179: More the better

More the better

Upon arriving at the Storm Castle, Raylen was the first to disembark, followed by Emily, whose eyes drank in the vastness and towering presence of the place that would be her temporary residence. A maid, who appeared older than her own mother, awaited them at the entrance. 

"Welcome back home, Master Raylen," the maid greeted with a respectful bow, and it was only when she raised her head that Emily noticed a shadow beneath the woman's eyes. The maid offered her a polite bow, and Emily reciprocated in kind. 

"Princess, allow me to introduce you. This is Lauren De Maitree, the head of the servants here. She will be the one to assist you during your stay at Storm Castle." Raylen addressed Emily before shifting his gaze towards the woman. "Lauren, this is Princess Emily Blackthorn, who will be staying here with us until the conclusion of the gathering."

Emily looked slightly stunned by the revelation. Where she came from, women were never granted such esteemed positions in the king's domain, regardless of their experience. Those positions were invariably reserved for men, even if they were of a young age. 

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Princess Emily," the woman greeted her with a warm smile. 

"Good afternoon, Lauren. It's a pleasure to meet you as well," Emily greeted the maid back, who stared at her for a while longer before turning to the prince and asking, 

"Forgive me, Master, but I was under the impression that we were expecting two princesses, not just one."

"One fell into the sea and died," Raylen responded, prompting the maid to subtly raise her eyebrows. "The princess doesn't seem bothered by it, so I doubt it is something we should be overly concerned about."

This man was utterly insufferable, Emily thought to herself. She couldn't comprehend why others failed to see who he truly was behind that polite and friendly mask he always wore. In an attempt to clarify the situation, she stated, "Niyasa is alive. My family said they have arranged for her retrieval and return to Versailles." She then said, "Thank you for your generous hospitality, but I already have my maid, Julia, to attend to my needs. I wouldn't want to impose any additional burdens on Lauren."

Emily and Raylen stared at each other, a crackle of electricity and undeniable friction simmering between them, leading the maid to note that they clearly didn't get along with each other. 

Lauren proposed, "How about I show the princess to her room?" She then guided Emily through the castle corridors, leaving Raylen standing at the entrance. 

As she walked behind the maid, Emily observed the architecture, which bore a resemblance to the style she had seen in the demons' lair; however, the motifs were notably more intricate. Despite the ceiling retaining a touch of darkness, contrasting with the dark maroon and white walls, the space was illuminated by elegant chandeliers. 

"I am truly sorry to hear about your sister, milady. I hope they can retrieve her quickly and that she is safe," the maid's sympathetic words reached her ears. 

"She's resilient. She will survive," Emily responded, taking a deep breath. Growing curious, she inquired, "I couldn't help but notice that you address the prince as 'Master' rather than 'Prince'."

The maid blinked for a moment before replying, "He is the master of this castle, and it is only fitting that we address him as such."

Emily turned slightly perplexed, and she asked, "How do you address the king, then?" 

"Master," Lauren replied before realisation struck her, and she added, "I mean to say that Master is the king, the reigning prince of the Storm Kingdom. The other rulers before him, until the existence of the Elder ministers, were merely figurehead kings and queens."

This meant she would have to refine her words and expressions, temper her gaze, and keep her glares to herself, Emily thought. What the maid said did make sense. After all, Raylen had been the demon who had never died and continued to thrive, unlike her eldest brother, who had been reborn after decades of absence. 

Once they reached her designated room, Lauren opened the door for the princess to enter, and she offered, "I hope you find it to your satisfaction, Princess Emily. Should you require anything, please don't hesitate to let me know. I will take my leave to allow you to rest, as I can imagine the journey here must have been quite arduous. Additional blankets have already been placed inside the cupboard, as I believe it may take some time for you to acclimatise to the Storm Kingdom's weather."

When Lauren tended to the fireplace, where the freshly cut logs awaited kindling, Emily's gaze drifted towards the window. Through it, she could see the sea surging near the horizon.

"It is odd," Emily murmured, a remark that caught the maid's attention as she turned to face her. Emily continued, "For a demon of peace to choose to settle in a place like this." She could feel a growing sense of unease in her chest at the sight of the dark clouds continuing to gather as if nature itself was preparing to release an impending tempest she was yet to experience. 

Upon hearing the maid's laughter, Emily turned to look at her. Lauren said, "You shouldn't believe everything the earthlings say, milady."

Earthlings… Emily's eyes widened as it dawned on her that it was possible that this maid might also be a demon from the underworld. The maid went on to say, 

"Demon of Peace, Destruction, Mischief—all these are titles that the earthlings denoted on them on a whim. Something they like to do, often by jumping to conclusions. Master is like the storm." She smiled before inquiring, "Would you like me to bring your meal here?" 

"No, I will dine in the dining room," Emily replied, and the maid extended a respectful bow. "Thank you, Lauren."

"You are welcome, milady," Lauren replied before stepping out of the room and closing the door behind her. 

With her trunks delivered to her room, Emily quickly opened one, pulled out a vessel, and poured the contents of a prepared vial into it. After softly reciting a few words of an incantation, her grandmother's face finally appeared before her. 

"Grandmother!" 

"Oh! You scared me!" the Mother Queen exclaimed, startled as she was sipping from her teacup filled with alcohol. She then furrowed her brow and asked, "What happened to your hair? It looks like you will need to fix it before you reach lan—"

"I am at the Storm Castle." Emily's eyes narrowed at her grandmother before she continued, "You told me we would be staying in Aunt Cecelia's mansion. How could you lie to me?" The least she could have done was to provide her with the truth so she could have been prepared. 

"That was my initial understanding, but Dante felt it was better for you to stay somewhere with greater security. If you ask me, it must be your mother who pestered him to change your lodgings," the Mother Queen replied and gave a nod. She then questioned, "But, what is wrong with Storm Castle? Prince Raylen is a delight, and the climate there is truly something I wish we had here in Versailles."

Emily wished she could say the same. Changing the subject, she asked, "Have you dispatched men to fetch Niyasa yet?" 

"We did so some time ago. Everything is under control, and you don't have to worry about us," the Mother Queen reassured her granddaughter. 

"Mother Queen, are you talking to yourself?" Emily heard her mother's voice. 

"Take good care of yourself, Emily. Kisses to you," her grandmother whispered before the liquid's surface stilled and fell silent. 

Emily sighed deeply, her voice barely above a whisper as she pondered, "What am I doing here?" 

She was far away from home, with no one of her own within this huge castle. Now alone in the room, the sorrow she had momentarily set aside started to creep back in, and the pain that had briefly abated returned, weighing heavily on her soul. 

Over the last few days, Emily had begun to question why, out of everyone, she was fated for rejection. Negative thoughts had been accumulating, piling one upon another, causing her to doubt her own worth and wonder what it was she lacked. However, the truth was, regardless of her qualities or shortcomings, she had been late in meeting her soulmate, and someone else had captured his heart. Ironically, it appeared that one could develop feelings for their fated soulmate even without spending hours with them. Yet, it had been effortless for Nathaniel to let her go. 

Just outside the door, the maid had positioned herself to attentively listen in on the princess. She then quietly moved away from the door and departed from the corridor before returning to her master's side. 

"The young lady has settled in her room, Master." 

"That's good to hear," Raylen responded, with a cigar between his teeth and a knife in hand. He stood in front of a table where a lifeless body lay.

"It is very unlike you to host someone or to look after an earthling," Lauren pointed out as Westley also entered the room.

"She is Dante's precious sister, and I had to repay a favour in return for something he did for me when we left the underworld. With this, we are even," Raylen replied as he continued to examine the earthling's body. 

"It sounds strange that the archdemon who once came to this realm to destroy now has a family he cares about, not to mention, he's married," Westley stated in the same volume as the other two. 

"The lady seems quite pleasant," Lauren remarked, referring to Emily. She continued, saying, "You seem to treat her differently, Master." The demoness had grown accustomed to witnessing both sides of her Master—veiled and unveiled. 

Raylen took a drag from the cigar before exhaling a plume of smoke. With a smile forming on his lips, he removed the cigar from his mouth and remarked, "She prefers it that way."

His memory of his second encounter with the princess was as clear as the light streaming down from the heavens. 

'This is a pure cashmere woollen shawl. Isn't it lovely?' asked an acquaintance who was familiar with both Emily and Raylen. The woman leaned closer to the prince, subtly seeking his attention. 

Raylen humoured the woman, offering praise by saying, 'A beautiful piece carried by a beautiful woman, almost like an angel.' This garnered some envious reactions. Meanwhile, Emily paid him no attention. As the women were departing, Emily accidentally dropped her handkerchief, and when Raylen went to assist her, she snatched it as if he were a contagion. 'I have a feeling that I have unintentionally offended you,' he said.

The young lady maintained a stoic expression and replied, 'Probably because you have done things you have conveniently forgotten.' 

Her response only made him smile, and he remarked, 'So much disdain doesn't look good on a beautiful lady like yourself.' 

'Don't,' Emily warned him, her eyes steady. 'Don't call me beautiful if you think I am like the women who eagerly flock around you.' 

'If I see a beautiful woman, why wouldn't I call her beautiful? Do you prefer I call you ugly?' A smile crept onto Raylen's lips when he noticed a flicker of annoyance in the princess's eyes. 

'I find it preferable to your words laced with mocking flattery. Don't imagine for a moment that I have forgotten that you tried to attack my kingdom,' Emily retorted, quietly glaring at him. 

'Ah, so you are the princess. It was hard to remember where I had seen you,' Raylen chuckled. As she turned to leave, he added, 'People enjoy honeyed words, even if they are laced with poison. I don't believe you would take it well if I were honest, but allow me to lower the volume next time we meet, Princess.'

However, during their next encounter, when he had greeted her the way she had preferred, he believed she would have stabbed him if she were a high-ranking demon. Earthlings were entertaining, Raylen thought to himself. 

When it was time for supper, Emily had already finished bathing and washing away the sea salt from her hair and skin. She was now dried and dressed with her hair detangled by her new maid, a girl her own age. A clock on the wall chimed in the corridor, marking the passage of time. 

"Princess Emily, I am here to escort you to the dining room," a castle maid announced outside her room. 

"You should go and have your meal too, Julia," Emily informed her maid, as she no longer required her assistance. 

"Yes, milady," her maid replied with a deep bow, and Emily proceeded to follow the other maid. 

Upon entering the spacious dining room with its long table and empty chairs awaiting occupants, Emily was guided to a seat. When the dishes were brought in one after another, she turned to address the head of the servants and inquired,  0

"Will the food not grow cold by the time the king arrives, Lauren?" 

"Master doesn't eat, Princess Emily."

"I see..." Emily murmured, unsure of whether she should be sad that she would be dining alone or relieved that she would be spared from dealing with Raylen. "It's a blessing," she muttered, receiving a quizzical look from the maid in charge. 

"Milady?" Lauren asked. 

"I am famished," Emily said with a smile, and soon food was brought to the table. After she had eaten a substantial portion of her meal and her stomach was satisfied, she expressed her gratitude, saying, "Please convey my regards to the cook for preparing such delicious food. And thank you for keeping me company, Lauren." 

"You are welcome." Lauren bowed. She said, "Master instructed me to tell you to be ready tomorrow morning at ten."

As Emily rose from her seat, her gaze fixed on the sky outside the window. When she redirected her attention to the maid, she asked, 

"Tomorrow? The gathering is scheduled for the day after tomorrow." Why did he need her to be ready tomorrow morning? 

"I haven't been given the details except to relay the information," Lauren replied, while turning to the other maids to commence clearing the table. 

Emily inquired, "Where is he now?" 

Lauren looked a little tongue-tied before she said, "He's currently occupied with work." And before the princess could insist on seeing him, she added, "I will let him know that you were looking for him." 

Before Emily exited the room, she requested, "Could you send two additional candle stands to my room?" 

"Two candle stands and one spare have already been placed in your room, milady." 

"I will still require two more of them," Emily said with a smile before departing from the room, leaving Lauren to wonder if she intended to stay up all night. Unless... she was planning to summon something.

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