CH 74

“Don’t become the king’s guard dog, Gareth, or just don’t take anyone’s side.”

Gareth could tell Lydia’s hidden intentions from her words. He raised one corner of his lip into a smirk then noted sarcastically, “I see that you intend to fight the king, Lydia.”

Gareth could tell what Lydia’s hidden intentions were from her words. He raised one corner of his mouth into a smirk then noted sarcastically, “I see that you intend to fight the king, Lydia.”

Lydia was taken aback by Gareth’s statement, but did not show that she was surprised.

“I was going to join forces with your cousins to fight the king. So, I’m guessing you thought that I would side with you if you used that child of yours to convince me. Alright, so tell me—did you build up some military power while Logan kept picking on the Townsend estate for no reason?”

Unable to deny Gareth’s remarks, Lydia admitted, “As expected, you understand me well. It’s as you said. We had no choice if we wanted to avoid the king’s eyes and build up our own power. When everything is over and the new world comes, I will reward the Townsend estate properly if you want, as it is a territory under your protection.” Lydia paused for a moment before continuing, “I have already been at a crossroads, having to decide who to side with in order to continue living. I’ve already seen the king’s cruel nature and know that I’m going to die even if I side with him. I’ve already given him too much advice and he’ll kill me just to keep my mouth shut.”

Gareth stared at Lydia, who had now completely abandoned her usual coquettish expression and was sharing her plan to continue living.

“If you were to side with me, the rest of my cousins, including the king, will stop mistreating me. Yes, the very thing I want you to do is to side with me, for the sake of our child.”

Gareth remained silent with an expressionless face.

“If you don’t want to do that, at least don’t go to the king. The moment you do, the baby and I will be killed. I’ve told you everything now. The choice is yours, Gareth.”

‘The faint bushes, the unidentified forces…’ Gareth thought. It seemed that those bushes didn’t stand for Logan, as there was no reason why Hansen wouldn’t be able to identify Logan. ‘This certainly won’t end with a battle just between the king and his cousins. There’s definitely something more…’

“When spring comes, lords from all over the land will call you, since there is no one who can ignore your power. If you take my side and lead my military, there is a chance for our child to take the throne. Then the horrors of what happened to your family in the past will no longer haunt you, because you and I will have successfully protected our child.” Lydia stared carefully into Gareth’s emotionless eyes before continuing. “Let me say one more thing to help you make your decision. The incident that happened 11 years ago with Duke Blaim; do you think it was his personal decision to betray Duke Garcia, your father?”

Gareth strode closer to Lydia and glared at her. Lydia, however, simply stared back at Gareth without a hint of fear in her eyes and spoke in a quiet voice, “What did Duke Blaim have to gain by killing his best friend, Duke Garcia?” She paused for a moment before continuing, “Duke Blaim made a deal with Halbert. The duke’s daughter was one of Halbert’s mistresses, and Halbert told the duke that his daughter’s children would become the heir to the throne if he got rid of Duke Garcia. Duke Blaim, as you know, fell for this scheme, since the child born wasn’t designated as heir. That was when Halbert hired you to exterminate Duke Blaim and his family who were protesting against the king’s unfulfilled promise. It’s the king’s habit to make someone his guard dog and groom them, before eventually replacing them.”

Gareth’s breaths shook violently while his heart pounded fast as if it were a ticking bomb. He staggered back a few steps.

“Your revenge isn’t over yet, Gareth. The king is still alive,” Lydia added in an apologetic voice, driving the wedge between the king and the unsettled man in front of her.

Gareth gritted his teeth as Lydia’s words roared inside his head and desperately tried to hold himself together from losing his sanity. He couldn’t believe the current king had exterminated his family. Moreover, he couldn’t believe that he had been played like a pawn.