Submitting to My Lycan Prince Mate

44 A Decision

Prince Louis' expression suddenly darkened. He placed his tea cup down heavily and calmly asked, "Garfield, do you want to die?" "Sorry," Garfield's apology was swift but, as usual, lacked sincerity. "I was momentarily captivated by Claire's brilliant analysis and didn't mean to offend." "If there's a next time," Prince Louis stared at him and said, "I'll twist your head off." "Fine." Garfield sighed, gripping his cane and rising to his feet. "It seems I'm destined to return empty-handed today. However, Your Highness, Claire, I still hope you'll consider moving. After all, you have only a year left. Even if Claire hasn't graduated, the coronation ceremony cannot be postponed." He gave up so easily, which surprised me greatly. All the sharp words I had prepared were rendered useless. It felt terrible, like being completely focused on preparing for a battle and suddenly being tickled. It felt like a breath was stuck in my throat. This feeling persisted until Garfield Evans left the villa. Because of this conversation, my disgust for him had reached its peak. I sat on the sofa feeling sulky and moody, stewing in my own annoyance. Prince Louis whispered something to Alfred not far away, then came over and sat next to me. I turned my head away, not wanting to see him for the moment. "What's wrong?" he asked with a wry smile, "Garfield was the one who annoyed you. Why are you mad at me?" "I don't know," I said stiffly, "but I'm just not happy. Why don't you remove him from the office?" Prince Louis pondered for a moment. "Because I have known him for many years, and my brother had a good relationship with him..." "I don't care," I snapped, "And why didn't you say anything just now?" "I thought you were right and wanted to give you space to express yourself... Okay, I was wrong." Prince Louis muttered to himself, "Alfred is right, when a girl is angry, there's no need for explanations, just an apology will do." I said sourly, "Although my hearing isn't as good as Hawk's, I'm not deaf, Louis." I didn't realize that I had even started calling him by his name directly. But Prince Louis didn't seem to mind. He seemed somewhat pleased and shamelessly leaned closer, attempting to get a kiss from me. I tried to push him away, but failed and could only bite his lower lip in retaliation. "Be good," he mumbled, "and also, remember to breathe." I was kissed by him, my face turning red. The servants around also tactfully left the living room. I wrapped my arm around his waist and used my left hand to caress his firm chest, feeling his hot heart beating steadily beneath my palm. "I love you, Louis," I gasped, somewhat sadly. "But why do you have to be the future king? If you were just an Alpha, I wouldn't be so anxious. I often feel that you and I are so distant, that there are too many things between us..." "Is it tiring to think about these things every day?" He pressed his forehead against mine and asked in a soft voice. I hesitated for a moment before silently nodding. "If it's exhausting, then don't think about it." Louis kissed me, his elegantly shaped lips pressing against mine. He gazed at my moist eyes and flushed cheeks, his breath becoming increasingly heated. "Claire, I swear to you, anything you want, I'll give it to you with both hands." "If you believe me, then give me some time," he said, "You don't need to drop out of school, just apply for a leave of absence. At most, three—no, two years. I'll handle all the unstable factors. By then, you can do anything you want, go anywhere you want." "If you feel lonely staying in the castle, I can even write recommendation letters for your friend. Let her and her brother become exchange students at the Royal Academy near the castle for two years. What do you think?" He curved his lips, watching my slightly dazed expression, and continued in a tempting tone, "I have private islands in the Maldives and Tahiti. After you graduate, let's get married." "I'll give you the most grand and romantic wedding in the world, and then we can take a private plane to our honeymoon on the island. I promise you'll love that place." "We can watch movies together on the sea until sunrise, slide down from the island into the transparent jellyfish sea on a slide, and watch mini sharks and various marine creatures on the shore. When we're hungry, we can go to the freezer together and scoop out Häagen-Dazs ice cream and then sit on the island's swing while gazing at the stars." He held me in his arms as he softly spoke, and I couldn't help but start imagining the dreamy scene of a starry night on the quiet sea. I asked in a hushed voice, "Is this true?" "Of course," Prince Louis replied. This time, I fell silent for a long time. Even though the future he described was incredibly tempting, I hadn't forgotten just how dangerous the next two years could be. Prince Liam's death was still unclear, and an unknown force lurked in the shadows, plotting. Within the Elder Council, there seemed to be dissatisfaction regarding my relationship with Prince Louis. Though we loved each other, our relationship was far from smooth sailing. In the end, my wolf and I made up our minds. 'Let's be brave once again,' Helen said to me, rarely taking the initiative to speak. 'Don't worry. No matter what happens, I'll be by your side.' I smiled, 'Me too. Thank you, dear.' In this world, we were partners who would never give up on each other. "I'm looking forward to that day," I lifted my head in Prince Louis's embrace and told him, "So I've decided to follow your advice about taking a leave of absence. Tomorrow, I'll go to school to process the paperwork and let Olivia's family know about my decision." "But this isn't for any wedding or honeymoon in the Maldives. It's only to accompany the person I love through his toughest two years." I leaned in and kissed his jaw. Seeing Prince Louis's stunned expression, I smiled contentedly. "I'm sorry I wasn't there when you needed it most, because back then, I didn't know you were my destined mate. But now that I'm by your side, no matter what difficulties you encounter, I won't let you face them alone." I tilted my chin up and said with a grin, "Although I'm a woman, don't underestimate me. When I was ten, I could beat those arrogant boys in boxing matches." Prince Louis's Adam's apple bobbed. He moved his lips, seemingly wanting to say something to me. But in the end, he didn't say anything, just held me tightly in his arms. We shared a long kiss. Until I went limp in his embrace, Prince Louis mercifully let me go. "Claire," he hugged me tightly, letting out a satisfied sigh as if he possessed the whole world. "I swear to you, I, Louis Buchan, will inherit the throne of the werewolf king. And when I place that crown of supreme power on my head..." "I will kneel before you unconditionally, pledging my submission to you, my beloved." "You deserve the best of everything in this world."