Merina's heart pounded in her chest, reverberating against her ribcage like a drum echoing through the silent chamber.
Her dark blue eyes widened with a mixture of fear and disbelief, boring into Sabina's amused gaze.
The eerie, playful smile that danced across Sabina's face only amplified the sense of danger, chilling Merina's blood.
She grimaced as she strained against the magical restraints, but the panic soon ebbed, replaced by a calm resolve. She might be in a dire situation, but this wouldn't be the first time she found herself in one. There was no point in panicking in a situation like this. She definitely had to think.
And so her eyes met Sabina's, holding her gaze steady despite the perilous situation.
Sabina slowly walked towards her, "Now, listen carefully," Sabina's voice cut through the silence of the room, her words rolling off her tongue like a chilling lullaby, "I am going to offer you three choices, and your life definitely depends on it."
Merina's eyes flickered with confusion and panic, she wanted to speak, ask, plead, but her voice was imprisoned behind the seal. She merely stared at Sabina, her heart pounding with a sense of imminent danger.
Sabina tilted her head slightly, her lips curling up into a cold smile, "Oh, don't look so confused, Merina. Even though you didn't do anything to offend me, your existence is... an offense to me."
Merina's mind whirled. Could Sabina be doing this because she was a werewolf? But that didn't make sense. Sabina had ignored her existence all these years. So, what had changed now?
"As a mere maid, you've enjoyed luxuries that many can't even dream about," Sabina's voice became softer, yet it dripped with venom.
She closed the distance between them, her slender fingers brushing against Merina's cheek, "Your Master is one of such luxuries…which you don't deserve to enjoy on your own. Am I wrong when even I didn't get to have fun with him as much as you did?"
Merina felt a chill race down her spine. She blinked rapidly, trying to comprehend what she was hearing. Was this really about her Master?
She knew her Master visited Sabina a few times on account of learning to brew potions, but she never suspected... an affair? Sabina was betrothed and a woman of her status...Was she also willing to take risks like her Master? Was this why her Master never took her along whenever he visited the Dreadthorne Castle?
Sabina leaned closer, her breath ghosting over Merina's skin, "Rowena has already beaten me to him… just as she does in everything else. But a mere maid, a werewolf at that, I cannot let you enjoy the perks of getting ahead of me. Not when I've yet to claim him as mine."
"So I can't just sit by and watch you distract Asher from becoming mine. As people say, if a woman wants a man to fall in love with her, he can't be surrounded by other women. Even if you are just a maid, you have the beauty and charm to ensnare him, and I can't have that," Sabina continued, her voice dropping an octave, wrapping around the room like a chilling wind.
Merina clenched her hands, every nerve in her body pulsing with fear but at the same time a fervid sense of indignation for telling her that she didn't deserve to be with him.
In this kingdom, she might belong to the lowest ranks of society unlike Sabina but Sabina can never match the loyalty and love she has for her Master.
However, she held her gaze steady, refusing to let Sabina see the tremor in her heart.
"So…your first choice is to leave this kingdom, never to return and you get to live," Sabina offered, her fingers delicately tracing her lower lip.
Merina's heart jolted. To abandon her Master? That was unthinkable. She would never. And it also didn't seem like Sabina would simply let her go like that. But she maintained her expression, waiting for Sabina to finish.
"But the second choice, now that's a favorite of mine," Sabina raised a second finger, her lips curling into a predatory smile, "I could have 'fun' with you until you break. And once you're broken, it would be easy to frame you as a traitor to our kingdom, and have you and your entire family executed."
Merina felt a cold chill run down her spine at the horrific choice. Yet, she remained as still as stone, her eyes firmly locked with Sabina's.
"And the third choice, it's rather simple," Sabina raised a third finger, her smile never wavering, "I could stage your death, make it look like you were murdered by one of our aggrieved people seeking revenge against your kind. This choice would at least save your family."
A cold sweat broke out on Merina's forehead. This woman... she was crazier than she'd ever imagined. She was willing to go to such lengths just to remove her, a mere maid, from her Master's life?
Sabina chuckled, her tongue lightly darting out to lick her nail, "So, dear Merina, which will it be?"
There was a moment of silence, an almost eerie quiet that permeated the small room. Then, with a rustle of fabric, Merina shifted in her restraints, breaking the stillness. The muffled noise behind her sealed lips was faint but discernible.
Seeing how Merina was trying to speak, "Fuu, how silly of me. I forgot to remove this," Sabina remarked in an almost cheerfully playful tone. With a wave of her hand, the magical seal binding Merina's lips dissolved into nothing.
Finally freed from the restraint, Merina took a few short, sharp breaths, her big bosom heaving with the effort.
She swallowed, clearing her throat before raising her eyes to meet Sabina's, "Would you...would you be willing to hear what I have to offer?" Her voice was shaky, wavering, yet there was a thread of resolve woven into her words.
Sabina raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised. A smirk slowly stretched across her face as she leaned back casually, "Oh, it doesn't really matter. But, I am curious," She let the word hang in the air, clearly inviting Merina to speak.
Merina drew in a deep breath, her eyes steady as she began. "What if... what if I told you that I could help you win him for yourself?" She let the suggestion sink in, her words filling the silence, "Even if I go away, it won't help you get closer to him. He's in love with the queen, not me. I'm not the real distraction."
Sabina's eyes hardened, her lips pressing into a thin line. She was silent for a moment, her mind obviously working through Merina's words, "I know that," she finally retorted, rolling her eyes dramatically, "But how would you, a mere maid, help me get Asher?"
Sabina already knew that even if she got rid of Merina, Asher would find another pretty maid to play with him. But what she didn't like was a maid getting ahead of her before she had the chance.
She was willing to kill hundreds of maids as long as she had an edge. But hearing what Merina wanted to offer, Sabina couldn't help but feel interested.
Merina didn't flinch under the thinly veiled insult. Instead, she offered a soft, knowing smile, "I know my Master more intimately than anyone else. Not even the queen has become one with him yet. I know his likes, his dislikes....almost everything when it comes to his tastes. And I'm willing to teach you how to win over his feelings."
Her voice dropped to a whisper, her tone somber. "With all due respect, my lady, my Master is unlike any other man. He cannot be won over easily. So if you have my help, you might be able to get ahead of the queen herself in certain things."
Sabina clicked her tongue in annoyance. Her eyes narrowed, but she couldn't deny the truth in Merina's words, "That's true. Every time I tried to make him succumb to me, it ended up with him somehow having an advantage over me. It was surely exciting and fun," She mumbled as her tongue licked around her finger before adding, "But I want more…I want him laid bare before me as I relish his delicious blood," Sabina mumbled as she licked her lips with a delirious look while thinking about what her mother wanted her to accomplish for the sake of her House.
Otherwise, personally, she would like this fun to continue longer.
Merina wasn't surprised that a woman like Sabina was this obsessed with her Master. Who wouldn't be? But she felt that Sabina was after something else too.
"I never expected a young man like him to be this difficult. So I believe you when you say he is quite not like other men," Sabina said with a smile while inwardly mumbling, 'And that makes him even more interesting, fu fu..."
And the next moment, Sabina moved suddenly, her silhouette tilting forward until her face hovered just inches away from Merina's.
Her ghostly red eyes shimmered in the dim light, her voice dropping to a low, dangerous purr. "But…how do I know you're not saying all this just to save your own skin?" she questioned, her gaze searching Merina's for any hint of deception, "What's to stop you from running straight to Asher and telling him everything that happened?"
Merina stared back into Sabina's penetrating gaze. Her heart pounded, but she maintained her calm, her voice steady as she answered, "I-I'm not a fool, Lady Sabina," she said, her tone bearing an undercurrent of determination, "I know that if my Master shows any signs of knowing about this, you'll kill me or hurt my family. And I cannot risk that. I have a family to protect."
Sabina mulled over Merina's response, her sharp gaze never leaving the maid's face. A slow, shrewd smile then unfurled on her lips, "You do look more intelligent than I gave you credit for," she murmured, her fingers gently undoing the restraints around Merina's arms and legs.
Just as a breath of relief escaped Merina's lips, Sabina's cold hand closed around her nape like a claw, "Not so fast," Sabina cooed, her voice filled with a chilling amusement, "Tell me, how long will it take for you to help me make Asher mine?"
Merina blinked nervously, swallowing hard as she felt Sabina's grip tightening. She closed her eyes, her mind racing to give an answer that would satisfy the lady before her. After a few tense moments, she finally spoke, "W-Within a year, I promise. My Master will fall for you," she said with a newfound resolve, "If I fail, you have every right to... to punish me as you see fit."
Sabina's grip relaxed, and she let go of Merina, her lips curling into a wicked grin, "I'll look forward to your magic then. So don't disappoint me, fu fu..." she declared, her tone dripping with amusement and anticipation.
Merina bowed her head and quickly retreated, her heart still pounding as she left the ominous building behind. The chilling echo of Sabina's laughter followed her, lingering in the air long after she was gone.
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