Garden Of Poison-Chapter 251: Uninvited

Although Raylen lacked a beating heart, his breathing remained harsh as he watched Emily nestled in his arms. He knew this was bound to happen, but hadn’t expected it to be this soon. Gently cradling her head, he used his other hand to wipe away the blood that had been smeared at the corner of her lips.

"You won’t have to feel pain ever again, Princess," he murmured softly.

His blue eyes shifted to her neck, noticing the root-like markings on her skin gradually fading away until there was no trace of them left. The spot where he had bitten her began to heal seamlessly, and not a moment later, a skeletal framework of wings materialised to encircle the side of her neck.

Picking her up in his arms, Raylen began to walk when he heard two sets of hurried footsteps hastily approaching his location. Before long, Lady Sophia arrived along with Janelle.

"Emily! What happened to her?!" Lady Sophia demanded, her face marred with worry as her eyes fell upon her unconscious daughter.

"The corruption got triggered, and she was on the brink of death," Raylen stated before narrowing his eyes at her and Janelle. He questioned them, "She was perfectly fine when I left her side. Did something happen after that?"

Janelle shook her head, her expression a mix of worry and fear under the King’s scrutinising gaze. She was the first to answer, saying, "She was doing fine with me, until all of a sudden, she felt a pain and found it hard to breathe."

Lady Sophia’s expression grew troubled, and she murmured, "I didn’t say anything upsetting to her."

Raylen’s glare didn’t waver, as if he suspected foul play when it came to Emily’s corruption manifesting out of nowhere, rather than it happening gradually as it should have.

"Has the corruption stopped progressing?" Lady Sophia asked, and, without waiting for an answer, she added, "We must summon a physician to immediately come and take a look at her to make sure she is doing fine."

"She needs to rest," Raylen stated firmly, and the two women agreed.

"Janelle, go tell Lauren to prepare a meal and have it sent to Emily’s room," Lady Sophia ordered the woman, while she herself intended to accompany her daughter.

"My room," Raylen corrected the woman, and Janelle nodded, sensing an impending argument between the two. She swiftly left the corridor.

Lady Sophia’s mouth was left hanging open in surprise. As Raylen began to walk away, she quickly caught up to him and said, "King Raylen, my daughter and I are grateful for the hospitality you have extended to us. But taking her to your room—are you aware of the rumour that is spreadi—"

"Lady Sophia." Raylen paused in his steps and then, with his voice carrying a sharp edge, said, "Emily was on the brink of death. In such dire circumstances, rumours should be the least of your concerns. However, since we are on the topic, let me inform you that I have marked her."

"Marked?" Lady Sophia whispered, as if she hadn’t heard it correctly the first time.

"I forged a soulmate bond with her because I saw her life slipping away," Raylen explained, and upon hearing his words, Lady Sophia’s face paled, rendering her speechless. He continued, "I understand that you may not have viewed me in a good light until now, but my actions towards your daughter have been solely for her well-being. To keep her alive, and I believe we share the same objective, do we not?"

Raylen Storm bonded with my daughter? Lady Sophia asked herself in astonishment. Upon seeing the man resume his steps, she quickly followed him to his room.

Entering his room, Raylen carried Emily to his bed before gently lowering her onto it.

Lady Sophia, who stood at the door, watched as Raylen tenderly pulled up a blanket over her sleeping daughter. Here she was searching for a suitor, and the bond had already taken place... her mind seemed to cease functioning. Her daughter looked frail and paler than usual, deepening her worry further.

"Master Raylen!" Lauren appeared in the room, with Westley not far behind her, who carried additional news. The head servant’s eyes widened as she spotted the princess unconscious on the bed. "Is the Princess alright?"

Raylen nodded, and his gaze shifted to Westley. "Where are they?"

"They have breached the barrier and have entered the kingdom, Master," Westley answered, causing Lady Sophia to look at the servant.

"Who has?" she questioned with a note of concern.

Westley, who was still facing Raylen, only briefly shifted his eyes to the corners to glance at Lady Sophia before returning his attention to his master.

"Fucking hell. He has impeccable timing," Raylen cursed with a sigh, as everything seemed to be happening simultaneously. He glanced at Emily, whose complexion was yet to fill with colour. He spoke, "Lady Sophia. I trust you to care for Emily in my absence, as my father has come to meet me. If you need anything, Lauren will be here."

Lady Sophia, still at a loss for words, simply nodded in acknowledgment, as she was still struggling to wrap her mind around what she heard, her thoughts in turmoil. She watched as Raylen left the room with Westley, and she stepped inside the King’s grand bedroom.

Her initially hesitant footsteps hastened to reach where her daughter lay, and she quickly placed her hand on Emily’s forehead, feeling the coldness of her skin. Her heart sank at the realisation that her daughter had nearly been taken away from her.

"Milady, please, take a seat," Lauren suggested as she pulled a chair next to the bed. Once the woman sat down, the head servant noticed her eyes fixed on the Princess’s neck, and her own gaze followed. She explained, "Those are the Archdemon’s wings."

"I thought the mark only appeared when someone was another’s true soulmate. If they aren’t, the mark doesn’t manifest," Lady Sophia remarked with a furrowed brow as she attempted to make sense of the situation.

"Master’s bloodline is stronger than any other demon’s in the living realm. Although they weren’t originally each other’s soulmates, the circumstances made it viable, with Master not having a soulmate of his own and the Princess losing hers. This created a soulmate bond," Lauren explained. She observed the lady placing her hand on her forehead, as if the weight of the revelation was causing her head to ache.

At the castle entrance, Viktor strode in with Celeste walking closely behind him. His long black cloak swept the floor, his lips set in a thin line, his excitement barely discernible in his black, soulless-looking eyes.

As Viktor moved through the crowd, some of the guests in his path were unaware of his identity, yet they fell silent nonetheless, as if they sensed the eerie aura that surrounded him. As he turned into the next corridor, his eyes landed on Raylen, who stood at one end of the passageway.

A subtle smile, accompanied by satisfaction, graced Viktor’s face as he remarked, "I was hoping that you would be here to receive me, Raylen."

"I wasn’t aware that you were coming," Raylen responded. "I assumed you were merely passing by at sea. If you wanted to visit, you would have appeared directly here," he added with a polite smile.

Viktor and Raylen walked towards each other until they met in the middle of the corridor. The Devil wore a pleased expression as he hummed, "Still handsome. But," he paused, his eyes searching for something specific, "something seems different. I am upset that you haven’t returned home."

"I changed my address to this one a long time ago," Raylen replied in a composed tone.

Viktor stared intensely at Raylen. The boy had always been cheeky, and as proud as Viktor was that he was his son, Raylen did have a knack for getting under his skin by blocking him for aeons. He had given him ample time, but that time was now up.

"A room has been prepared for your stay. You can enjoy the celebration, have some delicious cake, and leave in the morning," Raylen said with a smile.

"I was going to bring you a gift," Viktor stated in his monotonous voice. "However, you have already taken what you wanted from me. Who was it for? The Potion of Caution and the Potion of Longevity. Though I must warn you, if you’ve fed someone the Potion of Longevity, it will only hasten the arrival of death," he added.

Raylen’s curiosity piqued, and a faint smile appeared on his lips as he remarked, "The Potion of Caution has a good scent. I thought my guests, including yourself, would enjoy its sweet smell. Though I have no clue about the other potion you are talking about."

He was well aware of the Devil’s love for the rare potions he had collected, and he knew that Longevity was one of his father’s favourites, even though it was personally of no use to him.

"I heard that someone is on the brink of death here, so I assumed you might have a use for it. Emily, was it?" Viktor inquired, noticing the faintest shift in his son’s eyes. As if finding a weakness to exploit, he hummed with intrigue.

Celeste, who stood behind Viktor, observed the father and son stare at each other. Her eyes moved to look at Raylen, and she couldn’t help but acknowledge that, like Viktor said, there was something subtly different about him since the last time she saw him.

Raylen wore the same calm expression, smiling sweetly as he responded, "Hm? It seems your source isn’t very reliable, as you’ve been given incorrect information. She is in good health and is going to have a long, eternal life."

"How about I verify her condition for myself?" Viktor inquired, raising his hand as if to snap his fingers.

But before the Devil could vanish, Raylen erected another barrier. Like a drop of ink falling into the water, the essence of the bond affected him, causing his eyes to darken. The outlines of his irises transformed into a deep midnight blue, while the centres bloomed with a hint of violet.

"How about no?" Raylen deadpanned as the smile on his lips disappeared.