The Third Prince Of Darkness

Chapter 149: First crack

I could only say, "Did you change your mind?"

Actually, I had temporarily ignored the twins because they were under Liam's tight protection, but I planned to deal with them when I returned to the kingdom a few days later. Who knows, maybe I'd get the chance to kill not only the twins but also Liam. I had already set the bait for this. But now, I was trying to make sense of what Kayle was saying.

''Yes, I changed my mind. Or rather, you can kill them if you want, but listen to me first. Right now, the girl twin, Marsiel, is in my unit. Like you, she entered the academy in disguise. And according to her, she knows nothing about Emilia's death. In fact, she supposedly hates her brother for it,"Kayle said, his face showing no noticeable expression.

''And you believed that? Just because the girl said so, should it be true? How do you know she's not lying?" I asked, reasonably.

"Because before coming back to the academy, after you left, I secretly visited the mansion where they were staying, which belongs to Liam, many times. I saw the twins fighting on several occasions. The male twin was constantly pestering withMarsiel to make peace, but Marsiel would always escalate the situation with harsh and hurtful words.

I genuinely think Marsiel is innocent, but Markuol, the male twin, isn't. We can kill him whenever you want"Kayle said with a striking expression.

All I could do was let out a deep sigh. ''Since when did you turn into an angel of mercy, Kayle?"' I managed to say.

"I'm no angel. If you want to kill the girl, I can arrange it today. But the reason I don't want to kill her is because she's useful. You know as well as I do how valuable her skills are. What if Liam tries to kill someone else? What if this time, his target is the weakest among us, your mother or Violet?

Would you regret it if we had no means of healing them? I'm not protecting the girl; I'm simply thinking about our interests," Kayle said convincingly.

"Markuol, the male twin, will die no matter what, and the girl may end up as my enemy because of it. If you can assure me that she won't turn against me, I won't touch her. But you know me, Kayle. I'm not one to want unnecessary enemies."

I noticed a cold gleam in Kayle's eyes. His words were calculated, as always. "Agreed. But don't worry, if Marsiel makes a mistake, I'll kill her myself. By the way, she's hiding in my private room, trembling with fear because you're here. So there's no need to expect any danger from the poor girl" he said in a dismissive tone.

But just then, the door to Kayle's study was pushed open, and Violet entered. She looked anxious, almost as if she were excited or worried. But just as she was about to say something to Kayle, her eyes met mine, and all she could say was, 'Oh.'

Kayle, in an irritated voice, said, ''Slow down, you fool, this isn't your mother's room!"

Violet, apologetically, said, ''Sorry, sorry..."

As I watched Violet's apologetic manner, her worried demeanor caught my attention. Kayle was glaring at Violet with his usual stern look, angry that she had wasted his time. I sensed that whatever had caused Violet to barge into the room like this was no ordinary matter.

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"What happened, Violet? Speak" I said, fixing my gaze on her seriously.

At my question, Violet flinched slightly. ''Uh, well... I might have done something you won't like."

Hearing her say, 'I might have done something you won't like,' with a bashful look, I focused my gaze on her carefully. Kayle kept his stern demeanor, glancing at Violet but waiting for me to respond.

"...What happened, Violet?" I asked in a cold tone. After my words, a brief look of hesitation appeared in her eyes, but she took a deep breath before starting to speak.

"Last night at the ball... I was a little drunk and... I accepted someone's proposal under the influence of alcohol'' she said in a trembling voice.

"What?! Who?"I managed to say.

''The new Emperor of the South... Alpshar..." Violet said, averting her eyes.

Her words left a heavy silence in the room. I fixed my gaze on Violet, giving her a questioning look. Alpshar—the Emperor of the South, a powerful empire and a formidable rival. Violet accepting this proposal was not only a decision that affected her life but also one that could impact the entire Asina Kingdom. Especially me... because between Alpshar and myself, there was an unspoken enmity.

As Emperor of the South, he sought to establish dominance over various regions of the continent, conflicting with my ambitions. I had always insisted that Violet reject his marriage proposal for this very reason!!

An unrestrainable anger rose within me at her words. Alpshar, my enemy, the Emperor of the South—how could she even consider forming a bond with him? I felt like yelling at her, but I took a deep breath to control myself.

"Violet... I never thought you could be this irresponsible. Don't you think Alpshar might have ulterior motives?"I said, glaring at her harshly.

''Not everyone is like you... I believe in him. I may have been drunk, but I was sober enough. It's just a marriage proposal, nothing more. Besides, Alpshar truly cares about me!"

"You think he really cares?'' My tone was sarcastic. "All that man cares about is expanding his empire in the South and conquering our kingdom. Can't you see that, Violet?"

"You only see things from your perspective!" Violet said, her voice shaking. "You don't even know what Alpshar is like; you do nothing but see him as your enemy! He's the only man who treats me well, not for his own interests, but because he genuinely cares!"

The tremor in Violet's voice showed she truly believed what she was saying. Suppressing my anger, I looked at her more carefully. The defensive look in her eyes reflected how much her words meant to her. But I had seen the Emperor of the South before; I knew how cunning and power-hungry Alpshar was. I found it hard to understand how Violet could trust him with such an emotional bond.

"I'm thinking of your well-being, Violet" I said, softening my tone. ''You can't see his true intentions. Marrying him would only put everyone in danger. He's literally a monster in human form... Now listen to your brother and go tell him you were drunk and didn't think clearly. Tell him you don't want to marry him."

A brief hesitation appeared on Violet's face, but her eyes remained resolute. She locked eyes with me and took a deep breath.

"No, Ethan... This time, I don't agree with you. Alpshar isn't a monster to me. Yes, maybe he appears that way in your eyes, but I've seen the love he has for me. This isn't just about power. In the moments we spent together, I felt his care and concern for me."

Her determined words surprised me, but I tried to suppress my anger. The fact that Violet felt so close to someone who was essentially our enemy only made me more frustrated. I struggled to understand how she could be so blind from her naïve perspective.

"Violet, I don't think you understand," I said, hardening my tone. "This man will do anything to increase his power and expand his empire. This so-called interest he's showing you might just be a part of his game. And remember, he already has multiple wives. But still, Are you really willing to risk the safety of our kingdom for this?"

Violet lowered her head slightly, her lips pressed into a thin line. Kayle glanced at us, visibly annoyed by what Violet had said, though he seemed to think it wasn't his place to intervene just yet.

"I understand you, Ethan," Violet finally replied, unable to hide the tremor in her voice. "But I have to make this decision for myself. All my life, I've been following the decisions of others. For the first time, I have a chance to make my own choice."

"This isn't just your decision, Violet; it's about the future of the kingdom!" I shouted, feeling my control slipping. "Go now and tell him you don't want to be engaged!"

"No! You… you've never truly cared about the kingdom or us! You only care about yourself, so don't play the kingdom card now! All those women you kept around weren't out of love, but for your own benefit! And now you think you can make decisions for others again, just to suit your interests, but this time, you won't get what you want!" Violet said angrily, turning toward the door in fury.

"Violet! If you marry that man—"

"If I marry him, then what? What will you do? Are you going to kill me, your sister? Or are you going to make even me, your sister, your wife for your own gain, just like the rest of your women? What are you going to do, tell me?!"

I was stunned by her sudden outburst and words. It was as if the kind, gentle-hearted Violet had vanished, replaced by someone else entirely. But I couldn't understand it. How could she have changed so much that she would argue with her own brother just for Alpshar? Or had Alpshar somehow enchanted her?

When Violet slammed the door behind her without looking back, I was left speechless. "What am I going to do with you now, Violet?" I thought.