She Belongs To The Devil

Adeline was now back in the Palace. She was inside her own quarter and was hurriedly collecting her uniform from the bed so that she could change into it and rush to the training ground.

Her mind was still hovering over the previous scene from the market. She was at least glad that the villagers were protesting against the corrupt tax collectors and the ruthless guards. When they were raising their voices against them and were even ready to attack them, she couldn't have been any happier.

"I wonder what happened at the village after I left from there. I would be so satisfied if those corrupt brats returned back with bruises all over their face and body." Adeline was mumbling to herself while taking off her gown and slipping into her uniform.

Thinking about their deeds made Adeline's blood to boil again. "How could they even leech those villagers as if they were cows for them to milk? And on top of that, they beat and destroy the shops of those who deny to pay more than what is decreed by the King… Just how treacherous can people get, deceiving the King and the villagers like that?"

Adeline remembered that it was not the tax collectors who were acting on their own. "Wait, wasn't this whole thing led by Edwin? Why would he need that money for? Isn't he already living a luxurious life inside the Palace? How much more does he want… so much so that he has to overcharge taxes from the subjects? What is he planning to do with all that money?"

She had already seen so many oppressors, like Lillian and Edwin, who thrived by torturing innocent people. She was fed up with the drama the mother-son duo was causing. And each time she would hear something they did to hurt the others, she would feel something accumulating deep down in her heart.

Her level of patience and level of tolerance was already filling up. She was already about to reach to a stage where she wanted to go on a killing spree. Adeline was gritting her teeth and digging her nails in her palms.

"Maybe I should just kill them and get it over with. No more innocent souls will have to bear torture through their hands or die because of them. If two fewer people on Earth would save the lives of so many other people then why not just do it?"

Adeline held her head with both of her hands and sat down on her bed. "But if I kill them then there wouldn't be much difference between me and them. While killing people they must also think that they are killing for the greater good… or maybe not. Lillian even kills people for her pure entertainment."

"But that's not the point here. I don't care what they think before taking innocent lives. All I know is that they killed. And that's not okay. You cannot justify murder or glorify it." Adeline was going back and forth with herself for quite some time.

She abruptly got up from her bed and then shouted to herself, "We are not doing any murder, Princess. Now let's go. We don't want to keep the General waiting for us, do we?"

And she made her way towards the training ground again.

However, just after she exited her quarter, she felt as though someone was following her from behind. She turned around to see who it was but she didn't see anyone. There was just an empty garden and flowers behind her.

She thought that it was just her mind playing some trick on her after Theodore had scared her the last time. So she shrugged her shoulders and kept on walking ahead.

But after taking a few more steps, she heard the sound of footsteps very close behind her. She quickly turned her head again but saw no one.

Even if she didn't see anyone, this time she was sure that someone was following her. It was still broad daylight so she knew that it wasn't Theodore, and she also guessed that other kinds of mystical beings wouldn't be active during the daytime.

So, that led her to believe that some human was following her. "Maybe it's a thief, or maybe a kidnapper?" Adeline narrowed her eyes and thought to herself as the footsteps were approaching her.

Adeline didn't want to play the hide and seek game anymore so she also began to move at a faster pace than normal. But the footsteps also followed her at a rapid speed.

After racing for some time, she felt as though a hand was reaching out to grab her shoulder. And without even looking back to see who it was, Adeline grabbed that hand, lifted that person, and rolled them down flat on the ground. Immediately after, she pinned that person down and was ready to punch them in the face.

"Hey, it's me! It's me!" that person shouted with a voice full of pain.

Adeline left that person's hand instantly and exclaimed, "Alan? What… Why were you following me?"

Alan, Lillian's second son, gave out a painful grunt and gave out his hand to Adeline, "Will you help me to get up first?"

Adeline obliged and help her brother to get up from the dusty ground. Alan dusted his clothes and limped to the side of the path. Then he sat down on the grassy lawn and glanced at Adeline who was watching his each and every little move.

Alan apologized to his sister, "I'm sorry if I startled you. I wanted to talk to you but I didn't know how to approach you."

Adeline folded her arms and commented sarcastically, "You could have tried not to follow me like a thief and could have just called my name. You… know my name right?"

Alan chuckled at that remark from Adeline and replied, "You don't have to be so harsh on me Adeline. You are my sister. Do you think I wouldn't even remember my sister's name?"

Adeline also laughed at her own statement and said, "It's been a while since we met each other, right? What did you want to talk about brother? Is it something urgent or can it wait? Because I am on my way to the personal training right now."

"You are still taking training from General Osmond?" Alan asked curiously.

Adeline gave a simple nod.

"Hmm… I think you will have to skip the training for today then. I don't think this topic can wait." Alan gestured Adeline to sit down beside him and said, "It has something to do with Edwin.. I wanted to give you a warning."