Chapter 38 CHAPTER 38
The morning light poured through tall windows, soft and golden, painting the walls in warmth. For a few blissful seconds, Cindy lay still, breathing in the scent of polished wood and fresh linen. It was quiet - too quiet compared to the city hum she’d grown used to. Then she heard Isabel’s muffled voice beside her.
“Tell me this isn’t real,” Isabel groaned from under the sheets. “Because I swear, if I wake up in that old apartment again with the dripping ceiling, I’ll throw something.”
Cindy smiled faintly. “It’s real. You’re safe.”
Isabel sat up, hair tousled, blinking at the room’s gleaming chandelier. “Safe, rich, and definitely spoiled. Look at this place! Just last week, we were fighting over who gets the cleaner spoon, and now you have servants who literally bow. Bow, Cindy!”
Cindy laughed softly. “You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?”
“Enjoying it? I’m living it! You’ve officially upgraded my life. One day I’m a night waitress, the next day I’m Cinderella’s roommate - minus the midnight curfew.”
Lisa’s warm, amused voice rippled inside Cindy’s head.
She’s funny - Isabel. She already acts like she belongs here.
Cindy smiled inwardly. She’s coping the only way she knows how.
As if sensing she’d been overheard, Isabel turned suddenly quiet. Her smile faltered. “I still can’t believe it,” she murmured. “Just a few weeks ago, I didn’t even know you existed.”
Cindy tilted her head, concerned. “Hey, what’s wrong?”
Isabel pressed her lips together, and before Cindy could blink, she leaned forward and hugged her -tight. Her body trembled with silent sobs.
“Isabel?” Cindy whispered, startled. “What’s gotten into you?”
“I...I don’t know,” Isabel said, voice shaking. “The tears won’t stop. It’s like my chest just broke open.”
Cindy rubbed her back gently, waiting.
“When my dad died,” Isabel said between sobs, “I thought that was the end of everything. And when Mom left… I just stopped hoping for anything good. I thought the gods hated me. But then Pauline came along, and Alina, and now you. Maybe they were working behind the scenes all this time. Maybe I wasn’t as alone as I thought.”
Cindy’s throat tightened. She held Isabel closer. “You weren’t alone. You never were.”
Lisa’s voice broke the silence gently.
Why is the human crying? She was laughing a minute ago.
Because she finally feels safe, Cindy thought back. Sometimes that’s when the tears come.
Lisa hummed thoughtfully. Humans are strange. One moment they cry, the next they laugh…
Cindy almost laughed, biting her lip to keep quiet.
A soft knock interrupted them. Butler Thomas peeked in, worry etched across his polite features. “Your higness? Miss Isabel? Is everything all right?”
Cindy quickly put a finger to her lips and shook her head with a reassuring smile.
Thomas relaxed a little and leaned closer. “Breakfast is ready, Your Highness. You’re both expected downstairs.”
“Thank you, Thomas,” Cindy whispered. “We’ll be right there.”
When the door closed, Isabel wiped her face quickly. “If I go downstairs looking like I cried, they’ll think something happened to me.”
Cindy chuckled. “Then smile extra bright. That’ll distract them.”
The dining hall took their breath away. A long oak table gleamed beneath silver platters. Steam rose from golden pancakes, baskets of fruit, and crystal pitchers of juice.
Cindy glanced around, half expecting to see Ethan seated at the head of the table. “Where’s my brother?” she asked quietly.
Butler Thomas smiled politely. “His Majesty is attending to important council matters this morning, Your Highness. He asked that you and Miss Isabel go ahead and have breakfast without him. He will join you later.”
Cindy nodded, trying not to feel the small flicker of disappointment. “All right, thank you, Thomas.”
Then Isabel gasped, already distracted by the mountain of food. “Are we feeding an army or a kingdom?”
Thomas, standing nearby, smiled. “Both, Miss Isabel, depending on your appetite.”
The servants hid smiles as Isabel darted forward, half in disbelief. “I don’t even know where to start. Cindy, look! They have strawberries! Real strawberries!”
Cindy sat gracefully, trying not to laugh at Isabel’s enthusiasm.
“You can have whatever you want,” Thomas said kindly.
“Whatever I want?” Isabel echoed, already reaching for a pastry. “Well, don’t tell me that twice.”
Lisa’s laughter echoed in Cindy’s mind.
She eats like she’s racing the moon. I told you - humans are unpredictable.
Cindy bit back a smile. She’s just excited. Let her have this moment.
Soon Isabel was munching happily, talking between bites. “I wish I had extra stomachs,” she sighed dramatically.
Cindy laughed softly. “Slow down, Isabel. The food’s not going anywhere.”
“Easy for you to say,” Isabel mumbled, mouth full. “You’re probably used to all this royal treatment already.”
“I’m not,” Cindy said honestly. “Not even close.”
Lisa purred gently inside. You’re doing well, Cindy. You look like you belong here - even if you still feel like a lost pup.
Thanks, Cindy thought wryly. You always know what to say to comfort me.
I try.
After breakfast, the girls decided to explore. The gardens behind the estate were vast - acres of blooming hedges, marble statues, and fountains that sang softly under the morning light. The air smelled of roses and dew.
“This place looks like something out of a dream,” Isabel said, skipping ahead.
Cindy smiled, watching her twirl near a row of white lilies. “You really are happy here, aren’t you?”
“I think so,” Isabel said. “It still feels unreal, though. Like if I blink too long, I’ll wake up on that tiny mattress back in the city.”
Lisa’s voice hummed. I’m glad she’s happy. Her laugh makes this place warmer.
It does, Cindy agreed softly.
As they rounded a hedge, the rhythmic sound of fists hitting sand broke through the birdsong. Cindy looked ahead - an open training ground stretched across the courtyard, filled with shirtless warriors sparring under the sun.
The clang of metal paused as several pairs of eyes turned toward them. A murmur rippled through the ranks. Cindy felt the prickle of stares.
“They’re looking at us,” Isabel whispered, clutching Cindy’s arm.
Lisa’s tone grew protective. They’re wolves. They can smell her humanness from here.
The whispers carried: “That’s the princess.” “And the human?” “What’s a human doing here?”
Before discomfort could settle, a sharp voice cut through the air. “Eyes forward!”
Liam strode across the field, sweat glistening on his arms, authority rolling off him like heat. The warriors instantly resumed training.
When he reached them, he gave a short bow to Cindy. “Your Highness. I didn’t expect to see you here so early.”
“We were just walking,” Cindy said quickly. “The gardens are beautiful.”
Liam nodded. “They are. But the training grounds are not the safest place for a stroll.” His gaze softened. “You should have someone with you when you explore. Next time, wait for me.”
Cindy frowned. “We didn’t mean to cause trouble.”
“None taken,” he said. “I’ll finish here soon, and then I’ll join you for a proper tour. Until then, go back to the main house, please. It’s easy to lose your way around the court.”
Isabel nodded obediently, but as they turned away, Cindy caught the faintest edge in Liam’s tone -something careful, almost protective.
Lisa’s whisper returned, curious. There was fear in his voice. I could sense it.
I felt that too, Cindy thought.
Do you think our brothers are hiding something from us? Lisa asked inside her mind.
Cindy’s gaze lingered on the distant forest, the sunlight flickering like warning flames between the trees.
“I think,” she murmured softly, “there’s a lot they’re not telling us.”