Mated To The Cruel Prince
Chapter 596: My Human

Chapter 596: My Human

With the eccentric elderly Fae gone, Islinda was left alone, mulling over her words. While she couldn’t wholeheartedly give in to Aldric, knowing his intention to use her against Valerie, it didn’t mean they couldn’t be on more friendly terms. The constant tension between them was exhausting, and she longed for a reprieve. This was her chance to speak to Aldric without Elena hovering around like a bee, and she intended to make the most of it.

Islinda scanned the scene, surprised to see Aldric engaged in conversation with the group of children, his usually stoic demeanor softened by their innocent chatter and laughter.

The sight took her aback, and in that moment, Islinda saw a glimpse of a different side of Aldric—a side that was caring, gentle, and surprisingly paternal. It dawned on her that despite his flaws, Aldric had the potential to be a good father.

As Aldric carried a child and spins him around playfully, a smile appeared on Islinda’s face, and she became so invested in the scene that her reality somehow blurred and overlapped with her imagination.

The next thing Islinda saw was herself standing next to Aldric, pregnant, while he twirled their daughter, with her twin brother eagerly climbing onto his back. The boy with his blue-black hair and her brown eyes, quickly overcame Aldric, and they all fell to the snow, laughter erupting from their lips, their expressions pure bliss.

Oh no.

Islinda snapped back to reality with a grim expression. Envisioning a future—a family—with Aldric was a dangerous indulgence, one that could ruin her life if she wasn’t careful.

Brushing off the careless thought, Islinda made her way over to Aldric, her footsteps crunching softly in the snow. She squatted down beside him and said, her voice nearly breathless, "Hey."

"Hey there," Aldric replied, sparing her a glance before turning his attention back to his new friends.

The children, now noticing her arrival, looked at her with a tinge of curiosity.

"Hello there," Islinda waved at them, a beckoning smile on her face.

"She’s a human," one of them boldly pointed out, drawing the attention of the others who hadn’t noticed at first.

"A human!" they all chorused, and before Islinda knew it, tiny little hands were all over her, mostly feeling her rounded ears. While Islinda would have found the gesture rude, she took it in stride, understanding that they were just children satisfying their curiosity. It seemed like there weren’t many humans here, unlike the capital city, Astaria.

"Alright, that’s enough. Stop touching my human," Aldric announced, chasing them away, while Islinda tried to pretend she didn’t hear him call her "my human," her cheeks a bright pink as the title had never seemed more endearing than now.

The children, of course, were stubborn and reluctant to let go, but Aldric’s stern look commanded obedience, and they released Islinda at once. It was as if even without Aldric letting out his shadows, they could sense he was dangerous.

One of the younglings pouted his lips in such an adorable manner that Islinda almost fell for it until he asked, "How do I have my own human?" and her expression fell.

"About that...." Aldric had that glint in his eyes that told Islinda he was up to no good, and she silently rebuked him. He better not teach the innocent kids anything stupid. If only Islinda knew they were far from innocent.

Aldric got the message and said instead, "You’ll know when you grow a little more."

The younglings groaned in unison. One accused him, "You’re not telling the truth."

"I’m Fae. I always tell the truth," Aldric emphasized.

It was stunning for Islinda to see the children had such a short attention span as they began to disperse one after the other to terrorize their next victim and leave them alone. Even as children, they could sense that Aldric’s attention was divided. Or perhaps, they just had good manners.

"Younglings are a bit like humans. It’s the first time seeing this world and they’re eager to learn everything. But as years roll by, they slow down, settling into their monotonous lives, and for some, that’s when their knack for chaos is honed. Being a Fae with a long life does get boring, which is why we sometimes envy your kind, even though we might not admit it," Aldric explained, as if he knew what she had been thinking.

"Oh," Islinda nodded in understanding.

Then the both of them fell into an awkward silence until Islinda finally spoke up, "Thank you," her voice tinged with genuine appreciation.

Aldric looked at her quizzically, his brows furrowed in confusion. "For what?"

"For this," Islinda replied, gesturing towards the playing children and the winter Faeries who now had a little life on their faces. "For everything. For showing that you are capable of kindness and compassion, for once."

Aldric snorted in mirthless amusement. "Of course, I’m the big scary monster, there’s nothing more to me."

Islinda responded, "You don’t often show it, what do you expect? People tend to remember your bad deeds more than your good work."

"Well, look who doesn’t care. I didn’t come into this life to please anyone. I won’t allow my worth to be determined by hypocrites who are no better than me. Moreover..." His gaze slid over her in such a way that made her shiver. "I’d rather be a villain and have fun than be a boring goody-two-shoes who bears everyone’s interests in mind. No offense." He threw a jibe at Islinda.

Islinda gasped in disbelief. "Did you just say that I’m boring?"

He lifted his hand in mock surrender. "I said, no offense."

Islinda’s expression turned serious. "Fine, I’ll show you fun."

Before Aldric could respond, Islinda scooped up a handful of snow and hit him squarely in the face, leaving Aldric momentarily stunned.

But instead of retaliating, Aldric’s lips curled into a mischievous grin, and before Islinda knew it, he engaged her in a playful snowball fight, the sound of laughter ringing out in the crisp winter air.