End of the curse.

“To the Archduke palace.” I instructed the coachman when I entered the carriage. It would be disastrous if he would end the deal of the mine. Akira’s father would disown me if he knew that i have insulted Damien by not going with him.

“Use the portal to reach faster.” I replied as I looked out of the window. The sun was already down, and it will be sunset in a few hours. I hope he will be at home and let me meet him.

“Yes, my lady.” i took just a few hours to reach the palace with the magic portal,

I walked out of the carriage and entered the palace without any disturbance. Not a single servant tried to stop me on my way which was surprising.

“My lady” said the same old man in the black suit who had received me last time.

“Ummm, i am here to meet lord Damien.'' I said awkwardly but surprisingly then the man nodded with a warm smile on his face, as if he was relieved to see me or more he was waiting for me.

“Please wait here for a while, i will go and inform my lord about your presence.'' I nodded as he bowed and left. Soon the maids started filling the table with all kinds of exotic snacks. They were looking too enthusiastic while serving me. A few even tried to smile, which I was not expecting after seeing their blank faces last time.

I took the cup in my hand gratefully. Travelling in this cold weather has made my hands frozen. But before I could even take a sip, I heard footsteps behind me.

“What are you doing here again?” he asked me with a glare, and I smiled awkwardly.

“I am here to apologize for refusing to attend the tea party with you.” I said bowing my head.

“Is that so? Then apologize.'' he said with a smirk and I frowned.

“Didn't I just apologize, my lord?” I was confused.

“Ha! So just a verbal apology with no guilt is enough according to you. It is better that you do not apologize at all.” he snarled in a sarcastic tone and I bit my lip. Of course, I was not feeling any guilt, I was here just to salvage the situation so that I did not need to pay the consequences. Who would have thought that he would see through me.

‘What a petty man! He knew that i would not go with him yet he invited me. It was not like we were lovers or something!’

“Then what do you suggest, my lord?” I asked politely but my eyes were already glaring at him and wanting to not go overboard.

“I want to go to the town where you have seen that silver haired boy.” he replied and I nodded, it was not difficult. I will just point at any nearby town. If the boy was not found there, I could always say that they ran away, afraid that someone would have recognized them as my aide was looking too shocked when he had seen the boy.

“Great, then I will come to take you personally tomorrow morning.” my smirk turned stiff when the words left his mouth. My eyes widened and I looked at him with my mouth agape.

Looking at my stunned reaction, he tilted his head and frowned. “What! Did you expect me to travel with a lowly servant, since you are the one who needs an apology, you would be the one to come with me too.” he announced as if that was the most righteous thing to do. I looked at the cup in my hand and then at his face.

Would it be exaggerated if I threw the cup over his head?

“My lord, it will take days to search a whole town!'' I replied through gritted teeth.

“So?” he asked nonchalantly, taking a sip of his tea as if he could not see my red face and my gritting teeth.

“My lord, I have a business to run.” I replied and he chuckled.

“Your father has assured me that he will handle the business in the meanwhile. I will still assign my aide Caleb for his help. You can leave your side too. So that he did not suffer lack of information.” his authoritative tone and bossy attitude was top notch. But before I could say anything, his hands were already on the fork and I gulped.

A suggestive smirk formed on his lips as he looked at me and then at the fork.

‘Such a misogynist cruel villain.’

“Fine, anything else that you need?” I asked with annoyance as he continued to look at me but he shook his head.

“You seem to be hungry.”

“Pardon”

“You are coming from the party, yet you seem to be hungry.” my hands that were cutting the steak stopped midway

Of course, I was hungry, I was busy with time acting like a green tea bitch and flying away the flies that were humming around Andrew, he didn't even ask me once to eat or pass food on my plate.

Even when he was talking, he kept looking in the back as if someone was standing there.

“Aah, so, your so-called future husband did not even offer you food?” instead of sympathy there was humor in his voice as if he had found a new joke.

“No, I certainly had a perfect meal there. I did not want to waste the efforts your chef and these beautiful ladies have put in serving me. I am a benevolent lady after all.'' I replied with a haughty tone as I ate another piece of that perfect steak, medium rare, just the way I loved.

When I heard gasps and looked above only to see the fangirling face of the girls. I passed them a smile but when I looked back at Damien, my eyes were blazing with fire again. His eyes were suggesting that he knew the truth, but did not speak anything further.

In fact, he passed me a piece of pumpkin pie, surprising me.

“I will pass the papers of the new mine to you. You will its owner and all the stone found in it will be your no matter how much magical power they contain, it will be only yours.” to say that i was shocked would be an understatement the way that haughty man gave the property to me.

It would be costing around my 4-5 business and one third of the royal treasure. Though he had many mines, Duca’s have stopped doing charity work when it led to the death of their loved ones, so it was a matter of shock, not only to me but to everyone around us.

And the way he emphasized you again and again it felt like he knew about my father’s plan, but then how? It was revealed too late in the game. Till then everyone knows that my father is a very kind and loving parent.

“My lord, are you not afraid of the curse, your family have. This is the biggest part of your property.” i reminded him and his eyes burned again, the same fire, i could see flames forming in them,

“Only I am left in the family. And the curse only works on lovers. If I do not love anyone. The curse will end right there.”