Elsa turned around sharply and saw Maxie behind her.
The girl had been standing there all this ti, leaning against the door jamb, and watching what was happening with undisguised interest. For the first ti seeing the real appearance of their recent acquaintance, she smiled smugly.
Instead of the forr harmless girl with an angelic face, the daughter of the most terrifying person on the planet stood in front of her. Black hair just below the shoulders, perfect aristocratic facial features, and, most importantly, blood-scarlet eyes. It was this characteristic that her father gave her, by which she could recognize one of the mbers of the Cassius family.
And this ti, Maxie was definitely not mistaken.
«Rachel Cassius, it's you, isn't it?»
Rachel, who was initially taken aback by the sudden appearance of her, almost imdiately assud a cold look. Having stopped holding on to the sink, she stood up confidently, and looked at her with quiet fury.
— How much do you know? — the girl asked icily.
— Ah! — Maxie couldn't help but laugh, — So now you're not afraid of the dark anymore? And blood doesn't scare you?
«You'd better not joke with ,» Rachel warned her abruptly, «it wouldn't cost anything to take your head off right now.»
Before leaving, the Marquis warned Maxie not to get involved in a showdown with Cassia. This could have very fraught consequences. And now, the girl was well aware that even being wounded, Rachel Cassius was much superior to her in strength. She was walking on very fragile ice, but even in such a situation she could not restrain herself to let Rachel push her around.
Maxie straightened up, and coming closer, stood directly in front of her. At that mont, the girl clenched her fists, instinctively realizing that by such actions she was only provoking the beast, which she was almost trapped in.
But the indignation inside was too strong to just shut up.
«I want to know what you're doing here.»
— Really? — Rachel smiled grimly, — What a pity that I'm not going to answer you.
— You…!
Maxie took off her mask of feigned indifference and got really angry. The heiress of the Cassius family had been chasing them for a long ti, and only the devil knew what she was up to. Every mont next to her beca dangerous not only for Maxie, but also for Leriana herself.
If the girl could, she would get rid of her right away. But unfortunately, in this confrontation, she could not defeat Rachel only with the help of physical strength. Sothing else was needed here.
«The duke's daughter has no other duties at all?» Why are you wasting your ti in a place like this? Maxie asked angrily.
Rachel didn't back down and pressed her too.
«I wouldn't report my life to an insect like you.»
— Well, no! — she objected, — Since you started hanging around with us, it's directly my business too.
This was the first ti Maxie had co face to face with Rachel Cassius. Before that, despite the long-standing enmity between their houses, her father forbade her to co close to mbers of this family. She could only watch from afar, trying to find out at least so weak points of these monsters.
Rachel didn't care about the girl at all until this mont. The periodic attacks of the Marquis's people on the duchy, she perceived only as a swarm of annoying flies. This had almost no effect on their condition, and therefore neither Rachel nor Duke Cassius even thought about any serious resistance.
But who knew that life would bring them together because of such unforeseen circumstances. Now they will not only have to travel, but also see each other almost around the clock.
It was, to put it mildly, not very.
They glared at each other angrily, burning with the sa desire to wipe the rival off the face of the earth. And yet, Maxie decided to take a step towards the first.
— Ha… okay! — She gasped, — However, I guess myself. It's because of the Blood Callia mark, right?
Rachel blinked in surprise, but didn't show it.
«There really are only rats in your family. All you do is sniff out other people's affairs,» she sumd up with interest.
— And how else, — Maxie grinned, — How else would I find out who is hiding under the face of the «heroine of the year».
In fact, all the mbers of the Cassius family had a hidden ability that almost no one knew about. And it was connected with the notorious mark. The Blood Callia was not just an ordinary flower, but… a predator. And in order to lure victims into their trap, such flowers often knew how to remove thorns and beco ordinary plants. And the Bloody Callia was no exception.
She was able to modify the appearance of her wearer, turning him into another person. In such a state, no one in life would have guessed that a mber of the Cassius family was in front of him. The only detail remaining from the real appearance is the label itself. It did not disappear, even if the person beca different.
The Marquis of Windsor told Maxie about this dangerous property first of all. In case soone suspicious t on their way, the man warned that the girl could recognize the truth by this label.
Maxie decided to check this hint right away. Back then in the forest, when they found the «wounded» Elsa, the girl was able to see a black tattoo under her clothes unnoticed. Since it was she who had to drag Elsa first to the carriage, and then to the room in the tavern, she also saw a black vine located all over her chest. This ant that Callia was in a very dangerous phase.
After all, this ability had only one, but a terrible side effect.
To maintain the false appearance, the Blood Callia fed on the life force of its host. In other words, it was a very strong load on the body. Even a completely healthy person would not be able to hold out in this state for more than a month. Therefore, such a disguise was suitable only for a short ti.
But Rachel Cassius turned out to be a rare suicide.
Despite the fact that her body was already damaged enough due to the growing mark, so she also took advantage of such a dangerous thing. Right now, her body had to withstand enormous loads.
It's only been a couple of days, but the girl already felt terrible, and barely found the strength not to give herself away to the end. The blood from her lungs was just the beginning of all the consequences that could happen to her.
Maxie really didn't understand why she was taking such risks.
Does he really want to throw off his skates ahead of ti…?
Rachel wiped the blood from the corners of her mouth, and said mockingly:
«If you think you can use my fortune to kill , then you're wrong. Even so, I'll swat you easily.»
— Of course, I have an instinct of self-preservation, so as not to commit such rash actions, — she replied calmly.
«Hmm… what are you going to do then?»
Maxie looked at her coldly.
«I have no idea what you're trying to do, but… rember, if you do anything suspicious, I'll tell Leriana imdiately.»
Rachel raised an eyebrow.
«You won't do that,» the girl said confidently.
— And why…?!
«The fact that you haven't done it yet says it all. You're afraid Leriana won't choose your side when she finds out.»
— …
«You tricked her into coming here and scared her with the disease. Surely, right now she is very worried. That alone is enough for to wring your neck.»
Maxie stumbled and didn't say anything for a long ti.
— And she herself? How are you better than ?
Rachel frowned.
— You play this performance only because you are afraid that when you et Leriana, she will imdiately reject you or run away again, — she said bluntly, — You have to pretend to be another person. And all because she never wants to see the real you…
«…Shut up!»
Rachel grabbed the girl by the collar before she could finish. I could barely restrain myself from breaking her neck right now.
She glared at the Marquis's daughter with a furious gaze, but even with deep hatred, she was well aware in her heart that she could not do this. If this girl dies by her hand, Leriana will never forgive her…
No, she would really start treating her like a monster. Rachel shuddered at the thought.
The anger subsided a little.
— It's not for you to talk about our relationship, — the girl hissed, still holding her tightly, — From now on, watch your tongue so that I don't tear it off for you.
Maxie, who had been stoic up to this point, was still worried when the mont of danger ca.
«I just want to know…» Maxie gasped, «why are you so obsessed with her?» Why don't you just let go…?
Rachel was staring at her when her grip finally loosened a little. She uttered only one single phrase, which she had already said once before:
— In this world, no one will lay a finger on what belongs to .
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