Chapter 26: Aphrodisiac

The day passed, and Rock was on his way to Swan's room to escort her, as promised.

He whistled as he walked through the long corridor of the castle, and bumped into Lady Jade who was walking towards her room.

"Ah, good evening, Milady," Rock greeted politely as he knew that Lady Jade's position was higher than his in front of His Majesty. 

Jade smiled thinly at the young beta and asked, "Where are you going?"

"I'm going to escort Princess Swan to His Majesty's private lake. She wants to surprise him," Rock replied.

"I see. Well, it will take a while before His Majesty returns. Why don't you have tea with me first?"

"But I—"

"I also want to ask you a few things about her based on your observation," Jade said. "His Majesty orders me to observe her because it's our first time having a female human in our kingdom."

Rock became tense immediately as he realized that Lady Jade was serious, and that magic word 'His Majesty' was enough to make him obey whatever she said.

In the end, he followed Lady Jade into her balcony where she had set up a table for a small tea break, with a ceramic teapot, and two ceramic cups which she imported from the eastern kingdom. There were also human-made sweet bites that Rock personally disliked. 

Jade sat at the table, and pointed at the chair facing hers, "Have a seat."

Again, Rock obeyed her order. He sat down and watched how Lady Jade poured him tea which had a strange purple color.

"So, what do you think about Princess Swan?" Jade asked while pouring the same purple-colored tea into her teacup. 

"I visited her room the day after she arrived, and she seems like a timid person."

"Oh, I get that impression too from her. I think she is just timid because of the situation surrounding her kingdom." 

Rock nodded, "She came here as a prisoner of war, so I don't think her timidness is unjustified."

"Is that so? But don't you think it's weird that she doesn't have the arrogance befitting of a royal princess?"

"That's true, but isn't that a good thing? I would dislike her if she looked down on us, beastmen, " Rock hummed for a second while crossing his arms. He looked up, recalling his time with Princess Swan today. "She is petite, has striking blonde hair, which is proof of her status as a princess in Holy Achate, and also has a gorgeous face. His Majesty must've been very fond of her because she looked like a cute deer. I have to admit that even I can't help but grow protective of her."

"Oh? So you agree that she is gorgeous?" Jade grinned. "It seems that you have taken a fancy to her too."

"Wha—Hah?!" That accusation caught him off guard. "W-what are you saying, Milady? How could I long for His Majesty's mate? That's treason!"

Jade chuckled in response, "Don't be so tense. I won't tell His Majesty about it."

"But I don't—"

"You carried her up and down the stairs, right? I know you must've been excited about it," Jade taunted, and she hit the jackpot when Rock went quiet. He lowered his head ashamedly. 

"Oh? I guess I am right, after all. Don't worry, I understand your fascination with her. Despite her timidness, she's one-of-a-kind beauty, I admit that. I know a young man like you will get excited even if she is not your mate."

Rock couldn't deny it either, because it was true that he got excited whenever he carried her up and down the stairs. Everything about her, from her strangely familiar scent, to innocent ocean eyes looking up at him, and her breasts that she desperately tried to cover. 

He would be lying if he said he wasn't enticed. 

But he knew his place. He knew that he shouldn't cross the line. 

"Milady, please refrain from ever speaking about this. Princess Swan is—"

"A cripple."

"… Huh? Why would you need to bring that up?"

Jade sighed as she put a block of sugar into her tea and stirred it gently, "I don't understand why would Holy Achate give us a cripple as a prize of Gale's victory. She might be pretty, but a cripple is still a cripple. It's quite disgusting, don't you think?"

"NO!" Rock denied vehemently. He looked genuinely angry and yelled at Lady Jade for the first time, "It doesn't matter if she can't walk! I will carry her everywhere if I need to!"

Rock saw Lady Jade's evil grin, and his eyes widened when he realized that she was just baiting him. 

"I see that you have been utterly fascinated by her," Jade muttered. She sipped her tea, then added, "It's fine. I won't tell His Majesty about this. I just want to know if you're serious about protecting her since she is our asset."

Rock's brain turned to mush. He felt defeated, but also embarrassed because he had accidentally admitted his fascination towards his Alpha's mate. 

"I-I have to escort Princess Swan now. Please excuse me, Milady."

Rock got up, but before he left, Jade pointed at the cup of purple tea in front of him, "You haven't drunk that yet."

"I don't like drinking tea."

"It's still a courtesy," Jade chuckled. "Or do you want me to tell His Majesty about this? Do you want to get severely punished over a cup of tea?"

Rock gritted his teeth. 

He knew that Lady Jade was oppressive, but this was the first time he became the receiving end of her oppressiveness. 

He didn't want to spend more time with her, as it would only confuse his heart even more. So he picked the teacup and drank everything in one big gulp before rushing out of her room. 

"Have fun with her," Jade said while watching him leave. Her eyes glinted with danger once he was away, and a malicious smirk appeared on her face. 

Jade picked up a block of sugar and ate it directly, "Fortunately, I put the antidote inside the sugar block, so I won't have to suffer from the aphrodisiac."

Jade looked at the purple-colored water in her teacup. She had put in a high dose of herb that could stimulate the heat and rut of her kin—the werewolves.

As long as Rock was in proximity of a female whom he fancied, he would eventually go into an uncontrollable rut, and after that….

"The worst could happen," Jade scoffed. "What will you do after your first mate is raped, Gale? I hope this will wake him up. He needs to stop caring too much about this feeble female and mark more women. As the curse dictates him to do."