The Demon's Bride

Esther turned her body to face Venervy. Her shocked face, colored with panic was enough answer for Esther to know that her guess was correct.

"That device, the hallucination location, and Dalton's sudden arrival in Asmodeus's gambling house. All of them, wasn't it connected?" Esther asked while staring at Venervy's eyes.

She traced back with her mind, following her first routes until she arrived here. Knowing Ian, her niece's husband, he wasn't one to make a move without a plan.

And to add, her death will affect his relationship with Elise and the man had slowly changed to respect lives more and the weight of souls.

Then why did he told her to meet Asmodeus who he knew bore a deep hatred against him?

It's because somewhere Ian knew that Beelzebub would be in Asmodeus's gambling house, if not he would be keeping an eye there to know her sudden appearance.

At first, Esther thought the possibility that Dalton was in fact Beelzebub's disguise, but she realized after talking to the human man, he was himself and not Beelzebub.

"How did you know?" Venervy questioned, gulping as she couldn't keep up more pretentious act.

"The house you live in. Although it was faint, I could feel the great presence of a high demon. Also I asked Dalton why he decided to visit Asmodeus's gambling house which is considered to be one of the most dangerous place in Hell," Esther crossed her arms, "He told me that you needed a herbs that was specially sold by one of the gambler."

Venervy clamped her lips. "I don't see where's the flaw."

"The flaw is that Dalton is a human," Esther pointed out "You promised to help him therefore there should be no reason for you to shove him into the mouth of danger. The devices, your high illusion magic, and the way you are not scared in front of high demon's threat when Dalton had to save you from danger of being attacked by a lesser demons."

"If that was all you found, I don't see how I can be related to Beelzebub," Venervy still hold her ground even though most of her lies had been exposed.

"Perhaps but other than Leviathan, Ian White, there will be no demon who would risk their lives for nothing to go against Asmodeus," Esther then pointed her finger at Venervy. "But there's one more after them. It's Beelzebub. Where is he? This game is not fun."

Venervy maintained her glare at Esther but gave up as she knew she couldn't keep her lies any longer. "I don't know," she looked at Esther and frowned, "I said I don't know, alright?! Lord Beel only told me that I should help you change your mind from trying to find him."

"He needs my help and now he's saying he wants to change my mind from seeing him? Is he a child with unstable temperament?" Esther clenched her hands.

"This is the second time," she spoke through her clenched jaw. "It is his second time to push me away. Do you know what I am thinking, Venervy?"

Venervy could see the red glint across Esther's eyes when she looked down, feeling goosebumps as anger shimmers all over Esther.

"Not only once. Not even twice. This is over the third time he tried to push me away. Not a friend?" Esther felt her anger raising when she recalled the hurtful words which Beelzebub had said. The pain turn into a deeper anger and she clenched her hands. "Where is that bastard."

Her tone was pressed and stressed.

Venervy could feel herself cornered when she had enough spaces around her to escape.

"I remember you said you wanted to help Lord Beelzebub…" but her current expression look the complete opposite, told Venervy to her own mind.

"Help?" Esther smirked. "He said he didn't need any help and he went so far as to hurt my feelings. It seems what he need of help with is his brain."

"I think you have to calm down," Venervy gulped when seeing how Esther's hand had turned into a fist and the way it trembled as if it was trying to contain her deep anger from spilling out like a volcanic eruption.

"Calm?" Esther stepped forward and Venervy urged herself to run when Esther had pulled her by her wrist. "Answer. me. now. Where. is. he!"

Away from Esther, the room where Beelzebub stood at had been trashed and destroyed. The only thing that left was a canvas that was covered by a thick fabric to prevent dusts from sticking to the wet surface.

Beelzebub had only stared for long at the mess around him. His hand that was holding tight to the glass shard bleed profusely as he kept on tightening his grip on the sharp edges.

"Why are you afraid?" A voice came around him when he closed his eyes, as though he was trying to lock himself away.

"You do know, don't you, Beelzebub? Nothing is eternal. Remember Ian White. What was the reason for you to stick with him?" The voice asked and chuckled. "So you can be friend? Don't tell those lies to me. I know you better than anyone. You didn't come to meet him only to befriend him. You are curious of his secret to his immortality. Remember back your disappointment when knowing he died."

"It wasn't disappointment," Beelzebub cut the man off. "I wasn't disappointed at his death!"

"You mean you felt sad for him? Guilty? Mourning? Beel, oh, Beel. You grew up like an innocent puppy and I thought by now, you have grown but you are not. Your innocence can't be changed it seem," laughed the man in mockery. "Since the beginning, you don't care Ian White's life. You didn't care the trouble he is facing. The only thing you cared of was his secret. You weren't mourning for his death. You were disappointed that the eternity that you wanted was proven to be wrong by his death."

"Shut up!" Beelzebub yelled. His howls caused the nearby glasses to break into pieces and when he opened his eyes to look down, he was met with his own eyes which was reflected on the broken shards of glass.

His mouth wasn't moving yet his voice seemed to have spoken beside his ears. "You should hurry, Beel. You don't want to die, do you?"

Beelzebub raised his hand which was holding the glass shards toward his eyes when he suddenly stopped. The noise around him was gone all of a sudden as if storm had passed.

The mess of his room was no less than his own life. Seeing the luxurious interior of his room, he recalled of his child self dream of having a beautiful house, being stronger than anyone, but who was he fooling.

He had indeed became stronger but with a price.

Beelzebub's eyes snapped open when he heard a knock from the other side of his door. "What?" His hoarse voice demanded.

"Milord, it seemed we failed."

Beelzebub need no explanation and at once he slammed open his door, meeting the old demon whose hair and beard was in the color of white.

"What do you mean by fail? I have told Venervy and warned her enough to protect Esther. What happened?" Beelzebub demanded. The red eyes that looked at his servant moved faster.

"No, milord! Lady Esther should be safe for now. However, it appears that she had found out Venervy is one of yours, Lord Beelzebub." The servant explained before his eyes slowly seeing the blood that continuously poured down from Beelzebub's hand. "We should treat your wounds—"

Beelzebub cut the man off by raising his hand and pressed his fingers to his forehead. "She knew? How? Venervy was once an actress in the mortal's world, her act should be hard to perceive."

"I do not know how myself but I have heard that woman had strong instinct with them, milord. It could be that Lady Esther was better to pick up signs from others."

"Why can't she just stay away?!" Beelzebub roared, slamming his fist to the frame of his door. "I tried so hard so she would leave me but she is too persistent. I— can't she once care for her own life?!" 𝐟𝓇ℯ𝐞𝚠𝚎𝒃𝑛𝒐ѵe𝚕.co𝚖

The demon servant didn't reply but looking at Beelzebub. He could see how angry and frustrated his Lord was but at the same time, he could also see the happiness that once caused Beelzebub's eyes to brighten at the mention of Esther's name.

"I cannot be in contact with Venervy, milord. But the last I heard is Lady Esther threatening her."

"Knowing that persistent in her blood, I can tell she will find her way here soon," Beelzebub left the door, walking toward the mess without caring how his skin was torn and ripped when he walked over the sharp broken objects.

"Should I try to stop them?" The servant offered.

"No. Venervy can't do it neither can you," Beelzebub suck his own breaths and released it after a long while. "Forget it. Even if she knew my location now, I doubt there would be anything she could do. With our location, sooner or later, I know she will give up. No. She has to."

His servant raised his voice when Beelzebub had crushed his glass again and decided to retreat silently.

In his mind, he wondered who Esther was. Never has he seen Beelzebub's emotion to be read easily like an open book such as now. Only with the mention of the name Esther, Beelzebub's expression was like an open window for anyone to read the weather of his heart.

Beelzebub made his way to the window, glaring at afar and whispered, "Don't come. Esther."