"What on earth are you saying, you crazy woman?" he said, pulling himself off and wiping his lips. He supported his body as he tried to shake the feeling of lightheadedness that slowly rising.
The honorary lady remains silent, waiting for the next happenings. 'That's impossible; I'm sure Prince Orion made that tool; however, it's defective. Is there any defective tool he created before? ' she thought, thinking they might have overlooked an error.
"Seems like the shame got into your head and driven you crazy," Duke Serpentine said.
"Say whatever you want," she uttered as she stood up and carried herself with pride. "If that is what you are thinking, I am not going to argue with you anymore. I don't have time to persuade people who already have an opinion about me and hence, I assume that the duke already knows that everything about us being together and being stuck together is just a mere mistake; nothing was favored by heaven. You are a punishment and a curse to me" she remarks. She turned and prepared to leave.
He clenched his teeth and spoke. "After all the effort you put into being alone together, arguing with me, and then giving me an out-of-the-blue kiss after a fight, you'll just leave like nothing happened," he said. "YOu are really surprised, I am dumbfounded. Aren't those mixed signals giving such contradicting notions? As if you are struggling with a love-hate feeling, princess. You show that you desire me and then turn icy cold all of a sudden. Are you doing this on purpose? My lady, are you playing dumb with me? playing hard to get? or do you want me to chase you? Are you doing sort of things to other noblemen as well? Such indecency for a future wife? Stop acting like a sl*t," he blurted.
Duke Ziel never has a sugar-coated way of speaking; unlike her brother Emperor Evan, he has a mouth that is uncontrollable and can utter careless thoughts that can severely hurt someone.
She rushed to him and slapped him hard, which made his unstable body fall to the floor. He was laughing loudly while lying on the floor. The honorary lady was about to hit him the second time but she hesitated. She came back to her senses. This man made her do such horrible things as her reactions to him. A manipulating venom that is turning her into a monster like him.
Tears run down her cheeks. She already knows she doesn't want to be with this man because she's afraid that he will contaminate her.
He extended his hand on her cheeks. "I never thought that you could look this fragile when you cry. Very vulnerable, adorable, so beautiful," he said. His words and tone show amazement.
Is that a sarcastic compliment? The beauty of the castle's wallflower mesmerizes him. It might be that the potion takes effect but in the most natural way possible and that is how he shows his affection. However, she needs a blind servant, a loyal dog, not a man who can reason and bother. Indeed, a lovesick duke might appear suspicious somehow.
He grabbed her hand, pulled her, and kissed her.
She pushed him away. "I hate you," she said as she struggled. She covered her body; her head was stooped low, curling on the floor. She was holding back her tears.
"And now you are pushing me away like you are not the one who made the first move and kissed me," he stated. "You are now the victim, isn't that unfair?" he added.
"I WILL RATHER DIE THAN TO BE WITH YOU," her vain words sting in his ears.
"So much hate," he muttered. He walked towards her. The lightheadedness had left his body, and he could move freely this time.
"What did I do to you to be hated like this, madam? Am I even one of your enemies who took everything to you? Why are you treating me like a curse or a punishment? Are you that righteous to say I am a trash?" he asked. "Isn't it because it's my background or maybe it's just because I'm the Duke of Serpentine dukedom?"
She was dumbfounded. Her crying stopped and slowly her gaze shifted to him. His eyes hold a different emotion. Has the duke ever shown such unfazed emotions to anyone?
"You drugged me, right? and wanted to use me," he stated as he pinned the lady down on the floor. "Well, yes, I am drugged but we can make a deal with that since I am a businessman and I am not really loyal to any particular political party," he stated
His hands slid to her neck and he wanted to strangle her to death but he stopped. "If I satisfied your purpose, would I gain your affection, hypocrite princess?" he remarked. His mind and heart seem to hold different opinions but the best thing he can do right now is obey that woman and make her love him.
For someone like the duke who never experienced love, the potion might seem to portray a different effect but actually, it takes effect. However, right now the real drug to intake and to be satisfied with is none other than the princess herself. The prince's weapon cannot create a potion; the potion is under witchcraft and sorcery, wherein they alter things according to what they want to happen while the metal frost creates. It can create an imprinting effect that will mimic a drug effect on a person—that person will absolutely follow a certain command for a reward and that reward will satisfy the nervous system. It might look like love so we can say that it's still a love potion.
"Princess, you got yourself a serpent," he muttered as he reached her hand and kissed it.
Meanwhile,
"Will you stop being immature and petty?!" Hidelga kicked Ricka off, who was mounting on her. She won the wrestle this time, rolled, and changed the game, pinning Ricka to the ground this time. Earlier, Ricka attacked her. Although she was an eternal threader, she was the most harmless among the twelve.
"I just helped him! I cannot control his head. I did not make him like me, nor even try to seduce him, not even once, so will you stop blaming me?!" she exclaimed.
"You stup*d b*tch, stop being hypocritical! You like him too!" Ricka shouted.
"Yes indeed, I like him. So that's why it's my fault? I know why I like him. Perhaps he liked me first; that's why I gained these feelings but I don't know what he likes about me. I don't know! I don't know why!!" Hidelga shouted as she defended herself from Ricka's next attack. "I don't know what is inside his head. I cannot touch it; I cannot fully know nor comprehend it. I cannot control him nor dictate to him what he is going to do. If I tell him to go far away from me because I am afraid of what I am feeling right now, he will definitely won't; however, when I push him away and hold myself back and he comes to me pushing himself towards me, I just became powerless, little by little and I hate that. I really hate how dumb I see myself, but I hate that I actually want it," says Hidelga.
"You sl*t," Ricka stated. "If you ask him the whole empire, he will definitely give it to you!" she shouted.
"Will you just stop and shut the hell up?!" Hidelga stated, letting the important idea out.
"IF YOU WANT HIM, YOU CAN HAVE HIM!" the tone of her voice lowered down and she slowly turned calm yet teary. She continued, "My brain can say things like it is much better if it was not me, if it is you, because you are saying what he needs is in you. I can fool myself but the conflict is that I feel sorry for myself that I became a hundred times an idi*t whenever I am doing such rational things. I don't know what to do."
Ricka picked up a shard of metal that will be fatal if it reaches Hidelga. It was too late to dodge it. All she can do is close her eyes. However, before it touches her. A command intervenes. "Stop," and Ricka's hand stopped midway.
She slowly opened her eyes and Leon came out. "So, that's your problem," he said. Hidelga blushed out of embarrassment.
Leon went to Hidelga and started checking all her wounds and bruises that angered him more and made her more uncomfortable. His expression was serious; out of the silence, he touched Hidelga's face and whispered in her ear.
She flusters more. "b-b-but.." she stutters. He signal her to go.
"Leon, don't hurt her," she said. Her words made the two surprise. "I... I don't want you to hurt her as much as possible but deal with her appropriately," she said confidently, putting her trust in Leon.
Leon smirked. "Yes, my Empress. Just trust me," he stated.
"I'll be waiting for you at home," she said.
Leon turned to see her and squinted his eyes with a smile. "So, you are ready?' he said.
At that moment, Hidelga's face was so serious that it made Leon chuckle a little.
"See you at home," he said.