Garden Of Poison-Chapter 233: Forest of Red

The carriage continued to move, with the sound of the wheels against the wet ground and the horses’ hooves clip-clopping in the background. Emily was so immersed in the conversation with Raylen that she had failed to notice that more time had passed compared to when she had travelled from the castle to the town.

"Sold her soul?" Emily repeated, intrigued by the concept she had only heard in stories before, but never had she heard that story from such a close source. "What for?"

Raylen’s expression remained as calm as undisturbed water. He observed how Emily had fixed her undivided attention on him, her hazel brown eyes eagerly awaiting his response.

"For the same old story that unfolds in every other kingdom," he replied, only piquing Emily’s curiosity further. He then said,

"My mother, Queen Antonella Storm, and King Dominick Storm were trying for a child. The kingdom was on the verge of being attacked by neighbouring kingdoms, and having an heir was crucial to securing the family’s position. The King’s siblings were also eyeing the throne for themselves. A year passed, but the Queen was unsuccessful in conceiving a child. Fearing that the King would find another woman to bear his heir, my mother sought help from where most wouldn’t dare."

"She summoned the Devil..." Emily guessed, and Raylen confirmed it with a slight smile.

"She didn’t dare to turn to any ordinary earthling, fearing that someone might open his mouth and reveal her secret," Raylen recounted as he continued the story. "She did what the witches told her, used the necessary ingredients, and summoned the Devil, who hadn’t set foot in the living realm for the longest time. She begged and offered her soul to him, and in return, he would bestow her with a male heir to secure her position."

So that is how Raylen was born, Emily mused, but her curiosity got the better of her. "Did they... I mean... together..."

"Have sex?" Raylen asked, and he nodded. "They did. The land needs the seed to be sown for the plant to grow, Princess," he chuckled.

"What about your siblings?" Emily inquired, and Raylen leaned in subtly towards her, drawing her in.

"It was later that she found out that her land wasn’t as barren as she thought it to be. The rest of my siblings were King Dominick’s natural children. You cannot sell yourself twice, and once sold, there is no going back. It is for eternity," Raylen explained.

Upon realising that she had unconsciously leaned closer to him, Emily quickly pulled her body back and asked, "Is that what you were trying to make me do before? When you spoke about me giving up my soul?"

Raylen smiled, pleased with her attentiveness, and he stated, "Nobody else will be able to steal it."

Up until now, Emily had heard about individuals selling their souls to the Devil to make deals and fulfil their wishes in the living realm. She had also heard how those who sold their souls didn’t stay the same, as their souls became tainted, believing that they were eternally bound to the underworld.

"May I ask something?" Emily inquired, her curiosity not yet quenched, as Raylen was a mystery box.

Raylen already knew where this conversation was going, and although he didn’t like talking about it, he believed it could be beneficial this time.

"Hm?"

"Those skeletons on the lower floor... your family," Emily carefully broached the topic, refraining from asking too many questions and attempting to clarify her understanding as she spoke. "Why haven’t they been buried?"

"My mother has been buried," Raylen replied, and Emily observed that the typically light expression on the archdemon’s face began to darken with a shadow of the past.

He must have loved his mother dearly, Emily thought. However, he mentioned that his siblings were younger than him. As they continued to stare at each other, she cautiously inquired, "Did you kill them...?"

Raylen’s blue eyes glimmered with something Emily couldn’t decipher. "Would it frighten you, Princess, if I said I killed them one by one? And enjoyed every single one of their deaths?"

"A little." Emily’s words barely escaped as a whisper. "But, I would like to know if there was a reason behind it."

She hoped there was a reason behind it! Emily thought in her mind. Because if there wasn’t, and he had committed those deeds solely due to his demonic nature, she contemplated whether it would be time to jump out of the carriage. At the same time, she finally realised that this wasn’t the same route as she had travelled earlier, adding to her growing sense of unease.

"Why?" Emily asked him again.

"Jealousy is a dangerous thing, and when it takes root and spreads out its branches, there’s no telling when it becomes a fire that consumes people," Raylen replied quietly. "As years passed, my mother began to view what was once a blessing as a curse when she finally realised what she had done. She loved her husband and his children, while the love she had for me eventually diminished and was replaced with indifference. Of course, it didn’t help that I possessed demon blood and did inexplicable things at times. So when time came, I decided to preserve what she dearly loved while her body resides away from them."

"I am truly sorry to hear that..." Emily said, her sympathy deepening upon finding out that Raylen had been neglected by the very mother who had brought him into existence. She couldn’t help but feel sorry for him.

"Don’t be," Raylen chuckled, noticing the princess’s gaze softening with sympathy while a tinge of fear remained. He pulled out the cigar case from his coat, and soon the carriage came to a stop. With a nonchalant tone, he said, "It happened a long time ago, and I enjoyed every moment of their demise. Including the relatives."

When the door of the carriage opened and just before Raylen could step out, Emily posed one final question:

"What did your siblings do?"

Raylen’s eyes subtly shifted to a more serious demeanour, and he said, "Don’t show them pity. They were minions in disguise, even without a drop of demon blood in them."

"You said some are in Heaven," Emily pointed out with a furrowed brow.

"Show only some of them pity," Raylen corrected himself before getting down from the carriage.

"That’s cruel," Emily blurted out, her strong reaction causing Raylen to turn and look at her, all while she remained in the carriage, not making any attempt to disembark.

"I am the Devil’s son. Need to live up to the name." Raylen cracked a wry smile because he knew that none of his siblings would ever get a pass to Heaven. "Coming? I thought you wanted to get some fresh air," he added.

Emily, curious about their location, asked him, "Where are we?"

"Come out and see for yourself," Raylen replied before walking away from the carriage and placing a cigar between his lips. He lit the end, watching it burn, and soon smoke escaped from his lips.

Emily couldn’t shake her curiosity about how Raylen had managed to kill his entire family. It was something she found hard to grasp. She wondered whether there were aspects of the story that Raylen hadn’t elaborated on or if he had only provided her with a brief overview of what had happened.

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Emily slowly climbed down from the carriage and was greeted with a picturesque view of trees adorned with red leaves. The ground was covered in fallen leaves, creating a blend of yellow and red hues.

Until this moment, Emily had only ever seen green leaves, not the vibrant red ones that surrounded her. She gazed around in wonder and asked, "What is this place?"

"It is called the Forest of Red," Raylen responded. "In three days, a gathering is planned to take place here." He took a drag from his cigar and exhaled the smoke into the air. His gaze lingered on Emily, whose eyes looked at the place in awe. It seemed that the smoke didn’t bother her anymore, yet he could sense the corruption growing within her.

Even though she was dressed in a coat, Emily couldn’t help but shiver, as the weather had grown so cold that she had to wear gloves on her hands before leaving the castle. Suddenly, Raylen stepped in front of her, and when she stepped backwards in surprise, he put his scarf around her neck and pulled her close to him.

"A person’s neck is the most sensitive area to feel the cold," Raylen remarked with the cigar between his teeth, looking into her widened eyes. He gently wrapped the scarf around her neck, and he finished with, "It is better to keep it protected."

Raylen was the first to step away, while Emily blinked in surprise before reaching up to touch the scarf he had given her. She asked, "Don’t you need it?"

"I will survive," Raylen responded, beginning to walk forward.

"Thank you," Emily whispered, still standing in place. But Raylen heard her nonetheless, and he smiled with his back facing her.

She followed him, their footsteps making squelching sounds as they tread on the wet leaves covering the ground.

"Wasn’t one mysterious, foggy event behind Ruiz’s mansion enough for them? Why do they want to hold another gathering out here?" Emily asked Raylen.

"People like to be innovative. Life gets mundane within the confines of four walls and a ceiling," Raylen replied, and he took a deep breath of the forest air. He continued, "In other kingdoms, the gatherings are typically hosted at the start of the summer. But Storm Kingdom prefers the winter season."

"So that people can freeze to death," Emily muttered. "How do you know about it? That the gathering is going to be held here?"

"I try to stay well informed about everything that goes on in my kingdom, especially matters that concern me." frёeωebɳovel.com

Emily saw Raylen turn to the side; the implication behind his subtle words was not missed by her, and she fell silent. They enjoyed the tranquillity and the scenery they were surrounded by before arriving at a clear lake.

"Your mother was looking for you this morning," Raylen informed her once they came to stop, standing next to each other.

"I see," Emily murmured, contemplating the situation. Her mother was likely pacing back and forth, anxiously wondering where she had disappeared. "She should use this time to visit her sister." However, she doubted her mother would make the visit, not because her sister had married an average man but because her own marriage to a king had ended in failure, while her aunt, who had eloped, had a happy life.

She realised that nothing in life was guaranteed, and the path one believed would lead to happiness could actually lead to misery, while another path could lead to bliss. Life was inherently unpredictable. Like now, she thought to herself. If someone had told her a few months ago that she would be sharing this scenic experience with Raylen Storm, she would have smacked them for even suggesting it.

After a few minutes, Emily felt something wet touch her forehead, causing her to flinch in surprise. She reached up with her gloved hand to touch her forehead and murmured, "It looks like it’s going to rain again."

"Not really," Raylen hummed, looking up at the sky. Emily followed his gaze, and she soon caught sight of the snowflakes beginning to fall from the sky.

Forgetting the shivers running through her body, Emily couldn’t help but be captivated by the snowflakes that continued to descend around them. Her eyes focused on the nearest snowflake that swayed in the air, and she removed one of her gloves and reached out to it. The lone, delicate, yet intricately formed snowflake landed on the palm of her hand, and within a second, it dissolved away.

"It disappeared...!" Emily exclaimed softly.

Cute. Raylen noticed that her walls were lowering around him, as she shared the same demeanour as she did on the night she was drunk. Her gaze turned to meet his blue eyes, which had been attentively watching her.

"All of them are melting..." she remarked, her attention returning to the dissipating snowflakes.

"They are meant to melt, as they are a form of water. Once the ground freezes, you will see it covered by snow," Raylen remarked. He could already read the curious expression on her face, which she quickly covered before averting her gaze. "Would you like to hold a snowflake?" he asked.

Emily turned her gaze back to Raylen, intrigued. "You can?"

"Mhm, but nothing comes for free, Princess," Raylen responded with a mischievous smile, seeing her give him a suspicious look.

"Don’t tell me you want me to sign away my soul or something... I won’t do it," Emily replied cautiously, her guard back up.

"Even if it’s something simple?" Raylen inquired, once again capturing her attention. "Say: Ray Ray, please catch me a snowflake." And as expected, Emily’s face burst into flames upon hearing his request.

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Author’s Note: Please note that there won’t be an update during 2nd-9th of December as I will be travelling to Shanghai. You can choose to opt for privilege next month after 10th December.