Chapter 472: Paranoia

"Yes, Mistress," Morgana continued.

At this point, there was nothing she could do to stop herself from answering.

Her Mistress had asked what she was plotting, and until she had finished answering or Dark Bella asked her something entirely unrelated, Morgana was compelled to provide every answer she wanted.

"I have promised a bountiful reward to any of the provincial lords who can kill Izzgur and bring me his head."

She calmly continued.

"As for where he is right now, he was lured into meeting them. I suggested that they do so."

Morgana paused briefly before continuing.

"However, I did not suggest the method they used, nor did I choose the place they lured him to. I allowed them to decide that part themselves. I also let them decide how entire plan would unfold."

She took another sip from her cup.

"I even instructed them not to keep me informed of the details. All I could offer them were simple requests, such as when Delgran asked for my scroll and seal. I gave them to him."

Delgran was one of the Provincial Lords.

Morgana shrugged slightly. "I assume the scroll and seal were used to send Nathan a summons. Beyond that, I don’t know exactly where they intended to lure him or how they planned to carry out the attack."

She smiled. "And do you know why I deliberately prevented myself from learning the details?"

Dark Bella’s eyes remained fixed on her, saying nothing exactly.

"It was because of you, Mistress. Because I knew there was a possibility that you could eventually stand before me like this and ask that I divulge it all."

Her smile widened slightly. "If you did, I knew I wouldn’t be able to stop myself from telling you everything."

Dark Bella immediately cut her off, her voice sounded commanding. "You will call off the attack on Nathan this very moment."

Morgana laughed softly. "Even if I wanted to do that because you asked me, Mistress, I’m afraid I wouldn’t be able to reach them."

She tilted her head slightly. "I can’t sense any of their presences within my kingdom, which means one of them has used Rule of the Area."

Dark Bella’s eyes widened slightly.

Morgana continued, enjoying herself. "I’m sure you remember that spell, Mistress. After all, you were always the only one who could find me when I cast it, regardless of the spell’s effect."

"But, you’re not what you used to be. I highly doubt you’d be able to find them either."

Morgana leaned back comfortably. "I suppose by the time the spell drops, Izzgur will already be dead."

She laughed again, this time genuinely enjoying the thought.

Dark Bella stared at her with an expression of irritation and disgust. "To what extent is this?" she asked. "What need is there even for all of this?"

Morgana’s expression suddenly changed.

The amusement disappeared from her face, replaced by fury as she stood from her seat and walked towards Dark Bella.

"The last thing I will do is sit and watch while a man who thinks he’s smart tries to undermine and take my kingdom from underneath me. That will never happen!."

"What nonsense are you spouting all of a sudden?" Dark Bella asked, looking rather puzzled.

Morgana answered in the same unwavering tone. "Demons are creatures with an inherent desire to crave power."

She paused for a moment before continuing.

"For the first time in centuries, I finally decided to choose an advisor, despite having none for ages. And it was Izzgur I made my special advisor."

"But raising a demon’s status like that was my greatest mistake. It made him covetous of my throne. And because he knew he could not take it from me through his own power, guess what he did?"

She gestured with her fingers as she continued.

"He went and got himself a dragon spouse...he knew that, as more time passed, the dragon would become even stronger, possibly strong enough to aid him in his fight..."

"His offspring with the dragon, would not just be demons, but dragons as well. Regardless of how they turned out, they would be strong enough to assist him in battle."

Morgana’s voice grew increasingly bitter. "I gave him a task to prove his loyalty to me, but he chose to abscond"

"You asked him to kill off his family" Bella cut in, "what form of deranged method was that?"

"wrong!" Morgana countered. "I asked him to curb down their numbers... The Azazel family was strong enough as it is, imagine what they would be able to do when some of their offsprings are dragons"

"population control, its part of how I have maintained my rule for centuries"

Dark bella sighed deeply and palmed her face. But she didn’t interrupt morgana who continued further

"One day, he came back with some bullshit story about wanting to kill the Dragon Emperor.... But do you know what I did, Mistress? I did something you once taught me to do."

She pointed toward Dark Bella.

"You once taught me that sometimes it was best to let your enemy wallow in the idea that you were being deceived.... so I let Izzgur do whatever he wanted. I brought him back into my throne room. I watched him. I watched him play his several tricks around my kingdom."

She paused.

"And admittedly, perhaps for a moment, I thought that maybe he really could discover a way to defeat an impossible being."

Her expression became darker.

"But all of that was dashed when he left and returned to my kingdom once again.... And guess who he brought with him?"

She laughed bitterly.

"You."

"The one person in this world whose orders I cannot disobey."

Morgana’s laugh continued for a moment, but there was no amusement in it. It was bitter, almost resentful.

"At first, I kept wondering, how? What could possibly be the connection between Izzgur and you? What twist of fate could have caused something like that?"

"And then I discovered it that you are somehow married to his son."

Morgana’s gaze remained fixed on Dark Bella who gave no reaction.

"Or do you think I wouldn’t have noticed part-dragon son when you brought me to the quarters where he housed you all?"

"Do you think I wouldn’t have noticed that what you did was also your way of showing him proof that you could bring me under your control?"

Her expression hardened. "That was the last straw... so, yes. Izzgur will die."

Morgana’s voice became cold "And until he does, and you leave my kingdom, I will have no rest."

Dark Bella had no expression on her face as Morgana spoke, despite the emotions pouring out of the Demon King.

When Morgana finally finished, Dark Bella simply said, "Walk back and take a seat."

Morgana’s eyes widened.

Her body stiffened slightly before she let out a sigh. Without saying another word, she turned around, walked back to her seat, and sat down.

Dark Bella then walked toward her. "It has been over a thousand years, and yet you still haven’t dealt with the trauma that I found you with."

Morgana remained silent.

"You have built all of this for yourself. A whole kingdom and civilization belonging to one of the largest races in this world. And yet, somewhere in all of that, you still fear that it will all be taken away from you."

Dark Bella stopped before her. "Your paranoia has left you gravely mistaken about the true facts of these events. However, this is neither the time nor the place to enlighten your foolish mind."

Her voice was calm and authoritative.

"So this is what is going to happen."

"You will sit on that seat, and you are not to stand from it or make, take, or even conceive of any other actions that will in any way put Nathan, his son, and the rest of us who came with him in danger."

Morgana was fuming inside, anger raging through her as she sat there. She felt as though she were being controlled like a fucking puppet.

Dark Bella stared at her for a few moments, before she suddenly disappeared into the darkness.