The Queen Wicked Deeds

"So, why do I have the honor to have you in my house, Duke?"

Norah asked the man in front of her. He sat in the big couch like the owner of the house sipping slowly the cup of tea in his hand. However, his eyes were fixed on the documents in front of him not in her, never on her.​​

That was how lowly he regarded her, not even for a brief moment, he felt interest about her.

Those cold grey eyes had always made her uncomfortable. They had so much disinterest embedded in them. Norah felt as she was not worth a single word from his elegant mouth.

'How much I want to kick him out of my house!'

She knew she couldn't disrespect him but it didn't hurt to dream about it.

Some minutes passed and he only stayed there without talking. Norah sat there waiting uncomfortably at the man

this time his eyes finally looked up to her. That felt again uncomfortable. Her legs were trembling nonstop and she kept biting her ŀustrous lips. She couldn't take it anymore.

"The tea is awful," he said with a furrowed brow, "go change it."

"I am sorry for not reaching your standards, Duke," she smiled politely, "but as you can see we don't have many good things, not even tea," she did have a better kind of tea but she won't give it to him.

"I see," he smirked, "Indeed you are lacking a lot," he looked at her from top to bottom with a scorn on his face.

'This man!' she knew that she wasn't at her best, but he didn't have the right to mock her.

Even if her blue dress was wrinkled and a bit worn out, the same as her shoes. Her hands that were never used before for extreme manual labor, were now full of calluses, even her big blue eyes and her skin looked tired. Some strands of her hair were out of place and she seemed tired as she had dark circles underneath her eyes. Even with all that, she still looked beautiful.

However, on his eyes were never reflected any kind of warmth, not even his face had a gesture of gentleness, but indifference, cold unrestrained indifference or so Norah thought. Anyway, she didn't care as she was already used to such eyes.

No one had to tell her that this man despised her deeply from the first day they met. At that time, they were the same. He a son of a powerful Duke, she, a daughter of another powerful Duke. He an outstanding and handsome man adored by many, she, a beautiful and intelligent woman with a line of suitors at her door.

Now that she was degraded to such a state, he seemed to be eager to mock her. He even dared to propose marriage, a contractual marriage, of course. Not love, not good feelings, only a transaction with conditions completely unadvantagerous for her. Many would think he was helping her with good feelings, why would he have any of them? What a joke, they hated each other, their families had hated each other for generations.

Now that the Kobach family has fallen into the darkest pit of disgrace, she was easy prey for anyone.

"What had you come here, Duke? I already answered your proposal," her tone was firm, even if he came to embarrass her, she won't bow to him.

"Do you think you can negotiate with me?"

"Yes, I still can, what do you want? Why are you looking for me? My family and I have nothing left," Norah looked at him with a gesture still of self-respect and dignity. The handsome gray-eyed man had proposed to her to save her from her debts, however, in return, she would have to meet each of his conditions, for humiliating they were.

"Hahahah…" he looked at her again with disdain and threw a note of paper in her ŀȧp.

"What is it…?"

Norah's eyes widened in horror, the note was a transfer of ownership. The name of the new owner of the Mansion and the Kobach land was Albert Bailler, the man before her. She didn't care about the purchase, as Norah had planned to sell the property to repay the debt collectors then leave forever. However, she had not seen a single cent of that money, that man that was she once called dad run leaving her without hope. "We… we will leave here, we don't have much, so we will leave today."

"You are still so proud, even when you no longer have anything…" he smirked.

"I still have my life, Duke, and that is only mine and not for sale. We will leave, don't you worry," she stood up and was about to leave the room when the next words stopped her.

"The house is surrounded, if it weren't for my men who are watching over it, you and your mother would have already been sold as slaves," Albert looked at her again with a raised eyebrow. Norah felt the color leave her cheeks as well as all illusions and plans for the future.

"Tomorrow we will marry, take your things, I have any more time to waste," he got up quickly and walked to the door.

"I'm not leaving without my mother," Norah sat again and clutched the note without looking up at the man.

Albert just smiled, "My men will escort your mother to a Manion on the South."

"Why?"

"Insurance…" Norah knew very well what he meant by that word. If she planned or tried to escape, her mother would suffer the consequences. Now she was left with no choice but to be a prey of that man.

For a moment, the tears that were threatening to cascade down for many days ago couldn't be contained any longer.

#

Chapter 2.

"Norah, honey?"

"Mother!" Norah ran to help the beautiful woman walk.

Norah knew that her mother's blue eyes could not see her but she could hear the crying voice of her daughter from afar. So Norah tried to conceal her sadness the best she could.

The light in those beautiful eyes had been extinguished four years ago in an arson. The right part of her body was covered in horrible scars and burn wounds. The doctor said it was a miracle that she survived till now.

Norah knew that her father's affection for her mother was waning, her attention was now focused on gambling, and it grew more and more like an addiction. He wouldn't stop until he lost everything.

"Mom, I'll go for a walk, okay?"

"Norah, what is it? What did the Duke want?"

"Nothing, it's nothing, don't worry, but some men will take you to a safe place, and I will look for you later," Norah's beautiful blue eyes rested on her mother's face for a second more as the knock on the door woke her up.

"Miss Kobach, my name is Ina Thorne, I have come for Madame Julia," Mrs. Thorne was an older woman, perhaps a few years older than Norah's mother. However, contrary to everything Norah expected, her eyes were gentle and her voice respectful. At least Norah felt that her mother would be in good hands and would not suffer.

"Norah?" his mother's voice was anguished and fearful.

"Come with me, Madame Julia, I will take care of you instead of Miss Norah. Don't worry, you are in good hands."

Norah kissed her mother on the cheek before Mrs. Thorne led her to a carriage parked outside the door.

"My lady, are you ready?"

A knight in the armor and shield of the Duke's family awaited her at the entrance. Norah only turned around for a second to look at the house that had seen her grow up and had given her so many moments of happiness. Now there was nothing left, everything had disappeared.

"Yes, let's go."

Even, her uncles and other family members decided to leave them alone without any help. In the worst of times, no one extended their hand, not a single gesture of help they received. They all only watched as debtors devoured all the Kobach family's possessions without doing anything. What about all does years of happiness and supposed friendship?

All this left them within reach of the clutches of their lifelong enemies, the Bailler.