Chapter 262 - Leon's truth

Anastasia

“Even I found it weird when everyone took leave altogether. But, I didn’t suspect you were the one behind it,” I replied, looking in Sebastian’s direction. “I’m a bit shocked to hear everything from your mouth. I don’t know how to react to it.”

“I’m sorry,” Sebastian apologized again.

“You don’t need to apologize alone, we both are guilty of doing the same thing in different approaches but I was a bit extreme,” Leon comments. “Just like Sebastian, I also noticed Nikolai’s affection for you was growing day by day. And I was starting to find you irritating. That’s why I hired two men to help me in my plan.”

Sebastian listened to him with his head lowered.

“It was on the day of the annual hunt. I knew none of these two would be joining so there wouldn’t be any interference. I called those two men to join with the rest of the servants and provoked you so you would accept my challenge to bring the greatest hunt to be the winner. And during the hunt, those two found you out and chased you. I was just planning to make you scared so you’ll be bawling your eyes out crying for help. But, my plan went downhill when they lost track of you and you entered The East forest while trying to get away from them.”

“I didn’t know all of this happened during the hunt. Why didn’t you tell us about it?” Nikolai asked, looking a bit angry. “And the East forest on top of that? Why were you planning to risk her life like that? Is it fun?”

“I just wanted to tease her a bit. I didn’t think things would escalate so quickly,” Leon replied, keeping his head low. “When the hunt was over, I noticed she wasn’t there and the head maid and her friend were looking for her. They went to ask Dad’s beta for help, but he refused to do that. I didn’t want to involve our men cause my plan might get exposed. So, I went to search for her on my own. I knew she went to East Forest that’s why she wasn’t back. When I entered,” he gasped for a second, composing himself.

“I saw her lying on the ground with the guardian wolves surrounding her. With her clothes torn apart and scratches all over her body, I knew she was bitten and needed to be rescued right away.”

“Their fangs carry poison. It is there so intruders don’t enter the forest without permission. Didn’t you know that?” Nikolai lashed out, grabbing onto his collar. “What if you killed her in the attempt? A normal person would die immediately if the poison entered the bloodstream.”

“Calm down and let him finish the story,” Sebastian advised. “It makes me furious to listen to him as well. But, just calm down a little.”

“You knew this didn’t you?” Nikolai yelled at Sebastian. “That’s why you can stay so calm.”

“Yes, I knew. But, he didn’t me all this. I found out about those two guys from the maids and questioned him about it. And he just admitted that’s all.”

“You two are monsters! How can play with anyone’s life like that? At least she only had a fever from what you did. What Leon did could easily kill her. This is a big mistake to be forgiven easily. I can’t forgive him, neither should she!”

“I’m not asking for forgiveness. I know how heavy my sins are,” Leon admitted. “I deserve to be punished for my wrongdoings.”

“Of course you do!” Nikolai grunted. “if she were dead you would’ve been a killer. Do you realize that? Then, our parents would’ve been shamed to call you their son.”

“He wasn’t planning to kill me though,” I replied, looking in Leon’s direction.

Nikolai and Sebastian looked at me shocked.

“I got myself involved in danger because I gave into his provocations. I took the bait. It’s my fault. And instead of running away from them I should’ve asked for help but I entered the East forest without thinking even though Maria had already warned me about it beforehand. So, all of it isn’t his fault. He did plan to get me into trouble but didn’t intend to kill me. This much I know.”

“How can you be so confident about it?” Nikolai retorted.

I looked away shyly. “Because…..he was the one who extracted the poison from my wounds. If he wanted to kill me, that was the best outcome he could hope for. But, without wasting another minute he carried me out of their grasp and even fought with the wolves who were chasing us quite bravely. After doing all that we finally got out of that forest into a safe location where….he removed all the poison out of my body. And I’m thankful to him for that.”

“He did that because he had no choice,” Nikolai retorted. “He went to search for you on his own after all. So, if you died, it would’ve been his fault. Look at the picture clearly. He’s the bad guy here.”

Sebastian just watched everything happening quietly.

“I know you are protective of me,” I replied, caressing my arm. “But, I know. He did all that because he didn’t want me to die. He extracted the poison with his mouth, risking his life to save me. He can’t be the bad guy now, can he? And he even brought me back safe and sound afterward. I can’t think badly of him.”

Nikolai looked back at Leon who was in front of him.

“I don’t understand why she’s defending you so much. But, in my eyes, you are the worst. The worst to ever exist.”

He looked away mumbling, “Yes, I know that.”

Nikolai removed his hands from Leon’s collar, stepping aside.

“How did you become so crooked in nature? You weren’t like this when you were little were you? How did you become evil all of a sudden?”

Leon raised his eyes looking in my direction with a frown.

“Maybe because…..I was jealous.”

“Jealous?” Sebastian repeated.

“She was always smiling and cheerful around Nikolai, and suddenly, she was getting along with Sebastian as well. Even though, he never liked her before. And I felt like I was being left out of everything and there was something wrong with me. She always seemed to be scared around me and never interacted with me like with you two. Which made me think she was doing it intentionally. That’s why I wanted to teach her a lesson. So, you would turn your back on her as well.”

“This is not the way to take out your anger, or jealousy, is it?” Sebastian added with a sigh. “You are really stupid.”

“It’s truly stupid of you to do something like this out of jealousy,” Nikolai grunted, looking away.

“I’m sorry,” Leon mumbled. “I really went quite far.”

“But, you gave her white roses as an apology, didn’t you?” Sebastian comments with a smile. “And she accepted them also. So, don’t you think you can be forgiven?”

White roses? The one from back then?

“I thought you gave them because you knew I liked them,” I replied. “I didn’t realize they were to convey your apology. I’m sorry about it.”

“I knew you wouldn’t get it,” Sebastian chuckled. “You are so dense after all.”

“What?”

“Aren’t you taking the matter too lightly?” Nikolai remarks, with a frown. “Both of them confessed their wrongdoings to you. What is your response to all this? Are you angry? Will you punish them or forgive them?”