The Demon’s Bride

"How do you know that, Master Ian?" At the time Carmen and Vella didn't see what had transpired between Lady Monica, the countess, and her. Yet Ian was able to hit the guess with a try.

"Lady Monica hated people who are not born with a title and her twisted hobby as you see is demanding one's worth." explained Ian. "You have an excellent memory, puppy. Recall what she had said to you now."

"Me?" her words came out before her mind could process.

"There is no one here other than me and you." He said, in the darkness with little lights made by the lantern which was hanged on the corner of the carriage's roof, his scarlet eyes glowed like amber.

Elise felt her heart ringing, the way he had spoke of them being alone in the carrier made her to remember yesterday when Ian had took off her stockings to treat her wound. Elise had been told that as an unmarried girl it was a conduct not to be alone with a man in a closed room now it wasn't a room where she was but a carriage, however, when Ian had spoken of the words, she felt heat raising up to stay on the tips of her ears and cheeks.

Ian chuckled in a low tone that Elise missed. The puppy who was still clueless didn't know that all she had done was professing her love for him with her actions and gazes.

Elise's blue eyes were hidden with the shadow met with his eyes to confirm that Ian was waiting for her words. She didn't like to tell Ian of what the Ladies had said. It was because she felt like a person who would snitch and tittle-tattled them. The talk happened in afternoon and Elise wasn't someone to hold grudge and had forgotten the matter but it didn't meant she forget their words completely. There was uncomfortableness she felt but Ian waited for her patiently until her she felt talking. She tried to recall the words and placed the words to her tongue, "The Countess stated people like me as brash and Lady Monica replied that she wouldn't want to waste her breath to talk to me." Her words faded out to the silence for her to receive Ian's long humming. She sneaked a look up at him but failed to see his expression in the dark.

"Wasting breaths." Chuckled Ian, "You should have told me earlier when we were still in the Manor, it's a shame."

"A shame?" questioned Elise to his unclear words.

"A shame that I could not teach her what is called as wasting breaths." Elise inclined her head to her right shoulder, unable to understand the words Master Ian had said. The journey to the White Mansion was long but at the same time shorter than Elise had thought. She enjoyed the time in the carriage but before she realized she had arrived back at home.

Ian took off his coat and Elise quickly rose her hand to take his coat. At her fast action, Ian smiled as if to praise her. "Tomorrow at evening, come to the library. We will pick up our last conversation there. I trust you still have the key with you?"

"Of course." she replied quickly with her smile wide. She had kept the key in the best place in her room to treasure the key Ian had first given to her.

"Good night." wished the Lord, he went forward to her face that made her breaths stopped and her eyes staring at his red lips when she felt his hand rubbing her heads before he left the place. Elise took the back of her palm and felt warmth spreading to her cheeks. With the Lord wishing her a good night wish, she felt her dream that night would be beautiful to say and went back to her room with the grown bags on her hand after hanging the Lord's coat.

As the next day arrived, Elise finished her chores in the afternoon along with the other two maids. After polishing the stairs, she wiped her hands on her apron and went to the opposite of the corridor when something had bumped to her ankle. Surprised, she looked down to find the yellow chick that had been thrown to his bottom just a few centimeters away from her legs.

Hallow looked up, absolutely not pleased he had bumped to something and pointed out his wings to Elise. "Damn it! Where are your eyes- crap I talked!" Hallow muffled his orange beak with his wings. But when he saw it was the red haired human girl, Hallow breathed out in relief. "What, it's just you, human girl. I thought it was someone else."

Elise bent her knees, covering her legs with the skirt of her long black dress. Looking at Hallow with a smile, "Where are you going?" she felt with Hallow's appearance right now and because she had known that he didn't mean harm, he didn't look as frightening as he was before.

Hallow rolled his large green eyes and shrugged his shoulders, "Wherever I go, it's none of your business- ACHOO!" Hallow shuddered, bringing his wings he rubbed his body before moving to his beak. "Damn it, living as a chick is hard in this cold weather! I thought this heavy feathers work to protect me from cold but I ain't feeling that warmth at all!"

"They seems hard." Elise never heard of a chick dying out of cold but she remembered how chick had always nestled around the hen perhaps to share some warmth. "How about I help you to knit a cloak? It should help you with some warmth."

"YES! Good! Good idea!" Hallow clapped with his short wings as if praising her. "When will it be done?"

"I can make it in less than an hour but I can't do it now as I'm still working." she reasoned. Hallow opened his beak to close and raise his hand when he noticed the sounds of footsteps coming closer to the place where they were.

Two maids walked behind Elise, looking at he crouching on the ground the spotted a chick to ask but refrain to then close their mouth tight and continue with their walk. Seeing their behavior, Elise couldn't help but notice the slight frown given by the two maids who had passed by her earlier.

"We shouldn't talk here." said Elise. "I will knit you once when I have the time. It should be done the earliest tomorrow morning." The chick nod and humphed his chest forward.

"Kay! You've promised me!" beamed the chick.

"Of course." replied Elise finding his behavior to be somewhat adorable with his way of talking.