Chapter 263
Chapter 263
He didn’t use to be this cold and ruthless, which scared her a bit.
Aspen tugged at Daran’s sleeve, “Don’t scare Lady Kurt. I promise I will be very good with her.”
The cold expression on Daran’s face was replaced by a faint smile. He patted the boy’s back and said, “I know you will. So while I am in the meetings during the day, you just stay close to her, OK?”
“But can I come to the screening?” asked the boy eagerly.
“What screening?” Daran didn’t get it at first.
“You know…the screening of your Luna! The elders asked you to make a decision soon, right? Can I come and meet with those women and offer my advice?”
Janet widened her eyes abruptly.
What did Aspen just say?
Daran…was he getting married??
She and Medline were working on ways to approach Aspen again when the servants from the court came to knock on their door and said that the King wanted to see her She tried asking the servant what this was about. But the servants would not say.
Medline tried to come with them. But she got stopped by the servants,
Her heart was filled with worry and anxiety on her way to the packhouse,
Why did Daran suddenly want to see her?
Did he find out about who she was?
Or even worse…did he find out who Aspen was?
“No…My King, I don’t know why I am here…” she answered in a light voice, holding her head down. “Did I do something wrong?”
Before Daran could answer, Aspen jumped off his chair and rushed to Janet, crying, “You are going to be my new nanny! Are you happy? You can stay in the packhouse with me all day long from now!”
…What?
Janet snapped her head up, looking astonished.
Daran wanted her to babysit Aspen.
That was why he summoned her?
Aspen shook her hand eagerly, “Don’t you want to be my new nanny? Come on, say yes, will you?”
Janet looked at the boy and gave him a soft smile.
just
Of course, she wanted to stay close to her child. It almost killed her to be kept apart from Aspen.
If she was his nanny in this packhouse, she would have an authorized identity to stay with Aspen.
And more importantly, it would be easier to sneak Aspen out of the packhouse this
way.
Of course, she would have to face the danger of her identity getting exposed, but that was a risk that she was willing to take.
“It would be my honor,” she answered firmly without hesitation.
Aspen let out a cry of joy immediately.
Yet Daran spoke up at this moment in an icy voice, “Not so fast. You have not passed
my interview yet.”
Janet’s heart skipped a beat as Daran stood up from his chair and walked up to her.
He stood in front of her, staring down at her face with a searching gaze.
“What is your full name?” he asked.
“J…Janine Kurt.”
She made up a fake name urgently.
Janet held her breath nervously.
…Casper and Blavina!
Her brother and old–time best friend were there. She missed them so much!
But she was not ready to face them yet.
Would they recognize her?
Probably not, since she was wearing a mask. But still…
Before she could think of a reason to excuse herself, she heard footsteps behind her back. Casper and Balvina had come into the room.
“Daran, who is this?” she heard Casper’s voice asking.
Daran introduced them, “This is Aspen’s new nanny, Janine Kurt. Janine, meet Alpha
Casper and Luna Balvina.”
Janet was left with no choice but to turn around and face them.
She broke out in a cold, clammy sweat as she slowly raised her head and met Casper’s gaze.
Casper rounded his eyes abruptly.
And Janet instantly knew that her brother recognized her.
She was wearing a mask.
But he still knew that it was her.
There was a special connection between them despite all disguises.
“…Janine Kurt?” Casper repeated in a strained voice.
“Yes. She is from Black Water Pack. Daughter of Lord Kurt,” Daran said.
Then he noticed the strange expression on Casper’s face and asked with a frown, “What is the matter, Casper? Do you know her?”
Janet quickly shot her brother a pleading look.
“…No.”
Casper cleared his throat and did his best to hide his shock, “I…I simply find Lady Kurt a bit familiar. Probably because I have met her father before and she looks like her father…”
“How can you tell that she looks like her father since she is wearing a mask?” Daran raised an eyebrow, “Oh, and speaking of which, Lady Kurt, can you lose your mask? I still don’t know what you look like.”
Janet clenched her skirt nervously.
No. She couldn’t take off her mask. Or he would recognize her!
“I–I’d better not, my king. I have a hideous burn scar on my face and I am afraid that it might scare you and the young master…”
“You think I will get scared by a scar?” Daran snorted.
He fixed his sharp gaze upon her face as suspicion built inside of him.
Why wouldn’t she take off that mask?
Was it really because she had a hideous scar?
Or did she have something else to hide?
“Lose the mask.”
He deepened his voice and took a step forward, staring at her intensely, “And let me see your face.”
“Please don’t make me…” she pled in a trembling voice.
Yet there was no sign of mercy in his cold eyes, “Then you lose the nanny job. I can’t trust Aspen to a woman who doesn’t dare to show her face.‘
There was a strained silence in the room,
Janet held her head down, her palms sweating.
No.
She couldn’t do that.
She couldn’t let him find out that it was her.
They left each other on such a horrible note. He hated her and said that he wished they never met again.
He would be so enraged to find out that she faked her identity and came near him again…
“I don’t think that is necessary, my king.”
Balvina broke the awkward silence, “I believe that what happened to Lady Kurt’s face is very tragic. Why open up the old wound?”
“Yeah, Daran. Try to be more sensitive about it, will you?” Casper nodded in agreement with his wife, “Don’t make it hard for her.”
“It is for the safety of Aspen,” Daran frowned.
“I don’t mind that she wears a mask!” Aspen cried at once.
He could tell that her mommy was in a difficult spot.
Nobody could embarrass his dear mommy, not even Daran whom he liked very much.
Balvina added. “And I will talk to Lady Kurt personally, to make sure that she qualifies as a nanny. Will that ease up your mind?”
Daran let out a frustrated sigh.
“…Fine.”
He gritted eventually:
“If that damn mask means so much to you, you can keep it on.”
Janet cutseyed to him briefly and whispered, “Thank you, my king.”
“I have got other meetings. I need to go.” Daran checked the time and said, “Luna < Balvina, so you will talk to her?”
“Of course. You can trust me with it.
||
Daran nodded and hastily left the room. This is the property of Nô-velDrama.Org.
As soon as he was gone, the three adults let out a sigh of relief instantly.
“Janet!”
Janet rushed to hug her brother and best friend with tears in her eyes, “Oh my god…Casper and Balvina…I miss you so much!”
The 3 of them hugged tightly. Their eyes were all misty.
It had been 8 years.
They didn’t even get a chance to say goodbye when she was taken away.
Aspen looked at them curiously, “Why are you hugging? And why does your voice sound so strange?”
Janet quickly wiped her eyes and turned to the boy, “Aspen, can you go play over there? I need to talk to your Uncle Casper and Aunt Balvina.”
Aspen nodded and went to play with his blocks.
“…That is Westin’s child, isn’t it?” Casper stared at the boy and asked in a low, strained voice.
“Did Westin abduct you? And force you to have his kid? Is that what happened 8 years ago?” Bavlina asked urgently.
Janet opened her mouth but no words came out of it.
Shit. That damn vow.
She swore that she wouldn’t tell the truth to another living soul.
And now she couldn’t even tell her brother that Aspen was actually Daran’s kid.
After a long pause, she let out a sigh and didn’t say anything.
Casper took her silence as a yes, “That fucking son of a bitch Westin! I am going to kill him!”
“Do you need our help, Janet? Is it why you are back?” Balvina held Janet’s hands and asked eagerly, “You won’t leave us again, will you?”
Under their expectant gaze, Janet slowly shook her head:
“No. This was an accident. I still need to take Aspen back to the Lycan’s world.” Casper cried angrily, “What? Why? You are my sister and Aspen is my niece—” “Because Aspen needs his father!”
Janet snapped with tears welling up in her eyes, “At least Aspen is a legal heir in the Lycan’s world. And who is he here? A bastard? Whose father is the archenemy of the Werewolf King? It won’t work!”
She was prevented by the vow that she made to speak out the truth.
As long as everyone was still convinced that Aspen was Westin’s kid, the Lycan’s land was the only place/that Aspen belonged to.
She hated it.
But there was no alternative way.
“…oh Janet…” Balvina sobbed.
Casper looked furious. But there was nothing he could do.
“Just…do a little favor for me, will you?” Janet said in a pleading voice, “Don’t let Daran find out about me and Aspen. When Aspen has his fun here, we will leave quietly.”
Daran would lose it if he found out that she was back with Westin’s child.
He would hurt her…and probably even Aspen.
She was not ready to face his rage.
“OK,” Balvina nodded.
“If you think it is the best. Then yeah, little sis,” Casper said quietly.