Mated to the Mad Lord-Chapter 191: Baring Fangs

But when Cain finally stood in front of two huge doors, pushing one open, Violet watched as his arm muscles bulged like he was straining against it. She almost found it hard to breathe as her sight settled on the six individuals seated around a table, their people standing behind them.

The pressure in the room was heavier than usual, and it only got worse when she realized that the moment they entered, while all of them glanced at Cain, their focus settled completely on her. She caught hints of anger, surprise, and disregard in their gazes—enough to make her knees quiver as she realized who they were and where she stood.

It’s like a meeting of world leaders, and I—a commoner—have been made to attend.

Their gazes made her feel like she was nothing but a bug, and it wasn’t until she felt Cain’s arm around her waist squeeze ever so slightly that she was able to catch her breath as she heard him speak.

"I guess I’m late," he said, his voice carrying a light edge as he began moving forward toward the only unoccupied seat among the seven.

Violet knew better than to lag behind, even as her heart thundered in her chest—a sound she was convinced all of them could hear.

This is a bad idea... isn’t it?

Warning bells rang in her head as she realized that while they looked at her like she was an ant, they all looked at Cain like he was a stain they would love nothing more than to erase forever.

Yet Cain simply continued walking toward his seat, as if completely blind to the hostility in the room. Frank stood right behind his chair, just like the others did for their lords, and Violet had just moved to do the same when she suddenly felt a firm grip on her wrist pulling her forward.

She barely had time to react before she found herself being pulled right onto Cain’s lap. A fresh wave of tension spread across the room, and she could feel the weight of their gazes on her. She tried to move, but she knew—regardless of her efforts—it was completely useless.

Violet didn’t dare look at them, let alone speak, as a woman’s voice rang out first, authoritative in a way that showed she was used to being listened to.

"Lord Cain," she began, her tone steady—devoid of the anger Violet had glimpsed on her face. Considering she was sitting to Cain’s left, directly in Violet’s line of sight, Violet could feel the weight of her stare even without looking up.

"Do you really think this is appropriate?" she asked, gesturing toward Violet, who kept her gaze fixed on the floor, waiting for Cain to respond.

She wasn’t the least bit surprised to hear the cold tone he used—his response was exactly what she had expected, as much as it annoyed her.

"What? Bringing my pet? You must have heard that I lost my lover. She is his replacement. For what is it called..." he dragged out his words, gesturing with a lazy flick of his hand.

"Oh yes! Emotional support!" Cain said, his lips curling into an insincere smile. "Lady Harriet, surely you must have heard of it."

Lady Harriet responded with a smile of her own—one that didn’t reach her eyes. She nodded, but before she could speak again, Lord Eldric, who had been silent until now, finally decided to make his presence known from where he sat at the end of the table.

"You call her a pet, but unlike a dog, this one can talk." His voice carried a bitter edge, one he didn’t bother to hide like Lady Harriet had. "Shouldn’t you cut out her tongue first and remove her eyes before bringing her here? I can have it done in seconds, since the privacy and confidentiality of this meeting are clearly things you don’t care about, Lord Cain."

His words sent a ripple through the room, and seeing that Lord Eldric—Cain’s usual supporter—wasn’t backing him, the others immediately began to speak. The bloodbath Cain had caused was still an unresolved issue, and they were eager to pounce.

"Even if she is to attend, why is she on your lap? She should stand behind you like the others—or are you saying her rank is almost the same as ours?" Lord Magnus scoffed, his tone sharp.

Lord Grainger, seated across from him, nodded in agreement. "Yes! I agree. Unless you want her tossed out, she should stand."

Lady Bella, who had yet to say anything, opened her mouth to echo the same sentiment. But just as she was about to speak, her gaze met Cain’s, and for the slightest moment, her gut sent a warning.

Don’t.

Lady Bella didn’t hesitate to listen. She smoothly turned her gaze to the side and remained silent. There was barely any difference whether she spoke or not. Moreover... antagonizing Cain wasn’t worth it—not when the memory of their last meeting was still fresh in her mind.

Her gaze flicked toward Lord Grainger, surprised to note that he didn’t seem particularly angry when he looked at Cain—especially considering Cain had slammed his head into the table multiple times.

Cain didn’t immediately respond. Instead, he released a loud sigh, the sound filling the room before his gaze settled on Violet.

She refused to meet his eyes—only for her mouth to nearly drop open as he suddenly grabbed her chin, pulling her closer.

She barely had time to react before his lips brushed against her cheek. Then, before she could even process that, he slid his lips onto hers, kissing her lightly before letting go.

Violet was visibly stunned, feeling the heat and tension in the room double over. Her heart pounded even louder, but she didn’t dare look anywhere else but at Cain, watching as he leaned back in his seat, finally speaking.

"For the sake of peace, you can stand behind me," he said.

Though Violet was still in shock, she wasn’t so far gone that she couldn’t process what he had just said. Scrambling off his lap, she hurriedly moved behind him, internally grateful to Frank for shifting to the other side to make space for her.

She still refused to look at anyone else, her gaze fixed on the back of Cain’s head—unable to stop herself from glaring at him. Meanwhile, Cain continued speaking in a laid-back manner, a hint of excitement in his tone. freewёbnoνel.com

"You guys win. What more do you want?" Cain sighed.

But he had barely finished speaking when Lord Magnus, who had been quietly boiling with rage, finally snapped.

"I propose a motion for Lord Cain to be removed as Lord of his district for the crime of multiple killings of his servants!" he loudly declared, his heated glare directed at Cain as he waited for the others to back him.

The fact that Eldric’s daughter was missing was public knowledge, and the animosity Eldric showed was evidence that there was a rift—a rift Lord Magnus was more than willing to exploit.

If Cain was successfully removed, Magnus would be in the perfect position to fight for the expansion of his own district, which bordered Cain’s.