Chapter 68

Chapter 68: Chapter 68

Dulce noticed the figure to his right for the first time, Aylin throwing a random shawl over her head in desperation.

"I heard from the witch Moira that you needed helping undoing the summons..." Aylin trailed off, the shawl slipping off her crown. She hadn’t been prepared for this outcome, excuses were futile, Lady Mildrede was a Vampire.

Dulce frowned, the quick succession of events a lot to process. "You’re a Vampire?" He mumbled, turning away from her without waiting for a response. "I see."

"Are you unhurt?" He turned to the Demons, looking to Caedos who was the closest.

The Vampire witch could do little to hurt them but Dulce seemed to truly believe that they had been in danger.

"I am." Caedos glanced down at Dulce when he approached to get a closer look at him. "Do I still get new clothes?"

Dulce frowned, turning to Kath’tan. That he wasn’t sure of, Aylin was a Vampire, and she had attempted to undo the summons of all his Demons.

"You certainly can’t go on a journey without clothes," He said calmly, looking Kath’tan over. "Are you hurt?" He asked seriously.

Kath’tan scoffed, still holding a grudge towards the Vampire witch. "She made the first move, will you stop me again from killing her?" He demanded.

The Vampire witch was clearly incapable of undoing Dulce’s magic, but that was irrelevant, a mere attempt was worthy of death.

Dulce glanced at the strange Vampire, his silver blue eyes immensely cold. She still clutched her mangled hand, her red eyes piercing as she stared at him.

"I won’t," He said after a beat, turning to Aylin. "Will the tailors be here soon?"

"Y-Yes, I’ll have them summoned right away." She said nervously.

"Simpering child." Mildrede sneered when Aylin ran off to do as she was told. "You there, heel your dogs." She straightened her back to order Dulce around.

Dulce had already gotten to Ruoxi to look him over, "They are they’re own people." He said dismissively.

Mildrede didn’t take her gaze off the Fiend eyeing her predatorily. "Tell me, are you truly the son of Marissa Montesserrat?" She pried relentlessly, addressing Dulce all the while.

Dulce didn’t even glance in her direction, turning to Asael.

"I’m not hurt," The Shadow Demon said dryly, pulling out a shadowy maul from thin air. "Catch." He tossed the weapon over to Kath’tan, choosing to be indulgent for Dulce’s sake.

Kath’tan caught the weapon with a grin, warping without warning, the maul slamming down on Mildrede in the blink of an eye.

The witch had to use both hands to block off the attack, a magic shield arcing out to protect herself.

Kath’tan put distance between them, spinning the maul in both hands. "This isn’t all bad." He said approvingly.

"Vermin. How dare you?" Mildrede bit out, standing her ground despite being outnumbered.

"You’re welcome to run," The Fiend offered generously, beyond pleased to engage in a battle again. "I’ll even give you a head start."

"Such insolence," Mildrede sneered but she didn’t take the offer, standing her ground. She would not turn her back to Demons who were beneath her.

Aylin returned then with a group of tailors, her shawl back underneath her crown. "Lady Mildrede!" She called in alarm, returning to find the atmosphere in the room hostile.

"I will not be disrespected." She said coldly, standing off against the Fiend.

"Wait outside." Aylin directed the human tailors, closing the doors in their faces. "I’ll take full responsibility for Lady Mildrede’s actio-" She started to say, contrite.

"Oh hush up." Mildrede cut her off, "And stay out of the way, lest you lose that stupid little head of yours."

Kath’tan closed the distance again, this time he didn’t make a single attack. His maul came down repeatedly, heavily, forcing Mildrede back despite her magic shields.

He warped behind her and rammed the hammer into her side. A magic shield came up in time but it shattered underneath the strength of the attack, sending her to the ground.

"Lady Mildrede!" Aylin called out, devastation in her voice. "Dulce, please stop this."

"That’s a rather selfish request to make, don’t you think so? Your Majesty?" Ruoxi said mockingly.

Dulce had been about to turn in the direction of Aylin’s voice but Asael caught his wrist, reminding him. "You said you wouldn’t interfere."

"I didn’t." Caedos spoke up after silently watching for a while, he stepped in front of Kath’tan and caught his hammer than had been about to come down on the Vampire witch too incensed to get off the ground.

"I want new clothes." He said plainly, "Kill the witch some other time."

Kath’tan glanced past him to the fuming Vampire on the ground, turning away with a huff. It was dissatisfying to attack a creature who couldn’t even defend itself.

The maul dissipated from his hold when he took a step back, Aylin darting to Mildrede’s side to help her up.

The Vampire witch made a show of rising to her feet herself despite the Aylin’s offer of help, leaving the room in a flash of black.

"I apologize for that," Aylin said after Mildrede’s departure but she was only addressing Dulce.

Asael still held onto the Vampire’s wrist although there was no need to, keeping Dulce in front of him. "Send the tailors in." He said to her without acknowledging her words.

Aylin glared at him with vitriol, her red gaze lingering on Dulce for a few long moments before she turned to the door.

"How troublesome." Dulce murmured, scratching his head.

"How soon will the outfits be ready?" He addressed the tailors when they filed in.

The tailors looked amongst each other, wary. "Before the end of today, Milord."

Dulce made to move away so the Demons could get their fitting, Asael forced to release his wrist.

He walked over to an armchair in a corner to stay out of the way, deep in thought. Somehow, he would have preferred for Aylin to be the Vampire-hunting human Queen he had thought she was.

Asael glanced over at Dulce sitting unnaturally quiet in a corner, the Vampire had been lost in thought all the while their fitting was being done.

It had even Kath’tan concerned, the Fiend wearing a strange expression as his gaze drifted over everyone so often. "Is he upset about the hag i attacked?" He muttered, disturbed.

Ruoxi sat with his long legs crossed, an arm held out for a tailor to measure while he propped his chin up with another hand. "That is likely," He said, a hidden gleam in his gold eyes. "Dulce doesn’t like to see us hurt."

Kath’tan was gloomy, displeased that Dulce saw him as weak and at the same time, greedy for the Vampire’s concern. "I didn’t even get so much as a scratch." He protested, his gaze drifting over to Dulce again.

The Vampire was staring in their direction but his gaze was distant, silver blue eyes unseeing. It was uncharacteristic of him.

"But you could have gotten hurt facing off against a powerful witch." Ruoxi skillfully fanned the flames, the Incubus had a bad habit of reveling in petty drama.

Asael ignored them both, Dulce had no care for his kind, if Caedos hadn’t stepped in, he would have let the Vampire witch be killed, but Kath’tan seemed to have conveniently forgotten that.

He was more focused on things that held actual importance, like if Dulce’s odd mood was due to the witch’s questions about his mother.

Caedos was the first to be done with his fitting, remaining silent in the face of the discussion about Dulce’s odd behavior. Instead he walked over to the Vampire and asked directly.

"What’s the matter?"

Dulce looked up at the Hellhound, needing to crane his head back. "Did I worry you?" He asked with a smile, "I’m merely thinking about money, well more aptly how to access my wealth." He explained directly.

Kath’tan glowered at this scene, struck so harshly with the realization that he could have just directly asked the Vampire. It was rather unlike him.

Ruoxi’s snickers only fueled his rage, the Incubus shaking with mirth.

Asael still watched Dulce closely, it was difficult to tell if the Vampire had completely spoken the truth. More so because it was typical for him to be bothered about something so mundane despite the series of events that had just happened.

"Money?" Caedos tilted his head, deep in thought. "I’ll..."

"Don’t bother." Asael cut in, aware that the Hellhound was about to risk the Deep Woods to rectify the situation. "Treasures are weighty and your currency is worthless on Earth."

Caedos thought deeply, visibly unsettled by his inability to help out his savior when it was needed.

"Thank you for the offer," Dulce patted his arm, "It is a simple matter I can resolve. You don’t need to take it upon yourself as well, Asael." He added to the Shadow Demon, rising to his feet.

"Excuse me for a moment. I need to write some letters." He said distractedly, wandering out.