Caitlyn's POV
I was still reflecting on Talon's earlier invitation when I followed my father home. Since our arrival at the palace, Talon has been distant towards me. Only when the two of us were alone did he revert to his former self.
However, it wasn't until just now that Talon's actions made me feel as if I were back to the original time when I first met him. A significant reason for this change in Talon was Zed's appearance.
I looked at myself in the mirror and couldn't help but compare my current self to the one I was in the town. Although there was less youthfulness between my eyebrows, after so much experience, a mature flavor clung to me.
"Come and look at this. Whose princess is this, so beautiful?" Leona's teasing voice interrupted my thoughts as she appeared behind me.
"Next time, remember to knock before you enter!" I twisted my head around, pretending to be angry, but my flushed face betrayed my shyness.
"I knew you could do it, winning a hunting competition with that many participants." Leona didn't acknowledge my words; instead, she looked at me with admiration, as if she were appreciating a work of art made by her own hands.
"It's mainly because Kaisa faced persecution; otherwise, I wouldn't have had much of a chance."
"Well, it's still surprising that you were able to hunt that white fox. By the way, there's mainly that Zed. I heard he's still a big handsome guy."
Leona, with her social skills on full display, obviously got information about the hunting competition first, which didn't surprise me. Still, her mentioning Zed intrigued me.
"I find it amazing myself. I say it's a hunt, but it actually burrowed itself into my arms. You know, ever since I was a kid, I seemed to have a natural attraction to animals, and Zed seems to know the secret."
"Really? I heard he even fought against Talon for you?"
Leona approached with a surprised expression, still eager to learn more about the details.
I rolled my eyes at her before settling onto the bed.
"What do you know about Zed?" Leona inquired, noticing my silence.
"I don't know much, honestly. I'm uncertain about his motives. He saved Kaisa and me when we were in danger, but it seems like he's targeting me. On our way back, he was prying for information about me," I explained.
Leona's reminder prompted memories of my first encounter with Zed.
"That's strange. If I were him, I would have approached Kaisa in that situation."
Leona's straightforward words reminded me. Zed's deliberate approach to me seemed somewhat unsettling.
"Think about it again. When did he appear?" Leona asked, sensing something amiss.
"I remember now. He showed up after I transformed into a werewolf, and the giant wolf he turned into was similar to mine!"
The sudden realization shook me to the core.
"He did all that to get close to you!"
"What's so special about me? Kaisa mentioned Zed being a powerful Alpha, and his pack didn't even take the king seriously. His participation in the hunting competition seemed accidental."
The more I pondered Zed's actions, the less they made sense—a perplexing anomaly.
"On another note, about the hunting contest, what request did you make to the king?"
"I haven't decided yet. My mind went blank, and the king said I could tell him when I thought about it." I confessed, head down, fingers fidgeting.
"Why not go directly to the king and ask him to be a witness for you and Talon? The two months we agreed upon aren't ending soon. There's no need to wait until then to make Talon choose between you and Kaisa," Leona suggested.
Leona opened my closet and started choosing my clothes.
"That's not very nice. I feel like I should talk to Talon about it."
I pursed my lips, feeling a bit embarrassed.
"What's there to be embarrassed about? Pursuing one's own happiness means taking the initiative. Why not seize the opportunity now that you have it? Better yet, take advantage of the fact that you'll be proposing directly at the ball, in front of so many people. The king certainly won't be able to refuse."
Leona pulled out a pale yellow evening dress but then shook her head and tossed it aside.
"How do you know everything? Talon just told me about the ball."
I couldn't help but shake my head at the busy Leona.
"It's a secret."
Leona raised her head smugly.
"Caitlyn, are you there?"
Just then, there was a sudden call from outside the door. I was a little confused and about to get up when Leona impatiently rushed to the window.
"There's a handsome guy looking for you. Can't be Zed, can it?"
I froze at the name but, out of politeness, walked over to the window.
Zed had changed into a casual suit. When he saw me appear by the window, he put on a smile and waved his hand.
"What can I do for you?"
I asked as I glared at Zed in Leona's curious eyes.
"It's just a small thing. The king is hosting a ball next week, and I'm on the invite list. I'm just short of a dance partner, so I wanted to ask if you have the time and be my partner."
Zed raised his handsome face with a warm smile. His smile seemed to have a magical power that made it impossible to find the courage to refuse.
"Uh, sorry. Talon said..."
I froze for a moment, never dreaming that Zed would find me and ask me to be his dance partner. I was about to refuse when Leona suddenly tugged on my coat.
"If you want Caitlyn to be your dance partner, you'll have to show what you're made of to do that."
Leona interrupted me and shouted through the window to Zed.
"Leona, what are you doing?"
I lowered my voice and glared at Leona.
"It's going to create some crisis awareness in Talon so you can show maximum value in front of him."
Leona said seriously as she looked me in the eye.
"Okay, I get it. I know what I need to do, so I'll see you next time!"
Before I could explain, Zed grinned while waving his hand toward me before twisting his head and slowly disappearing around the corner.
"Look what you've done!"
I couldn't help but sigh as I watched the situation slowly grow bigger.
"Don't worry, there's a good show coming."
Leona looked at Zed's disappearing back, the corner of her mouth slightly upturned.