Chapter 51: Her crazy ideas.

The maids looked at me like they had seen a ghost. I stopped in my tracks looking at the number of them. Why were there so many maids at the door, when usually there were two or three?

"Why are you all here?" asked Ian.

The maids looked at each other and hesitated. But my gaze was enough to open their mouth,

"Your highness, her highness had asked us to wait outside."

'So she had left no shame this time' I clenched my hands as I walked towards the door. Her head maid Lina knocked the door to inform her about my presence but she just shut the maid by telling "not now"

My heartbeat increased as different scenarios started forming in my mind as what that crazy could do. So without any further waiting, I walked as Ian pushed the door for me.

But when I entered there was nothing like what I had thought.

Killian stood up to greet me but Marianne stopped him by holding his hand and surprisingly the boy stopped too.

I raised a brow, 'since when did they too become close?'

I waited for her being escalated or to see a minor crack in her facade but she maintained it well.

No one could say she was happy to see me there if any of her expressions were telling I was invited, and if not for my position she would have thrown me out.

I wanted to go out too, but then I decided to wait and observe a bit more. So without being invited I just sat there.

She threw a death glare at me, 'why, what were you hiding Marianne that my presence was affecting you so much' i would never let you win.

She tried to brush me off many times, so I had no option but to speak.

"I came here to discuss something with you," I spoke to her but my gaze was giving a signal to Killian to go out.

If he would be out of here, then I could also go and take a rest. I could not leave him here with her.

As a smart boy he was, he took the cue and stood up, but the shameless women stopped him again.

I clenched my fists under the table, I would not let anything happen to him.

My face turned disgusted as I saw her trying to harm a child, such a vile creature I had taken as my wife.

"I came to inform you that I am busy three days later," I replied finally, knowing well that she would not let Killian go, so I had to be there too.

"Then the reason you came here was to say that you wouldn't be able to come with me to the royal tea party of empress that will be three days later," she asked crudely.

It felt like I had eaten a fly and now it was stuck in my mouth when I heard her rude voice, she was getting better at challenging my authority.

"Correct, you are getting smart '' I spoke as I stood up, better let ian stay to keep an eye on her. But then I felt bewildered that it would be enough to stop these crazy women from doing anything. But Killian was strong too.

Just when I was contemplating, the woman stopped me and a smile bloomed on my lips, so she had come back to her previous habit that fast.

I turned back at her with triumph, knowing that now she would cry and ask me to go together. But that did not happen. She tried to strike a deal with me.

"So you want something in exchange. And here I thought you changed Marianne." my voice was filled with disgust again, no matter how much I provided for her, that greedy woman always wanted more.

But then she completely avoided me as she started calling her maid. What now, did she just ignore me!

"Lina, go and call a royal physician. Lord Killian is injured." She ordered the running maid.

That's when I noticed a minor scratch on Killian's hand. It was even smaller than the cut he had today while we were practising swords. Was she trying to make my child weak and pathetic, who could not even bear the scratch? So, he would be proven incompetent to run our part of the empire.

"I think you are overreacting too, Marianne. It is just a minor scratch" I spoke as I did not want to drag her drama anymore.

But she looked at me coldly and denied me to take her name, her eyes were so cold and full of hatred for a second I lost my composure looking into them. Those eyes were hollow, a person who had faced enough pain could only have these eyes, but why? She lived there luxuriously and I did not have my crazy relatives here who could torment her.

As I was lost in thought she shouted at her maid, which ran away instantly. Looks like the maid was also afraid of her eyes.

"Now your highness about the deal. If there is something that goes, then there must be something that comes. I gave up his highness, love and time. His highness should give me similar conditions that are reasonable." she spoke in the same cold tone.

Warning bells started ringing in my ears, as I heard her words. What was she aiming for? Whole palace, other properties, she already had the honour of being archduchess. Why had she not learnt about being satisfied? But I could not find a solution before hearing a problem.

I sighed as I asked her to tell me first, only then would I be able to make decisions.

But her reply surprised me again. She wanted the education right of Killian. What for? To destroy his mind? To not let him grow? A thousand possibilities passed my mind but before I could analyze further the woman continued.