NOVEL NEXT Chapter 17: Is it poisonous?
Evelyn clenched her fingers so much that all her knuckles turned white from the strength she was using.
'Good, very good,' Lady Evelyn seethed inwardly, feeling angry as her hurried steps echoed through the courtyard. 'If this is the way he wants things to be, he shouldn't blame her for being vicious. What's so wrong with touching him? Why must he react with such disgust at her mere presence? When the time comes, let him remember this moment—he's the one who pushed her to the edge of a cliff; he was the one who made her this way.'
The maids realized their mistress' foul mood and quietly followed her, not making a sound lest they make her angrier.
Lady Evelyn came to an abrupt halt, and the maids in front of the queue also stopped in their tracks as they met Evelyn's fiery gaze, the ripple effect sending those trailing behind crashing into one another. Her eyes scanned them as if she were hunting for something. An oppressive silence filled the air, and they all held their breaths in fear.
"You, come here," she said, pointing to Ellen, one of her maids who had come with her from her country.
"My…My… My lady, you called for me," Ellen said, stammering, her heart beating in fear.
"Idiot, can't you speak properly?" Lady Evelyn snapped.
"Go and find Ruth for me; let her report to my chambers immediately," she added.
"Yes, my lady," Ellen said, breathing out a sigh of relief and running away to do what her mistress requested.
~~~
"Repeat what you said," he snarled, a challenging look on his face. Even though she was afraid of this big devil in front of her, her innate stubbornness had also risen to its peak, and she felt like provoking him more.
"I said you don't own me! Shouldn't you be happy I am leaving you alone to have fun with whomever you want? Haven't you thought I might try to kill you if you allow me to be so close to you?" Luciana retorted, her voice full of annoyance. Since he was acting unreasonably, she was going to give him a taste of his own medicine.
His eyes narrowed dangerously, taking in all the emotions on her face, and he leaned into the crook of her neck before whispering into her ear in a threatening tone.
"Be careful what you say, Princess," he taunted and grinned devilishly before adding in a dark chuckle,
"Besides, you wouldn't dare; you wouldn't want to provoke me so bad that I would kill your adopted father too."
Luciana stiffened at his words; she clenched her fingers into fists and hit her chest repeatedly like a drum, but against his strong chest, it was her little hand that suffered.
"You bastard, don't you dare touch him!" She exclaimed fearfully, the initial confidence she had when he had just barged in nowhere in sight.
He held her wrist with one hand, and his other hand went behind her waist and pulled her closer to him.
"I wouldn't touch him as long as you learn your place and act your part. My words are law and must be obeyed. You are my wife, and the earlier you know this, the more peace you will enjoy," he said tyrannically, his voice barely above a whisper.
Luciana realized he wasn't kidding; he might do something to the king of Florendel if she didn't behave. Luciana realized it would be best not to make the man in front of her angry, seeing as he was in his bloodthirsty mood. It didn't also help matters that she was already afraid of him.
In a calm voice, barely restraining herself from trembling due to the fear she was feeling, she asked,
"Forgive me for my impudence, Your Highness, but I really wasn't feeling well. I don't think I can entertain anyone; can I have some time alone?"
"In your eyes, do you see me as anyone? I'm your husband and your lord; my position in your life should be clear!" He said unreasonably.
Luciana would have rolled her eyes at the unreasonable man in front of her if his tone and gaze weren't so stern and downright frightening as he said each word with a sharp edge to it.
"What do you want from me, my Lord?" She asked tiredly in a demure voice. It was best to accept her fate and stop acting stubborn; Nicholas would never understand her.
"Wear something thicker and come with me; we are going somewhere," he said.
'Didn't he hear what she said? She wanted to be alone!'
"I don't want to; please, can I be alone?" She said in a low voice, almost sounding like a whisper.
Nicholas saw how she tried to get out of spending time with him, but seeing her resisting and acting so demurely made him want to be with her more than ever. He was not taking no for an answer. He was going to distract her from whatever thoughts were going on in her head.
"Would you obediently come with me, or would you prefer I do it my way?" He said, opened the wardrobe, and looked through her clothes, bringing out a fur coat.
"Wear this one," he said, giving the coat to her.
"And if I don't want to?" She asked stubbornly. Can't he just leave her alone?
"Would you wear it yourself, or would you prefer I get you into it? I don't have all day," he said.
"You would do whatever you want anyway; why ask for my opinion?" She said with a hint of sarcasm in her voice. Her words had just ended when he pulled the strings that held her dress together, making it come loose.
"What are you doing? Why are you undressing me?" She asked in fear with a hint of confusion in her eyes.
"You said it yourself; I'd do whatever I want anyway. So I changed my mind since someone gave me an idea; I decided to do what I really want, and that is to undress you and make you mine," he said in a lazy tone, but Luciana could see the seriousness in his gaze. He stared at her as if he were a predator and she was his meal.
"Don't come near me," she said and instinctively took a step away from him, her face full of fear.
Nicholas saw the expression on her face, and his gaze darkened. 'Ha, did she now know how to be afraid?'
"You are the one who gave me the opportunity to come near you. If you had just been obedient and had done what you were told to do, we wouldn't be here together in the first place. You brought this upon yourself," he said, and in the blink of an eye, he was standing before her, and his hand went behind her again and crashed her body into him.
Warning bells went off in Luciana's mind as she realized how serious he sounded. Knowing she wasn't ready, she said what he wanted to hear.
"I will wear the coat; let's go. I'll go with you, wherever you want to go," she said.
A smile formed on Nicholas' face at her words,
"Good girl," he praised; it was as if he wasn't the one acting like a devil and taunting her just a moment ago.
~~~
In Lady Evelyn's inner chambers, Rhoda handed over some flower petals in a pouch to Ruth, Luciana's maid.
"The princess consort has won the prince's favor. Drop some of these petals into the princess consort's bath water each time she takes a bath," Lady Evelyn said.
Ruth's eyes widened at those words; the princess consort was always with the devil prince; if something happened to her and she was found to be the culprit, wouldn't he just kill her?
"Is it poisonous?" Ruth asked in a fearful voice.