CLANG
Laura flinched at the noise. She turned to find Venessa standing motionless beside the shattered pitcher, staring down at it as though she had forgotten what she was looking at.
Laura exhaled sharply, her patience thinning.
"Leave it. Someone else will clean it."
Venessa slowly looked up and nodded.
"Are you a mute? Why aren’t you responding?" The short-haired woman clicked her tongue. "Are you acting as though any of this happened without your consent?"
Venessa frowned. "What?"
Laura shrugged, her annoyance plain in her voice. "If you’re so eager to hear it, then let me lay it bare for you."
She stepped closer, lowering her voice.
"You chose to leave Bran for another man. You made that choice willingly. And now you’re behaving as though you were forced into it, as though you’re the victim here."
Frustration flashed across Venessa’s face.
"Did I ever ask for your sympathy? It’s my choice how much I say, or whether I say anything at all."
Laura rolled her eyes. "The atmosphere is grim because of you and that boy."
"Then go live somewhere else," Venessa replied. "Because I won’t force myself to pretend to be someone I’m not."
Laura let out a quiet chuckle. "You really think that would be me?"
Venessa frowned. "What do you mean by that?"
Laura offered no answer. She simply turned her gaze away.
A moment of tense silence passed before another voice cut through it.
"She means that sooner or later, the Lord of this house will meet his makers, and my elder brother will become the lord."
Both women turned toward the voice.
Bran was approaching.
Venessa instinctively took a step back. Yet there was no trace of the contempt he had shown her earlier. His expression was composed, almost indifferent.
He stopped before them.
"I wonder who else is on your list to throw out of the house once your husband becomes the Lord."
Laura crossed her arms, her eyes narrowing like a fox’s.
"Take a guess. It certainly won’t be Mother, considering how useful she is to this household."
Bran chuckled. "Then there is nothing left to guess, is there?"
Drawing closer, he leaned toward her and whispered, "But I truly believe you’ll be the one begging me not to leave."
Her smile widened. "Hope is a fragile thing to place your faith in. I also hope my husband will become King someday."
Bran nodded slowly. "Right. Hope. Remember that. You’ll need it very soon."
Leaving those words hanging in the air, he walked past the two women and disappeared deeper into the house.
The moment he entered his room and closed the door behind him, the warmth vanished from his expression. His eyes turned cold.
As I thought. The bitch is a demon.
He still couldn’t believe he’d managed to restrain his instincts and not attack her just now.
The nature of the job he had taken had sharpened those instincts to an almost unnatural degree. More than her beautiful face, it was the unguarded line of her throat that had tempted him.
Haah... but how is that possible?
His elder brother had married her several years ago. She was supposedly the only surviving member of a merchant family.
Naturally, Lord Rawen had other plans for his only capable son, a man who was both a formidable warrior and a figure of considerable influence in the city.
And yet, he had married an orphan.
The mere fact should have been enough to make them outcasts. Pride went beyond political plans for the Governor. Yet forget about disowning George. The man actually respected his wife now.
The reason?
Twenty thousand gold coins, five carriages, forty horses, and fifty fine women.
That was what she had brought with her.
For such a fortune, forget about a woman. From everything Bran had witnessed of the Governor so far, the man would have let George marry a pig if it came with a dowry like that.
Being a demon, arranging such gifts wouldn’t have been much of a problem for her. But the question is... why is she hiding here? And was the demon I hunted somehow related to her?
He could sense her caution around him, though Laura had always been a naturally cautious woman.
Which, in hindsight, made perfect sense.
But why would a demon come here and marry George, the useless knight? And if his memories served him correctly, Laura adored her husband.
Could a demon truly have a change of heart over the years?
Possible.
But that wasn’t Bran’s concern.
He strongly suspected that no one in the family, George included, knew anything about her true origins. She had hidden them far too well.
Demons were considered an unforgivable sin in this world. Given the consequences of being discovered, her secrecy was understandable.
But to Bran, this wasn’t a problem.
It was an opportunity.
A slow grin spread across his lips.
"This is going to be fun."
.. .. .. ..
Later that night, everyone gathered around the dining table for supper, with the exception of George.
Bran noticed Laura asking about his absence, only for the Governor to casually explain that George had some important business to attend to.
Hmm...
Bran didn’t give it much thought. He simply pulled out his chair and took his seat.
A maid named Anna served him. When she reached his plate, she deliberately placed the smallest piece of bread before him.
Bran’s expression darkened.
"Saving the rest for yourself, or are you feeding the dogs?" he asked with a snarl.
"And why do you need more than that?" the maid shot back, a challenging smirk tugging at her lips.
Bran narrowed his eyes.
Before he could respond, his mother quietly placed her own piece of bread on his plate.
"Here. Take mine, dear."
"Why are you feeding him like a pig?" Trevor snickered. "If he wants more, he should pay for it."
Bran chuckled.
"You’re awfully eager to get back what you gave me." He shook his head. "But don’t get your hopes up. If I’m going to spend money on food, I’d rather leave this house and find somewhere more peaceful to live."
Bella’s expression fell, but she said nothing. She merely lowered her gaze and idly twirled the spoon around her bowl.
"Is that so? Then why don’t you leave now?" Trevor growled. "A thousand coins should be enough to feed your sickly body."
Bran took no offense at the pig’s snort.
"No. Not yet." He calmly continued eating. "There are a few matters I need to deal with before I leave. A few things that need to be settled."
He didn’t look at anyone.
Yet every person at the table, except Bella, shifted in their seats.
Just then, someone came rushing into the room.
"Father!"
Trevor frowned. "What is it, boy?"
"Not here. Come with me. I need to tell you something very urgent. Trust me, you’ll be delighted."
Reluctantly, Trevor pushed himself to his feet. Soon, the two men disappeared from the dining room.
Bran narrowed his eyes.
Curious.
~~~~~
A/N:- Add the book in your library.