The Queen Wicked Deeds - Chapter 154

The night was long and tiring, but Lara came to the inn in the middle of the night, again, covered from head to toe. A soft black cape was her only disguise, though, she didn’t need anything else. No one would recognize her as the Princess of the Arion Empire.

After all, she was the discarded princess, that not only his father, the Emperor hated, but the other princes and princesses in the palace.​​

“Are you here?” Lara knocked on the door and a man opened it.

“Miss Reid,” the man was looking at the window, he was tall and muscular. His hair color was silver and shined with the light from the moon outside. However, even with all his mysterious and dangerous air, he was still handsome.

Lara moved inside and closed the door, then she took out the papers from her cape, “I have the contract here, Your Highness, please sign it.”

The man didn’t turn around but smirked. That woman was the only one with the guts to make a deal with such disrespect and disregard of his status. She had even dared to call him in the middle of the night to sign a contract with him.

“The conditions are stated in the contract and the price, my people will give you the best of our products delivered to your house in less than two weeks. You will be surprise…d…”

The man turned around and looked at her with a raised hand to make her stop. Lara didn’t have another choice but to keep silent. She knew that the man before her was not someone she could trifle with, not even her father, the emperor would dare to disrespect him or ignore his house.

It was dangerous.

That man was not only a great Duke, Kian of Eylos, but also a great general of the North. His army was counted by hundreds or even thousands and was feared by every country. If not for his loyalty to the crown, he could have easily taken the title of King.

“Your Highness?”

“Why…?” he mumbled, then he smirked while stepping forward to Lara, “why should I sign this crappy contract with an unknown person?”

“I… I am not unknown, my Golden Eagle Company is a well-established company, without any shady business…”

“And you?”

“What?”

“I am the owner Lara Reid, Your Highness…” Lara was stepping little by little to the back of the room. She felt that something was not right, they had done business with the Duke before, and they had all went smoothly. Just one or two minutes and the signature of the man would be in the contract. After all, they had already revised it before the deal.

“You are not…” he stepped forward and took her chin to look at him.

He couldn’t deny that he had let her go many times. From the first business they had cooperated together, he had ignored her cheerfulness and ignorance on manners. After all, he was smitten with her. Those big green eyes, that black ŀustrous hair, that amazing figure, and an attractive face.

It was hard to believe, how can she was able to disguise herself with such outstanding looks. How can she be ignored?

“I am…”

“Princess Lauren Jin.”

Lara paled. “I am not… you are confused…” she moved her face from his grasp. “Please, if you may sign…. Your Highne… mmmm!”

The man didn’t care anymore but kissed her. It was enough.

For so long, he had come with many stupid contracts to see her. To have her before him. He even investigated her company and spied on her business to create more opportunities. However, the oblivious woman never cared for his intentions. It was so obvious.

However… one of his most skilled spies gave him the best news he could hear. She was the princess. Someone he could ask for marriage and she won’t even have the chance to say no.

“Stop it…”

“No…” he said as he was taking out her cape. “You are mine… all mine now. My bride.”

“What did you say?”

“I told you that you are my bride.”

“I am not,” she pushed him from her but he didn’t move. His strength was not to be underestimated. If he wanted, he would have already taken her right there. “I will go…”

“I will ask for your hand in a few days, Lara.”

He said those words with a bit of a mischievous smile. However, before he could make another move, she stomped in his foot and jumped from the window.

She skillfully climbed down the balcony and ran towards her horse. In the middle of the night under the soft cover of the darkness, she disappeared.

One of the knights arrived at the door when they heard the crashing of the window.

“No,” the Duke smiled, “send a notice to guard the future duchess mansion. Don’t let her out of their sight.”

***

The few next days were dreadful, the gardens, the entrances, and even the secret passages of the mansion were guarded. There was no chance for Lara to come out of the mansion, she was surrounded. Even the maids that came to clean and bring her food weren’t allowed inside, the Duke’s guards prevented them and they sent their own people to do the cores.

“What should we do now, master?” One of her secret attendants came through the door. He was closing the windows and curtains looking nervous everywhere. “The people from the Duke had surrounded us from the moment you arrived. Master, what did you do to him? What is going to happen to us? Should we use the secret tunnel?”

The Rosaline Mansion was the most neglected place of the whole Royal territory. One a handful of servants were left there to attend the princess from the day she was born, as her mother died the moment she gave birth. However, it seemed that the King didn’t care about the death of that woman, a lowly maid that dared to climb his bed and have an illegitimate daughter with him.

The people scorned the little girl without even knowing her, the servants neglected their duties and chose to steal the goods in the mansion. Not caring to be caught as they were the only ones inside.

However, only two siblings were the only ones that took care of the little girl. She was, after all, the daughter of Miriam, the head maid that was once in charge of the palace, and the one that took them in. If not for that fateful night, she would still be alive…

Sarah and Eliot were the names of the siblings who took care of Lara for so long and gave her the bit of affection a little girl alone in the world, needed.

“But…”

“Go… I will be fine, trust me.”

The boy that was still a few years older than her, looked worried. He trusted her, after all, she was a genius. Even from her younger days, she had made impressive achievements that only Sarah and Eliot knew about. They were careful not to reveal their true identities to the servants around.

Eliot nodded and went out, leaving the poorly furnished room alone.

Lara sighed and sat on the table near the balcony.

‘It is time,’ she smiled, ‘It is time for the story to begin.’

From the moment she came back inside the book, Lara knew she was fated with a terrible future. The doom of a villainess. However, she won’t let it go to that. She won’t stand and do nothing.

For many years she had prepared and now it was time to change her fate.

She only waited for the knock on the door.

“Right on time,” she whispered. She was about to answer but the three women had already stepped inside.

“Who are you?” Lara said while the three maids looked at her with disgust. “What do you want?”

She was calm in her words and didn’t seem to have any fear in her eyes.

“The announcement of Princess Mina’s engagement will take place in a few hours, all the family members are required to attend.”

The woman in front spoke and signaled to the two maids behind, “clean her and make her…”

“Go away, I will get there when the time is…”

The maid ignored her and still signaled the two others that were carrying an awful black dress with them. “Make her clean…”

She didn’t disguise the hatred in her voice. However, Lara didn’t care.

“Are you not listening?” Lara moved forward and before the two maids could grab her. She moved back. “Are you purposely ignoring me?”

The older woman shouted with annoyance in her voice.