[{"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-49":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},1732030,2214,"Chapter 49 The Poison On Her Lips","marked-by-the-mad-king-alpha-chapter-49",49,"\u003Cp>Perry’s POV\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Something felt off about Reginald volunteering for a mission that could get him killed in battle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two days later, I summoned Reginald to the palace for a private conversation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I chose the empty training grounds instead of the throne room—no witnesses, no formalities.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What’s your real reason?\" I cut straight to the point. Every second away from Phoebe felt like torture, and I couldn’t afford to waste time on games. Damn it, I needed her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No hidden agenda. I just want to help this kingdom win,\" Reginald answered without missing a beat. He stood ten paces away, completely calm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Someone with Reginald’s status rarely gave a shit about wars. The former beta’s son lived comfortably, respected by his pack. Why throw that away?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I called him out on it, but he didn’t even flinch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You already know former beta Cameron isn’t my biological father. I’m his stepson. No matter what I achieve, I’ll never be enough for him because we don’t share blood.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Reginald cocked his head, flashing me an innocent smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Don’t misunderstand, my king. He never mistreated me. But his blood doesn’t run through my veins, and nothing can change that.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I listened but didn’t respond. Instead, I shifted topics entirely, stepping closer with my eyes locked on his.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Tell me why you all treated Phoebe like garbage.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Reginald repeated the same bullshit story I’d already heard, looking as disappointed as I felt. Exactly what I’d expected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Timothy might buy these lies, but I’d survived by recognizing deception. Nothing about his story rang true, though I kept my mouth shut and moved on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a brief exchange, I granted Reginald early palace entry to train with the other warriors.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer. That’s exactly what I was doing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That night, I finally caved and went to Phoebe’s bedroom. She sat transfixed by her favorite cartoon on the television—the only thing she ever watched.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was so absorbed in the show that she didn’t notice me standing behind her. I watched her soft chuckles, saw the genuine smile gracing her lips, and wondered why she never showed me that expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bandage was gone from her wound, leaving a thin white scar across her neck. Under the light, it looked like delicate thread against her skin—barely visible unless you knew where to look.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The urge to touch that scar overwhelmed me. I wanted to tell her how sorry I was, that I never meant to hurt her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before rational thought could stop me, my hand found her neck.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She jumped, startled. The smile vanished instantly, replaced by fear when she saw me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her mouth opened, but no words came.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Let’s have dinner together,\" I said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>——\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Phoebe’s POV\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This wasn’t dinner—more like a midnight snack. I’d rather be sleeping than chewing meat at a restaurant an hour from the palace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I couldn’t understand why Perry brought me here alone, without any guards. Shouldn’t a king worry about his safety?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he seemed completely careless about it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Worse, I had no idea what to say to him. The silence between us was crushing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My fingers unconsciously touched my front pocket where the poison waited. I carried it everywhere, hoping for a chance to slip it into something he’d consume.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My heart hammered so loudly I missed whatever Perry said. Despite my hatred for him, murdering a king—my mate—was an unforgivable crime.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Reginald joined the palace warriors.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What?\" I wasn’t sure I heard correctly since my mind was elsewhere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perry hadn’t touched his food at all. He stared at me intensely, like he could see straight through my soul.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Reginald, your stepbrother, is at the palace. He’ll train with the royal warriors and ship out to the frontlines in six months.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perry studied my reaction closely, but I felt nothing after the initial surprise. Just that familiar detachment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Do you want me to keep him here?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Do whatever you want. It was his choice.\" Honestly, I wanted to tell Perry to send Reginald to the frontlines immediately—with silver shackles so he couldn’t shift during battle. That would be perfect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But those dark thoughts stayed locked in my head. I kept my eyes down, staring at the meat I wanted to throw away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Helen kept trying to fix my taste buds, but nothing worked. I was fine with it. Food had no purpose beyond preventing starvation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, Perry still hadn’t touched his meal. When he excused himself to the bathroom, I seized the opportunity to add a single drop of poison to his drink.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he never drank it. Never ate anything. Which made me wonder why he’d brought me here in the first place. What a waste of poison...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The drive back was painfully quiet. Perry acted strange too—saying nothing while tension built between us.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once we reached the room, I knew exactly how this night would end.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The king wanted me. He’d wined and dined me, now he expected payment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Would it feel better knowing his intentions upfront? I couldn’t tell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he wrapped his arms around me from behind, my mind went straight to the poison in my pocket.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I... I need the bathroom.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I escaped his embrace before he could react and locked the door behind me. Standing there, I pulled out the poison.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By now, Perry probably thought I was rejecting him. Instead, I put the poison in my mouth without swallowing, then walked out and kissed the king.\u003C\u002Fp>",909,"2026-06-06T16:11:22.292Z",1,"novelbin.me","07b6ff22b38743b0e15a5345bec7991728d277a73b8ccf2d338c3513e3f9a1dd","marked-by-the-mad-king-alpha-chapter-50","marked-by-the-mad-king-alpha-chapter-48",302,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fmarked-by-the-mad-king-alpha-cover.jpg"]