Bride To His Darkness
Chapter 180: Who Touched You?

Chapter 180: Who Touched You?

Samantha hardly knew the type of reaction to give concerning what she just heard, her visage was a display of myriads of emotions. There was an armchair behind her, and she had to place her hands on the cushion in order to support her trembling self up to her feet. Thankfully, Lady Agathe didn’t seem to disapprove of her movement, and when she regained balance, Lady Agathe walked up to her, but kept a good amount of distance between them, and it was simply because she wanted to.

"Shocking, am I right?" Lady Agathe questioned, her head tilted slightly with a mockery countenance gracing her features, and from Samantha’s balled fist, she knew the girl was doing her best to suppress her anger. It was good, she savored seeing this side of people, having them lose their sanity just like her was always the fun part to lay back and watch.

"You knew all along, the truth of that night, but you kept quiet and watched an innocent man lose his life?!" Samantha was nearly raising her voice as her throat had been bubbled with emotions, she stifled her tears, trying to keep her cool, but Lady Agathe remained unfazed by it.

"I did say it was part of my plans, where are your ears child." She chuckled softly, and in the blink of an eye, Samantha’s breath hitched when she felt the sharpened edge of the dagger on her throat, and the menacing look in the vampiress’s gaze made it obvious that she was eager to spill some blood. The panic in Samantha’s gaze made her smile, and she said, "Muzan exchanged his life for a wish he had made with the Orb. No one except your Father knew this, and he had promised with his life to keep it a secret. That’s why, during the interrogation, your Father refused to reveal where he hid the Orb, and most importantly, why he took it. So he died, a quite painful death I must say."

"You are the most iniquitous woman I’ve ever met!" Samantha could feel tears slip from her eyes upon listening to Lady Agathe’s cruelty. She was glowering at the woman, overlooking the fact that there was a dagger threateningly placed against her throat. "You will suffer for what you’ve done, Prince Tobias and Alistair deserve a better Mother!"

"Hmm.... Bringing my children into this? Well they don’t have to know about the kind of Mother they have, do they?" The blade was slightly pressed into her neck, drawing out blood, and she continued with her speech. "Life has always been unfair, to me, to you, to Ivan, to my children. We’re nothing but pawns in the boards of fate, but I refuse to remain a pawn, I play literally by my own rules."

"Why do you harbor such hatred for a man who isn’t even alive anymore?" Samantha questioned the vampiress as it made no critical sense, "you’re ruining your life and the reputation of the kingdom to avenge what has already been mended. I don’t know what sort of humiliation Ivan’s grandfather may have caused you, and I’m sorry that you had to be sold, I understand what it feels like to be considered a wastrel but look around you, all those contemptible rules had been rectified. King Muzan did his part, Ivan is doing his part as well and if you can just give him a–"

"So what if the rules have been amended, they were bound to be amended but what about my heart that was stepped on and mercilessly crushed by the Chevalier family? How can they amend that? Will their rules bring back my dignity and my Parents who had to die from being harassed too many times? I won’t stop till I bring this family to the ground, and that is the only reason why I chose to live till this day."

She suddenly laughed before exhaling softly. "Your Father was punished for something he didn’t do, Ivan brought your Family to the ground the same way his Grandfather dealt with mine, you had to suffer because of his actions but here you are, falling in love with him instead of avenging your Father’s death."

"I owe you no explanation for choosing to stay by Ivan’s side." Samantha uttered with considerable daring. "If it wasn’t for Ivan, I wouldn’t be here today so you are free to judge me, that makes the difference between us more solid. You want your revenge, but what about Prince Tobias and Alistair? Your husband?"

"Husband?" She scoffed bitterly, "Abdiel and I are bound by debt, I am a commodity to him, nothing more, nothing less. He doesn’t love me and it is fine, I don’t either, but as for my children, my vengeance has proven to be more significant than their lives. I care about them, but I care about fulfilling my mission more. Any last words?" She pressed the blade with a little more pressure, and Samantha felt the sting accompanied by the feeling of something wet rolling down her neck.

"If you kill me today, I can promise that you would be the first suspect Ivan comes after." Samantha quickly said in one breath. "There’s only two of us, and if His Majesty returns to find a dagger buried in my throat, I’m sure you know that all fingers will point in your direction." As risky as it was, Samantha could not bring herself to face death, not when the one responsible for the whole Palace schemes had been revealed in front of her, and from Agathe’s slight hesitation, she knew her words had sunk in.

"How..." Agathe’s eyes snapped wide in alarm when she heard footsteps just outside the door. She immediately covered Samantha’s mouth with her palm before she could make any attempts to scream.

"Utter a word and I promise to have your brother killed and his head deposited at your bedroom door. Do not test my patience." She threatened before releasing Samantha who was unable to say a word after that promising threat.

Leaving her side, Lady Agathe placed her ear against the door, and she could hear familiar voices outside.

"Have you seen my little lamb?" She heard Ivan question someone just outside the door, and the voice that sounded like Albert’s responded.

"She returned to the Palace a while ago, Your Majesty, do you need me to check the garden? She spends quality time there these days."

"Alright, find her and bring her to my chamber."

"Of course, your Majesty." And the footsteps receded until she no longer heard a sound. Turning around to look at Samantha, there was a hint of jealousy in her eyes as she said. "You’ve proven to be a girl bound by luck, I cannot kill you, but if you say a word about any of this to Ivan, I won’t only have your brother’s head, but I will murder every single person in this world that matters to you!"

Dropping her dagger, the smile Samantha had grown familiar with curved Agathe’s lips, it was a smile she had used to fool everyone within the Palace, but looking at it now, it made Samantha feel nothing but dread for this woman. She approached Samantha and smoothed her hair, then her hands moved to gently wipe away the tears from Samantha’s face.

"Who knows what I will do to your brother.. you just got him back so it would be awful if you had to lose him again, except this time.... it could be for good!" Picking out a red handkerchief, she wiped off the bloodstain from Samantha’s neck before whispering, "who knows if he’ll become the next one I’ll poison. Keep your lips sealed, and no harm will be done."

After wiping the blood, she took out the keys and unlocked the door. "We had a lovely chat, and your company was good, we should spend more time together." Feigning a genuine smile, she opened the door and stepped out of the room, and the minute she closed it, Samantha let out a breath of relief, one for her life, and the second for her brother who was likely to become Lady Agathe’s next target.

"What do I do?" She murmured her dilemma. Her mind, a jumbled mess.

Samantha returned to Ivan’s chamber after gathering herself back, and when she opened the door, she found him pacing, but he stopped the minute she walked inside. Samantha tried to put up an expression that made her appear surprised to find him here, and she immediately approached him.

"You’re back? Is the first round over?" She asked, and Ivan, who had something to say but couldn’t since she had beat him to it, nodded in response.

"Yes, but I left earlier." He explained, "I couldn’t wait for the rest and had to make an excuse to come see you. Is everything alright?"

"Hmm?"

"Are you fine? I felt uneasy watching the rest of the contenders, I couldn’t focus and I knew it was connected to you." He held both her hands and looked straight into her eyes, "you’re fine, right?"

"Y_yes!" Samantha tried to hide her emotions with a quick laugh, and also because the vampire King was good at detecting her out. "I’m standing in front of you, so I’m fine."

"Where did you go?"

"To the garden, I... I was at the garden when Albert came and said you wanted to see me so I..."

"Blood."

"What?" Samantha blinked at him, and she noticed his gaze shifting to her neck where the dagger had left a scar. It wasn’t bleeding, but the scar was still fresh.

"How did you get hurt?" His eyes turned a shade darker as he demanded from her, and he wasn’t smiling. "Who the fuck touched you?"