The Demon’s Bride

By the time Elise walked to the entrance, she saw Ian talking to Austin. Austin didn't seem to have seen her as after he talked, the man immediately left again. Walking to Ian's side, Elise turned to ask, "Where is Austin leaving to?" She noticed how Cynthia and Austin had been leaving early. Were they busy?

"To investigate the person who stayed in Lipton that Blythe mentioned. Although I think now it would be futile. They had cut the lead to them," said Ian with his hand pulled out to interlocked with hers.

"What should we do then?" asked Elise with a frown, "Carmen's letter is gone too."

Ian tilted his head to have a better look at her face, "How do you know that?"

"I asked Vella before she left if she had seen the address, but she said it came from Lipton's Manor," answered Elise and Ian hummed, his brows were faintly knitted to think with a grin. "Do we really have no lead?"

Ian grinned, his eyes curving to a wider smirk, "We could raid to Saltige, there is our lead isn't it? The largest of all. I wonder how your aunt's expression would look like when she saw you again."

Elise didn't want to think of it, but she guessed, "She would be very surprised."

"Surprise enough to die," Ian completed her words with an evil grin, "If surprising her fail to kill her, I will personally walk her down to the aisle of Hell. She would be happy escorted by me there, the Demons would love to show her better torture than the rest."

The way he spoke sounded as if one should feel the honor to be escorted by himself, and Elise thought it should be if the person was in a normal case, but she could feel that the words were more of a threaten. "I don't think Aunt Angelica would like that." They both don't know yet how much her aunt was involved.

"Well, I am not one to care about others, you and I come first," Ian wondered what kind of aunt will he meet. The aunt who didn't have an ounce of sympathy or pity for her own niece he sold. He felt somewhere grateful of Elise's aunt with her selling Elise had formed a path for them to meet. Being blunt, Ian asked her, "When I kill your aunt, will you stop me?"

Elise widened her eyes, and it took her a good one second before shaking her head.

"Good," Ian remarked. It seemed that Elise had gotten slightly accustomed to seeing death although she hadn't killed anyone yet.

She took her eyes from the snow that had settled to cover the staircase to then look at him, "Do you think it is wrong for me not to feel sorry for my aunt?"

Ian let out a breathy chuckle over her, "Are you going to ask that question to me, really? I have killed many, so many that my shadows are dyed red, Elise. Do you think it's wrong for me not to feel sad for their deaths?"

Elise didn't know what to say at first. She wondered if she was in the shoes of the family Ian killed, would she feel angry for him not feeling a pinch of sadness? Elise knew she was biased to incline toward Ian, but that wasn't the only reason, she had faith in him that most of his killings had a reason.

"I don't," she replied after sorting her thoughts which she feels she needs to receive a wider smile from Ian.

"Likewise, I would never say that is wrong for you not to shed tears for the aunt who had sold you as a slave. It is only right for you to feel so, and I would never let anyone who dares to say you otherwise alive," said Ian for a smile to rest on her lips.

With her eyes locked on him, Elise said, "I'm glad I have you here beside me."

"It's my greatest pleasure." Ian looked at Elise. He found her shining brighter than before. Each day polish her to turn her into the diamond she was, he can't wait to see her ripe but at the same time, many prying hands want to take her, to kill her. And he would not let that happen.

"Am I disturbing?" asked Beelzebub from behind and Elise turned her head after Ian. She saw the man dressing in thin clothes as coldness doesn't affect him. Was it because he is a demon that cold doesn't bother him? But Elise thought that being a demon doesn't have anything to do with it.

"Sullivan should be far from here," said Beelzebub, "Somewhere on the East."

Ian raised his brow, "He lives in Hurthend?" The East land was Hurthend, the land of vampires which perhaps fit better for Demons who had red eyes, but in fact, it was the opposite. It took years for anyone to enter the vampires' land as they prefer to live secluded, though not as much as elves did.

"No he lives in Warine I think. He knew that you are the Lord here and thought it was safer to stay here," Beelzebub answered.

"Hm, how strange, I never knew that he was here," but then he spends some of his years not hearing news from Hell which why he didn't know Sullivan had disappeared from Hell. Although even if he heard, Ian doubt he would want to search for him. "Which Sullivan we are talking of? The sixth or the seventh?" questioned Ian, intrigued was in his voice and Elise turned her head with her eyes questioning his question.

Beelzebub frowned, "The sixth, the current one is the seventh."

"I see." Ian hummed, Elise could tell Ian wasn't interested in Sullivan while she, on the other hand, wondered what Ian meant by the sixth or the seventh.

When Beelzebub had begun walking to the carriage, Elise asked Ian, "Is there many Sullivan in Hell?"

"There is only one Sullivan, but the Demon taking the name change when the previous dies," he explained. Bringing his hand, Elise watched him point his finger to Beelzebub, "For a case, Mr. Beel's full name is Beelzebub, and this isn't his real name but rather his rank. There were four previous other Beelzebub before him."

"Which means he is the fifth," Elise whispered. She didn't know Mr. Beel's name was not his own name. "Does that mean Mr. Beel doesn't have his own name?"

"No he has one, however, names are a matter of life and death for a Demon, if one says their truest name, they could gain full access of the Demon, ordering the Demon to abide by the caller. It is impossible for a Demon to ever go against the holder of their name. If they do, there would be punishment, or worse death awaits," Ian casually explained, knowing what was going to happen next. His eyes peered at Elise, holding the mysterious that came since they first met. "Which why no one in Hell knows each other's name, we call everyone by rank."

If a Demon's name works like a collar and bound, Ian who tells his name to the whole land would have himself bounded by others, but he didn't. If that's the case... thought Elise, her eyes that stared at Ian didn't move or blink, "Which mean Ian isn't your real name?"

Ian pulled his smile slowly, there was no horn of black wings on him, however, he looked like a Demon side of himself, "Yes. That isn't my real name. Did I pique your curiosity again, sweetheart?"