Queen of Mean

CHAPTER 7

RIGHT IN front of everyone, Tori became the person who saved the queen of the empire. Pushing the queen aside, the bread knife pierced her right shoulder. The blood splashed to the shell-shocked Prince Corean who happened to be standing right in the middle of the incident. In Tori's peripheral vision, she saw how every emotion of his beautiful face turned into nothing.

Is this your breaking point, my dear fiancé? The very nightmare of Tessa aiming for your dearest mother, oh poor you.

The shrilling scream of the queen snapped everyone from its reverie. The royal knights immediately formed a barricade to separate the commoners and the high society nobles. While Duke Rowan Castaña's knights secured the shaken queen who refused to let go of Tori who's now slumped to the floor as her upper body was supported by the queen.

Duke Rowan Castaña twisted Tessa's arms as he pinned her to the floor rendering the latter immobile to move. "Bring Tori to the infirmary!" Gone was the façade for the young duke as he commanded right in front of everyone the frozen second prince.

But Crown Prine Yei Lin's stealthily beat the second prince from lifting Tori who was in pain as the bread knife still piercing her shoulder.

"I hate this plan of yours," Crown Prince Yei Lin whispered under his breath.

That's when Tori realized they're at a safe distance. Peeking in one eye, Tori gave the crown prince a sly smirk even with pain evident in her face. "Walk faster, will you? I can practically feel my blood gushing from my wound. I can see the light already, Yei Lin. Gosh, I'm dying." Tori dramatically closed her eyes which were supposed to be a joke but the crown prince did not take it like that.

Tori instinctively leaned towards the crown prince as he dashed as if he's a man possessed.

That's supposed to be a joke. Does Ming Country prohibit jokes or something?

TORI DID not realize when she fell asleep. Well, whatever.

She did not open her eyes yet as she tried to control her breathing. She could feel that she's not the only person in the infirmary. Tori wanted to know who the people inside her room were so she pretended to be asleep.

"You are always like this. You are always in front of me no matter how I run to catch up with you. And when I thought I can finally grasp you, I would realize that it's just all a mirage." Heartfelt words of Duke Rowan Castaña echoed inside Tori. She knew that she was being selfish when she decided not to let him know. But she needed him to get angry with her.

You have yet to realize how strong you are, Rowan. You will be the key to control the noble faction. You will be my spear and shield in this long game.

Tori felt his feathery touch on her left cheek as if he was hesitating. Tori was about to open her eyes to end this awkward situation when the door burst open. The sound of the door banging to the wall was followed by a screeching sound from a chair being flipped.

What is it this time?

"Why are you here, your highness?" The young duke's thundering voice resonated with the second prince's response. "My business is my own, Duke Rowan. Know your place."

Duke Rowan mockingly scoffed. "Mind my place? How about you, your highness? Shouldn't you be by that criminal's side?"

Damn, I feel so beautiful. Well, I will pretend longer to boost my ego. I need to recharge my ego after that sewer rat interrupted my plan A.

"I am warning you, Duke Castaña. Leave." The dominance in his voice was oozing with authority that could not be bent.

Tori heard some footsteps then it suddenly halted. "Remember this, your highness. I will use every ounce of power to put that woman in her rightful place. No one hurts Lady Tori and gets away with this. I may be the Duke of Castaña Duchy now but the irrefutable fact that I am her knight never and will never change." The footsteps resumed followed by the door being opened and closed.