The Demon’s Bride

Ian saw how the man seemed to be trying to shake his head and he released his hand slightly so the man could breathe before tightening it again and the man stuttered, "I don't know! I really don't know milord please believe me. I am acquitted with the man but I didn't kill him."

Ian could pick up the tone that the man was telling the truth that he didn't know who had hired him either, "Still lying aren't you? He is yours now," Ian said before dropping Charades toward Edward. "If you need evidence to take him Edward, you could maybe find a letter hidden in his room maybe you could find who he works for to kill my gardener."

Edward pulled his brows and his gaze clashed of with Ian regardless he was assigned to finish the work and with a heavy heart he searched for the envelope from Charades' room. There he found how Charades was told to kill John as he was the gardener of Ian's castle in reward for money.

Charades continued to beg for forgiveness and for others' to belief him. The content of the letter wasn't like it is! He was told only to offer John a work in exchange for money! Yet somehow the letter's content had changed which he couldn't wrapped in mind how it happened.

"Milord, I really didn't kill John! Please believe me I am innocent!" exclaimed the man to Ian in hope Ian would save him as he was dragged away

Of course Ian believe the man because the content of the envelope the man had in his room har been changed beforehand and he was the killer of the gardener. But that was better left unsaid.

"I should reward Maroon later," Ian commented beside Elise and her eyes looked at him with a smile. "He had been working hard for the past few years under me to where his shovel rusted."

"I noticed that too," replied Elise, "It seemed that Mister Maroon loves to use his shovel, he had been using the same one since nine years ago."

"Right? He dug and buried many needed and unwanted roots, he deserve a new shovel very much." Ian's eyes shifted to the vampire whose eyes went from staring at Elise to Ian. He didn't need to ask what his sweet girl had talked with the man as he had heard everything clearly with his ears. Recalling Elise's sweet words spilling from her lips had his smile to widened.

"Master Ian," called Elise for Ian's eyes to go down on her. She was wearing the red cloak he gave her which suit her fair complexion and her bright red hair that was the color of blood. "What will happen to the housekeeper?" Elise asked him as she watched the man who was said to kill Mister John was brought away from the garden.

"Judged by the Church, put to the jail and executed at the scaffold. That's where every prisoner got judged at," Ian explained. He knew that there was an expression in Elise that told him this wasn't what she asked for. "Do you pity him, sweetheart?"

Elise shook her head, "I do not but somewhere I feel that he might not be the killer," whispered Elise and her eyes went out of focus to a daze.

Ian's grin widened. He knew well more than anyone how smart Elise was while she kept her thoughts under her. Unlike all the people who immediately believed his words, Elise pick up the clues he left.

"Do you mean that I had made a wrong decision?" came Ian's question that had Elise's eyes to snap back at him.

She shook her head, that wasn't what she meant. "I just think if the housekeeper wanted to pin the gardener as the killer he would have let something of the gardener's to Mister John's body," said Elise and her blue eyes cleared out at him. Was Master Ian offended by her words?

"Not everyone who killed people would have a sane mind. They will become panic to hide the evidence and forget the details," Ian explained and Elise gave a thought to think that was true. "Elise would you mind walking to the carriage first, I need to talk for a moment."

Elise didn't ask and went on Ian's dismissal. Before she left Elise toon one last peek at Ian. She wondered if Ian took the words she said before they came here seriously? It took her to gather courage to ask Master Ian and she didn't want him to think she was joking about it.

Elise walked out from the manor and she stood near the carriage. Greeting the guards with a smile, Elise look at the path outside the manor when on the gate she caught a shadow of someone familiar to her.

"Are you waiting for someone, miss?" asked the guard when he saw the beautiful lady to see how Elise had run to the gate of the manor, "Excuse me Miss!" The man raised his voice in surprise when he saw the lady make a quick dash from the spot she stood at.

Elise sped up and ran. She was sure she didn't see it wrong. She had just seen the shadow of her brother William in front of the gate. Was it William's ghost? During the burial and after their deaths, she didn't see any of her family's ghosts but there were many thing she hope to say which she couldn't before their deaths.

But why would William's ghost be here?

In the meantime, Ian pushed his back and turned his face to the vampire who had walked toward him. Ian's smile was still on his lips where Edward's smile had fallen. The vampire stopped four steps away from him and his red eyes clashed when their eyes met.

"Elise had left, would you leave after Lord Ian?" asked Edward, his politeness was dry as he didn't said the word with respect.

"I think I would after I talk to the certain person who had kept glaring their eyes at me as if they are not afraid when I could pluck their eyes out from their socket. Elise told me you exchanged letter, how was it?" Ian asked the vampire who chuckled.

"We are studying to get closer, I think everything have to be taken step by step to achieve a greater feat," replied Edward as his smile about to goes up, it stopped at Ian's laughter.

"Mr. Harland you misunderstood me. I asked how does it feel to be playing exchange letter? That's a great feat on its own. Soon you will known as the Lady of the Land's pen friends," Ian chuckled and his eyes watched how the smile on Edward faded away. "Or maybe friends?"

Ian watched how the man's red eyes grew more intimidating but did he thought a glare would work on him?

Edward clenched his hand to gather his bits of composure and reason. As a vampire, he wasn't one to hold his temperament and it was shown by his expression that he had restrained himself because the person standing in front of him was not anyone but the Lord. "I may start as a friend but it is a step forward than to stand idle. Didn't you let me to speak and know Elise better and I will use the chance where you stand idle without making her yours."

Ian covered his lips, the corner of his lips stretching wide from the vampire's words, "I will get this straight for your sake, Edward," Ian took one step forward and his hand moved from his lips, "I never do things that doesn't work on my favor. As for why I had created a space for you and Elise to talk was not to have you two become closer. I am showing her two choices, you and me. Who is better between us. In short I am using you to shine myself in her eyes."

Ian's face tilted with a smile as he watched how the vampire was holding his bubbling anger because he wasn't able to do anything against him. Ian reached out his hand and patted the vampire's shoulders, "You will learn a few things by watching of course, the result of your studying would not be poured to Elise but someone else. It's not to late to choose someone else you know. I am not kind. I am playing to be kind. If you walk out now, I could spare your life."

Edward didn't stand to be silent. His hand gripped tighter, "Are you threatening me, that you will kill me?"

Ian rolled his eyes and pull his hand way from the fool of a vampire. "In my entire life never have I ever threaten people and you know why? Because I manage find to kill them without threatening. Threatens are words but I move by action. Both in my work or Elise. I am reading your future 'Mr. Harland' in case you think you still have chance," Ian put an emphasis on the vampire's surname, reminding how his step he claim to have make was no where close to the bond Ian had with his sweet girl.

Ian continued, "Eat some vegetable maybe it would do you good in making you smarter. Good bye," Ian waved his hand as his body turn to leave the vampire whose face was contoured with anger.

Ian turned his back, facing the vampire with his back when his smile left his lips and a darker expression came to shadow his eyes which increase the intensity of his red eyes.