Song recommendation: yad
By Nawrras Music
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After spending some more time with King, Kat decided to head back inside. She gave him one last hug before slipping out of the enclosure, promising to return soon.
The corridors of the castle were quiet as she walked, her footsteps echoing off the stone walls. She made her way to the study, intending to gather her books and notes. When she entered, not wanting to slack off, she spent the afternoon immersed in her studies, diligently working through the material Elara had covered. Despite the governess's prickly demeanor, she had been a good teacher in terms of knowledge, and Kat wanted to make sure she didn't fall behind. The sun was starting to set by the time she finally closed her books and stretched, feeling a sense of accomplishment.
Just as she was packing up, she heard a soft knock on the door. Kat looked up to see Sabastian standing in the doorway. "Good evening, Miss Kat," he said with a polite bow. "I trust your studies went well today?"
Kat nodded, smiling. "Yes, thank you, Sabastian. Though it was a bit lonely without the governess."
Sabastian raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean? Did the governess not arrive today?"
Kat shook her head and stretched again when she stood up. "Maybe something came up and she couldn't make it," Kat suggested.
Sabastian stared at her for a moment, and Kat stared back. He simply nodded and didn't say anything more.
"Could you help me with books on the kingdom's mythology?" Kat requested as they walked alongside each other.
"Yes, but that would be later as I have to see his majesty for some pressing matters," he informed.
"No rush, anytime before the ball would be fine."
Once Kat returned to the room, to her delight, Vivian was there, seemingly cleaning. "Good evening, Lady Kat," she greeted, and Kat greeted back and embraced her.
"You have gotten taller," she stated, noticing the subtle change in Vivian's height though she still wasn't as tall as Kat.
"I have?" Vivian asked excitedly.
"Yes, you have," Kat assured, patting her head. She was satisfied to see Vivian wearing the hairpin and necklace she had gifted her.
They both chatted about their past few days, and Kat told Vivian about how she got rid of the governess. Vivian gasped. "But what if his majesty finds out?" she whispered.
"There's nothing to worry about," Kat assured with a smirk. "Besides, she crossed the line when she spoke about my family. A lot of things I can tolerate, but not a word about my family."
After catching up, Kat made her way to dinner. Lucian wasn't present and arrived a few minutes after she did. While they ate, Sabastian informed Lucian of the governess's absence today.
"Did she give a reason for her absence?" he questioned.
"No, my lord. I knew nothing of it," Sabastian responded.
"And you, Katherine? Were you informed of anything?" Lucian asked, turning to Kat. Though it seemed like a question, it felt more like a statement.
"No, nothing," she responded calmly, raising her head to meet his gaze.
Lucian's piercing gaze continued to stare down at her, and Kat's legs quivered beneath the table. His gaze always felt more intense because she was sitting beside him. She avoided his gaze.
The next day, the governess was absent again. Kat spent her morning and afternoon as she had the previous day, diligently working through her studies in the quiet of the study room.
When evening came, Kat made her way to dinner. Lucian arrived at dinner shortly after Kat. "Your majesty, I have received word from the governess. She has quit her position and will not be returning," Sabastian informed.
"Did she state why?" Lucian asked, glancing at Kat.
"Nothing specific, just that she would not be able to continue working."
Lucian's eyes narrowed as he turned to Kat. "Katherine," he began, his voice low and firm, "what did you do to the governess?"
"What do you mean? What did I do to the governess? I didn't do anything. I don't know why she left."
Lucian's eyes bore into hers, searching for any sign of deception. Kat held her ground, keeping her expression neutral. Finally, Lucian leaned back in his chair. For the first time, Kat saw Lucian look genuinely frustrated for a second. His left hand held the bridge of his nose as he sighed. He chose not to press the matter further. Dinner went on quietly after that. Kat kept glancing at Lucian worriedly. What if he is fed up and wants to get rid of her? The thought crossed her mind, and she shook her head. She hadn't seen his coy smile or heard him tease her since the time she was sick. 'No, he is probably just really tired. Since my arrival here, I have never seen him rest even for a day. Even for a vampire, that should be overbearing, right?' she thought to herself.
The next morning, they were having breakfast. Kat didn't plan on going to the study; instead, she wanted to study in her room. She was about to leave the dining room when she heard Lucian's voice as she passed by him.
"Katherine," he called, his back facing her as he remained seated. She paused and turned around, feeling a knot of apprehension tighten in her stomach. "Yes?"
"Your new governess is waiting for you in the study room," he said calmly.
Kat froze for a moment, shock turning into slight annoyance. Under her breath, she muttered, "I hate you," before walking out of the room, her mind already bracing for whatever the new governess was like. Hopefully, she was different from the first.
Kat walked towards the study room, still fuming from her brief interaction with Lucian. "Jerk," she muttered. She opened the door and stepped inside, immediately noticing the difference in atmosphere. The new governess was already seated, organizing some papers on the desk.
The young woman looked up and smiled warmly. She had striking features—sharp green eyes, high cheekbones, and long, chestnut hair tied neatly in a braid. She wore a simple yet elegant dress, a deep shade of blue that complemented her eyes. Her demeanor exuded a calm confidence.
"Good morning, Miss Katherine," she greeted, standing up and offering her hand. "I'm Annalise Gray, your new governess. It's a pleasure to meet you."
Kat was momentarily taken aback by Annalise's politeness; it wasn't what she expected. She shook her hand and returned the smile. "Good morning, Lady Annalise. It's nice to meet you too."
"Oh please, just call me Annalise. There's no need for strict formalities when it's just us," Annalise offered. "Of course, please also call me Kat," Kat responded.
They settled into their lesson, and for the first hour, everything seemed perfectly normal. Annalise was patient and thorough, explaining things in a way that made them easy to understand. Kat found herself thinking that perhaps this governess wouldn't be bad at all. But if only that was the case.
However, as the lesson continued, Kat began to notice subtle changes in Annalise's behavior. During a discussion about the history of the kingdom, Annalise remarked, "You know, in the histories, there are many stories about the young ladies who come to live in the castle. Some are quite interesting, especially the rumors about their... origins."
Kat frowned, sensing an undercurrent in Annalise's words. "Oh? What do you mean by that?" she asked.
Annalise smiled sweetly. "Oh, nothing of importance. Just idle gossip, I'm sure," she said. Kat frowned. "Gossip? You just said it was part of the histories," Kat pointed out.
Annalise laughed. "Of course it is. I said nothing about gossip," she denied. Kat shook her head. "Yes, you did a moment ago," she insisted.
Annalise paused, then smiled. "Of course not. You probably just misheard me," she denied again. Kat's lips drew in a smile. 'There she goes, gaslighting me again. I'm starting to doubt she's as sweet as she acts.'
"Yes, probably," Kat accepted, and they continued with the lesson, but Kat couldn't shake off the feeling that this woman wasn't at all the angel she appeared to be.
Over the next few days, the pattern continued. Annalise would be perfectly pleasant one moment, then slip in a veiled comment the next, and then try to gaslight her. Kat was starting to feel Annalise didn't like her much. "You know, it must be difficult for someone like you to adjust to life here," she said one afternoon. "But don't worry, with time, even the most unexpected of us can find our place."
Kat's patience began to wear thin. She could tell that Annalise's friendliness was a façade, hiding something she suspected was sinister. Kat sat in the study room, her pen poised over a notebook as Annalise began the day's lesson. The governess had chosen a particularly dark period of the kingdom's history, discussing the reign of a queen known for her ruthless ambition.
"This period," Annalise began, "is infamous because of Queen Moriah. She was originally a mistress to King Alaric the Fifth, but her ambition knew no bounds. She poisoned Queen Elara, the king's original wife, to become the queen herself."
Kat's eyes widened in fascination. "She poisoned the queen? That's horrible. What happened next?"
Annalise's eyes sparkled with a hint of something. "Yes, she did. After marrying King Alaric, she didn't stop there. She viewed the former queen's children as threats to her position and had them killed as well."
Kat bit her index finger, shaking her head. "That's despicable. How could she do such a thing?"
"She was driven by greed and power," Annalise continued, a small smile playing on her lips. "But her actions eventually caught up with her. After poisoning the king to rule alone, she was discovered and executed."
Kat leaned back in her chair, processing the story. "It's so cruel to think someone could do that just to gain power. She must have been truly heartless." Kat cringed.
Annalise tilted her head slightly, her smile widening. "It's interesting, isn't it? How some people can rise from nothing and achieve great power, even if their methods are... questionable."
Kat frowned, sensing a strange undertone in Annalise's words. "What do you mean?"
"Oh, nothing," Annalise said lightly, her smile never wavering. "Just an observation about the lengths people will go to when they're determined to change their fate."
Kat narrowed her eyes slightly, feeling the veiled insult but unable to address it directly. "Well, it's still wrong. No one should have to suffer because of someone else's ambition."
"Of course," Annalise agreed, her tone still polite but with an edge that Kat couldn't ignore. "Shall we continue with the lesson?"
Kat suggested she didn't want to find a reason to get rid of this governess. If this one also quit, she would get trouble with Lucian for sure, so she decided to ignore the remarks and just get things over with as soon as possible. Plus, Vivian had pleaded with her not to do anything that would anger Lucian. He had been in a really bad mood and, in just three days, had sent six of his courtiers to the dungeons and had beheaded another four. Kat couldn't deny that even before being told this, she had already noticed something was off. It was best not to do anything for now.
As the days went by, Annalise continued to weave these subtle barbs into their lessons. One afternoon, they were discussing court etiquette and the importance of alliances through marriage.
"Marriages in the royal court," Annalise explained, "are mostly not based on love, as love marriages aren't common in royal alliances. They're strategic, binding powerful families together and ensuring the stability of the kingdom. It's quite romantic in its own way, don't you think?"
Kat nodded, though she didn't get what was romantic about it, and she sensed another hidden jab coming. "It's based more on the kingdom's future."
"Exactly," Annalise said, her eyes gleaming. "But sometimes, people forget their place and aspire to something beyond their reach. It can lead to... unfortunate consequences."
Kat's patience was wearing thin. The statement had nothing to do with their current lesson. She met Annalise's gaze directly. "Are you trying to imply something, Annalise?"
"Why, of course not, Kat," Annalise replied with a feigned look of surprise. "Just speaking in general terms. Let's move on, shall we?"
Kat's frown deepened. She took a deep breath and continued, "I've been noticing your subtle manner of trying to insinuate something to me. Is something wrong, or did I do something wrong?"
For the first time, Kat saw Annalise's smile fall completely. Her expression hardened, and a cold glint appeared in her eyes. "Ah, you noticed. I was starting to think you would never catch on. Well, let's not beat around the bush, shall we?"
Kat grinned. "Well, you didn't really hide it much, apart from gaslighting me most times, so what are you getting at?"
Annalise leaned forward, her voice dropping to a low, almost conspiratorial tone. "You see, Kat, I will put it as simply as I can. I don't like you. You see, I have heard all the rumors there are to know about you—a girl who came from nowhere and suddenly found herself in the king's favor."
Kat's eyes widened and her eyebrows raised, the smile still on her lips, but she said nothing, waiting for Annalise to continue.
"You must understand," Annalise said, her voice dripping with faux sympathy, "that not everyone believes you belong here. Some think you're... out of place. And while it's charming to see you trying to fit in, it's also quite amusing."
Kat's eyes narrowed, but she smiled. "Ah, I see. So you're one of Lucian's fangirls. I've come across quite a few of you before— all bark, no bite."
Annalise's smile returned, but it was more of a smirk this time. "Fangirl?" she repeated. "Well, you could say that. But unlike the others, I have something they didn't—a position close enough to influence. And I don't intend to waste it." Annalise said, her eyes flashing from green to red.
Kat's smile didn't fade. "Is that a threat?"
"Not a threat," Annalise replied smoothly, her voice dripping with false sweetness. "Just a friendly reminder of how precarious your position really is. After all, rumors can be very powerful, and perceptions can change."
Kat kept her tone even. "I'm not afraid of rumors or perceptions. And I wasn't hired; I'm here because Lucian wants me here. But dream big and remember why you are here—for my sake, his dear Katherine." Kat wanted to throw up a mouthful of blood at her own words.
Annalise's face twitched. "But remember, even kings can change their minds. It would be wise to watch your step, Kat."
"Thank you for the advice. I'll be sure to keep that in mind."
"Also, don't think those little tricks you used on Elara would work on me. But I do thank you for them; if it weren't for that, I wouldn't be here in the castle right now," Annalise added.
'I see she really got a lot of information about me,' Kat thought to herself.
"Good," Annalise replied. "Now, shall we continue with the lesson?"
Kat nodded. Annalise had just revealed her true colors, and Kat knew she had to be more careful now. The new governess was not only cunning but also dangerous because she was a vampire. Kat needed to find a way to get rid of her, even though she previously didn't want to. She had to find a way that wouldn't involve her quitting, but rather getting fired by Lucian himself. 'but how?'