on her face... perhaps..."

William suddenly spun around, his eyes locking onto Lina. But Lina only lowered her body further, not daring to speak.

"Perhaps what? I order you to continue!"

"Your Majesty, please forgive me," Lina cried, shaking like a frightened servant girl, trembling under his commanding presence. No one knew that she was actually lying to deceive the ruler of the palace.

"Miss Delia was fine before, but yesterday, Princess Alice slapped Miss Delia, and that’s when this happened..."

"Do not slander Princess Alice!" I snapped sharply.

Under the veil, a slight smile tugged at the corner of my lips.

Just then, the door opened again, and Alice, dressed in splendor, sauntered in with an almost seductive air.

She had been confined to her palace for the past few days and couldn’t leave, so she saw this rare opportunity when William appeared in my room as a chance to meet him.

Unfortunately for her, no matter how beautifully she was dressed today, William wouldn’t give her a second glance.

"Your Majesty."

Alice bowed gracefully, but the smile on her face immediately froze when she saw the cold expression in William's eyes.

"Your Majesty, it’s been so long since I’ve seen you, I missed you so much. My maid told me that my skin has become less smooth."

Alice was not intimidated by William’s indifference. Instead, she pressed the conversation forward, putting on a coy and innocent expression as she touched her own cheek, almost like a lovestruck maiden meeting her lover for the first time.

William did indeed enjoy Alice's flirtations. The princesses from other packs were always so stiff and reserved, putting on a noble front. But Alice was far more proactive, which left a deep impression on him.

However, today, William stared at her with no expression, and Alice, only now realizing something was wrong, began to feel uneasy.

"Your skin has become less smooth, so you made Delia’s face break out in rashes?"

William swiftly lifted the white veil from my face, revealing the red rashes that marred my skin.

"Ah!"

Alice took a step back, horrified, and let out a shrill scream.

"What... what happened?"

"What happened? I should be asking you that! Delia’s maid told me you slapped her yesterday?! Alice, who gave you the right to punish my personal maid like that?!"

William's gaze turned sharp, his presence suffocating, as Alice covered her mouth in disbelief, her eyes flickering over to me on the bed.

"Delia? What did you tell the King? That I slapped you?"

I kept my head down, my long hair concealing my face. Underneath the veil, I threw a subtle, disdainful smile in Alice’s direction, causing her face to twist with anger.

"Your Majesty!" Alice raised her voice, pointing directly at me, "She’s just an omega from my pack. As the alpha’s daughter in the pack, it’s normal for me to slap her!"

William's expression darkened immediately. Taking advantage of the moment, I reached out and grabbed his sleeve, hiding behind him as if terrified of Alice.

"What’s more, Delia was originally my maid. But she dared to seduce you. A filthy woman like her deserves to be beaten to death!"

Alice’s voice grew louder, the coquettish act she had started with completely fading. It shifted back into the arrogant princess I was so familiar with.

I covered my mouth, desperately trying to stifle my laughter.

"Enough!" William barked loudly.

Alice’s face turned pale with fear, and it seemed she finally realized something was wrong.

Alice’s foolishness never ceased to amaze me. This was not her pack—William would not allow her to throw tantrums here.

Among all the princesses sent by different packs, Alice was the most isolated. It was because of her inability to gauge situations, her arrogance, and her explosive temper that the other princesses had long manipulated her.

It wasn’t until I began to advise her, gathering information about the personalities of the other princesses and targeting their weaknesses, that she managed to stay in the palace.

But now, I wanted to strip away the mask she had worn in front of William, revealing her true nature so that he would gradually lose interest in her.

"Alice, Delia is my personal maid. No one has the right to dispose of her except for me."

William's warning was sharp as he spoke. He then swiftly swept me up into his arms, and in Alice’s astonished gaze, he kicked the door open.

"Since you couldn’t take care of Delia, she’ll rest in my palace now."

"Your Majesty!" Alice ran after him, but by the time she reached the door, all she could see was William's back as he carried me away.

I looked over William’s shoulder, seeing Alice crying as she leaned against the door.

In the hallway, I froze, my gaze locked on William's tense jaw.

His arms wrapped tightly around me, his chest warm and strong. In his arms, I felt like a small kitten.

William’s steps were quick, and he set me down on his bed.

"Get the palace doctor here, immediately!" William turned to the housekeeper in the room.

"Understood, Your Majesty." The housekeeper bowed and left. When he returned, however, it was with Eric.

"Your Majesty, I heard you summoned a doctor. I was worried about your health, so I came along with him to check on you."

Eric bowed respectfully, feigning concern for his brother. William didn’t seem to mind and just waved for the doctor to step forward.

"I’m fine. It’s just that Delia has developed these rashes on her face for some reason, and I’m very worried. I wanted her to rest in my room and have the doctor take a look."

William tightened his grip on my wrist, his breath brushing against my nose, hot like the desert sun.

"I see," Eric said, his gnome-like stature just barely able to reach the edge of the bed, making him appear comical.

The housekeeper returned and whispered something into William’s ear.

"Delia, I need to take care of some matters. Please rest here for now."

"Please don’t worry about me, the doctor will take care of me," I replied softly.

William nodded, then quickly left the room.

The doctor continued to examine my face. Before long, he motioned for Lina to step aside to discuss my condition with her.

Now, only Eric remained in front of me.

"What a pity," Eric sneered, no longer hiding the lust in his gaze.

"Delia, you’re only here because your face resembles the King’s dead lover. Now that your face is ruined, do you think the King will still remember you?"

I scoffed softly, lowering my voice to reply, "Even if the King forgets me, it’s better than being remembered by you."

"Is it?" Eric smiled darkly. "Delia, I’ll wait for the day the King abandons you. And then, I’ll watch you beg me to help you."

Eric’s sinister laugh echoed as he turned and left.

Once the doctor finished giving instructions to Lina, she came closer, worry etched across her face.

"Miss Delia, you’ve offended Duke Eric. What if he tarnishes your reputation in front of the King?"

I traced the rashes on my face, my voice cold as I responded, "Lina, one day, I’ll make Eric bow to me."