Chapter 232: Choose?!

Marianne pov

I looked at the man who was sitting there and chatting happily with me. How many facades did he have! I knew he was still hiding a lot of things from me. But it was an improvement that I knew we both wanted him in prison.

"Do you want to sleep?" asked Cassius, making me furrow my brows and I shook my head. We were going to make plans to send them to prison. The adrenal rush is so high, I could not think about sleeping at all.

He nodded his head, as if satisfied with my answer. And I smiled. Finally we were going to talk about further details. 

But instead of doing that, the man stood up and walked towards the bed.

"What are you doing?" I asked , staring up and looking at him confused.

"Sleeping, what else?" he deadpanned, tilting his head.

I was so bewildered that I frowned, "why are you sleeping, it's not night. I have never seen you sleeping after lunch."

"Well, as you can see, i am here on vacation. Since I don't have any work, I should rather enjoy my leisure time."

"Who said that you did not have work?! I thought we were going to make plans, like evil plans, setting traps. '' I started but the man chuckled before I could continue.

"I still have my ways, your highness. You just wait and see, what this villain in red can do" he repeated my words mimicking my smirk too, and the little brownie points he had gathered after sharing the details were deducted right there.

This man could only fire me up!

"You said that I just wait and see. So I'd rather sleep for a while while waiting." he shrugged his shoulders and took off his shoes.

Then very nonchalantly took the blanket and slept comfortably on my bed, while I just stood there brooding!

I sat on the sofa with a strong sound of thud, but the man did not even look once. As if he had already passed to the dreamland.

"Fine, go and sleep. I did not need your support. I can do this alone." I grumbled and then repeated his words in my mind.

'Strong proofs!' What type of proof can help me in getting her into the prison?

Nobles were mostly given much freedom and there were not many laws against us. We are free from most of the taxes, free from any penal retribution if we hurt commoners, few higher nobles even keep slaves and mistress freely!

Then what was left were a few things, like hurting a higher noble than you. Treason, or crime that could affect the peace treaty of the empire.

What if i flare her against Rosemond.. It will be two successes in a single effort!

I nodded at the idea. Now all i had to do was collect both of them at a place and then flare up Isabella, like i did in the market!

But before I could think more the door was knocked and Daulla came in, she looked at the bed and then at me with disapproving eyes.

Mothers spy!

"What is it?" I asked with a low voice and she shook her head.

"My lady is calling you." she said with a look of disapproval. I would have shouted at her if she was not my mothers personal aide and of her age.

I walked out leaving the sleeping man alone. When I reached the parlour room, Killian and Jamie were having a chess match and mother was sitting in the corner cheering for them. I smiled as I waved towards them and walked towards her and sat with her.

"So you were just sitting there while your husband is sleeping! Tsk.." she said with a smile as if she was complementing the dress.

"Mother, why are you doing this?" I asked, baffled, she was not behaving like her at all, "you have never behaved like this before." 

She sighed as she looked at me, "I am trying to take the benefit of one chance fate has given me to see my daughter happy. Why am I skiing so much?" she asked as she looked at me, and for once i did not know what to reply!

I was tongue tied and stayed silent for a while and she ran a hand in my hair.

"Don't you want your happiness, Marianne. You have promised that you will make him fall for you. What happened about that, hmm?"

'I wanted to tell her that I lost her and my family for a lifetime and then ended up being beheaded.. So i gave up,' but her eyes were filled with worry.

"I am happy mother. I have you, a family and a loving son" i explained but it only increased her pained expressions.

"No, I will try my best to create a spark between you and you will support me or else…"

"Or else what?" I asked, being bold. This was the first time that I have talked back to her. But her conditions were unreasonable.

"Then i will make sure that you will not return to the duke's palace. Since we are the source of your happiness, better stay with us and stay happy. Why go there and fall for tricks of lower nobles" she said with a stern expression. Her face was hardened.

"Mother, you are getting mero and more unreasonable. You know you can not do that!" I tried to reason but she just chuckled.

"A mother can do anything to protect their child, darling. So better decide, do you want to go home with them as a happy family or stay here forever as part of our happy family" her words were final and her tone left no place to argue.

"I am giving you time till night, if you slept on sofa or at other place i will take it as you chose us over them but if you shared the bed with him, you chose your family which i want to Mari"