Betrayed By My Mate, Claimed By His Lycan King Uncle-Chapter 52: No One Steals The Devil’s Heart.

Dimitri sat in his study, as he often did, spending long hours reviewing documents, signing those that required his approval. The dim candlelight flickered, casting long shadows across the room, but he remained focused, his sharp emerald eyes scanning the parchment before him with meticulous attention.

Liam stood beside him, ever alert, his hand resting lightly on the hilt of his sword. His keen gaze flickered towards Dimitri before he finally spoke. "You have yet to greet the Emperor upon your arrival at the palace, Your Highness. Until you do, there will be no official welcome banquet in your honor."

Dimitri smirked, his gaze never leaving the document in his hands. "You really think I have time to waste on such frivolities?" His tone dripped with amusement. "The Emperor wouldn't dare challenge me. I will meet him when I see fit. For now, my attention is on the war. Celebrations can wait until I return."

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Liam hesitated before speaking again. "Why do you decide to take that maid with you though ? You know she won't survive."

Dimitri finally lifted his gaze from the parchment, his piercing eyes locking onto Liam. "Do you believe she would live long if I left her here in the palace? With that mouth of hers?"

Liam frowned, his curiosity piqued. "I don't understand. What do you mean, Your Highness? Are you implying that taking her to war is a way of... protecting her? How is that possible?"

Dimitri sighed and leaned back in his chair, stretching his muscles before standing up. He began pacing, still clutching the document in one hand, his mind as sharp as ever. "We are no longer at my private mansion, Liam. We are in the imperial palace now. And do you know what happens here? Death. A lot of it. Especially when the Alpha Emperor gives the order."

Liam remained silent, listening intently.

"Mira has been spoiled since birth," Dimitri continued. "She wears elegance like a mask, but beneath it, she is relentless in getting what she desires. Sorayah offended her badly. The death of Mira's maids rests on Sorayah's actions, and do you really think Mira will let her live after that?"

Liam stiffened. "But, Your Highness, you are the Beta Lord. If you command Lady Mira to leave the maid alone, she will have no choice but to obey."

Dimitri chuckled darkly, shaking his head. "Mira is closer to the Alpha Emperor than most, and even closer to his mother. Have you not noticed how concubines here seem to die from incurable diseases? Their bodies cast out before the illness can spread? It's a common method of eliminating rivals in the harem. The Alpha Emperor has no choice but to order their banishment when such accusations arise. And what follows? Death."

Liam's expression darkened as realization dawned on him.

"Once I leave for war," Dimitri continued, his voice low and calculated, "Mira will act. All she needs is a single plan, one fabricated illness, a well-placed accusation and the Alpha Emperor will order Sorayah's exile. Once she is thrown out of the palace, she will not last a day in the wild as she'll be killed immediately. Only then will Mira's anger be satisfied. By the time I return, I will be informed of Sorayah's 'tragic fate,' but by then, it will be too late. Even if I reprimand Mira or challenge the Alpha Emperor himself, the damage will have been done."

Liam exhaled slowly, nodding as he pieced everything together. "Now I understand. That is why you are taking the maid with you. You already foresaw what would happen."

Dimitri smirked but said nothing.

Liam studied his expression carefully before asking, "But do you truly care for that maid? I fail to understand why her life concerns you. Surely you are not developing feelings for a mere human, simply because she reminds you of your sister?"

Dimitri let out a cold, mirthless laugh. "What a ridiculous notion." His smirk widened, his voice laced with cruel amusement. "Sorayah may resemble my sister in spirit, she is the only one who dares challenge me repeatedly but she remains a maid. Worse, she is human. I have already told her that only I have the right to end her life. No one else. I am simply not finished playing with her yet. That is why I saved her from Mira's wrath."

He leaned forward, his voice dropping to a near whisper. "And even if Mira does not act while I am away, do you think the other influential werewolves will spare her if she offends them? She will lose her head if she offends the wrong one. Or worse, if the Alpha Emperor takes a liking to her and decides to claim her as his plaything, she will be dead within days. The palace is a battlefield, Liam. She will not survive it."

Liam nodded but then hesitated. "Then, Your Highness, I must ask... why did you create the new law forbidding the enslavement of teenagers from the human kingdom? Ego was enraged by it. We all suffered at the hands of those humans when your pack fell. You know what we endured when we were captured. Why would you grant mercy now, when it is time for them to suffer as we did?"

Dimitri's expression darkened, his voice lowering to a near growl. "I know, Liam. And they are suffering for it. I granted Sorayah's request because I made her a promise. But do not mistake this for kindness." His emerald eyes gleamed with something far more sinister. "There is only one human I wish to see suffer as I did. The human Crown Prince. He is the one I want kneeling before me, begging for his life as I once begged for mine. I want him to watch his family die just as I watched mine perish."

A heavy silence settled between them.

Dimitri chuckled darkly before continuing. "Everything is falling into place. This werewolf pack believes I have forgotten who I truly am. That I am not one of them. They think I have no recollection that they are the ones who destroyed my pack. They see me as a naive Beta Lord, oblivious to their sins. But they have no idea that I am merely biding my time."

His smirk deepened. "I orchestrated the new Alpha Emperor's rise. I made him slaughter all twelve of his brothers. Now, what do you think would happen if I led him to do the same to his sons and daughters? I poisoned his father, slowly, methodically, ensuring his suffering. I spared his mother just so he could watch her fall in disgrace just as mine. Do you think he will endure watching his own body being used like a common whore?"

Tears glistened in Dimitri's eyes for the briefest of moments before he wiped them away, his expression returning to one of icy resolve.

Liam dropped to one knee, bowing his head. "Your Highness, I always knew you would never abandon this vengeance we have plotted since you were a boy. I merely feared that the maid was becoming a distraction since her actions are like your dead sister."

Dimitri scoffed. "No one steals the devil's heart, Liam. I am merely toying with her. Let her think she is safe. Let her believe she is important. And then, when she least expects it, I will strike her down myself. Beside I plan to start favouring her after we return back from law. I have my reasons which you'll only start to see when it start revealing itself but for now don't ask."

He then turned away, his tone commanding. "Tell Ego to let the teenagers go, as I have decreed. They were not yet born when I was captured. But the adults... let them bear the burden instead. It is only a matter of time before I claim this pack as my own. And when I do, I will walk upon the blood of my enemies as their Alpha Emperor."

"Right away, Your Highness." Liam bowed slightly before continuing, his tone laced with unshaken resolve. "Her Highness, the imperial concubine carrying the Alpha Emperor's first child, will be leaving the palace tomorrow to visit the temple and pray for her unborn offspring. That could be the perfect opportunity to strike. We should begin eliminating the Emperor's bloodline with her, make her suffer the same way your elder sister did at the hands of this pack's werewolves." His voice was steady, but there was a dark glint in his eyes as he slowly rose from his kneeling position.

Dimitri leaned back in his chair, his fingers drumming lazily against the polished wood of his desk. A slow, satisfied smirk spread across his face. "Good. Get ready for it, then," he ordered, his emerald eyes gleaming with malicious intent. "Make sure Ego and our most trusted werewolf guards are present. They will be the ones to carry out the deed."

Liam nodded, his expression unreadable, though the excitement in his stance betrayed him. "Understood, Your Highness," he affirmed, already mentally preparing for the bloodshed to come. With a swift bow, he turned on his heel and exited the study, leaving Dimitri alone with his thoughts.