Seduce the hero's mother (GL)

Chapter 69: Chapter 17. Protect you

In the end, the imperial hunt ended in utter turmoil. The winner was never chosen.

Even before the end of the event, the Windsors hurriedly left him, explaining to the king in an emergency situation. Witnesses who caught this moment saw the Marquis' daughter return to the camp with a maid in her arms. She was unconscious.

It seemed extremely strange to everyone present that such a commotion was caused by an ordinary servant. Even in very bad health, none of the aristocrats would do such a thing. But the Marquis did not listen to anyone as he hastily gathered all his people and soon went back to the residence.

Already at the estate, Leriana was put on the bed in Maxie's room, and a doctor was called to her. The girl herself insisted on the latter, since the marquis suggested that she just needed a rest.

But Maxie, who had not had time for this before, explained to him the situation and what had happened. He was shocked that their hostage managed to fall from such a height.

Meanwhile, the Windsors' personal doctor examined her for half an hour. And then I came to a very unexpected conclusion.

Maxie, the Marquis and his wife were waiting at the bedside all this time. After finishing the procedure, the doctor put his supplies in a suitcase, and then announced:

— There is no reason to worry. Very soon, the girl will come to her senses.

Hearing the good news, Obelia Windsor breathed a sigh of relief.

— How good! Isn't it wonderful that everything worked out? She turned to the other two members of the family, who froze with more stony faces.

In order not to disturb his wife once again, who was so worried about the safety of this girl, the Marquis did not tell her that Leriana had fallen off a cliff. Instead, he lied that she tripped in the woods and got a small bruise.

Meanwhile, Maxie and her father, who knew the real truth, were at a loss to say the least.

«Are you sure she's all right?» Rodrigue asked.

— of course. No external or internal damage was found. The lady was just a little overextended.

Maxie and the Marquis exchanged surprised glances. «Overextended…?» When I almost fell flat on my face from a hundred meters high?

— Sir, maybe we should check again?

The healer blinked uncomprehendingly.

— What's the matter? Didn't you say that the maid just tripped over a cobblestone? In that case, her condition is completely normal.

There was a brief silence. If now they admit to what really happened, it will seem very strange.

The man cleared his throat and offered:

«Darling, would you like to offer Sir Wels a cup of tea?» He's come a long way to get here.

The Marquise, who had already calmed down considerably, suddenly came to her senses after her husband's words. She completely forgot about showing hospitality as the hostess of the house, and did not even offer the guest a glass of water.

— Oh, right! — she turned somewhat guiltily to the healer, — I apologize for not suggesting this right away. Would you like to take a break?

He nodded to her with a smile.

— Of course. How can I refuse Madame's offer?

After the Marquise and the family doctor retired to drink tea in the living room, the tense situation in the room only intensified. Leriana was still not recovering, and Rodrigue decided to clarify just in case:

— Are you sure that she just «fell»? Maybe you didn't see it that way, and she really just stumbled somewhere?

— Father, I'm not blind! — the girl was indignant, — Everything was like that.

— But you know that it's simply impossible… — the Marquis objected, — the Wolf cliff is the highest in this forest. No one has ever survived if they fell from it. So how can it be that there is not even a scratch on this girl?

Maxie lost her way.

— I don't know… I really don't know… But I was definitely not mistaken.

The man sighed and decided to come closer. Maybe there's something that even the healer didn't notice? Otherwise, he would definitely doubt whether the Archduke's daughter is a human at all.

He felt her pulse, and after making sure that everything was all right, his gaze smoothly moved a little higher.

At that moment, Rodrigue even recoiled. Maxie turned to her father in surprise:

— Is something wrong?

For a while, the knight didn't respond. He stared fixedly at the place where he would not have thought of paying attention before. Since the maid's clothes were quite closed, all this time the girl's neck was covered with a collar. But today, in order to examine her, he had to unbutton it.

And that's what allowed the Marquis to discover what he shouldn't have seen.

— The pattern of the Bloody Camellia…» he said hoarsely, «It's bad.»

— what? — Maxie still didn't understand anything, — What are you talking about?

To recover, the man briefly sat down in a chair. During this period, he finally had a complete puzzle of what was happening.

The Marquess of Windsor smiled bitterly.

— And after that, this girl still dares to claim that she has nothing to do with them…?

Maximiliana was indignant.

— Father, explain to me! What's wrong with her?

He finally turned his attention to his daughter.

— The Cassii label. The mark they leave on the people they are attached to. Almost no one in the empire knows about it.

— The sign? — The girl asked, — But do people do this? Only animals leave marks on each other.

— And I wouldn't call these tenacious creatures people.

Maxie was very stunned by this news. Of course, she had long known that her father despised Raymond Cassius, his worst enemy. But I could not imagine that he was so aware of their history.

— But how do you know all this…?

— Of course, I had to study the opponent before engaging in a fight with him.

«How much did you find out?» — she decided to clarify tensely.

— Enough to understand that it's time to get rid of this girl.

Maxie was taken aback.

— Father, what are you talking about?! Weren't we going to use her as a hostage?

«Of course,» he agreed fervently, «but under the current circumstances, it's pure suicide.»

— What…?

«Cassias don't leave their marks on just anyone. And if this happens, they become inextricably linked with this person. They won't let her go just like that.»

The Marquis of Windsor knew that the connection between the owners of the mark surpassed even the most powerful sensor. It will not be difficult for them to find Leriana, even if she turns out to be on the opposite side of the globe. It's like waving a red flag in front of a bull.

«So you're saying the Cassias are coming for her?» Maxie asked tensely.

«I'm surprised they haven't done it yet,» the knight chuckled, «With this mark, even if we hide it underground, they'll still find it.»

— And what are we going to do?

— Well… it remains only to kill her.

— What?!

The Marquess of Windsor sighed heavily. Another thing is if the mark on the neck of this girl was in the «safe stage». Then everything would be much easier. It is possible that they were even able to come to an agreement.

But… the problem was that the Camellia had already begun to «bloom».

This meant that the irreversible process had already started, and the Cassias would not be able to leave her alone. It's too dangerous for them to leave this girl free, so sooner or later, it has to happen. They'll come for her.

«…This is the only way I know to get rid of this connection,» the man said grimly.

— But… In this case, since they need it so much, then we can just make an exchange, as originally planned! Maxie objected.

«It won't work,» the Marquis said at once.

— Why?!

«There's one thing Lady Ashford really didn't lie about. If they come after her, it's only to kill her. Of course, I doubt that after that they will peacefully leave and leave us alone.»

The heroine's mentor froze in a stupor. She really didn't understand anything.

The Marquis smiled ruefully.

— Only betrayal can make a Camellia bloom. And the further it goes, the worse. To save his daughter from suffering, Raymond would rather kill this girl than save her.

Maxie paused.

«Are you sure there's no other way out?»

«The Cassians could attack us at any moment. It's too dangerous to leave her in the estate,» he said, «With the current forces, we won't be able to stand up to them on equal terms. And that means… To avoid bloodshed, the death of this girl is the only way out.»

But Maxie categorically disagreed with this.

— Father! What if I find another way to remove this label?

— What…? — the knight was surprised.

— I don't believe that death is the only solution. For sure, we haven't figured out everything yet.

— Forget it, — he sighed, — Even I do not know any other way, although I have been watching them for about ten years. So from where…

— Elder Ivelas! his daughter suddenly remembered.

This was a man dubbed a genius in the western continent. The last member of the healer clan who could cure even a deadly disease. Before that, only a select few could turn to him and for his services. But in recent decades, the elder rarely received visitors and became a recluse. Now, even if the king asks for help, he will not leave his hiding place.

And it so happened that at the moment the elder has settled in the Oberon Empire. Or rather, in a tiny village on the outskirts, with a population of only a couple dozen people. It was such a wilderness that many did not even know how to get to.

But for Leriana, this was the only chance to survive, and therefore Maxie was ready to make every effort. This man, who had seen half the world, could be the only one who knew how to make her free again.

The Marquess of Windsor was amazed that his daughter was ready for such a grueling journey to save an unfamiliar aristocrat.

«But wouldn't it be easier to kill her?» — He was surprised, — Why such sacrifices?

Maxie couldn't tell him honestly. Instead, after hesitating, she said:

— I just don't want to sacrifice an innocent person.

The Marquis stared at her even more. When did such mercy awaken in his daughter? Previously, she wouldn't have blinked an eye before she dealt with someone. The only exceptions were her family and comrades in the service. But… with this girl, they had only known each other for a little more than a month.

Even in his thoughts, he did not guess the motives of her actions.

«Are you really sure you want to do this…?»

The girl nodded.

The man sighed as his head suddenly ached from all this.

«I really don't know what you're thinking.»

Maxie didn't say anything. Instead, after waiting for her father to leave, the girl sat down next to her on the bed and touched Leriana's face. She was sleeping peacefully, and only her regular breathing could be heard in the room.

Maxie looked at her with different eyes for the first time.

Rescuing Leriana from the gorge, the girl had to partially undress her to detect particularly serious injuries. They weren't there, but instead…

Maxie found a birthmark on her body that she had once seen many years ago. It belonged to the girl she had been looking for for so long.

Maxie couldn't believe it was really her. Are they really bound by fate?

The heiress of the Windsor family was happy and worried at the same time. Meanwhile, deep inside herself, she had already made a firm decision. Maxie was going to save her at all costs.

«You promised to be my eyes, but… it looks like this time, I'll have to protect you!»