Kissing Hellfire: Marry Me, Evil Lord
Chapter 198: Accepting Her Mistake

Chapter 198: Accepting Her Mistake

As soon as they were alone in the king’s office, Lauren’s voice, laced with curiosity and contemplation, graced the air as she spoke in a hushed tone.

"Do you think Amber knows something about how to unlock the book I got from the ship?"

"After all, she was raised in the Supreme House and she has access to confidential materials," she added while Alec was checking the books Amber brought.

"I didn’t tell her about the details of your condition. I trust her but she’s still on the Supreme House’s side, so I suggest we go see Anthony first," he replied, his gaze lifting to meet her eyes, brimming with reassurance. "If Anthony knows nothing, then let’s see if Amber has some knowledge to share."

Lauren nodded. She too, started to skim through one of the books. A couple of hours later, she stopped on her third book while Alec was on his fifth. He read so fast that she could barely keep up with him. He was also very focused the whole time which made him look ten times more serious than usual.

"I did not find any cases similar to the corruption of humans," Lauren said, breaking the long stretch of silence, a tinge of disappointment was evident on her words.

"It’s because it had never happened before. That’s why Lord Eleazar is willing to lend a hand if necessary. He’s afraid that this phenomenon will spread across other lands and spark a new war."

Alec held an opened book in his hand, his gaze shifting to meet Lauren’s. "I found something about the black mages."

He showed the page to her.

"An elder mage who once experimented with a black mage six centuries ago said that it is possible to create a stronger kind of black mage if there is a drug that could hold the black mage’s sanity, a drug that could tame their wild nature."

Lauren’s brows knitted together, her mind awash with contemplation. "Could it be that the mastermind of the rebels is someone very powerful? If the black mages are serving her, it means she must be the one making them stronger."

The pieces of their puzzle began to align, painting a picture of a formidable figure manipulating the strings from the shadows.

"That is possible," said Alec.

Her gaze locked onto him, a whirlwind of thoughts spinning within her mind, stirring up a storm of possibilities. But at this point, they didn’t have time to dig up every piece of information they could use. All they could do was devise a plan to counter the attack of the rebels with the fewest possible casualties.

Alec called for a court meeting later that afternoon. He had dismissed nine officials the last time, those he found suspicious and who were proven to be involved with illicit doings. He figured he needed to do some cleaning in the court for a change, especially now that they had a big battle ahead of them. He needed responsible officials who could do their jobs well.

As Lauren continued her relentless pursuit to unravel the mystery book from the ship, she was informed about Julian’s arrival with Vivian and Ethan. She went downstairs and the four of them gathered in the tearoom.

"What is happening, Lauren?" asked Ethan, his voice laced with a mixture of curiosity and concern.

"Julian said that we might need to stay in the castle for a few days. Is there anything we need to know?" Vivian had the same confused expression.

Lauren kept a straight face, the weight of the situation was evident in her eyes.

"The rebels are on the move. Simon Lancelot is with them and he already blackmailed me once. They might use you against me and that is what I’m trying to avoid. So can you please stay in the castle even just until the lunar festival is over?"

Ethan’s eyes squinted. "Will something happen on the night of the festival?"

Julian and Vivian stayed attentive; their eyes were like hawks following Lauren’s every move as if they didn’t want to miss a single word spoken by her.

"The rebels will attack," Lauren muttered silently against her gritted teeth.

Vivian took a sharp gasp.

"And the black mages are their dogs, which means I have more black mages to kill," Julian smirked.

"This is not something to be excited about, Julian," Lauren reprimanded.

Julian straightened up in his seat, his smug smirk was gone now.

"We are talking about lives here. If they attack with a strong force, bloodshed is inevitable," she added.

"Forgive me, Your Majesty." Julian pursed his lips when he realized he had the wrong reaction.

"That is why I would rather have you here in the castle," continued Lauren, looking at Vivian and Ethan who both looked puzzled.

"What did you mean Simon Lancelot blackmailed you once?" asked Ethan.

Lauren then told them how Simon lured her by making her believe that he was holding Vivian captive. She wasn’t very detailed but she gave enough information, including how Simon offered her an alliance against Alec.

"That’s the day when you suddenly arrived at my place!" Vivian’s palm flew to her half-open mouth.

Ethan frowned. "Why didn’t you tell us, Lauren? What if that bastard did it for real?"

"I’m sorry, I was trying to hide it from Alec at first so I thought of telling you later. But I stationed some men to watch Vivian’s place. I could not risk her safety."

"I cannot believe it." Vivian was still dumbfounded. "Lord Simon looks like a very nice man. I never thought he is a wolf in sheep’s clothing. And he wants to marry you so he can get the throne? What a scum he is!"

"You shouldn’t do that again." Julian was serious, his brows were knitted as he gave Lauren a subtle glare. "You knew he could harm you and you went to meet him alone. You taught me how to outsmart enemies, but you foolishly bit the enemy’s trap."

Lauren was about to speak but Ethan spoke first.

"Julian is right. You were too impulsive. You didn’t even think that he might just be bluffing. You went straight to his trap."

"What do you expect me to do? I was worried! He told me in the missive that he would know if I told anyone. I didn’t think about anything else and decided to go alone like he wanted. Vivian’s safety was more important."

"What if he actually had Vivian and he wanted to kill you? Imagine the possibilities. You two would have been killed right on the spot," Ethan said firmly, his jaw clenching.

"Think about it, Lauren. Even if that bastard really had the means to know if you’d tell anyone or not, there is always a way to seek someone’s help discreetly. You should have thought of a better plan."

Lauren sighed wearily, accepting her defeat. Reflecting upon her impulsive actions, she acknowledged her lack of foresight when she went to meet Simon alone and without a well-constructed plan. She had placed her trust in her own ability to safeguard Vivian, underestimating the possibility that Simon might have bolstered his forces that would have left her outnumbered and vulnerable.

Though disappointment lingered, Lauren resolved to channel her remorse into a steely resolve, vowing to learn from her mistake.