CH 212

Chapter 212: Wanted Criminal

After knowledge of Rihannan’s pregnancy came to light, Count Clovis’ painstaking efforts and plans were ruined. He was at his wits’ end and thus approached Count Alessin. He planned to use Count Alessin’s hatred toward the king and create an advantageous situation for him.

The best-case scenario was to use Leticia and Count Alessin to slaughter the child in Rihannan’s womb, deprived of its existence before it could breathe life. Though it was not so bad to pillage Count Alessin’s massive wealth in the meantime. Whatever the outcome, each possible scenario was acceptable to Count Clovis.

“…Then I’ll make use of Leticia,” Igor decided.

He knew very well her desires and vanity, the greed she bore for the throne. She lusted and desired the position her sister had and longed to become queen for as long as she could dream. Because she was that sort of woman, having her fall into a trap and believing she was to become queen; that she would report this to her father and Count Clovis was enough.

At that point, everything around him was set in his favor. He successfully hid the truth of his mother poisoning Chrichton’s royal family and he put pressure on her on the pretext of the letters she was exchanging with the Chrichton nobility. 

Her plan would not have borne to fruition if she did not pay a price using outside help to obtain Chrichton’s sensitive information and poisoning the royal family while disguising it as an infectious disease.

He threatened his mother, said that he would publicly announce the intolerable crime she committed against Chrichton. She immediately became quiet. And by simple coincidence, many hands that helped her out were cut off one by one. She was pushed to the edge of the cliff. She decided to take a break rather than confront her son head-on.

The sequence of events made him overconfident. The years he spent quietly preparing for revenge faded. The hurdles had been crossed. His confidence rose to new heights. He believed all would go as he imagined. But he never thought that one mistake would cost him everything.

Flashback end.

***

Leticia quietly stared at the man sitting in front of her, legs crossed. This man brought her to an unknown place and neglected her since. He did not explain who he was, why she was brought here, nor what he planned to do with her; she was simply locked in a house-like castle not knowing its location.

The only signs were the foliage of trees outside the window densely packed that not a single beam of light shone through the canopies. The hut she slumbered in was devoid of light. It was humid, too.

A few days passed in that manner. Leticia caused a fuss, screaming from the top of her lungs demanding the presence of the man. It was futile. The man appeared whenever he so desired. His appearance was covered from top to bottom with dark clothing and a midnight black robe as an added touch.

“Who are you?” asked the wary Leticia.

“Shouldn’t you be thanking me first?” the man replied leisurely.

“Why should I thank you?” she spat out a sharp retort.

“If it was not for me, viscountess, your life would very well be spent in the cold, dark prison, your mind tortured without end. You’re guilty for the sin of murder, for killing your blood-related father as well as the lady you once served. You’ve even conspired to murder Arundell’s queen. It’s highly likely that you’ll be tortured. Death won’t come easy to you.”

Leticia’s jaw dropped. “How did you…”

“The whole world is in a ruckus as if everything had been turned upside down. Viscountess, you’ve become a notorious wanted criminal.”