The Predator’s Contract Partner
chapter-249

“You never trusted me, did you?”

“Then did you trust me?”

Lucerne said kindly.

“The poison you drank. Rose poison. It’s a very trivial poison. Your instructions and the information you heard from Mimosa. Putting it all together, did you think I wouldn’t know your intentions?”

Elisha’s hands were shaking. She held back.

“You set a trap. You were planning on doing this from the beginning.”

“Trap? Yes. Even if it was a trap.”

Lucerne leaned over.

“Did I tell you to crawl into this trap? Or—”

His tone of voice became more affectionate.

“Did you really think you could manipulate me as you like?”

“… … .”

“You are the one who violated the rules I set.”

Something was thrown in front of Elisha. She frowned. It was information about a person’s identity and imperial bank account.

[Lefras.]

At the very bottom was something written—Elisha felt as if her blood froze blue:

Lefras was the most secretive and covert guild in the Empire. It was a secret intelligence guild that only accepted upper-class customers. From money laundering to creating fake identities. What they handled was never leaked out.

During her past life, in a few years’ time, it was known as the best confidential guild, which not only Jacob but also the duke began to work secretly.

‘I taught Ilione how to send a request and commission this guild.’

Then she asked her to create an account with a secret identity. But it’s now in Lucerne’s hands… … .

“While you were acting pretty and asking for trust, you were doing this behind my back.”

“… … .”

“Getting rid of Carola by throwing yourself at her. Did you think you’d get recognition and could retire as my wife?”

“Ah!”

Elisha felt like her jaw was breaking. Lucerne pulled her towards him. His hand holding her chin gradually gained strength.

“You’re the one who broke the rules first. I don’t think there’s any need to play by your rules anymore, no?”

“… … .”

“You belong to me anyway. Now I’ll deal with you however I want. I think that would be good for you too.”

“Lucerne, don’t do this.”

Elisha tried to calm him down. She was genuinely frightened when he got angry.

“You shouldn’t have defied me if you were going to beg me like this.”

“I was wrong to try to create a false identity. But I have never disobeyed you.”

Elisha spoke calmly. She never once refused to sleep with him, as he defined her as a subordinate. She kept her line as a contract wife to the end.

“You still don’t know what you did wrong.”

“… … .”

“I told you. If you damage my property, I won’t let you,”

Lucerne said, looking straight into her eyes.

“You are mine. And now even the limited freedom you over your own life will be taken away.”

“… … .”

“Look forward to what’s to come.”

It was like that. There was no way anything good would come of being entangled with the duke’s family, or rather, staying there.

No, there was no way that any trust would sprout between Lucerne and her. Despair like water filled Elisha’s lungs. Lucerne rose from his seat.

“Get ready to go back home.”

Elisha opened her mouth to say something. Lucerne’s cold words cut her off.

“Know that from now on you will never see sunlight again.”

Bang. The door slammed closed. But there was nothing with Elisha. So she had nothing to prepare.

She was in skimpy pajamas; her clothes had been changed while she had been unconscious.

Just like the day she first visited Lucerne. Like that. There was nothing on Elisha’s body.

***

“I apologize, my lady. I will serve you and take you there.”

Elisha was ‘carried’ by the knights of Lucerne. None of them knew her face.

Several of them surrounded Elisha and watched her closely until she got into the carriage.

“Drink.”

“… … I don’t want to.”

“If I force you to drink it, do you think it will make you feel better?”

Lucerne said. He held out her water bottle to the woman sitting in the carriage. Elisha’s lips were parched. She was horribly thirsty. But there was nothing she could do now. Other than her minor rebellion against him. Nothing.

“If you don’t want to be shackled and dragged away like a real slave, do as you’re told.”

Elisha watched Lucerne. He seemed very casual and calm now.

‘Why are you doing this?’

Elisha could not understand him. When would he stop doing this? she wondered. But she couldn’t find an answer.

She drank the water slowly. Her throat cleared. And she leaned her back against the wall of the carriage.

“What on earth did I do wrong?”

Elisha thought as her mind started to fog up.

“You did a lot of things wrong.”

Lucerne said. The carriage started moving. Elisha bit her lip. She couldn’t think of anything. Out of her mind, Elisha spat out:

“Did you give me sleeping pills just now?”