Mated To The Cruel Prince
Chapter 437: Aldric’s Death Haunted Her

Chapter 437: Aldric’s Death Haunted Her

As Islinda turned the tap to start running her hot bath, she couldn’t help but wonder about the mechanism behind it all. In the Fae realm, there were separate taps for hot and cold water, a sight that she had grown used to. In the human realm, she had to heat water on a stove or with firewood, sometimes boiling it multiple times depending on the desired quantity.

Not only that, but she was also amazed by the large ceramic bathtub she had the privilege to soak in, a luxury she had never experienced before. Only well-to-do families could afford such large basins for bathing. But she couldn’t help but imagine that the royal family in the human realm might have something similar. During her "diplomatic" stay in the Fae realm, she had learned that both realms spied on each other and often emulated each other’s styles.

As Islinda immersed herself in the warm bath, she let out a sigh of bliss as her muscles relaxed. After a tense day, this was exactly what she needed. She couldn’t help but think about how much she would miss this luxury once she left the Fae realm, if she ever did leave. The Fae realm was a bittersweet place, too brutal to live in yet too tempting to leave behind.

The hot water washed away the coldness that had seeped into Islinda’s body whenever she thought about the ordeal Aldric was going through. She was deeply frightened by the thought of what would happen once Aldric died. What would become of her?

Valerie, Aldric’s nemesis and a constant thorn in his side, would surely try to claim her as his own. With Aldric gone, there would be no one standing in Valerie’s way of taking her as his wife, as he had claimed he would do. But the idea of Valerie keeping her against her wishes in the Fae realm only increased her anxiety.

Islinda knew deep down that the Fae realm would lose its shine if Aldric died. As much as she hated to admit it, Aldric brought excitement and intrigue to her life here. Look at how he managed to engage the entire palace in just one day. Moreover, the thought of losing Eli, of never seeing his playful smile, hearing his innuendos, smelling his intoxicating scent, or feeling his touch on her body, made her feel nauseous.

Despite Aldric’s unpleasant nature, there was an incredible alter ego within him. Eli was the reason she believed Aldric could be redeemed. If Eli was a part of him, then there must be some goodness in Aldric that he didn’t show. But time and time again, Aldric proved her wrong. He didn’t want to be good, and she couldn’t save someone who didn’t want to be saved. However, he didn’t deserve to die.

Panic began to bubble up inside Islinda, but she took deep, calming breaths to calm herself. Andre had assured her that they wouldn’t kill Aldric. She just needed to be patient and wait for news from him. Everything would be fine. She was safe here. Aldric would be released eventually. Islinda repeated these words to herself like a mantra.

After exiting the shower, Islinda rummaged through Andre’s wardrobe and settled on a white, long-sleeved tunic that was oversized, serving as a gown that reached her knees. The Fae were notably tall, and Prince Andre was no exception. She had to roll up the sleeves, as she looked rather comical otherwise.

Being alone inside closed doors in the late morning felt stuffy, but Islinda dared not venture onto the balcony out of fear of being seen. If Queen Maeve was hunting for her, it was best that the queen believed she had somehow snuck out of the palace. Just the thought of Queen Maeve’s sharp and malevolent gaze made her shudder. Islinda was truly afraid now.

Aldric may be sinister, but only when playing his twisted games. The queen, on the other hand, terrified her. Perhaps it was because she held ultimate power and could determine Islinda’s fate based on her mood. Simply put, if Aldric was a villain, the queen was pure evil. She wore her viciousness like armor for all to see, and she had the power to doom them all. Islinda’s negative views about monarchs were proven right by the Fae Queen of Astaria.

With nothing else to do, Islinda went to the bedroom and chose a book from the small library. It was not surprising to discover that Andre read books from the human realm, considering his frequent visits. However, it was quite shocking to find a romance novel among his collection. It seemed that both Aldric and Andre shared the same hobby. She could only hope that it wasn’t an explicit novel like "Morning Glory." She couldn’t imagine both brothers having the same taste in that regard.

Left to her own devices, Islinda settled onto the bed and for a moment, she regretted not having a snack to enjoy while reading. However, this was not a time for indulgence, as the book served as a distraction from the chaos unfolding behind closed doors.

The story she read was set in a fictional world where humans possessed magical abilities. However, it seemed that humans were never satisfied with what they had. The main character had volunteered for an experiment, but things went awry when dark experiments were conducted on him.

Islinda frowned as she noticed the similarities between the character in the story and Aldric, although in this case, Aldric hadn’t volunteered for any crazy experiment; it was just his unfortunate fate.

As the story progressed, the man was transformed into a beast, and when the experimenters couldn’t control the monster they had created, they attempted to kill him. But their attempts failed, and they were left with no choice but to confine the monster to a lab, where it would never see the sunlight.

Years passed, and the beast was nearly forgotten until a female thief broke into the lab and inadvertently set the beast free. It turned out that the beast only maintained rationality when in the presence of his female companion, and their love story continued from there. The steamy scenes in the book were not explicit, which was a relief to Islinda. It felt strange to think that Andre had read the same steamy scene she had just read.

The story was so captivating that Islinda hungered for more. She selected another book from the same shelf, hardly paying attention to the passing time. She was on her fourth read when she realized that the sun had already set and there was still no sign of Andre.

"He should be back by now," she tried to convince herself, attempting not to worry too much.

But as the hours went by and there was still no sign of him, Islinda couldn’t help but pace anxiously. Why was there no news about Aldric? What was happening behind those closed doors?

Eventually, Islinda returned to the bed, cradling her head in her hands. Moments passed and she had tried to stay awake, but exhaustion finally overcame her, plunging her into a deep sleep. Except, in her sleep, nightmares of Aldric’s death haunted her.