Bride To His Darkness
Chapter 109: Made Up Story

Chapter 109: Made Up Story

"Are you sure you’re active enough to join the group? From what I know it should take at least a month for your wounds to heal with the proper treatment."

Macho had asked Maurice as he carefully led him into the forest where the rest of the members would be waiting for them. As much as he was happy to know they’d be receiving another member, the new lad was still yet to recover from his abdominal injuries.

Putting him under any sort of stress that would worsen his circumstance should be his number one priority, but the new lad kept a straight face as he followed Macho deeper into the forest.

"I’m fine." Was his clipped response to Macho, and he said nothing else. From their brief interaction, Macho could sense the level of his quietness, and he had to admit that he was abnormally quiet. The new lad had refused to utter a word since they left the village, and whenever he thought of striking a topic that would lead them into having a proper conversation, Maurice either gave a one or two response, or he would not respond at all.

Since he wasn’t ready to start any form of discussion with him, Macho had decided to let him be. The two of them stayed silent as they kept moving, but when they neared the clearings, the sight they were both welcomed with had Macho dragging Maurice behind a tree. Maurice did not complain, for he saw the reasons for Macho’s sudden action.

"The vampire Lord." Maurice whispered under his breath as his eyes shifted from the tied-up members to the bedeviling vampire Lord. His fingers subconsciously gripped the bark of the tree, his brown eyes becoming bloodshot at the sight of Lord Ivan who hardly changed in appearance, it was the same vampire that had ruined his life!

What is he going to do to those men that saved him?

"St-mhnm!!!" Before Maurice could yell out, Macho had covered his mouth on time, silencing him as he pushed Maurice away from the vampire’s line of sight. When Maurice glared his disapproval, Macho signaled for him to stay quiet, else they’ll get caught.

Looking at the vampire Lord who brought out a folded parchment from his pocket, Caddel’s expression were scrunched up as he blamed himself for not catching up on the Vampire Lord’s plan. His presence they were not expecting had turned their tables in ways that could not be reversed, not when they’re trapped in chains filled with dangerous spikes! Moving wasn’t even an option because if he dares make even the slightest shift, the spikes would plunge deeper into his skin, and incurring deep wounds wasn’t part of his plan when they showed up here.

Perhaps, if he wriggles–

"Stop. I wouldn’t do that if I were you." Came the voice of Ivan that halted Caddel from making any move. The young hunter frowned his eyebrows as his eyes moved to the vampire Lord who had his back facing him, yet he could denote his movements before he had the time to implement them. If that was the case, then he knew all this time that they were following him?!

He led them here on purpose!

"Let’s see.." Turning around to look at the six men who were currently bleeding from the spikes, Ivan crouched in front of them and took off their masks one by one. When he got to Caddel and drew down his mask, Ivan compared the painting on the parchment to the facial features of Caddel, and as expected, the resemblance could not be disputed.

In one swift motion, he had grabbed a sword from a nearby guard, and it was his turn to ask the questions as his crimson eyes darkened. Everyone of them had their eyes revealing the dread that came with Lord Ivan’s portentous presence, but only the leader of the hunters kept a straight face, and that unyielding attitude gave him Lord Ivan’s attention.

"You’re that brave hunter, aren’t you? Storming into the palace disguised as a royal Fletcher must have been a game for you...very impressive I must say." The cold sharp blade met Caddel’s neck, erupting stifled gasps from his members who were now worried for their boss’s life, but Caddel had no reaction that hinted at his fear.

"I don’t know what you’re talking about." He answered, staying defiant without looking away from Ivan’s crimson eyes.

"You don’t?" Ivan arched an eyebrow, looking amused rather than offended. "Perhaps.... he should know, or him?" Suddenly withdrawing the blade from Caddel’s neck, Ivan moved it to another member who froze upon feeling the sharpness of the blade against the truth, and Ivan crouched down so the hunter could look into his cold-blooded eyes.

"He doesn’t know, you must know, don’t you?"

"Let him go!" As expected, seeing his member in danger has proven to be his weak spot. "They have nothing to do with this, as the leader you’re allowed to pick offenses with me, no one else, but keep them out of it."

"We have so many similarities then." Ivan withdrew his blade, to everyone’s relief. "Round them up quickly and take them to the Palace."

"Yes, My Lord!" The guards responded.

Maurice, who shook his head at the gravity of what would befall the ones who saved him, wanted to step out from his hiding place and help them out, but Macho was keeping him hidden since that would be the biggest mistake both of them could make.

"They’re surrounded!" Macho whispered-shout. "If you want to help, then stay quiet! If we get caught, no one will come for us."

Hearing Macho’s words, Maurice stopped resisting. He could only watch in silence as his people were taken away from him, by the same Lord Ivan. Pure hatred brimmed in his eyes when it landed on vampire Lord who remained still, despite his guards already leaving with the hunters.

When he swiftly turned around, Maurice had been lucky to hide away before he got spotted, and he held his breath. Meanwhile, Ivan’s keen eyes surveyed the perimeters of the forest.

"How come I sense more humans?" Thought Ivan.

"My Lordship." A guard suddenly called, gaining Ivan’s attention. "The men are secured, we can leave."

"I see." Ivan nodded before joining the guards. Mounting on blaze, Ivan rode ahead while the guards followed, dragging the six chained men along with them. After they had left, Maurice and Macho stepped out from their hiding place, and something dark gleamed in Maurice’s eyes.

—--

Back in the Chevalier Palace, the four Lord’s had gathered in the orb room at Lord Damien’s request. They had given orders to the guard outside not to let anyone in while they survey the space, as they hate being interrupted during their usual gathering. After speaking with the guards who agreed immediately, the four Lord’s stepped inside.

Sunbeams pierce through the narrow crack in the dense foliage, illuminating the dimly lit Orb room as they made it down the stoned steps.

The four Lord’s gathered around the old stone pedestal where the orb was meant to be laid on, but there was no orb. The mystic orb held significance to nature in EmptyHollow, but even in the absence of the mystic orb, tiny tendrils could be seen emerging from the cracks in the stone pedestal. The vibrant green leaves mystically unfurl before their eyes, revealing themselves like awakening of long-forgotten life. The once barren pedestal was now adorned with flourishing vegetation, yet none of the four Lord’s could bring themselves to explain the inexplicable phenomenon.

"This.... This is impossible." Lucius uttered his disbelief as he plucked one of the green leaves, and his crimson eyes drifted to the three Lords. "The orb is not here, how can there be nature without the orb? Are we perhaps missing something?"

All eyes moved to Viktor since everyone had gone quiet, whilst he knitted his eyebrows at their anticipative glances "mind telling me what that look entails?"

"You have more knowledge considering we’re talking about the origin of the Orb here." Draven rudely drawled while tapping his crossed arms lightly. "Let’s not act innocent, no one apart from the four of us knows the true origin of that orb.... the truth about the mystic orb being gotten from a conjured demon, and that we only made up a story so Muzan could accept it without question."

"I don’t find that tone very accommodating." Lord Damien complained, "what we did was for a good cause, he needed our help."

"When the orb feels threatened it changes from green to purple," Lord Draven continued, deliberately ignoring Lord Damien’s remark. "When it turns purple, that’s when the demon side is evoked. Muzan couldn’t have made a wish since the orb was stolen from him, if the orb changed color on the way who knows? The one who can tell us is rotting in hell for his wrongdoings."

"Cause you were impatient to keep him alive for a few days." Lord Damien suspiciously fired back with a fake smile. "Mr Dufort would have told us the truth if you hadn’t killed him."

"But I didn’t, Abdiel did."

"Cause you made him do it."