502 One Last Condition
“My lady! The lord had asked you to rest. He would be very angry if he came to know that you have left the palace.” her maids looked worried when they saw hazel getting ready to go out.
She tried to hide her pale complexion from the makeup but her maids were still not convinced to let her go out. What if Rafael came before her?
“You do not need to worry about it. I will come in an hour.” She stood up and walked out as a few of them followed her to make sure that she was fine, while others decided to wait in case she was late.
As Hazel walked towards the exit, she noticed Damien standing in the garden and talking to a few men. She did not recognize them but then.She did not know everyone workin the palace yet.
Feeling her gaze, Damien turned and she swore that she had never seen such cold eyes that she paused.
He exchanged a few more words with them before walking towards her.
“I have forgotten to congratulate you for your child. I am happy for you.” he took out a small wild flower he had plucked while walking towards her and gave it to her.
She hesitated for a second as she kept staring at him before taking the flower and thanking him.
“Are you going somewhere?”
.....
“Who were they?”
They asked at the same time and then paused and smiled.
“They were just acquaintances. They wanted to tell me how sorry they were over the death of my mother and how great a lady she was!” he gave a mocking smile when she sighed.
She had no affection towards Scarlet but she knew she was important for Rafael. But she had never thought even Damien would be this hurt.
In her eyes, Damien had always been self centered who did not care much about blood and bonds.
“Damien, I know that it is hard and words only make it worse for you but with time, everything will be better.” he stared at the distance as he nodded.
She could feel his pain but did not say another word as she bid her goodbyes.
“Where are you going?” he asked again when she took a few steps away and she turned to look back at him.
“Nothing special. I am just feeling suffocated so I decided to take a stroll in the market and see if I can find anything for the child.” she smiled when he nodded and left in the carriage.
His eyes narrowed and turned cold when the passage disappeared from his eyes.
Hazel took a deep breath. She did not like how she lied to Damien. She stared out of the carriage with her thoughts wandering around until it stipped in front of a tea house in the market.
“I would take a stroll from here. I will be back in an hour.” the footmen nodded as she walked inside the tea house and disappeared.
She already had a booked room in the inn. Without waiting for the waiter to guide her, she walked in the room and sat when the door opened again.
“I never thought that you would call me to meet you here, my lady.” Lucio took his cap and bowed in front of her as she walked and sat opposite to her with a smile on his face, “is something the matter?”
“You do not need to act anymore. We both know what the truth is.” she brushed him off when he raised a brow and waited for her response.
“I already remembered that part and I am sorry to forget about you but you have to understand that my memory is hazy. I even remembered Anne or Rafael at once.” she explained when three deep lines formed on his face.
“Lucio! I know that you have come to my room with the intention of killing me. But in the end, you did not. Even on the day of war, you disappeared and in the past when you took me to the trap, you could not do it.
You changed your mind and took both of us out of the trap. I know that you have complaints against me but you do not hate me. There is still a chance of finding a better solution.” she held his hands that were placed on the table and squeezed his fingers.
“I know you suffered injustice. But we can find a way. There is no need to kill innocents to get that so-called justice.” she pleaded when his eyes flickered.
He stared at her hands holding his and then smiled sardonically.
“It is easy for you to say that!” he paused as if thinking about it, “but i agree with you last line. There is no need to kill the innocent and a way could be found.”
“I will accept the terms of the council.. The witches would give up on war. They would accept a separate empire for them and live a peaceful life but the condition is you have to come with us.
I will not fight with Rafael or other vampires. I do not give a damn about them as long as you come and rule over the witches.
We can start a new life there.” he pressed her hands that were still holding him as she smiled at her. “As long as we can have peace, I do not want war too.”
A deep scowl formed on her face and she tried to get rid of his hands but she felt someone was staring at them and before she could reply to him, she turned back to look toward the window when she noticed the leaves shaking but there was only a bird on the tree and she shook her head.
“Lucio! Even in my past, you were just a friend. I have never seen you that way. And not to forget that I am already married to Rafael and now I am pregnant with his child. He is the man I love.”