Tyrant's Obsession With The Heiress-Chapter 74: When The Lady Is Torn Between Duty And Emotions

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Despite that, an odd sense of guilt washed over the lady. The more she spent time with Orpheus, the more she was losing sight of her goals even if they were always at the forefront of her mind.

So the question was, how would she distance herself from him when she needed to get closer? How could she get the information she needed without letting her emotions get in the way?

No matter which way Lady Karina saw it, defeat was in plain sight. But she'd be damned if she let herself falter now.

Perhaps it was temporary? Perhaps she was taken with Orpheus because the man was undeniably handsome in a rugged way.

Yes, she was simply charmed by those dark, dual-coloured eyes and the attractive way his veins popped up along his hands and arms.

The lady shook her head out of her thoughts before they became more inappropriate.

"Do you really believe that? That...you should have stayed away from Moonveil?" Lady Karina asked, somewhat curious about his answer.

In truth, he did not mean it. Moonveil was not just claimed for its riches but also for its secrets but that seemed to matter less each day to the Black Frost Demon.

Orpheus cast her a sidelong glance. "Nay," he replied softly, resignation in his tone. "In truth, I would most likely curse myself for the rest of my life had I not taken Moonveil sooner for that would mean... I would have met you sooner."

It was an odd thing to see a man such as Orpheus Van Merikh express even a hint of his feelings, but his honesty about meeting her sooner was welcomed. But perhaps if it had been under different circumstances, the lady would not be so conflicted.

Lady Karina lifted her eyebrow in response. "Is that how men of your kind usually woo women? By laying siege to their homes?"

Orpheus' gaze narrowed. "I doubt you and I would have encountered each other through other means, my lady. We do not travel or mingle within the same social circles."

That had been true. Lady Karina was a pampered heiress, one that experienced the exquisite life that nobility did. She'd been invited to balls, travelled with her father to the Caelthwyn palace on occasion and mingled with the noble ladies of her age.

This year was even to be her debut amongst the Caelthwyn nobility, and she'd been preparing the previous year with Lady Drosera to guide her along the way.

But now that Orpheus had overrun her castle and snatched such opportunities away from her, she wouldn't have a chance to meet any eligible suitors since the man was hellbent on making her his wife.

Lady Karina had not much else to say as they reached a big trench of mud in the way. She lifted the skirt of her dress to pick her way through it, but Orpheus swept her up into his arms and marched through the muck.

His gesture elicited a gasp from her and she instinctively let her arms wrap around his neck in fear of falling, but that was foolish since the man was practically an iron wall himself and there was no way he would drop her.

Only when they were clear of the mud trench did he set her on her feet and wrap his arm around her.

"Orpheus," Lady Karina uttered his name softly, shifting herself out of his grip so that she ended up holding onto his elbow instead. "May I ask you a question?"

"God's blood, what is it now, my lady?" Orpheus groaned, wondering what demand she would make of him now.

Lady Karina struggled not to grin, knowing she enjoyed that she was able to get under his skin so easily, but this time it was a serious question.

"Do you intend to lay siege to any more fortresses?" She tilted her head to the side. "Or was Moonveil your last?"

Orpheus' sense of humour faded as he looked down at her. "That is my business alone, my lady."

"I know," she replied honestly. "But I must admit that I do have an opinion on that matter."

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"No doubt you do." He snorted, knowing the lady always had an opinion after all.

However, Lady Karina met his gaze. If her attempts were worth anything or not, perhaps she could reason with the man.

"I do not want you to lay siege to any more castles," she said with some bravery, knowing it was ridiculous to make the statement but wanting to try regardless. "Trust that I have a reason for this as well."

Orpheus' expression turned to stone. "I would suspect that you are going to share this reason with me."

Bending his rules and compromising on certain qualities was one thing, but abandoning his ambitions? That was a far-fetched idea. Doing so would mean leaving the curse in him to starve from what it wanted.

They were nearly approaching the inn and the lady wanted to say her piece before they arrived.

She spoke quickly, quietly, and as humbly as she could. "In the event that my father agrees to your marriage proposal and I am not saying that he will, we can live at Moonveil quite comfortably." She lowered her voice so that Lyall and the others would not hear her.

Why was she bothering with such a thing in the first place? It was not as if she had any real intention to accept his marriage proposal, but was there a part of her that actually...wanted to?

"You once mentioned how many castles you commanded along the Walcian border; that surely must be increasing your wealth beyond measure, so in my estimation, you have far more riches than you could hope to spend," she added, though not quite finished.

Lady Karina inhaled a deep breath. "Surely you do not require any more castles under your belt and no one else needs to lose their life anymore, including you," she continued, hoping he would listen. "You are not invulnerable, my pet."

And there it was again. That simple, sweet nickname that did unspeakable things to him.

But they had already reached the inn, and Orpheus did nothing more than open the door for her to walk in first.

Lady Karina didn't insist or press him for a response, and she knew that he would more than likely not give her one. But she spoke what was on her mind, anf she was certainly not sorry for it.