Chapter 51

51 Can’t I Be Both

“Why do the two of you look so scared?”n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Martha looked down and replied in a little shaken voice, “It’s nothing, Your Majesty.” She swiftly tugged Holly’s trembling arm and asked, “Holly, we have work to do. Let’s go.”

The two of them quickly turned around and began to stride towards the stairs.

However, Anastasia got up from her chair and asked, “No, wait.”

She ran and stood in front of the two of them and asked in a soft voice, “Is something bothering you two? Does it have something to do with that maid who tried to poison me?”

Martha and Holly kept on looking down without answering the Queen.

Anastasia lightly held Holly’s trembling hand and asked, “Or did some vampires scold you for what happened yesterday? You can tell me everything. If someone has been threatening you two, then I can help. It wasn’t your fault that I got too excited about the food and fell into the trap.”

How could those poor maids tell the Queen that it was the King who had threatened all of them?

So Martha politely lied, “It doesn’t have anything to do with yesterday, Your Majesty. Why would anyone threaten us when the culprit has already been caught?”

.....

However, Anastasia didn’t believe them. Holly still looked like she was going to pass out at any moment now. Her face had already turned pale, and her forehead and upper lip were covered in sweat beads.

So Anastasia asked again, this time, she showed her authority, “Martha, I order you to tell me exactly what happened that the two of you look so shaken. You need to tell me everything. I promise that I won’t put your lives in danger.”

Martha took a deep breath in and finally opened her mouth, “That maid, the one who tried to poison you yesterday, she was brutally killed in front of our eyes. She got killed in front of all the maids and servants. He warned that would happen to us if we tried to cause any harm to you.”

Holly broke down into tears when she stuttered in her daze, “We saw him ripping her h-heart out. Her heart was still b-b-beating in his hand.”

Anastasia felt a pang in her heart, and cold sweats covered her body upon hearing such brutality. She couldn’t even imagine what her maids must be going through when they saw that gruesome scene live.

“Who did that?” Anastasia asked in a whisper, even though she could guess who could have done that.

“H-His Majesty,” Martha whispered while keeping her head down.

Suddenly, Holly tightened her hold on Anastasia’s palm and begged the Queen, “Your Majesty, will you please make some excuse and fire me from this job? I don’t think I can survive in this castle. Not with all the vamp-”

Martha elbowed Holly on the waist and whispered aggressively, “What are you saying, Holly? Don’t be disrespectful to the Queen. And definitely don’t say such things out loud!”

“No, it’s okay. Don’t scold her,” Anastasia asked Martha in a sad voice.

She shakily breathed in and breathed out.

She recalled how she had witnessed Caspian brutally killing a man on the very first night that she came to the castle. She was terrified for her life, and she wanted to run away. So she could actually understand why Holly wanted to do the same.

Anastasia looked at Holly’s moist eyes and tried to calm her down. “Holly, why don’t you take sick leave for some days? If you still feel that you won’t be able to stay here, then I will see what I can do.”

Holly glanced at Anastasia with grateful eyes. And she whispered, “Thank you for saying that, Your Majesty. But I won’t take sick leave. I don’t think I can stay alone for the whole day doing nothing.”

Anastasia gently patted Holly’s hand and said, “Then see how you feel after 2-3 days. If you still want to leave, then I won’t stop you.”

Anastasia looked at both of them and apologized, “And my sincere apologies for my husband’s behavior. I’m sorry that you two had to witness his bad side because of my carelessness.”

Martha slightly shook her head and said, “You don’t have to apologize to us, my Queen. We are already grateful towards you for treating us with kindness.”

The maids then left for the kitchen to get lunch for the Queen.

Anastasia sat back on the chair. She was greatly scared and restless. And most of all, she was very conflicted.

She recalled how Caspian showed so much worry for her when she was almost attacked by that dangerous vampire, and when she was almost poisoned. Even this morning, he looked so worried when she tripped on the floor.

And then she recalled how he had almost killed that stalker vampire right in front of her eyes. She recalled how he had sunk his teeth into that man in the cold room.

At one moment, he would behave like a docile rabbit, and at the other moment, he would behave like an unruly lion.

She couldn’t understand how a person could have such a stark difference in their behavior.

Anastasia heaved a deep sigh and rested her head on the table.

And she mumbled to herself, “Which one is the real you, Caspian? Are you that infamous monster? Or are you that affectionate vampire that I see? The kind husband who greatly worries for your wife?”

“Can’t I be both?” A familiar manly voice echoed in the library.

Anastasia got startled by that sudden intrusion. She looked up to find Caspian going through the novel that she was reading.

Anastasia gave a slight smile to her husband and wondered how much he had heard before coming in.

“Caspian, when did you return?” she asked.

Caspian put the book down on the table and replied with a straight face, “Just when you were contemplating whether I am a monster or your loving husband.”

There was an awkward silence between the two for a while.

“Umm...” Anastasia cleared her throat and got up from her chair. She asked as she walked towards the shelves, “I need to find another good book. Will you recommend something to me?”

Anastasia began to aimlessly fumble across the shelves to escape the awkwardness.

Caspian walked and stood right behind her. He reached out his hand and picked up a book from the shelf.

He handed the book to her and said, “Try reading this. I remember enjoying it a couple of years ago.”

“Thank you,” Anastasia said in a whisper. She grabbed the book from Caspian’s hand and turned around.

Caspian was still standing in front of her while gazing down at her.

Anastasia looked away and timidly tried to scurry away from that dangerous situation. Her heart was starting to pound madly, not because of fear but because she felt that her husband would try something else.

And he did.

He stretched his arms and reached out to hold the bookshelf. He had imprisoned Anastasia in between his arms.

“Anna...”

He prompted Anastasia to look into his spellbinding eyes.

And when he had her attention, he said in a low but deep voice, “Before you came into my life, I agree that I was a monster. I’m not saying that I’ve already changed. I’m still the same monster who kills vampires and humans alike.”

Caspian had a look of desperation on his face when he gazed at his wife’s lips. And he softly whispered, “But now, I do that for you.”