Garden Of Poison-Chapter 267: The second prince

Music Recommendation: Buck Twenty - Thomas Newman

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Many years ago, in the Storm Kingdom...

A young boy with blond hair stood hidden behind the wall, watching his elder brother care for a cat as white as the snow. He heard his brother talking to the cat, even though it was a dumb creature and wouldn’t understand a word.

Later that day, Logan found himself in the hall as Raylen walked past him. The young prince asked, "Brother Raylen, shall we build a snowman?"

"Ask Caleb. I am busy," Raylen replied in an uninterested tone.

Despite Raylen having rescued the cat and brought it into the castle, their parents remained unaware of how the eldest prince was spending his time.

"With what? I will be more than willing to help," Logan persisted, even though he had surreptitiously snuck in to steal glances at the cat.

"Making a coffin for you," Raylen responded, and although his expression had been stoic until now, a grin cracked on his lips when he noticed his brother frowning. "I doubt you would like it," he added before walking away.

Despite being young, the Storm family’s princes displayed remarkable intelligence, almost as if their minds were more mature than their appearances suggested. It was because the two oldest princes had taken a keen interest in their father’s activities behind closed doors.

The blond prince stared at his brother’s retreating figure, which disappeared around the corner. He wanted his brother’s time and attention, but Raylen preferred to do things alone. This had created distance between the brothers, and with their father occupied, Logan desired all of his mother’s attention for himself.

"Logan," his mother called out, and he turned to look at her with a sincere expression. "Did you inform Raylen about the new carriages that arrived at the castle?"

"I don’t think he is interested in them, Mother," Logan replied calmly. "I suggested we go outside, but he refused."

The Queen’s lips settled into a thin line before curving into a frown. She inquired, "And he’s not prepared for the soiree that we are supposed to attend?"

Logan shook his head and observed his mother’s expression shift to irritation. He heard her mutter, "I cannot believe I am trapped in this predicament with no way out."

Intrigued, the boy asked, "Is there anything I can help you with, Mother?" And his mother lovingly placed her hand on the top of his head.

"Oh, Logan. You are such a good son. If only he could be more like you, but it doesn’t seem likely," the Queen confessed, regretting not having waited for him and striking a deal with the Devil. "My soul is in trouble," she mumbled, feeling anguish and turmoil and questioning whether the deal she had made was worth going to Hell for eternity.

"Do you know where he is now?" the Queen inquired, and she saw her son nod in response.

"He said he is going to build a coffin," Logan replied. Simultaneously, the Queen’s face contorted in horror. He was truly the Devil’s son! What had she done?! Her family’s safety was at risk!

During one breakfast, the King asked, "I heard that you haven’t been spending time with your tutor, Logan. Is there something keeping you away from your responsibilities?" The man didn’t look up from his meal, while Logan momentarily halted his movements.

"I have, Father," Logan replied, his voice sounding slightly subdued.

"Then why doesn’t it reflect in your final grades? I’ve heard you failed in the subject of administration." The King finally looked up, locking eyes with his son.

Before the King could proceed with meting out any punishment, the Queen interjected and pointed out, "Raylen has also been missing his time with the tutor, dear. The boy never sits in one place."

"Is that true, Raylen?" The King directed his question towards his eldest son.

"Forgive me, Father, but he often goes over things that I already know and stretches out his lessons needlessly as if he is teaching more than required. I believe it is a waste of time, and my grades have been consistently excellent. Isn’t that right, Mother?" Raylen turned to look at his mother, who fell silent before finally saying,

"You should refrain from roaming around and follow the rules your father and I have set. You don’t want your siblings to follow suit and get out of line," she emphasised, raising her eyebrows.

"Yes, Mother," Raylen responded with a bow from his seat directly across from her. Nevertheless, despite his words, both he and his mother knew that he would only adhere to what he deemed right.

"You should focus on your studies, Logan. Look at Raylen; he has turned out to be brilliant. You shouldn’t be far behind." The King’s words didn’t sit well with his second son, who clenched his fork tightly. "Right?" the King asked his wife, who gingerly nodded in agreement.

"Right. Raylen is brilliant," the Queen agreed, because it was true. However, whenever Raylen casually glanced her way, she often felt as though she were being judged. As if he were aware of the sin she had committed. To change the subject, she asked her husband, "How is the experiment going?"

The King nodded, allowing the food he was eating to be swallowed before replying, "So far, it seems promising. I think I have caught the right person. Once the man is opened up and his soul is secured within the container, the Barter Soul should be ready for use."

"Are you certain it will work?" The Queen shifted uncomfortably in her seat, feeling uneasy about her husband sticking his hands and nose into the dark aspects of this living realm. "I mean, it could be some made-up tale."

"It is very real. Someone reported a dead man being brought back to life by using this Barter Soul. And mind you, the man had been dead for two full days before being revived. It is the miracle of life! You will witness it when it all comes to fruition," the King asserted with confidence in his belief that he had found the individual possessing the Barter Soul.

But as weeks passed, it was discovered that the person the King had confined did not possess the Barter Soul; instead, they were vomiting blood due to illness. The harder it became, the more determined the King grew, which led to an increase in the number of dead bodies. And while he worked, his sons would sneak in at different intervals to observe what their father was doing, gradually becoming accustomed to the sight of blood.

While Logan made small excuses to hang around and observe, Raylen needed only one opportunity to memorise his father’s work.

One day, when the back section of the kitchen was empty and no one, including Raylen, was present, Logan made his way to where the cat sat beside the stone stove for warmth. Its eyes opened, gazing at him.

"Aren’t you a cute thing? How about I pet you?" Logan inquired, and he roughly pulled the cat’s paw towards him.

Alice, the cat, didn’t take kindly to Logan’s action and greeted him with her sharp claws. The boy hissed in pain as he received a sharp scratch from her.

"Stupid cat." Logan glared at the cat for its audacity. When he attempted to pull it closer to him, the cat hissed and prepared to claw his face while retreating. He looked down at his arm, which now bore spots of blood, and he turned furious. "Raylen seriously picked up garbage from outside, and you’re not even worthy of living in my castle," he seethed in frustration.

Knowing Raylen wasn’t present in the castle, Logan struggled to catch the cat. Just before it was about to escape through a window, he managed to grasp the scruff of its neck. "I will show you what happens when you touch a royal, let alone dare scratch me."

The cat meowed pitifully as it dangled in the air. Logan discreetly placed the cat in a small gunny bag without anyone’s notice, and he carried it outside to an area with abundant trees. The cat’s meowing remained audible from inside the bag as the second prince held the ends tightly. He then pulled his hands back and used the bark of a nearby tree to repeatedly strike the gunny bag against it, even after the meows had ceased.

The boy, despite his youth, possessed green eyes that seemed devoid of any emotion. It was only when he sensed someone approaching that he dropped the lifeless, bloodied cat onto the snow and burned the gunny bag in the castle’s stove to get rid of any evidence.

That night, Raylen failed to appear for dinner. However, on another occasion, Logan caught him dissecting a fresh, untouched body intended for their father’s examination. Elated, he promptly rushed to his parents’ room, waking them up in the middle of the night.

"What brings you here at this late hour, Logan? What do you need?" the Queen questioned, her eyes heavy with sleep.

Logan wore a troubled expression, his fingers nervously fiddling with each other. He began, "It’s about the dead body."

"Are you seeing ghosts? They aren’t real," the Queen dismissed him.

"No, it isn’t about ghosts," Logan quickly interjected, and this time his voice was loud enough to awaken his father. "It is Brother Raylen; he is cutting up the body that was brought in today..."

This startling revelation was enough to rouse both the King and the Queen from their sleep. The Queen staggered, seeking support from the door frame as she struggled to comprehend that such a young boy was trying to dissect a deceased body. He was a malevolent soul... one from Hell... That was who her son was, she thought in horror.

They all hurried to the examination room to find the red-headed boy with a knife, his hands stained with blood.

"Raylen!" the King thundered with anger. "You shall be punished for this insolence!"

The Queen was rendered speechless at the shocking sight before her, and she stood close to her husband as if they were under a dark curse. She dared to ask,

"What are you doing...?" But before giving him a chance to respond as he stared at them, she exclaimed, "You shall be confined to the dungeon! Westley!" She yelled for the servant, her voice filled with anger. "Take him down and lock him up! He will spend Christmas alone."

Back in the present, Emily sat by the window. The face that had remained blurred in her mind all these years now became clearer than ever before. She clasped her hands on her lap, wondering what the man might be planning.

Raylen placed his hand on hers, gaining her attention. She asked him, "What are we going to do if he kills another innocent person?" Or kills me, a quiet voice within her whispered.

"I will make sure he can’t harm anyone or freely roam this kingdom as he has until now," Raylen asserted, squeezing her hands gently. "You are mine, Emily. I won’t allow anyone to take you away. As for Logan, it is time to bait him."