NOVEL WEB Chapter 95: You Can Count On Me
Anders whistled to himself as he walked into the depths below the palace. The deeper they went, the less smooth the stone got.
The place was damp and the air stale, as if new air rarely came by.
But Anders didn't mind it. After all, this trip was one of the reasons he knew he was the best choice to sit on the throne of Albion.
He was just too smart to be a random prince.
Capturing Lilith was the best decision he'd made all year. She was the golden goose who'd eventually lay all the eggs he needed.
He'd originally planned to kill his father in a year's time but this was as good a time as any. And now, he had two people to do it for him right now.
He didn't care if his eldest brother was crowned king right now. He already had people in place around him to take care of him when the time came.
His biggest obstacle right now was the king.
He chuckled to himself as his mind went to the two assassins he'd sent. Octavian and Terence Ross.
He'd thought about it and he'd come to the same conclusion in all instances. He'd much rather work with Ren going forward than Octavian.
The more he thought about it, if he gave Octavian what he wanted, Lilith's death, he would lose any form of control he had over the man.
And with how... proud he knew the Underwood heir to be, giving him any orders would feel like pulling teeth.
On the other hand, by tying Ren and Lilith to him, he gets two powerful individuals instead of just one.
And now, he was here to tie them to him.
Lars walked ahead of him, opening the door to the cell block before he got there.
This section of the palace cells was currently unguarded but that didn't mean the place was poorly defended.
However, he'd kept the arrest of Lilith private and had kept her name out of the reports made to the families of the dead nobles.
He needed her too much to kill her. Besides, there were no witnesses alive to spread another story. He was in perfect control of the situation.
He walked into the cell block, making his way to Lilith's cell. The moment he got in front of it, he felt it.
The hairs on his body stood on end, goosebumps erupting on his limbs as the energy around the cell tickled him.
He stared through the bars at the lady kneeling in the middle of the cell, his right hand trembling minutely.
The girl was death itself.
Her crimson eyes pinned him in place, making him feel like he was staring into twin pools of blood that reflected the afterlife. She looked ethereally beautiful, like a flower that was pleasing to look at but deadly to the touch.
While Anders knew she was doing this on purpose, his respect for Ren increased at the sight in front of him. How has he endured her presence for years?! Just a few seconds and I'm already this uncomfortable.
"Lady Lilith." He grinned at her, clasping his hands behind his back. "It is a pleasure to finally meet you in person."
The girl said nothing, not even blinking as she stared at him.
"Silence, huh?" Anders chuckled. "That's a good strategy. I don't need you to talk anyways. Just listen."
He smiled at her and in the silence, he could hear the distant sound of water dripping slowly on stone.
"You must be worried, so I'm here to reassure you that your fiance has regained consciousness."
No reaction.
"I see." A grin spread on his face as he looked around. "Ren has been here. That's… interesting."
He paused.
"Did he tell you about what he'd be doing to get you out of here?"
There was a flicker of emotion in Lilith's eyes.
"So he did!" Anders laughed. "Such level of trust. That means you also know who was behind the attack."
Lilith frowned.
"Wait a minute! You don't?!" He asked with an incredulous laugh. "He must be trying to protect you. To keep you from acting until he got you out. So… romantic."
Lilith's expression remained placid, giving nothing away.
"I've been monitoring you both since you arrived at Steadfast and I can confidently say that I was right. You both have such obvious weaknesses."
Still nothing.
"Even a blind man would notice it. You leveled a whole street for Ren and there is nothing you wouldn't do for him. He is your weakness. And Ren… he's on a mission that could end in his death, all just to get you out of here. You are his weakness. And I'm here to take advantage of that."
A small frown stole over Lilith's face.
He grinned in response. He knew he couldn't kill Ren and at the same time, he couldn't kill Lilith. If he does, he'll lose his hold on whoever is left alive. But that doesn't mean he couldn't use their weaknesses against them.
"I'm sure you know what Ren's family means to him. You probably hate yours but that isn't the same to him is it?" He grinned, showing teeth as Lilith shifted.
"Right now, I have a team of Rank 5 Knights on standby outside the Ross castle. If you don't do what I want right now, or if you attack me and I am unable to reach out to them in the next thirty minutes, everyone in the Ross castle would be dead within the hour."
He stepped back with a chuckle as Lilith was instantly on her feet, her eyes blazing. "You—"
"They're not dead yet, Lilith." Anders said. "But their lives are in your hands right now."
"You can either sit back and let them die. And when Ren gets back, I'll inform him that his family has been butchered…" he paused, savoring his next words. "Because of you."
Lilith flinched.
Bingo!
"But all hope is not lost." He said in delight, his eyes wide in anticipation. "You can save them, Lilith. And no, you don't have to die or betray Ren in the process. So, what's it going to be?"
Lilith glared at him, standing ready like a statue crafted in the likeness of a warrior deity. Her breath was ragged and her hands twitched as if she was stopping herself from reaching for him.
A few seconds later, she spoke. "What do I have to do?"
"Perfect!" Anders clapped and Lars stepped forward with a gourd. He placed it inside the cell through the bars and stepped back.
"All you need to do is drink every drop of the liquid inside that gourd and return it to me. And the lives of the Ross family will be spared."
Lilith didn't hesitate. She grabbed the gourd and raised it to her lips, drinking deeply. Some of the liquid dribbled down her chin but a few seconds later, she finished it.
She placed the gourd back where it had been and Lars retrieved it.
"You made the right choice Lilith." Anders grinned at her. "By drinking that, you've secured the life of not just Ren's family but Ren himself. Well done."
"Stick to what we agreed upon, Penny Prince." Lilith said, her voice low. "Or you won't live to see another day."
"Don't worry, Lilith." Anders chuckled as he turned away. "You can count on me."
After all, he already had all the cards he needed.