厨房从后面挺进李婷

Raymond Cassius, whom he had been trying to get close to for so many years, was finally dead. It was as if the heaviest burden had fallen from his shoulders and a welcome relief had come.

Only his daughter remained… And then this cursed lineage would be finally destroyed.

The Archduke, among others, hummed an unobtrusive tune to himself as he poured another glass.

— «Strike while the iron is hot.» Have you heard that phrase?

His personal secretary, who almost always remained an invisible shadow in his office, silently recalled:

— Yes, Your Grace.

— Huh… I guess that\'s just our case. While there is such a commotion, we must get this matter over with quickly.

The clerk raised his eyebrows in surprise. Duke Cassius has only recently died. He did not expect the lord to want to act so soon.

— I will go to the palace today,\' he continued, \'See to matters while I am away.

— «And-imperial palace…?»

— And where else? The most interesting things must happen there.

The secretary guessed of his future plans but was afraid to elaborate. However, the Archduke himself spoke rather easily today. Especially under the influence of alcohol.

— If I get the seal, I will not even have to start a war, — grinned Ashford — How nice that I have such a wonderful daughter.

The secretary was surprised.

— Are you really going to involve the young mistress in this matter? B-but… Is it not too dangerous?

The Archduke snorted.

— Andrew, you are such an idiot. Haven\'t you figured it out yet? This girl is just like her father. There is nothing easier to send my daughter there.

The secretary understood his intentions and didn\'t ask again. Instead, he immediately said:

— I will have a carriage ready for you at once.

Henry waved his hand and the man was about to leave. But on the very threshold, as he opened the door, he suddenly bumped into some servant girl. Apparently she had been eavesdropping and had not managed to escape in time.

The Archduke\'s secretary became very angry.

— You…! — angrily pointed a finger at her,» How dare you eavesdrop on the lord\'s conversation?!

Serge was frightened at first, but then quickly pulled herself together.

— I–I was not eavesdropping…! — She protested, «I was only… I was only passing by!

The secretary threw in a sarcastic tone:

— Who would believe such nonsense? Have you any idea what mischief you\'ve committed?

All of Henry Ashford\'s plans were kept in the utmost secrecy. Even to his regular servants he kept the mask of a respectable gentleman. And only his secretary and his private army platoon knew of his true identity. Therefore, the intrusion into the privacy of some maid seemed even more outrageous.

Henry looked at the pale girl with interest. And before the secretary could give her a severe punishment, he asked:

— You really haven\'t heard anything?

Serge immediately nodded.

— N-Nothing! Nothing at all…!

The Archduke smiled.

— Hmm… If that\'s so, just let her go.

The secretary opened his mouth in amazement.

He couldn\'t understand: was the lord mocking or did he really believe her? The latter theory was not really believable.

— But…! — The secretary was just about to object when the servant girl was already thanking him.

— Thank you very much, Your Grace!

In a moment the girl was gone.

The secretary froze in indignation.

— How could you let her go so easily? And if she tells everyone…

— Don\'t pay attention to such trifles,» interrupted Ashford.

— What?

— There are over a hundred maids working in this house. Do you really think anyone would believe her?

— …

The man dared not contradict him.

At the same time, the Archduke waved his hand again.

— Do not waste your time. Better go and prepare everything.

He hurriedly bowed.

— Yes…!

***

Serge ran down the corridor of the snow-white mansion at full speed. She thought she was about to die.

But luckily, she didn\'t…

What she had just heard was still beyond her comprehension. She must tell His Highness as soon as possible.

The crown prince was in his chambers and had been sitting on the floor with a bottle of wine for a long time. He reacted almost nothing when Serge burst into his room and locked the door behind him.

— Your Highness! — The girl rushed to him, — You must leave here at once!

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Philip waved her off irritably.

— Stay out of my way.

He took another sip.

— This is a bad place,\' said Serge excitedly, \'Your Highness, it would be better if you left as soon as possible!

But Philip hardly listened to her: entirely absorbed in his drinking of the alcoholic beverage. Serge nervously pursed her lips.

The crown prince had been behaving this way since his return from the Duchy of Cassius, and the girl guessed — that he was not all right. Even if he pretended that what was happening did not bother him: but in fact he experienced a great shock. For the first time in his life he had so much blood on his hands.

Despite all the outward indifference, Serge knew that Philip was not that cruel. He may have had a difficult character, but he was not a murderer. And that was why he was now trying to drown out all his worries in alcohol.

Serge tried to snatch the bottle from him, but he only threw it aside. The girl struck out, but quickly got back on her feet.

— Your Highness! — approached him again,» This man is making you do terrible things. He is just using you!

But even being drunk, the lad took her reasoning as nonsense.

— Bullshit! — He barked, «Stupid girl, don\'t say things you don\'t know. He\'s the one who serves me, not the other way around!

Serge sighed heavily. The Crown Prince\'s mind was now completely clouded.

Originally, the girl had taken this job just to be near her lover. But then…

The longer she worked here — the more she became suspicious of everything going on around her.

The commoner had been at the manor for some time: and since then she had managed to find out a lot of interesting details. In particular, she guessed that the intentions of the owner of this house were not as pure as they seemed at first glance.

Philippe Blanche was but a pawn on his chessboard. And everyone knew it except him.

Especially, the latest information about the imperial seal… Serge strongly doubted — that the Archduke would really give it to the crown prince. Rather, he would keep it for himself.

However, to hell with this power… What the girl feared most: that under this man\'s influence, Philip would either die or become a monster like himself.

Serge wanted to save him before it was too late.

— Your Highness…! — almost begged, — How can you not understand that the Archduke cannot be trusted?!

— I told you not to disturb me…» the man muttered in a low voice.

— The man takes advantage of the people around him without remorse. Do you really think he would let you sit on the throne so easily?

Philip came to his senses a little.

— I am the crown prince! Of course I own the place.

— But only you think so!

Philip Blanche waved her off again like an annoying fly. Obviously, he didn\'t even take her words seriously.

— Please leave right now!

— If you keep pestering me like this, I\'ll cut your tongue out.

Serge\'s hands finally gave out. She couldn\'t take him away from here by force.

And while Philippe finished another bottle of wine and threw the empty one into the corner of the room, a single idea occurred to Serge. Just once. She would use that name just once.

— Your Highness…» the girl spoke slowly, «What if I said I was Leriana Ashford? Then will you come with me?

Philip shuddered.

Because of the long consumption of alcohol he was already badly aware of what was happening around, and it really seemed to him — that there is his beloved in front of him. Abruptly he stood up.

— Leriana… Is it really you? — He asked again, incredulous.

Serge nodded with some remorse. But what else was there to do?

By becoming the silent shadow of a maid in this house, the girl was also able to find out the name of his only lover. And as ironic as it may sound — it turned out to be the daughter of the owner of the manor.

The first beauty of the empire — Leriane Ashford.

It was her hand that the Archduke had promised Philip if he agreed to cooperate with him. And Serge knew that for a long time he had not seen anyone but her.

And it seems that this was indeed the case.

As soon as the crown prince realized that Leriane «was» in front of him: his gaze immediately changed. Instead of the disdain with which he usually looked at Serge, there was a look of delight in his face.

Serg herself flinched at the sudden change in attitude.

— Leriana…» he smiled and touched her face, «have you really come for me?

— Yes…

Serge felt uncomfortable, but she tried not to show it. After all, this was the first time the prince had ever treated her so well.

Contrary to her original plans, she even wanted to take advantage of it a little longer.

She knew she shouldn\'t do that. But she did anyway.

— Your Highness,» Serge touched him too, «do you love me?

The crown prince answered her without hesitation:

— Yes.

— Then please… Forgive me just this once.

In the next second the girl moved closer and kissed him. Philippe didn\'t pull away and pressed himself against her in return.

Serge herself did not know when it happened — but they were already on the bed. And then it was all a blur.