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(3rd Person POV)
Jeremy was the usual arrogant child of the house. His father didn't give any affection to him, he was forced to train in unforgiving conditions just like the rest of the children in the family. His mother passed away at childbirth so he had no direct family member except Lant Agriche.
So, for most of his childhood, he remained lonely and untrusting. He understood his situation, he was amongst a pack of wolves who could tear him into pieces the moment he got careless.
His only contact with people were the instructors who were very harsh on him to train him and the maids who couldn't care less about a motherless child.
He understood at a very early age that there was only one way that he could survive in this household. He needed to be ruthless and uncaring towards life itself.
It was the only way he could reign above all. He practised and practised, putting his blood, sweat and tears into training himself. He was exhausted to the brink of his death many times but the thought of standing above everyone was a very motivating goal for him.
However, the first time in which he participated in the heir test, he was only third...
He ranked third among all children of Lant Agriche, his half-sister, Roxana Agriche was second whereas the second eldest son, Dion Agriche ranked first. He couldn't believe the result at all. When his father left the three of them together so that they could communicate with each other and be familiar. He tried to analyse the other two.
His soul got chills when he saw Dion. Jeremy knew instinctively that the current him was not a match for Dion. Before he could continue more, Roxana came up to him and started talking to him with a smile on her face.
He couldn't gauge her at all. It seemed as if it was beyond him to even understand her thought process. He was incredibly distrusting of her at first.
However, the inner child in him came out, every child seeks affection, validation and attention from others. He also wanted them but he smothered his will to seek them out.
Roxana was the only one he felt he could trust. Gradually, she became the world to him, he couldn't imagine his life without her.
Anyone trying to harm Roxana would be an enemy for him, he was incredibly attached to her.
However, he had started to love her romantically. It wasn't a taboo at all for half-sisters and half-brothers to marry if both consented.
That's why he was enraged when he saw his father trying to offer his beloved sister like an object to that bastard prince.
Even then, he still felt that his amazing sister would find a way out of that situation, his trust in her was unfathomable.
However, the most recent event shook him to the extreme. He couldn't believe at all that something happened between Ana and that bastard.
He kept trying to convince himself, that nothing like that happened. However, the rumours that were flying around only solidified his belief in the worst situation in his mind.
'KILL. KILL. KILL. KILL. KILL. KILL. KILL. KILL. KILL. KILL. KILL. KILL. KILL. KILL. I NEED TO KILL HIM. I NEED TO KILL HIM. HE DOESN'T DESERVE TO LIVE. HE TOOK MY SWEET SISTER FROM ME. WHY/ WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY DID ANA SHOW THAT EXPRESSION WHEN TALKING ABOUT HIM? WHY DIDN'T SHE EVER LOOK AT ME LIKE THAT? IS IT BECAUSE I AM HER BROTHER? NO. NO. IT WOULDN'T BE THAT.'
'I KNOW SHE LOVES ME. SHE LOVES ME VERY MUCH. SHE JUST CAN'T EXPRESS HER LOVE TO ME. YES. YES. THAT MUST BE IT. IT'S ALL THAT BASTARD'S FAULT. ALL THAT HAS HAPPENED IS HIS FAULT. THAT MUST BE THE REASON. I WILL KILL HIM.'
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In the office of the head of the Agriches,
Lant was looking out of the window while smoking a cigarette, he asked the other person standing in his office without looking at them, "So, are the rumours true, Roxana?"
Roxana was standing with her usual smile on her face, "Not exactly, father. We haven't gone all the way yet."
"Yet?" said Lant while glaring at Roxana.
"You don't have to worry about anything, father. The crown prince has already forced himself on me, I don't think he will wait much longer. We will fulfil our objective soon. There won't be any delays in the plan."
Lant said in a dissatisfied tone, "When you do the intercourse with him, you would try your best to sire his child. Do you understand?"
Roxana was beyond disgusted in her mind but she still responded amicably, "Of course, Father. "
"I should let the informants spread the information, shouldn't I?"
"I think it's still too hasty to do that, father."
"Oh, why? Tell me, the future concubine of the emperor," said Lant with an amused expression.
"It's because it isn't set in stone. I could be discarded by the crown prince in the future if he gets tired of me. Then, our enemies won't forgive us for trying to intimidate them with a false rumour."
Lant stroked his chin and had a wide and crazy smile on his face.
"You are right, Roxana. Both of us have similar personalities. We are the same!"
Saying that Lant turned back to look outside the window and then started laughing loudly.
"Hahaha, Finally, the moment has come when the Agriches will rule over all other houses. Now, we won't have to agree to the peace treaty between the houses. Agriches can finally be true to their nature."
Roxana had just a single thought in her mind at that moment.
'Even if I am killed by the crown prince, I will make sure to give him the most excruciating death.'
----------------------
In Aston's room,
Aston was sitting on the rocking chair comfortably while Edmund was standing behind him in a tense position. In front of Aston was Panem sitting on another chair.
Panem had a distressed expression, Edmund had a disbelieving expression and Aston was calm.
Panem asked with a stutter, "A-Are the rumours t-true, your highness?"
Aston asked back, "Which rumours?"
A blush emerged on Panem's expression as he said nervously while fiddling his fingers, "W-Well, the ones about you and M-Miss Roxana? "
"What rumours about the both of us?"
"T-The rumours about you and Miss Roxana d-doing..."
His voice lowered down a notch before he said, "S-sex..."
Aston replied on listening to Panem, "Oh that? Of course not..."
Hearing that, Panem sighed in relief.
"...we just kissed."
As soon as he heard them, Panem froze.
He clenched his hand and a multitude of emotions could be seen on his face.
Suddenly, he shouted out in excitement, "Wow, your Highness! Both of you are the perfect couple. I am so happy that you found your significant other. I am sorry if I offended you, but I always thought you seemed lonely. Now, you can be with someone else. I give my best wishes to both of you."
Then, he excused himself from the room and went back to his work while skipping.
'Wow! His highness is so great! Miss Roxana might be from the Agriches but she is very nice. She is not like others in this household at all.'
He clenched his hand and made a promise to himself.
'I will help both of them at any cost.'
.
.
.
After Panem had excused himself from the room, Edmund asked Aston in a tense voice, "Your Highness, are you serious about Miss Roxana? "
Aston looked at Edmund with a smirk and asked him, "What do you think, Edmund? What happened to me according to you? Do you think I am attracted to her beauty and personality, so I fell in love with her or is my recent move a part of my plan?"
Edmund began to ponder over the question that was given to him, he wanted to put his faith in the fact that his master might have also started feeling emotions like love. But the past events have disappointed him a lot. So, according to him, he didn't think there was any chance that his highness could reform himself.
And Edmund replied, " I think it's the second option, your highness. I can't imagine you sacrificing your purpose for a flimsy thing like love."
Aston said in a hurt tone, " Oh, you wound me, Edmund. Do you think I am so cold-blooded? Well, you are slightly right. My recent move on her is something that I have included in my plan. She can be a useful tool for our purpose. A very beautiful tool... And apparently, her blood is pretty tasty."
Edmund asked with a surprised countenance, "Can you repeat that, Your Highness? Her blood?"
"Yes, her blood was especially delicious."
Edmund didn't say anything else, he just stayed quiet and didn't think of His Highness' actions. Who the hell thinks that blood is tasty?
----------------------
In Roxana's room,
Roxana had a look of ponderance on her face. She knew by now that she had gone down a rabbit hole and it was next to impossible for her to come out of it. She could only hope to make her situation as best as possible in the hole
She can't overpower him in any way. She can't use anyone to overpower him. She hasn't even sent her poison butterflies to surveil him because she has that uncanny feeling that he will know immediately about those butterflies. Her survival instinct says that.
Most of the time, it was better to trust in the survival instinct. The gut instinct should never be ignored. The mind processes information so fast, that you aren't able to understand its full process or reasoning. That's why you get a gut instinct.
Roxana had gone through so many gruelling and life-threatening situations that her survival instinct had been refined to the extreme.
So, in short. Roxana had no other choice other than to submit to Aston. However, there was one wrong thing. Somehow, her subconscious mind wasn't feeling that it wasn't too bad to submit to the crown prince. Since, that day, her mind had been occupied with the thought of Aston Phoenix.
She had been imagining several things that may happen to her when she was in his clutches. He might kiss her like that day, forcing his hot, powerful tongue in her mouth. Pinning her hands down and having his way with her mouth. She would try to resist again like that day but only for a few moments before folding in.
Her tongue would be in synchronisation with his. He would then lean back and look at her with a smirk. Both of their lips barely brushed against one another. She would get aroused by the hungry look on his face and as his warm breath fell on her face, overpowering all of her senses.
He would then go lower and pepper her soft, pale neck with kisses. His mouth would caress her as she would try to hold back her moan. His mouth would then bite into her neck raggedly as her face was flushed.
He would tease her several times by brushing her skin with his sensual lips. She would then be forced to beg him to love her in a way a husband and a wife does...
For the past few days, her mind seemed occupied with such thoughts. She felt utter shame in thinking things like these. However, she seemed to convince herself that she was imagining situations like these because she wanted to be ready for them when the time came.
Yes, she was doing this to think of ways to make him lose his interest in her and throw her out of his life.
Before she could enter one of such delusions, she received a signal from one of the butterflies sent by her to the deadly forest at the border of the Agriche territory.
It was the figure of a lean-built man with black hair and cruel eyes, a man who had no sympathy for anyone standing in a pool of blood while his surroundings were littered with bodies. A person of the same kind as Aston Phoenix, the crown prince...
The kind of cold-blooded and ruthless murderers...
Dion Agriche, her half-brother and the one she hated the most among all the people she had ever met in her life.
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(End of the Chapter)
[Dion Agriche Illustration]
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