Garden Of Poison-Chapter 261: Where or Who?

This time, it was Raylen who was left stunned by the news, and his eyes narrowed considerably enough to cause the imp to cower. The torches’ flames flickered, as if the Archdemon’s temperament was affecting their intensity.

"And who is responsible for taking my mother’s soul?" Raylen asked in a low voice.

"T—They are still looking for the culprits who released the souls, including your mother’s. The rest of the souls are being captured. It isn’t known whether it was a targeted act or a random one—"

"Nothing is ever random in the world that we live in. Everything is a calculated and orchestrated move towards something bigger." Raylen’s words were sharp, and even Emily could detect the anger in his tone. "The souls imprisoned where she was kept were all unimportant. No one would have cared for them," he murmured.

Emily could only imagine that the Devil was trying to hunt down the person who had released them.

"Stay informed and keep me posted. I want you stationed in Hell," Raylen ordered, and the imp quickly nodded. "Scatter," and the creature vanished.

Emily approached Raylen and inquired, "Are you alright, Raylen?"

"No," Raylen responded, his frustration evident. "I am not alright; I am pissed." He had left his mother’s soul in Viktor’s care, never expecting that someone would help her escape. If the soul hadn’t been found yet, it only meant it wasn’t in the realm of the dead and had probably made its way to the world of the living.

When Raylen turned to meet her hazel brown eyes, he took a step forward and wrapped his arms around her.

"I am sorry that someone did this..." Emily didn’t even know things like these could happen. Did someone want to harm his mother’s soul? But how much harm could be inflicted when the soul had already spent many years in Hell? She circled her arms around him, wanting to comfort Raylen. It crossed her mind that maybe someone was trying to harm him. She heard him sigh.

"Her soul is supposed to be bound to the fiery pits of Hell, rotting away, not strolling about as if she is in a garden," Raylen remarked with evident annoyance.

Emily’s expression shifted to one of surprise, and she asked, "You are not worried about someone damaging her soul?"

A soft, dry chuckle escaped Raylen’s lips, and he tightened his arms around her, realising how precious the woman in his embrace was. So pure. As he gently released her, pulling away to look at her, he replied, "You cannot damage something that is already damaged. The real question is, who dared to go so far as to release the souls in Hell? Someone knew that the Devil was here and that the imprisoned souls were left unattended."

Raylen wondered what the motive behind this act was. Was it someone from Hell seeking to challenge his father? Or was it him? And if it was him, they had certainly struck a nerve. His blue eyes took on a serious expression.

Who? The question remained on Raylen’s mind.

On the other hand, Emily was worried about Julia’s involvement in the attempts to steal her soul and her assistance to the man who targeted her, especially now that she had found out that Julia was still alive. To think her mother’s worries about her maids had been justified. She closed her eyes. She had placed her trust in Julia and had treated her with fairness and kindness during her time under her care. Such betrayal... she couldn’t deny that it hurt deeply.

"The timing is a little too perfect, isn’t it, Princess?" Raylen mused aloud.

"What do you mean?"

"Your soul’s corruption and the release of souls from Hell. As if your corruption served as a well-timed decoy," Raylen murmured. It was just a theory, but a plausible one. Because it seemed that anything involving Emily was inexplicably connected to him.

"Is there a way to locate your mother’s soul? To trace it?" Emily asked him, and she saw Raylen shake his head in response.

"If it were possible, her soul would have already been captured by now," Raylen replied.

Before they could continue their conversation, they both heard a cracking sound coming from the nearby wall, catching their attention. Emily turned to look at the wall with a frown, wondering if someone was walking outside the abandoned church. She mumbled, "But the ground is covered in snow."

Suddenly, the cracking sound intensified, and in the blink of an eye, Raylen grabbed Emily and swiftly dragged her out of the building. Emily felt a rush of air, and the next second, she watched the building break and collapse with a deafening crash as it tumbled down.

Raylen’s gaze sharpened as he surveyed the surroundings and raised his hand. Black vapours began to emanate from the area around the building. He stated, "A dead being made contact with it. One from Hell."

"A demon?" Emily inquired in a worried voice.

"Probably," Raylen replied, and he wondered who was trying to get back at him. "How silly to want to destroy something that holds no importance. Unless it holds importance to that person." However, all the members of his family were dead, and only he and Viktor remained. So, it didn’t make sense at this moment.

Upon returning to the castle, both Emily and Raylen’s minds were preoccupied, and they sat in each other’s company in silence. She felt his hand on hers, pulling her out of her thoughts.

"Everything will work itself out. You will see," Raylen reassured her, and Emily smiled.

Though Raylen had dispatched people to hunt for Julia throughout the Storm Kingdom, by the following morning, there was no hint or sign of her. It made Emily wonder if her former maid had escaped and gone to another land.

The imps and some of the demons diligently searched for the escaped souls and believed they had successfully recaptured most of them. However, Raylen’s mother’s soul remained the only one missing. To have a change of scenery, the following day, the new couple decided to attend a soiree hosted by Mr. and Mrs. Ruiz held in their honour.

"King Raylen, Princess Emily, how wonderful of you to accept our invitation," Mr. Ruiz greeted them with a humble bow at the entrance. "The guests are eager to meet you."

"I am uncertain whether I should address you as Queen Emily. What would you prefer?" Mrs. Ruiz inquired.

"Whatever you find most comfortable, Mrs. Ruiz." Emily smiled at the middle-aged woman.

"Probably not ’Princess’." Raylen smiled, his blue eyes twinkling as if he wanted to be the only one to call her that. "She is the queen."

Mrs. Ruiz nodded, and as they entered the room where the guests had already gathered, the woman announced, "King Raylen and Queen Emily have arrived."

The guests offered their bows to them before raising their heads. Emily couldn’t help but notice that everyone was staring at them, some whispering to each other about how swiftly their relationship had evolved. It had started with Raylen accompanying her in search of a soulmate, and now he was the one.

"Since when do you think they have harboured feelings for each other to form a bond?" one of the curious guests couldn’t help but ask, their curiosity getting the better of them. "To think King Raylen had fooled us all into thinking she was his niece until two weeks ago."

"The King was with Beatrice at the time, wasn’t he? Did the Princess fall for him first?"

"Look at the mark on her neck; that must be the King’s soul bond," another guest whispered in a hushed voice.

Raylen stepped closer to Emily and remarked, "It was I who was smitten by this beautiful woman here and have been wooing her for her attention." His words only fueled more hushed whispers among those present.

They were swarmed by the guests, while at the same time, the people maintained a respectful distance. Emily couldn’t help but feel like they were already married. Soon, they were whisked away from each other as the women wanted to hear more gossip and attempted to get closer to the new Queen to gain her favour.

Emily caught sight of Julius in the room, and when their eyes met, he quickly looked away from her. She excused herself from the group of gossiping women and approached Julius, who met her midway, offering her a bow.

"Greetings to the Queen and congratulations," Julius extended his wishes, and his eyes fell on her neck. "It appears the rumour is true that you have indeed bonded with the King."

"It is. Greetings to you, Mr. Ardolf," Emily kept her words brief.

"Now your soul won’t corrupt," Julius stated, giving her a tight smile. He wanted to feel happy for her, but she was someone he had once hoped to marry. Now he knew that he had virtually no chance of winning her over.

"How are you doing? How is your family?" Emily inquired.

"They are doing well. As for me, you know." Julius shrugged his shoulders. "Just attending gatherings and trying to start afresh."

Emily felt bad for the man, and with that thought in mind, she said, "I know someone who is prettier than me. She’s a little spoiled, though, but she’s a Blackthorn. My sister Niyasa, if you are willing to meet her." Hopefully she’s still in one piece, she thought to herself.

"Thank you for the consideration, Queen Emily. I will think about it. I should take my leave now, before the King decides to pummel me to the ground," Julius said, glancing behind Emily before making his exit.

Emily turned to look behind her and saw Raylen sipping the wine in his hand. But after a mere two seconds, his gaze shifted to her, as if he couldn’t resist looking at her.

"Lily." Janelle appeared beside her. "It is good to see you attending gatherings again. By the way, your friend is getting married in a month."

Emily stared at Janelle with a puzzled expression before realisation dawned on her. "Oh, Jane! I am so happy for you!"

"Me too!" Janelle laughed, and they began to stroll together. She continued, "Father has already arranged everything, and it is going to be quite chaotic, but then again, whose wedding isn’t, right? They saw no reason to delay it. Do you have any idea when you will be marrying the King?"

"I think, in a way, we are already married," Emily replied, referring to the soulmate bond. "Anna is expecting a baby, and I wouldn’t want her to travel in her condition." Though the Devil could help with that, she thought. But with so many things happening, this wasn’t the time for them to get married.

"I guess you just need to say the word. King Raylen looks like someone who will marry you on the spot if you were to ask him," Janelle laughed softly. "I haven’t forgotten him jumping into the lake."

Neither had she, Emily thought to herself. That moment had been significant, defining everything between her and Raylen, and it had shone brighter than the sun in her memory.

As they completed their round and returned to the room after discussing Janelle’s wedding, Emily’s eyes immediately searched for Raylen. He was engaged in conversation with an older man at that moment, and soon Beatrice made her way to join them. The demoness laughed at something he said.

As they drew nearer to them, Emily overheard her saying, "Darkwater is lovely at this time of year, with hardly any snow. At least not as much as here. Do you remember the summer we visited, King Raylen?" Beatrice’s eyes fell on Emily, her lips twisting into a sly smile. "We had a wonderful time together in the forest."

Emily hadn’t paid much attention to Beatrice in the past, but right now was different. She inquired, "Where is Darkwater?"

"Not too far to the west. It is known for its tall, beautiful trees," Janelle replied with a nod.

"Would you like to go there, Princess?" Raylen asked Emily.

"We could go when you have some free time," Emily answered, and she received a knowing look from Janelle, as if indicating how attentive Raylen was to her.

"Once the snow lessens, we will take a trip there then," Raylen decided.

Beatrice noticed how the Archdemon smiled at the Princess, and her face hardened at the sight of it. She remarked, "Perhaps you should take the Queen there during the summer. I don’t think her delicate constitution could handle such harsh weather. It’s a place only a few can endure and it isn’t for everyone."

Emily couldn’t shake the feeling that they weren’t talking about the weather. She offered the demoness a polite smile before saying, "I grew up in the harsh climate of Versailles, Beatrice. I think you would melt in such conditions."

"King Raylen, if I can get a minute with you," one of the guests requested, leading Raylen a short distance away from Emily.

The other male guest left and so did Janelle to find her fiancé, leaving Emily and Beatrice in each other’s company.

"Don’t feel shy to ask for my help if you need it, My Queen," Beatrice spoke, causing Emily to turn to face her. "The King has particular tastes, and I doubt you would know anything about them. Of course, I speak from experience, as I have accompanied him for many years."

Emily’s eyes narrowed at the demoness’s condescending tone. "I believe I will be just fine without your advice," she retorted firmly. "I have fared well thus far, and I have no doubt I will be fine in the future as well. You shouldn’t worry about me. Perhaps you should focus on finding a demon to settle down with rather than lingering in meaningless places."

Both women stared at each other in silence, with Emily’s expression carrying a subtle scowl at the woman’s attempt to throw her previously servicing Raylen in her face.

"Good luck then, fragile Queen," Beatrice scoffed before leaving the room.

Emily glared at the nerve of the demoness to broach such a subject with her. Did she think that flaunting their past affair would make her victorious or remind Raylen of their good times?

"Who are you glaring at, Princess?" Raylen asked as he returned to her side.

Emily unclenched her jaw, which she hadn’t realised she was gritting. Looking away from the door, she turned to Raylen and confessed, "I feel angry and irritated. Why was she discussing the forest with you?" Emily frowned. "Talking about such things with my..."

Raylen leaned in with a playful sparkle in his eyes and asked, "My?"

"My man," Emily replied, as she had felt a sudden rush of possessiveness course through her. She saw him grin at her words and inquired, "Do you feel it too?" Or was she the only one feeling this way, as her newfound ability had surfaced and she had looked into his memory?

"You mean, did I feel possessive when you spoke to Julius?" Raylen asked, gazing into her beautiful eyes. "I am good at hiding it, Little Red. I don’t think it would be right to display it blatantly when I already know you are mine. Too much possessiveness can be overbearing. But, of course, you don’t have to hide it. I take pleasure in knowing you feel that way."

Emily’s gaze briefly lowered before locking eyes with Raylen. She said, "You shouldn’t hide it either."

"No?" Raylen asked her, looking intrigued.

"No," Emily affirmed, because she wanted him to be his true self when he was with her.