TRIGGER WARNING: A mention of abortion at the end of this chapter.
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"Are you listening to me?" Karenina asked in annoyance. "What do you think?"
Noel didn't bat an eye, he spoke calmly to respond to Karenina's words. "I will have to do my investigation."
"What? So, you don't trust me?" Karenina got up in annoyance. No.. she looked enraged. "What in the seven hells are you not understanding? The king is a lycan and so is Duke Romanov. This kingdom is threatened to become like Armeria because we are already surrounded by the enemy. Don't you want to do something? I am sure no dukes or lords would stay still if they knew their lives are in danger."
Noel didn't budge. "I will investigate. Thank you for talking to me. I would suggest you to find somewhere safe before shit hits the fan."
His words were cryptic and made Karenina narrow her eyes. She was wondering what Noel was planning. Fine. Her job was done. She had planted the seeds of doubts within the Royal Lycan Hunter.
It's good to know that Noel had been suspecting Nicholas but he didn't do anything previously because of the lack of evidence.
Now, with Karenina's testimony, they got what they needed. She hoped Noel and his team would work together with powerful noble families who had been eyeing the throne and were disloyal to the Hannenberghs.
Her own father couldn't do such a thing because his only leverage was his daughter being the future wife of the current king. Now that it was clear that Nicholas would never want to marry Karenina, she thought there was no choice but to burn that bridge.
As she said, if she could get Nicholas and the throne of Riga, nobody should.
"Suit yourself," Karenina scoffed and went for the door. Her heart burned with anger.
Noel didn't move for a while after Karenina left. He was deep in thoughts. The knowledge that Nicholas was truly a lycan was something that really bothered him. He lost his brother to lycans during a fierce battle and had been alone all his life.
The same went for so many members of his team. In a way, they were just like the late King William Hannenbergh who held a grudge for the lycans because they all had lost their loved ones.
They all had this same mission. However, the king now was no more. There was only his son, Nicholas. From Noel's observation in the past six years, Nicholas didn't show any signs of being a lycan supporter, so it was hard to see him being part of those monsters.
So, where did he stand in this war between the human kingdom and the lycans?
Also... did the late king know? Noel thought about it again and he could immediately answer his own question. Of course, King William didn't know. If anyone knew... it would only be the queen.
Noel's mind was filled with countless scenarios.
He knew that both the king and the queen were not lycans. So, Nicholas couldn't possibly get his lycan gene from them.
So, the only other way was... he was turned.
When did that happen?
"Ahh..." Noel brushed his hair in frustration. He was already a member of the Royal Lycan Hunter thirteen years ago when the then crown prince was kidnapped. "Was it what happened?"
It was a huge blow to the royal family. Young Prince Nicholas was missing for months and was suddenly found in...
Hauntingen!
Gosh... Noel was smart and he had been dealing with lycan problems for decades. He could slowly piece all the puzzles together. That place apparently played an important role in Nicholas' life.
He was missing and found in Hauntingen twice in his life. The first time, he was kidnapped and then found without any injuries. Noel now remembered that after the incident, Prince Nicholas was rarely in the capital. His mother always brought him around her relatives' places.
Her excuse was Nicholas must be having trauma after the kidnapping and she wanted to help him recover.
What if... Nicholas was already turned back then and the queen tried to get him away from the king's eyes, so he wouldn't kill his own son?
Noel gulped. He was surprised by his own assumption. Was that really what happened? Would King William really kill his own son if he found out that Nicholas was turned into a lycan?
He didn't know. He didn't have a child of his own. Would he kill his own blood if the boy was turned into part of the enemy by something outside of his power? Noel was sure he wouldn't do it.
However, he understood that Queen Marianne didn't want to take risks. She and her husband didn't marry for love, so their relationship was cordial at best. She must think the king didn't love their son as much she did.
It's understandable, Noel thought to himself.
He got up from his chair and looked out the window. If all his guesses were right, then he would be in dilemma. He thought about what it was like to be in Nicholas' shoes. At such a young age, he was kidnapped and very likely abused and turned by an Alpha of the pack that kidnapped him.
His life was turned upside down. His mother had to do whatever it took to keep him safe. And perhaps, it worked, until the king died.
Noel didn't know what the queen did to suppress Nicholas' lycanthropy but he didn't show any signs of becoming a lycan for years, at least not anybody knew of.
And now... suddenly, it was back.
Noel was deep in thoughts. He could take the conclusion that the young king was definitely not a lycan supporter. He must have been holding a grudge toward them as well for what they did to him. However, his condition of being part of them put him in a difficult position.
Noel was distraught. What should he do to Nicholas?
How should the Royal Lycan Hunter tread in this delicate situation?
Maybe Noel should talk to the king and confirm where he stood in this war between the human kingdom and the lycans.
"Yeah... I should do it..." Noel rubbed his face and let out a long sigh. He put his sword on his waist and got out of his home. He was headed toward the royal palace.
***
Meanwhile, Karenina had buried her desire to become queen. Now, she only wanted revenge against the king. She was so pissed that she had already met with Duke Romanov and Noel but the reactions of the two men were not as expected.
Karenina hoped that Duke Romanov would take his wife away from Riga after learning of the relationship his wife had with the king in the past.
Was the man too innocent or stupid? He had no idea! Then Noel? The man was very slow. Dumb cows!
After thinking about it all day, Karenina finally came up with a new plan. She would abort her pregnancy and then accuse Nicholas of murdering his own unborn child and make the king regret it.
KNOCK KNOCK
"Come in!"
The door opened and a man walked into Karenina who was sitting on a chair by the window.
"You took too long," said Karenina and drank her afternoon tea.
The man bowed politely to his master and asked, "What can I do for you, Your Highness?"
"I want you to find a witch for me," said Karenina without looking at the other person. The man was Karenina's confidant. He was sent by her father to work in the palace to help Karenina with whatever she needed done.
This man was called Hugo and he had been involved in many crimes that Karenina had a hand in. However, he was still surprised that his master suddenly asked about a witch.
"Witch?" The man furrowed his brows. Maybe he heard wrong earlier so he repeated the word to confirm. However, he didn't mishear because Karenina nodded impatiently.
"Are you deaf?" she scoffed.
"Apologies, Your Highness," the man bowed down respectfully. "It's my fault for not paying attention."
"I want to get the witch to make a special potion for me. If you manage to find a witch for me, I will pay you three times your current salary."
"What kind of potion do you need, Your Highness?" the man asked Karenina politely.
"It's none of your business," Karenina replied curtly. "Just get me the most powerful one you can get. Let me talk to her about my needs."
She didn't want even Hugo to know her plan. He would tell Viscount Verhoven. She didn't want that to happen. Her mother must want her to keep the baby and used it as leverage to get some financial support from the king because Nicholas had already said that he would raise the baby even though he wouldn't marry her.
Fuck no. I will not ruin my body if you still won't marry me, Karenina gritted her teeth when she thought about it.
Her father and she had different ideas. Viscount Verhoven must still want some sort of power or wealth by latching on to the king through that baby, even if Karenina could no longer become the queen. For him, it must be better than nothing.
For Karenina, it was not good enough.
She wanted all or nothing at all.
She couldn't wait to see Nicholas' expression when he heard that she 'killed his child' because he refused to marry her. He would always live with regret because his rejection to marry the mother of the child was what caused the baby to die.
Karenina thought it was a decent punishment.
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