172: Devil's presence

Devil's presence

Music Recommendation: Emma is bored - Isobel Waller1

—

Dante and Anastasia's wedding celebration continued until late into the evening, with guests only starting to disperse from the main hall as the night wore on. The guests scattered throughout the palace and its grounds, taking this opportunity to mingle with eligible suitors in the hopes of settling down. While some individuals actively searched for potential life partners, there were others who chose to patiently wait to meet their soulmates. 

"Ginger Blackthorn," the Devil addressed the Mother Queen as he came to stand before her. "You have been busy."

Though the Mother Queen had noticed the Devil the moment he arrived, she had been engrossed in conversation with her other guests. She remarked, "I didn't know you were waiting for me to talk to you. It is good to know that my invitation reached you. I had begun to worry that it had gotten lost, as you missed the wedding ceremony." 

A slight smile appeared on Viktor's lips, almost imperceptible. He responded, "I do not particularly enjoy weddings. Funerals are more my thing."

The Mother Queen extended her hand forward, and Viktor took it in his before leaning in to place a small kiss on the back of it. She said, "How unfortunate. If we had met many years ago, you could have accompanied me to the many funerals that had taken place within the palace."

"Any plans you have in mind for the future?" Viktor inquired, subtly questioning who else she had planned to kill next. 

"It remains to be seen," the Mother Queen replied, and then added, "For now, allow one of my attendants to offer you the finest beverage in the entire living realm." Saying this, she turned and waved her hand to one of the newly demoted concubines, now serving as a maid, Kailani. 

The maid promptly appeared next to the old-looking man, whose hollow eyes resembled deep wells and whose face displayed a sullen expression with slightly sunken cheeks. Viktor grasped the glass and took a sip, allowing the liquid to linger on his taste buds before swallowing it. He remarked, 

"Absolutely rotten." 

The Mother Queen smiled, observing the Devil's eyes scanning through the crowd as if searching for someone. With Dante and Anastasia still present in the room, she asked the underworld visitor, "Do you plan to stay in the living realm for a while?" 

"My visit to the living realm is a short one," the Devil replied, his gaze continuing to wander before his eyes returned to the old woman when she said, 

"That is regrettable. I was going to ask Norrix to arrange your accommodation, but perhaps some other time." 

When Viktor emitted a low hum, it sounded like a growl, causing many of the nearby guests to jump away from where they stood, creating a clear space around the two individuals. 

Lady Sophia, Lady Maya, and Princess Niyasa came to stand before them, and the Devil cast his gaze upon each of them, discerning the evil deeds they had committed throughout their lifetime. 

"Mother Queen, we will be heading to the entrance. Some of the guests are departing and require a proper farewell," Lady Sophia dutifully conveyed, as she took her responsibilities in the palace quite seriously. Sensing the man's gaze from beside her mother-in-law, she fleetingly met his eyes before offering a respectful bow. 

"Who is this man?" Niyasa questioned, her curiosity piqued as she had never seen him before. She frowned and added, "Are you replacing Aziel with him?" 

"Niyasa," Lady Maya grasped her daughter's arm tightly, causing Niyasa to flinch. 

"This is Viktor," the Mother Queen introduced, and the three women fixed their gaze on him, wondering whether she had transformed little Victor into an old man. "Viktor, the Devil."

"You have a bad sense of humour at times, Mother Queen. Excuse me," Lady Sophia remarked, shaking her head, and Lady Maya followed her out of the room. 

"I should pay my respects to the happy couple. I will see you later," Viktor said, finishing the glass in his hand and reaching for another. 

"Grandmother," Niyasa began as Viktor walked away from them. 

The Mother Queen watched the Devil keenly and asked, "Yes, Niyasa?" 

"Now that Brother Dante and Anna are married, it should be permissible if some of us wish to marry as well, right?" Niyasa asked her grandmother in a polite tone. "We should get a fair chance, too."

"I am listening," the Mother Queen responded, holding the wine glass in her hand and turning to look at her granddaughter. 

"I have reached marriageable age, and would like to settle down," Niyasa conveyed to the woman.

"And have you found a man who has agreed to marry you?"

"No, not yet. But you see, I think I should probably go to other kingdoms to find a man for myself," Niyasa said, offering her grandmother a warm smile. 

"I thought you weren't waiting for your soulmate, for you to go and search for him." The Mother Queen's eyes narrowed. Though, inwardly, she acknowledged it was the right thing to do. 

Most of them, much like herself, had met their soulmates only to experience disillusionment. Not to mention, some lived their lives without ever meeting their soulmates, either due to the person's death or because they had formed a connection with someone else, weakening the bond to never truly know. 

The young princess displayed an air of arrogance as she said, "No, I am still sticking with my earlier decision. It is just that I believe it would benefit me more if I found someone outside Versailles, you know." 

The truth was that, after everything that had happened in Princess Niyasa's life, a bad reputation had been attached to her and her mother. One, her brother Maxwell had used deceit to steal the crown from the rightful heir. And two, she had harshly whipped the Queen of Versailles. It wasn't just men but also women who stayed away from her as if she were some kind of pest, and it upset her. 

"The men in Versailles don't interest me as much as they used to, and I was probably born destined for another place," Niyasa attempted to convince her grandmother. 

However, the Mother Queen was Niyasa's grandmother, and she knew exactly why the young princess wished to leave Versailles. So she could start her life from scratch, but she doubted it would make a difference. She said, 

"Versailles is your home, and you won't be going anywhere unchaperoned."

"I will have Mother with me. I think she could benefit from a change of scenery," Niyasa proposed with a smile. "Especially after what happened with Max and everything else."

The Mother Queen's eyes narrowed, and she remarked, "And I wonder whose fault that was. Regardless, your mother has decided to retreat to the old palace and spend some time there."

"What?!" The smile on Niyasa's lips fell, replaced by a shocked expression. "How—When did she say that?" 

"Two days ago," the Mother Queen responded and then cast a pointed look at her unruly granddaughter. She advised, "You haven't apologised yet. You should do it before it is too late."

"Apologise to you?" Niyasa's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. 

The Mother Queen rolled her eyes and replied, "To your sister-in-law. It is better to mend your relationship with her now than to dance in the fire later."

Niyasa pursed her lips and whispered, "But Brother Dante has already punished me for it."

"Are you sure it was solely for that?" The Mother Queen raised her eyebrows.

pqdm.com