Chapter 75

Chapter 75: Chapter 75

By morning all the preparations had been made, servants carefully packing up the trunks into the carriage. It was a large, lumbering carriage, drawn by twice as many horses.

Dulce was waiting for everyone to board the carriage before he did, only to be pulled into the carriage by Ruoxi to be seated next to him, Caedos going in next.

The others sat on the opposite bench, the carriage moving without preamble. Amelia and the old butler stood at the gates to see them off, with hopes that the master would return soon.

"Fortunately, Hurwell is only a few days away," Dulce spoke up, having learnt some useful information about their trip as he went through his estate. "And the journey by ship is going to take a little over two weeks."

Asael looked out the window at that, the journey was essentially a countdown to when he had to leave.

By the time the carriage stopped to rest for the night, they were almost out of Marlen, the carriage leaving the capital by the second day.

Hurwell was a city away from Marlen, it was to the east, bordering the west sea.

By the third night, the carriage was riding into the port city of Hurwell. The journey had been a quick one, and soon they approached the sea.

The next morning, the carriage took them to the docks where ships and boats littered the water, people in colorful clothes milling around.

The coachmen stuck around after dropping them off at the docks so that they could move the trunk from the carriage to the ship.

Passenger ships often offered rides to the east or other parts of the west. They easily found one heading to the east, it was one of the two ships going on such a lengthy trip.

Dulce went with the bigger of the two ships, stepping on board as a shiphand led them to their quarters.

Their modest quarters were all in the same hallway in the belly of the ship. They weren’t just spending a single night at an inn, so it was necessary to prioritize comfort.

"The ship departs at noon," The ship hand informed them after leading them to their rooms. "You can leave the ship before then but make sure to return in time."

The coachmen also followed them onto the ship, dropping off trunks of clothes at the appropriate rooms. When they were done, they were dismissed, sent on the return trip to the Montesserrat manor.

Dulce had no interest in getting off the ship, exploring his room and looking out the circular windows to see other boats and ships on the water.

Caedos made his way into the room then, "Can I no longer sleep in your room?" He asked bluntly.

Dulce always arranged a single room for the two of them even though he had only slept once. The Vampire’s presence was strangely soothing so he was fine just laying on the bed basking in the other’s calm emotions.

Dulce straightened up, looking away from the window. "You can. I just thought it would be nice to have your own space."

Caedos looked around, "Your space is enough."

"You’re welcome in here anytime," He offered generously.

"This is your first time on a boat, is it not?" Ruoxi arrived next, his smooth, deep voice preceding him. "Don’t lose your balance."

Caedos glanced at the ground, he felt very stable, but he appreciated the advice regardless. "I won’t. Thank you."

Ruoxi clicked his teeth, walking into the room with disappointment written on his handsome features. "You’re no fun."

The passenger quarters in the ship were far smaller than the lavish rooms they spent their nights in, so by the time Asael strode in, the room was already getting cramped.

Most of the furniture was bolted to the floor, makeshift barrels placed on the wooden floor as seating. The bed was sizeable enough but it would still be an uncomfortable fit for the Demons, considering how long they would spend on the sea.

"Have you been on a boat before?" Ruoxi tossed his net at the next fish, throwing a question at Kath’tan as soon as he showed up.

"Why wouldn’t I?" Kath’tan said brashly, short on patience.

Ruoxi shrugged, gold eyes gleaming. "I’m merely showing concern, try to keep your balance..."

"Are you calling me clumsy?" The Fiend immediately demanded, taking the bait.

Ruoxi smiled slow, "I’m just saying you should look out for where you’re going..."

"Do I look blind...

"Does anyone want to explore the deck?" Dulce interrupted the bickering.

"I do," Ruoxi agreed right away.

Kath’tan shot to his feet, "And I’ll keep my balance." He said with ire, stomping for the door.

The ship hadn’t departed yet so they could still stay on the deck, Dulce also got to his feet. "Are you two not coming along?" He asked the room.

Without a response, they both rose to their feet, walking out and onto the deck. It was incredibly lively outside, most of the other passengers having similar ideas.

The shiphands were constantly on the move, preparing for the journey while they waited to board more passengers.

Dulce held the polished banister and peered over the edge of the ship into the water, the bright sun giving his pale features a soft shimmer.

"I hope we have good weather on our journey." Dulce murmured, looking up at the sky, his long lashes fluttering.

Four pairs of eyes lowered to watch him, the Vampire was strangely drawn to light. It wasn’t just the sun, he also favored sitting next to fireplaces.

"Are you also going to the east?" A feminine voice spoke up, the owner of the voice a human lady with a parasol over her head. She looked like the pampered daughter of a noble.

Dulce glanced down, everyone on the ship was going to the east but he smiled politely anyway and gave a response. "I am."

The lady sidled closer when she got a response, her gloved hand tight around the handle of her parasol. "I am actually headed to Boussiney, how about you?"

"My destination goes further into the east." Dulce said vaguely.

This didn’t deter her, scooching even closer that her shoulder was nearly touching Dulce’s arm, completely ignoring the presence of everyone else around them.