Chapter 25

Chapter 25

I couldn’t fall back asleep after that. Troy came back to our room and lay down next to me, but even as I pretended to sleep, my mind was racing with questions. I was certain they were talking about my brother, Alpha Phoenix, but how could they possibly know him? It seemed impossible. Or maybe John was referring to a different Phoenix? But then they said... my brother. And then... I heard John say, 'your majesty.'

The next day, I tried to act normal around Troy. He made breakfast and was especially sweet to me, serving my food and even making coffee.

"So... are we going to work today?" he asked as we ate. I looked at him, sensing he was still gauging my reaction.

"Of course," I replied. He nodded, and we spent the next few hours getting ready for work. We took a taxi together, and I couldn’t stop myself from asking questions.

"I just noticed... don’t you have any friends here in Tyreese?" I asked, trying to start a conversation. He held my hand, absentmindedly playing with my fingers.

"None. I prefer being alone," he said.

"What about John? Isn’t he your friend?" I asked. He seemed caught off guard when I mentioned John.

"He's just an... old acquaintance," he replied. I nodded, pretending to believe him. "I never saw John again. Did he just visit you last time?" I continued to probe.

"Yeah..." he answered briefly. I clenched my jaw, sensing he was hiding something about John. I knew there was more to their relationship than just being acquaintances. Why would John call him 'your majesty'? And it seemed like John knew him very well, even knowing about the councils Troy had mentioned.

When the taxi arrived at our workplace, I headed straight to the shop while Troy went to the site. Mary and Aleth were still as lively as ever, but I couldn’t keep up with them; my mind was too preoccupied.

Unlike usual, the shop closed early because our manager had something to take care of, so I took the opportunity to leave early. I didn’t wait for Troy to say goodbye. Instead, I went straight to a bookstore and started looking for books about Tyreese. I found a quiet corner to sit and read.

There, I discovered that Tyreese is also ruled by a monarch, but unlike in my world, they also have titles like Duke, Earl, and so on. Could Troy have some connection to the monarchy here in Tyreese? But then why were they discussing prophecies and other mysterious things? I sighed deeply and stood up to return the books I had taken from the shelf. As I was putting them back, one book caught my eye.

"The Tale of Werewolves..." I read the title aloud. I was about to grab the book when someone else took it first. I paused and looked up at the person who had taken it—a tall man whose gaze was fixed on me. His eyes were a light green, similar to Troy's, though Troy's eyes were brighter.

"Do you want this?" His voice was deep and cold.

"Yes," I replied directly. He smiled and handed me the book.

"Enjoy your reading," he said before walking away. I watched him for a moment; there was something mysterious about him, and his eyes reminded me of Troy. I shrugged it off and turned my attention back to the book in my hands.

I sat down again in a corner and started reading. The book was about a romance between an Alpha King and a she-wolf who had lost her memories, so she didn’t remember her wolf or her past. The Alpha King found her living as a human in the human world. He concealed his identity by using his power to seal his wolf, so no one could sense him among humans, fearing that the woman might recognize him, as wolves can sense their kind even in human form. However, his disguise unraveled when the full moon came, and he lost the power to seal his wolf. The woman felt his presence, and her memories came rushing back.

I couldn’t stop thinking about the story in the book. I knew it was just fiction, created by the imaginative authors of Tyreese, and in reality, people don't truly believe in wolves that can take human form. They consider it just a tale. But is it possible that a wolf could have the power to conceal his identity by sealing his wolf so that other wolves can't sense his presence?

Is that even possible?

I had never heard of such a power before. Neither my teachers nor my brother had ever mentioned it.

It wasn’t until 5 pm that I finally left the bookstore, so when I got home, Troy wasn’t there yet. I turned on the lights and glanced around the house. For some reason, my feet led me to Troy’s room, and I quickly started searching through his things. I opened his drawers and cabinets until I found an envelope tucked under his shirts.

Inside, I found various papers, including his construction site contract. Engineer Nath was right; his contract was only for three months. This means Troy is expected to find a woman to marry within that time frame. A month has already passed, and it’s almost two months now. That leaves him with just a month and a half to find his future wife.

I needed to hurry before Troy came home and caught me. I took out all the envelopes and opened them. As I sifted through the papers, a picture of a familiar man fell to the ground. I quickly picked it up and realized the person in the photo was a middle-aged man. He looked so familiar—I knew I’d seen him before!

I opened another envelope and found a birth certificate. Was it Troy’s? As I read through it, I was shocked to see his full name.

"Troy… Carter…" I murmured in disbelief. There was no doubt about it! This name... I’d seen it before when I made a fake birth certificate! I looked at the picture of the old man again. Could it be that, like me, Troy is also using a fake identity?!