Bride To His Darkness
Chapter 181: Talented Manipulator

Chapter 181: Talented Manipulator

"No one touched me." Samantha instinctively covered the slight scar with her palm, and her lashes fluttered briefly while trying to make up another excuse. "I was fondling one of the bloomed roses in the garden, and I accidentally scarred my skin with a hidden thorn. I.... Didn’t think you’d take such a miniscule matter that seriously."

"Oh miniscule, you call it miniscule?" Ivan arched an offensive eyebrow at her, his hardened gaze transfixed between the fresh scar and his little lamb’s face, and even when she tried to turn the conversation into a light joke, he still wasn’t smiling concerning how she had placed her sentence. "As long as it concerns you don’t ever expect me to take it lightly. I take every part of you just as seriously, now be a good little lamb and let me see for myself how deep it is, I still smell blood on you, did it make you bleed?"

"Ivan..."

Samantha called his name in protest the moment he tilted her chin up to get a better look. His worried eyes observed the scar with intent, and when he leaned in to get a closer view, it became a little clear that the scar was still a clean cut. Using his eyes to measure the length, he refused to believe this was caused by an ordinary thorn. Suspiciously, his eyes drifted to catch her troubled expression before she masked it in.

"I’m fine." He heard her say again, more assuringly this time around. "It will heal in a day or two, now do you need me to help you get ready? You’ll be having a meeting with the Ministers and Courtiers once they arrive, so you need to prepare." Using the conversation as a distraction, Samantha walked past Ivan to his wardrobe to pick out the royal attire that was made specially for official meetings. Somehow, she had managed to contain her tears and ease her heart, but for how long can she keep up with this pretense before he eventually finds out?

She hated lying to him, and she hated herself more for being unable to do a thing about it, but her brother’s life was on the line here. For someone who had managed to maneuver her way in the Palace without getting caught or suspected, Samantha knew she had tied herself into this dangerous game with Lady Agathe, and because of this, she can’t risk making any abrupt decision. Just thinking about their encounter made her heart clench in pain, but she stifled a cry and continued searching in order to buy herself more time.

Ivan’s concerned gaze lingered on the woman who was busy picking out a dress for him, and in no time, she brought out the exact attire that was needed for his meeting today. Samantha moved to his bed and carefully placed them on the surface before turning around to look at Ivan. His eyes searched her face, and although they were hints of exhaustion, she had schooled her expression quite well.

"I’ll set the tub quickly."

"Wait." Ivan called her back, and Samantha stopped in her steps to look at him. "The Courtiers haven’t arrived yet so there’s no need to rush it. It’s fine if you don’t want to explain the scar to me, I won’t force it out of you just yet, but you can at least tell me what happened between you and that perverted Nichole, and why you had him choking to death."

"Oh." Samantha blinked in awe at the change of topic. Due to her sour encounter with Lady Agathe, she had completely forgotten about the stunt she pulled with Nichole today. It became evident that no matter how hard she tried, she always gets visited by one troubling encounter or the other. Heaving a sigh that weighed her exhaustion, she walked back to where Ivan stood and peered at his handsome face.

"I heard the whispers again." She admitted in a soft tone, and Ivan’s eyebrows knitted into a frown. "The whispers... they were more audible than the previous ones, like the ones carried by a strange wind, but more heavy, and in the middle of my argument with His Majesty Nichole, it compelled me to kill him with my vines."

"Compelled you?"

She nodded to Ivan’s inquiries, "I didn’t have control over my thoughts and my body at that moment.... I felt tranced. All I knew was that I was told to kill His Majesty Nichole, I couldn’t refuse it and if you hadn’t stepped in on time to stop me, I don’t know what would have happened and I’m afraid to even guess it." She let out a weary sigh, expressing her confusion and worries to Ivan who pondered on what he just heard.

She glanced up to look into the eyes of Ivan, "do you think I’m being watched by this person?"

"More like he’s afraid to come out cause I’m gonna separate his skin from his skeleton." Ivan murmured, his annoyance evident in his tone. It pained his soul that there was no way to stop the whispers, and what’s more concerning is the fact the voices are tempting his little lamb to take drastic measures. He’ll have to see Lord Viktor again and explain this side of the story to him, and just maybe, they can locate whoever it is that’s toying with his woman.

"When you hear those whispers again, I need you to think of me." Came Ivan’s retort that left Samantha staring in bafflement.

"Huh?" Her expression scrunched into confusion, and he nodded. "Why would I do that?"

"Cause I’m your soulmate." He answered as a matter-of-fact, "Viktor is getting old and his powers are becoming wonky, he doesn’t know what he’s saying cause you can’t have two soulmates. Whenever you hear those whispers, I need you to think of me, he needs to know your mind can only occupy one being, and that’s me."

Before Samantha could utter anything in response to his absurd demand, there was a knock on the door. Samantha used it as her opportunity to slip away from Ivan, and she asked.

"Who is it?"

"Is His Majesty in? The Ministers are starting to arrive."

"Already?!" Ivan exclaimed, "how did they get back so fast?"

"His Majesty will be there in ten minutes." Samantha answered loudly before handing Ivan his bathing robe and pushing him with her little strength into the bathing chamber.

"You have five minutes to come out of there." She said, timing the vampire as she shut the door.

"I’ll be quicker if you come inside." He proposed, sounding more ironic than genuine.

Samantha’s eyes widened, but when she tried to smile, her encounter with Lady Agathe returned, whilst she felt her earlier unease messing with the speed of her heart, and just like that, her smile was gone. Thinking about Maurice and the poison Lady Agathe had sang into her head, Samantha immediately set up whatever Ivan might need on the bed before stepping out of the room.

When she made it to the guest room where her brother stayed, she quickly knocked on the door. It took less than a minute before the door opened to reveal a tired Maurice.

"Sam?" His serious facade momentarily softened at the sight of his sister. A lazy smile dawned his lips as he asked. "Are you here to congratulate me and apologize for having less faith in me? I knew beforehand that I was going to make you regret you ate back your words but–"

"Have you eaten or drank anything after returning from the fields?" She cut him off with a question that had Maurice puzzled for a few seconds. He hadn’t noticed it until now but his sister’s visage reflected her urgency as she awaited his answer.

"What?"

Stepping into the guest room herself, Samantha’s eyes moved to the table to find a glass of juice resting atop of it. It was filled to the surface which meant her brother hadn’t laid hands on it yet. Taking the glass of juice, Maurice stared agape as she walked towards the window and poured out the content on the cup away.

"What are you doing?! That was meant to help me recharge!" Maurice complained as he reached his sister’s side by the window, obviously disappointed that his drink was all thrown away with no explanation, but when he turned his head to look at his sister, he was about to question her sudden act when she handed him the empty cup.

"From now on, you’re going to eat and drink whatever I serve to you. Do not eat or take stuff from anyone else, okay? If you need anything at all, I need you to come to me and I’ll get them for you." She stated to Maurice whose brows furrowed in confusion to her sudden order.

"What? But why?"

"Don’t ask me questions and just do as I say, it’s a primitive measure, and majorly for your own good." Her assertive tone and the seriousness in her gaze was enough to shut Maurice up, despite his reluctance. Samantha knew she was being inexplicably harsh right now, but there was no other way to avoid having him eat poison without his knowledge. She had already lost both her parents, and she would do everything within her powers to ensure she doesn’t lose Maurice too.

"Give me the cup, I’ll go make you a new one." She stretched her hand forward to receive the cup from Maurice before leaving his room.

On her way past the corridor that led to the stairs, she found Lady Agathe speaking with a few Ministers downstairs, and for a fleeting moment, their gazes met. Agathe’s heartwarming smile and innocent kind eyes as she spoke to the Ministers was indeed deceiving, the woman was surely talented in the arts of manipulation. Samantha could feel her grasp on the cup tightening as she tried to conceal her anger, and if it was possible, she would have shattered it by now.

One way or the other, she wasn’t going to let Lady Agathe get away with the crimes she’s committed.