True Alpha's Chosen Mate-Chapter 301: Not my problem

Paris stomped his feet away with disdain, clouding his features. While I followed him with a blank expression. I looked back only to see Sven burp inelegantly while rubbing his tummy.

"What a strange person, indeed," Paris grumbled as he walked away from the dining hall. "I didn’t know there’s someone who will compete with Lucien at the top of my hate list."

"I know..." I whispered, clicking my tongue when Sven raised his head in my direction and waved. "I don’t like him as well."

I scoffed and peeled my eyes away from him, following Paris’ tracks in a somber mood. It didn’t seem Sven planned on telling anyone about our encounter since he said nothing regarding it. I still planned on telling him just in case, though. Just not today.

Paris ramblings ran on as we marched through the hallway from the dining hall. While he was busy nitpicking on Sven’s entire existence, I kept silent, my eyes on the floor.

’Just what is going on?’ I wondered, biting my inner lip. ’I met a lot of people in my time, but never did I meet someone like him.’

The thought brought me back to our first encounter and our second. I knew he was trouble, but I couldn’t help but worry. He shouldn’t be here, knowing he planned on traveling the world. Meeting the duke... wouldn’t be something that happened to him.

If he entered this place, he wouldn’t be able to leave even if he wanted to. That was not how it works here.

I ground my teeth and balled my hand into a fist. ’Why do I care? I already gave him money to leave. It’s his fault that he walked in His Grace’s path.’ I mentally nodded and convinced myself I shouldn’t bother myself with someone like him, but to no avail.

Sven bothered me in a way that put my heart in unrest.

"Callie!" I jolted when Paris lowered his head and clapped in front of me. I raised my head only to see we were already toe to toe, and he already stopped in his tracks. "Are you that rattled to see someone as barbaric as him? I knew you hate nasty people. Tsk."

"I don’t feel well, Paris. I will resign to bed early." Before I walked past him, I patted his chest. I felt his gaze on my back, but I didn’t have the energy to look back and explain myself. It was not like Paris wasn’t aware of what kind of person I was.

I just needed some time alone and to rest. My headache was growing worse, and all I wanted was some time alone to breathe. I couldn’t do that in an open space, knowing the watchful walls of this castle. Only the eyes on the walls of my chambers were the ones I could trust to keep this facade a secret.

And so, I rushed back to my chambers and ignored Lisha, who welcomed me into my quarters.

"My lady —"

"I want to be alone," were the only words I uttered as I walked past her and entered my room.

I stood in front of the shut doors with my back and hands on them. I breathed in and out heavily, closing my eyes as I caught up to my breathing. My head hurts.

"It’s none of your business, Callie," I whispered. "None of your business. You did your end of the bargain. What happens to him is not your fault, nor it is something you should concern yourself with."

To make me feel better, I repeated those words. I didn’t know why I was so bothered by this... or rather; I knew very well why.

Sven was a free spirit who had lived in freedom. He doesn’t have a place in this enormous cage. Someone like him... wasn’t fit in this place.

The issue was... one way or another, deep in my heart, I didn’t want this place to take another person’s freedom, especially someone as bright and carefree as him.

I ran my hand through my hair in distress. "Never mind," came out a whisper, dragging my feet towards the bed and throwing myself on it. "Kindness is someone you don’t even think about. You have your own problems and you shouldn’t feel responsible for other people’s dilemmas."

I buried my face in the soft mattress until I couldn’t breathe, so I rolled on my back. I rested my arm over my eyes, keeping one peeking at the dim ceiling. Another deep exhale slipped past my lips, getting more stressed and drained at the thought.

Ever since I met that wild, barbaric werewolf, I kept finding myself in this situation, and to think we only met twice.

"Really... what is wrong with me?" I wondered under my breath. "I kept my facade all this time and no one ever noticed it. Why am I being so whiny now?"

I couldn’t really use the excuse of ’just getting tired of putting up with this fakery’ now. I didn’t have a problem with it until now. Maybe it was because of Lucien returning? That my brain was automatically shifting its attention to a different problem? I used all types of excuses I could think of why I was acting and feeling restless.

"That’s right. It’s probably because of Lucien..." I trailed off and peeled my arm away from my eyes upon hearing a faint sound coming from the balcony. My brows furrowed hearing another faint sound of what seemed to be a pebble hitting the frames of the balcony’s door.

"Who...?" I propped my elbows on the mattress to assist myself up, flinging my legs out of the bed to walk toward the balcony. As soon as I reached the door, I gazed down as another pebble rolled onto the floor before I opened it.

’Paris?’ I wondered, although Paris would rather barge in the door if he wanted to see me. I carefully marched towards the railings, placing my hands on them before I looked over. Much to my dismay, it wasn’t Paris or anyone I could think of.

The person standing below the balcony was the person who had been giving me this stress.

Sven.