Garden Of Poison-Chapter 229: Not willing to share

Emily’s eyes widened, her heart leaping to her throat as time seemed to stand still for the briefest of seconds amidst the silence and the lingering echo of the jarring piano keys. This wasn’t part of the piano lessons, was it? Finally finding her voice, she said,

"I think—that’s enough piano lessons for today. I know how to play the piano keys gently now."

She attempted to retrieve her hand, but her captor held it firmly. Moreover, he hadn’t said a word, even though more than ten seconds had passed. A soft gasp escaped her lips when she felt his breath next to her ear.

"There seems to be a problem, Princess." Raylen’s words were like the air, soft and gentle.

Seeing that he still hadn’t let go of her hand, Emily said, "Perhaps the piano is not well-suited for me, and I should consider try—"

"I think it suits you far better than we first thought," Raylen answered, every word of his akin to a finger pressing a piano key, eliciting faster heartbeats. The hand he held was smaller than his, almost hidden beneath his own. "Though I wasn’t talking about the piano. Do you know what it means when you don’t like a man being around a woman?"

"That they are incompatible?" Emily asked, her voice softer than his, while silently hoping he would release her hand.

Raylen’s hand didn’t let go of hers, and instead, his grip tightened, as though he believed that if he were to release it, she would slip away. And he wasn’t one to let opportunities pass. His lips lacked a smile, and his gaze was unwavering on her face, observing her not dare to look at him. He remarked,

"It seems that I don’t like you talking about Julius or praising him. It is making me more peeved than I usually am."

"I didn’t realise that praising someone else for their piano skills could peeve you," Emily muttered, and she briefly considered whether this could be a useful tactic to get back at him in the future. However, her gaze drifted back to their hands. She said, "I won’t mention or praise him in front of you anymore. Can you let go of my hand now?" It had been too long now, and things were starting to feel a little strange.

He didn’t offer any objection, and soon she felt the grip on her hand loosen and let go. At the same time, she noticed her pale skin flush with colour. She felt him pull away from her from their previous position, leaving only his shadow cast upon her.

Emily quickly stood up, her face slightly pink, not knowing what had gotten into Raylen with his action. As she attempted to step away from the bench, he moved to block her way. Their gazes met, her hazel brown eyes reflecting a hint of anxiety and his blue eyes staring back at her intensely.

A soft chuckle escaped from Raylen’s lips, leaving Emily puzzled, and he remarked, "Ah, you turned into a lucky one, Princess. Isn’t that interesting now?" He had figured out what he wanted, and he wasn’t going to allow her to leave the room without her knowing exactly what was on his mind.

"I don’t know if you are aware, but I have been short on luck, and my day has been long. I wish to rest by going to—" Emily’s words trailed off when Raylen took a step closer to her.

"You are currently enjoying a stroke of good fortune because I seem to have plenty of it. Call it the devil’s luck," Raylen said, his eyes on Emily, which did not leave her face even for a second. Anticipating her attempt to move away, he placed his hands on the piano keys behind her, effectively caging her.

A faint alarm bell began to ring in Emily’s mind, much like the one she had heard in the town she had passed through. It was as if, at the back of her mind, she knew what Raylen was up to, and she tried to evade it by giving him the slip. But the archdemon had locked her between himself and the grand piano, leaving her with no option to escape him.

"Please unthink whatever you are thinking," Emily muttered, her words bringing a crooked smile to his lips.

"I was wondering about how long you would play coy." The look in Raylen’s eyes remained calm and patient, like a hunter waiting for its prey. "I don’t want to share, Princess, and this has nothing to do with your blood."

Emily felt her head turning faint, and her body swayed backwards, inadvertently causing her to hit the piano keys, and it was enough to jolt her back to the present. Her mouth turned dry. She hadn’t expected him to... say something like this to her. For a fleeting moment, doubt crept into her mind, especially after she had found out that he had once again lied to her earlier that morning.

"If you are joking, King Raylen, this is not funny, and you should quit it immediately. You don’t even— You are with Gloria and the others. I am not even your type," Emily stammered, her voice filled with uncertainty.

What she said was not wrong, Raylen thought.

Emily Blackthorn had never been his type in the women he typically charmed and bedded after a satisfying meal. The women he had associated with until now were often wild and free from the shackles of society. On the other hand, the princess was reserved, a goody two-shoes who followed the rules, and he would have categorised her as the same type as Julius. However, there was more to her than met the eye at first glance. Rather, the reason he had taken pleasure in provoking her was due to her fiery and passionate reactions.

Raylen tilted his head and remarked, "It is as much of a surprise to me as it is to you, Princess. I want to keep you here in the castle. Looks like you were right with your prediction, with you in the tower and me as the dragon. Just a little detail you might have overlooked: the princes and the knights coming for you? They won’t make it across the bridge."

"Are you in love with me?" Emily asked, her expression filled with doubt.

Raylen raised one of his eyebrows and said, "Looks like you want me heading in that direction already."

"Please find another direction!" Emily urged, a worried expression appearing on her face. Oh dear God, she silently prayed in her mind. This was something she hadn’t foreseen, and it felt like a whirlwind had descended upon the castle. She said, "What if I have no intention of staying in the castle?"

Upon hearing her words, Raylen leaned in towards her, causing Emily to take a sharp breath when his face was just inches away from hers. She saw him smile, a smile that radiated kindness, and he remarked, "That’s a silly thought, Princess."

Emily tried to keep a calm expression, but the words uttered by Raylen left her feeling like her hair had been electrified with static.

Raylen gazed into her hazel brown eyes, which carried a mixture of confusion and panic. Beautiful, he thought. Drawn by her scent, he leaned in a little bit closer when he heard her heart skip a beat.

He whispered, "Don’t worry, Princess. I won’t kiss you. I am aware that you prefer gentlemen."

Emily gulped softly, feeling him look at her as if he were peering into her soul. She said, her voice trembling slightly, "Don’t tell me you are going to turn into a gentleman..."

Raylen’s eyes twinkled, and he responded, "I hadn’t initially planned on it. But it appears that there might be some courting to be done?" He was well aware that she was likely cursing him for his brazen behaviour, but it was something that could be worked on. "For now, no sharing," he added, and he pulled away from her, releasing the piano keys he had pressed on.

Emily didn’t move from her position and continued leaning against the piano as she watched Raylen step back with a pleasant smile. The blue-eyed demon didn’t say another word before he left the room while whistling a soft tune.

’I don’t want to share, Princess.’ Raylen’s words echoed in her mind.

Hours later, when dinner was ready, Emily accompanied her mother to the dining room. Lady Sophia said,

"I believe that a nap was much needed. I thought of eating in my room, but it has been so long since we ate together. Besides, King Raylen wouldn’t be pleased if I skipped the meal, would he? I heard he’s quite the womaniser."

Emily didn’t offer a comment, and as they reached the entrance of the dining room, she said, "You don’t have to worry about that, Mother. Your rest is more important. The King doesn’t—" her words halted upon seeing Raylen in the dining room.

Of all the days, he decided to join them in the dining room promptly today...

Feeling conscious of Raylen’s presence, Emily briefly considered turning around and heading back to her room to let her thoughts settle. However, it was too late to do that now as Raylen greeted them, saying,

"Good evening, Lady Sophia, and welcome to Storm Kingdom. I’ve heard that you were feeling unwell." His gaze briefly flicked to Emily before he inquired of Lady Sophia, "I hope you were able to have a decent sleep?"

Lady Sophia plastered on a smile and replied, "Good evening, King Raylen. I am feeling a little better, and I should be fully recovered by tomorrow morning. I apologise for the unannounced visit... which even I didn’t know to expect."

"You do not have to fret about it," Raylen reassured her as the two women entered the dining room. He added, "We’ve had some unexpectedly unwanted visitors recently. However, your presence as Emily’s mother is not a bother at all, at least until we find a way to get you back to Versailles."

Lady Sophia laughed and waved her hand at him. She said, "Now that I am here, I shall make sure Emily finds a suitable man, and only then will I consider leaving."

"I don’t doubt that." Raylen’s charming smile didn’t drop, and he turned to Westley.

Emily was about to take her usual seat when she caught sight of Westley stepping forward, pulling out the first chair in line and gesturing for her mother to sit. Her mother had no qualms about the arrangement and happily took a seat next to Raylen on his left.

"Princess."

Emily’s eyes met Raylen’s, who had placed his hand on the chair on his right. She made her way over to the chair he pulled out for her, and her mother briefly observed the archdemon displaying good manners. Emily took her seat while Raylen pushed in her chair for her.

Things were moving a little too fast for everything to sink into Emily’s mind, and she found herself staring at her plate when the food was served.

"King Raylen, I wanted to thank you for looking after my daughter since her arrival. I was concerned, since Emily has never travelled so far from home without our family members accompanying her," Lady Sophia offered her gratitude.

"It is a delight to have her here. Not to mention, both Versailles and Storm should be capable of providing such simple hospitality." Raylen’s words were polite, which pleased Lady Sophia, even though she didn’t completely trust the archdemon.

Emily noticed that food was being served to Raylen, with no sign of cake on the table.

"Lily, what are you looking at instead of eating?" Lady Sophia asked before turning to the king and requesting, "I was hoping I could get a list of eligible and honourable men for my Emily. Also, if you could shed light on any worthy man who has courted her?"

"Mother, how about we talk about it after dinner? I am sure King Raylen would appreciate some peace and quiet during his meal," Emily suggested to her mother, as she had already brought up the topic with her mother once before. freeweɓnøvel.com

"I am more than happy to answer the beautiful lady," Raylen responded with a patient smile. "About what you asked, Lady Sophia, much to my sorrow, the men who have appeared thus far have not been commendable enough. However, now that you are here, I believe someone far more worthy will turn up before the princess."