Garden Of Poison-Chapter 237: None survived!

When the carriage reached the entrance of Storm Castle and came to a halt, Emily swiftly climbed out and made her way into the castle. And as she walked inside, she could hear Raylen’s footsteps trailing right behind her. The sound of his shoes was soft yet sharp enough to cause her heartbeat to spike.

They hadn’t exchanged a word with each other throughout the carriage ride, and she hadn’t dared to even glance in his direction. Her ear still tingled from the sensation of his teeth and lips upon it.

"Welcome back, Master. Princess Emily," Westley greeted them as he appeared in the corridor. "Would you like me to take your coat?"

"No, that’s alright." Emily’s words came as a hushed murmur. Pausing her footsteps now would mean the archdemon would catch up to her, and she had no intention of letting that happen.

’Caught you.’

Westley bowed in response, and as the princess’ steps quickened, Raylen arrived where his servant stood. The archdemon wore a crooked smile and said,

"You can take my coat, Westley." His blue eyes remained fixed on the princess until she disappeared at the end of the corridor, her dark blonde hair covering the sides of her face.

Emily continued her brisk walk, her hurried footsteps lightly echoing through the corridor, until she came across her mother stepping out of the parlour. Not now, Mother, she thought in her mind. She wanted to go to her room and spend some time alone, something she hadn’t been able to do earlier.

"There you are, Emily!" Lady Sophia exclaimed, her voice laden with evident relief. She approached her daughter and asked in a hushed tone, "How could you simply leave the castle without informing anyone? Do you realise how reckless it is for a princess to do such a thing?"

"Lauren was aware of it, and my maid accompanied me. And I have returned home safe and sound," Emily reassured her mother with a smile before turning to glance behind her.

Lady Sophia peered behind Emily but found no one there. She continued, "I have been worried; it’s been more than two hours since you left. Not to mention, the maid returned, and you didn’t. Were you with King Raylen?" Alone, she added in her mind with a frown.

"King Raylen wanted to show me the location where the next gathering is going to be hosted. So that I am well prepared for it in three days’ time," Emily replied, trying to maintain her composure in front of her mother.

Lady Sophia wasn’t particularly pleased to learn that Emily had been alone in the company of the Storm King. Having known the man for quite some time, ever since her marriage to William, she remembered him ordering three courtesans the first time they had met and didn’t hold a high opinion of him.

But knowing he was an archdemon, she had to be careful to manoeuvre her way through this place and ensure that he kept his eyes away from her daughter! However, unbeknownst to the royal woman, Raylen had done more than merely cast his eye on her daughter.

"As if you won’t see it when you attend the gathering?" Lady Sophia questioned, her keen eyes glancing at Emily’s hair, which looked slightly unkempt. In her own way, she warned her daughter, saying, "King Raylen was generous enough to offer you a tour, but that doesn’t mean you should have accepted it. We don’t want to burden him with such menial errands. If you want, I will be happy to accompany you myself."

"Of course, Mother," Emily replied. Upon hearing footsteps echoing from one of the nearby corridors, she added, "Mother, I’d like to rest my feet for a bit, as I’ve done quite a bit of walking this morning."

"I don’t think it is possible with your suitor waiting for you," Lady Sophia remarked, raising her eyebrows, which prompted Emily to frown.

When her mother turned to look at the door, it opened, and Emily caught sight of a young man stepping out of the parlour.

"Julius," Emily whispered.

Julius offered her a deep bow and greeted her, "Good morning, Princess Emily. I heard you went out for a stroll in town. I hope it was enjoyable."

Emily returned his bow and greeted him, "Good morning, Julius." Still surprised at his unexpected appearance, she paused momentarily before she replied, "Yes. It was a pleasant stroll through the town. I apologise; I wasn’t aware you were planning to visit me today."

"This is precisely why you shouldn’t have left so early in the morning, Emily," Lady Sophia remarked with a pointed look. She then continued, "But everything happens for a reason. I had the opportunity to spend some time with this young man and get to know him. He works at the base camp, just like Dante did, and has a mother and a sister."

Emily was taken aback by her mother’s praise of Julius. It was obvious at first glance that the man wasn’t dressed to her mother’s expectations, yet at the same time, she spoke as if she had already accepted him.

"Actually, my mother baked some biscuits for you, hoping you would like them, and wanted me to deliver them," Julius let her know. However, it was evident that the biscuits were merely an excuse to come and see her.

"That is very thoughtful of her. She didn’t have to do that," Emily replied with a kind smile.

"It was no trouble for her. She enjoys cooking and feeding people," Julius responded, and he added, "The biscuits are still a little bit warm, which makes them perfect for the cold weather."

"We should enjoy them then," Emily suggested, but her stomach did a little flip when she and the others heard the distinct clicking of shoes against the marble floor drawing nearer. She could sense that these footsteps seemed sharper and more purposeful than the ones before.

Soon, Raylen came into view. He had already been informed about Julius’s presence in the castle, and as his gaze fell upon the young man, an instant smile appeared on his lips, which appeared slightly broader than usual.

"King Raylen," Julius quickly bowed, while Lady Sophia’s eyes shifted to the red-headed archdemon’s shirt, which appeared to be crumpled on one side, making her frown, as it had been perfectly ironed when he had left the castle.

"Julius, how wonderful to see you here, visiting the princess. I thought you wouldn’t show up anymore after people started calling you a murderer," Raylen remarked, his blue eyes glancing at the box of biscuits. "But it appears that the matter has been resolved?"

Lady Sophia turned to look at Julius with questioning eyes.

"It has, My King, and it is all thanks to the princess. She has helped me in many ways, and my respect for her has only grown since I’ve had the privilege of knowing her," Julius said, offering praise for Emily.

Lady Sophia looked impressed but, more importantly, she felt proud, because she had always known that her daughter was a gem. It was comforting to see that this man knew to respect her daughter, something she herself hadn’t received from her dead husband.

Raylen’s smile twitched subtly, and his eyes met Emily’s as he remarked, "The princess does possess amiable qualities. One of them being bravery." And from his words, Emily didn’t know why, but it felt like her being brave had not been taken well by him.

Lady Sophia proposed, "How about we all take a seat inside? It would be far more comfortable," offering a practised smile. "Mr. Ardolf has brought biscuits, King Raylen."

"Has he now?" Raylen inquired, his eyes shining. He suggested, "You should let Westley take them and you can enjoy them in the dining room. He will have them served for us."

Not wanting to refuse the King’s request, Julius handed the box to the servant, who promptly took it. Julius wanted to be in the good graces of the princess, her mother, and the King.

"Shall we?" Lady Sophia repeated her invitation.

"I have some other matters to attend to, but please don’t stop on my account. I hope you have delightful conversations, and the princess can regale you with stories about what happened when we were outside the castle." Raylen shifted back to his most sincere-looking smile. "Won’t you, Princess?"

Emily’s eyes widened, and she shot a pointed glare at Raylen, silently warning him not to play with fire. She had several reasons not to divulge any details. One, she and her maid were harassed by strange men. Two, she had caused yet another scene in public. Three, she and Raylen had been attacked in the forest. And four... her breath grew heavy as she recalled the sensation of his breath on the shell of her ear. She couldn’t disclose any of these experiences without her mother becoming excessively concerned.

"What happened?" Lady Sophia inquired of her daughter, unable to keep her curiosity to herself.

Emily’s thoughts momentarily ceased to provide an answer, and she blurted out the first thing that came to her mind. "For his birthday."

Raylen’s eyes lit up. "Right. We went through the shops as the princess was searching for a gift for my upcoming birthday, and I found the perfect one. I hope you will wrap it in a red ribbon, Princess. Just that will do."

Emily knew she was only providing Raylen with opportunities to tease her, but she had to bear it this time. She forced a tight smile.

"Well, then. I won’t keep you all," Raylen said before leaving them. "Westley," he addressed his servant, as if to have him keep an eye on things in his absence, even though he showed no interest in joining them himself.

Emily watched Raylen leave, and the four of them stepped inside the room. Lady Sophia was more than happy to chaperone her daughter and see how worthy the man was. At least in terms of manners, he seemed to be doing well, she thought to herself.

"Princess Emily, have you received an invitation to the gathering that will take place in the Forest of Red?"

"Not yet, but I did take a look at the place," Emily replied, feeling a little awkward with her mother watching them, even though she sat on the other side of the room. "It is a beautiful forest."

"It is indeed," Julius nodded in agreement, and he added, "Word has it that this time they have another recreational game planned for all of us. Although I don’t understand why they are hosting one after the fog incident. Not to mention, the temperature is only going to drop."

"It is what I thought too," Emily said in agreement.

"We share the same thoughts," Julius acknowledged aloud. He continued, "I am yet to choose a gift for the King and am unsure what to give him, as he seems to have everything."

Westley, who stood near the wall, thought, I know exactly what you can give him, while his expression was as blank as the wall behind him.

Unable to help herself, Lady Sophia intervened. "I was contemplating what to give him myself, but it seems Emily already has it covered. You can present it on my behalf as well," she said to her daughter.

If only her mother knew that Raylen had asked for her wrapped in a ribbon, she might have been inclined to arrange a ship and sail through even the most treacherous storm to take them home.

After what happened back in the forest, Emily didn’t want to question whether Raylen was serious or merely joking. Like hell she would do it! Stupid archdemon, she scolded him in her mind and subconsciously tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

Julius’s gaze followed Emily’s hand, and he simultaneously noticed how the lobe of her ear appeared redder than the other one. Concerned, he inquired, "Is your ear alright?"

Emily felt her heart nearly leap out of her chest, and she touched her ear, saying, "Yes. I think it’s the snow outside that turned it pink."

And though Julius gave an understanding nod, he couldn’t help but ponder it. The fact that King Raylen and the princess had gone out together left him feeling somewhat uncertain about the King’s intentions towards the woman he was attempting to court. He proposed,

"If you have time, Princess Emily, how about we go search for a gift for the King in the town together?" To play it cool, he added, "You must already know what the King doesn’t want."

"I have a dress fitting with my mother tomorrow," Emily informed him.

"Maybe after that, then?" Julius asked.

"We don’t know how long it will take, but it will be lovely to take a leisurely stroll through the finer streets of the kingdom," Lady Sophia interjected, seamlessly inserting herself to join them after the fitting.

Julius had hoped to get some one-on-one time with the princess, but given that Lady Sophia was the young lady’s mother, he had little choice but to smile and agree. "Yes, the town will be wonderful to look at," he said. If he got the chance to keep the princess out of the castle, he wanted to take it now.

A floor below them, Raylen entered the corridor where Celeste and Amara were confined. The lower demoness looked at him with fear, as she didn’t want to explode all over again! Meanwhile, the archdemoness stared at the Devil’s son from the corner of her eyes, following him as he came to stand before her cell.

"How are my lovely guests doing today?" Raylen inquired in a cheerful tone that only caused Celeste to scowl at him.

"When are you planning to release us, Ray? You know that Viktor will come here himself if you don’t let us return," Celeste stated, clearly displeased about being confined.

"You’ve only just arrived in the Storm Kingdom; don’t talk about leaving and make me sad." Raylen smiled at her. "I still haven’t had the chance to show you my hospitality. Speaking of Viktor, I heard he came up in the conversation last night."

"Courtesy of Amara," Celeste said in a dull tone.

Raylen’s eyes slowly shifted from Celeste to the other cell, where Amara’s back noticeably straightened.

"Archdemon Raylen, we were simply conversing as friends," Amara nervously explained, seeing him smile.

"Someone’s been very naughty," Raylen remarked, clicking his tongue. "And here I thought Celeste couldn’t wait for us to bond."

"You are the last person I would ever consider," Celeste muttered with a grimace. "Which is why, let me go back to Hell." Despite Raylen being the Devil’s son, the Prince of Hell, she had never been interested in him. Yet, at the same time, she had never openly defied the Devil’s decisions either.

Raylen snapped his fingers, and Amara exploded into another heap of bloody mass, the explosion splattering over Celeste, who cursed him. She said, "Your father won’t be happy about this."

"When did he start sleeping with this lowly thing?" Raylen inquired with a hint of surprised shock, and Celeste stared at him.

"You know what I mean," Celeste replied, crossing her arms over her chest.

Raylen’s smile remained, and he ran his tongue over his sharp canine before saying, "Why don’t you stop worrying about him and enjoy the decor of the cell? You know, it will be Hallow soon, and I would have extended an invitation to you, but after the stunt you pulled, my trust has evaporated."

The archdemon trusted no one, and Celeste was aware of that.

"Anyway, the reason I came here was to ask if you sensed anything here last night," Raylen inquired.

"You mean before the princess showed up here?" Celeste asked, "No. But she looked scared of something or someone."

Raylen softly chuckled, pondering who might have assumed his mother’s form to lead Emily to the skeleton room. He said, "Looks like the castle will need some more proofing done. Else curiosity is going to kill the cat."

Celeste stared at Raylen, observing how he looked like he... cared. When he exploded Amara the first time, her doubts had been raised about his newfound interest. She had to find a way to leave this place and return to Hell, back to Viktor. However, she didn’t know how and was patiently waiting for the right opportunity to make her move.

Raylen sighed and added, "Alright then, if you happen to hear or see something here, Celeste, do inform me. I am feeling hungry now. Don’t be shy to ask if you require anything." He waved before making his way out of there, leaving the archdemoness to silently glare at his back.

Two hours passed before Emily watched Julius depart from the castle in a carriage. Her mother, too, finally left her side to return to her room. The chill of the cold weather had penetrated the castle, causing the temperature inside to drop further.

Remembering the biscuits, Emily made her way to the dining room. But upon her arrival, the box was nowhere to be seen on the table.

"Princess Emily, would you like us to set the table for you?" a maid politely inquired, having spotted Emily enter the dining room.

"No," Emily replied. She turned to the maid and asked, "A box was brought here. It was made of tin with a lid. Do you know where it is?"

The maid shook her head and responded, "I do not know, milady."

Wondering if Westley had placed it in the kitchen to serve later, Emily left the dining room and began to stroll through the castle’s corridors. She decided to visit the library to select a book and made her way in that direction.

When Emily entered the room, she heard a munching sound, and when she turned her head, her eyes fell on Raylen, who sat at a table with a book and the biscuit box next to him.

Raylen, upon seeing her, commented, "Following me to the library? Your mother won’t be impressed." He held half a biscuit in his hand.

"It is good to know that you are aware of it," Emily replied. She narrowed her eyes and asked, "What are you doing with the biscuit box?" As she took a closer look, she noticed that the box was empty, leaving her momentarily speechless.

"The smell was so enticing that I couldn’t resist, and I thought it better to check to ensure they weren’t poisoned," Raylen said in a nonchalant tone. "And the good news is, they weren’t," he added as he put the remaining biscuit in his mouth, leaving none for her.