21 Chapter 121 Lance Noticed
‘Wait… maybe I can hide my face and just let my hair show?‘ she thought desperately. The princess was known for her long, golden hair. Most people don’t even know what she really looks like–but the Royal Family… they would. She was kidnapped during her coming–of–age ceremony. That means she was already an adult–her appearance might have changed, but surely not so much that her own parents wouldn’t recognize her… right?‘
Her eyes darted around until they landed on the small pouch she carried. As if struck by divine inspiration, Claire pulled out a delicate veil and quickly tied it around her head, covering the lower half of her face. Only her golden hair and striking eyes were left visible.
It wasn’t a perfect disguise, but maybe–just maybe–it would buy her a little more
time.
Zion was so focused on leading the way that he didn’t notice Claire’s quiet series of actions behind him. Levi, on the other hand, did notice–but chose to ignore her. He was used to Claire’s antics, her scheming, and the countless inappropriate things she did to draw attention or manipulate situations. To him, this was just another stunt. Right now, they were standing in front of the residents of the Royal Capital–Claire’s home turf, not theirs. Levi knew he didn’t have the authority or power to publicly put her in her place, not here. So, for now, all he could do was look away and pretend she wasn’t there.
But when Claire veiled her face, something strange happened–an almost mystical effect. The simple act of covering half her features seemed to solidify the growing belief among the crowd: the missing princess had finally returned to the Royal Capital. As fate would have it, Lance arrived at the scene just then, accompanied by Anna and Alvin. The roadside was overflowing with people, all eager to catch a glimpse of the so–called returning royal princess.
Lance’s eyes welled up the moment he spotted the veiled woman atop the elite warrior’s back. His heart clenched with hope. But then… confusion settled in. The rush of emotion he had imagined–the overwhelming longing he thought he’d feel upon seeing Addison again, his childhood friend–was strangely absent.
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He tried to dismiss the unease, telling himself that it was only natural. Too much time had passed. Years of separation could change anyone. Maybe time and distance had turned them into strangers. Maybe their hearts had drifted too far apart.
Still, despite the unfamiliar stirrings–or lack thereof–Lance felt overwhelming relief. His body trembled, not with doubt, but with joy. His little Adi was back. That alone was enough.
Claire’s build was strikingly similar to Addison’s–slender yet graceful and has meat in all the right places–and with her flowing golden locks and honey–colored eyes that shimmered almost like gold, the resemblance was uncanny. From Lance’s distance and the angle he stood at, he couldn’t clearly see her full features. But that didn’t matter. His heart had already decided for him. Emotion surged through him, overpowering logic and reason.
“It’s good to finally see you again, Adi…” Lance murmured under his breath, his voice thick with emotion. His eyes reddened, and a single tear slipped down his cheek.
But his quiet words were lost in the roar of the crowd–cheers, gasps, and whispers erupting all around them, as the people of the Royal Capital celebrated what they believed to be their princess’s long–awaited return.
Anna and Alvin, unaware that their former ace warrior was actually the real Royal Princess, simply followed the crowd’s excitement. Like everyone else, they were awestruck to see the Royal Princess up close for the first time. After all, the Alpha King and Queen had always kept her hidden, and the only things they’d known were secondhand descriptions and rumors of her feats.
But instead of the fierce warrior princess they’d imagined–bold and commanding- they saw a delicate woman perched atop a massive wolf. There was no fire in her eyes, no presence that commanded the battlefield. Just grace and delicateness, as if the mere wind might hurt her or carry her away.
‘Can time really turn the fiercest into softies?‘ Anna wondered, her gaze drifting over Claire from head to toe, her expression thoughtful and a little disappointed.
Then her attention shifted, drawn irresistibly to the one leading the procession. Her eyes lit up instantly as she saw Alpha Zion. His presence was magnetic. His wolf, Shura, towered over the others, nearly rivaling the Alpha King’s in size. With a coat of midnight black that didn’t gleam but seemed to absorb the sunlight, Shura looked like a living shadow–silent, imposing, and regal.
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“I don’t mean to sound judgmental, but…” Alvin leaned in slightly, lowering his voice, “Looking at the returning princess… she doesn’t seem as strong as our former ace. Don’t you think?”
Anna’s head snapped toward him, eyes wide–then she nodded rapidly, like a chicken pecking the ground. He had just voiced exactly what had been lingering in her thoughts.
Lance, still caught in a tide of emotion, stiffened. That didn’t make sense. How could the princess, their long–lost princess, appear weaker than Addison, when they were supposed to be the same person? His brows furrowed deeply, and confusion crept into his chest like a cold wind.
Then, as if something inside him cracked open, realization began to trickle in. He blinked, wiping away the tears that had clouded his vision. He forced himself to really see the woman riding atop the wolf.
Something was off.
Not only did his feelings lack the depth he’d imagined he’d feel–no rush of warmth, no instinctive pull–but her aura… it wasn’t the same. It lacked the strength, the fire, the quiet authority that Addison carried like a second skin. In fact, it felt nothing like her at all.
And once that thought crossed Lance’s mind, it stayed. Lodged deep, like a thorn under his skin.
Then Lance ran.
Without a word, he shoved through the crowd, uncaring of the cheers and celebration erupting around him. His movements were wild–almost frantic–as if something inside him had snapped loose. People stumbled out of his way, startled by the raw urgency in his eyes.
Anna and Alvin exchanged stunned looks. They had never seen Lance like this.
Without hesitation, they took off after him.
“V–Vice Captain Lance! Wait for us!” Alvin shouted, raising his hand high in an attempt to catch his superior’s attention. But Lance didn’t slow down–not even a fraction.
He was laser–focused on the woman riding atop the massive wolf, weaving through the
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dense crowd like a man chasing a vanishing truth. The voices around him, the noise, the celebration–it all became background noise, unimportant. All he could see was
her.
The wolf inside that woman feels… wrong.‘
Lance’s wolf stirred briefly, its voice low and grim as it passed along its quiet observation before retreating once more into the depths of his mind. It hadn’t spoken in a long time, but now, it felt compelled to speak.
And Lance understood why.
He and his wolf had known Addison before her disappearance. They had run through the forest with her, shared laughter, shared memories–he was intimately familiar with her spirit, and with Aurora, her wolf. Even if years and hardships could change a person’s appearance, dull their aura, and shift their demeanor, a wolf’s essence–the primal soul within–was not so easily masked.
Especially not one with the Alpha King’s bloodline.
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