The Villainess's Secret Bedroom Service
Chapter 158: Little Patience For People Like You

Chapter 158: Little Patience For People Like You

"So, when will you let us meet Haemir? If you have already grasped the gravity of Lady Rosalie’s situation, you surely understand that it will not take long until Duke Dio sends a search party after her."

Altair shot the Izaarian prince a somewhat irritated glare, while Rostan’s only reply was a disregarding smirk.

His Highness’s remark about being personally acquainted with the man, who, according to Altair, could help Rosalie, stirred up their curiosity. Since neither of them knew anything about the individual described in Caspian’s notes as Amarath, except for his ambiguous name, both travelers had no choice but to accept Rostan’s offer to follow him to his personal palace.

Now, however, as they settled into the luxurious comfort of the palace’s drawing room, it felt as if the very essence of time was losing itself amid the radiant opulence. Tall, sunlit walls, long half-transparent flowing curtains, intricately embroidered carpets and tapestries, and wide velvet couches adorned with thin blankets embellished with golden threads enveloped the room. Painted vases stood tall, holding exotic pink and purple flowers whose lush heads gracefully bowed under the weight of their glistening petals...

It was a place filled with unconcealed extravagance, overflowing with abundance and wealth.

The prince, still smirking rather slyly, accepted a glass of a refreshingly cold alcoholic drink from a male servant clad in a long white silk robe. He took a generous sip, savoring its fruity taste, and finally spoke in a reserved tone,

"I am aware of Lady Rosalie’s predicament. Trust me, I am also aware of the shortage of time you both are faced with. However, before you recklessly throw yourself at a formidable man you know nothing about, I thought it would be wise to give you a few pointers to ensure that your journey here was not in vain."

Rosalie fixed her curious gray eyes on the prince. However, before she could inquire further about the intriguing man they were pursuing, another, more pressing question occupied her restless mind.

"Your Highness," she began rather timidly, "If you don’t mind my asking, how did you discover my situation in the first place? I must admit... from the moment we met back in Rische, I sensed that you could see right through me. So, how?"

Taking another generous sip from his glass, Rostan ran his fingers through his long hair, then leaned comfortably against the soft back of the couch and proceeded to explain,

"Indeed, you are quite perceptive, Lady Rosalie. I admire that. Yes, I could see right through you the moment I laid eyes on you in the Imperial Palace. Or, should I say, I was able to perceive what lies within you?"

He paused, carefully examining Rosalie’s reaction. Then, he stretched his lips into a pleased grin as he continued,

"The Imperial family of Izaar are all born mages. Oh, I guess this is not the right way to put it. We are all born with particular abilities that manifest themselves in one way or another. My father, the Emperor, was born with the ability to summon spirits of the dead, while Roksolana and I were born with the ability to see other people’s souls."

"Souls?"

The duchess arched her eyebrows as comprehension refused to settle in. The prince nodded and continued,

"You see, every single person is born with a unique, untainted soul. However, as we grow up and navigate through life, our souls undergo drastic transformations. Although they all remain unique, the changes they go through leave their residue in patterns—the patterns of evil and the patterns of good. But these are all inherent to the souls that belong to humans..."

Rostan underlined the word "humans" as he slid his piercing eyes over Altair’s pale face. Then, he leaned to his right, shortening the distance between him and Rosalie, and grinned again, further elaborating on the intriguing topic,

"The souls that no longer belong to humans, however, are tainted with nothing but color. Thanks to Haemir, who happened to be the teacher to almost every single generation of the Imperial family, I know every possible color that a soul can acquire once it is sold to a demon. And yours, Lady Rosalie, belongs to Asmodeus. It wears the color red."

Rosalie felt her blood run cold. Rostan could see it all, even the demon with whom she had signed the contract. What could he have done with such valuable information? Rosalie and Altair could have faced execution, and Damien might have been sentenced to life in prison for religious treason. The integrity of faith in Rische could have been questioned, endangering every single person in the Empire.

So, what prompted both Rostan and Roksolana to remain silent and even extend their helping hands?

As if having read her mind, the prince dismissed Rosalie’s concern with a careless wave of his hand as he spoke again,

"No need to turn so grim, Your Grace. Have you forgotten where you are? This is Izaar, the land of freedom. And freedom of religion is a part of the dogma we all follow here."

"We are entirely grateful for your generosity and care, Your Highness," Altair chimed in once again, his impatience and irritation growing. "However, we did not come here to become citizens of Izaar. Please, kindly let us know how we can meet Amarath and what steps we should take to convince him to help us."

Rostan let out a tired sigh, clearly unamused with the man’s hastiness. He shook his head, rose to his feet, and slowly walked up to the still-sitting Altair. Leaning closer to him, Rostan looked him straight in the eyes and said in a low, serious voice,

"I will arrange the meeting with Haemir tonight, right after the clock strikes midnight. You are to remain in this room together until one of my servants comes to fetch you both. Regarding what you need to do when you meet him..."

The darkened expression on his face suddenly disappeared as his lips curled into a wide grin once again,

"Make sure to keep your nasty temper in check, Altair. Amarath, unlike your ally Mephisto, has little patience for people like you."