Garden Of Poison-Chapter 282: Dead Blackthorn member

Emily’s eyes widened with shock upon hearing the news, her heart heavy from the unexpected turn of events. "From the Blackthorn family? Who died?" She had only just allowed herself to believe that she could finally find peace and that happiness was within her grasp at last.

"It must be the old witch," Viktor said, looking unimpressed, as though he had no desire to see her right now.

"Or it could be the sister," Raylen guessed, appearing unbothered by the possibility. That was until Emily turned to meet his eyes, and he conveyed, "I am sorry for your loss, Princess. We will ensure a welcoming reception for her departed soul and minimise the torture she endures."

"Ray!" Emily frowned, as this was not the time to joke. She then turned her attention back to the lowly demon and urgently inquired, "Who is it?"

Unaware of who Emily was or her status in the realm, the demon turned to the Devil and answered, "It is a male. Aiden Blackthorn."

"Aiden?!" Emily asked, completely taken aback by the news, as it was more than unexpected. She turned to Raylen and implored, "Can we go to where he is right now, please?"

"Of course," Raylen replied with a nod, slipping his hand into hers and giving it a reassuring squeeze.

"Bring his soul to the courtroom, Ghast," Viktor ordered the lowly demon, and with a snap of his fingers, he vanished along with Emily and Raylen.

In the next moment, Emily found herself in a vast hall-like room with an endless ceiling, much like the one in the Storm Castle. Demons and demonesses lined the sides, their expressions filled with surprise at the sight of Raylen’s return to Hell. They quickly bowed at him in greeting.

"Prince Raylen, welcome back to Hell!"

However, when their eyes fell on Emily, they were filled with curiosity and questions. They could smell the essence of her life force, and it was clear she wasn’t dead. Viktor noticed their inquisitive gazes, and he announced, "This is Raylen’s soulmate, Emily."

The beings in the hall were struck with a mixture of shock and awe, never having anticipated that the Prince of Hell could have a soulmate like the rest of them. Extending respectful bows towards Emily, they couldn’t help but notice the worry etched across her face.

Emily couldn’t believe that Aiden was dead. How could something like that have happened?

As the grand doors of the room swung open, the lowly demon named Ghast walked in first, followed by Aiden, who protested with a hint of humour, "Are you leading me to the frying pan or will you be dunking me in a soup bowl? You know my family has connections—Emily!"

Aiden’s eyes sparkled with warmth as they connected with his sister’s, and Emily walked towards him, her heart heavy from a mix of relief and concern.

The Blackthorn siblings embraced each other briefly before Emily pulled away and demanded, "How did you die? We need to inform Brother Dante about it immediately so we can catch the culprit!"

Aiden chuckled nervously, waving his hand dismissively. "You don’t have to worry about that, Lily."

"What do you mean by that? Everyone must be worried," Emily remarked, sensing the panic that must have gripped the palace.

"Nobody killed me," Aiden said, clearing his throat, which caused Emily to stare at him. He continued, "I was working on some potions and accidentally mistook one of the concoctions for my tea..."

"..." Heavy silence filled the room, and Emily blinked at her younger brother.

"In my defence, I was—Ow! Lily, what the—ow, ow!" Aiden protested as Emily began smacking his head.

Emily retracted her hand while looking at Aiden with disbelief. She should have known there was a high possibility he would meet his end in such a manner. She questioned, "How could you be so irresponsible?"

"It was an honest mistake. And if you think about it, I got to see you sooner!" Aiden grinned, appearing unfazed by the fact that he was in Hell, as if he were on vacation. "Brother-in-law!" He stepped away from Emily and walked up to Raylen.

Raylen found himself feeling both amused and cautious at this unexpected turn of events. He offered a warm smile to the young prince and said, "Welcome to Hell, Aiden. We weren’t expecting you this soon." The Blackthorns were truly one of a kind, he thought in his mind.

"Excellent," Viktor remarked, seemingly pleased that his collection was filling up so quickly. He added, "It won’t be long before the rest arrive," humming softly in the end.

"Oh, look! Pumpkin is here!" Aiden exclaimed as he bent down to pick up the cat, scratching it behind its ears, which earned him a satisfied purr. He then turned to the Devil and said, "Grandmother wants her cat back."

Emily felt a slight headache forming in her temple, and she asked Raylen, "Is there no way to send him back to the living realm?"

"It depends on how long his soul has been away from the living realm and whether his body can still accept his soul if it’s sent back," Raylen replied. However, the ultimate decision lay in his father’s hands, who looked more than happy to have another Blackthorn soul in Hell.

When Raylen turned to look at Viktor, Emily’s eyes followed suit, and she pleaded with him. "Viktor, can you send Aiden back to the living realm? Please," she added earnestly.

"We cannot permit every soul that enters Hell to be sent back. It goes against the rules," Viktor stated in a monotonous voice.

"You are the one who makes the rules," Emily pointed out, then continued, "Consider it a wedding gift, one that I haven’t yet received from you."

Viktor’s eyes narrowed, and Raylen stepped in to say, "I am sure you can make an exception this time, Father. In exchange, if you wish, you can take Queen Ginger for company. It might be something to your liking?"

A frown formed on the Devil’s face. "You will need to come up with something more enticing, Raylen. Besides, the woman is destined to die in the near future."

Emily wasn’t happy to hear this news, but on the other hand, she was soon to be married to the Prince of Hell, which meant she could visit her family anytime without having to worry about never seeing them again.

As if on cue, the liquid in a vessel positioned beside the Devil’s throne began to bubble. Everyone’s eyes shifted to look at it, except for Viktor, who, after a pause of two seconds, sighed. He placed his hand on the vessel’s side, and a woman’s voice echoed loudly throughout the room. ƒгeewebnovёl.com

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY GRANDSON?!"

The voice belonged to none other than the Mother Queen, who wore an unhappy expression.

"It is quite rude of you to presume that I had anything to do with the kind of shenanigans your descendant indulged in," Viktor responded calmly, and despite his blank expression, the Mother Queen could sense a hint of smugness from the Devil. "He was following in your footsteps with the potions. You should be proud."

"Grandmother, I am doing just fine. You don’t have to worry about me," Aiden reassured her, tilting his head forward and giving a casual wave. "Lily is here too."

"You return my grandson right now, you cat stealer," the Mother Queen’s eyes narrowed as she addressed the Devil. "Else, you will not see your grandchildren. I am well aware that your whisperings will fall on deaf ears, as they will share your blood."

"You have some nerve to threaten me," Viktor responded, his lips twitching with a hint of amusement. The two of them exchanged glares, and he said, "It’s a pity to witness your clear favouritism between your two grandsons."

Thanks to the Devil’s words, Emily remembered her other brother was also in this realm. She wondered whether she could visit him, and, if she did... in what state she would find him.

"How about we sit down and discuss this calmly? There’s no need to rush anything," Raylen cut in. "Good evening, Queen Ginger."

"Good evening, Raylen. I wasn’t aware you were visiting Hell," the Mother Queen remarked, her eyes catching the dried blood spots on his face. She inquired, "How is my granddaughter doing?"

Emily stepped forward and offered a smile to her grandmother. "Much better, Grandmother. We will be visiting you soon."

"Or you could visit us," Aiden chimed in, which made the old woman shoot him a glare.

"It isn’t my time to die; I am still too young for that," the Mother Queen huffed. "Anyway, I will be looking forward to your visit here. Otherwise, I might just have to come to Hell myself. Tell the cat stealer to send you back quickly."

The connection from the vessel severed, and Emily turned her attention back to Viktor, who, upon sensing her gaze, suggested, "Why don’t all of you get some rest, and we can continue this discussion over a delicious meal?"

Although Viktor proposed the idea, Emily didn’t feel entirely at ease, well aware that the nature of the Devil was inherently untrustworthy, even though they were now relatives. But then she felt Raylen’s arm around her shoulders and heard him say, "Aiden can rest here for a little while."

"What about his body growing cold?" Emily inquired with her eyebrows furrowed in concern. They had been powerless to prevent Maxwell’s death, and she didn’t want Aiden’s life to be cut short in the living realm. However, if Aiden was meant to be in Hell, perhaps he would end up serving in a significant role, whether to the Devil himself or as an aide to Raylen.

"It will be fine. Balor will take care of it, and your grandmother is there. She will keep it in a favourable condition for the soul to return until the decision is made," Raylen assured her, and Emily nodded in understanding.

"Ghast, you may escort Aiden to his temporary room," Viktor commanded with a snap of his fingers.

Emily and Raylen stepped out of the room, while Aiden followed along with them partway before taking another turn at the end of the corridor.

"Aiden will be fine," Raylen reassured her once again when he noticed Emily glancing over her shoulder. As they continued walking, she let out a sigh. After a moment of silence, she asked,

"How is Brother Maxwell doing here?"

"Not very well, I believe. But I can have his punishment reduced and have him upgraded to something better here," Raylen responded.

"You can do that?" Emily asked, surprised, and he smiled.

"You are my wife and the unexpected daughter-in-law of the Devil. I believe there are some perks to it," Raylen said as he placed his hand on the back of her head, gently stroking her hair. "What about the other one?"

Emily stared at Raylen, her lips pursing in thought, before she shifted her gaze ahead of her as they continued walking. She shook her head. "Brother Maxwell didn’t know better, but... it is different for my father. He caused too much pain. I don’t want to see him," her voice trailed off in the end. She felt her heart tighten with anxiety at the mere thought of her father. Like Raylen, she had buried the memories of her father deep down and seldom revisited them.

"Meow." A white cat meowed not too far from where they were, and Raylen’s footsteps came to a halt. His own cat had recognised him, and it quickly made its way towards him, leaping into his arms. The cat affectionately rubbed its head against his chest, making him chuckle.

"And I missed you too."

Back in the Devil’s courtroom, Viktor tapped his finger on the armrest. Light footsteps could be heard approaching the room before the Archdemoness, Celeste, appeared in sight.

"Celeste," Viktor began, "a body in the living realm needs to be... deactivated. Aiden Blackthorn."

"I will get to it right away," Celeste acknowledged the order, offering him a respectful bow. Then she inquired, "Is it true that Raylen has finally arrived in Hell?"

"Oh, it is. His wife seems inclined to visit Hell frequently, with more family members getting added over time." The corners of Viktor’s lips threatened to curl into a smile. "Go on, and be discreet."

Viktor snapped his fingers, and in the next instant, Celeste appeared in the living realm, inside the Blackthorn Palace. As ordered, she silently made her way through the corridors until she reached the room where the dead body was located. Seizing an opportune moment when the old woman stepped out of the room, Celeste entered to find the lifeless body lying in the bed.

Ready to carry out the task of deteriorating the body, Celeste walked towards the bed and placed her hand on his forehead. However, her body suddenly froze, and at the same time, the sound of approaching footsteps reached her ears.

"Step away from my brother, Celeste," Dante commanded, his eyes narrowing as he raised his hand, ready to take action if she tried anything.

"Who is this?! I don’t remember seeing her here before," the Mother Queen exclaimed, appearing startled by the presence of the unfamiliar woman. "You, get away from my grandson before my other grandson here sends you to Hell," the old woman threatened.

"She is from Hell, Grandmother. This is Celeste, one of the archdemons," Dante responded, taking a step forward. He noticed Celeste staring at her hand, a tingling feeling sparking within it, before she whispered,

"Fucking hell," and in the next second, she disappeared.