The Male Lead isn't Following the Script!
Chapter 151: Return To It’s Rightful Place

Chapter 151: Return To It’s Rightful Place

"What are you talking about?" She whispered, her voice barely audible. Was he talking about her? Was she caught? No, that couldn’t be! No one could have known!

If her master found out about this... No, she was already an abandoned pawn by now. She didn’t claw her way from the slums of the empire all the way to the Duke’s advisor only to be abandoned!

She worked too long and too hard for her to give up.

"Do not play dumb Anna Knott..." He scowled. He whispered something to one of his attendants and they immediately left. Anna couldn’t understand what was going on.

"What do you want from me?!" She screamed.

"It is not what I want from you," He spoke in a low and serious voice, "It is about your survival... Don’t disappoint me."

From the back, the attendant he sent away had returned. She was holding something and under the dim lighting, she saw what it was. She carried a cushion and on it was... The Holy Sword of the North!

Anna’s thoughts spiralled as she stared at the Holy Sword of the North. The hooded figure loomed above her, his aura suffocating. "You think you understand the game you’ve been playing," He said, his voice a quiet menace. "But you’re a pawn, Anna. Always have been."

Her fists clenched... She didn’t want to be a pawn... That was the whole reason for her drive... Her ambition. Her master might have helped her get this far, but their relationship will last until she becomes useless...

And she wouldn’t take that chance. She needed her own position free from those ties. She wanted to be the Duchess...

Her heart pounded in her chest as her mind raced. How had he gotten it? The sword had been placed in the Holy Temple- an offering made in exchange for the Duchess’s "healing." The plan had seemed so foolproof.

Anna had believed it would work. The Duchess would stay dead, and Anna would be free to take her place, filling the role of the Northern Duchess without resistance.

But the unexpected had happened... The Duchess had returned, alive, and her survival shattered all of Anna’s carefully laid plans.

Edward... That brat betrayed her! Was she not good enough for the holy temple as a planted spy? Hah! She wanted to yell and shout... She wanted to demand answers but she couldn’t. Her usual arrogance was gone.

Instead, she whispered, barely able to control her voice, "What are you talking about? What do you want from me?"

The man’s eyes, hidden beneath his hood, glinted with a knowing malice.

"Do you recognize it?" the man asked, his voice tinged with mockery. "It’s the sword that symbolizes the power of the North, the power that you’ve been trying to take for yourself. But now it’s in my possession."

"Why do you have it?" she managed to croak out, her voice cracking under the weight of her fear.

The man didn’t answer right away. Instead, he took a slow, deliberate step toward her. The coldness of his presence seemed to chill the very air.

"You’ve been playing your own game, Anna," he said quietly. "And have failed miserably at it. Now, the stakes are higher. You have one choice. Obey me, or pay the price."

She didn’t know what he meant by that, but the dread that filled her heart told her that the price would be steep- too steep for her to survive. She wanted to plead, to beg him to spare her, but she didn’t dare. The fear was palpable, sinking deep into her bones.

"Take it," The man said, his voice commanding as he motioned to the sword. "You’re going to give it back to the Duchess. Only the Duchess." His words were final, allowing no room for argument.

Anna blinked in confusion, trying to process what he was asking. The Holy Sword. Give it back to the Duchess? But why? What did he want her to do with it? What was his game?

She didn’t want to give it back! Especially to that woman! She sneered.

He grabbed her face and gripped it so tightly that it started to hurt. His black nails pierced her skin making it bleed. "There is no room for negotiation." He warned. He started to chant something she couldn’t understand.

A shiver of pure terror ran down Anna’s spine. Her entire body trembled as she processed his words. The burning sensation on her face, which she had barely noticed before started to grow more painful.

There was a purple glow and then a ruin appeared on her cheek. She felt the pain in her bones and soul.

It was like the mark was branding her soul, leaving a permanent, invisible scar that no one could ever erase.

He leaned in close, his face inches from hers. "Do not think for a second that you can betray me, Anna. If you tell anyone about this, if you even think about going to anyone for help, flames will consume you. You’ll be dead before you even know what happened."

The attendant placed the sword into her trembling hands, and Anna barely managed to hold it. The sword was heavier than she remembered, its weight a constant reminder of the danger she was in.

She didn’t dare look at the man again. She couldn’t. She was afraid that if she did, she would see the true extent of the monster she was dealing with.

The man stepped back, watching her closely. "Do this, and you’ll live," He said, his voice low and menacing. "Fail, and your life ends today. It’s as simple as that."

Anna nodded quickly, too terrified to say anything. She couldn’t risk angering him. She had no choice. She had to do what he asked.

"Go," He commanded, his tone final. "Bring the sword to the Duchess. Only to her. If you let anyone else lay their hands on it..." He didn’t need to finish his sentence. Anna understood him.

As she walked out of the room, she felt like she was walking toward her doom. The man’s words echoed in her ears, the burning mark on her face a constant reminder of the stakes.

She held the sword and made her way towards the estate... Seems like their lair wasn’t too far from it. It was very cold at night, and normally she would be shivering. But the sheer anxiety from what happened earlier kept her warm.

It haunted her. It gave her enough trauma that every sound around her made her flinch. She looked like she was dragged through hell and back, when the guard saw the once proud advisor approach the gates in such a state, they looked at each other before letting her in.

Benedict wasn’t at home... He was still on his way back, teleporting too many times at once was harmful to one’s health. But even more so for a child. Therefore they planned a window of rest before they could use the circle again.

The Duke wasn’t at home either. He was dealing with issues related to the imminent war. The Duchess was alone... As the hooded man’s plan required...