A deal

Scarlet pov

"I want you to drink it first." I asked the maid who forwarded me the drink and sweat broke on her face.

"Your grace.. How can a lowly girl like me drink from your glass? It will be disrespectful." she replied as she kneeled in front of me.

"I do not need your respect. So you better drink it before I capture you for treason.`` I replied and she started kowtowing to me. Bunch of dramas!

"Lady Scarlet, are you that suspicious of my hospitality?" asked the man as he circled his glass with his index finger and I chuckled.

"Just learning from his majesty.'' I smiled and changed the glasses from home. Even then I continued to look at him. It was clear that I wanted him to drink first, yet he did not.

My eyes narrowed as I looked at the girl that was still kneeling.

"Like you, I did not trust her too. So, it is better that she drinks it first. But then I could not drink it after she touched it. So, it is better that your partner will serve us tonight." the way he was hesitating, the drink had something in it for sure.

"What is your name, young boy? And whose family did you belong to?" he knew that the boy was not noble, he even knew that he was not my partner yet the way he was acting.. It made me wonder if he knew about the boy already.

"I am Evans, your majesty. And i.. I am an orphan." I closed my eyes at his foolish reply. And as expected a smirk formed on the old man's face.

"Aah, so perhaps you are a trader who met Scarlet while dealing with jewels?" He dragged the matter further.

We both continued to look at each other but no one initiated the drink. He was trying to stall the time, but the question was why! Did he have another plan besides the drink? This crazy bastard was not at all afraid to kill me at his own palace.

"No, your majesty. Mistress have brought me.'' I looked at the foolish man again who was speaking the truth every time. I would have made a story, but then the man would be suspicious. But if Evans would have told the story, it would have been better.

"Oh, so you are the infamous slave who was bought with 10,000 gold coins? I was wondering what could be the reason, now that I look at you, I understand why she paid so much! I hope your performance matches your.."

"Are you trying to disrespect me by insulting my partner?" I cut him in between as I felt the boy shivering. His whole body had turned red with embarrassment.

"I have never seen you raise your voice for anyone, scarlet. This man must be special." the thing i was afraid of happened, i could see the evil glint in the eyes of the man sitting in front of me.

"I just care about myself. By asking the man's performance, you are indirectly asking about my intimate moments. Any noble lady could not accept that indecency from a man that is not his husband.

If it had been anyone else, I would have killed the person by dismembering his skin. No! This time I would have fired him alive in hot oil until he dies.'' Both men shivered at my reply while I continued to look into the eyes of the man who called himself the father of the empire.

I would have burnt the man alive." his hands on the wine glass tightened as he brought it closer to his lips and drank the liquid in one gulp.

"I never knew the duchess was this sensitive. Anyways, let's have dinner first. I.." he stopped when the door opened and a beautiful woman waltzed in. she was alluring but there was something different the way she slithered her body.

"I apologize for being late, your majesty. I wanted to look my best for the occasion." she replied in a coquettish tone as she looked at the old man but then his eyes fell on me and then Evans, and stilled.

Her face filled with pure lust as she looked at Evans from tip to toe.

"This was the reason I wanted to meet you duchess in the first place." my eyes moved back from the girl to the old man.

"She is the daughter of a friend I owe. She wanted to learn the administration for running her estate. She requested me for guidance and who could be better than you, duchess? The girl who has been running the dukedom from a tender age of 12.`` I looked at the girl who was passing me a smirk.

"Do you think I am a babysitter? I mean, you want me to leave all my work and teach a kid who is the same age as me how to read and write or do you want me to hold her hand and show her how the world runs." 'have you seriously lost your mind or you think i was a fool that i will take the assassin with me.' wait! An assassin!

I once again looked at the girl, but this time my eyes were on her hands rather than on her displayed body and a smirk formed on my lips. Her hands were calloused, just opposite to her supple fair skin and her bright face.

"As i said, i owe her father, help me in it and i will grant you a wish. How about i offer you your father's estate where there is cherry tree.'' So the old man was sure that I would not stay alive to claim the property or he was so desperate to kill me that he was ready to lose anything!

"I want to write a document in the presence of the royal counsel. And only then I would take her to my palace.`` I demanded and he chuckled.

"Yes, of course. But then you will have to give me in writing that you will not kill her and will not throw her out until she has learnt sufficiently."

".............."