Garden Of Poison-Chapter 255: Consequence of stealing

Thank you everyone for being patient, I am still recovering from the virus I caught with cough and a little muddle headed right now, but getting better than the last few days. I missed you guys <3 The WSA 2023, GOP landed Bronze and I want to thank everyone who had continiously supported the book. Thank you very much ^.^ On the same note, a new book will be posted in January, but doesn’t mean GOP will be ending right away, both the stories will be written together.

[Music Recommendation: Enter Moonlight - The Goodnight Project]

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Emily stared into Raylen’s unwavering, calm, clear blue eyes. Her eyes briefly darted towards the door, the reality of the Devil’s presence in the castle weighing on her mind. She then returned her focus to Raylen, seeking clarification.

"For safety purposes?"

"Mhm," Raylen hummed, one corner of his lips threatening to tug. "The only real change would be the wall," he noted, referencing the fact that their rooms had been adjacent ever since the window in Emily’s initial room had shattered during that stormy night.

"I’ll need to...ask Lauren to move my belongings here." Emily’s eyes dropped from him as the words left her lips.

Sleeping in a man’s room was something Emily had never done before. In her heart, she recognised the inevitability of their shared living arrangement, given the profound nature of their newly formed bond. Raylen was not just any man; he was now her soulmate, and this change was inevitable.

"Allow me," Raylen offered. He gently tugged on the bell rope again to summon assistance, and a faint smile subtly graced his lips.

He couldn’t help but wonder if it was the bond’s influence that had prevented Emily from reacting more defensively, perhaps even reaching for the nearest knife to stab him. Yet he recognised that it was more likely her maturity and level-headed approach that had prevailed. It was something he admired in her—her ability to stay composed rather than dramatising situations, a quality he had noticed when Nathaniel had confronted her.

At the thought of Emily’s former soulmate, Raylen’s face hardened. The very idea of another man connected to her stirred his blood, and he smiled as he felt anger coursing through him for the first time when it came to a woman.

Emily watched Raylen turn to look at her, and her eyebrows subtly furrowed, catching the man’s attention.

"What?" Raylen inquired, his head tilting in question as he stared right back at her.

"You are smiling creepily..." Emily pointed out, her voice as soft as the sun’s rays streaming through the room’s windows.

"I am?" Raylen asked her in surprise before a grin broke through his lips. When he noticed her body swaying, he added, "You should rest a little more, at least until you regain your full strength."

Emily nodded, feeling a slight dizziness when she closed her eyes, as if the world were ready to spin, and she walked back towards the edge of the bed and took a seat. After a moment of silence in the room, she asked,

"How long have you been here?"

"Since your mother left for Versailles," Raylen replied, watching as her eyelashes veiled her eyes. He saw her note his clothes, which he had changed, before her eyes shifted down to her own red dress, which she had been wearing since last evening.

Emily said, "I would like to take a bath later..."

Raylen’s voice softened, almost like butter, as he asked, "Do you need assistance, Princess?"

Emily’s heart skipped a beat at his words and the implication behind them. Though they were now soulmates, it didn’t erase her shyness from her cheeks. "I mean, can I take a bath here? Or should I take one in the next room?"

Raylen’s lips quirked up, and he replied, "We may not be married, but the bond that we now share with each other transcends marriage. Everything that is mine is already yours, and everything that is yours is mine. There’s no need for permissions."

After a few minutes, Lauren knocked on the door before entering.

"Good afternoon, Princess Emily. I hope you are feeling better now?" Lauren asked politely after a bow.

"I am, Lauren," Emily replied with a smile as the trolley of food was pushed into the room.

"How are our guests doing?" Raylen inquired, addressing the head servant.

"The archdemoness has left the kingdom, Master. The Devil, he uh—spent some time in the garden a while ago, before he returned to the castle and went through areas that one doesn’t frequently visit," Lauren informed as she lifted the lids of the dishes and then laid out the plates. "Will you be eating too, Master?"

"No, I am content just watching," Raylen stated, and the head servant nodded while hiding her smile at her master’s words.

When Emily picked up the spoon from the bowl of soup, her hand shook as if it were weak and fatigued. She hadn’t paid attention to it until now, causing her lips to purse with concern.

"Let me help with that," Raylen offered, gently taking the spoon from her hand.

"T—that is fine. I can do it," Emily protested, but her words fell on deaf ears.

"The food will turn cold, and you will run out of energy. You lost too much blood last night, and it will take time to recover." Raylen hushed her up, taking the bowl in his other hand. "Lauren, draw a bath. Lukewarm, please," he added politely, which caught Emily’s attention. "Now Lauren won’t be looking at you and making you feel embarrassed."

But his words only intensified the blush on Emily’s face, and she gave him a narrowed look.

"Looks like your spirit is already returning," Raylen remarked cheekily before saying, "Now, open wide and say ’ah’."

Emily bit the inside of her cheek before she retorted, "Just because we are soulmates doesn’t mean I won’t stab you."

"I look forward to our sensual duel, Princess. However, you should agree that you aren’t in the best shape for it," Raylen replied teasingly. It wouldn’t be fun if the Princess became docile; not that he minded, but he found her desire to stab him to be even more alluring than usual, especially after how things had gone down the last time in the dungeon.

Raylen patiently fed Emily, his attentiveness towards her impeccable, and his gaze fixated on her as he found himself unable to take his eyes off of her. In that moment, she felt like a princess being taken care of with great detail. Her hands rested in her lap as she observed Raylen’s teasing expression shift into a more serious one.

She asked him, "Aren’t you going to eat anything? There’s plenty for t—" But before she could finish the sentence, Raylen pushed the spoon into her mouth.

"Later," Raylen answered. "First, we are going to make sure you are well fed. Everything else comes second."

"The bath has been prepared, Master." Lauren’s voice broke the silence. The room grew noticeably quieter as the sound of running water ceased.

Emily’s heart quickened its pace, and she exchanged a glance with Raylen as they both rose from the bed. She heard him say, "It appears bath time has arrived, Princess. Please turn around."

"Turn?" Emily asked, unsure if she heard it right.

"Yes, turn," Raylen affirmed, and she hesitantly turned her back to him. At that moment, Lauren quietly wheeled the food trolley out of the room with her.

As Emily fixed her gaze on the wall not far from her, a soft gasp involuntarily escaped her lips when Raylen placed his hands on her shoulders. She felt the gentle flutter of butterflies begin in her stomach and move upwards into her chest. She wondered whether he felt the same way, too. It was hard to say if the sensation was due to their growing feelings for each other or if it was the result of the bond.

"Ray?" His name slipped from her lips as a whisper, only to be rewarded by a hum that came from right behind her, letting her know he was close.

"We need to prepare you before you take a dip in the bath. I think we can skip the hair today." Raylen’s voice was gentle as his hands moved up her neck. He bunched up her hair before tying it in a messy bun with the help of a pencil.

Emily wondered why they were avoiding getting her hair wet, but then again, she had only washed it the day before. When she turned around, her questioning gaze met his, and she saw his saint-like smile.

"For protection," Raylen said, though Emily couldn’t help but attempt to deduce what he meant. He added, "Lauren will be here shortly. Don’t get in without her."

"Do you have somewhere to be?" Emily asked when she noticed him moving towards the door, only to pause at her words.

Raylen found Emily to be endearing. One moment, she claimed to want to stab him, and the next, she was worried about him leaving her side. He replied, "I thought I would go check on what Viktor has been up to, as you don’t seem to be quite ready to have me assist with your bath. Doing nothing will only fuel my imagination, picturing the water dripping down your body."

Briefly rendered speechless, Emily replied, "Have a good time with Viktor, then."

She saw Raylen flash a cheeky smile at her before exiting the room, and she quickly placed her hands on her flushed cheeks. Out of thousands and millions of people, it was Raylen who had saved her, Emily thought to herself.

On the lower ground floor, Viktor stood in front of the charred painting when Raylen appeared in the corridor.

"You would make a fantastic painter if you ever decided to be one, or you can paint them in Hell as you please," Viktor remarked in his dull, emotionless voice.

"It was a one-time thing when I was in the mood. My masterpiece," Raylen replied as he walked towards his father.

"Is your soulmate awake?" Viktor asked, his gaze shifting away from the painting to look at his son from the corner of his eyes.

"Are you hanging around my castle to give us your blessings, Father?" Raylen asked with a smile, though Viktor’s expression remained as sullen as ever.

The Devil’s jaw ticked slightly. If he had known that his son could form a bond with a mere earthling, he would have taken steps to prevent it. He said, "Don’t act smug, sonny. You think people won’t come for her? Knowing there’s a precious soul in this castle that can bring back the dead? I must caution you, Raylen. Her soul will now become all the more alluring to take."

"One must underestimate your son’s abilities and resolve to think they can touch her," Raylen replied, the smile on his lips turning cold. "I hope you won’t have any hand in that."

"Of course not," Viktor replied, but there was no telling what the Devil might do, as all was fair to him and rules held little significance.

"What are you doing here instead of catching the thief?" Raylen asked, his eyes falling on the charred faces in the painting.

"Celeste will find the culprit soon. She is a capable archdemoness compared to the people of the living realm. I don’t understand your fascination with them," Viktor remarked, shaking his head. "Why did you need the Potion of Caution? Who is concealing themselves?"

"Cowards," Raylen chuckled. He wondered if the person was currently in hiding now that the potion had been dispersed into the air.

Two hours later, Celeste appeared before the Devil, who was settling comfortably in his room with a cigar.

"Master, I have discovered the culprit who stole the other potion," Celeste began with a grave expression. "As suspected, it was Archdemon Nathaniel who stole it from your treasure chamber."

Upon hearing this news, the cigar in Viktor’s hand crumpled into dust before falling to the ground. He took a deep breath before speaking, "What an idiot. It appears that people are growing bold, daring to touch my things as they please, and discipline is in order. Don’t you think so, Celeste?"

He had replaced the potion with another, and if the woman had consumed it, she should have died by now. But she hadn’t, and his eyes narrowed with suspicion.

"Yes, Master," Celeste responded, not condoning the theft from the Devil. However, there had been a reason for the theft, and she inquired, "Will you be administering his punishment in Hell?"

The Devil clicked his tongue. "I have something better in mind. He took it for his soulmate? Kill her," he ordered.