Transmigrated as the Crown Prince's Mate
Chapter 157: Planned or In The Dark?

Chapter 157: Planned or In The Dark?

Jasper moved swiftly through the dense forest, his boots barely making a sound against the damp earth. The morning sun filtered through the towering trees, casting golden streaks across his path.

In his hands, he clutched a small basket filled with fresh bread, cheese, and dried meat—whatever he had managed to grab from the palace kitchens without raising suspicion.

Just a quick trip, he told himself. Drop off the food, make sure she’s fine, and get back before anyone notices I’m gone.

His mind, however, whispered another truth—he hadn’t just taken this risk because of duty or obligation.

No, something about Princess Seraphina pulled him in, even when he knew it was dangerous.

And that alone should have been enough to make him stay away.

But he didn’t.

The small cabin soon came into view, nestled between the trees like a well-kept secret. Jasper exhaled and stepped onto the porch, knocking lightly.

Before he could lower his hand, the door swung open.

Seraphina stood in the doorway, fully dressed in the simple clothes he had brought her the night before.

The deep-blue cloak still hung over her shoulders, but the elegant gown was gone, replaced with a fitted tunic and dark trousers that made her look less like a princess and more like someone who belonged in Arcadia’s streets.

She crossed her arms, her violet eyes twinkling with mischief. "You’re late."

Jasper arched a brow. "I’m early. You should be grateful I came at all."

Seraphina smirked. "I was this close to coming to find you." She held up two fingers, barely apart. "I figured you might’ve gotten lost."

Jasper scoffed. "In my own kingdom? Please." He stepped past her and set the basket on the small wooden table. "More likely you’d get lost trying to track me down."

Seraphina hummed as she peered into the basket. "I don’t know. I have a great sense of direction."

Jasper smirked, leaning against the doorway. "Oh? And where exactly are we right now?"

Seraphina paused, looking around the small cabin. "...Somewhere in the forest."

Jasper huffed a laugh. "Right. Excellent sense of direction."

She tossed him a playful glare before pulling out a piece of bread. "I would have found you eventually."

Seraphina settled onto the small wooden chair, peering into the basket to see what Jasper had brought her. "Let’s see what Jasper stole for breakfast."

"At least it’s breakfast."

She nodded, tearing off one piece of bread with practiced ease. She ate with grace, but unlike the formal, restrained mannerisms of court dining, there was something relaxed about her movements.

Jasper remained leaning against the doorway, watching her.

"Are you just going to stand there and stare at me?" she asked, raising a brow.

Jasper smirked. "I don’t eat stolen food."

Seraphina chuckled. "You didn’t steal it. You borrowed it for a good cause." She gestured to the basket. "And it would be rude of you to bring food for a princess and not join her."

Jasper sighed, pushing away from the door. "Fine." He sat across from her, grabbing a piece of cheese and a chunk of bread. "But I still maintain I didn’t steal it."

Seraphina took another bite, chewing slowly. "So," she said between bites, "once I’m done eating, we’re going touring, right?"

Jasper paused mid-chew, his silver-blue eyes flickering with hesitation.

"About that..." he started but paused, unsure of how to break it to her.

Seraphina’s gaze narrowed. "That doesn’t sound promising."

Jasper exhaled. "The kingdom isn’t exactly in a state for a tour right now."

Seraphina tilted her head. "Why?"

Jasper hesitated for a brief moment, then finally said, "Because we need to figure out who’s behind the horse poisoning first."

Seraphina froze, her fingers tightening around the bread.

Horse poisoning?

She kept her expression neutral, but inside, her thoughts spun wildly.

"What do you mean, horse poisoning?" she asked carefully.

Jasper leaned back in his chair, rubbing a hand over his jaw. "It happened last night, milady. Every single horse in the royal stables—sick. Weak. Some collapsed."

Seraphina swallowed, nodding.

Jasper studied her reaction before continuing. "I was supposed to be questioning the stable hands, getting names of those who were around before it happened." He exhaled, giving her a look. "But I wanted to check on you first."

Seraphina blinked.

Something warm crept up her neck.

"You... came here before doing that?" she asked, pretending to focus on her food.

Jasper smirked slightly. "Don’t get too flattered."

She bit her lip, looking away. Too late.

A moment passed before she leaned forward, lowering her voice. "This poisoning... do you know what caused it?"

Jasper shook his head. "Not yet. Evelina’s working on it. But it wasn’t an accident. Someone wanted to create chaos."

Seraphina’s mind raced.

She knew her brother. She knew what he was capable of.

Was this his doing?

She knew before leaving OakenShaw. Kyle’s plan had always been to poison Arcadia, then offer a cure—forcing the kingdom into gratitude and dependence. The first attempt didn’t go through, though.

But if their own horses were poisoned too...

Either Kyle truly had nothing to do with it...

Or he was building an incredibly believable story.

She forced herself to stay calm. She couldn’t let Jasper see her thinking too hard about this.

Instead, she asked, "What about OakenShaw’s horses? Were they affected?"

Jasper nodded. "Yeah. Just as badly."

Seraphina’s chest tightened.

Then either they’re in the dark about this... or this was planned down to the finest detail.

She picked at her bread absentmindedly, keeping her voice light. "So, what now? You head back and get those names?"

Jasper sighed, pushing away from the table. "Yeah. I’ve already been gone longer than I should."

Seraphina smiled, though her mind was elsewhere. "And here I thought you had all the time in the world for me."

Jasper chuckled. "I’m not that lucky."

Seraphina watched him stand, her heart still racing—not from their teasing, but from the thoughts she couldn’t push away.

If her brother was behind this, what would she do?