Chapter 8

• Anna’s POV
• Kathy began to drag me along, and when I resisted, she frowned, folding her arms and facing me.
• “What for?” I asked meekly.
• “You’ll find out if you join the hall,” she hissed, finally grabbing hold of my arm and pulling me behind her.
• I watched as every maid rushed toward the hall, wondering what was happening.
• When we reached the hall, I saw Lady Karida stand up and gesture to the guards.
• “Close this door. We’re going to find out who was marked by Prince Lucas last night.”
• My heart sank. Shock and fear widened my eyes, and my temples began to throb.
• I gulped with anxiety as everyone gathered around Lady Karida, especially the maids.
• “If she were a powerful warrior, the mark would have left a scent that the soldiers could track. Since they haven't found it, there can only be one reason—one of you lowly maids!” she said, her disgust palpable at the thought of it being one of the maids.
• My breathing quickened as I imagined the outcome of this search.
• Panic tightened my chest as Ford’s ominous whisper echoed in my mind: “There is a catch. The moment this potion comes into contact with blood, it vanishes. Your mark will become visible again if it touches blood.”
• The condition for breaking the potion’s effect is blood; as long as I keep myself from bleeding, the potion will hide my mark.
• I’ll be fine, right?
• "Did anyone see Prince Lucas last night?" Gamma Andrew asked.
• The maids below trembled as they shook their heads, completely unaware of what had happened.
• "If no one is willing to come forward, then we’ll verify it ourselves," the Queen said angrily, clearly having lost her patience.
• The Queen Karida made us all line up and began inspecting each person’s neck. Prince Ford had applied a potion to mine, but I was still terrified of the queen’s scrutiny.
• Molly, accompanying her mother-in-law, was making her way toward me.
• With my knees shaking, I held my breath as she approached. Before I could react, someone suddenly pushed me forward, causing me to trip and land on top of Molly.
• Molly hadn’t seen it coming, and neither had I anticipated this. As a result, we both tumbled to the ground, with me landing on top of her.
• Everyone gasped in shock, witnessing Molly’s humiliation.
• I quickly tried to get off her, hearing Kathy snicker before falling silent.
• On any other day, Molly might have kept her temper in check, especially since she had just been matched with Prince Ford and needed to maintain her royal composure.
• But now, especially when she thought I was trying to seduce her newlywed husband, I didn’t think she would let me off the hook.
• Sure enough, before I could lower my head to apologize, her furious roar came from above me.
• “How dare you?” Molly’s rage was palpable. It was clear I had crossed all boundaries with her, though it wasn’t entirely my fault. Kathy’s maneuver had been deliberate, meant to provoke trouble.
• Molly’s eyes changed color, and veins bulged beneath her eyes and down her neck. Her canines became prominent, and her claws extended. I had never seen a woman let her wolf take over with such raw power.
• She shoved me away and climbed on top of me, her hand raised and claws swinging. She scratched my neck and other parts of my body before Lady Karida intervened, quickly restraining her.
• A sharp pain surged from where she had scratched me, and I let out a low cry. I thought that I might already be dead under Molly’s claws before my mark could even be discovered.
• “That’s enough. We’ll teach her a lesson behind closed doors,” Lady Karida’s whispered command was audible to me, though it seemed the others did not hear it.
• My body trembled as I knelt on the ground, unable to lift my head due to the humiliation of being beaten in front of everyone.
• “Let’s resume the search,” Lady Karida declared.
• There were only two maids left now: Kathy and I.
• But before she could approach me, the door opened.
• A tall man in a black suit entered, his sapphire blue eyes growing lighter as he scanned the room. His thick eyebrows darted around before settling on Lady Karida.
• “Prince Lucas...” Everyone respectfully greeted Prince Lucas.
• Towering over everyone present, including his guards, Prince Lucas stood tall and noble. Dressed in a sharp suit, his shirt clung to his muscular frame. I could understand why most women were drawn to him. With his blue eyes and unruly dark hair, he had the power to make anyone weak in the knees.
• But despite his handsome appearance, I knew there was a monster lurking beneath the surface. He wasn’t special. If his soul was ugly, his looks meant nothing.
• As the rumors started to spread, I could hear the excitement building around me. Everyone but me was curious about which maid Prince Lucas had marked last night.
• I still sat frozen on the ground, unable to tear my eyes away from him.
• “Apparently, he did leave a mark on one of the girls’ necks,” someone whispered, the maids' faces alight with anticipation. “I can’t wait to find out who it is.”
• I swallowed hard and shifted my focus back to Prince Lucas, who was still scanning the crowd, his expression laced with impatience. He looked at the crowd like a born predator, his eyes gleaming with a wolfish intensity as he tried to figure out which maid he had marked.
• “I heard you’re helping me find a mate. Since it’s my mate, how could I possibly be absent?”
• Prince Lucas announced, his voice sharp and unforgiving.
• "Lucas, there are still two maids left to check. The results will be available soon," Queen Karida said to Lucas with an expressionless face. Prince Lucas’s gaze followed the Queen's finger to Kathy and me.
• A chilling sensation drew my attention away from his piercing gaze.
• Something wet trickled down my neck，I looked down and discovered what it was- my blood.
• My breath caught. Blood can break the potion’s effect—what do I do now?
• Moon Goddess, am I just supposed to wait to be discovered and then executed by Queen Karida?
• Is this really my fate?
• I stared blankly into Prince Lucas’s deep blue eyes, and I shook my head gently—no.
• “Alright, let me check personally.” Prince Lucas’s deep, magnetic voice resonated once more. He then took graceful steps towards me.
• Slowly, all eyes turned toward me.