HELENA'S WISH

"But of course... Tell me, what did my little sister instruct you to do?" Felicia asked with a sweet smile across her face. She gained another follower aside from Liam who's bewitched with her actions.

"S-she told me to lure you and lock you up instead... And that she promised me to have five golds in exchange for what I did to you." Olivia said, telling Felicia the truth about her effort of trying to scheme against her.

Felicia chuckled, letting out a sinister laugh that made Olivia look at her with fear in her eyes. Is this the woman whom she thought that it's easy to push around and bully? Seems like she was wrong.

"I see... Are they having their dinner now? I'm sure she created a reason that I'm not hungry since no one called me for dinner." Felicia said, calming down after letting out her insanity.

"Yes... My Lady. They're currently having their dinner." Olivia answered her, still corrupted by her verbal attack. It was, after all, a poisonous attack that weakened her mind.

"I see. Don't go out yet so that Helena won't suspect a thing. Tell me, where does she want me to be locked up?" Felicia asked before sighing. She's getting tired of this never-ending scheme but it's also the thing that would make her feel satisfied.

Especially if Helena gets what she really deserves.

"At the abandoned room far from the Duke's office," Olivia said with honesty in her eyes. She needs to serve this demon better than to die because of her. She underestimated her well, therefore she will side with her.

They said the more calm the lion is, the deadlier it is instead. If Helena just knows how to hiss and scratch, then Lady Felicia definitely knows how to bite hard till it bleeds. She was hiding her fangs and would only show them whenever she was triggered.

"I see... Let's just wait patiently until that brat is done. Here's the thing that you need to do." Felicia said, using her hands to give Olivia the sign of coming closer to her. Olivia then obliged her wishes as Felicia began to tell her about something sinister, reversing Helena's situation.

One thing that Olivia can conclude at this moment. It's that Felicia is a wolf in sheep's clothing. A fox is equipped with two personalities that can terrify a flock of sheep. Never again will she try and make Felicia angry.

—

The dinner was peaceful, there was no annoying brat that ruined their family dinner which ended with the Duchess having a smile across her lips. No one is trying to make her head explode.

"Where is Felicia?" The Duke asked as he cut the meat on his plate, not looking at everyone. The Duchess smiled at the Duke, although it irked her because of the reason that the Duke brought up that name.

And she hates it.

"She said she was not feeling well, Father," Helena said respectfully, wiping her mouth with a table napkin before picking up her utensils once again and starting to cut the meat. Not feeling well? Heh, sure she's not feeling well. Especially if it's dark and dusty.

"I see." The Duke said, ending the conversation coldly as he didn't want to initiate any conversation once again. Looking at the Duke, Tyren then thought that shouldn't this be a perfect time to persuade the Duke to remove Felicia from the emerald green room?

"Dear about the emerald green room—"

Before the Duchess could even finish her sentence, the Duke firmly put the wine glass back on the table, glaring at the Duchess that it made Tyren flinch because of how dark he was looking at her.

"Seems like you're having a problem with it?" The Duke asked, glaring at Tyren who was sweating bullets profusely because of him. Seeing the tension clashing in their dinner, Alexander knew that he needed to meddle before the Duchess might receive another punishment once again.

The Duke's been tired of handling their bullshits lately because of Felicia's constant bickering with them. "I apologize, Father. Mother is not in her right mind as of now because of the stress. Please forgive her." Alexander immediately meddled in, trying to weaken the tension between the Duke and the Duchess.

"Y-yes... I wasn't in my right mind today, Dear. Please forgive me for my insolence." Tyren said, looking down as she gritted her teeth in annoyance. Seems like the Duke didn't like her approach at all.

"Hmph."

The dinner then went on silently wherein only the utensils clanging into their plates can be heard. Everyone was silent but the difference was that each had different expressions on their face. Especially Helena who was quite happy about something.

"Did anything happen, Helena?" Alexander asks, noticing how Helena seems very off and weird at the same time. It's not the usual dinner without Helena telling them how's her day going.

"Hmm? Nothing happened brother... I am learning a lot today and I couldn't be any happier." Helena said with eyes twinkling in happiness as she told them what made her smile today.

"It seems that those harsh punishments I've given to you make you learn a lot now." The Duke commented, seeing his daughter having fun instead of acting arrogant and angry like Alexander.

"Of course, Daddy! I was praised a lot during the sessions and I'm doing well." Helena voiced out. The Duchess smiled proudly at Helena, she couldn't be any more proud of her daughter than anyone else.

"I see. I shall evoke the punishments that I had given you since you're doing well. Is there anything that you would like to have?" The Duke asked Helena whose smile suddenly turned into a grin.

"Oh, Daddy... I do not want to have something lavish... It's already enough that you let me stay here and call you as my dad comfortably. I don't have anything that I desire except for our family to become one peaceful family... But sister Felicia doesn't like me... I wish we could become close." Helena said, flashing a sad smile that captured Alexander's heart.

"That's because she's a vicious witch that doesn't need your attention, Helena. Why don't we all go to a picnic instead? You, Mom, Dad and me? How does it sound?" Alexander asked with a smile towards Helena who grabbed the opportunity.

"Yes, please! Is it okay Daddy? Maybe we could paint our family photo together? Pretty please Daddy!" Helena shrieked in enthusiasm, looking at the Duke with puppy eyes as she attempted to force the Duke into submission.

"Come now, darling. Your Dad is busy handling the Dukedom. We should not bother him." The Duchess said with a warm tone, wanting to add more pressure over Helena's want so that the Duke had no other choice but to join.

"That's... Right... I see... Seems like Daddy can't join us then..." Helena said, nodding as she looked at the Duke with sad and big teary eyes, trying to stop herself from crying in front of the Duke.

"Father, can you please adjust your schedule well so that you can attend to our youngest wish? It's better than asking for a lavish one." Alexander added, wanting the Duke to come. It would be fun trying to chill once in a while.

"Please take a rest also, dear. You know that you can't just keep on working right?" The Duchess muttered, holding the Duke's hand gently while trying not to flinch because of how the Duke's icy cold stare looked at her.

"I'll see what I can do then. When do you want it to happen?" The Grand Duke asked, sighing hopelessly as it seemed that there were no other choices to pick other than declining Helena's only wish.

She's getting sensible already so he really hopes she won't offend those who have higher ranks like the Marquis so sincerely defended Felicia. That Marquis, it seems that he's interested in Felicia.

The Duke felt like his heart was crushed whenever he would think about the little Marquis bravely facing him while telling him that Felicia never did anything that ruined their influence or offended him. Rather, it was Helena who had severely offended him.

"Dear? What's wrong?" The Duchess asked as he saw the Duke closing his eyes and clutching his heart as if he was being choked into something. This made them feel alert at how the Duke suddenly acted this way.

"Quickly! Inspect the Duke's plates and tell me if it has poison!" The Duchess immediately stood up, trying to assess what happened to the Duke who was coughing up.

"Helena! Use your holy powers!" Alexander said, panicking as he didn't know what to do. However, Helena suddenly felt chills. Something was stopping her from using her holy power.

"I-I couldn't..." Helena muttered as she looked at them with eyes on the verge of crying. Alexander who saw Helena standing on the corner suddenly felt a little pissed because of her not doing anything.

"Helena!" Alexander yelled, panicking. The Duchess then looked over Helena who was just standing, immobilised at her place as she watched the Duke coughing hard. She glared at her daughter, wanting her to act fast but her daughter just stayed frozen.

"All of you calm down, I am fine. I simply coughed." The Duke said after calming down his lungs and his racing heart. That was all of a sudden, what the hell was that feeling? Just because he's thinking about the child who murdered his beloved wife, he immediately went coughing really badly. Is this a curse? Or is that child an unlucky one?