Sinister Obsession: Macsen Massey (Emperor Series, #3) ✔️

Chapter 7

Chapter 7

It's getting more frustrating in the palace. It's like hell. She hates issues, and she's doing her best to behave to avoid conflicts. But it looks like she's a magnet for trouble. She's prone to mentally exhausting problems. She had never asked for this, but it just came nonchalantly. Before she could even avoid the catastrophe, it had unconsciously happened. Now that she's being toyed with by the Emperor, she's being punished and bullied for a reason she doesn't even know.

The next day came. She has hoped so hard not to cross paths with the Emperor. The emperor is indeed wise; her secret has been revealed so easily. She has tried so hard to hide from everyone, but a single encounter with the Emperor revealed her secret. Now her life is at risk. Once the Emperor reveals her true identity, everyone will be disgusted with her, especially the men. They'd probably feel betrayed and harassed. A woman was with them all along. She'll be treated like a criminal—like a hypocritical woman who can't even speak properly in her defense.

She needs to act according to the Emperor's will; if not, it'll be her end. The Emperor is the true threat in the palace. And she'll never be at peace around him. Well, she just hopes that her day will end up fine. It's sunny—too perfect for them to wash their clothes. She was washing at the river, a few miles away from the palace. The other men were already finished, and she's still washing her remaining clothes.

"Are you not done yet?" Lucky asked.

She breathed for a second. "No."

"Do you need help?" He asked. "I can help you."

She smiled. "No, thank you. I can manage all these. I'll be done in a minute or two."

Lucky shrugged and walked towards the other servants. "If you say so," he said, and then left.

She breathed heavily once again. She's exhausted already. She hates washing; she could work at the field all day, but she can't conceal her tiredness whenever she washes her clothes. She's almost done. She was just washing the last pieces of her clothes when she smelled something stingy. Fudge doesn't smell good. It's freaking disgusting. She looked around to see if there were hunters around. Some wild animals might have been dropped, so the blood stains were left.

"Urgh," she said, reacting to the smell. It looks like a group of hunters from the palace went out to hunt. But why is the smell getting stronger? Are they approaching her place? She halted when she realized something was in her hands. The water was clear earlier, but why is it red now? When she looked at the river, she noticed how the water was turning red. What's this? Blood?

"Aaaaaahh!" She screamed in fear when she realized it was really blood. "Oh gosh, blood!" She hates blood. She's scared of blood; it makes her tremble. She's now shaking nonstop; she can't even hold her clothes properly. What's happening? Why is the river turning blood?

"Damn, you're funny. Why cry over blood?" A voice from behind suddenly appeared. And to her surprise again, even if this has happened several times already, it was none other than the Emperor.

"Your majesty..." She still bowed to give him respect, even though she was boiling with anger. "Spare me if I ask this, but what did I ever do to you to punish me like this?"

He smirked. It looks like it was the first time a servant has asked him that way. No one questions his actions or his decisions, especially a servant. She was the first servant to do so. "The guts of you to ask."

She put her clothes down. "This is too much!"

He chuckled devilishly. He raised an eyebrow and stared at her menacingly. "It's not like your clothes were stained. And if it were, then you deserve it. You deserve everything that's happening to you. The sufferings you're experiencing now? You fucking deserve it." He mocked.

Her eyes started watering. "What did I even do to you to punish me like this, your majesty?"

He rolled his eyes. "Do you need to know?"

She bit her lips, stopping herself from crying. "Let me know, please."

His eyes narrowed, and he yanked her towards him. Their faces were only an inch apart from each other. "Who do you even think you are to fucking ask me? You're nothing," he said, and then he left.

She was left dumbfounded. She's so confused by everything. She wants to cry so loud and throw everything in the river. She's annoyed. Why is she getting bullied? The worst thing about her situation is that she couldn't do anything because it's the emperor she's up against, and he has the upper hand because he holds her secret. Will she be able to hold on for a little longer?

-----

"That woman," he growled. He's sitting on his throne gloriously, as if he's the only good thing in the hall. He sits majestically, as if he's the only creation worth looking at. His luxurious attire screams perfection and extravagance. His aura screams power and authority. His face is indeed immaculate and worth staring at, but he has been frowning ever since he came back after hunting.

"May I ask who, your majesty?" The head servant asked.

He just sighed. "She's frustrating me."

The head servant responded. "Who dares to frustrate our Emperor? She should be punished!"

"Silence!" His bold voice echoed in the hall, making everyone halt in fear. Whenever he speaks, everyone becomes conscious of their lives. And whenever his voice gets loud, the people start running for their lives.

"I'm sorry," the head servant said, trembling beneath him.

He sighed, annoyed. "That freaking woman."

The old man couldn't take it anymore. He has been talking about this woman. Maybe he needs help. He then asked, "Do you perhaps love this woman, your majesty?"

The Emperor glared daggers at him, making him pray for survival at that very moment. That's the stare even his enemies would fear. He looks disgusted, annoyed, and mad. "What did you say?"

The head servant bowed before him, admitting his mistake. "I'm sorry..."

He stood, making everyone silently pray for their safety. "Fuck, what did you say? Did you know it's insulting? How can I like someone like that? She's not beautiful at all! She's ugly! What's good in her dark brown eyes? It's so fucking common. It's big, and it sparkles when she smiles! She's gloomy most of the time; she looks problematic. I will never like someone like that!"

The old man began crying. "I'm sorry; forgive me, please."

He breathed heavily, and he spat all his words with gnashing teeth. "Her long hair is full of dirt anyway. I can't even imagine it without that fucking hat; she'll probably be so ugly. And she's short; she won't pass by anyone's standards. I can't even unbutton the button on my chest."

"Please spare me! I have insulted your majesty! I deserve to be punished!" The old man cried for his life. "But please consider. I still have a family. I admit my mistake, and I'll compensate for it until I die!"

But Emperor Macsen just stared at him with dangerous eyes. "So no fucking way. I don't like this lowly woman, and trust me when I say, I will never ever, not even in my next life, like someone like her. I would rather die than fall in love with someone who can't even speak, he remarked. "I will prove to Magnus and Massimo that they're all wrong. Love is just a fucking ephemeral concept."