[{"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-146":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},1732127,2214,"Chapter 146 A Necessary Betrayal","marked-by-the-mad-king-alpha-chapter-146",146,"\u003Cp>Perry’s POV\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I still remembered why Phoebe had stopped poisoning me. Those bottles she’d kept—every single one remained untouched.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was the only evidence backing up her claim, and I believed it completely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now that everything had settled, I recalled my words in the throne room. I needed to be certain of my intentions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Is it true?\" I asked again, my fingers tracing the curve of her cheek. \"I know you can’t accept me yet, but I’m willing to spend my entire life earning back your trust.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I spoke those words like a sacred vow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, we’d be spending forever together, and I’d make damn sure of that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’ll trust you even with a blade pressed to my throat.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her frown deepened. What kind of man made promises like that? She probably thought I was insane, though coming from me, insanity might sound like praise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Can you believe me on this? I won’t demand your trust immediately, but give me one more chance to prove myself. I’ll spend every remaining day of my life ensuring I never disappoint you again. Can you give me that?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She didn’t know how to respond. Her head dropped, eyes fixed on her fidgeting fingers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I hurt you terribly, didn’t I?\" I pressed my lips to her forehead. \"I’m sorry.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She bit her lip and gave the faintest nod—barely visible, but it told me everything. Yes, I had wounded her deeply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’m truly sorry.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I pulled her closer, my arms tightening around her so she’d understand exactly how much she meant to me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’m sorry.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Silent tears began falling as her body trembled against mine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She’d been suppressing these emotions for so long, she hadn’t even realized their weight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now all her pain came rushing out, but this time was different—she felt safe enough to release it, to experience it fully, and cleanse herself of the poison.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These feelings had been toxic in her system, and she’d kept consuming them every time she buried her emotions deeper.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It’s okay, cry.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was a time when I’d wondered how to treat someone with tenderness, because such delicate concepts had never existed in my world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No one had ever shown me gentleness—my father would have punished such weakness severely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cordelia.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yes, Cordelia had been the only one who’d shown me that kind of softness, but it felt like lifetimes ago. Every memory of her came paired with crushing regret.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My recollections of her were blurred, overlapping with images of her death, but I remembered her smile. She’d been like a mother to me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, with Phoebe, I’d gradually learned what gentleness meant as time passed. I could offer it naturally now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But at what price?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She lifted her head, tears streaming down her face, and pointed toward my half-packed belongings before shaking her head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The message was crystal clear. She didn’t want me to leave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But with deep regret, I had to refuse her request.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No. I can’t stay. I have to leave. This is crucial.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They’ll become a threat to you eventually.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Reginald’s still breathing. I’m going to settle the score with him.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She pressed her face against my chest and struck me with her fists, clearly upset.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’d promised to do anything she asked, but less than a minute later, I’d already broken my word. How could she possibly trust me?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This battle matters because it involves you too—it’s about your safety.\" I gripped her chin, tilting her face up. \"I can’t let the person who put you in danger walk free, but I’ll return as quickly as possible.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I could see my words hadn’t convinced her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Come with me,\" I said, moving to my wardrobe to grab a jacket that I draped over her shoulders. \"It’ll be cold outside.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I took her hand and led her from the room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sky looked magnificent with moonlight scattered across it like jewels, and I’d been right—the night air carried a sharp chill as I guided her toward the forest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thankfully, I’d had the foresight to bring the jacket, so she wouldn’t freeze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We walked for about thirty minutes, leaving her breathless. She clearly needed more exercise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Tired?\" I asked, wiping sweat from her forehead despite the cool night breeze. I dropped to my knees and gestured for her to climb on. \"Come on. This’ll be faster.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Normally, I’d shift into my beast form when visiting this part of the forest, and it would take less than five minutes to reach my destination.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But in human form, matching Phoebe’s slower pace, the journey stretched much longer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since she had no other choice, she climbed onto my back. She must have noticed how differently a king’s body was built.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I felt like nothing but solid muscle, and my broad back provided exceptional comfort.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon she found a perfect position with her chin resting on my shoulder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For me, walking with her felt effortless, as if I carried nothing at all. I wasn’t even winded when we finally reached the place I wanted to show her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But she recognized this location immediately, especially when wild wolves emerged from the darkness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their eyes gleamed behind the trees.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What did this mean?! Would I feed her to the beasts? Would I actually do that?!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her first instinct was to flee, but I gripped her hand firmly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Where are you going?\"\u003C\u002Fp>",891,"2026-06-06T16:11:22.572Z",1,"novelbin.me","b192f7661353c64d1b97cbf76fa82d611f13dfd287301d2fd6d06a7e5959f2a3","marked-by-the-mad-king-alpha-chapter-147","marked-by-the-mad-king-alpha-chapter-145",302,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fmarked-by-the-mad-king-alpha-cover.jpg"]