The Demon’s Bride

Meanwhile, Thomas walked out of the house once Angelica left and from the darkness appeared his friend who had worked with him to killed Vella the day before, "Do you think she could finalize the experiment?"

Thomas shrugged his shoulders, "If she can't we just need to find the next person to continue what we need her to do. It wouldn't be easy to find the immediate next person but you should do it now."

The other man raised his brow, "Have it been decided that she would be killed?"

"No, but I could see that there are suspicions on Saltige, she is our only lead and a thread which we need to cut when it's time. Follow her, Reinhard, and watch each of her movements. If she fails to be of our use, kill here there and bring whatever she did to us." 

"This would be boring," remarked Reinhard. "Was the niece she talked about before was the Demon's Demon's Bride?"

"She is being paranoid, but it's often said that people who are close to death would fear everything around them." Thomas didn't inform Angelica about Elise yet. He didn't see that it would benefit him if he tells the woman that her niece hasn't died. "She thinks her niece as a cursed child; which is not wrong, but she was foolish not to know her full potential. Since the beginning, I knew the vampire wouldn't be able to kill either the Demon's Bride or the Lord. But she appeared to be more useless than I thought."

"We didn't get any information from her but getting to the castle thrice would be harder now," Reinhard took a step forward, "The maid that we killed, the news of her death would soon reach Warine's Lord."

Thomas smiled. Everything was going in his favor and it seemed that no one was yet to notice their plan. The Warine Lord was smart enough to catch things, but the plan had been constructed almost a hundred years ago, even if Ian was to stop the plan, by then it would be too late.

Back in the castle, Elise arrived back to see the maids stealing glances at her when she stood at the foyer. But the glances didn't last long when Ian's sharp gaze peered down to stop the maids from staring their eyes out which he knew made Elise somewhat uncomfortable even if she didn't express her feeling. 

At one point Elise didn't know where and when Beelzebub exited the carriage to disappear again like a phantom. Ian who noticed it decided to turn a blind eye to the action to catch Beel soon at the right time.

"Will Mr. Sullivan disappear if the house is destroyed?" asked Elise as Ian walked from the entrance to take the fresh towel. By the time they entered the house, the snow had melted to water, making them to feel cold.

"His soul wasn't there in the first place, for him to disappear would be a matter of time. The reason why he didn't leave is because of the deep regret he had before he died," Ian pulled the towel over her placing it on her cheeks to wipe away the water. "What did he sounded when he spoke of his late wife?"

"Mr. Sullivan seemed to be detached about the matter," Elise recalled how Sullivan didn't seem to be bothered telling about Edith's betrayal to him, "But he seems to be sad deep down."

"Everyone will be betrayed at one point or another, Sullivan didn't expect it, but he should have known that would happen the moment you decide to trust people," Ian had spoken his words calmly and Elise listened to his words with her ears open wide. His stare then shifted from the side of her hair that became slack on her chin as it was wet, "Just like the moment you kill someone, you need to be prepared that you'll be killed the next."

"I don't think people who are in love would ever expect their partners to betray them," Elise answered to see Ian pulling the corners of his lips.

"That is what makes him fall to the trap Edith placed him in. I remember Sullivan the sixth was known to be a person who could see through a person's action. If he had used his power, he should have known the betrayal upon him if he looks at Edith well. But his love clouded his judgment," Ian slide down his fingers to her chin, lowering to her neck and Elise shuddered at his ice-cold finger that turns sharper with the words he said.

"They said love is blind. Sullivan must have loved Edith with all his soul," which could be true. Elise didn't know why Edith would choose to go back to Heaven when she could be with Sullivan, but if since the beginning Edith had planned to use Sullivan as a ticket to ascend to Heaven, perhaps her choice had been clear since the beginning, making her feel less guilty on the day when she kills Sullivan which ended up in failure.

"Which means he closed his eyes to trust that Edith had truly loved him. Or that he wanted to believe what he saw was wrong," Ian pulled away from the towel from her neck to place it aside to Maroon who stood in silence.

"It's cruel," whispered Elise, she didn't blame others to be cruel, but for the tragic event. She had always found herself easily sympathize with people which made her more humane and she wondered if, from all the victims, Sullivan had been the person who suffered the most, and yet he was still there in the house as if waiting for someone.

"It is cruel. Love isn't all roses," Ian answered, his eyes looking at her seemed to dazed out as if remembering something before pulling back to held a dark glint which made her feel her skin tingle, "I have seen many people who prefer to stay blind on their love."

Curious, Elise asked, "Who?" 

"My mother," Ian watched her eyes burning with curiosity, but he still didn't tell her yet, he was still holding to the end of the rope. Bringing his hand away from her, Ian took off his coat, sliding it off from his wide shoulder where his muscle looks taut even with the shirt that covered him. Elise watched how Ian's arm was larger than her and was reminded of the times when she had been held close with that arm. Feeling a little hot, Elise tears her gaze to look at the furniture that stayed on Ian's left said.

Ian pulled her chin softly, he didn't allow her gaze to be shifted in mere furniture when he had just sensed Elise taking interest in his body. "Let's not talk about other's romance which had ended. You just need to focus on me, on us. If it was in the past, perhaps I would be thinking Sullivan as stupid and foolish, but you know now, I changed my mind."

Elise waited for his words and Ian came closer to rest his face beside hers, "I don't think I'm in a position to tell him foolish when I've become one of those men whose eyes are blinded from love," Elise felt her ears turning hot and her heart pound like never before, and she found Ian's red eyes looking from the corner of his eyes, "You are cold, you need a warm bath. Like to use the bath from my room? It's open for you any time."