The Duchess and the Devil - Chapter 53.2

With a surprised look, she turned around and saw a completely unexpected figure. Taking a couple of steps back and bowing, Judith said:

– Hello, Your Majesty.

Standing in front of her in a dark corner of the second floor of the library was none other than Emperor Killard. In an instant, seeing him, the Duchess was confused, not understanding what he was doing here? Usually the Emperor spent his time in the main building, and on a sunny afternoon he must be busy with the accumulated political affairs, because there was almost no time left before the banquet.

And then Judith suddenly remembered what happened shortly before her appearance in the library. The guards were stricter and harsher than she thought. And now the facts came together and the reason turned out to be clear, because the Emperor was in the library.

“Raise your head,” as if on command, Judith stood up straight again and saw the book “The Origin of the Devil” in his hand, sighing.

The Emperor is one of the candidates for the role of Hannibal. And if now he sees her with such literature, it will definitely become a problem. Killard looked at her and turned the book over in his hands.

– Origin of the Devil?

He looked like he liked the book. But this man was very difficult to understand. Looking at the pitch black cover, he said:

“Do you still think there are devils in this world?”

Judith blinked, not expecting such a question. Killard handed over the book, but never heard an answer. Suddenly the Duchess looked at him with a strange and unexpected look:

– Why are you asking me this?

“Because you seem to be interested in this topic, which is unexpected.”

“It’s just a momentary interest,” Judith apologized, emphasizing that what was happening was just a coincidence.

And the Duchess wondered if he noticed the unnaturalness and excitement in her answer? But the Emperor only shrugged his shoulders slightly… Or did he just pretend that he didn’t care?

However, Judith was still tense to the limit, and her wariness towards the Emperor grew like the thorns of a rose. And she was once again convinced: it is better to be even more careful, always thinking about your own actions several times.

All because of what Derrick said in the van a few days ago. The stern warning came to mind time after time. Hugging the book like a shield, Judith took a step back, but noticed that her back was against the wall. There was nowhere to run – she was trapped.

– And what do you think?

The Emperor grabbed the bookshelf with his hand, blocking the light coming through the crack. His face became clouded for a moment, and everything around him turned black.

Suddenly Judith remembered the terrible incident with Lucas. The only thing she saw in the darkness was his blood-red eyes.

“I…” Judith answered calmly, not even imagining that the conversation about demons would come with someone like the Emperor.

And now, as in the situation with Vincent, she wondered: should she hide her knowledge of the situation? Soon, realizing that the situation was now too critical, it was necessary to cope by any means necessary. Swallowing dry saliva, Judith spoke slowly:

– I don’t know. What does Your Majesty think?

The Duchess addressed the Emperor so naturally and politely, causing him to look at her in surprise and even burdensomely.

This time Judith did not avoid his gaze. The man smiled grotesquely. Only his teeth glowed in the dark. But the expression on his face, despite the smile, did not seem soft at all.

“I think devils exist.”

Judith, amazed by the Emperor’s words, remembered Derrick.

“Eyes… I’ve already seen a man with red eyes,” the man immediately added. – It was my mother.

Judith’s fingers, holding the book, trembled. She remembered the deceased Empress Ophelia.

The Duchess knew many stories about Ophelia. And it was hard to find someone who had not heard anything about the Empress. However, in the meantime there were many unproven rumors. Ophelia was known as an unhappy woman who died of love.

As the best Lady of the Kingdom, she was nominated for the title of Empress. After this, Ophelia fell in love with His Majesty at first sight, hoping that he would only look at her. And she saw the Empress’s place only with these greedy thoughts.

But the previous Emperor turned out to be even more greedy. He loved to hold everything in his strong hands: power, wealth, women. And there was a law according to which love could be directed not only to the Empress. There were always many women next to a man, even when he was next to his wife.