chapter 48

" As I thought, he has suspected her already," said him while casually lending against a pillow on Maria's bed.

" hm? Who? But anyway you get here a little late, did something happen? " Maria, who was sitting on a couch comfortably in front of her table, only take a glance at Calipsto through the mirror while her hand starting to braid her hair before she went to sleep.

" Nothing much though. that beast has already put a spy on my lovely Claire without her knowing. It's a good thing I keep the invincible barrier spell around her chamber before I came to meet her yet it still dangerous to recklessly coming to her room in this situation. that spy seems to be quite sharp. One of the Shade people it seems. Ha. "

"??! Adam put a spy on Claire?? Shade people at that?! Does he have a suspicion on his fiance as well to even hired someone as skillful as that?? " immediately gets up from her seat in disbelief, Maria abruptly gets near Calipsto and sits before him with a wondered expression.

Suddenly Calipsto who was surprised by Maria's bold action which abruptly getting near him like this, slowly his face turn to get bothered and without a word, his hand already reach Maria's braid hair and loosed it down instantly.

"??! "

"? what? You are pretty when your silvery hair flows down like this though. And, don't ever call that beast by his name again when you still call me as a master. " pout his lips in a sulking way, Calipsto suddenly gets up from his seat and leans on the window instead.

" .....uh. " this guy always behaved like this!

Maria rolled her eyes in irritation and slowly she ignores Calipsto stares at her and lay on her bed without any concern about that guy who was sulking at her. ' This is not the first time he got mad like this because every time I called another man with their name in front of him since I used to call people like that because of my past, yet oddly it always makes him turned to act annoyingly like this with me and even always make a big deal out of it for nothing. Tsk! what a childish guy, Calipsto is!'

" .... "

" ....Maria " call Calipsto after a while of silence between us.

" What? " without looking at him, she replied.

" Can you do me a favor? "

"? "

Slowly turn her body towards Calipsto's direction with a straight face, Maria raises both her eyebrows in wonder. " what is it, master Calipsto? "

' Even though he is still sulking but if he is the one who starts the conversation, I need to hear his words if not he'll be sulking with me forever.'

" I need to use your brainwash magic on someone. "

" hm? who? to Ashlen again? "

" ...tsk. " again, a name without any honorifics. I wonder why with my name only she'll call it out with polite. Does she purposely trying to mess with me or what? Ha. whatever.

" No. this time it's for someone else. " with a stiffened face, Calipsto begins to get near Maria before he sits at the end of the bed and looks at Maria in silence.

" Master Calipsto, do you have something on your mind already? " changes her position into sitting on her bed, she starts to feel interested with the look on her master's stunning face. Maria silently stares at Calipsto with a pondering thought as she waits for him to tell her.

Smirk with a mysterious contempt face, Calipsto stroke Maria's silvery hair like usual. " I know a way to make that beast stop getting near my lovely sister more than now and it's something you must do. can you do it, Maria? "

" ... " Looked at Calipsto's face which starting to gets serious while playing with her hair, Maria grin a little before she bends her head politely. " ...understood, master Calipsto. tomorrow I'll ask for an audience with the grand duke immediately. "

" Heh. How interesting. you're such an amazing and quick-witted lady as always, Maria."

" Well then, I'll leave you with this job tomorrow. "

" Yes. Please wait for a flawless result, master. I'll not disappoint you. "

****

" Maria. "

Maria looked at the person who called for her with an uninterested gaze. a person who used to be her husband and a father for her son but he is also the one who broke everything apart.

" yes, your highness.. " looks away while slowly sipping her tea in silence, she silently drinks the tea with a perfect gesture while paying attention to the scenery of the Crown Prince private garden, where she currently had to come to meet this spoil crown prince in this peaceful morning.

This exact garden is not unfamiliar to her. it was a place where she often spent her time with Noelle back when they didn't marry yet. a secret place where she secretly met Noelle and spent the entire day with him. It's was such a peaceful day but when I thought about it again right now, it already becomes one of a regretful day of my life.

' I shouldn't meet him nor talk to him so this miserable life wouldn't happen in the first place. I make many people suffer because of my foolish greed.'

" Maria, I'm calling you. don't you hear me? " with a frown on his face, Noelle's blue eyes that used to look pretty on my eyes back in the past, have already filled with a dark contempt gaze. has he always had this look on his face? such a glance will make someone put their head on the ground just to ask for his mercy.

" I'm sorry, your highness. I'm not in a good condition today but since you have summoned me, despite my poor condition I'm just happy to meet your highness after a while."

'ugh.' I'm faking my smile too much and it almost makes my face cramped!

" Hm. you do seem pale. As a future crown princess, you shouldn't let anyone know your weakness. Act tougher next time so you wouldn't embarrass me as my fiance. It was such an insult if they know my fiance has a weak body like this. Remember that. "

As my eyes stunned on him in a disbelief way, I immediately turn my gaze to the teacup in speechless before my hand clenches the cup in silence. with a shaking hand that almost pour the tea right before his shameless face, my teeth clench in annoyance while barely my face trying to bear a fake smile as usual.

'this as*hole. How could he say it was an insult to him if his fiance happens to be sick? he should say that I need to get some rest or something. what a son of a..'

" Maria. do you think I'm a fool? "

"!? par-pardon, your majesty?? "

Noelle, who was sitting on his chair arrogantly suddenly raise his chin and look down on Maria with a cynical expression while maria immediately straighten her body while rapidly pull her hand from clenching the cup even further. with anxiety, she stares at him in a state of lost words. 'does he see my expression earlier? I have already make sure to hide my inner intention perfectly though.'

" you left me when we were at the banquet last time, how would you explain it to me? "

' ah. I thought it was something else. thank goodness.'

" Please pardon my rude action at the last banquet, your majesty. I had some urgent business so I need to head back home immediately. " while gracefully bow her head a little, Maria put a guilty expression on her face.

" Ah. about the urgent business... do you mean the one about Duke Almera's business that he hides all this time is about to go bankrupt?"

"?! " stunned by his words that he said with a cold voice, Noelle sip the tea calmly while Maria turned stiffened in her state while looking at Noelle without a blink.

Maria's father, Duke Almera had been running an illegal gambling business all this time but he had promised Maria to stop it immediately before the imperial know about his business but how does this crown prince know the existent of those dirty works of father?!

' How amusing. ' looking at Maria's speechless face make him felt so happy. this bold girl also had a secret she hides but still dares to dream of getting my attention. what a shameless bit*h.

" why? you look so shocked, lady Almera. well, you deserve to be shocked since I did a background check on you without your permission. " smiles with his charming face, Noelle leans against his chair arrogantly. ' let see how you will react about this matter.'

" ..a-about that, your majesty.. "

" if you beg on me now, I might turn a blind eye on this matter, Lady Almera. "

"??! " 'this fu*king son of a bit*h!! beg on him my a** ' while her hand gripping her teacup in anger, before her trembling hand could lift the cup and pour the hot tea to the person in front of her right now once again, a voice gets into her ear. A telepathy one. the one that makes her immediately realize her action before it gets too late.

" Maria. " called that calm voice.

" ..... "

" .....tsk. "

'Ha! if it not for you...! '

" your majesty... " said her in a low voice after a while of silence.

Smirking while looking at her obediently follow his words, Noelle lifts his chin again. " Hm? "

' ugh. '

" I... begging you, your majesty... please left my father alone... He is.. "

" Kneel."

"?! " rise her head that was bowing earlier in shock, Maria stares at Noelle who was showing his contempt laugh in pleased.

" What are you doing? I'm ordering you to kneel before me, Lady Almera. Do you perhaps want your father to be punished for treason? "

' This as*hole!! I can't stand it anymore. Let me punch him for once and then run away! '

" Maria, Remember. " said the telepathy voices on her ear once again before she lift her body to gets near Noelle.

" ...huh.! " I swear! I'll make sure to punch this bastard's face one day when my master ascends the throne!

While halfheartedly put both of her knees on the ground and faces Noelle in silence, Maria kneels before him with a straight face.

" Your majesty, please, I'm begging you to let my father go and let me take the punishment on his stead instead. "

" Hmm... Well, well. I think this is still not enough. "

"??!! Ah! "

Maria's blue-eyed widen in shock when her hair suddenly forcefully gets pulled behind thus make her head faces the ceiling in a blink. A sudden pull makes her head aching and throbbing in pain. it feels like all the strain of her hair was getting pulled out from her head all at once and leave a great pain on her head. While she was in deadly pains, Noelle looks right into her eyes while looking down at her with a smirk on his lips. even though she groans in hurts but Noelle didn't even loosen his grip and just pulled her hair even more.

" You should just be an obedient bit*h since you're the one that offers this contractual relationship between us. what will people say if they heard the future crown princess's father had an illegal gambling business and had been embezzling the treasure of royalty in silence?! "

"!! Your-your majesty..! " getting pulled again in force, her whole body trembled while her mouth groans in pain and slowly she shed a tear.

" Please... let go... " in great pain, she begs Noelle to let her hair go once more.

" .....Ha.! "

" How absurd. "

His big hand that tightly gripping Maria's hair finally releases her silvery hair before he turns his body to left the garden in annoyance.

" You better keep that bastard father of yours quiet and make sure he didn't make a fuss like this again in the future before I'll be the one to shut him forever. "

" ugh... "

" Ha. what a useless bit*h." while his foot heading towards the main building of the palace, leaving the trembled Maria collapsed on the ground heartlessly. A big figure suddenly approaches Maria from her back after all the servant has left the garden, leaving Maria alone there like it was a usual sight for them.

Without a word, his big figure casually gets near Maria and in silence, his tough arm smoothly lingering on Maria's shuddering body and raise it into his embrace. in a blink, Maria has already unconscious on his broad chest. Looking at Maria's pale face, he clenches his hand that was gripping Maria's slender shoulder in a tremble.

" Please bear the pain, for now, Maria. Just you wait. I'll make sure your wish comes true no matter what soon. "

Put his lips on her forehead in a tender way, Calipsto immediately cast a teleportation spell to gets Maria away from that hellish place, and thus he left the garden with Maria in his embrace without any traces left behind.

" I swear, I'll even be willing to kill anyone who dares to try to stop me from making her hope come true. if it for her sake, I could do the worst if that would make her happy than living in this hell."