Chapter 398

Natasha hadn’t returned all night, leaving Alfred frantic with worry. In desperation, he had no choice but to seek Athena’s help.

“Forgive my late-night intrusion upon Prince Xander and you,” Alfred said, bowing deeply with evident shame as he hastened to apologize.

Athena waved off his concern gracefully. “Mr. Beren, there’s no need to stand on ceremony. What matters now is finding Natasha. I’ll dispatch my guards to search for her right away. With her combat skills, she can handle herself. She probably just got delayed by something unexpected.”

Alfred nodded, trying to maintain a calm facade, but deep down, he was utterly flustered. “Yes, yes. She will be fine,” he kept repeating the same sentence.

Athena instructed her attendants to stay with Alfred while she organized a search for Natasha.

Soon, news arrived.

Ansel himself rushed in to report, “Your Highness, we’ve found Miss Beren.”

“Where is she? Is she alright?” Athena asked anxiously.

Ansel looked troubled, casting a cautious glance at Alfred as he hesitated to speak.

Alfred shot to his feet, anxiety spiking, nearly toppling the shelf behind him. He asked, his voice tight with desperation, “What exactly happened to Natasha?”

In those fleeting moments, countless dreadful possibilities raced through Alfred’s mind. ‘Did something happen to Natasha? Is that why she hasn’t come home? Or was she abducted by bandits?’

His late wife’s dying wish was for him to take good care of their daughter. ‘If anything happens to Natasha, I won’t be able to go on living either,’ Alfred thought in anguish.

Seeing Alfred growing frantic, Ansel quickly shook his head, his voice careful and a bit nervous. “No, no, Miss Beren is fine. Nothing happened to her. The reason she came home late is that she was with Prince Evander.”

Alfred exclaimed, “What?”

‘Natasha swore she’d never marry Evander,’ Alfred thought, ‘so how did she suddenly end up with him? And on top of that, she didn’t even come home last night.’

Alfred’s hands, veins bulging, clenched the table corner tightly, and spots swam before his eyes. He muttered, “Oh no… The Beren family’s century-old reputation… And she’s not even married yet.”

Then, as if a sudden thought struck him, a wave of relief washed over Alfred. ‘Thank goodness they’re already engaged,’ Alfred thought. ‘Even if rumors spread, there’s nothing to fear. It’s just…’

Alfred couldn’t make heads or tails of it. So he asked, “How on earth did she end up with Prince Evander all of a sudden?”

Ansel thought helplessly, ‘How should I know?’ He was only repeating what his men had reported. They saw Natasha part ways with Evander at the gates of the Evander Manor. As for what happened between them, he was completely in the dark.

“Mr. Beren, it’s such a relief we’ve found her. I’m sure Natasha is waiting for you at home now. I'll have my attendant escort you home,” Athena said.

Alfred nodded eagerly, unable to sit still for even a moment longer. Seeing his impatience, Athena quickly asked Ansel to escort Alfred back to his residence at once.

By the time all the commotion had settled down, it was already the dead of night. When Athena returned to their chamber, Xander was still asleep. She slipped quietly back into bed, and no sooner had she lain down than a strong arm drew her close. In the darkness, Xander’s voice was rough with sleep. “Where did you go?”

When Trina came to report to Athena, she made sure not to disturb Xander. Now, nestled in Xander’s embrace, Athena shifted to find a comfortable position, snuggling deeper into his arms.

“It’s nothing,” she murmured. “Go back to sleep.”

Xander still wanted to ask more, but holding Athena in his arms filled him with inexplicable happiness. He felt like he was floating on clouds, pleasantly lightheaded. At Athena’s “go back to sleep,” he drifted effortlessly into a deep slumber.

The next morning, as soon as Athena woke up, news arrived.

Evander and Natasha’s wedding was set for the end of the month.

Athena gasped in surprise, “The end of this month? That’s just around the corner! Why the rush?”

“They say the two of them stayed out all night, and rumors started flying around. Before you knew it, the King heard about it. And just like that, the wedding was set,” Trina replied.

Athena thought for a moment, then nodded. “Honestly, Evander is quite decent. He’s steady and composed, without the vices of those spoiled playboys. With one lively and the other calm, they complement each other well.”

“But your dear friend is at home right now, pacing around like a cat on hot bricks,” Xander said as he walked in from outside, casually setting a box of cake on the table.

The other day, Athena mentioned she was craving the raspberry pudding cake from Joy Bakery. So Xander made a point of rising at dawn to buy it for her.

Athena looked at him with a hint of amusement. “So, babe, you went for the cake and picked up some juicy gossip along the way?”

Xander opened the cake box, and the sweet aroma immediately wafted to Athena’s nose. Her mouth watered as she stared at the cake, completely mesmerized. As if sensing her anticipation, Xander picked up a piece and held it to her lips. Athena opened her mouth and took a bite. The perfect balance of sweet and tart flavors spread across her tongue. She nodded appreciatively, murmuring, “Yummy!”

“Since you like it, have another bite,” Xander said, picking up the cake and tenderly holding it to Athena’s lips.

Athena, however, noticed that Xander was frowning slightly, as if suppressing some discomfort.

With concern, she asked, “Darling, are you feeling unwell?”

Xander shook his head, but seeing Athena’s worried expression, he relented, “It’s nothing, just a bit of an upset stomach from the seasonal change.”

“Since you’re not feeling well, you should have told me,” Athena said gently. “I’ll get some herbal medicine for you. There’s no need to tough it out.”

She reached for a handkerchief to gently wipe Xander’s forehead, but he caught her hand and smiled. “With such a wonderful wife, what more can I possibly ask for?”

Day in and day out, Athena and Xander were as inseparable as ever. Trina and the others had long grown used to it.

Seeing this, Trina grinned and reminded Athena, “Now that Prince Evander’s wedding is set, and since you and Miss Beren are such close friends, it’s only right for you to prepare a wedding gift for her. Have you decided what to give her yet?”

Hearing this, Athena paused to think seriously. “This all happened so suddenly that I haven’t made up my mind yet. But since she’s going to be my husband’s future niece-in-law, as her elder, I should, of course, make sure my gift is generous.”

As she spoke, she shot Xander a meaningful look.

Xander caught on right away. “Feel free to pick anything you like from the treasury. I wouldn’t mind. Aren’t they all yours anyway?”

Athena smiled. “Thank you for your love, darling.”

Xander smiled softly, loving nothing more than seeing Athena so happy.

As soon as Athena got up and headed for the storeroom, Xander’s brow furrowed deeply as he pressed a hand to his stomach, a pained expression on his face.

Athena went to the treasury, carefully selected several valuable items, had them packed into ornate chests, and then ordered her attendants to deliver them to the Minister’s manor.

When Athena arrived, she found Natasha anxiously pacing back and forth in her room. Spotting Athena, Natasha rushed over. “Athena! Thank goodness you’re here! Quick, help me think of a solution.”

Athena looked at her, puzzled. “What solution?”

“I don’t want to get married! Maybe I should just run away,” Natasha blurted out. As she spoke, she began frantically gathering her belongings, preparing to run away.

Athena quickly grabbed her arm and whispered urgently, “Are you insane? Defying the king’s order means death.”

“But I don’t want to get married,” Natasha choked out.

Athena gently dabbed away her tears with a handkerchief. “Don’t you like Prince Evander? Honestly, he’s quite a decent man.”

“No, that’s not what I meant,” Natasha blurted out. “I’m scared of something else.”