The Bride Of The Devil-Chapter 75: Shattered Words And Silent Promises

The carriage moved slowly across the frosty road, leaving behind the outskirts of the capital. Inside, silence filled the space like a heavy blanket.

Lydia sat on one side, her eyes red, her cheeks wet with tears. She had been crying from the moment they left the Andreyevna estate. Her body shook softly as she wiped her face again and again, but the tears wouldn’t stop.

Ivan sat across from her, hands on his knees, fingers twitching slightly.

He kept watching her, his jaw clenched. He wanted to speak. He wanted to say something—anything—to comfort her. But the words were stuck in his throat. Every time he looked into her broken eyes, his heart twisted, but he couldn’t open his mouth.

The sound of her quiet sobs filled the space.

Then suddenly, Lydia stopped wiping her tears. Her sadness turned into something else—anger.

"That evil bastard," she muttered under her breath. Her voice was sharp, trembling with rage. "I’ll never go back. Not even for your funeral."

Her hands clenched into fists.

"Shove the house down your throat! Keep everything! I don’t care anymore! Despicable, heartless bastard!"

Ivan blinked.

He had never heard her speak like that. Not Lydia. She was always calm, soft, graceful. But now... she was furious, and rightfully so.

She kept going, her voice louder now, filled with pain and bitterness.

"You’re only lucky I’m a girl. If not, you’d never have taken everything from me."

Then she paused. Her face slowly changed, her expression suddenly thoughtful.

"Wait..." she said softly, almost whispering to herself. "Didn’t godmother say I could still take everything back?"

She looked up slightly, her eyes wide.

"She said... if I give birth to a son. Then he’ll inherit everything. If I get pregnant... and give birth to a son then I’ll..."

Her eyes grew even wider.

She froze.

She suddenly covered her mouth with her hand, realizing she had spoken out loud.

Ivan was staring at her, stunned.

The air between them went still.

Lydia’s face turned bright red. She lowered her head, too embarrassed to look at him.

"I didn’t mean to say that out loud," she mumbled, almost choking on her words.

Ivan shifted slightly, clearly flustered. He looked away quickly, pretending to adjust his sleeve, but his ears had turned pink. The silence was no longer heavy with sadness, but thick with awkwardness.

Before either of them could say anything else, the carriage suddenly stopped with a loud jerk.

Lydia gasped and lost her balance. She almost fell forward, but Ivan quickly reached out and grabbed her wrist. His grip was strong but gentle.

Their eyes met—briefly but deeply.

She could feel his fingers holding her tightly, his breath so close to hers. For a second, the world outside faded.

But then came a knock on the carriage door.

They both pulled away quickly.

Ivan opened the door, and the coachman stood there, his hat in hand.

"Forgive me, Your Highness," he said. "A big tree fell across the path ahead. We’ll need time to clear it."

Ivan nodded. "Alright. Let me know once it’s done."

The coachman bowed and left.

Lydia was still red in the face. She looked at Ivan, stuttered a little, then said, "I... I want to get some fresh air."

Without waiting for his response, she stepped out of the carriage, still hiding her embarrassment.

Ivan watched her go. Then he leaned back in his seat and chuckled quietly, shaking his head.

Outside, Lydia walked a little away from the carriage. The cold air hit her face like a splash of water. It was freezing, but somehow it helped.

She was still mumbling to herself, "Why did I say that? What’s wrong with me..."

She looked around.

The scenery was breathtaking.

Snow covered everything like a soft white blanket. The trees were bare, their branches dressed in frost. A little farther away, she noticed a lake. It was completely frozen. The surface shimmered in the cold light.

She had never seen a lake frozen like that before. It looked like glass, smooth and untouched. For a moment, it made her forget her embarrassment.

She walked slowly toward it, wanting to see it up close, drawn in by its strange beauty.

But then...

She froze.

Across the frozen lake, on the far side, stood a man.

She couldn’t move.

Her legs felt heavy, like they weren’t hers.

The man stared back at her. He didn’t speak. He didn’t move. He only smiled.

But it was the kind of smile that sent shivers down her spine.

Lydia’s heart stopped.

It was him.

It was Ruslan.

She knew that face. That scar. That smirk. That evil calmness.

Tears rushed into her eyes.

Her legs gave out. She dropped to her knees in the snow, her breath coming out in small, panicked gasps. Her hands went to her mouth as she sobbed.

She felt like a little girl again. Powerless. Scared.

She couldn’t breathe. She couldn’t move.

She could only cry.

Back at the carriage, Ivan had stepped out. He was standing just outside the carriage, watching the servants work to remove the fallen tree. But something felt wrong. He turned his head.

Where was Lydia?

He looked around.

Then he saw her — a short distance away, sitting room on the cold ground.

His heart dropped.

"Lydia!"

He ran.

When he reached her, she was curled up, crying. He dropped to his knees beside her and grabbed her shoulders.

"What is it? Lydia, what happened?" he asked, his voice full of worry.

She was shaking, barely able to speak.

"He’s here," she sobbed. "He’s here. The man who killed my parents. He said he’d come to kill me. He’s here, Ivan. He came for me."

Ivan looked around quickly. His eyes scanned the trees, the lake, the shadows. But he saw no one.

"Lydia... there’s no one here," he said gently, pulling her into his arms.

"I saw him," she cried. "He was standing right there."

Ivan held her tighter. "Shh, you’re safe now. No one is going to hurt you. I’m here. I won’t let anyone touch you."

She sobbed into his chest, holding onto his coat like a lifeline.

He wrapped his arms around her and gently stroked her hair. "I’ve got you," he whispered. "It’s alright. You’re safe."

He kept his eyes on the trees while holding her close, just in case.

But there was no one. freewebnoveℓ.com

At least, not that he could see.

Yet someone was there.

Behind the trees, hidden just beyond the lake, Ruslan stood.

He had stepped back the moment Ivan arrived.

Now, he stood quietly in the shadows, watching the Grand Duke hold Lydia so protectively, so gently.

He tilted his head, smiling to himself.

"So," he murmured under his breath, "looks like you do have a weakness after all."

He watched as Ivan stroked her hair, whispering softly into her ear.

Ruslan’s eyes narrowed.

"You’re making things a lot easier for me, Your Highness," he said with a dark grin.

Then he turned and disappeared into the forest.

Read latest chapters at f(r)eewebnov𝒆l Only