Chapter 134 Duchess's Arrival (2)

Third Person's POV"...She will be nothing more than a slave under his control! Not even fit to be his maid!!"

The moment the words left his mouth, the air around him grew impossibly cold.

Ethan's eyes darkened as an unnatural chill spread from his very being. His grip shifted from the man's collar to his throat and his fingers tightened ever so slowly.

The middle-aged retainer's eyes bulged. Only gurgling noises escaped his bloodied mouth as he clawed at Ethan's hand with desperation overtaking him.

Virelle who was standing just a few steps away, shook her head. She made no move to intervene. Instead, she thought to herself,

This idiot shouldn't have tried to threaten him under that fool's name.

The silence stretched between them as Ethan maintained his grip and his eyes reflected nothing but pure and unyielding menace.

The man's struggles weakened as his strength drained with every passing second, and his gasps for air became more desperate.

Virelle glanced at Velcy who was still holding the icy orb like a child with fascinated eyes as if entranced by the glow emanating from it.

"I wonder what would happen if we shattered it," she mused aloud but her voice carried a distinct note of indifference.

From her tone alone, it was clear that she was utterly unconcerned with the fate of the middle-aged man slowly dying in Ethan's grip.

Velcy tilted her head and considered the possibility as her fingers twitched ever so slightly. But before she could act, the air around them shifted.

A sudden and intense thick and suffocating smell of rust and blood filled the clearing. It was as if the very atmosphere had been drenched in crimson.

At one moment, everything was normal and in the next, the entire world seemed to change. The surroundings darkened as if clouds had covered the sun around them and an eerie red hue was visible on the walls and pavement as if they were bleeding.

Even the black tiles beneath their feet took on an ominous bloody sheen as though blood was dripping from them.

Velcy froze with shock mirrored in her wide eyes. The orb slipped from her grasp and shattered upon impact with the ground.

Beautiful shards that glimmered like blue and red fireworks, scattered across the cold floor and their brilliance was stark against the dimmed surroundings.

"Master!!"

Virelle's sharp cry snapped Velcy out of her trance and she turned toward the sound. There, standing tall and imposing beside Ethan was the figure of the familiar shadowy woman she had seen in the underground mountain.

Her figure was both elegant and terrifying as her red eyes glowed like smoldering embers in the darkness through the dark shadow covering her whole body.

Though her presence was undeniable now, Velcy had not noticed her arrival. One moment there was no one besides them and in the next, she stood before them like a silent storm.

When did she even get here? I didn't sense anything… How is that possible?

Velcy instinctively adjusted her posture and shrank slightly as though trying to appear small and unthreatening in front of the Duchess of Sangrial.

"Alright, little Ethan," the duchess said in a smooth and almost amused tone as she rested a hand lightly on his shoulder.

"That's enough for now. He will die if you continue to hold him like that."

But Ethan's cold and unfeeling gaze remained locked onto the struggling man. He did not flinch, nor did he loosen his grip.

It was as if he was accustomed to the duchess's ghost-like appearances and remained unbothered by her sudden intrusion.

"As you say, Lord Altheria," he finally responded as his voice shifted to a gentle and almost affectionate tone as he turned to the shadowy figure.

The warmth in his words was in stark contrast to the bone-chilling atmosphere he had commanded mere moments before.

With deliberate precision, Ethan loosened his grip and it was just enough for the man to wheeze in a desperate gulp of air. Find more to read at My Virtual Library Empire

His body convulsed slightly as he greedily sucked in each breath and his bulging eyes that had seemed like they would pop out of his sockets due to the strangling slowly returned to normal.

"Now," Ethan said in a calm voice that carried an unmistakable edge of danger.

"You're going to tell us everything. Why did you appear in this castle, and what was your true purpose in becoming Velcy's teacher?"

He tilted his head slightly as his fingers twitched just enough to make his meaning clear.

"And if I don't like what I hear…"

The man swallowed thickly and his battered face was drenched in sweat. He nodded frantically in a hoarse and broken voice.

"I… I'll talk… Just… don't kill me…"

Ethan smirked in a cold and satisfied manner.

"Good."

He released the man fully and allowed him to collapse onto the floor. The moment his knees hit the ground, the man gasped for breath as his chest heaved like he had never breathed the air in his life.

His body trembled, and his entire form sagged in exhaustion as if clinging to life itself. He had come so close to death that he could still feel its shadow still lingering over him.

Meanwhile, Virelle and Velcy stepped forward and stood side by side with Ethan. Virelle inclined her head in a respectful bow and Velcy quickly mirrored her action.

The duchess, however barely acknowledged their presence and her expression remained aloof and unreadable.

Ethan offered his own greeting with a small respectful bow in her direction before returning his attention to their captive.

The air grew heavier as the combined pressure of the three figures along with the overwhelmingly powerful presence of the Duchess of Sangrial bore down upon the man.

Under their piercing gazes, cold sweat dripped down his forehead and he understood his position well that there was no escape.

With a shaky breath, he finally began to speak the truth behind all of the farce that he had attempted to cook in front of Ethan and Virelle.