The Lycan King's Puppet-Chapter 119: Negotiations

She didn’t even blink as he mentioned it. Didn’t she realize that he could throw her in the dungeons for treason against the Crown?

"Blackmail?" Her face relaxed somewhat.

"I believe that’s what this is." He waved the letter in front of her again.

"Call it what you want."

He took a step closer this time. "You understand that you would also be jeopardising yourself in the process, do you not?"

She drew in a deep breath. "I know that all too well. But I don’t care. My sister’s safety is more important than my image in society. And if I continue to serve you, I will lose even that."

"What makes you say that?"

She laughed, a dry and bitter sound. "Your protection is very similar to that of my uncle’s - control disguised as safety."

He blinked, his fingers twitching. She compared him to her vile uncle.

Was that how she actually saw him?

"What do you want then?"

"I want protection for my sister."

He nodded. He’d already assigned guards to watch her night and day, hadn’t he?

"And what else?" He asked when she kept staring at the clasp of the brooch on his cloak.

"I want to be promoted to something other than a Cupbearer, Your Grace. I have more dignity than that."

Her hands fell away from her chest and he caught sight of the real her for a brief second before her eyes hardened.

"What position do you have in mind?"

Her eyes snapped to his, brightening slightly before she masked it once again.

He couldn’t believe that he was considering such a thing in the first place. Was he so desperate to have her with him?

"I want to become a Council Member."

Oh.

He raised a brow at her. Of everything he’d expected her to ask for, he hadn’t seen that coming.

"Do you understand what you’re asking of me, Miss Stenly?"

She nodded once, then again - as if trying to assure herself that she was being reasonable.

"I understand perfectly well, Your Grace."

"Women don’t sit at that table. And worse of all, you have no tangible societal status. It would be clear that I placed you there of my own discretion rather than on merit. Ask for something I can do."

"This isn’t about you."

He ran a hand through his hair. The conversation was slipping out of his control faster than he had expected.

"I can’t put a woman in a seat she doesn’t deserve. I have a reputation to maintain, Claire. I have been unbiased - it isn’t befitting to suddenly become the King that plants his lovers in positions of power just because no one can question him."

"Fine. Restore my father’s house for me."

He paused.

"I can’t do that either."

"Why?"

"Because I can’t let you live by yourself."

"I won’t be living by myself."

"Who would you be living with?"

"That doesn’t concern you. Anywhere would be safer than this toxic Castle."

"I won’t let you go anywhere. But, I won’t release you from serving as my Cupbearer."

Her brows drew together. "Why?"

He began to speak but stopped. "I don’t want you to-" He broke off.

Then he turned away from her.

He didn’t want her to leave.

He heard her move.

"You can’t eat your cake and have it. I have a life of my own, Your Grace."

When he turned around, she was kneeling by her chest and carefully removing the clothes she had just packed into it.

Was she staying?

"What are you doing?"

"What does it look like?"

"Consider your sister guarded."

She looked up, her expression unreadable. "And what happens to me?"

"No one will harm a hair on your head as long as I’m alive."

She moved to sit on the edge of the bed.

"You already broke that promise."

"Because you don’t trust me. If I didn’t find you on the beach that night... we both know what would have happened. If something is bothering you, come to me at once."

"That’s not what I’m talking about.And who would protect you? I’m not the only one whose life is being threatened."

Everything about her was guarded, the stiff set of her shoulders, her hard eyes, her locked knees, her straight spine.

She was warning him away subtly, but it only made him want to break through her defenses. It was more interesting that way.

"I don’t know."

He realized that she had stopped him from drinking the wine in the first place.

"You can leave now. I’m not properly dressed."

He nodded but didn’t move.

And he caught her looking at his lips again.

"Yeren..."

Just the sound of his name on her lips undid him.

He glanced at her. Her eyes had darkened with something that matched the hunger he felt.

He should leave, he told himself.

But his feet were taking him toward her instead.

She just sat there looking up at him without uttering a single word.

"I don’t know what you’re doing to me." She said and ran her hands through her hair.

"I wonder the exact same thing about you, Miss Stenly."

"But this is wrong." She muttered under her breath.

Then she stood up, brushing past him as she walked towards the door.

He followed at a careful distance, crossing the small corridor.

When he got there, she was holding the door open.

For him?

She was sending him out. How nice.

He walked out without a glance at her. The guard averted his gaze as Yeren walked past him.

Things were only going to get worse between them from the way things were looking.

Even when he destroyed her chances of marriage, she never asked that he marry her like most other women would. She’d never even tried to take advantage of the situation.

She was... different.

And different often meant dangerous.

When he entered the receiving room, his aunt, Lady Plumette, Garelle and Eliza were seated there.

Seeing that it was a female gathering, he and his entourage made to leave immediately.

"Your Grace!" Aunt Adisa called out to him.

He froze in his tracks and spun around like a rusty wheel.

"There’s no need for you to run away, dear. You’re here just in time for the good news."

Good news. If it was good news for them, he was certain it was bad news for him.

"Do join us. Sit here." Eliza indicated the cushioned seat beside her. To a maid, she said, "Bring another cup of tea for the King."

He didn’t move.

"I’d rather not, but thank you for the kind offer. What is the good news?"

Lady Plumette rose to her feet and jammed her hands together like an excited little child.

"A date for the wedding has been picked."

Oh.

His face remained expressionless as he waited for them to finish.

"The wedding will be holding in a fortnight. All preparations will begin tomorrow."