Chapter 1.30: The Blonde Killer

Chapter 1.30: The Blonde Killer

With an irritated look on her face, Leila whipped around as the group arrived back at the estate. She pointed at Ezekial and gave him a look. He responded by giving one that was the same. The somber atmosphere from before had vanished and turned rotten. The blonde's men had already run off as she told them to leave in the carriage. She needed to talk to the man one on one.

The blonde had a blank expression as he sighed. "I wasn't trying to be rude, Cleo. I just don't understand why you're acting this way."

Leila crossed her arms over her chest and grit her teeth together. It was hard to respond without the memories Cleo had hidden. "I guess I've changed a lot since I became an adult. I'm sure you have to."

"That's not what I mean," Ezekiel pressed her as they caught the eye of some nearby gardeners. "I'm talking about the lack of control you displayed."

She raised an eyebrow and snickered. "I'm not the most mentally stable person in my family. I was imprisoned by my fiance and his whore, after all."

"Because you tried to kill her." He said with what she believed was a disappointment.

"Ezekiel, I don't know you so I don't understand how you can judge me so openly." She looked him up and down with a cold glance.

He was watching her intently as she walked closer and brushed her shoulder on his. "If what you say about my sister is true I feel like we are better off as strangers. I don't feel bad for what I did and no amount of words ever will."

"I know that," The blonde grabbed at her arm and squeezed hard enough to bruise her body. But she could tell from his tone he meant no harm. "I know you don't remember me. I just believe that as a stranger, you need to save yourself."

"You are a killer, Cleo but you are still the girl I knew nearly a decade ago. And that girl wasn't some careless psychopath obsessed with revenge." He dug his nails into her coat sleeve, making her flinch.

"I'm not some damsel. I don't need to be saved by you or anyone else." God, she wanted to curl up and die from how whiny she sounded.

It just made her sick to think the guard thought of the situation so simply. If she had been banned from the royal family's land only, she would move on. She would build a life that Cleo could prosper in before hunting the prince down. She'd let the man have a dozen children with his bimbo bride and grow old and gray. Then when the days were slow when she was a mother she'd kill him.

And each of his little children would be forced to look upon his body. Leila thought of leaving the youngest alive and selling them to traffickers. Or to a wealthy couple who wouldn't ask questions. She would kill the rest even if she was executed after. The teenager would love for this to be one of those stories. But it wasn't going to be that easy and he wasn't the only one who betrayed Cleo.

The entire harem turned their backs on the assassin. She welcomed each of them with open arms no matter the pain their presence caused. In the teenager's eyes, Cleo had been betrayed by that. She was meant to be the empress, the queen who ruled over an entire nation. The noblewoman had sacrificed so much and that horny pig took it away. It made Leila want to scream her head off.

Ezekiel cursed in a foreign language before jerking her arm roughly. The pain was dull as he yelled in her face and spit hit her skin. "I don't think you understand the consequences of your behavior. You're going to get yourself killed if you don't stop and think about your choices."

"I understand you feel the need to protect me because of my sister, but back off. I know what harm my actions might cause and I accept it." She watched as his eyes watered again and sighed.

"But you don't need to do any of this. You nearly died going against the royals, the prince and you want to do it all over again? You could put it behind you and live a normal life again." The blonde sounded defeated. All the fire from moments earlier was gone.

"I don't think you get it," Leila didn't want to argue. But the bastard refused to listen. "I'm supposed to be married and living in the royal palace. Instead, I'm a criminal accused of whoring around. I'll never live a normal life after that."

The teenager felt hollow hearing what she had dreaded aloud. The dark-haired girl doubted anyone would trust her after the trial. And she knew that all of Cleo's allies and friends would never see her the same. That's why she never bothered to reach out to them. Any attempts to convince them would be pointless. All of the cards were in the prince's favor. He had won the battle and now she had to win the war. All Leila wanted was for him to be dead and to go back home.

The man couldn't be told that so she didn't know what else to say. She put up a front that she was insane and power-hungry but in reality she was scared. She had been terrified when she woke up in the dungeon, in Cleo's sickly body. And when she had been tormented by dogs and whips and knives, the teenager wanted to die. Leila just couldn't allow herself to leave anyone out of her revenge. Everyone and anyone who had involvement needed to die.

They needed to suffer and that's how she would always think of the situation. No amount of pleading and begging would change her mind. If anyone protested she would push them aside. Even if Ezekiel tried to get in her way, she'd make him stop. And she had the power to. With a shutter, she pushed up against him and laid her head on his shoulder. The teenager knew if she failed, he would demand answers. But right now she felt like she had no other choice.

"Cleo, I'm sorry, please don't cry." The blonde muttered as the gardeners hurried off. They gave him a look that said they'd be telling the boss.

Leila let out a weak laugh which startled him. By now, her eyes were pulsating with pain. She had never used Cleo's magic before and it hurt. It felt like someone was beating her skull in. Her legs trembled to make the blonde hurry to catch her. All of her strength was going into using her magic, leaving her weak. Her body felt like putty as she breathed. The book had undersold how extreme the magic was and it was really bad.

"Ngh!" The teenager let out a groan as she forced herself to stay conscious. The guard held onto her tighter and picked her up.

"Cleo, are you okay? What's wrong?" If he hadn't been there she was sure she'd collapse into a ball. Ezekiel looked down at her and opened his mouth to speak. Only, he stopped at the sight of her eyes and froze.

Her veins were popping out of her forehead as she spoke. It was hard to pronounce each syllable without vomiting onto herself. "Ezekiel. I need you to look into my eyes and shut up for a bit. Okay?" She knew this was wrong but she couldn't care less.

The sandy-haired blonde didn't say anything, following her instructions. His eyes now had a purple glaze over them that twisted her stomach. It was unnerving to see someone become a living doll with a flip of a switch. The history book described it as being similar to hypnotism but this appeared more like a drug. The man looked out of it and she decided to hurry before anyone witnessed his behavior change. She cleared her throat and blurted out the first thought that came to mind.

"Hey, can you pick me up?" The jade-eyed woman whispered as she maintained eye contact.

Instantly, almost robotically, the man put one arm under her legs and the other around her back. He held her closer to the point she felt uncomfortable. Still, the woman kept this to herself. The teenager made sure he was still under as she spoke.

"Ezekiel, I'd like you to report everything my parents tell you back to me. From this moment onward, you will work as my spy, alright?" Once she realized he was frozen she sighed. She had to be extremely direct with commands. "When I speak to you privately, nod your head if you understand."

Ezekiel nodded sluggishly, with a dead look in his eyes. They were glowing the same purple as her own.

Swallowing thickly, she debated on what else to command. She couldn't have him following after her like a puppy dog. But she also didn't have the option to simply use him as a mole. The teenager may never have this sort of opportunity again. For what felt like an hour the girl sat there, thinking. The entire time the blonde was staring at her intently which made her body shiver. It was as if the magic had lobotomized him or something.

Finally, she bit her lip before deciding on what to do. She grabbed the man's face as she talked. "Ezekiel, whenever I speak to you publicly you will feel the urge to do what I say. And when we are in private you fall under the trance you're currently in. Do you agree with me?"

Once he nodded again she knew it was best to stop for now. She was exhausted and her hold would break very soon. "Alright, after you carry me to bed tonight I want you to see your men. Tell them that we discussed you training me and then go to bed. When you wake up, the trance will end."