Nyxian Envenomator (2)

I had no true escape from this. I had to give this dagger away. I grabbed out the dagger I had been hiding since Pavel gave it to me. I looked at the Duchess's hand. I hesitated a bit before giving it up, but I had to in the end. 

"Is this what you wanted?"

The Duchess's eyes locked onto the dagger, her fingers cradling it with a tenderness that belied her true nature. In a mere heartbeat, her calm facade returned, concealing the storm within. 

While the Duchess was still looking at the dagger, she looked up at the guards and said, "Let Fräulein Liselotte pass, but I have a feeling that the Countess will be meeting with the Empress somewhere in the future."

With each step towards the exit, I felt the weight of this twisted world lift from my shoulders. But as relief washed over me, a new worry took its place. How would Pavel, my dear Pavel, react to the loss of something so precious? The thought of his potential fury sent a shiver down my spine. 

But I didn't have a choice there anyways to make; there was no other solution. 

When I was about to board the carriage, I felt an arm gripping my wrists. When I turned around, I saw a girl who seemed to be about seventeen. I looked at her and said, "If the Empress wants anything else, I'm done talking to her for the day." 

As I released the girl's grasp on my wrist, I entered the carriage before she yelled, "Wait! Countess Liselotte! The Crown Prince-"

"The Crown Prince? I don't care."

I turned away and sat down, and signalled the driver to get a move on. 

Perhaps I was a bit too mean to her, but I'm afraid I can't handle talking to any more family members of the Imperial Family.