Escape from the evil lady (GL)
Chapter 91 - 41. A Catastrophic misunderstanding

Chapter 91: Chapter 41. A Catastrophic misunderstanding

— I wish I knew... What’s going on here?

The Prince of the North quickly withdrew his hand, realizing how it might look from the outside. He cast a guilty glance at the maid, who turned pale to the tips of her ears in confusion.

— Your Grace, wait! It’s not what you think! — Jeremy exclaimed, rising from his seat. — I was just helping Runny with her hair, it got caught on...

The guy tried to explain himself, but the words stuck in his throat. The maid Runny, deathly scared, lowered her head, not knowing what to say. Meanwhile, Selina continued without waiting for any further explanation:

— I didn’t think the butler could be right about anything, but... It looks like his words weren’t as meaningless as I thought.

The Princess of the North chuckled coldly.

— No, please listen to me! — Jeremy stepped forward, trying to convey to his wife the true meaning of what had happened. — This maid is learning to read and write. I just wanted to help her, nothing more...

«.....»

However, despite the sincerity in her husband’s eyes and the maid’s genuine fear, all these explanations did not touch Selina at all. She took a deep breath before breaking the heavy silence that had fallen:

— Such things are unacceptable within the walls of this castle. Although I said that as my husband, you have the right to make your own decisions and do as you please, but... By having an affair with a maid on the side, you are endangering the reputation of the De Lung family. I will never allow such an outburst to disgrace the honor of my ancestors.

— Your Grace, wait...! — Jeremy tried to intervene again, but his words had no effect. The Duchess of the north was not in the right frame of mind right now.

— I’m ordering you... — She said coldly, pointing at them with her finger. — Capture them and lock them in the dungeon until I order an official trial.

The maid and the lord exchanged startled glances, and at that moment, an even more oppressive silence reigned in the room. The baron’s youngest son, feeling his heart pounding loudly in his chest, tried to call out to her again:

— Your Grace, it was a misunderstanding! Please reconsider your decision! There was nothing between us, and I didn’t even think about something like that...

But his words were not heard. The Ice Duchess, full of determination, turned to the servants standing at the door and ordered again:

«Execute immediately!»

The guards who ran into the library were also completely perplexed by what was happening at first, but eventually headed towards the Prince of the North and the maid, ready to obey their mistress’ orders without question. Jeremy Seibel, feeling that justice was rapidly slipping out of his hands, exclaimed:

— Your Grace, please give me a chance to explain myself! It’s just a misunderstanding...!

But his desperate screams, like everything else, went unanswered. In the end, Jeremy was completely helpless when Runny and himself were grabbed and handcuffed.

***

Once in the dungeon of the ice castle, Jeremy experienced real despair. After all, what happened was actually just one big misunderstanding. Jeremy hoped that soon he would be able to explain himself to the Duchess and clarify the situation with her. However, he felt even more guilty for dragging Runny into all this.

In such a prison, every hour dragged on for an incredibly long time. It wasn’t until the evening of the next day that Selina de Loon finally deigned to visit him. There was an oppressive silence in the dungeon, where the cold ice walls only exuded even more coldness. Since the dungeon was located in the dungeon of the castle, it was even colder here than upstairs, which made Jeremy feel like he was locked in a freezer.

If this goes on, he will die of frostbite faster than he can explain himself to his wife.

The Northern Duchess walked towards the grate where her husband was sitting with a heavy expression on her face. Jeremy jumped up from the floor he was sitting on when he saw her, and his eyes were full of worry and hope.

— Your Grace! I beg you, listen to me, — he began, running up to the bars. — This is a misunderstanding! Runny is not to blame for what happened. She’s just a maid, and I didn’t want things to turn out this way...

Selina de Loon, ignoring his words, looked at him coldly.

— Do you really expect me to believe in your excuses? — She said, and her voice was full of contempt. — You betrayed me, and now you’re trying to protect the one who was next to you. It’s a pitiful sight.

«.....»

— You should have known that more than anything else in the world, I don’t tolerate traitors. But you did it anyway. Funny. Is this really the true nature of human nature?

Jeremy, feeling his heart pounding in his chest, took another step forward, closer to the bars.

— Your Grace, please let Runny go! If I have incurred your wrath in any way, then I will answer for it myself. She shouldn’t suffer for my mistakes. It’s my fault, but it’s not Runny’s fault!

The Duchess, crossing her arms over her chest, grinned.

— And you really think I’ll do what you ask? At the moment, you’re just a prisoner whose words are worthless.

— ...

— By the way, you’re lucky that even in this situation, I’ll be reasonable enough. As my official spouse, you have a better chance of salvation than others.

— A chance of salvation...? — he intervened.

— More precisely, I’ll give you a choice, — the Duchess said, and her voice turned icy. — Either you stay with your maid forever in this dungeon, or... I will set you free, but in that case, the maid will pay for your freedom with her life.

Jeremy’s eyes widened in horror, and he stepped back, realizing the cruelty of her words.

— Your Grace, you can’t do this! — He exclaimed, his voice trembling with despair. — This is madness! Runny doesn’t deserve to die! She’s just a victim...!

The Duchess, without showing any compassion, continued:

— Do you think I don’t know what I’m doing? I won’t let this mess continue. If you can’t fulfill your obligations properly, I’ll do it myself. I will do anything to preserve the honor of my family, — she deliberately emphasized the last words.

— .....

— Think about my offer. You still have until tomorrow morning.

With these words, she turned around and left, leaving her husband in the dungeon in utter despair. At that moment, covering his face with his hands, Jeremy couldn’t help but laugh. It was the very moment when all his expectations and hopes collapsed in an instant.

His wife, the ice witch, was indeed incredibly cruel and ruthless. And even more ridiculous to Jeremy was the fact that he could have thought otherwise, even for just a moment.

«What kind of fool was I when I thought this woman could be different? — He thought ironically, — After all, Selina de Loon is the real witch.»