CHAPTER FIFTEEN;Tamed by love

Nina smiled to herself as she eavesdropped on Lady Charlotte and Aria's conversation. She had stumbled upon the perfect opportunity to gather information.

She remembered Lady davina summoning her. "Nina, I have a task for you," she said, her voice low and mysterious. "I'll reward you with gold and a chance to start anew in a far-off land, free from prying eyes."

Lady Davina handed Nina a small bottle filled with a deadly poison. "Once you identify the maid getting close to Lord nigel, eliminate her quickly. But be cautious – stay calm and pretend nothing happened. If you flee immediately, suspicion will fall on you."

Nina's eyes gleamed with excitement at the prospect of gold and a fresh start. She couldn't wait to carry out Lady Davina's orders.

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As night fell, Nina made her way to the maid quarters, a charming smile plastered on her face as she sighted aria. "Aria, I'm Nina. I'm new here, and I was wondering if we could be friends?" she asked, her voice dripping with sincerity.

Aria, being the friendly person she was, agreed without hesitation. Unbeknownst to her, Nina's friendly demeanor was just a ruse, a clever disguise for her sinister intentions.

Nina's eyes gleamed with malice as she thought to herself, "Tonight's the perfect opportunity to carry out my plan. The maids are less busy, having finished their chores, and the chefs are cooking dinner. With everyone distracted, I can finally put my plan into action."

Nina continued to chat with Aria, pretending to be a kind and genuine person, all the while hiding her true intentions. Aria, oblivious to Nina's deceit, welcomed her with open arms, unaware of the danger lurking beneath Nina's friendly facade.

Lady Charlotte stopped by Lord Nigel's room, announcing her presence before asking if he wanted his usual late-night snack. Lord Nigel declined, saying he wasn't in the mood. Lady Charlotte departed, leaving Lord Nigel to his thoughts.

He sat at his desk, browsing through some papers before deciding to take a shower. Emerging from the bathroom with water dripping from his long, scattered hair, he looked striking, his hair plastered to his shoulders, neck, and face. After dressing for the night, he approached his king-size bed.

That's when he spotted a bead bracelet, almost hidden under the bed. Picking it up, Lord Nigel wondered why he hadn't noticed it earlier. The cheap-looking bracelet seemed out of place in his luxurious room. He knew it didn't belong to him, and the only women who had entered his room were Aria and Lady Charlotte. Since he had never seen Lady Charlotte wear such a bracelet, he assumed it must belong to Aria.

Lord Nigel smiled to himself as he carefully placed the bracelet in a small, portable box. Climbing into bed, his thoughts drifted back to Aria. He felt an inexplicable sense of peace when thinking about her, as if nothing else mattered.

Aria's conversation with Nina had begun to lull her to sleep, despite the early hour of around seven. With dinner for the maids still pending, Aria instructed Nina, "Wake me up as soon as the food is ready." Nina agreed, saying, "Of course, my friend, I'll do just that."

As Aria drifted off to sleep, Nina's expression transformed into a wicked grin. She slipped out of the room, leaving Aria to her slumber.

Aria's sleep was short-lived, as she soon found herself trapped in a terrifying nightmare. In the dream, a strange lady chased her, warning her and trying to collect something that looked like pure gold from Aria's hand. The lady wielded weapons and was joined by a mob of people, all intent on killing Aria.

Aria's scream pierced the air as she woke up. Nina stood beside her, announcing, "The food is ready. Come out and eat." Aria nodded, still shaken, and replied, "I'm coming."

As Nina left the room again, her evil plan continued to unfold, hidden behind her innocent facade.

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As the maids gathered around the table, Nina assisted the chefs in bringing out the food. Unbeknownst to the others, she had laced Aria's portion with the poisonous substance, carefully setting it aside to avoid any mistakes.

As the maids took their food one by one, Nina kept a watchful eye out for Aria. When Aria finally emerged, sluggish and slow, Nina swiftly presented her with the tainted food. "Here's your food, Aria. I saved it for you."

Aria took the food without suspicion, simply saying "thank you" before leaving. Nina's face twisted into a wicked grin, thrilled that her plan was unfolding seamlessly.

With everyone distracted and busy, Nina felt confident that she would escape suspicion, even if Aria were to meet a tragic end. After all, she was merely carrying out Lady Davina's orders.

As the maids began eating, Aria picked up her spoon, but her mind wandered back to the strange dream she had earlier. She wondered what it could mean and who would want to harm her, as most of her dreams seemed to foretell future events.

Just as Aria was about to take a bite, a clumsy maid accidentally spilled water into her food. Nina's reaction was immediate and intense; she yelled at the maid, "Are you stupid? Are you dumb? Why can't you just be careful for once?"

The other maids were taken aback by Nina's outburst, wondering why she was so angry when it wasn't her food that was laced with water, Nina quickly realized her mistake and awkwardly smiled, mumbling an apology.

She then turned to Aria and offered, "Don't worry, I'll get you new food." But Aria declined, saying she wasn't hungry and would eat later. As Aria walked away, Nina's eyes narrowed, her mind racing with suspicion. She glared at the maid who had spilled the water, wondering if she had seen her lace Aria's food with poison and intentionally ruined her plan.

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King Maric's carriage traversed the desolate road, his guards following closely behind. After hours of travel, they finally arrived at the luxurious inn, a haven for the wealthy and powerful.

As King Maric descended from the carriage, he noticed the inn was swarming with guards, their eyes fixed intently on him. The guards bowed, leading him to King ryker.

Upon entering, King Maric found King ryker comfortably seated on a couch. He bowed slightly, taking in King ryker's youthful appearance, which belittled his expectations of a middle-aged man. King Maric, too, was in his late twenties, much like Lord nigel.

"Welcome, Maric," King ryker said, his voice dripping with cordiality. "Please, repeat what you wrote in your letter. Let us discuss the particulars."

King Maric smiled slyly, "As I mentioned, I aim to bring Lord nigel down. He's grown too arrogant, and I'll capture his people, taking them hostage."

King ryker nodded, intrigued by the proposal. King Maric leaned forward, his eyes gleaming with interest. "I've heard rumors of your prowers, King ryker. Tell me, what makes you think you can defeat Lord Miguel?"

King Maric chuckled, "While I may not possess magical powers myself, I have a powerful sorcerer at my disposal. Together, we'll crush nigel."

King Maric's eyes narrowed, impressed by King ryker's strategic alliance. "Now, let us proceed to the details of our plan," King Maric said, his voice dripping with anticipation.