173 – The Devil Visits Hughan Hunter’s Office
Viktor’s takeover of the Royal Police Headquarters was undoubtedly good news for Crown Prince Yuli Irène. The Crown Prince, who had persistently attempted to undermine Viktor whenever he could, was left with no choice but to focus on Viktor’s significant moral flaws.
In the parlour at the Naval Embassy, Viktor faced Hughan Hunter and initiated the questioning.
“Let’s commence the discussion.”
Hughan pondered what kind of conversation this was supposed to be. ‘You’ve kidnapped a man’, he thought, but he spoke up.
“Go on.”
“My wife said it was you who interrogated her.”
“So you know it wasn’t.”
“I’m wondering why my wife claimed that. She’s visited the Royal Police twice, and both times she’s had issues with memory.”
Hughan hesitated at Viktor’s words and then responded carefully, “Not once, but twice?”
Isaac Crimson had been at the police station when Hughan visited.
“Well, I’m not sure,” Hughan responded calmly.
After a while, the butler poured tea into the cups of both men. Meanwhile, Viktor, who was smoking a cigarette, placed his cigarette in the teacup. Smoke billowed into the cold air as he chuckled.
“I won’t be drinking this, but feel free to.”
Hughan paused at Viktor’s remark. Viktor took out another cigarette. “It’s a nice tea. Not easy to come by.”
“Hmm.”
“Why? Does that tea appear cheap to the Hunters?”
Hughan gazed at the beautifully crafted teacup. In his mind, he grappled with the decision of whether to drink the tea.
Viktor understood pirates better than anyone in Salantier. If he chose to, he could probably acquire a potion to erase his memory through pirates.
Hughan concluded that he couldn’t drink the tea. “It’s fine. I’ll have the tea.”
“Oh, well.”
Viktor reclined in his chair, tilting his head, and inquired, “I suppose I dropped some…drugs in it?”
“…”
“Drink it before I make you.”
Hughan’s arm trembled at Viktor’s command. He lifted the cup and drained it, only to realise that the liquid contained not just tea but also cigarette residue.
“Do you think I’d fall for this, Lord Viktor?”
“So you thought you could touch my wife and get away with it?”
“The Royal Police have never done such a thing.”
“If you haven’t, there’s no reason you can’t drink the tea.”
“Your Highness Yuli Irène won’t stand by. If the Crown Prince intervenes, then your actions, Lord Viktor, will amount to treason.”
“You’re so confident with Yuli as your backing.”
“Yes, of course. He’s the Crown Prince. Given that you haven’t been officially recognised as royalty yet, it’s difficult to establish a hierarchy between you two.”
“I guess so. Is that why my lover also went to Yuli when he came to the sea?”
“Yes. Because my brother is a lad of wit.”
“Right,” Viktor responded, slowly rising from his seat. Then, deliberately, he removed his gloves.
As his smooth, elegant hands came into view, Hughan felt a professional instinct within him as a police officer to gather information with a quick glance. He observed Viktor’s hands, which were still adorned with a wedding ring.
A wedding ring?
Andrei, who had been planted as a spy, could never not have noticed that the refined gentleman always wore a wedding ring, even after the divorce.
Viktor picked up Hughan’s cup with cigarette residue.
“Yours has already been poured, so I can’t be of assistance.”
“Sir, Sir!”
Hughan exclaimed, but Viktor already had a firm grip on his hand. With a swift motion, Viktor pressed Hughan’s head back and let black tea flow through his spread fingers.
Hughan struggled, but Viktor’s grip ensnared him. Ironically, as he looked up at Viktor, he found him strangely beautiful.
Is this what being possessed by the Devil was like, he wondered. He could partly understand why his sister had fallen in love with Viktor Dumfelt and why she cried when he left for the sea, fearing he would be lost to the ocean together.
Viktor spoke in a soft tone, “Good boy. Swallow it.”
“Ugh!”
“Swallow it.”
The mixture of black tea and cigarette remnants went down Hughan’s throat. Viktor’s indifferent gaze seemed to say, “There’s no poison. I wouldn’t bother putting in so much effort just to kill you.”
“…”
“I’ll release you when your master arrives. So stay here.”
With that, Viktor wiped his damp hands with a handkerchief stained with black tea, then donned his gloves and exited the drawing room. As Viktor left, Hughan clutched his trembling hands to his neck and exhaled a frightened breath. He couldn’t believe his behaviour. Thus far, Hughan had considered Viktor to be a rational individual.
“Just as I expected of her and her son…”
Much like Marina Dumfelt had become insane, Viktor Dumfelt’s demeanour was no longer entirely stable. He appeared to have lost himself to some emotion beyond anger.
Shortly after Viktor’s departure, the drawing-room door swung open once more. Hughan’s face turned pale as he assumed Crown Prince Yuli Irène had arrived. A woman stood at the door – someone familiar yet unfamiliar in her aura.
Shirley Home.
//omg his dominance— ‘Good boy.’ kekeke
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