Chapter 43 - Blackmail

A few days after the masquerade ball and Lady Vilahna summons me.

As I arrived at her manor, I was directly sent to her chambers. As I entered she was pacing from side to side.

"Miss Stronghold you finally came, what took you so long?" She looked nervous, she was no longer spotting that cool persona that always had the control over the situation.

"I came as soon as possible, how can I help the Lady Countess Cramer." I say politely. She stops pacing, she urges to hold my hand tightly, her trembling hand makes me realise that was something about Ceaser.

"Please call me Vilahna." She says her eyes filled with desperation. I could only wonder what had she done to make her act like this.

"What happened? Did something happen with Lord Ceaser?" Her eyes widened and she nodded.

"As you said, my business with that mysterious man would be my downfall." I didn't understand. It was too soon for anything of the sorts to happen, Lord Ceaser hadn't fallen in love with Lady Bianca, and she hadn't start to torment lady Bianca yet, so I was confused. Even though Lady Vilahna was the one to dance with him, and to spend time with him at ball, which made the story shift completely.

"Please my Lady calm down, tell me everything." Lady Vilahna took a deep breath, trying to steady herself before speaking. Her normally confident and composed demeanor seemed shattered, replaced by a mix of fear and regret.

"It all began at that tea party, when I first met the mysterious man. He seemed charming, knowledgeable, and claimed to possess the means to grant me everything I desired," Lady Vilahna explained, her voice filled with a sense of bitterness. "I was foolish enough to believe him, to think that his assistance would lead me to what I desired the most."

"But what did you do? How is Lord Ceaser involved?" I asked, trying to piece together what she was telling. Lady Vilahna continued, her voice trembling.

"He promised to help me secure Lord Ceaser's affection, to make him fall in love with me and leave any other Lady behind," Lady Vilahna confessed, her words laced with guilt. "He claimed that his methods were foolproof, that he had done this for others before who desired forbidden love."

"But... what happened?" I asked cautiously, bracing myself for the answer.

Lady Vilahna's shook her head."nothing happened after, that day you told me all those things, and masquerade event, what happened there, came to be just like you said, I took your words to heart, I broke my deal with him."

"That's great my Lady, like they say no harm no fault." I tell her relieved that nothing serious happened.

Lady Vilahna looked up at me with tear-stained eyes,"No, there's a problem he does not wish to severe his contact with me, he threatened me he would tell Lord Ceaser a bunch of lies, if i didn't do what he says."

So basically she is trapped on a web of blackmail by the mysterious man, because of her own greed. It seemed there was no easy way out.

"He has proof of dealings with me, a sign contract and..." I could hit my forehead with my head, how could she be so dense. "I don't know what to do." She sobbed." He wants to meet me today and..."

"Let's go meet him, and destroy every proof of your connection. Make sure that he never bothers you again."

"Are you sure that's something possible for us to do?" She said her voice almost failing her.

"It will be difficult, we may need to make a plan. It will be dangerous." I say, I did know a few things from the novel, about the mysterious man but how much of that was now valid is the real question.

*

Lady Vilahna and me cautiously made our way through the dimly lit streets, guided by the directions given to by the mysterious man. The afternoon was filled with an eerie stillness, heightening our anxiety.

Finally, we arrived at a secluded house, obscured by shadows. Hesitant, but determined to be free of this grasp Lady Vilahna pushed open the creaking door and stepped inside, I followed right behind, even though I thought it was a really bad idea.

The interior of the house was shrouded in darkness, save for a flickering candle on a worn table. As we cautiously walked further into the room, a figure emerged from the shadows.

The man was tall and clad in a cloak, his face partially concealed. His eyes, however, bore into Lady Vilahna's with an intensity that sent shivers down my spine.

"Greetings, Lady Vilahna," the man said, his voice filled with a chilling mix of charm and malice. "I've been expecting you, I thought I told you to come alone."

Lady Vilahna steadied herself, refusing to succumb to fear. "I am Lady of the house Cramer it's impossible for me to leave the house unattended. She is my most trusted maid." I was impressed by her quick thinking and steady voice in spite of her fear.

The mysterious man's gaze shifted towards me, his eyes narrowing with suspicion. "Very well, Lady Vilahna. But remember, if she is to be involved, she should be prepared to face the consequences as well."

I could feel the weight of the man's threat, but I stood by Lady Vilahna's side, determined to support her through this ordeal. It was clear that confronting the mysterious man and take down his blackmail threats was the only way to ensure Lady Vilahna's freedom.

"You claimed to have proof of our dealings," Lady Vilahna said, her voice steady. "Show me the evidence and let us be done with this."

A wicked smile played on the man's lips as he reached into the folds of his cloak, producing a document. "Here is the signed contract, binding you to my services. And here," he said, revealing a stack of letters, "are the correspondences between us that could cause significant damage if exposed."

Lady Vilahna's resolve did not waver. "Fine. Give me the documents, and I promise to never cross paths with you again."

The man chuckled darkly, his eyes filled with a twisted satisfaction. "I'm afraid it's not that simple, dear Lady. I have one final condition for our agreement."

Lady Vilahna's brow furrowed, but she remained composed. "What is it that you want?"

"I want a favor from you. And some money to leave the Kingdom. The favor that I ask of you must be completed before I hand over the evidence," the man sneered.

Lady Vilahna considered the proposition for a moment. It was a risk, but it could provide the opportunity she needed to sever ties with the mysterious man once and for all.

"How can I trust you, to keep end of the bargain."

The man smirked, a glimmer of satisfaction in his eyes. "Do not worry, Lady Vilahna. I always keep my promises. Meet me here, at this very spot, tomorrow evening, with the money I need, I will need you to grant me a travel documents, and then, and only then, will I be relinquish my control over you."

"How can I provide such thing? Do you want me to make false documents so you can leave?" She said.

"That is for you to figure out, Lady Vilahna," the man replied, a hint of amusement in his tone. "But rest assured, If you don't provide me with all I need by tomorrow, there will be consequences."

Lady Vilahna clenched her fists, her determination unwavering."Very well. Tomorrow evening, I will bring you the money and the travel documents. But once this is done, our paths will never cross again."

The man chuckled, his voice echoing through the dimly lit room. "We shall see, Lady Vilahna. We shall see."

With that, the mysterious man disappeared into the shadows, leaving Lady Vilahna and me with a daunting task ahead. But we had a plan, and we would stop at nothing to reclaim Lady Vilahna's freedom and bring this sinister chapter to an end.

"I hope your plan will work." She says sighting.

"Me too ." I reply.