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199 First flap of the bird
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There was a time in Emily's life when she
was filled with enthusiasm for anything
related to soulmates and the deep
connection destined couples shared. And
now she didn't want to hear about it. Yet,
not a single day had passed since that
fateful moment without her experiencing
the agonising pain in her heart. She wished
she hadn't been foolish enough to
anticipate something so fragile and
unpredictable.
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As Emily sat on the couch, awaiting the
arrival of the gentlemen, she made a
conscious effort to steer her thoughts
away from Nathaniel. However, her mind
betrayed her, as if it were conditioned to
dwell on her broken heart and the person
responsible for it. And while she was lost in
silent contemplation about what had
transpired, she failed to register the steady
progression of the clock's hands as they
continued to make their ceaseless rounds.
"Princess Emily, would you like me to set
up lunch for you?" inquired Lauren,
observing the earthling demon's dazed
expression.
Emily's hazel brown eyes lifted from the
floor to meet the head servant's gaze. She
asked, "Could you bring me some
parchment, along with a quill and ink?"
Lauren offered a slight bow and departed,
leaving the princess alone in the parlour
briefly to fetch the items. Upon returning,
she announced her presence, saying,
"Princess Emily, I have brought the items
you requested."
"Thank you, Lauren," Emily expressed her
gratitude as the parchment and ink were
placed on the desk in the corner of the
room. She dipped the quill's tip into the
ink had dried, she carefully folded the
parchment four times and handed it to the
head servant. She instructed,
"Please have this delivered to Janelle
Windsor, and also arrange a carriage for
me."
"Right now, milady?" Lauren confirmed, as
the request was somewhat sudden.
"Yes," Emily replied with a smile that didn't
reach her eyes. Her words were clear, yet
there was a subdued quality to them. She
said, "It doesn't appear like I have any
other engagements scheduled for the day,
so I might as well use the time to visit my
relatives. I will not be staying for lunch."
"I will inform the kitchen staff, Princess,"
Lauren responded before arranging a
carriage for the princess, who had a
difficult morning.
While Lauren carried the supplies she had
earlier brought to the parlour, she
encountered Raylen, who exhaled a puff of
smoke from the cigar held between his
fingers.
"The parlour seems quieter than I had
expected," he remarked, taking a drag from
the cigar.
"Except for Archdemon Nathaniel, Princess
Emily has had no other visitors so far,
Master," Lauren informed him in a lowered
voice, glancing over her shoulder. "It
appears that the rumours about her being
a rejected woman must have spread within
society."
"Earthlings, be they demons or not, are all
the same. Easily influenced, like goats
jumping at the sight of another doing the
same," Raylen remarked, exhaling the
smoke to the side. Upon hearing the sound
of the carriage, he questioned Lauren, "I
thought the princess didn't have any
visitors."
"It is the princess. She went out to visit her
relatives, Master," the demoness informed
him.
"Alone?" Raylen raised his eyebrows in
surprise, and Lauren nodded in
confirmation.
"Would you like me to accompany her,
Master?"
Raylen's lips twisted, and after a moment's
pause, he answered, "That won't be
necessary. The princess is a responsible
woman, and if she has chosen to leave the
castle, it must have been after carefully
considering the current situation. Let us
give her some room to breathe."
"I thought the same," Lauren replied. After
a moment of silence, she added, "The poor
lady has been plagued by nightmares at
night." This statement grabbed Raylen's
attention. "I don't believe she has been
sleeping all that well since she arrived."
"So stubbornly proud," Raylen murmured
before ordering, "Make sure there are extra
candles stocked in her room. The last thing
we need is her dying of fright before her
actual time comes."
"Yes, Master Raylen," Lauren agreed. Just
then, they heard a crackling sound, and
Raylen's imp, Balor, materialised beside
them.
The imp appeared duller than Westley, and
it reported, "Master, last evening's mend to
the barrier is showing signs of cracking
and requires your attention. We tried to
repair it, but it seems it won't hold the
walls around the kingdom for much longer.
The damage this time seems more serious
than it has been until now. As if it was
intentionally forced open."
When Raylen's blue eyes fell on the imp, a
sharp glare straightened the imp's posture,
causing it to lower its gaze to the ground.
He remarked,
"Always giving me work, Balor. I wonder, is
it incompetence or ignorance that none of
you bothered to keep an eye on it? Are you
all just waiting for me to give you a warm
bath?" Raylen's eyes crinkled at the corners
as he smiled.
"We took great care… But considering the
level of force used, it must have been
breached by someone we didn't expect,"
Balor replied. "I suspect that with the
number of guests that have arrived from
foreign lands, someone managed to slip
through, and that's likely what caused the
damage."
"So, it appears we have a demon intruder,
a higher-level one," Raylen mused with a
thoughtful hum.
"Should I make a list of the guests who
have arrived in the kingdom, Master
Raylen?"
"I doubt it would make a difference. Our
esteemed guest seems to have chosen the
gathering season to make an appearance,"
Raylen said with a thoughtful expression
before adding, "The individual is probably
looking for a spouse. Let's not be unkind to
them." He smiled, receiving a puzzled stare
from the old imp.
Inside the carriage, Emily's face was turned
to the window, mirroring her maid, who
stared out the other window with a sparkle
of excitement in her eyes. Her gaze wasn't
focused on anything in particular, as her
thoughts were unusually subdued, a
reflection of her mental fatigue.
Upon their arrival at the residence of
Keaton and Cecelia Lowell, her relatives
welcomed her warmly.
"Emily, it is wonderful to have you here at
last!" her aunt exclaimed with genuine
enthusiasm, wrapping her in a heartfelt
embrace.
"I hope I am not troubling you with the
sudden visit," Emily replied, gently pulling
away from her aunt, who smiled at her in
response.
"Of course not! We have been eagerly
anticipating your visit since we received
your brother's letter asking us to look after
you. Come inside," Aunt Cecelia said,
guiding the young woman with a
reassuring hand on her back.
Cecelia Lowell was Emily's maternal aunt,
her mother's older sister, who had once
borne the Winthrop family name, just like
her mother. Once upon a time, the woman
had been intended to marry William
Blackthorn, but she had chosen a man of
slightly lower status, a choice her family
disapproved of. So she had eloped with
Keaton Lowell to another kingdom and it
took them some years before they forgave
her for going against their wishes.
"How are you doing, Uncle Keaton?" Emily
inquired politely, addressing the bearded
man.
"Happily growing old. The last time we saw
you, you were just eleven or twelve," he
chuckled as they entered the mansion.
"It has been a long time," Emily agreed as
the couple welcomed her into their home.
Though the couple inquired about the
gathering, they tactfully avoided any
questions about Emily's soulmate. She
began to believe it was either because they
hadn't heard about it or because they were
making an effort to be polite by not
bringing it up.
"So, Emily, have you found a man to your
liking?" Cecelia inquired as they settled
onto the couch after lunch. She noticed
Emily's dress, which was of a style not
commonly worn in Versailles, and added,
"It appears you came prepared with the
right style of dresses. I must say, you look
even lovelier than you usually do."
Emily smiled at her aunt's kind words and
said, "Actually, this one was created by Mr.
Hatt. Thanks to King Raylen's word, it has
been quite helpful in expediting things."
The princess was grateful to the
archdemon, no matter how annoying he
could be. However, she had no intention of
admitting it in his presence, as she had no
desire to see that creepy smile of his—the
mere thought of it sent a subtle shiver
down her spine.
"King Raylen is indeed a kind and
resourceful man, save for a few things. But
nonetheless, it is reassuring to see that you
are being taken care of," Keaton remarked,
and Emily noticed her aunt shoot him a
meaningful look.
Intrigued, Emily asked, "What few things?"
"I believe we should refrain from speaking
ill of the king, who has been generous to us
all," Cecelia began, clearing her throat
before continuing. "It is just that he has a
certain reputation, one that sets him apart
from others. You could say that if your
mother were to hear about it, she would
insist on you leaving the castle
immediately."
That... that was something she had already
concluded during the first week of her
stay, Emily thought to herself.
"But that is not what I meant," Keaton said
in a hushed tone, even though they were
the only ones in the room now. He
continued, "The rumour is that many years
ago, he earned the title of 'Murderer'. That
is why, despite his seemingly calm
demeanour, people are wary enough never
to cross him."
"Idle people always tend to create
rumours, Keaton. You know how they have
been gossiping—" Cecelia paused, her face
slightly red, and then added, "About us."
Emily behaved as if she hadn't noticed the
slip-up and continued to talk about other
matters. Having never been away from her
family, she missed them terribly. Visiting
her relatives brought her joy and
brightened her mood compared to when
she had left the castle.
As the hours moved towards evening,
Emily was about to board her carriage
when another carriage arrived at the front
of the Lowells' house. It belonged to
Janelle, who had just received the letter
from Emily after she finished spending
time with her prospective suitor, Mr.
Hurbert.
"I thought I told you to meet me
tomorrow," Emily said when her friend
stepped out of her carriage. Just because
she didn't have any suitors didn't mean she
wanted her friend to miss meeting the
people who had made an effort to court
her.
"Oh, I am not as popular as you might
imagine, Lily," Janelle responded, taking
Emily's hand. "As soon as Mr. Hurbert
departed, my maid handed me your letter,
and I came here to see you. How are you
holding up? It doesn't look like you're
doing too well." The news had spread to
her mother and the neighbours by noon,
and it seemed like everyone had found
something to chew on in someone else's
plight.
"I am feeling better than I did this
morning," Emily replied. "Thank you for
coming to see me, even if it was for a short
while."
Despite the challenging start to the day,
Emily felt a sense of care and kindness
from those around her, which touched her
deeply.
Yet, at the same time, she noticed some of
the passersby on the street turning back to
openly stare at her. Even though she
avoided looking directly at the other
people walking by, it felt as if everyone's
attention was fixated on her. The hushed
conversations about her further
heightened the anxiety that she had
managed to drive away earlier.
Janelle looked confused. "Short while?
Now that we are out, we are going to
spend time together, Lily."
Emily laughed as though Janelle was joking
before noticing the woman's earnest stare.
She replied, "I don't think I am ready to
meet anyone who passes their time
walking around Bramsfield, Jane."
"You don't have to worry about that,
because we are going nowhere near
Bramsfield," Janelle assured her with a pat
on her arm.
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