"Enora.." the House Lord's whispering voice echoed throughout the estate like a divine summoning.
Enora's ears pricked up as she heard her name being spoken. She quickly composed herself, plastering a smile as she walked outside the pavilion and saw her man talking with three of the other witches in the House.
"I couldn't help but overhear," she said sweetly, "is there anything I can help with, my lord?"
Osiris gave her a stern look. "There is something we need to discuss, Enora. Follow me."
Enora's heart sank as she followed her husband, feeling that this would not end well. She had never wanted to cause trouble, but her envy and jealousy seemed to get the better lately. She heard this sick voice in her subconscious, encouraging her worst desires. The ones that would otherwise be fleeting.
As they walked through the immaculate gardens, Osiris didn't speak. He led her to a small secluded area behind a row of bushes, where a bench was adorned with plush cushions.
"Sit," he commanded, and Enora obeyed, her heart racing as to what was to come.
However, her man met with an assassin in secret before asking her to follow him once again. This baffled her greatly. Was he handling errands on the way? What was this? Would they finally be making love or something? She wasn't ready. Was she not in trouble?
The thought of her heart's desire touching her again after so long made her body squeal. However, she didn't dare to get her hopes up. She also didn't feel very clean lately. Osiris didn't speak another word as they walked through the winding corridors, making Enora even more nervous.
As for the House Lord, he kept ruminating about the best way to approach this issue. In truth, he knew something was wrong when he found out Enora was pregnant. In his current realm, it was impossible for him to get one of his women pregnant unless he intended to. So then, whose child did she deliver?
And for what purpose was this child planted in his court? Although the House Lord could sense someone plotting against him, he had first to understand the plot. Too much was at stake, and the enemy could not discover their secret plans. He had to move carefully. Initially, he believed Enora was a spy or assassin.
Now, he had other suspicions. These new thoughts caused him to feel profound guilt for his previous approach to this issue.
Osiris led Enora to his private chambers, and she felt a flutter of nerves in her stomach. She had been forbidden from entering this place before, and it made her wonder what kind of discussion they were about to have. She tried to remind herself that she was the wife of the House Lord and deserved to be here, but she couldn't shake the feeling of inadequacy. As soon as they were alone, her husband turned to face her.
He waved a hand and activated a barrier of black energy that isolated all senses from penetrating these four walls. No one could detect or disturb their conversation.
Osiris paced and spoke with a controlled voice, "Enora, I have noticed your recent behavior, and it is concerning me."
Enora's eyes widened with surprise. So, Osiris had noticed her slip-ups.
"What do you mean, my lord?" she asked, trying her best to sound curious.
Osiris stopped in his tracks and turned to face her. "You have been short-tempered and impulsive lately, and it is not like you. Is something troubling you?"
Enora hesitated. She didn't know how to respond. She couldn't tell him about the voice that whispered to her at night, making her do things she wouldn't dream of doing otherwise. How could she make him understand? She decided to deflect the conversation.
"I'm sorry, my lord. I haven't been feeling like myself lately. I think it's just the pressure of being in this new environment."
Osiris nodded thoughtfully. "I understand, Enora. But I want you to know that I am here for you. You can talk to me about anything. You are not alone."
Enora felt a flash of guilt. She knew she was betraying Osiris in the most intimate way possible, yet he offered her support and understanding.
"Thank you, Osiris...I know that I'm not..."
"This change in your temperament lately, Enora... You have become more agitated and ill-tempered than before. At times, you become downright nasty. It's similar to the side effects of profound curses."
Actually, Osiris had his shadow trying to cast [Curse Break] since they entered this room. However, the butler hadn't been successful yet.
'Could this curse be so powerful?' Osiris mused with a troubled heart.
If the curse was one that even Ke Si could not delete, it could only be powerful on the level of a messenger pharaoh. This meant the suspect list had decreased to two people. These two even belonged to the same influence.
Enora gulped. She knew that Osiris was right. She had been struggling to keep her emotions in check as of late. But she couldn't tell him everything. Not yet.
"I apologize if I have caused any problems, my lord," she said, keeping her gaze downcast.
Osiris stepped in front of her and lifted her chin to face him.
"Enora, I am not angry with you. I just want to help. Whatever is bothering you, please tell me. We are partners, after all."
Enora couldn't help but feel another twinge of guilt. Osiris had always been kind to her, even when she acted out and tested his patience. But how could she tell him about the night terrors? Nightmares of a masked villain ravaging and brainwashing her every night? She had tried to escape countless times, but he always found her and dragged her back to his room.
Then, the following day, she would wake up as if nothing happened. Even her nightgown would be perfect. She was convinced they were just dreams. Until the day she got pregnant. Enora knew she hadn't slept with her husband since her last cycle. As far as she knew, pregnancy should be impossible.
Unless... specific dreams were not dreams.
"Enora, I know that you've been struggling lately, but I need you to understand that I have your best interests at heart," Osiris said, his voice stern but gentle.
Enora's heart thudded in her chest. What was he talking about? She looked at him in confusion, her mind racing to figure out what was happening.
"I know you're having trouble controlling your temper, and I want to help you with that," Osiris continued. "But for me to do that, I need you to trust me."
Enora felt a flush of anger rising in her chest out of nowhere. Irrational thoughts inserted themselves directly in the way of her other ideas.
How dare this bastard insinuate that she couldn't control her own emotions? How dare he treat her like some broken princess that needed saving. The one who needed saving was a cuck like him! Even though his rod was stronger and thicker than Trev...
Suddenly, her mind went blank. Who was she just thinking of? Yet somehow, her irrational rage remained.
Enora clenched her fists tightly, feeling the overwhelming wave of anger surging within her. She didn't want to be controlled, didn't want to be told what to do. She was a princess from the Rising Phoenix kingdom and wouldn't tolerate anyone treating her like a helpless child.
"What makes you think I can't control my own emotions?" she spat, meeting her husband's gaze with narrowed eyes.