Chapter 130: What if I did?

"See? I told you I am alright." Lauren remained sitting on the bed with her back on the headboard after the physicians left the room.

Alec was standing beside the bed, watching her with controlled anger.

"So, you have a lot of men working for you..." His tone suggested malice and didn’t sound right.

"I believe you already know that. How else could I execute my plans if I don’t have aides." She looked away when she felt his ireful stare burning her.

"I heard some of the drinks in the tea party contained poison to corrupt human hearts. Is it the same poison you took?"

"I am not sure," the lie rolled out of her tongue smoothly. "How would I know if we don’t know what could that poison do to a mage? Besides, it’s possible the person behind it put a different poison in my drink to kill me. After all, the mysterious woman seems to know that I am trying to uncover her plans."

Alec’s jaw moved.

"Are you sure you are feeling alright now?" He asked a little coldly, the anger in his eyes did not subside. And she wasn’t sure if he was mad at the appearance of deranged humans, or at the thought that she almost died.

"I am."

"You should have left the moment it became chaotic. I told your guards to-"

"It was not their fault so don’t you dare punish them for it," she said because she knew how uptight he was towards his people. He did not want anyone to bend his word.

"Their job is simple, that is to keep you safe. They failed to do it."

"I told them I was fine. I gave them the order. How can they refuse their Queen? So, don’t put the blame on them. I told them to fight the deranged humans. Besides, I know Darius and my men will come to my aid if things go dire. I did not die so don’t make it a big deal."

"Don’t make it a big deal?" His lips twitched cruelly.

Lauren felt a lump in her throat. To ease the tension she was feeling, she got off the bed and walked towards the table with a pitcher of water. She poured herself a glass and the whole time she was aware of Alec’s stare at her.

"I am fine here. You might need to talk to the council about what happened in Haystone’s. You should leave," her tone was cold. She put down the glass and turned to him, but instead of walking to the door, he walked towards her.

"I left the castle the moment the news reached me. I was worried sick and you’d just tell me to not make a big deal out of it?" He scoffed, his jaw was clenching hard as if he was a bomb about to explode.

She wanted to take a step back but she didn’t. She stayed looking straight at his brooding eyes that promised her unfathomable wrath.

"And you didn’t even allow me to check on you. You stayed in your henchman’s arms like you trust him more than anyone," he gritted his teeth. "You could have at least allowed me to send you to the carriage and accompany you!"

Potent anger was in his eyes but somewhere behind his words, she felt... pain.

"Of course I trust Darius more than anyone. He is my most trusted underling, someone I could never doubt. Why, was your pride hurt that I refused you, the King, over some man serving me?" She sounded calm, almost indifferent. But deep down, she was having a hard time reigning the emotions flooding her system.

His bloodshot eyes directed at her made her heart leap in fear. For a moment she thought he would go violent.

"Do you think I am that shallow?"

She swallowed the painful lump in her throat as she took a step forward, closing the small gap between them.

"Then why are so obsessed with it? I know I am quite useful but you don’t need to meddle with my every move. You don’t have to worry too much about my well-being. I am your wife, but I am not your woman, King Alec. If it is not your pride, then why are you so furious over such a trivial matter?"

He did not answer. He only looked at her as if she was an enemy he wanted to punish.

"Did you fall in love with me?"

When he stayed silent, fear rose in Lauren’s chest. In the past, whenever she asked him that question playfully, he would always deny it. But this time, she did not receive a response.

Silence took over them for a long moment.

"What if I did?"

Lauren stopped breathing. She hoped she heard it wrong or he would take his words back, but he was dead serious.

"What if I did, huh?"

This time, she could not help but step back until her back hit the small shelf near the table she got the water from earlier. His long strides close the gap between them.

"A-are you mad-" She muttered a curse when she stammered. "The first rule you gave, have you forgotten it? This is just a contract marriage, Alec, if I must remind you. It’s against the rules!"

"Of course it is. But when did I care about rules? I break them most of the time, dear Lauren."

She panicked but she tried to get hold of her emotions.

"Are you trying to humor me? You can’t be serious. You said you don’t fall at all. Perhaps this is just a part of your plan to control me. Is it my blood? Are you thinking of keeping me as your blood bank?" She laughed nervously but her lips returned to a line when she saw how dark his gaze was.

"You are dead by now if your blood is all I’m after," he said viciously, making her shiver.

She pushed him to get away but it felt like pushing a huge granite that was impossible to be moved.

"Why do you want to run now?" He caught her wrists on his chest with one hand. "We are not yet done talking."

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay Read