[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-marked-by-the-mad-king-alpha":3,"chapter-marked-by-the-mad-king-alpha-marked-by-the-mad-king-alpha-chapter-123":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Marked By The Mad King Alpha",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1732104,2214,"Chapter 123 A Far More Dangerous Beast","marked-by-the-mad-king-alpha-chapter-123",123,"\u003Cp>\"In my view, you’re out of line questioning the king’s decisions about his own family,\" Marcela replied, her voice sharp with contempt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Any sympathy she’d felt for the former royal beta evaporated instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You’ve crossed a boundary, Flynn. You claim the kingdom comes first, but you fail to grasp that the king and his realm are inseparable. They’re one and the same.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"He abandoned his duties as ruler!\" Flynn forced himself to bite back further words—arguing with a healer about palace politics was pointless. The man understood nothing of such complexities. \"That woman corrupted him completely.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Marcela let the silence stretch between them before responding, waiting until Flynn’s fury cooled slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"King Perry earned the title ’Mad King’ long ago. How much worse could Lady Phoebe possibly make him? You’ve had years to restore his reputation, yet I see no progress in that regard.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Flynn’s nostrils flared. He seized the food tray and hurled it to the floor. \"Leave! GET OUT!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>——\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>**Perry’s POV**\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The storm raged outside tonight, wind shrieking like some tortured spirit against the walls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside this sterile room, I maintained my vigil beside Phoebe’s bed, her delicate hand clasped firmly in both of mine, trying to share what warmth I could. Four hours had passed since I’d taken this position, and I refused to move.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Somewhere in those dark hours, exhaustion finally claimed me. A week’s worth of sleepless nights crashed down all at once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The vicious howling continued beyond the windows, and that savage sound pulled Phoebe from unconsciousness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She startled awake, her body trembling as branches scraped and clawed at the glass with grinding persistence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her gaze swept the room before settling on me—still slumped in the chair, my head resting on the edge of her bed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even in sleep, tension creased my features, as if nightmares plagued my rest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Phoebe studied her surroundings with growing awareness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Definitely a hospital room, and my presence here meant I’d successfully torn her from Reginald’s clutches.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet she felt no relief, no sense of rescue. If anything, she’d merely escaped one predator’s snare only to find herself trapped with a far more dangerous beast—one who might devour her completely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She attempted to shift her arm, but couldn’t—I was sleeping on it, cutting off circulation and leaving it numb.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That tiny movement jolted me awake. My eyes snapped open, immediately locking with hers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For several heartbeats, we simply stared at each other while the tempest outside grew more violent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This isn’t a dream, is it?\" I murmured, my voice thick with sleep. I’d been so certain this was another cruel fantasy when I saw her eyes flutter open—that’s why I hadn’t reacted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Phoebe turned her head away, avoiding my gaze entirely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Even in my dreams, you won’t look at me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I closed my eyes again, too drained to think clearly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, Phoebe studied my sleeping face. I looked haggard, as if I’d aged years since she’d last seen me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ache in her wounded tongue returned with vengeance, making it nearly impossible to move her mouth. The sensation was both uncomfortable and maddening.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But a more pressing need demanded attention—her bladder was about to burst.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She frowned, shifting restlessly and trying to push me off her arm, but I was dead weight. I didn’t budge or even stir.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Multiple attempts proved futile until desperation drove her to tap my head sharply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thankfully, that final effort roused me. I looked around in confusion before my eyes found hers again, brows knitting together as if I couldn’t process what was happening.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Where do you think you’re going?\" I tried to guide her back down when she struggled to sit up. She couldn’t speak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not just because of her injury, but due to the trauma Reginald had inflicted. She pushed against me frantically.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No, you can’t leave. You need to rest.\" I didn’t want to hurt her, but continued resistance would force my hand whether I liked it or not.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So I called for the medical staff.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’d anticipated this kind of reaction when she regained consciousness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, Phoebe’s struggles intensified when she saw me summoning help. She shoved at me weakly, her strength depleted from days of unconsciousness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Stop fighting me, Phoebe. Please, just stay still!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then disaster struck. She couldn’t hold back any longer and wet herself completely. The mortification on her face made me wish I was dead instead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a moment, I didn’t understand—then I saw the spreading dampness. Phoebe had soiled the bed and her clothes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When I looked at her again, silent tears streamed down her cheeks as she buried her face in her palms. The nurses appeared in the doorway.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Get out!\" I roared at them, even though I’d summoned them moments before. They froze in bewilderment. \"OUT NOW!\" I hurled a pillow in their direction to emphasize my point.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Terrified, they fled without a word, too frightened to question why they’d been called only to be banished immediately after.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It’s alright. Everything’s fine,\" I whispered, gathering Phoebe in my arms and carrying her toward the bathroom once we were alone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’m sorry—I didn’t realize,\" I said awkwardly, but she kept her face hidden. The humiliation was crushing her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And rightfully so.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I hadn’t understood she needed the bathroom. I’d assumed she was trying to escape me again.\u003C\u002Fp>",884,"2026-06-06T16:11:22.572Z",1,"novelbin.me","84d7a224607b5bfbb3a3c33d5592328a3c1ebcf625d0729e92a4bcb3c594ec41","marked-by-the-mad-king-alpha-chapter-124","marked-by-the-mad-king-alpha-chapter-122",302,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fmarked-by-the-mad-king-alpha-cover.jpg"]