Demon Prince's Forsaken Bride-Chapter 28: Rabbit and fox

But soul crystals were akin to gold coins, or even more precious due to their rarity and magic potency. Soul crystals often contained a small amount of power within, that in dangerous times could even provide limited protection to its owner.

’’Angel sister, would I see you again?"

When Lareina turned to leave with Azrael, the boy’s eyes drooped.

Lareina looked at him and she could not resist petting his head again, much to a demon prince’s displeasure who glared at the boy.

The boy cowered.

Unable to understand the change in his reaction, Lareina thought he was just being upset, ’’If fate permits.’’

As they walked away from the store, Azrael was lost in his thoughts when suddenly, a fair hand extended in front of him, holding a rabbit mask.

He stopped his thoughts and turned to the woman who had promptly put on the fox mask on her face.

Under his piercing gaze, she promptly spoke up, ’’Your Highness, I prefer this mask. If you do not want the rabbit mask, then you can go on without one.’’

Azrael’s lips twitched. It was obvious that she had done it on purpose. If she wanted the fox mask, she could have taken something else with it but she purposefully picked the rabbit mask to pit him.

Lareina was about to retract her hand when the man took the rabbit mask from her hand and put it on. A broad and tall man wearing a white rabbit mask, paired with his all black clothing, all looked rather comical and it got a few eyes on them.

’’Are you certain we are doing this to ward off attention and not garner more of it instead?" 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

Lareina did not respond to that. She had merely wanted to get a mask for herself. It was awkward for her to walk around in such a heavy gown in a marketplace. She had gotten another mask just for the sake of helping the little boy do some business, dig a hole in Azrael’s pocket and also to get on his nerves.

But only her first agenda was pushed and the rest went down as she realized that the man would not become poor just with her buying an extra mask and he was too thick skinned to be concerned about what people thought of him so he was far from irked while wearing the mask in public.

Instead of indulging in small talk, she asked the man where they were going to which he kept mum until they arrived in front of a big store that occupied half the corner of the marketplace.

When Lareina looked around, she spotted a stretch of gowns that were displayed on one side as they entered.

Inside the store, there were many demons and demonesses but once they spotted Azrael, they dropped to their knees to greet him. More so, some of them seem to do a double take of the rabbit mask on his face before they lower their heads even further, as if they wanted to bury themselves in disbelief.

Either way, Lareina could tell that they were aware of his identity.

’’They work for me,’’ Azrael spoke upon noticing her curious gaze, ’’However, the business here is also good. Since there is a feast tomorrow, we can get you something to your liking, that you would want to wear.’’

’’I have clothes, Your Highness.’’

’’I am aware of that, princess. But those are not the ones that I got for you.’’

She shot him a silent look that seemed to scream ’What are you even trying to say?’

’’Is it improper for me to buy something for my wife?"

She did not ask anything further. The royalty had their seamsters. The court politics, be it for the humans or the demons was always complicated.

While Lareina was not familiar with what went in the demon lord’s mind or what the demon princes thought, she was certain that no ruler would want his princes to establish his own powers privately. So, probably Azrael was using her as a cover.

On the surface, he brought his wife out to venture and nobody would know his real purpose of being here.

When Lareina nodded, Azrael was surprised. It did not occur to him that she would give in so easily.

He gazed at her suspiciously but her movements were natural and sincere up till she calmly removed the fox mask from her face and left with the seamstress.

’’My Lady, lift your arms a little,’’ the seamstress’s eyes were filled with glee as she took Lareina’s measurements.

"You know me?" She asked, upon noticing the demoness’s familiar attitude.

’’Everyone who has been a part of the war or ever served His Highness knows of you, My Lady. It is just that this is the first time I am meeting you, but it still makes me feel as if I have known you for a long time,’’ The demoness smiled.

Her words surprised Lareina a bit but then she realized that the marriage between her and Azrael was not a small private affair but rather a grand affair of two realms. So, skipping that part of how she knew her, Lareina asked instead, ’’You also went to the war?"

The woman seemed to understand why she asked the question, ’’The human army consisted of mostly men. But to us demons, it does not matter whether one is a man or woman. In face of real strength, gender stands as nothing.’’

Lareina nodded thoughtfully, ’’How long have you been working here?" she asked, noting that they have recently come back from the war.

Before the seamstress could respond, a deafening roar resound and the roof of the store split open.

In one moment, Lareina was still standing in her spot but under the sheer force, she lost her footing and staggered a few steps back. She grabbed the edge of a wooden surface but her foot caught in her dress and she stumbled back, the sharp edge pointing straight at her eye as she found herself falling.