To His Hell and Back-Chapter 407: Position of A Queen-I
Birth mother... Arabella dove her nose deep into the book while soaking half of her body deep inside the bathtub. Their conversation in the evening had resulted in them finding out that there was really a higher chance of her birth mother choosing to form a contract with a demon to safe her.
If her birth mother had been the one to also put the curse to ensure her safety and form a contract with demons... then that meant that her mother deep down had always wanted to help her survive.
Even though Arabella had only remembered how her birth mother had always hated her presence, forcing her into covering her mouth for fear she would never know of her existence... But to think that all this time her mother wishes to protect her.
Arabella didn’t know what to feel out of it so she had decided to stop questioning why her mother would always be upset at her presence yet saved her life so many times. But at times when things were slow and the night sky was far too dark she couldn’t help but stare at the moon across her bathtub, staring still while wondering in her head, wondering whether her mother had loved her and perhaps it was the situation that had made her into such a hateful person.
Regardless, Arabella knew what she could take from her birth mother. She knew that to be a good mother she have to do better than her mother.
"Demon," she muttered as the moon slowly engulfed by the gray clouds. Her head turned slowly to her left, staring at the mirror placed in the bathtub. When she moved her body, the water spill over the bathtub and she hummed, "Were you told to protect me? Or your plan is to kill me?"
Arabella stared at the mirror, straight to her reflection, but then her expression dawdled and she let out a laugh.
"How stupid. I have already tried calling to it before. Why would calling it now makes a difference?" She muttered to herself and let out a heavy sigh. Pushing herself to stand up, Arabella then made her way to take a towel to drape over herself, her hands hovering over the door when she could hear the sound of the water droplet turn into a voice of a person.
"To protect you, of course."
Arabella blinked, her green eyes froze as well as her hands over the door knob.
Almost immediately she snapped her head backward and made her way to the mirror. Her eyes stared at it for a very long time to no avail and when she realized she might have hallucinated the voice, she slowly walked backward to the door.
Her heart was still uneasy. Had she really mistaken the voice?
But what she wasn’t aware was how when she had stepped out of the bathroom door, in between the mist of the warm bath was a head that had began to push itself from the ripples of the water in the bathtub. The head reached half of the demon’s face that stared at Arabella before disappearing again.
The next afternoon was the tea party held in the castle. They call it a tea party for every noblewomen in the castle but truthfully Cassius had prepared it to ease the tension before Arabella becomes the Queen of Versailles.
While he was always someone who never once cared about others’ opinion, he knew that Arabella would always feel uneasy and unhappy if she was placed in a position that others don’t acknowledge her.
Being accepted because they are different was hard and knowing that, Cassius prepared the tea party.
"Rather than tea party," said one of the lady who was staring at the guards stationed in every table of the garden, "It feels like an interrogation room, doesn’t it? As I have heard, His Majesty truly loves you dearly, Lady Arabella."
The one who had spoke is Mrs Smith, the wife of one of the ministers, the same one who had came to her bedchamber a few days ago after the servant had died.
Arabella could tell that though Mrs Smith was showing her harmless introduction, sometimes her eyes would look at her wary, like a killer let loose.
"The guards are stationed for everyone’s safety," Arabella answered with intellect, brushing the jabs that the elder women had showed to her, "I know that it would be difficult to be holding such a party when it hadn’t been so long since Cassius had killed the serpent witch. He wishes to show how he would protect the peace in amidst the chaos."
Another wife of the minister Juan, Mrs Standford smiled when hearing Arabella’s words, "I heard you came from the village," and when Arabella blinked, wondering if this was another jab to her status, the woman smiled, "But perhaps some of us here who lives in the capital should learn a thing or two and live in the village as well. Never have I ever seen someone with an etiquette as pretty as yours. Not to mention the way you answer to question is simply magnificent."
Arabella blinked a couple of time and when it registered to her that the words said by Mrs Standford was a praise she smiled, "Thank you, Mrs Standford, but I do think I cannot be compared by you."
"Oh please, don’t be humble," Mrs Standford turns to Mrs Smith and giggled, "I wonder how is it that someone could spread such rumors about Lady Arabella feasting on humans’ meat and whatnot when she is just so adorable and simply so kind. I saw earlier when you helped the young daughter of Mrs Insland when she fell."
So Mrs Smith had been spreading rumors about her feasting on human’s meat?
Mrs Smith’s face turned red and she smiled back to Mrs Standford, pressing her tone, "Sometimes just because someone present themselves as harmless, we have to be on our toes and be prepared of their true colors."
"I agree, I fear what words could sometimes do. Even though wrapped so pretty and presented so harmless, sometimes those words could kill." Mrs Standford shot back and Mrs Smith’s face turned paler when she turned to saw Arabella’s face. "I... may have to excuse myself now, good day, Lady Arabella."
"Good day," Arabella returned the bow when Mrs Standford laughed and stated aloud,
"Seems that she still hadn’t learned her lessons. If one life lost again because of her, perhaps then she will know what it means to kill with words."
