Demon Prince's Forsaken Bride-Chapter 45: Ghost Town (5)

"We only have three rooms vacant."

The group walked to the side and Astra stepped forward to take the initiative to speak, ’’According to the roles we are playing, Your Highness and My Lady would be sharing one room. The another room would be shared by me and Rune.’’

’’Rosie would not stay with Moira,’’ Lareina’s words were resolute.

Moira quirked a brow, ’’Are you implying that I mean harm to you and your maid, My Lady?"

"So what if I am?" Lareina did not budge. She was not the one to be fussy over these things but having known Moira for a while now, she could tell that the demoness’s harmless appearance was solely reserved for Azrael.

Whenever they had an encounter in his absence, she had only spewed poison. And while Rosie did not hold any importance for the others, to Lareina, she was indeed like a little sister.

The situation was in a stalemate and the current circumstances did not stray far away from Astra’s expectations. Except, as she looked to her Master for help, she found the man standing aside, looking as if he had nothing to do with the whole situation.

Heaving a deep sigh, Astra knew she had to meditate so she spoke up, ’’My Lady, earlier you pretended to be pregnant...’’ And by doing so, she had shocked the daylights out of the bunch of them. They really thought a little highness was on the way until Lareina clarified her actions that they realized it was a facade, ’’And pregnant ladies need to be taken care of. How about this? Rosie is currently disguised as your little sister. She can share the room with and even if anybody looked into us, it would not be weird then....’’

Astra trailed off a little amidst her ’solution-providing-stance’ as the air seemed to have become a little chillier.

Shrugging it off as an illusion, she continued, ’’I can share the room with Lady Moira since we are mother and daughter now. And His Highness can stay with Rune...’’

’’That sounds reasonable,’’ Lareina nodded slowly, contemplating over this new setup.

This time, the cold in the air was not an illusion anymore.

Astra could pinpoint the fluctuation in the temperature to Azrael whose face had darkened until it resembled the bottom of a pot.

Serving a master meant knowing a person well. If Astra could not figure out the reason for her Master’s displeasure by this time, then she might as well discard her years of experience serving under him.

’’But on second thought, it would still be suspicious if anyone were to dig deeper. It is too risky, My Lady!’’

Seeing the conflicted look on Astra’s face, Lareina could not help but reflect whether she was making it difficult for Azrael’s subordinates.

Finally, after Rosie appeasing Lareina and saying she would be fine, and Astra assuring her that they were staying next door, Lareina gave in to the arrangements.

The subordinate who had been on the edge of displeasing her master was finally able to heave a sigh of relief.

...

The night in the Ghost Town was eerily quiet. The only sounds that could be heard was that of the birds returning to their nests. When Lareina looked from the window, she could not see a single person in sight.

She held a book in her hand as she sat by the window. She had acquired a huge collection of books that Rosie managed to sneak in for her from markets and fairs and before coming here, she had packed some.

Lareina realized it a little late but she preferred the company of books over people. They did not leave you stranded anywhere. She remembered keeping a book in her hand when she was young the moment she stepped out of the room. She never knew when people would leave her alone and when the book would accompany her.

The book in her hand was titled ’Gods, Ghosts and Demons’ and while certain concepts were rather vague in it she discovered some important information.

When demons die, they go to a realm of darkness, thrown in the lake of fire where they sleep for an eternity. Hence, they were close to no instances of there being a demonic ghost. But while the instances were close to none, the possibility of a demonic ghost existed, albeit rare.

However that was still a far-fetched idea so it concerned no one.

Things were different when it came to humans. Humans, after their deaths, existed in the world as spirits. Some of these spirits enter the cycle of reincarnation while some become evil spirits, referred to as ghosts as they refuse to let go of their attachments with the world.

Lareina was keen on focusing on the book in her hand but even after a few minutes, she had yet to flip the page she was on.

The sound of water from the bath distracted her. Various thoughts mired her mind as she read the lines on the same page again and again.

"Is the book not to your taste?"

Lareina stiffened, promptly flipping the page as the fragrance of wood and cedar neared her. The mild fragrance in the day seemed to have intensified now somehow.

Earlier, when they finally arrived at their rooms, staying true to her words, Astra had arranged for clean water in the small bath. When Lareina had freshened up, Azrael was nowhere to be seen but after she got dressed, the man entered the room and proceeded to prepare for the bath like there was no one else in the room.

Given that this was the first time after the four years of their marriage that they were staying in the same room, and now he was even taking a bath, Lareina considered his actions suggestive. That put her on the edge.

Hence, in an attempt to distract herself, she had grabbed the book. But apparently two pages were the most she could focus on before the probably hidden intentions of a certain demon prince came to haunt her.

"It is not, right?"

His presence hovered right behind her. He was standing too close.

She did not respond to his words.

One blink of her eyes and the book in her hand disappeared.