Raphael

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After playing with Thea for a while, I left her to recover. It was the best solution to deprive her of her strength for a while. Yes, what’s there, I myself got tremendous pleasure from the sight of her. So modest in life and so depraved in my hands. I bit my lower lip, breaking into a smile and remembering this supple girl, she was like soft clay. It was a wonderful moment to relieve the tension that had accumulated recently from both of us.

But now it’s time to get distracted and get busy.

Dexter and Richard arrived just as Milos finished reporting on his assignment in Raswell.

- She wasn’t very cooperative, Your Majesty. – he finished.

- Did you get rid of her? - I asked, burning with anger, and he nodded approvingly.

Today was a revelation for me, on the one hand unpleasant, and on the other – it was a great chance to take revenge.

Queen Lillian.

Nasty rat.

I burst out laughing, breaking the deafening silence in the room.

This is just the beginning. I won’t let you die so easily and so quickly.

The spies Richard successfully infiltrated into Riliya’s service staff showed excellent results, proving Lillian’s lack of weakening magic. This became the main clue to dig further, pay the corrupt servants and find the queen’s mother.

By the way, I didn’t have to go far and all the paths led back to Raswell. The old woman lived in a very simple house, without frills and frills, moderately restrained. She had only a cook and a maid under her command. And what else did the old feeble crone need.

By the way, it didn’t matter. The only important thing is that our guesses about the origin of Queen Lilian, about her witch vein, have been confirmed.

But here’s what I didn’t assume... no one assumed... that this old woman was the mother of the fiend of hell. The mother of my sworn enemy. Even Horel was insignificant compared to the anger in my heart that I carried towards the queen. And it’s time to give her back everything in full and even more.

The Supreme Witch.

The witch who gave the order to take my wife’s life. 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

I’ll kill her.

Dexter and Richard were deeply puzzled by what they heard, just like me, no one expected that this vile trash would be alive. The life span of a witch is the same as that of an ordinary person. But Lillian and her mother have lived for hundreds of years. How?

That was still to be found out. I had a bad feeling.

Eventually switching my attention from Milos, I waited for news from the dungeon.

- Werewolves. There are hundreds of them. Richard reported with disgust in his voice.

- Yes, I felt it from that guy. – I remembered about the man that Thea asked to save.

- There’s a whole experimental laboratory there, we don’t know if this is the first batch. But they all seem to be in suspended animation, apparently under the influence of magic. What do you want we to do?

A laboratory? What a surprise. I assumed that they were just holding the obortni hostage, but it never occurred to me that they were creating them themselves.

I grinned at the thought that came into my head.

- Bring that guy to me. Immediately. – with excitement in my eyes, I was already anticipating the consequences of my next action. – And be careful.

Thea

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The next day I woke up to someone tapping me lightly on the shoulder. I wanted to wrap my head deeper in the blanket, but these pushes on my shoulder were too persistent.

I frowned and remembered that I was in different circumstances, and therefore quickly recoiled to the other side of the bed at the sight of a strange woman in my room.

- Milady. - The woman bowed respectfully. - Milord de Mourey sent me to help you get ready for the ball.

I rubbed my eyes to wake up faster and squinted at her incredulously. She must be one of those people who serve Raphael on the side.

The afternoon sun was already shining brightly outside the window. I slept for so long, but it was the first time in a long time that I slept peacefully without waking up for a second. Moreover, yesterday I went to bed very late, turning in my head our intimate moment with Raphael. In general, it’s good that he fussed and sent a servant to me, otherwise I would have overslept everything for sure.

Today is our last day here. Stepmother’s birthday. There will be a masquerade ball.

- I need to go to the bathroom. I said uncertainly, and the maid immediately began pouring hot water so that I could bathe.

After hastily taking a bath, the maid helped me dry off and started taking clothes out of the boxes. And only now I noticed these boxes, which I didn’t pay attention to right away.

- Milord has sent these things prepared for you. - she explained.

- Is that so? Okay, then let’s get started soon.

It is worth paying tribute to Raphael, he chose a chic dress. Perhaps I would have chosen a slightly less catchy color, but this black obsidian also looked very stylish and elegant.

The glossy silk dress was of moderate splendor, so as not to restrict my movements too much. The skirt completely covered the elegant shoes with thin heels, and the top was scandalously open – bare shoulders, a heart-shaped neckline tightly hugging my small chest and a huge neckline on the back, completely exposing it. Raphael was definitely going to draw extra attention to me.

- Oh, my God, you look absolutely stunning. – the maid fluttered around me, correcting every crease and did not stop singing praises to my appearance.

Everything in this image was gorgeous, except for my face, which still didn’t belong to me. Yesterday, like the sting of a wasp, I felt a sting of bitterness when Raphael caressed someone else’s body. And although I was in this body, but the sediment still remained.

Well, this is not the time for weakness, he expects me to support him today, which means I have to play my role well.

The final touch was a laconic thin chain with a small diamond pendant, which was practically hidden in the neckline of the dress, as well as small earrings with the same diamonds, matching the pendant. It was too aesthetically beautiful, everything is exactly the way I loved it, without excessive pathos, when they dress all the best things in the house for the ball.

The maid braided my hair into a careless bun that emphasized my thin long neck and that depraved neckline on the back. How I wanted to hide it now behind my long loose hair. But then the jewelry would not look advantageous. Okay, I can be patient for one night.

- Now you are completely ready to send to the ball. – said the maid, pleased with her work. – Oh, I’m sorry, you also need a mask.

And she took out of a small velvet bag an elegant openwork gold mask decorated with tiny precious stones, not oversaturating it, but emphasizing its beauty.

- Will you let me do this? – I turned at the voice that interrupted us with his appearance and saw the Duke of Parmont standing in the doorway of my room.

Well, wow, the only person who decided to use the door, and not to go in the most bizarre way, which only has enough imagination.

He took the masquerade mask from the hand of the maid and tied it over my eyes. The cold of the metal was soothing, pleasant.

- Thank you, milord. - I said, making him smile and stretch out his arm, bent at the elbow, to me.

- His Majesty has ordered me to escort you.

I frowned slightly, isn’t Raphael going to be my companion at this evening? But as if understanding my thoughts, the Duke added.

- There are some subtleties that need to be sorted out, so for now your exit should not be so overwhelming. His Majesty asked me to tell you to trust him.

Well, okay, I’ll try to trust, although something tells me that my credit of trust is not rubbery.

I took the duke by the arm, and we quietly went out into the corridor, which over time was delayed by crowds of colorful clothes and faces hidden by masks. It was we who got out successfully, no one will suspect us, merging with the total mass of invited guests.