Garden Of Poison-Chapter 208: Was there, not anymore

Although Raylen had assured Emily that the clouds would become quieter, it took only an hour before the rain unleashed its restrained fury, this time with even greater intensity than before. However, the princess, exhausted from her fever and her conversation with the archdemon, had drifted into a deep slumber from which she did not awaken.

At the hour of four in the morning, the rain finally ceased, ushering in silence and a fresh, new day. The candles had completely melted away, and Raylen quietly slipped out of the room. He made his way to the kitchen, where Lauren and Westley were sipping blood from their worn-out cups.

Upon seeing Raylen, the two servants rose from their seats and offered him a bow, saying, "Good morning, Master," as they greeted him.

"Mm, morning," Raylen mumbled, the veins beneath his eyes becoming more pronounced as they pushed to the surface of his skin due to his thirst.

"I will heat the blood for you, Master," Lauren informed, moving away from her seat. After she kindled the fire, she positioned a vessel over it to warm the blood. She then turned her gaze to Raylen, who stared at the flames. She inquired, "Is the princess doing better?"

"Yes, she’s sound asleep in dreamland now. She should be feeling better than last night," Raylen replied, walking over to where Lauren stood and placing his hand in the fire as if to feel the heat. He said, "She said something very interesting before she fell asleep. Something that has left me wondering."

Westley quietly waited for his master to continue speaking, while Lauren asked, "What did she say?"

"She spoke about people who have been opening up children’s chests, looking for something," Raylen hummed, his face wearing a blank expression, like a yet-to-be painted canvas. His words captured the full attention of his two servants. He continued, "It is something my late father used to do. As a doctor, he would spend hours dissecting lifeless bodies while looking for this rare soul called the Barter Soul."

Lauren frowned and asked, "Is Princess Emily one of that kind?"

"I will need to open up her chest to know for sure," Raylen murmured. He then said, "She may be or she may not be." Whoever abducted her hadn’t performed the same procedure on her as they had on the other children’s bodies; she was left untouched and made an accomplice. Could it be that those responsible had taken a liking to her? His lips twisted with a thoughtful expression before he instructed, "Bring me the ingredients to communicate through the vessel."

Westley immediately began preparing the vessel, skilfully inscribing the markings as if he were an expert. Meanwhile, Lauren finished warming the blood and offered it to Raylen.

Once the setup was complete, Raylen drained the entire glass of blood and licked his lips clean. He then stood before the vessel, tapping into the forbidden magic intended exclusively for individuals with demon blood because of the special ingredients it contained. The surface of the dark liquid immediately began to waver.

In the Kingdom of Versailles, people were sleeping blissfully in their beds when the communication summons unexpectedly opened up in the Blackthorn Palace. Raylen’s first choice was to wake the king, but then he decided to choose someone else.

Raylen heard shuffling sounds from the other side, and before long, the Mother Queen emerged to peer into the vessel that had been placed next to her bedside. The older woman wasn’t pleased about her sleep being interrupted, but at the same time, she doubted the archdemon had called her on a mere whim.

"A tad too early to be waking me at this hour. I hope it is something of great importance," the Mother Queen remarked, stifling a yawn behind her hand.

"It is about your granddaughter," Raylen informed the woman, who attempted to shake off her drowsiness by widening her eyes. He continued, "I will keep it brief and to the point."

"Very well," the Mother Queen replied, and she asked, "Is she alright?"

"She got drenched in the rain and fell a bit sick," Raylen replied, and the old woman frowned in concern.

"I wasn’t aware that Emily had such low immunity. It is probably due to the new environment she’s still adjusting to," the Mother Queen replied, her expression turning grim. She continued, "I trust she is being well-taken care of."

"I assure you, she is resting and receiving the best care we can offer," Raylen said, bestowing the woman with a charming smile. He continued, "The thing is, the princess mentioned something earlier when I was with her, and I was hoping you could shed some light on the matter."

The Mother Queen nodded but then inquired with scepticism, "Wasn’t she meant to be resting? How could you have been discussing anything? And where is the maid we sent her with?"

"Sleeping," Raylen replied, and the Mother Queen’s frown only deepened. He said, "I was with the princess," and the older woman’s eyebrows shot up in surprise.

"In her room?" The Mother Queen’s drowsiness dissipated upon hearing the news.

"Yes."

Alone? the Mother Queen wondered silently in her mind, but Raylen read the unspoken question from the expression on the woman’s face and opted to ignore it. He continued,

"She’s terrified by the sounds of thunder and sleeps with candles burning until the wake of dawn," Raylen explained. "She mentioned being abducted when she was young. Where was she taken to?"

Still ruminating on the previous subject, the Mother Queen returned to the present and answered, "It was in Gavalon, two kingdoms away from Versailles." She sighed and added, "She was so young; we feared we lost her."

"She said that the men who abducted her were opening up children’s chests to examine the cavity?" Raylen asked to confirm and saw the old woman nod in response.

"Emily, she doesn’t like to talk about it. And Sophia detests it even more, knowing what her young daughter had to endure at such an innocent age," the Mother Queen replied, taking a seat on the edge of the bed and leaning forward, her face hovering in front of the vessel. She continued, "At the time, the servants saw Emily steal some food, which she had hidden and wrapped in a cloth, before she left to meet the village children. What we couldn’t have possibly known was that she would be torn away from us, from her home and family, and taken to a place none of us knew how to find to look for her. It took two weeks before William and Dante located them, and when Emily returned to us, she wasn’t the same."

"She became quieter and more distant," Raylen commented, and the woman silently offered a nod.

"Whoever kidnapped my granddaughter made Emily take the life of a boy. It haunted her; she had trouble sleeping, and darkness... she cannot bear it. Her room would suddenly echo with her screams in the dead of night, and Sophia, driven both by her own fear and concern for Emily, stayed by her side for nearly three years before Emily found the courage to sleep on her own. We never brought it up again. We never discussed it, as if it had never occurred, hoping she would forget, but it seems the poor child is still plagued by it," the Mother Queen revealed with a heavy heart.

The Mother Queen still vividly recalled the way Emily had returned home that evening. Her clothes were stained with blood, and her eyes were wide with fear and dilated from the horrors that she had endured. Somewhere along the way, the experience compelled her granddaughter to keep everything locked inside.

Raylen inquired, "What about the killers? Were they executed on the spot? Or were they questioned about their motives?"

"They killed one of the men, while the other accomplice managed to escape," the Mother Queen replied. "We sent people to scour the lands of the neighbouring kingdoms in an effort to find him, but he vanished and was never seen again."

"And what about the girl?" Raylen continued to inquire, while Lauren and Westley stood in the corner of the room, attentively listening to the conversation. Upon seeing the red-headed Queen frown, he added, "I mean the young girl who lured Emily and the others. What happened to her?"

"Oh," the Mother Queen replied with a heavy sigh. "She was killed by those men. There were so many unidentified children’s bodies found there. William would have had Emily confirm, but she was barely functioning at that time."

Not to mention, her daughter-in-law had become increasingly paranoid after the incident, monitoring every move Emily made and scrutinising anyone who interacted with her. Maids who raised even the slightest hints of suspicion were mercilessly executed in the name of ensuring the Versailles Princess’ safety.

"I have one final question. These children, who were carved open, were there any distinctive markings found on their bodies?" Raylen inquired.

"I don’t recall any mention of markings. Let me think," the Mother Queen said, pausing for a moment. Then her eyes widened as she remembered, "I believe William did mention something about a witch-like marking beneath the skin of one of the children. He found it rather strange. But why are you asking about these details?"

Raylen didn’t wear his usual charming smile, but the politeness in his eyes and the manner in which he spoke remained as he posed his question, asking,

"Have you ever heard about the Barter Soul, Queen Ginger?"

"What is that?" the Mother Queen asked, her curiosity piqued, as she had never heard about such a concept before.

"It is said that long ago, some innocent souls were dragged to Hell. These innocent souls not only became corrupted but also caused an imbalance in the realm of the living, the dead, and the one beyond the sky. To restore fairness, a particular type of soul was introduced aeons ago. This is what we call the Barter Soul—a switch soul meant for exchange. People use it to trade for the return of a desired soul or sometimes even for a body," Raylen explained, while the older woman continued to listen in deep silence. He went on,

"But this didn’t achieve the desired outcome, as some individuals started killing and hunting for it. Eventually, the occurrence of Barter Souls stopped, but no arrangement is ever flawless, and every so often, a Barter Soul emerges into the world of the living, and men have always sought to find it when one does."

"And how do you determine if a person possesses this soul you mentioned?" the Mother Queen questioned, finally grasping the implications of Raylen’s words.

"There are specific stag bones that are fractured from its ribs to indicate the direction of what you seek," Raylen responded. "Once that’s done, you open the chest of the person they lead you to."

Raylen noticed the former queen’s evident displeasure with the idea, and she tightly pressed her lips together. She then took a deep breath before asking,

"You think the person from the past will come for her?"

"Probably," Raylen responded, and the Mother Queen looked away from the vessel. He continued, "Souls like those require time to mature, a process that requires ageing, and whoever it was, knew it was too early to harvest the soul. They were prepared to keep her like a lamb that would grow into a sheep, ready to be sacrificed for a future purpose."

But something must have gone wrong, Raylen contemplated to himself. For the person not to leave with Emily in time. Like an amateur.

"That is one of the reasons Dante and I believed it was safer to have her stay in your castle, rather than in her relatives’ mansion, which isn’t as secure as a place where an archdemon resides," the Mother Queen expressed her thoughts, which carried worry for her granddaughter.

Licking her lips, she inquired, "I am hoping you don’t have any plans for her soul?"

A slow smile crept across Raylen’s lips, and he replied, "Not that I’m aware of right now." He paused briefly before saying, "Speaking of safety, your beloved granddaughter opened a portal to communicate with the Devil yesterday. Kindly keep in mind that her ability to communicate with her home will be restricted from now on. Thank you for the insightful information, Queen Ginger. Also, congratulations on becoming a great-grandmother."

The Mother Queen’s mood brightened at the sentiment, and she replied "Thank you for your well-wishes. Goodnight."

With the communication between the two now severed, silence settled in the kitchen. Raylen gazed at the reflective surface of the liquid, seeing his own face and the ceiling above mirrored in it.

Lauren and Westley shared a quiet glance between them before returning their attention to their Master, who didn’t move from where he stood. They then heard him say,

"Did you know that a corrupted soul is more susceptible to a soul exchange?" Raylen mused out loud.

This only meant that if Emily’s condition didn’t improve, her soul might be used by someone else instead of immediately perishing.

"Princess, you seem to have a stalker," Raylen murmured, realising that anyone aware of the existence of her soul wouldn’t easily avert their gaze from her.

As hours passed, Emily finally stirred awake when it was close to nine in the morning. Her body and muscles felt less sore, and her fever had subsided after the break of dawn. She took a deep breath, inhaling the scent of the damp earth that hung in the air, even though she was indoors, within the castle. Her eyes slowly pried open to the streaks of light filtering through the gaps in the curtains.

Emily pushed herself to sit up and turned to look at the space next to her, where Raylen had laid, keeping her company through the night. She couldn’t help but wonder when he had left.

Turning around, she placed her feet on the soft fur carpet, and just as she was about to stand, the door of her room swung open, and her maid entered.

"Good morning, Princess Emily," Julia greeted her with a respectful bow, clearly delighted to see the princess awake, and she politely asked, "How is your fever now?"

"Much better. I feel like it has been a while since I had a good night’s rest," Emily replied with a thoughtful expression. She had dreamt of happier times with her family, and the memories shone as brightly as the morning sun.

Julia looked glad and said, "That is good to hear. I was initially going to assist you, but the head servant said she was going to personally take care of you, so I thought it was better that I go to sleep to replenish my energy for today while staying by your side." She pushed a trolley loaded with breakfast towards the princess.

"Lauren was very kind last night, and I am glad that you were able to sleep well," Emily replied, although she hadn’t slept through the entire night herself. However, during those late hours, it had been Raylen who had... taken care of her.

How strange, Emily thought to herself.

Being cared for was something Emily had longed for from her mother, but it had been absent for so long that she was forced to grow up prematurely. She recalled her younger days when her mother would sit beside her and hold her hand when she was unwell. But somewhere along the way, as the years passed and she grew older, things had changed, and that closeness faded.

’We should have you wear the gown crafted by Muil, Lily,’ her mother suggested. ’No one has seen it yet, and you are coming of age soon and will be officially introduced as a woman. It is essential for you to present yourself next week.’

Emily was seventeen and lay sick in bed. Her temperature soared, and she could barely keep her eyes open. She wished for her mother to sit next to her, to stay until she fell asleep, or to let her get some much-needed rest. And it wasn’t that she didn’t attempt to voice her thoughts, saying, ’Mother, I am not feeling so well. Perhaps I should re—’

’Or maybe you should wear that gown gifted to you by your father. It is exquisite, and with the right jewels, you will look quite refined,’ her mother continued enthusiastically, not realising that what Emily truly needed was not to look beautiful but to feel loved. ’There will be many people of high social standing, and you shouldn’t appear inferior to them, Lily.’

A sigh escaped from Emily’s lips as she wondered where the mother who had once sat beside her and took care of her had disappeared to. Was the palace to blame for her mother’s change in behaviour towards her?

As her mother walked over to one of her cupboards, Emily lay on the bed with a burning fever, her breath coming out hot and laboured. Her eyes prickled with tears, but she fought to blink them away and said, ’I think I caught something in the garden yesterday. My throat has been—’

’You know, Maya is planning to present Niyasa next week alongside you. She knows you will find the best match for marriage, so she’s eager to secure a better position for her daughter. I won’t allow that to happen to you. You are going to come first, Lily,’ her mother declared with her back turned to her, rummaging through her clothes to choose an outfit for the upcoming celebration. Her mother continued, ’Yesterday, Noor was showing off the earrings your father gave her. Let us hope your father will give you something as well, and we still have his...’

Emily tuned out the rest of her mother’s words as she felt the loneliness creep in, despite having her mother in the room and servants standing just outside her door. There were times when, no matter what she tried to discuss, her mother was too absorbed in her own concerns, craving the attention her father couldn’t provide her.

Returning to the present, Emily saw her maid staring at her curiously, and she offered her a smile. She then said,

"You can take the trolley back to the kitchen, Julia. I will have my breakfast in the dining room."

"You should take it slowly, Princess, and not strain your body as it might still be recovering," Julia replied in concern. She helped Emily get into a presentable state before draping a shawl around her shoulders.

"Mm," Emily agreed, realising that she couldn’t leave the castle today. Another gathering was being held today, and she wouldn’t be able to attend. What a shame, she thought.

After finishing her breakfast, Emily turned to look at the head of the table before getting up and stepping out of the dining room, only to be greeted by Raylen, who looked like he had slept well.

"Looks like someone is feeling all better already," Raylen remarked from the other end of the corridor as he walked towards her. "Having some company helps, doesn’t it?"

Emily turned flustered at his words, recalling how he had hopped on the same bed as her last night. However, she didn’t fail to express her gratitude by bowing and saying, "Thank you for last night."

Raylen smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkling, and replied, "Mention it not. The princess needed to be cared for. Else, what would the poor, starving men do?" He chuckled and continued, "Mrs. Ruiz sent you an invitation for today, but I let her know that you are ill. If my estimation is correct, you will have some flowers sent here for you. To help you feel better."

There were only two suitors who had come for her. She doubted there would be more than one bouquet of flowers. She then asked him, "Will you be going out today?"

"Not unless I need to. Why do you ask?" Raylen raised his eyebrows. "As fun as it was, I hope we aren’t going to play doctor and patient again," he added with a playful tone, although he was looking forward to her feeling better, as there were two pending bites he had yet to enjoy.

Emily’s voice carried an eager tone as she began, "I have been fascinated by the piano ever since I first heard it. I was wondering if it might be possible to arrange for a tutor so that I could learn to play." She had decided to make productive use of her time instead of spending it all in bed.

"I would be more than happy to teach you, Lady Emily," a voice chimed in from the other side of the corridor. It was none other than Julius, who had come to visit her.

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