"Your majesty, your brother Young Duke Karl wishes to seek an audience with you." Layla who was sitting with Marianna by her bedside nodded to the servant and soon the doors opened with a dangerous male entering with clear cerulean irises that were deep and unmoved as if unfazed by anything in the world.
"Greetings to your majesty, Empress of Ardos." Karl bowed with keeping all eloquence and etiquettes and it looked polite yet in reality this was clearly telling Layla -' Since you choose Ardos above your family and decided to do as your wish by marrying Icarus, you have displeased me.'
Layla drank a dark green medical concoction and did not look up at all, gently blowing the leaves in the hot bowl, she then sipped it with great elegance before handing it to a maid nearby.
Everything was done without any hurry thus she did not asked Karl to rise.
"Why is the emperor so late today?"
"Sister, it must be that he is still investigating the fire." Marianna replied while simply flipping the pages of a book making the exquisite fairy frown before finally sparing a glance at the man whose fists were clenched with fury as he was still in the similar position with the people treating his presence as air.
"Young duke Karl is angry with me yet still does not knows his mistake." Carmine irises glimmered as Karl looked at her with astonishment.
"In Ardos, we don't tolerate the heir of a dukedom just bowing before the Empress.
Kneel." The words had such profound impact that Karl for the first time really saw his little sister who had always followed him adorably with simple yet profound love change to this person who had no warmth in her eyes for him.
Layla too looked at him and reminisced.
Earlier Layla had some misgivings with her father and was hated by her younger brother but this eldest son of Duke Everdale always maintained a calm façade, even in her previous life Layla could only look at him from afar longing for his affection as he was the one person that did not showed any contempt yet only now she understood.
Contempt can only be displayed to a person considered worth looking at, she was so insignificant in the eyes of this man that he never considered her his family but now it wasn't far fetched to say that he felt guilty.
"Layla!"
"Impudent! How dare you take the name of our Empress." The maid who had earlier escorted Karl inside saw her master's behavior towards this brother of hers, thus she was no longer respectful or tolerant of this outsider.
"Its alright, kindly leave us alone." The servants departed and the chambers were locked.
"Layla, what transpired was not what any of us wanted, if you are angry with me or Leon we will apologize and repent. Father is worried so much so that he has fallen ill and the duchy is barely functioning without you...you must return with me, I know I am wrong so I will kneel if that makes you happy."
Layla was certainly surprised when Karl who was proud to his bones did kneeled but there was not much sympathy that she could feel.
"Return with you and let the commoners become the target of Icarus's wrath? Didn't you and father told me to think of the empire first so this time I as the mother of Ardos and Princess of Avesta shall think of my people before anything."
"You are my sister before that! You are Everdale's princess goddammit!" The outburst was full of grief and rage yet Layla could only shake her head softly.
"What does Duke Everdale has to do with me? I am the daughter of the emperor of Avesta. You and your entire lineage has nothing to do with me elder brother." Karl had never felt so much agitated in his life, this was the first time he was experiencing emotions akin to regret, hate, love and also sorrow thus at last he tiredly said.
"Today that fire must have been a conspiracy of that emperor who tried to kill you..Jeremiah was wrong for you yes but that does not makes Emperor Icarus become the lesser monster. He is a beast with fangs Layla...he will engulf your entire existence...I am your elder brother Layla and I care for your wellbeing...."
After that no words were said anymore as Karl turned around and exited knowing that his words were worthless now, silence prevailed for a long time as the people sitting in the room did not speak at all and just contemplated before Layla sighed.
"Marianna do you also think that I am selfish to leave the duchy behind?"
She would never leave Icarus no matter what.
Euphonious laugh echoed throughout and it was as if something that was beyond humorous was uttered, Marianna laughed beautifully such that it was hard to decipher her meaning.
"Only you deserve to be selfish...only you. You have suffered enough so don't worry and live a happy life from now onwards." The female got up gently smiling.
"Your husband must be coming...I must leave now." But before the female could go a fragile hand clasped her arm and Layla with strange irises looked at Marianna.
"Answer one question of mine please."
"Yes?"
"Supposedly I had married Jeremiah as father wanted, stayed with him for several years in pain and anguish before being discarded by him and at last had died of a disease at just twenty five...then what you would have done?" The smiling face was soon morphed into a bizarre twisted look which appeared somewhat scary like a ghoul.
Marianna bent down a little and this time the smile was so horrendous that it even made Layla feel ulike she knew her sister very little.
"There is only one person whom I have loved all my life Layla, if that person perishes then they all must be buried with her. I would have killed them all."