When the King's carriage stopped not too far away from the heart of the village, East Carswell, Calhoun got down, making his way towards the house that Theodore had given address to. He didn't need a piece of parchment to remember the address as he had a good memory.

The night was late, and Calhoun had chosen to act upon it right away rather than delay the matter, which could only create a further problem in the future. The black coat which he wore reached below his knees, and he wore a hat that cast a shadow on his face. Reaching the house, the door clicked to open for him, and Calhoun stepped inside the place. He saw the maid who worked for the castle humming something under her breath as she combed her hair in front of the mirror.

Calhoun walked quietly and took a seat on the chair, waiting for the girl to be done as it was rude to interrupt a lady when she was combing her hair.

Finally, when the maid felt a presence, she turned around, her eyes widened on seeing the King sitting in her house.

"My King!" exclaimed the maid.

Calhoun stared at the maid, who bowed her head. There was evident fear in her eyes as the King never visited his servant's house unless there was a pressing matter.

The maid had never spoken to the King directly, but that didn't mean she had not spoken about him outside the castle. Some women and men of the high society enjoyed gossip, especially the stories that concerned of the people who belonged to the high-status family. Servants were often paid generously when the stories were amusing or something that interested the gossip taker.

"W-would you like to drink something, milord?" the maid asked, trying to keep her voice even, but it broke in the end.

Calhoun crossed his legs, placing one over the other while leaning back and placing one hand on the armrest, "Do you think I am here to drink something from your home?" Calhoun asked and the maid shook her head, "Then why do you ask?"

The maid opened her mouth only to close it. Everyone knew not to answer the King when the tone was challenging.

The King didn't say another word but stared at the maid who looked scrawny, "How long have you been working in the castle, that you have forgotten the rules that the servants have been asked to follow?"

"N-nearly t-three years, milord," the maid stuttered.

"And in these three years, how many times have you revealed things that have taken place inside the castle?" Calhoun asked before standing up and looking at the house, "You have a fairly good house. Was it brought by the money you received from others after your storytelling?" his fingers ran over the walls, and his eyes then shifted to look at the maid.

The maid's eyes turned wide, "I-I don't know wh-what you're telling," she shook her head.

Calhoun's tongue clicked. In one quick movement, he caught hold of the girl's neck.

"I would have ignored it if the rumour that you have spread was something else, but you should have known better not to speak a word about the future queen." His hands squeezed the maid's neck, and she flailed her hands, trying to release herself from him.

"P-please, milord!" the maid tried to say as she could feel the air reducing in her body.

"I thought after beheading people in the castle, in front of everyone, people would rectify their ways, but it seems like people truly have no brain as they speak and break the rules," said Calhoun, his words coming out dull as he released the girl for two seconds to breath before tightening the grip around the human's neck again.

"You know, I would have let it slide but making up things that you have not seen," Calhoun shook his head, "I have finally got her to open up to me, and her parents are accepting the fact, but here you are, a little rat trying to disrupt something that is so beautiful. Do you think I would be pleased?" he asked her, but the maid could not answer as Calhoun's fingers didn't release her neck to speak,

"So tell me now, how would you like to die?"

The maid was utterly frightened by the King's words. When Calhoun let go of her neck, the girl scurried away from him, keeping a distance while looking towards the door to run. She knew not to scream.

"Please forgive me, milord! I never meant any harm. It was what I heard in the castle!" she bowed her head, hoping the King would forgive her, but even she knew the King never forgave anyone. Even if he did in the past, those people often died in strange circumstances. But with her life on the line, she continued to beg, "I will never utter a word again."

Calhoun nodded his head as he stepped closer to her, "I know you won't. If you aren't alive, nothing will ever come out of those lips," a malicious smile appeared on his lips.

The maid wanted to live! Trying to think about what could save her life, she suddenly said, "If you asked the Queen, she would ask to spare my life. Please, my King!"

If the maid had not feared for her life, she would have never let a word of whisper out of her mouth. There would have been no telling when she would repeat it, and Calhoun didn't want any other rumours being spread.

Calhoun chuckled at the naive words of the maid, "If you have lived in the castle for three years, you should know things like that don't work on me," he tsked before snapping the maid's head with both his hands for her body to fall slack on the ground.

Walking back to the carriage, he ordered the coachman, "Bury her somewhere far away from here. And not like Lipton's daughter."

"Yes, milord," the coachman bowed his head.

Calhoun didn't get inside to sit in the carriage, but he continued to walk away from it, taking a stroll in the night.

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