Chapter 6
"I wonder what Elder Brother wants to discuss with me," Rohan said, walking down the stairs, where he sighted his first brother sitting in a chair. It was obvious he was waiting for Rohan's arrival.
"You're here. Let's go to the discussion room," he said, standing up from the chair and pointing the way. Without waiting for a response, he took a fast stride, leaving Rohan behind.
Seeing Fred's back view made Rohan shake his head. "I wonder when First Brother will learn to show his emotions and be happy," he mused. Fred had always been the one to carry the problems in his head. He was like a father figure to them. Others might think he was heartless, but to Rohan, it felt like his brother didn't know how to express his emotions. That's why Rohan planned to be the first to sire a child—so he could inherit the property and let his first brother relax. But he wasn't going to say all this out loud. It was embarrassing.
Cough
Hearing the cough, Rohan snapped back into reality, then took a step into the discussion room. It was a spacious room equipped with a long table and five chairs surrounding it. It was the room where the brothers used to discuss important things away from prying ears.
"You can sit down," Fred said, pointing to the chair opposite him. "I called you here to discuss concerning the breeder. I can see you are getting close to her, but the most important thing is that you must not get attached to her with emotions."
"I don't understand what you mean by 'emotions,'" Rohan asked, sounding confused—though deep down he knew what Fred was talking about.
"Don't try to act smart with me. You understand what I mean. Don't fall in love with the breeder. Love is attached to jealousy and possessiveness, and I don't want you to be involved in those emotions," Fred said, this time around with a tinge of care. He didn't want his brothers to have any disagreements because of a breeder.
"I understand, First Brother. I won't fall in love with her," Rohan said—though with a little insincerity, because he knew deep down he couldn't control his emotions.
"I hope you don't," Fred said, looking a little deeper into Rohan's eyes, like he was trying to gauge his feelings. "It's time to start the breeding. Call Third Brother and the twins and explain to them about the mix-up."
…
"Princess Ameria, you don't remember me?" the doctor asked, dropping the medical box on the table as he walked toward her, his expression clouded with confusion. He wondered why Rein didn't recognize him.
Noticing he was coming closer made Rein nervous and scared he might suspect the truth—that she wasn't the original owner, even though she was in her body. Still, she could've sworn that if the real princess had seen this man, she would've remembered him. His features were far from ordinary—the kind that made girls swoon effortlessly, with sharp edges softened by a calm demeanor.
"No, I don't. I was told I had temporary memory loss. I can only remember a few things, like my name, kingdom, and the rest," Rein lied, trying to erase any hint of suspicion.
"Princess, you can't stay here and be those Alphas' breeder. Our princess can't be brought down to a breeder's level," the doctor said, fuming. Before him stood what once was a strong warrior princess, now reduced to a trembling shadow. He could still recall her last words before leaving for battle—the confidence blazing in her eyes: "Don't worry. I'll defeat the enemy and come back with their head as a trophy."
"I don't have a choice, you know. If I try to escape, I'll be skinned alive by Fred," Rein muttered. She wasn't scared of anyone apart from the First Master. His cold aura sent shivers down her spine—ones she never knew she could feel. And it wasn't just her; she had noticed the other maids were also terrified of him.
"What's going on here?" Goth, who had been eavesdropping, suddenly reacted to the doctor's words.
Pointing at him, he sneered, "Are you planning on escaping with your lover? I will report this to the First Master." He smirked. He couldn't wait for Rein to be sent away or punished. He despised her ever since she was introduced into the palace as a breeder. He couldn't stand the fact that his sister was punished because of her. Nobody knew the maid was his sister. He had sneaked her into the palace so she could get into one of the brothers' beds, but because of Rein, their plan was spoilt.
"What do you mean by that? Who do you think you are to talk to my princess like that?" the doctor said, angry that the princess the Kingdom of Elysium once cherished was being looked down on by a lowly slave.
"'Your princess'? Oh, so you have a nickname for her. Wait till First Master hears of it," Goth said, happy to report about the illicit affair—misunderstanding what the doctor meant by "my princess."
Rein was confused about how the conversation had turned to her having an illicit affair with the doctor. Though she wasn't in any relationship with him or the Alphas' brothers, she couldn't stand being accused and insulted by a guard. In her whole life, she had never been insulted or looked down on.
*"Can you shut the fuck up? You're supposed to be outside guarding the door! Who gave you the right to enter my room?"* She made it clear she wasn't one to be taken lightly.
Deep down, Goth knew he might get in trouble, but he was still stuck in the mindset that he mustn't back down. *"Which room? How many times must I say it? You're just a slave. You can be thrown out of the house anytime. Do you think the master will be happy to know you're a 'whore' who slept with several men?"* He glared at her daringly.
*"Who did you call a whore?"* The doctor was angry that he couldn't do anything to protect the princess—he wasn't one to get into physical fights.
"I don't care what your master thinks about me, but I won't allow anyone to call me a whore," Rein said. Without wasting another second—or giving Goth a chance to back out—
Pah!
The sound of her palm meeting his cheek echoed through the room.
"You slapped me?" Shock filled his eyes as he touched his throbbing face, pain and anger flaring.
The doctor's face was stunned at what had just happened, while Rein stood with a proud expression. The three people in the room fell silent—
Until—
"What's go
ing on here?" Fred asked, trying to make sense of the scene.