Valerian Empire

Chapter 70: Anxious- Part 1

When Alexander entered the underground dungeon, he could hear the loud piercing screams of a woman along with the sound of whips.

Walking between the dark cells he looked at one of them where blood was splattered like paint on the dull walls. Two dead bodies were lying on the ground sprawled about. They were the very same men who had threatened and hurt Katie when she had been to the town.

Knowing the connection his stable worker held, it was easy to find the men who dealt with odd and illegal work in his empire. Caviar had grown up on the dark side of the town. He had been employed by Alexander when he caught sight of the young man fighting with a man older to him.

Both men were produced in front of him at late afternoon and it had taken quite some time to get the truth out of them. Alexander’s brows raised when he learned the person who was behind it was a maid in the castle.

Once he had gotten what he wanted from the two, he killed them mercilessly like a cold murderer with his own bare hands.

He walked further and then stopped at the cell where the culprit maid was tied up in chains, unconscious on the ground. The guard who was standing outside brought a bucket of hot water before splashing it on the maid, waking her up in shock and pain.

The woman’s eyes were wide open when she realized who was in the cell apart from the guard-man. When Cynthia had left Katherine on her own in the red district she had planned to escape back to the mansion without anyone’s notice before getting back to her duties there.

Instead she was stopped by and dragged into a carriage before being thrown in the dungeon cell. On the way to her cell she had seen blood of the men whom she had known. She had been careful, then how did she get caught?

And now stood the Lord of Valeria in front of her with a peaceful expression.

Knowing she had planned out everything, she still could get out of it. Even if the men had ratted her out they were dead. Therefore it meant no witnesses with no proof that she had done anything. Getting on her act, she asked

“W-why am I here?” in a confused tone.

“I was wondering that myself,” he said while signalling the guard to leave them alone, “If you could enlighten me that would be great.”

“I-I don’t understand what you’re t-talking about Lord Alexander. I think you’ve mistaken me for someone else,” replying carefully, Cynthia gauged him.

“Aren’t you quite the pretty little actress. I usually carry a good amount of patience with me but as you see today I have run out of it,” he chuckled and then said, “So why don’t you start talking.”

The woman looked at him, her mouth tightly shut. Seeing that she was refusing to speak he took few steps towards her. There were always other means to make a person speak.

Cynthia tried to get away from him but she felt her body unable to move as though it was frozen in place. She felt him pick her hand that was resting on the ground. The gesture made her happy. The Lord was finally looking at her.

She then heard him speak,”Lately I have been thinking on ways how to interrogate people in my dungeon. Unfortunately we haven’t been having many visitors,” he skimmed his thumb over her fingers.

Taking one of her finger he touched her nail, slowly pushing it upwards before snapping it up in one single movement.

“Ahhhhh!!!” the woman screeched, the hollow cell echoing the pain of the woman.

Blood dripped down from the finger that had no nail in it anymore. Cynthia cried out loudly when she felt the Lord pluck out other two nails from her fingers.

“Ready to speak yet?” he asked tilting his head. Standing up he walked across the small cell and turned around to face her again.

“I didn’t do anything to deserve this, Lord Alexander!” she cried out, “Why am I being put through this?!”

Alexander let out a sigh. This one seemed stubborn to admit, “Let me refresh your memory for you. Why did you take Ms Welcher to the red district for?”

Even in the midst of pain Cynthia could feel her anger and hate bubble up for the woman her Lord was speaking about.

Not letting her emotions show through she tried to stick to her act.

“S-she asked me to take her there. She wanted to experience it with another man and I merely took her there on her request milord,” she said with tears in her eyes, “I don’t understand why I am being punished when she was the one who asked for it,” able to move she clutched her hand towards her chest in pain.

“Did she request to get raped too?” the Lord questioned her.

The maid looked up, pleased to hear it. Poor Katie, she thought to herself, she was dirty now.

“I asked Katie if she would like to come with me as I had to get a parcel from an acquaintance but she said she would wait for me there,” she answered him and then asked, “Is she alright?” she asked feigning concern.

Ignoring the woman’s concern, Alexander said, “A little birdie told me you had no acquaintance to meet and you left her on her own. You pushed her from the stairs,” he said.

Her face paled. “What are you talking about?”

“Why did you push her down?” he asked looking her straight in the eye.

“These are false accusations! Someone is trying to frame me for something I didn’t do,” she said in a desperate attempt, “What would I get by doing anything to her?”

Malphus stood outside the cell, his back leaning on the wall as he heard the conversation between the Lord and the maid. He had got out early in the morning and by the time he had returned Katie was out in the town.

When he had tried searching for her, he found her with the woman he had his suspicion on. It was the woman who was in the attic. And when he tried talking to Katie, he noticed that she couldn’t see him or hear him. Like he didn’t exist

Seeking Lord Alexander, he tried getting his attention which apparently did work. It made him ponder as to why he couldn’t get Katie’s attention in the town.

Glancing at the scene before him, he realized not to get on the bad side of the Lord. Not that he had intended to. In a span of three hours the Lord had killed three people and it was going to be four soon. This man was meant to be feared, right now what he saw was pure evil.

Looking down at his hands he frowned. He remembered the times when he was still alive how painful it was when he cut his nail more than required.

The thought of his nails being plucked out like petals from the flower made him cringe.

“Threatening her with letters and hurting her physically so that she leaves the mansion. You must have quite some nerve to do these right in front of my nose. Did you think you would be successful in getting her out of the mansion while I’m here,” it wasn’t a question but a statement.

“Why her?” she whispered in pain, a pain that wasn’t because of her ripped out nails. Lord Alexander had never taken such keen interest in any of the maids then why Katie.

Alexander looked at her as the maid had her head down, holding her skirt in her good hand, trembling.

“I am no different than her. I was a pure girl like her and gave you myself when you asked for it without a question,” she cried, her eyes glistening with tears, “My blood, my body and my heart. So why is she different than I?! I have loved you all this while!” she confessed.

“Please pick me,” she pleaded, “I will be the woman you want me to be. I will-”

“How vile,” Alexander tsked her in a bored tone, “You forget your place, a maid shouldn’t question her Lord and not expect anything in return. Have you forgotten the rules we have here? To think that I will give you myself.”

“Why her then? She’s no more a virgin but a woman who has been violated!”

In an instant Alexander’s hand flew down to the woman’s neck, squeezing it as she gasped for air.

“If that was so you wouldn’t have survived this long,” he chuckled darkly, his fingers digging into her throat, “I should have killed you sooner,” the woman gasped for air.

Her hands pushed him struggling to get away but it turned weaker with every passing second. Seeing her struggle no more he threw her on the ground.