Chapter 165: horse riding

Cassius POV

She did know something, or more than that, but she just was not sharing with me.

I need to know how she even reached the conclusion. Had Isabella said something to her or had she assumed, after all that was the first plan.

To make Isabella feel that i loved her but married Marianne just for money. So that Isabella would feel she had a chance and the Wilshire family tried to remove the thorn from their way. But it has been a year yet all we do is talk. 

Now I was trying to do the opposite, I had to show that I love Marianne, so that they would be afraid that their position was not secured anymore, and try to attack her. If even it would not work, then I would not listen anymore and just annihilate them.

But I hope it worked out because I wanted the whole empire to know their deeds. I wanted their future generation to lose the title of noble and live the life of beggars.

I want people to spit on them and hate them for eternity.

"Are you even listening to me?" she spoke bringing me back to reality.

This woman, she knows more, but how and why, and what I should do to get the truth out from her.

"Tell me Marianne, why did you suddenly start hating Isabella, was she not your friend just two moths ago?" i asked as i observed her reaction keenly.

"Who would like a woman who is having an affair with your husband, even if our marriage is on name, those rumours still hurt my pride." she replied like it was a foolish question to begin with.

"Anyways, this is the list of the authorities that I want." she replied, handing me as she passed the parchment.

To say that list was long would be an understatement.

"You want a fixed allowance. I thought you don't want to consume the duke's treasure anymore.'' I asked, raising a brow.

"A large part of it came through my properties." she snarled. I wanted to see her face when she would know that I did not have any of her properties to begin with, but I nodded.

"Fair enough, i will give you 30% of my income," i added and she started calculating, her face was shining like gold.. For a moment she was looking like a complete gold digger. But I had never thought that I would find a gold digger this endearing.

She nodded, "alright, I will try to manage that." she replied and i raised a brow, was she not late to act serious now, but it only meant one thing, she had let her guard down in front of me.

"You want all the rights of Killian, his education and training rights. That i can do, but i would still supoervies in between." 

"Like you had done in the past," she mocked.

"I have taken good care of his training at least." I replied and she just shook her head.

I looked back at the list, "you wanted the right to appoint all the staff of the dukedom. Why?"

She looked at the other side as if contemplating, "i don't trust the current staff," she replied when I thought she would not reply anymore.

Did she know about the moles, but a few i had kept knowingly around me to send false reports to the marquess so that he could make further mistakes and make wrong decisions that would make his business further hollow.

"Except my staff." i added and she nodded,

"Good, you want your parental properties" this was something we had discussed thousands of times at least.

"Marianne, I can not return them to you, but I promise you will get them back when we will divorce." i replied and she looked at me suspiciously but in the end signed and nodded.

"You want a whole chamber for a staff, why? We have rooms for staff in the left area of the palace, chambers are for noble Marianne, it would be an insult to the nobles living there previously.`` I replied and she looked reluctant.

"But i have already allotted the chamber that lord Philip vacated to a staff," she replied and suddenly felt the idea better, it would be better if he knew that Marianne was the one to do it.

"Since you had already promised then I can only accept." and so the list continued.. Surprisingly the headaches which i felt daily due to my nightmares and lack of sleep were not there anymore.

After a long time the night did not feel that bad, that it used to be. I could see the bright light coming from the sky and peeking through the windows, but the woman in front of me was so immersed in getting more and more things that she did not even notice that the night had already passed and the rays would soon start to fill the room.  Her bun that was formed on her nape had long turned messy, as tendrils were dancing on her neck. 

"Father, I am here for the horse riding" we both turned towards the door only to see Killian standing there in fresh clothes, and looking at us surprised or shall I say looking at Marianne.

To say that we were stunned would be an understatement. Her hands tried to hide all the papers and I wanted to cover her dress which was stained red.

"Mother, you are here early morning, are you also joining us for horse riding." he asked and we both took a sigh of relief.

It would be difficult to explain to him what we were doing here anyway.

"No"

"Ah, yes"

We both replied at the same time, and then glared at each other

"Mother, if father did not want to take you, you can share a horse with me" I could not believe that he was the one who had organised a beautiful dinner for us. How had he even controlled himself from not barging in between at the first place