The Demon’s Bride

Maroon came by the entrance his expression was still like a stoned wall when he met Duke Gary and Lady Ellen and only gave a bow to greet the two. "Good afternoon. The Lord is waiting for your presence in the dining room." and Duke Gary didn't bother to reply to quickly follow Maroon to the dining room. Elise gaze were kept at Lady Ellen's back as the woman made her way to the dining room. When Elise's eyes shifted from the lady's back, Lady Ellen turned her face slightly toward the red-headed maid with her eyes narrowed.

"Ellen." Duke Gary called and Lady Ellen pulled a wide smile to follow her father to the dining room.

Carmen and Vella knew the look spread across Elise's face at the moment and looked at each other as if telling themselves to not probe of the matter. As they was about to leave the place, Mila who had arrived spotted Elise.

Making her way to the red-headed girl, Mila went and spoke, "Elise come with me, we need a hand in the dining room."

"Sorry, me?" Elise asked in surprise and seeing Mila gave her a nod, her lips pursed. Remembering the beautiful lady, Elise didn't feel wanting to walk to where Lady Ellen would be with Master Ian. As if her heart had touched a thorn she moved the bottom of her shoes which felt heavy to her ankles as she followed Mila to the dining room.

Ian sat on the chair in the middle of the long dining table. A red tablecloth was placed above the luxurious table and in the middle lined candles which wasn't burn with flames. Three seats on Ian's left side were the father and daughter, Duke Gary and Lady Ellen whose attention was fixed at the Lord. The two smiled wide as they first met the Lord. They could never afford to offend the Lord and had to keep their mood fresh by the smile.

"Good afternoon, milord." Duke Gary was the first one who had greeted the Lord as soon as they took seats. Elise notice how the man seemed to love golden rings as ten fingers didn't seem enough for the stack of rings. Then her eyes shifted at Lady Ellen to recall the rumors of how Lady Ellen had kissed Ian for her blue eyes to stop at the lady's lips which was painted in a deep red color unlike her which was pink without rouge.

Ian raised the glass on his hand, the water on his glass tilted as he brought it playfully with his fingers to placed it down on the table to turn his head at the Duke. "Good afternoon, Gary. I wasn't expecting you to come today." commented Ian when Elise felt the cook tapped on her back and gave her a plate of food. Most of the maids who were told to bring the food come following her and Elise was told to serve Lady Ellen. But for the first time, she felt she didn't want her feet to move or do the work she was assigned to. Elise didn't know why but the entire time, she kept on comparing herself with Lady Ellen. Unlike her red hair that always stood out for being odd, Lady Ellen's hair was beautifully decorated.

Her gaze tore itself from Lady Ellen to Master Ian who sat like the Lord he was, his elegance made it hard for anyone to move their eyes away from him like her and Lady Ellen. She saw how Master Ian had smiled, finding the smile to be unfair as it was shown to Lady Ellen.

While the little puppy was in her dilemma on the new emotions that bread in her heart, Ian enjoyed hearing the uneven heartbeat he keenly heard with his ears. He saw how Elise's eyes kept on falling on Lady Ellen with her expression sullen. It was easy to tell what Elise was feeling in her heart, the girl was feeling jealous, green at Lady Ellen who had come by inviting themself in. It gave him immense joy to see how Elise felt enough animosity to another human being when she had never done felt it before. And Ian, being the Demon he was enjoyed basking on the jealousy Elise showed and at how her attention fell at him the entire time.

When Elise walked to place the plate of soup carefully in front of the Lady, Ian pulled the side of his lips when their gaze clashed. Thankfully Elise had placed the plate successfully before she saw his smile or else damning, she would have jumped at her spot like how her heart just did in her chest.

Lady Ellen smiled back to the Lord, her lips which was colored in the scarlet was pulled wide for being the first one greeted by the Lord with a smile not knowing who was actually smiled by Ian.

"We were on the way to hunt in the forest and passed by the Mansion. It would be rude not to visit the Lord's castle when there are the opportunity to do so." replied Duke Gary, an excuse he could use perfectly but also lies he had spoken.

Ian chuckled, pulling the napkin that rested on his laps. "I didn't know Lady Ellen had the hobby to hunt too, seeing that you come today with your father."

"No, I just came to accompany my father as it get me worried to know him entering the forest with only a couple of men." Lady Ellen dabbed her lips with the napkin ending her meal shortly seeming to be full only after three spoon.

"Of course you wouldn't come to hunt with the Duke or else you will be the one hunted inside the forest with the gown you are wearing now. I thought you were showing your generosity by being the wild animal's food." Ian broke into a chuckle, his dark humor unreachable to the rest of people inside the dining room. "It is often said that in a hunt only fools brought more baggage with them next time if you have come to accompany the Duke wear less baggy dress because it seemed like you are not going to a forest but a ball."

For a good one minute the dining room was silence only a sound of crinkling from Ian's plate could be heard faintly. When no other words could be heard, Lady Ellen nervously laughed to be followed by Duke Gary.

By their own means, the people in the dining room had treated Ian with much respect to get on the Lord's good side. If it was other people who had the audacity to call the Duke fool or the Lady dimwit, they would have not stopped themselves from ordering the person to be beheaded. But Ian was no regular person. He was the Lord of the Land where their feet was standing at and by most the strongest person in the whole Empire.

Unlike the Lords who have always be polite to people for their means, Ian was out of reach. He could care less about treating other people with kindness as he saw no means to do so.

Just like the way the Lord had smiled to her earlier, Lady Ellen could only find him perfect and could hardly find any flaw to the man thus why despite the cold shoulders from the lord she still advances forward. To be the woman standing beside the Lord this much couldn't even seen as a sacrifice. If she want to be the Lord's wife she would have to keep him in her good grace just the way she had done until now.

"Of course milord, I don't think it is also a woman's job to accompany men to hunt. Ellen is just a little worry wart after the death of her mother." Duke Gary defended his daughter quickly. He could only rely on his daughter to catch the Lord's attention and for her to be crossed out as dimwit would reflect bad on him.

"That's because father is the only family left for me." said Lady Ellen with a mournful look to then veer, "I heard milord, yesterday you have come to the evening soiree held by the Count. Unfortunately I couldn't come at that time, if I knew you would be coming, I would have come regardless of my appointments."

"That is not good, Lady Ellen. One should respect the appointment they have made the earliest unless they want to have their house knocked and barged in by ruffians who doesn't know what letters are used for. Some times it vexed me how foolish one could be even when they have the brain to be tad smarter." Tched Ian as if he was truly disappointed by the action.

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A/N: Please do tell me if there is any mistype or awkward sentence. As I wrote it in a hurry, I may have left mistakes ^^