The Demon's Bride

In the carriage, Elise sat across Ian and stayed in silence. Some times, she would look at the window and spot some Sulix that she hadn't seen for so long and wondered to herself where was Aryl. After she entered the cemetery, Aryl followed her and by the time she exited to ride the carriage, she finally noticed her little friend missing. Feeling worried about her friend, she turned to ask Ian. "My lord, may I ask whether you know where Aryl went?"

Ian was propping his head and had his scarlet eyes gazing at her when she noticed her asking with gingerly. "The Sulix, you mean? Not that I know of. You don't have to worry, that little thing could find their way back to you."

She inclined her head, wondering how Aryl would be able to find her way back to her and curiously added, "Is that so?"

"Yes, Sulix know you by your scent." Seeing Elise looking up with questions bouncing over her eyes, he chuckled faintly with mirth and explained, "The sweet child has a distinct fragrance than a normal human. They're sweeter like a flower and the fragrance could be smell even to other lands in the Empire. The bracelet that you had have the power to shield this scent but now that you don't have the bracelet your fragrance creates a trace for the faeries to pick up."

Elise continued to nod in understanding. She had never known what they meant by The Sweet Child but recalled to have heard once of this term. Aryl told her that she's a sweet child but at that time she only thought the sweet child referred to people who could see ghosts and faeries. She pondered and spot something amiss then asked Ian, "Does that mean Lord Ian you are also a sweet child?"

Her question brought a sudden grave of silence. Ian had his eyes a little froze from her words and "Pfft-" he chuckled. He didn't expect her to ask such a question beforehand. The sweet child is akin to angels yet he is a creature that's far opposite of the term. Calling him the sweet child sounds like asking whether the Demon Lucifer is a God.

Elise rubbed her cheeks with her index finger. Seeing him laughing wholeheartedly, she reflected her own question and thought that perhaps her question was too direct or perhaps even foolish. Hesitantly she asked, "Was my question wrong?"

Ian shook his head slightly with a grin that he always used. "No, not the least. But I'm not a sweet child."

Elise wondered, "Even though you could see the ghosts and faeries?"

"Ghost and faeries are something that I was born to see. The sweet child, however, they are only one in the world for an entire thousand years. There had never occurred when the world has two sweet child at once." Ian replied, thoroughly explaining her.

Elise sang her hum for a reply and asked again, this time her question was a little bolder than before. "My Lord, I remembered to have seen you once teleported with magic. You could have gone back to the White's Mansion by now, but why do you ride a carriage?"

"Oh-" Elise turned her head instinctively, looking at the view outside the window to hear her heart thudding in a different tune, like a chime of a bell light and fuzzy.

The road to Warine Land was smooth-sailing. They couldn't stop at inn in between the road as mostly the road to the land was empty with only fields of green land. Two days inside the carriage, Elise found her theory as a child whereas Ian doesn't need to eat or rest didn't change. At one point he made an amused face while staring at something and when their gaze met, he would give a smile which Elise returned back with a giddy one and turned her face before they have a staring contest. When it was time for lunch, Ian would give her a ham sandwich that brought back a nostalgic memory when she had just met him.

The sky had turned a little dark by the time they arrived at the White's Mansion. Elise walked down to see a carriage stool prepared for her to exit the carriage and stepped down. Turning her eyes up at the magnificent view of the White's Mansion, she stood in awe.

The Mansion was exactly the same as she remembered. Long large white pillars standing up to support the entrance of the Mansion. The stairs curving to the entrance was wide and enough to support for more than twenty people to ascend at once. The large two wooden doors were large and had beautiful pattern carvings with a golden doorknob. Just from the rear view of the house, one could know how luxurious it is within the mansion. Even though nine years had passed the Mansion didn't lose its beautifulness, Instead, the enchanting beauty deepened with the time. It made Elise wondered how the people and the place weren't affected by the time.

Maroon had hopped out from the carriage, from the seat beside the coachman now stood beside Ian, helping him with his coat. Suddenly from afar, Ian's black Raven flew out of nowhere. Flapping it splendid black wings, it found its way over at Ian's right shoulder, snapping its head with its red eyes staring at Elise.

"Maroon." Ian called to have the butler stopping with a bow.f𝘳ℯℯ𝙬𝒆𝚋𝐧oν𝑒Ɩ.c𝑜𝙢

"Yes, my lord."

"From now on she would be working here in the mansion. Prepare her room and have Mila as her supervisor to teach her work here. I would be retiring to my room now." Ian spoke the last word loud enough for Elise to hear and entered beforehand. His lazy steps brought him inside the mansion and disappeared from Elise's gaze.

Maroon didn't say anything and looked sideways. With his toneless words, he called another maid to call Mila and left the place to continue with his work. On the other hand, Cynthia placed her hand on Elise's head and gently cheered, "Welcome to the White's Mansion Elise! I'm glad that we would be seeing each other more often now. Also, about Maroon, whatever he did don't take it much to heart. He's a type of person who is cold to people unknowingly."

Elise shook her head. The people in White's Mansion are all kind people, well at the least the people she knew who work in White Mansion are very kind. Although Maroon was cold, he never did anything worth to hate and she only saw him as a stern person. She took Cynthia's gentle words and spoke again with a wide smile across her face, "It's a pleasure to work with you too, Cy. I'm happy to meet everyone again in great health."

Due to her mourning her family, she didn't get to greet the people she missed the most with the delight that she felt. But it didn't change the fact how happy she was for being able to meet them again that her smiles clinkered with beaming joy.

Cynthia saw the adorable wafting from her. She giggled softly and retract her hand from Elise's head. "Good luck. I still have some work to do so I'll be leaving you now. See you again later, dear."

Elise nodded, "You too."

Not long after Cynthia left, a maid with an inky dress and white apron walked over to greet her at the entrance. Her features were a little older than what Elise remembered, but the same mild smile that she had didn't change. The maid was none other than Mila, the same maid who used to take care of her when she had just come to White's Mansion.