Chapter 30
Standing outside winters door, Zachary let out an angry sigh. He didn't know why he had suddenly gotten frustrated at winter. It wasn't like him to react in that manner, if anything her words shouldn't have provoked him in that manner. He ran his fingers through his already tousled black hair and stepped away from the door heading towards his office.
Opening the door to his office, he came into sight with Allen who had been pacing the office as though he was being prickled by a needle.
"What seems to be the matter?" he asked as he walked towards his desk.
Allen who had finally seen Zachary was overcome with a slight relief. The prince had finally decided to show his face. Lately his highness had been occupied with the Lady. One would almost this the crown prince was love struck, but in Allen's eyes there was no such thing for the master he served.
"Your highness, you have been summoned to the main palace," Allen said as Zachary looked up from the documents he had began working on.
"The main palace?" Zachary repeated, "Why?" he questioned.
"Well, …I am not sure," Allen answered honestly.
Zachary's expression turned dark as his mind drifted to the person who could have summoned him, "Is it her? Did she summon me?" he questioned coldly.
Allen shuddered at the cold voice questioning him, why did he have to go through this torment, "I am unsure," a wash of silence dawned in the room and only the two men's breathing echoed.
"Hm," Zachary answered as he continued looking at the documents in his hands, "very well, send a reply of confirmation," he finalized as Allen bowed in agreement, leaving the room, shutting the door behind him.
The clack of the door had Zachary slamming the documents on to his desk. This was truly unexpected. Had she caught onto something? Is that why she was slithering her way in like the snake she was? Zachary thought to himself as his rage seemed to amplify. There was nothing more he anted to do than to watch his father die and the current empress get pierced with his sword. The woman was filled with nothing more than pure malice and evil intent. He needed to usurp the throne, and he needed to do it as quickly as possible. He just needed to start executing his plan, but there was one problem, Winter.
It was funny how she was unaware of the situation she was in. She hadn't had her awakening as yet, and Zachary doubted she even knew that she even possessed any power. Otherwise, she wouldn't had walked so calmly into his hands. Winter was unlike any woman he had ever encountered, and in Zachary's case, he had encountered many. Just thinking of her had his emotions in a spiral and he couldn't help but feel she was doing something to him, and it was that very something that he needed to get rid of, but he didn't know how, when he didn't even know what it was.
Sighing, the prince picked up the documents that had encountered his slight anger and continued to work. If one were to look at his expressionless face in the moment, it would seem as though the man had thought of nothing other than the affairs in his hands.
***
the Monroe family carriage stopped in front of the large black gate of the Dominique duchy. Anita who was in a bad mood the entire carriage ride, immediately opened the carriage door and hopped off without the help of her escort.
Her heels clacked on the brick paved pathway as she entered the estate without any trouble. The guards who had seen her had faced her wrath once before and were certainly not ready to face it again, especially with the duke that they served backing her every move, even though they were uncanny and lacked etiquette. The guards had missed the kind and caring second young lady, whom they haven't seen since the cancelled engagement.
Anita couldn't be bothered by the looks the servants gave her as she marched into the duchy heading towards Anthony's office. Caleb, Anthony's aide, whom she'd forgotten his name, seemed surprised at her sudden appearance.
"M-my lady, what brings you here without notice?" he questioned taken a back. In all his years of serving his master, he had never encountered such rude behavior. And from Anita this was a first.
She was always a woman who valued appearance and reputation. So, her coming unannounced wasn't like her at all... 'Or was it?' He thought. A snake could never change its appearance, it could simply shed old skin and walk in a new one.
Walking past him, shed ignored him and marched towards the office.
"My Lady!" he called out, following behind her with quick steps. "My lady, the duke is a bit busty, perhaps you can wait in the drawing room?" he tried to reason.
"Shut it." She spat out uncaringly. The only thing Anita had in her mind that played on repeat was the fact that she had failed.
Caleb couldn't understand what it was that had her mind solely focused on the duke rather than herself like she usually does. He had continued to try to persuade her, but by the time they had reached the door towards the office it was quite late.
Anita pushed the door open with such a force it took Anthony by surprise. He looked up quite deadly. He was almost certain he had told Caleb that no one was supposed to disturb him for the next two hours. When his eyes locked with Anita's emerald, green eyes he was quite surprised.
"My lady?" he called out taken aback.
"Your highness, I apologize for the rude intrusion…" she said.
Caleb was quite astounded at what he was looking at right now. Just moments ago, her face was sculpted scornfully. If looks could kill, the entire duchy would have been obliterated, but here she stood, looking like a deer in front of prey. Her switch in personality was instant.
if Caleb was most certain of anything, it was the fact that this lady was one that was going to hurt his master.