The Demon’s Bride

The morning came in Runalia where mist appeared in the winter as sun hadn't appeared yet. As the time passed three in the morning, most servants in Lipton's house was awake and in particular was the gardener.

This morning he was notified by Mr. Lipton, the master of the house to avoid the snow from getting thicker in this winter he want few things in the garden to be removed. The man yawned with a shovel on his hand and start to dig one young tree to pull the root when he noticed how the root he pulled didn't move as if it was stuck to something.

The man pushed the shovel he had in his hand to the ground, leaving it to stand in place to pull the tree and followed where the root was when he saw how there was a part of ground that seem as if it had been dug fresh.

The gardener wondered what happened. He was the gardener of the house and it didn't make sense someone had done his job. Using his shovel, he start from one end, digging the ground to push the soil when a wide open eye look at him from under the ground.

"AHHH!!!" Yelled the gardener who found the body of a person. His screaming woke every servant in the house to come and scream in fear after seeing the body.

In the meantime, Ian placed his teacup to the saucer, a clink sounding when he rested the cup on it. He watched the parchment on his table and his lips stretched wide to remember what happened last night.

Elise had grown conscious, she had also acknowledged that his motive was not only to pursue her but to have a deeper relationship. Ian could tell that somewhere in the back of Elise's mind she could tell Ian wasn't a human nor was he any normal living creature.

His eyes were closed and his finger rubbed over his thumb, remembering Elise's skin, and the image of her supple body. It wasn't very different from what he imagined when he had painted a portrait of her.

Ian stood from his comfy chair, moving to the window to see how carriage passed and a sly smile appeared on his lips. Not long after he saw the carriage, a knock then came from the door, pulling it open, he saw Maroon and the butler bowed deeply at him. "Milord, Sir Dalton Lone arrived on the Church's behalf."

Ian didn't look surprised. Most people would be weary when the Church came uninvited or unannounced as they move to protect and often judge people. The Church's arrival to most people sounds like a misfortune bringer but Ian didn't mind. "He came just right at the time we expected. Prepare the drawing-room and call Elise."

Maroon's expression which always passive shifted in a glint of uncomfortableness when Elise was mentioned, Ian took notice as he never fail to pick the change of expression in each people but said nothing to comment on it. Maroon was his butler and he knows what Ian treasured and what not to cross.

By the time Ian arrived in the drawing room, the door was opened and he first met with Dalton Lone who offered him a smile as he stood up, "Good afternoon, milord. I apologize for the unannounced arrival."

"Take a seat," Ian offered, returning the man's smile with the same gentle smile. "I must say people love my castle these days. They often come and appeared unannounced. But a Church member's arrival is different. What could I help you with, is it about the dark sorcerers again?"

In time, Elise arrived in front of the door to knock before entering while pushing the serving trolly in front of her. She first greeted Ian as their eyes met, her eyes darted a little faster from Ian's eyes which he noticed and he chuckled when seeing how her cheeks reddened.

When Elise woke up in the morning she almost thought last night was a dream. She still could not believe Ian had come to her room at midnight. Somewhere Elise question if Ian came for a reason but would he come to a maid's room at night only to speak? She want to believe that wasn't the only reason why Ian was in her room; that it was his serious advance as he claimed he would not enter a woman's room.

While serving the tea from the teapot on the corner of the room, Elise saw the man who she remembered to have seen before in their investigation to Clin village whose name was Dalton Lone, "It is not about that, milord. I have to break a news of a death of a person you know." said the man with a careful tone.

Ian drew her brows and his eyes narrowed, "Who might this person be?"

"It is your gardener, John Weling," said Dalton and Ian pulled a surprised look as if it was his first time hearing it just like the expression Elise had when hearing the news. She turned her face to Dalton, seeing how the man spoke the truth and looked away. Once again someone who she knew from the past had passed away.

"John my gardener? How did he died that the Church have to take the case?" Ian showed no expression to the man's news. Instead if he looked sad, it would a cold day in hell and hard to believe for Dalton.

"The man was found dead in Lipton's House. The gardener of the house found the body from the place which seemed from the fresh soil to have been buried in the morning," explained Dalton when Elise placed the teacup on the small rounded table, keeping her ears open at the news.

"Why would he be there? To my newest memory my gardener took breaks because he. was ill which reminds me, Maroon told me yesterday that John's family was looking for him because he went from the house," Ian spoke as if he was filling in puzzles, "I didn't know he would be there in Lipton's House. Did someone from the Lipton Family killed him?"

"There is chance but it is a speculation," Dalton answered. "The Family was not present at home at the time where the ground could possibly be dug. The servants of the house is still under the investigation."

"Is that so," Ian hummed, "then what are you doing here? I am sure you wouldn't wear your church uniform only to break news of my gardener's death which barely had anything to do with me. Do you suspect me?" He asked and his red eyes were fixed at the man who quickly shook his head.

"No, milord. I wouldn't possibly dare to do so. It is that the case was odd and I thought to ask a few question but it had been answered," replied Dalton to see how Ian stood up from his seat.

"Then we should go to visit John," Ian proposed. "He may not be the best gardener out there but he had worked under me for eleven years. I would like to bring light and finds out the person who killed him."

"You will?" asked Dalton with a surprised expression before he smiled, "that would be a great help. Would you like to share carriage with me, it would be faster and we could arrive in evening and come back soon in the early morning.

"I will refuse. I have my own means of transport which would be earlier than yours. No offense," Ian raised his hand as he took the cup to down the tea to place it back to the saucer. "I will meet you again once I arrive there."

Once Dalton left and his carriage went from the castle, Elise who was still in the drawing room cleaning the cups felt her hand stopped by Ian, "Accompany me," he requested. Ian order her but that wasn't what he was aiming for. It was the relationship he want to built with her without the need to order or demand her.

"I recalled that John was one of the person you know from the past when you lived here." Ian didn't miss Elise's heartbeat that shook when hearing John had died. She didn't have to though as the man had died on his hand. "We should go and visit him. Would you like to come?"

Elise didn't think to nod, "I would like to know how Mister John died." and find out who the killer was thought Elise. It would be sad for John's family not to know how John was killed.

"Wonderful," Ian let go of her hand which moved to settle the cup on the trolley. "We have a few hours to go and we shall arrive there around three."

"Three?" Elise twist her neck to note the time from the clock on the wall which showed two and a half hour, "Are we going to teleport there, Master Ian?"

"No, teleportation magic have weakness. The longer the distance is, it would be harder for me to travel there. It works only to an extent of distance and don't we have other means?" Ian's eyes watched Elise's expression which slowly got what he meant by other means of transport.