The Demon’s Bride

Elise wasn't confident in torturing others as Ian was, however, she trusted herself as a person who is capable to do things if she was to put all her mind into it. They didn't have much information and from what Elise could see through the gesture Esther shown, it appeared as if the girl was omniscient with the things that she or Ian aren't aware of.

"We can continue to speak again. Are you hungry?" Ian questioned her, his act of tenderness meant a lot to her especially with the note in her mind that it wasn't easy for Ian to show tenderness as during his entire life, he strive with cruelty. 

"I am a little sleepy," and dizzy, added Elise in her mind. She didn't said it aloud as she didn't want to add another line of worry on Ian's prominent forehead. 

"Then you should sleep. Is there anything you need, sweetheart?" Ian questioned, his sentence sounded to her ears as if he could offer her everything she wished for even if she asked him for the moon. Deep in her mind, she still couldn't shake the idea of Ian's quick heartbeat. Was it normal?

"Stay with me," Elise said when she rested her back and dipped her body to the soft cushion of the bed.

Ian's lips widened slowly, his beautiful but also intense scarlet eyes showing colors of emotions, "Haven't I been on your side, my dear? Don't be scared with me here no one would hurt you any longer, not even nightmare or your grandfather, Satan."

Elise reached out her hand from beneath the duvet, "Hold my hand."

Ian snuggly settled his large hands to her smaller ones, "Anything else? Maybe a little story time?"

It had been a while since Elise had ever spend time to read books, her favorite pastime hobby. She wondered what kind of stories Ian would have as not to be rude, but Ian didn't seem like a person who love to chatter lest tell a story. When she nodded her head, Ian shifted his leg to a much more comfortable position. 

Ian began while tittering a little upon seeing his own reflection on Elise's glittering eyes, "Once upon a time, live a woodcutter. The woodcutter had an extremely beautiful daughter who had a heart of diamond; the girl was loved by the people around her but one day, her dear father fell to an illness. Being the child of a woodcutter, she didn't have much money with her. In distress, the young girl tried to find work, but her hands were slender, her body was small, and there was little to nothing that she could do in order to find the money she needed to buy her father the medicine. Then what do you think she did?"

Elise had never heard the story before and pulled with the question, she hummed with a deeper thought, only to shake her head. 

Ian smiled, "Then one day, she came across an offer by a person who had lost all her hair, the girl exchange her hair with money, but it wasn't enough as it could only help her with a bag of flour to make bread. The girl then wished for a larger offer and her hope was heard as the next day, she came across an offer from the King. The offer said: The kingdom is facing a great disaster influenced by an evil sorcerer, to put a stop on the disaster, we need a life to be sacrificed."

"No way," Elise said in whisper, after guessing what came next, unknowingly putting herself deep in the story Ian told her. 

"Yes," Ian grinned, seemingly enjoying the tragic story, "She took the offer upon herself. In exchange for her sacrifice she asked the King to promise her and heal her father's illness. No one who is sane would even it the King's offer as consideration but she faced corners and could only find this way. Therefore without telling her father. The dear daughter then submerged herself in the sea where the dark sorcerer had promised to wash the Kingdom. Now," Ian rubbed the back of her palm, "What do you think is the moral of the story?"

Given a puzzle, the vibrant Elise took a momentarily silence before voicing out, "Unconditional love of a daughter to her father?"

"So that is what you see," Ian hummed, his lower lips wrinkled subtly.

Elise crooked her brows, "What else do you see?"

With a laid back tone and a tip of his chin, a willy smile framed his lips, "That God is fucked up in the head," his casual remark caused Elise to look at him with her lips parted and her eyes blinking. No, she didn't hear it wrong. Ian had indeed just cursed God. "I heard this story from my mother," Ian then continued as if he didn't did anything to be mindful of earlier. 

"She asked me what moral I could learn from the story and of course, staying true to my twisted personality, I answered her the same answer. She was shocked and scolded me for it but seeing it again, I don't think any of my thought had changed. Humans, and Demons, no one can control our fate and expect the outcome we wish to be laid out as we want. Angels are not even an exception of this."

"But it is not always a bad thing not to know the future," said Elise with her bubbly charm, "Without knowing the future, it also keep you entertain by expecting the future."

"I guess it did keep me entertain, after all, I also found you," Ian softened his words and his fingers that traced her palm had changed position to her cheeks without Elise being aware of it. His hands then went lower to the column of her neck, stopping around her clavicle. His movements change from a gentle touch to one that cause a welcoming shivers to break around her body. Silence ensued and Elise watched how his eyes stared at her as if enjoying the view or maybe confirming that she was alright. "I'm sorry that I didnt come to you faster. You must have waited for me and called my name."

Elise shook her head, "What matters now is you and me together. I am glad you came to me but how did you know?"

"Heaven came to the inn where I stayed at," Ian said with a tight note.

Elise was taken aback, "But I thought Heaven stayed there for a reason, because his wife is there." Yet the Angel moved from the forest now, why? Seeing how loyal he was to his wife, she could only think that there must be a reason for Heaven to leave the forest.

"Someone influenced him to leave," Ian said and he stood up from her bed, preparing to leave. "That person I guess is your playmate when you were young. Lucifer. I owe him today for being able to come to where you are in time. Although I am thankful for his help, I am not happy either. Let's expect you to have more of my magic so this won't happen again. Get to sleep, have a sweat dream."

Ian blew one of the candle above the cupboard next to her head but she stopped him from leaving and clutched to the hem of his loose shirt, "I killed a lot of people in the forest."

In the world they live at, it's either kill or eat killed. Even though they didn't reside in forest or Hell, the cruel rule of life where the strong prey on the weak, everything is too ruthless for Elise whose heart was purer than an Angel themselves. "They deserve the dead and I told you didn't I? Your sins, the amount of people you killed, I will shoulder half of them with you. Even if Hell is to punish you, there is nothing you should ever worry in my presence," Ian perused her expression that tendered a smile and he leaned forward, planting a kiss imbued with gentleness, "Good night, my bride."

"Wait, I forgot to mention earlier. There was Lady Elle—"

"I know," Ian shushed her lips by placing his finger upon her lovely lips, "Don't worry, I will soon give her back to her family once she learn her lesson."

Elise couldn't lie, she could see the lesson Ian meant was punishment but she didn't stop him as she didn't see why she should. 

"But you tell a good story," Elise then said before he left.

"A good father and husband material, aren't I? But then for me to have a son, we will need to proceed to our marriage. I can imagine us together, reading our dear child a story book while they sleep in between us." 

"It's a lovely future," whispered Elise who closed her eyes as if seeing it in her mind, "I am looking forward to that day."

"And so am I," Ian grinned. Leaving her room, the smile on Ian's lips the slipped.He had truly shown a genuine smile when he was with Elise but when her presence leave him, the darkness and unending rage for what had happened today broiled back to his veins. 

Maroon appeared behind him as if he knew he would exit Elise's room in time, "Let's go." And the man bowed. They then both left the corridor, moving to the most isolated place of the castle and went down the spiral staircase to walk over the prison which Is made specially for people like Ellen Dunn.

By the time he appeared, his red eyes stalely watched the woman who was on the ground, one leg disappear from below her knees, dress drenched with blood, and her facial color disappearing to a pallid complexion. Ellen was suffering but this was yet to satisfy even a quarter of Ian's anger.

"Open the door," Ian said, and his voice notified the woman whose head quickly twisted to look up. Upon seeing Ian entering and his height towering her who on the ground, she felt as if she had plummeted to a very low position of her usual self where she thought and assumed she was of the same class as Ian's.

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A/N: Today I just took the second doze of vaccination, so I am pretty lethargic. Th next chapter will be update on the next few hours~~