Chapter 239 - River Of Blood

William pov contd

There was something in her eyes that were telling me that she was not just assuming. As if she had seen that. She had witnessed the river of blood she was talking about. Yet my mind was not ready to believe in something that was impossible. Yet I could not avoid the feeling that was creating a wild sensation in me that all the hair of my blood stood up. Her eyes were frenzy, and the calmness and smirk she had on her face, despite talking about death, was unnerving.

"You are exaggerating little bird, Gerard is powerful, but he is not crazy. He is just hungry for power." Though I assured her, my words were failing to convince me too.

"And you think a man hungry for power would let your family, would let a woman decide his fate?" there was amusement in her eyes as if she was talking to a kid.

"But why are you so sure?" I could not help but ask.. I have investigated her more than ten times, not because I was afraid of her but because the changes in her were too drastic and I did not find a single reason for her to hate Gerard so much.

Yet whenever they both meet, I could feel strong bloodlust from her. 

"There are a few things that could not be explained, your highness. But you have to trust me. The person is more vicious than you think." her emphasis was again and again on the probability that he would kill everyone.

"Whether he kills every noble supporting the empire or not, it does not matter for now. Since he will kill me either he would kill them or not. So, we have to kill him first." she chuckled again listening to my words, while her eyes had that evil glint in them.

It was the first time I had seen her like that. She was mostly lost in herself, a bit narcissist and furious all the time. But the calmness and amusement she had now when we were talking about death and killing was similar to Theodore.

"If it had been possible, wouldn't his highness have already done that? You would not have been waiting for my intrusion." she replied as a matter of fact and i ran a hand in my hair.

As the nephew of the empress and the legitimate son of archduke, Gerard has equal footing when it comes to the prowess from me as my mother has been degraded as concubine. Though i have achieved the position of northern duke, everyone was afraid of, if everyone came to know that it was me. It would create a suspicion among them that I used underhanded methods or the treasure of the royal palace to achieve that position.

"We need to cut his roots. We need to bring his real self out. He is not the angel he shows, but a demon that is hidden beneath that facade." her eyes were telling me that she already had a plan. Should I tell her that I was the northern duke!?

"It will not be easy. Since we do not know much about him. I have sent a few spies to keep an eye on him but he is too discreet." and the girl that was serving him closely, he had not only forced himself on her, but even tried to kill her! My jaw gritted as I remembered the broken face of Anna, somewhere I was the one who was responsible for that!

"You do not need to dig that deeper. All you need to do is to hurt his pride and he would show his true color automatically. I know that you are worried that he would attack sneakily but then he had already attacked me today and the incident of the woods, falling chandelier in the royal palace. Isn't he already attacking us with all his might?

So, try to hurt his sore points, try to get as much praise as you can in his presence. He will feel humiliated if others forget about him and give all the importance to you.`` I shook my head as we were already too late for this. 

"I have shown my true self in public today. I can not hide anymore. The war will start now." she chuckled again, i wonder had she ever laughed this much since i knew her? Yet every time she laughed, I felt a chill run down my spine. 

She was looking no less that devil reincarnate today. Has she always been this vengeful?

"What have you shown them except that you have killed a girl. There were not many present except a few knights. You have just heard that your lover was getting attacked and you came there to save her. Yet the girl tried to attack you too with a poisonous sword, so you killed her. I am sure defence could never be part of the attack.

I have heard this was the same condition as her majesty had when she had killed the concubine?" I did not know how she knew that? There were very few who knew about that incident. It was a black stain that was hidden by the emperor very well.

As if reading my thoughts, she replied, "my father accidentally told me about your sibling and another lover of his majesty who died in an accident. I asked him more about it, but he avoided the topic so I became curious and searched for it.

Later I found a statement in the royal court that the lady had turned crazy and tried to attack her majesty. So, in her self defense her majesty attacked back and killed the mistress. Her child ran away and never came back." i sighed and nodded when she continued, 

"After knowing the true nature of her empress and her behavior towards others, I had the doubt that it was just a story to protect her from the punishment and gain the sympathy of the empire."