I closed my eyes for a while. Carmine placed me on what felt like a bed. I lied there like a corpse. I could not move. I was fatigue.
Carmine ordered his servants out so that there were only two of us. I still had my eyes shut. I lost the strength to even open my eyes. I felt Carmine’s hands reach for my coat.
“No…” I whined.
He took it off and grabbed my neckline of my dress. It slid to show my left shoulder. I wanted to rebel but my limbs were still.
“The mark is still there.” Carmine said softly. I supposed he was talking about the bruise where the poison left.
“They tried to keep you alive.” His fingers went over my face and then my neck, way down to my bare shoulder. “But they can’t cure you. Only I have the antidote.”
I sobbed. I felt my tears. Carmine wiped them away with his hands. He was touching my hair now.
“Crimson.” He bent down to scent it. I quivered. “So much for love.”
I continued to murmur some words which I could not even hear them.
“Abandon your love for Lucard.” Carmine whispered in my ears. “Abandon him and be my bride.”
I shook my head slightly but my neck hurt as I moved.
“Why not?” Carmine questioned. “I am better looking than him. I am more powerful than him and I can give you anything you want, not only a stupid room of books, but a room of money and jewelries.”
I did not want these things. I only wanted Len.
“Do you really beg for him so much? What’s so good about him?”
I wanted to say everything about Len could be better than him.
“Oh, really.” Carmine laughed. “Perhaps I should not kill him. I think I have found a better way to torment him. I will have you tonight.”
“No…” I pleaded.
Carmine tried to comfort me. “You don’t move and you won’t feel the pain.”
He forced me to drink something. It was not blood though. It was bitter. Maybe it was another poison.
“It is the antidote.” Carmine said. “You can now have enough strength to open your eyes. At least, I want to see your eyes as I kiss you.”
I could open my eyes but my limbs still felt heavy.
“I said I will not kill you.” Carmine smiled as he leaned over to kiss me. I turned my head away but his lips still pressed against my neck.
I wanted to cry out but no sounds came out of my mouth. My mind kept calling out for help. If I allowed Carmine to assault me, I might as well die. I would not even wish to see his face as he kissed me. The only person whom I wanted to see right now was Len.
The door swung open.
“Enough, Carmine.”
I thought I was dreaming but I was not. The voice was loud and real enough. It was the voice I wanted to hear most in this world.
“Len…” I moved my hand a little but Carmine was still holding my wrists.
“Lucard! How did you…” There was astonishment in Carmine’s voice.
“Carmine, this is the end.” Zander said. “Face your doom, brother.”
“Zander, you betrayed me.”
“Yes, and I have freed father and mother.”
“This house is surrounded now.” Len said. “The great mansion of the Morlettes will be broken down tonight as well.”
At first, he took a step towards Len and the others but in a split second, turned back to me.
He held me up and flew off from the window.
Yet, Carmine could not get far. He was blocked in front of the gate.
“Let go of Alice!” Len commanded.
Carmine laughed. “No! One more step and her neck will be twisted.”
Everyone stopped their motion.
“Let her go, Carmine.” Someone approached him. It was Carmina.
“No.”
“They agree not to kill us if we surrender now.” Carmina said.
“I am not surrendering!” Carmine shrieked.
“Carmine, please.” Carmina argued. “All our people have been killed. They will spare us. Father won’t kill us if we stop right now.”
“He will kill us, Carmina!” Carmine shouted. “He will!”
He put me down at once but I could not stand with my legs. He held my shoulder with one hand and surrounded my neck with another.
“This is all wrong.” Carmine said. “It shouldn’t be this way. You don’t deserve this girl, Lucard. You never deserve anything that has been given to you. You should never have been born and I should never have you as my brother. The throne should be mine. The land and the right to be the pride of Morganthes should belong to me, not you.”
“Greed and resent have surpassed you. I never want to compete with you in anything.” Len said. “If the throne means so much to you, I will hand it to you, but spare Alice.”
Carmine let out a laugh and the next thing I knew, I was in air. I was thrown with the most powerful force. My body flew without direction. My head ached so much that it might explode at any seconds. I could no longer think nor breathe. It was an instant when I gravely wished for death. And then… the pain ended.