The Devil's Temptation!

That was until a familiar looking maid with long brunette hair knocked on the already opened door, gaining Anna’s attention and the young lady lifted her head up to meet her lavender eyes.

“I’ve never seen someone who visited the library this often.” The maiden heartily said while leaning her shoulder against the edge of the door with a hand on her waist. It was none other than the maid who took Gemma to her chambers last night.

“Good morning to you too Rebecca.” Anna responded with a smile she couldn’t hide before returning her gaze back to the book. She finally shrugged.

“I’m not really into reading unless the book interests me.” She briefly explained, her gaze attentively buried on the book as she spoke.

“I see, well I’m afraid I’m going to have to interrupt your reading. His highness requests your presence in the hall room.”

Anna’s heart suddenly missed a beat at the mention of his highness, her once buried gaze was now staring up at beautiful Rebecca, “his highness? Which one?”

“His highness Roshan, oh and it’s never a good idea to keep him waiting so you better head down, he’s not in a cheerful mood this morning so it’s wise not to anger him further.”

Anna’s brown eyes glinted with worry as she pushed herself into the chair she was sitting. She clearly recollected taking some berry juice last night and embarrassedly got herself drunk. She doesn’t remember exactly what happened after that as her memories of the night were fogged in her head.

.....

She wasn’t a nutritionist but she was smart enough to know berry juice contained no sort of liquor that could get one drunk. It was a juice made from berry fruits.

So how come she got drunk from taking a mere fruit drink? Or was it spiked?

She couldn’t shake off the feeling that she might have done something embarrassing. Was Roshan that kind enough to carry her to her chambers? Is she in trouble for taking what wasn’t hers?

Blinking her worries away and convincing herself that it might not literally be the case, Anna feigned normality and tried as much as she could to hide her nervousness.

‘I wish I could disappear.’

“I’ll be there.” She said instead.

“Hurry up.” She gave Anna a look that reminded her of the consequences if she spends too much time and she nodded, signifying she got the message.

Rebecca exited the library, giving Anna a few moments to catch her breath as she closed the book shut. She gave her chest a gentle pat to reduce the beating of her pounding heart. She closed her eyes and took a deep relaxing breath before peeling them open.

Knowing Roshan’s temper wasn’t something she could tamper with, she got to her feet and quickly left the library. Whatever happens, she was prepared to face the worst.

A heavy silence filled the spacious hall room as all the maidens and servants were lined up before the heartless glacier, their bodies rattling in fear and their gazes fixed to the ground. No one had the courage to look the demon in the eye and not quake in fear.

If he was capable of hurting his own uncle that terribly, obviously they were nothing but mere ants that could easily be stepped on whenever he felt like it.

The glacier remained comfortably relaxed on his majestic chair with a face tempered like steel. He deliberately toyed with his shiny sharp dagger, as though his hands were itching to get themselves stained with something treacherous.

“I’m going to ask a question,” he began, “and all I need is an honest answer.” He turned his attention to the maids and servants lined before him.

He understood their fears, as well as their cluelessness about what was happening, or why he suddenly called for them without any notice, but it was the best way to fish out the bad egg amongst them.

“Berry juice.” The moment he mentioned it, his eyes instantly searched their faces and although many were shaking like an Aspen leaf, he didn’t spot them to be the culprit.

He snapped his fingers, a cup of berry juice was brought in front of him and placed on the table by a guard, he quickly dismissed the guard after that and returned his gaze to the confused workers.

“Who makes the best drinks amongst all of you standing here?” He questioned and after a minute’s silence, the palace Brewer slowly raised his hand up, signifying he was in charge of making the drinks in the palace.

“Good, you’re cooperating pretty well.” His tone was calm, but the look in his eyes wasn’t.

“Come here.”

The brewer gulped down a dry saliva as fear had gripped his entire being. A cold sweat ran down his back as he stepped forward with enough willpower he could muster.

“Did you make berry juice last night?” He asked but before the Brew man could respond, he quickly warned, “don’t lie to me,” his deadpan tone made the man lower his head even more, “remember, I want nothing but an honest answer, my ways of forcing the truth out of people won’t be a pretty sight for anyone to see, so let’s keep things easy. Shall we?”

He immediately nodded, “back to my question, did you make Berry juice last night?”

“Y_yes, I did.” The Brew man responded, leaving Roshan’s brow to knit into a frown.

“For who?”

“S_some of the royal guests yesterday ordered me to serve them something sweet, so I made the berry juice, your highness.” He truthfully said to Roshan.

The glacier picked the cup of berry juice in his hand and turned his attention to the Brew man.

“Is that so?”

“Yes, your highness.”

“Go back.”

It felt like a heavy rock had been lifted off the man’s back after he got dismissed, he was so scared to the extent his soul nearly left his body. He quickly moved back to stand with the rest in line.

“You.” The glacier suddenly pointed at a maid with red hair.

“Come here.” He beckoned her over, the red-haired lady was a bit hesitant at first, but she gathered the courage to move forward and she bowed politely.

She was expecting to be questioned about the drink just like the Brew man, but surprisingly, his highness handed the cup of berry juice to her.

“Drink.” He ordered.

The red-haired maiden took the cup of berry juice from Roshan and she gulped down the whole thing without wasting even the slightest minute, his lips curved into an unreadable smirk and she returned the cup back to him.

‘She drank it all.’ the voice in his head sounded impressed at her stupidity. Levi, Azazel and almost everyone in the palace were now present in the hall room.

“Now that you’ve drunk your punishment,” Roshan uttered, “tell me this, why did you poison the berry juice kept in the kitchen?”

The rest of the workers gasped at Roshan’s question and many uncertain murmurs were exchanged by the workers.

The red-haired maiden immediately bowed, “how could I possibly commit such an act your highness, I’m nothing but a maid.” She feigned innocence with her head dipped in a bow, but the next thing she failed to see coming was Roshan’s anger.

A frightening gasp left her lips after feeling the cold touch of his silver dagger at her neck and her green eyes involuntarily met his Hazel-green ones. She immediately regretted it because those eyes swirled with fury, a fury that sent cold ice running through her hot veins.

“Lie to my face again.”

She instantly shook her head, feeling the blade of his dagger already tearing into her skin, “I dare not, yes_I was the one who poisoned the berry juice.” She admitted, too shocked about the fact he figured her out already.

“For who?”

Her lips suddenly went mute, fear gripped her nerves as though she was scared of admitting the person’s name.

“Speak!” The tone of his voice was like a whiplash against her back and she didn’t even realize when she blurted them out.

“It was poisoned for Anna, your maid, please forgive me your highness.” She immediately went on her knees to plead. Shock and bewilderment filled her head cause she made sure she planned everything out perfectly so she wouldn’t be suspected but the brewer instead, so how did he....

“And what are your reasons for taking such actions in my kingdom?” His tone was frighteningly calm, and it sent the beat of her heart smashing against her ear.

“I really don’t like repeating myself.” He was getting impatient with her lack of response and he threateningly planned to kill her in front of everyone if she didn’t speak.

“Y_your highness,” she finally began, “I did it cause_”

She didn’t even get a chance to complete her word when Gretta showed up out of the blue, landing a hot slap on the Maiden’s right cheek and the sound of it echoed in the quiet hall room.

Anna remained frozen at the doorway, she just walked in only to be welcomed with such an appalling sight and the hall room grew quiet.

Why’s the maid being slapped? What’s going on?

The workers of the palace held their breaths after witnessing such a blinding slap, holding back their gasps and shock.

The Maiden was left dumbfounded by the unexpected slap and she met the angry stare of Gretta.

“You low life disgusting, wretched and useless beings, how dare you try to end the life of his highness’s maid? Not only that, what gave you the right to carry such scandalous thoughts about his highness??”

She eyed the maid with disgust, “your evil plans have finally caught up with you today.”

Roshan, who barely cared about what Gretta was hollering about, finally intervened.

“What’s going on?”