Garden Of Poison-Chapter 247: Imp’s doing

Music Recommendation: Landed - Ruelle

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Emily didn’t move from where she stood for many seconds, her ears listening to the fading sound of Raylen’s footsteps echoing softly in the corridor behind her.

"Did he... just kiss me?" she asked in disbelief and turned to look in the direction he had departed. "What do you mean by ’for good dreams’, you wicked demon?!" Her words were flustered, and her hand moved halfway towards her face, as if she could still feel the lingering sensation of his lips on her cheek, but she didn’t dare to make contact.

Emily subconsciously replayed the scene in her mind, which was when she suddenly became aware of her heart beating loudly.

"One of these days, I will kill you," Emily muttered in utter mortification. She wished she could hide within the wall beside her, fully aware that if Raylen wanted to, he could still hear her.

As she stood there, it felt akin to being bathed in sunlight in Versailles, her cheeks steadily growing warmer as her face continued to heat up. What a brazen man he was to be kissing her so unexpectedly and in such a public setting! Her eyes continued to stare at the end of the corridor when a sudden touch on her shoulder made her let out a startled yelp.

"Mother!" Emily exclaimed, releasing a sigh as if her very soul had nearly slipped away, just like the oxygen escaping from her lungs.

"What are you doing standing here?" Lady Sophia asked before looking in the direction of Emily’s fleeting eyes. "Are you coming down with a fever?" She grew concerned as she noticed Emily’s face was turning redder and frowned at the thought that her daughter was crying over the maid.

Emily touched her forehead and reassured her mother, saying, "I am fine, Mother. Why haven’t you gone to sleep yet?"

"You weren’t in the castle, and after that ghastly incident, you can’t expect me to go to sleep without knowing if you have returned or not," Lady Sophia said, taking Emily’s hand in hers before walking down the corridor. "Was it okay?"

"What?" Emily asked, puzzled by what her mother meant.

"The burial, I mean," Lady Sophia clarified. "I assume she received a proper burial, considering you and King Raylen were out for so long," she stated, and Emily nodded in response.

"Julia is resting now," Emily responded, and then whispered, "Mother, how could you help the archdemoness escape from the cell?"

Lady Sophia had been unable to sleep, mainly for the same reason. She said, "How was I supposed to know that she was going to break free and was from Hell?"

"You knew she was a prisoner. You have never given a drop of water to anyone before," Emily remarked, giving her mother the side-eye.

"I thought—I should do something nice. Never did I think that the water was going to be used in such a way," Lady Sophia said in shock. She then inquired, "How was King Raylen’s mood?"

Raylen’s mood? Emily thought to herself, replaying his words in her mind, ’You know, for good dreams. Goodnight, my Princess.’ Her face reddened once more, and she nervously pulled a strand of her hair out from behind her ear, attempting to conceal her face from her mother’s potentially suspicious eyes.

"Of course, he wasn’t pleased with your actions," Emily stated, clearing her throat to emphasise the seriousness. She wanted to ensure her mother didn’t take him lightly. The man was cunning to his very bones! "He’s invested a lot of time in building the barrier, and he only just finished repairing it recently."

Lady Sophia inquired in a hushed tone, "There was another escapee?"

"No, Mother."

"Then?" Lady Sophia asked with curiosity, relieved to hear she wasn’t the only one who had committed the same mistake.

"I called Viktor by mistake," Emily confessed, still vividly recalling how Raylen had struggled to contain his fury.

"What’s wrong with calling your sibling?" Her mother frowned, puzzled.

"Not little Victor. Viktor the Devil," Emily clarified, and her mother’s eyes widened in realisation.

"Now why would you go and do that, Lily? I don’t know. Sometimes it feels like you have inherited more from your grandmother than from me." Lady Sophia’s face scrunched at the thought, not wanting her daughter to adopt her mother-in-law’s manner of speaking.

When they arrived at her mother’s room, Emily stopped and explained, "It was an accident. It wasn’t meant to happen. You should get some good rest."

However, before her mother went to enter her room, Emily saw Lady Sophia place a hand on her shoulder and say, "I am sorry about your maid. She was young, and I know I am in no position to talk, but I know you cared about her. Like you care about all the other things around you. I am sorry it happened."

With a faint smile in response, Emily replied, "We will find the person who killed her." fгeewebnovёl.com

Lady Sophia nodded and stepped forward, embracing her daughter and gently patting her back. She knew she had removed some of her daughter’s maids in the past, but she had acted out of protectiveness. Almost losing her daughter, and now with no husband, had left the older woman somewhat shattered.

"You can ask one of the maids to come assist you in your room," Lady Sophia suggested after pulling away from the hug.

"Maybe not tonight. I will let them know if I require something," Emily assured her mother. She watched as her mother nodded before disappearing into her room.

Upon reaching her own room, Emily decided to take that warm bath she had contemplated earlier. She turned the faucet on, waiting for hot water to pour out, but when all she felt was icy coldness, she shut it off immediately.

Having never turned it on herself, she pondered if there was some trick to it. She spent two more minutes trying to figure it out before finally deciding to ask for help by pulling the rope bell. When the door opened, she greeted the servant with an apologetic smile and said,

"I didn’t intend to summon you at this hour, but I had trouble drawing the bath."

The maid, another demoness, offered a graceful bow and said, "I will have it prepared right away, milady. Please take a seat until then." She spoke with politeness before proceeding to prepare the princess a bath.

Curious about what she had done wrong, Emily watched as the maid pulled a knob at the bottom before turning the faucet on. Once the bath was filled, the maid assisted her with unlacing the back of her dress, and after closing the door behind her, she left the princess alone.

When Emily dipped the tip of her toe into the bathtub, a contented sigh escaped her lips, and soon she allowed her body to submerge in the soothing, warm water. Several minutes passed, and presently, she sat in tranquil silence, her hair saturated with water and her nose just an inch above the water’s surface.

With numerous things occupying her mind, the one that preoccupied her the most was Julia’s death right after the encounter with the archdemon. She couldn’t help but wonder at how boldly the murderer had entered the castle, brazenly targeting her maid. Though she knew it was wrong to think this way, she was glad it hadn’t been her mother.

"Forgive me, Julia," Emily whispered softly.

The candles continued to burn around the room, and Emily shifted her gaze to the blizzard outside. The storm was growing more intense, causing the windows to shake slightly from the strong winds that raged outside the castle.

Suddenly, she heard the faint sound of the piano seeping in from under her door. The notes being played were as warm and soothing as the water she had immersed herself in, tenderly caressing her senses.

The music also reached the ears of the others who were still awake in the castle. Lauren, who stood two corridors away from the piano room, wore a small smile on her lips.

"Master is in a good mood," Westley noted in his typically monotonous tone.

If there were someone else to witness it, they might have assumed that Raylen was in a good mood after killing the princess’s maid, Lauren thought to herself. However, it wasn’t the maid but the princess herself who had been responsible for elevating his mood.

"It sounds sleepy," the demon remarked, turning to glance at his fellow kind.

"Probably to put the princess to sleep," Lauren murmured with a smile, finding the melody sweet. She sensed that something good must have happened before they came back. Then she added, "We need to fix the paint."

The following day, before Emily stepped out of her room, she cautiously peeked her head out to make sure the corridor was clear. Once she reached the dining room, she turned to look over her shoulder to check if Raylen had arrived yet.

As she entered the room, Emily caught sight of her mother already seated at the table, as if perfectly synchronised with the clock.

"Greetings to you, Mother," Emily said before walking around the table to sit on the opposite side of her mother.

"Good morning, Emily," Lady Sophia returned the greeting. "I looked outside the window, and the entire place has turned white."

"It did snow heavily yesterday," Emily acknowledged, but before she could say more, she noticed Raylen entering the dining room, fastening his cuff button.

"Good morning, King Raylen," Lady Sophia said as she rose from her seat to show him respect and to appease him for her previous mistake from the day before.

Emily also stood up and softly murmured, "Good morning," swiftly lowering her gaze before his eyes could meet hers.

"A very good morning," Raylen greeted them with a charming smile. And once he had taken his seat, the two women returned to their previous positions.

Though Raylen had drunk blood from Emily’s neck and nibbled her ear, it was the kiss he had planted on her cheek that made her toes curl in his presence. Every word that left his lips reverberated in her mind, and his mere presence made her feel overly conscious of him.

Lady Sophia inquired, "Did you sleep well, King Raylen? The castle appears to be coming to life even before tomorrow’s Hallow celebration."

"After what happened yesterday, I thought I wouldn’t be able to sleep." Raylen paused, causing concern to well up in Lady Sophia, while Emily tightened her grip on the glass she had reached for. "But I slept very well. How about you, milady?"

"I slept fairly well myself," Lady Sophia replied with a slight bow.

Raylen then turned his full attention to Emily and inquired, "And how about you, Princess? Did you have good dreams?"

Emily’s eyelashes, which had concealed her eyes, finally lifted to allow their gazes to meet. Her chest felt a flutter of lightness, and she blurted out, "I couldn’t sleep."

Raylen’s head tilted to the side. The look in his eyes was pleased as he remarked, "What happened yesterday must have kept you awake."

Emily’s face began to heat up under Raylen’s penetrating gaze, and she couldn’t believe the man had the ability to affect her with a mere question. He was a master of words, she thought to herself. She neither confirmed nor denied his statement. Instead, she raised the glass to her lips and took a sip of water.

"Emily and I still have some shopping left to do. I hope you don’t mind us paying a visit to the town," Lady Sophia mentioned, as if indirectly asking for protection after what had transpired the day before. She then said, "Mr. Ardolf had selected a decent piece of jewellery for Emily to wear."

Raylen’s attention, previously fixed on Emily, shifted to the older woman, and he inquired, "Did he now?"

"Yes," Lady Sophia nodded. "He intended it as a gift, you know, something for her to wear to the ball, but it seems Emily has had a change of heart."

"Mother, let us not bore the king with the subject," Emily interjected, not wanting her mother to indirectly throw Julius into the fire.

Far from being bored by Lady Sophia’s words, Raylen politely smiled, and his eyes slightly narrowed. He inquired, "Was it not to the princess’s taste?"

Lady Sophia pursed her lips and said, "It probably wasn’t. Which is why she rejected the man in the middle of the courting season." She shook her head and continued, "In any case, I thought it would be a good idea to buy some accessories."

"Lady Sophia, if you don’t mind, there are some pieces of jewellery that are already in my possession. They once belonged to my late mother, and you might find them to your liking," Raylen offered, and Lady Sophia’s eyes lit up as if in relief.

"Would that truly be acceptable? I hope it wouldn’t disrespect her memory," Lady Sophia expressed with a frown.

"I am sure she would be delighted to share them with you," Raylen reassured her. As they finished their meal and Lady Sophia stood up and turned away, he leaned towards Emily and whispered, "Keep your neck bare, darling."

Emily’s eyes widened in surprise, mindful that her mother was right there, and she coughed before shooting a disapproving glare at Raylen. Dabbing the corners of her lips, she joined her mother to leave the dining room.

"Lauren will take you to the room where the jewellery is kept," Raylen stated, and Lady Sophia bowed.

"That is very gracious of you, King Raylen. Thank you for your kind heart," Lady Sophia expressed before stepping out of the room. Emily simply turned her head to the side before leaving from there, acutely aware of the archdemon’s eyes on her.

Raylen’s lips curled into a smile, and he murmured, "What a cute cat I have found myself." He then glanced at the clock on the wall as if waiting for something.

In the realm of the dead and suffering, an imp hid behind one of the doors in the tallest tower, which belonged to the Devil. Migdre had been attempting to enter the hall, but it was hard with the constant movement of demons and demonesses walking back and forth. Not to mention, the Devil himself was right there, and if it were to be caught, it would likely end up as one of the ingredients in the iron pot.

Finally, when Viktor rose from his throne, Celeste accompanied him as they exited the room. Migdre overheard Celeste saying,

"From what I gathered, there’s a celebration in the castle tomorrow, milord."

Viktor softly scoffed and asked, "How is the barrier looking right now?"

"There are cracks, but not enough," Celeste responded. "Archdemon Raylen must have..." Her voice grew distant as they left, as did the other demons in the room.

Seizing the opportunity, Migdre entered the hall and sprinted as fast as it could towards the door at the back. It attempted to turn and pull open the doorknob, but it proved to be stubbornly tight. Migdre was still struggling when its efforts were interrupted by...

"Meow."

Startled, the imp jumped from its spot. It stared at the white cat and said, "Isn’t this Master Dante’s grandmother’s cat?" Making it evident that it hadn’t paid attention to the cat’s colour before. "I should take the cat with me!"

As if someone had heard its exclamation, the imp heard footsteps approaching its location, and it began to panic. Just as a demon entered the hall, apparently to report something to the Devil, Migdre hastily transformed itself into the archdemoness, a form it could maintain for less than a minute.

"Oh, Archdemoness Celeste," the demon greeted the imp with a bow. "Do you know where the Devil is?"

"He... He is resting. Do not disturb him. Return later." Migdre kept its words short and waited for the demon to leave.

The demon nodded in acknowledgment but didn’t leave and instead decided to engage in conversation, saying, "I heard you were in the living realm where Archdemon Raylen is. How is it over there?"

"Very tiring. Something always keeps happening," Migdre replied with a shrug, all the while struggling to maintain Celeste’s appearance, which was on the verge of slipping away.

"I shall come by later," the demon said, and just as the demon turned away, Migdre’s appearance reverted to its imp form, causing its heart to sink as it desperately hoped that the demon would not turn back. Whispering to itself, it lamented, "Master, I am going to die again..."

Alone at last, Migdre placed both hands on the doorknob and exerted all its strength to push the door open before hurrying inside with the cat following closely behind. Scanning the potions lining the walls, the imp quickly searched for the Potion of Caution.

"Found it!" Migdre whispered triumphantly and grabbed the potion.

In its haste to depart and avoid being caught, the imp hurriedly fled the room, not realising that it had unintentionally left the cat behind in the Devil’s treasure chamber.

While Dante’s imp travelled towards the Storm Kingdom to deliver the potion, completely unaware of the disaster it had left behind, back in the Storm Castle, Lauren carefully arranged the late Queen’s jewellery on the bed, one piece after another.

And though her mother showed a keen interest in the jewellery, Emily couldn’t help but ponder about why Raylen had preserved his mother’s belongings. Even the room they were in had once belonged to the lady, and it felt as if her memories were left to linger on, even after her death.

"I think I have decided on these," Lady Sophia stated, picking one box. She then turned to her daughter and asked, "What about you, Emily?"

"I have some pieces I brought with me from Versailles; I think I will wear those," Emily replied, and she sensed Lauren’s gaze on her.

Her mother appeared as though she was about to insist further before she stopped herself. Instead, she said, "I will go see how these complement my dress, then."

"Mm." Emily smiled and watched her mother depart with her maid, the gentle clicking of her shoes on the marble floor fading away.

Her gaze returned to the jewellery boxes, and she remarked, "I think the rest can go back to where they came from."

Lauren didn’t question why Emily didn’t choose one from the collection. She simply bowed and began to collect the jewellery boxes, placing them one by one inside the cupboard. While doing so, she heard the princess ask her,

"Did you know King Raylen’s mother closely, Lauren?"

"I did, Princess."

"How was she?" Emily asked, trying to understand Raylen rather than the deceased woman. It intrigued her because of the way this room was preserved as if he loved his mother dearly, despite the fact that she hadn’t stood by him.

Lauren paused in the act of sliding the box she was holding into place. After pushing it into position, she began, "She was a good mother, until she didn’t want to be anymore. Master was her world when he was born, but as the years passed, it changed." She turned to Emily and asked, "Did he tell you?"

"Some things," Emily replied cryptically.

"I see," Lauren replied with a slight smile. She continued, "What was truly painful, I think, was that she ignored his existence no matter how hard he tried to get her attention, while she acknowledged his siblings even though they were a menace. When none of it was his fault."

Emily couldn’t imagine how rough Raylen’s childhood was, and she realised it wasn’t all that different from Dante’s life. But then again, Brother Dante had a wonderful mother, she thought to herself. Bless Lady Lucretia’s soul.

"He still cares..." Emily murmured, and Lauren smiled.

"He does. A love and hate relationship as fragile as ice. Out of all the children, Master was the only one who inherited his mother’s eyes," Lauren shared with her.

After a brief pause, she said, "I believe your necklace should be prepared before the ball begins tomorrow."

Emily’s eyebrows drew together, and she asked, "Mine?" However, Lauren only smiled at her in response.

When the head servant turned to put the boxes away, her words finally registered in Emily’s mind, and she was glad that the woman had turned the other way. Emily then walked over to the window, where she could see the servants making preparations for tomorrow’s grand ball.

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