Marry The Devil
Chapter 38

Chapter 38: Chapter 38

~Francis’s POV

It felt like a knife pierced its way through my heart. I stared at Olivia and she had tears streaming down her eyes.

"How dare you mention my mother!" I sneered and she crawled backwards.

"Your highness ... .how would you feel if you’re once again the reason behind the death of a loved one?" She asked, crying.

My heart ached.

I hated the words she said to me.

I was trying so hard to get over everything. I was trying to be the devil that I was meant to be. It was already more than enough that I had to fight the human feelings growing inside of me. She shouldn’t make it worse by trying to get words into my head.

"I never asked for her love. Mala and I were never meant to be together. Mala’s case is different. She’s fated to die!" I seethed.

"Do you truly believe in the prophecy?" Olivia asked and my gaze landed on her.

I wondered how she found out about it. I made sure that it remained a secret between Sir. Oliver and I.

"You’re being nosy. Leave before I lose control."

"We both know that you love Mala, Francis," she said.

I felt something inside of me the moment she called me by my name. For years, no one had ever called me with such boldness.

Almost everyone fared me. They would bow and tremble at my feet.

The only person that showed me something other than fear was Mala.

But ..she had to die!

"How dare you call your king by his name?" I shouted, strangling her then I let go.

"I do not want to kill you, Olivia. Leave!"

"Francis!" She screamed, looking directly into my eyes and I halted. My eyes flashed red, anger taking over me.

"You were the one who raised me Olivia, but if you make me angry one more time, I’ll be the one to dig your grave!"

"I am not seeing you as the king now, Francis but the little boy that I raised," Madam Olivia said and my heart rate dropped.

I looked into her eyes and she stood up, walking towards me with her gaze locked in mine.

"The boy I raised is a sweet and cute one. He doesn’t like hurting people. Even when people hated him because of the powers that he possessed, he still tried to make himself believe that he was an angel and not a devil. You can still be the angel that you thought you were, Francis. Warm and soft hearted," Olivia cried, trying to reach out to me, but I teleported and stood by the window.

"I am a monster. I’m a beast, Olivia! I only thought that way because I was a child. I am the devil!" I reminded her, also convincing myself that....that was who I was.

"You’re not a beast, Francis...and neither are you a monster. I know that young boy is in there somewhere...let him out. I beg you. I hate seeing you like this. We both know you’re hurting on the inside," She said.

I turned towards her. "I am not hurting!"

"You are, Francis. And you know it!" she screamed.

"I said leave!" I seethed and the ground shook. She was reminding me of what I was trying to forget. I was trying to get rid of my feelings for Mala. I was trying to remind myself of the devil that I was and Olivia was making things hard for me.

"Will you ever forgive yourself if Mala dies?" Madam Olivia asked me and for a second, it felt like everything around me froze. My whole world stopped moving as her words sank into my ears. "You’ll never forgive yourself, Francis. Till the day you die, you’ll think of the love she had for you and will forever blame yourself for leaving her to die!"

"Stop!" I cautioned.

"It’s fine if you have decided to lose a jem, Francis...but can you at least just let the poor girl live? If you have decided to throw her away with all the love that she has for you, can you please just give her life? Don’t take it away from her, Francis," Olivia cried.

"Mala has to die," I uttered.

My heart still ached.

"She doesn’t. That old man has only made you believe that she’s going to die. I know Mala. She’ll never kill you. She loves you too much more than to hurt a strand of hair from your head. Think about it Francis.... Don’t take the poor girl’s life. All she has done is to love you. She doesn’t deserve to die like this," Olivia said before walking out on me.

Seeing how Olivia had risked her life to tell me the truth made it hurt the more. I could have killed her and she knew it.

I made up my mind. Even if I wouldn’t love Mala back....I should at least spare her life. She wouldn’t kill me...will she?

I sat in the study for a while, thinking of what was at risk if Mala died and the guilt I’ll have to live with in the future.

Then I made up my mind.

"I’ll let her go. But if she ever tries to kill me in the future...I’ll end her life before she can."

I walked down the hallway, with one thought roaming in my head. I told myself that all I needed was to save Mala and get rid of the feelings I had for her....then everything would go back to the way it used to be.

I tried sniffing Mala out, knowing that she was somewhere in the palace, but I couldn’t. The guards bowed when they saw me.

None dared to ask me what I was looking for.

Mala’s scent was completely gone and somehow, it made my heart ache. I missed her presence, but I kept fighting the feeling, telling myself that I didn’t.

I tried to pick sir. Oliver’s scent and luckily, I did. That old man’s scent didn’t fail me.

After grabbing a maid I would replace Mala with, I teleported into the room I most suspected and just as I expected, Mala was laying on the ground, with her hands and legs tied.

~Francis’ POV ends.

******

~Mala’s POV

I felt trapped....trapped inside my whole body. It felt like I was in a space with nothing but voice. I couldn’t speak or move...and as much as I tried, I couldn’t open my eyes.

The only thing I could do was to feel pain. A few hours ago, I felt my blood being drawn out...maybe they wanted to kill me ... ..maybe it was already my time to die...I didn’t know.

I wanted to live, even if it was just for an hour.

And my reason was Francis. I wanted to see him. I wanted to ask him why he would want to kill me. I wanted to know if he truly loved me.

I just wanted to know the truth.

Suddenly, I felt a hand over my face. Something other than pain. The touch was soft...it was gentle. It moved my hair from my face and I could feel the person moving closer to me.

Gradually, I was getting control over my body. I gently moved my finger and that familiar scent ran into my nostrils.

"Francis?" I called with a gasp, opening my eyes and he immediately pulled back and turned away.

My heart sank, seeing the way he moved away from me.

"Francis..." I called again.

"You have to live," Francis said. His voice came cold, hitting me like a merciless winter.

"Francis, this is not you," I sobbed. "What’s going on Francis? Why are your people doing this to me? Why haven’t you come to save me all this while? Why did you suddenly leave my father’s village, Francis? Why did you leave me? Francis....where is the you that I used to know," I asked, tears rolling down my face.

"This is the real me, Mala. The previous me that you used to know was all pretence," Francis answered.

"Then look at me. Look into my eyes Francis and tell me that this is the real you. Look into my eyes and tell me that this is what you want for you...for us!" I cried.

"I cannot look into your eyes, Mala. And you know it."

"Why? Tell me why Francis, I want to know. I have heard it from other people, but I want to hear it from you. Will one of us truly kill the other? Tell me the reason behind it, Francis....I...."

"You’re a threat to me Mala! That’s our fate!" Francis revealed and my heart shattered into fragments.

"How? I’d never hurt you and you know it," I cried.

"We never know that will happen, Mala. Things might change."

"So Francis...you’re just going to leave me?" I cried.

"I’ll make a duplicate of you with this maid here. You have to leave. I cannot use my powers when you’re around me. I’m as light as a leaf. And that’s a sign that we’re not meant to be.

If you do not leave, I’ll be forced to kill you with my own hands tomorrow," Francis said.

"What of us?" I asked...trying to know where our love story would end.

It could end that way...not after everything.

"Get things right, Mala. I was foolish to think I could love you in the first place. I should have loved you, and I wouldn’t make the same mistake twice. Leave if you want to survive."

"We can change everything, Francis. We can change our fate," I cried.

"Mala!" Francis sneered. "There’s no love between a woman and the devil."