Chapter 247

Chapter 247: Chapter 247

Dulce turned away with a graceful swing of his head, the taste of the honeyed nut dispelling the unforgiving lingering bitterness of ale.

"Bring over jugs of flower wine," Kath’tan tossed at the brothel lady who had poured him a drink as well, emptying his mug.

Ruoxi had a tittering lady hanging off each arm, but the Demon’s shrewd eyes were fixed on Zinnia, who had right away gone off to do what she had been asked to.

A bashful lady walked behind Asael, there was a veil thrown over her hair, one she was particularly adept at hiding underneath, her head lowered.

Dulce’s gaze drifted to the swaying curtains despite himself, "Where is Caedos?"

"Worried?" Kath’tan was quick to quip, and it was difficult to tell if the Fiend was taunting him or sour with jealousy.

Dulce refused to take the bait, lowering his eyes to his half-drunk mug of ale. Not only was drinking more a terrible idea, but ale truly tasted godawful. Yet, despite that, he was stuck with the strange urge to make terrible decisions - maybe the smoke was beginning to get to him.

He could easily summon the Hellhound to get the answers he wanted, not to mention that Caedos was Demon royalty. Ensbury would sooner be razed to the ground before even a scratch appeared on him.

Asael reached out to take a jug of ale for himself without bothering with a mug, the Shadow Demon seemed to completely lack taste buds of any kind.

Dulce almost grimaced when he caught sight of him drinking down ale like it was water. The Demon’s head was tipped back, the gold-painted clay jug contrasting sharply with his pitch-dark skin.

"Are you a wizard?" One of the brothel ladies hanging off Ruoxi’s arm tittered, her pupils so dilated that her light brown eyes appeared dark.

"Is that why you have a glowing mark on your head? Is it a spell?" The other lady chimed in, not wanting to be outdone.

Ruoxi ignored them both, they might as well have been sitting at a completely different table. The Incubus didn’t give the jugs of ale on the table a second glance, focused on Dulce, he wore a charming smile, but his eyes were dark

The curtains parted once more, Caedos’s eyes unerringly picking out their table, although he hadn’t been directed by any of the soliciting brothel ladies. Well, it was more like they had tried after getting over their surprise at his sheer size, but he had walked right through them.

Caedos had not been in Ensbury the last time they were in the lively city, but that wasn’t the reason he was just showing up. Rather, he had arrived in the city alongside Asael, going off to arrange lodgings for them.

He knew his way around Earth much better now, and he possessed human currency, so it was a simple matter. They could easily return to the cottage or the manor in Marlen in a matter of moments, but he wanted to keep the Vampire in this city a little while longer.

On a whim, he had dropped the glamour magic that kept his true form hidden from most humans, his tall, black ears put away for the first time.

Caedos quietly chose the cushion closest to Dulce, sitting on the other side, opposite Kath’tan. If he had come only a few moments earlier, he would have probably replaced Zinnia if Dulce allowed it.

"Where did you go off to?" Dulce asked before he could stop himself, his words a beat slower from the alcohol.

The Hellhound was always right by his side, it was curious that Caedos had taken so long to join them.

"Booking a homestay..."

Zinnia returned then, all smiles, but they didn’t quite touch her eyes. Although Kath’tan had been the one to order the jugs of flower wine, she went right to Ruoxi and bent over his shoulder. Her position put her right next to his ear, her spilling bosom pressing against him.

"Would you like me to pour you a drink, sir?" She asked softly, ignoring the cold glares cutting into her from either side of the dashingly handsome gentleman.

Ruoxi glanced to the side at her, and Zinnia truly felt the world spin around her a few times. His charming smile dazed her, so much so that it took her a moment to process his words.

"No." Ruoxi turned her down, "Give us privacy."

The women clinging to him quickly realized that they were included in his request as well, very reluctantly rising to their feet, devastation dulling their once vibrant beauty.

Ruoxi took the jug that had been swung over his shoulder by the courtesan, taking a drink. It was jasmine wine; the floral wine was more spicy than sweet, and it burned lightly on its way down his throat.

The table was now emptied, save for all five, and Dulce found that he had completely lost interest in spending any more time in the brothel. He could perhaps look around for a courtesan that caught his interest, but maybe it was the terrible-tasting ale already slowing down his reflexes, but he didn’t even care for that anymore.

"Would you like me to pour you a drink?" Caedos asked, and although he had mimicked the brothel lady’s exact words, the Demon’s level tone only conveyed concern.

He easily sniffed out the sweetest-smelling wine, picking up a painted clay jug of elderflower wine. He poured out the wine into an empty mug, the creamy scent of the flower wine filling the air.

Dulce neither accepted nor denied the offer, swallowing subtly when it was pushed right in front of him. Just as he was about to crack and give in to the urge to drink it, the brothel madam who had promised to bring him exactly what he needed came sashaying over.

Despite herself, her thickly lined eyes drifted over and over again to Ruoxi even as she gracefully lowered herself to the ground next to him.

The brothel madam was dressed lavishly, more flowers seemed to have been added to the crown entwined in her long, fair hair, yet the gazes of the occupants of the table looked right through her to the companion she had brought.

A tall man with his upper body draped in nothing but a silk scarf quietly stood a short distance from the brothel madam, and there was no question that he was a male courtesan.

"How empty your table is!" The madam gasped, genuinely horrified by the sight. "Is something the matter?"

"It’s a personal preference," Ruoxi was the one to address her.

The brothel madam gave in easily, giving him a coquettish smile as she rose to her feet. "Alright then, but if you need anything, anything at all, simply ask and it will be brought to your side right away." She generously reassured them.

When she was on her feet, she sidled up to the male courtesan she had brought along. "I always keep my word," She stage-whispered to Dulce, pulling the courtesan down to his cushion. "I prepared a line of them, if he’s not to your liking, I’ll have another sent." She winked at him, hurrying off in a medley of floral scents.

Dulce didn’t turn away the male courtesan, trailing after the brothel madam with a hint of amusement in his eyes. He didn’t care for romance, and intimacy quickly became a bore after so many years of existence, but his romantic preference had always been women. Yet she had taken one look at him and decided that what he needed was a male courtesan.

The courtesan said nothing, his warm sculpted body pressed closely to him. The cushions were comfortable but quickly became a rather tight fit for two, and unlike earlier, when Zinnia had been half-sitting in Dulce’s lap, the male courtesan instead pulled the Vampire on him.

Dulce ignored the lethal stares boring holes into him, strangely in a good mood at the Demons’ discontent. Most of the effects of the ale had begun to wear off, so he was hard-pressed to say why he reached for the mug of elderflower wine.

"Let me," The courtesan intercepted him, taking the drink from him.

Dulce allowed it, letting the mug be brought to his lips. The wine was creamy-sweet; it was like nectar on his tongue, and for a moment, he forgot his principle about desserts.

Greedy silver blue eyes trailed after the mug when it was taken away, it was already half-empty, but it felt like he had only taken a few sips.

The courtesan didn’t bother with conversation, ignoring the rest of the table, although it had gone deathly silent at his arrival, his actions the center of attention. He was simply there to do his job, and if he wasn’t needed, he would take his leave.

Camri, the male courtesan, got a very close look at his company from their proximity. A male patron was a rarity, and even rarer yet was one who was captivating.