Chapter 176: Threatening The Wrong One
Servants moved quietly through the dining room, replacing emptied dishes and pouring fresh tea before they had the chance to turn cold. The warmth from the fireplace spread through the room while they continued to have their breakfast.
The last time Ruelle had visited Slaters’ mansion after leaving home, she had been scared to show up at the dining table in fear of running into the lord and she had eaten her meals in her room. Especially with Brother Dane rarely home and Lucian having already returned to Sexton.
To sit like this felt strangely pleasant to Ruelle. While the men’s food comprised bloody drinks and meals, separate dishes had been prepared to suit her palate.
"The eastern merchants are threatening to delay shipments again," Lord Azriel remarked while setting his fork down. "Patterson must have offended them. He lacks the patience required for negotiations."
"He’s been offending everyone during the meetings. He will be replaced in the coming term for his lack of work," Lucian replied calmly.
Lord Azriel responded with a brief hum. "They should have done it sooner. Carnifex is lax with the man, as he is his wife’s brother."
Ruelle quietly listened to them speak, noticing how naturally the conversation moved around the table. Because of where she sat, it felt like she was part of the conversation.
Peyton had stepped outside the room a few minutes ago, and Ruelle could guess the vampiress was listening to them from the corridor. Yet none of the men at the table seemed concerned speaking so openly about Minister Carnifex despite Peyton listening from just beyond the doors.
"Dane, I need you to go visit the port today and get the merchants to renew the trade routes," Lord Azriel instructed. "I would have gone myself but I need to head to the courthouse along with Lucian."
"I will leave after breakfast," Dane responded without hesitation, leaning back against his chair. "Looks like you will have the entire mansion for yourself," he said to Ruelle with a smile.
"I doubt Maude would allow the mansion to feel empty for very long," Ruelle answered, returning his smile. "And there’s Peyton too."
Dane only gave a nod at the woman’s name before he continued to eat. He turned to Lucian in a nonchalant voice. "Are you attending the gathering this afternoon later?"
"No," Lucian answered. "Did you get the invitation?"
"Mm," Dane licked the blood tea off his lips. "I don’t know why they even bother to send it to me. It’s like they are offering me a seat at their minister’s table."
"They don’t know you well enough," Lucian responded.
Curious, Ruelle asked, "What are the qualifications to be able to work as a minister? Apart from being a vampire and competent."
"If it were competence, it would disqualify half the courthouse," Lucian responded.
"Usually political standing and family influence. Though neither remains useful for long," Lord Azriel explained to her. "Most ministers in the past inherited their positions through alliances between noble families. It was only a few decades ago since the exams were set up and one needs to clear them."
Ruelle’s gaze shifted toward Lucian, wondering if he had already completed them long ago, only to find him already watching her.
"Lucian and Dane are yet to take it up," Lord Azriel continued. "You first get the position of officer before being promoted to minister."
Lucian told her, "The rankings decide where one is placed for work."
How interesting, Ruelle thought to herself. "But you work for the minister," she pointed out. Had it been because he was the lord’s son? Before Lord Azriel said it, she had believed it was probably because Lucian had already cleared the exam.
"I accompanied Father during his work on occasion. There were matters I assisted with," Lucian replied but Ruelle could sense there was more to it. "And I corrected questions."
Ruelle’s eyebrows furrowed, not understanding what it meant.
Dane decided to explain, "The day Lucian was released from his vacation in the dungeon, the courthouse was going to conduct an exam the following week. Father and Minister Carnifex had to attend the council meeting regarding his release, and Lucian found the questionnaire sitting on the table and rewrote them all."
Her mouth opened, not knowing if she should laugh or not. She asked, "And then?"
"Well, Carnifex didn’t notice and he sent the questionnaire to have copies. For the record, none of them passed. Lucian is remarkably troublesome once people stop watching him closely," Dane chuckled, remembering how furious the minister had been afterward when he visited their home.
"I think Father saved it in his study. You should see if you can solve it," he joked.
Ruelle smiled at the thought of it. "The others couldn’t. I doubt it would be easy," and she had no clue about the courthouse or had been exposed to the system so closely.
"I will teach you."
Her eyes turned to meet Lucian’s serious ones. She asked, "To pass your questionnaire?"
"No, for the next exam at the courthouse," Lucian replied and Dane’s eyebrows rose.
"Surely, you aren’t telling her to work for you, are you, Brother?" the older sibling asked.
"If she is capable of passing it, I see no issue," Lucian’s response had the smile on Ruelle’s lips falter. Was he telling her what she was thinking?
Lord Azriel did not comment, as though he didn’t hear it.
Now that Ruelle knew a woman was working in the courthouse, it didn’t seem like she would be denied. But then again, she wasn’t a vampiress and in others’ eyes she was a human.
Dane hid his amusement behind another sip of tea. Lucian truly did intend to keep Ruelle near him in every possible way. Yet the courthouse hardly allowed people to choose their placements so freely. The no contact must have turned his brother irritated.
"You should pass on that, Ruelle," Dane whispered to her. "My brother has a reputation of working people to the bone. Wife or not, he would do the same to you."
Ruelle glanced at Dane, smiling at his words.
While the conversation shifted back toward work between them, Ruelle lowered her eyes to her plate, though her attention continued to drift to Lucian in glances in the presence of others.
He was dressed in darker formal clothing rather than his Sexton’s clothes, Lucian appeared older somehow. Without being rude for staring like an idiot, her eyes settled on the movements of his hand that rested near the porcelain cup.
Long fingers. Pale skin stretched over visible veins and tendons that shifted subtly with every movement. There was something fascinating and dangerous about them. She hadn’t forgotten its strength against her own hands.
Was this the sickness people spoke about? Somehow, knowing Lucian would return to the courthouse later only made him feel further away than he had moments ago.
Lord Azriel was the first one to excuse himself from the table, and after a minute, Dane got up and headed towards the exit.
Seeing them leave, Ruelle instinctively began setting her utensils down as well, despite not having finished eating.
"Finish your meal," she heard Lucian speak. Her eyes moved towards him, noticing him rise from his seat. "You barely touched anything."
"I did eat..." Ruelle replied while picking up the spoon.
"It didn’t seem enough. You missed the dessert," he pointed, walking around the table, each step closing distance. At the rate she was being fed, she would turn plump, she thought to herself. She heard him ask, his voice carrying that particular softness that made her pulse stutter,
"Wasn’t it to your taste?"
"No, nothing like that. I didn’t notice it," she admitted because she had been staring at his hands. She felt him stop beside her chair. She brought the wide teacup towards her. "Isn’t it a little—"
Her words faltered when Lucian leaned forward. His hand stretched to pick up the salt and the movement forced him close enough that Ruelle could feel the warmth from him near her shoulder.
Even his scent became clearer.
Lucian sprinkled salt into the cup, his hand steady while hers was anything but that. He said quietly, "Try it now."
Ruelle stared at the cup for several seconds, her thoughts scattered like the dandelions blown with him close. She picked up the cup and she took a careful sip before her head turned to see the detail in his wine-red eyes.
"How does it taste?"
The question came out low and intimate. Her heart raced as she tried to form words. She swallowed.
At the door of the dining room, Ruelle could faintly hear Peyton’s voice, "If you could move, Mr. Slater."
Dane ignored it and commented. "You are going to look like a raccoon’s relative with the way you look. I was wondering if it was a ghost that was prowling through the corridors."
Inside the room, Ruelle’s lips parted but she only nodded.
"Words, Ruelle," Lucian murmured.
"It was good," Ruelle answered, and she saw him pull away from her while she felt a sting at the distance.
"Finish it then. It will keep you warmer." A small ghost-like smile appeared on Lucian’s lips and he made his way to where Dane was standing.
When Peyton stepped inside the dining room, Ruelle sat at the table and sipped until the last drop of the dessert but she doubted it was what was going to keep her warm.
"Do you want to try it, Peyton? It tastes good with the salt," Ruelle asked the vampiress, who stared at her, before responding,
"No, thank you, Miss Belmont."
Ruelle didn’t force the woman and only gave a small nod, while her mind and skin sizzled with Lucian’s words and gaze. She said, "You do look tired. Perhaps a nap will do you good?"
Peyton gave a bow.
As if remembering something, Ruelle ran out of the dining room and headed straight towards the mansion’s entrance with Peyton quick on her heels.
She noticed one of the servants helping Lucian wear the coat. He turned to her and she asked him, "Lucian... what time will you be back?"
"No later than three. I will pick you then."
She watched Lucian climb into the carriage before it finally began moving through the snow-covered grounds and disappeared from sight.
At the courthouse, Mrs. Belmont wore an expression that was filled with exhaustion. Her usually highly kept-up appearance looked dishevelled today. Her hair no longer held its careful curls, strands falling limp against her face. She had been placed in a room which had only a table and two chairs with no window. Only a lantern burned, as the room was designed to break rather than to comfort.
She couldn’t believe Harold hadn’t returned home last night! She had waited for him this morning, but there was no sign of him and she had to visit Caroline.
"Where is your husband? The interrogation was for both of you," the officer in the room said.
"My husband went out somewhere and hasn’t returned. I will bring him along once he returns home," Mrs. Belmont answered, while she was more than angry at her husband’s irresponsible behaviour.
In the beginning, she had thought luck was on their side. On her side. She had even encouraged him with hope that things would get better even if he gambled. But slowly over the years, her husband lost more than he brought to the house. Lost money. Lost respect.
"Let us hope he didn’t go hiding after he helped your daughter bury the bodies," the officer sighed and his words upset her.
"My family is innocent and has nothing to do with any murders. We come from a well-respected background. Or else why would the minister try to uphold the treaty again?" Mrs. Belmont demanded, her words tumbling faster. "I was told I can—"
The door opened and in stepped Lucian, holding parchments in his hand.
Mrs. Belmont immediately went quiet. Her mouth closed mid-sentence and her entire body seemed to compress inward as she stared at the pureblooded vampire. When they had first met at the Henley residence, she had wondered why he looked so familiar. Only to find out later that this was the pureblooded vampire lord’s son.
"Mr. Slater," the officer bowed right away and Mrs. Belmont was forced to stand. "Mr. Belmont didn’t come."
Lucian’s cool red eyes moved from the officer to Mrs. Belmont, taking in her deteriorated state.
"That’s unfortunate. I was hoping to discuss the possible alibis with you and him. And where is Mrs. Henley’s husband?" Lucian’s voice came smooth and he took a seat in front of her.
"Ezekiel? He’s gone to speak to Mr. Helsing..."
"Lorenzo Helsing?" Lucian asked without looking at her, his attention seemingly absorbed by the parchments in his hand.
"Yes..."
"I ask because Mr. Helsing is in the courthouse today, Mrs. Belmont." Lucian noticed the gears in the woman’s head turn at his words. He pulled one of the parchments from his stack and handed it to the officer with the casual ease of someone distributing verdicts. "Have these sent."
"Yes, Mr. Slater," the officer answered, taking the parchment and stepping out of the room.
The door closed behind him, leaving the two of them alone in the suffocating space. There had been a flicker of hope when Ezekiel had returned yesterday to inform about Caroline, to speak of seeking help. But now? Mrs. Belmont’s thoughts wavered like candles in wind.
"I will bring my husband with me later once he gets back home," Mrs Belmont promised. "My daughter has nothing to do with this murder. I thought you would at least understand it considering she is Ruelle’s sister—"
"Half sister," Lucian interrupted the human. "Ruelle was never involved in your decisions. It would be wise not to drag her into the consequences of them either."
Mrs. Belmont’s lips pursed as anger began to override fear. She gritted her teeth before speaking,
"I find it rather strange that you don’t question her, but you do with us when we are all part of the same family. I feel you are just doing this out of revenge. Does the council know that you burned our house and harmed Harold?"
Lucian’s expression did not change. He only tilted his head slightly before replying,
"If this is your attempt at threatening me, you will need to do better than that."
Mrs. Belmont let out a cynical laugh. She replied, "Do you think I haven’t read the treaty conditions? I am aware that you cannot harm the people involved in the treaty. You and your family will be reduced to nothing."
"Then do you prefer I call the council ministers?" Lucian asked as he stared at the woman. "Because I am sure they will love to hear every bit of information on how you and your husband beat Ruelle. All one has to do is look at the scars on her body to confirm."
The woman stiffened in her seat. But not budging, she said, "Then I guess both the families are responsible."
The room suddenly felt darker than it was, as if the oil in the lantern was exhausting itself. At the same time, Lucian’s fingers tapped on the table—once, twice, and three times with an ominous rhythm.
"Alright, let us do it. Victor," Lucian’s voice echoed against the walls as he called and Mrs. Belmont felt her body cower.
A guard appeared at the door. "Yes, Sire?"
Lucian began, "Inform the council that there appear to be grievances on both sides. I broke Mr. Belmont’s arms while the treaty remained inactive. The Belmont family, however, concealed the existence of their younger daughter while abusing the daughter tied to the treaty before forcing her into hiding to avoid it."
Mrs. Belmont tried to remain calm, hoping the pureblooded vampire was only bluffing. But she noticed him wave his hand at the servant to dismiss the person and she felt her stomach sink. Because with everything he had listed, what Harold did would cause more damage to them.
"Wait!" Mrs. Belmont stopped the person from leaving.
"Have more to confess?" Lucian asked and her lips pursed.
"I won’t escalate the situation... We can let it rest," Mrs. Belmont murmured.
"I believe you are under the false impression that you are sparing me," Lucian remarked, his eyes colder than before. "We upheld our end of the treaty. You failed rather terribly at yours. So I would advise you to think carefully before forcing me to include what you just did now in the investigation regarding your daughter’s case."
Mrs. Belmont watched the pureblooded vampire snap his fingers at the guard, who bowed and left. Her fingernails dug into her palms in anger, before she whispered,
"I am sorry...Sire." After a pause, she asked, "What would any of us even get by killing any of the women?"
"That is for you to answer, Mrs. Belmont. If not Mrs. Henley, then who else could it have been? Bodies do not bury themselves, do they?" Lucian replied without blinking.
Mrs. Belmont wasn’t sure what to think anymore. She had reached a dead end. Her daughter was in the dungeon. Her husband was God knew where. And her son-in-law... was he lying?
"Maybe she is—she is being framed..." the words escaped finally.
"And what makes you say that? Without any lead, we cannot find who might want to frame her." Lucian could tell that the woman would choose to save her daughter. That the instinct to protect would override everything else.
Mrs. Belmont looked torn. Her hands wrung in her lap under the table, the motion becoming increasingly frantic. After much resistance from her lips, she finally spoke:
"Ezekiel."
Lucian simply stared at the woman. Mrs. Belmont wondered if he thought she had lost it. "I—He, I mean... he is the only one who went in and out of the house apart from the servants."
Mrs. Belmont didn’t have the proof. Didn’t know how to explain it. But she had a feeling. Especially with how Caroline had cried about her time in Sexton.
"And Caroline, she doesn’t remove her chain unless she’s going to bathe."
"And why do you think he wants her dead? It doesn’t look like she or you have anything to offer him. Speak up."
"...he asked for her," Mrs. Belmont whispered as shame flickered in her eyes. "Ezekiel wanted to marry Ruelle. He—he asked for her hand in marriage."
Lucian’s eyes sharpened behind the aloof expression he carried. He remarked, "By your words, it seems the wedding was not held with the bride and the groom blindfolded. Must have been quite a wedding."
Mrs. Belmont shook her head, her eyes lowered at the table. She replied,
"I hoped he would go through with it when the veil was pulled. Considering he was a gentleman and he did."
"Without complaints?" Lucian questioned, because with how Ezekiel had appeared so far, he doubted the halfling would have been quiet about discovering he’d been tricked into marrying the wrong sister.
He hadn’t forgotten the week when Ruelle had bled and Ezekiel’s words had sounded agitated, as she hadn’t returned home for the weekend. And the night when he had given his boots to her and the way the halfling behaved.
"He wasn’t happy about it," Mrs. Belmont pressed her lips. "But he kept Caroline happy and that was what mattered to me. I know you might think I am selfish, but I was only trying to settle her life."
"So much for family," came Lucian’s low voice. "It is rather ironic that you tried to steal one daughter’s future and gave it to your own, not realising it was laced with poison."
Mrs. Belmont’s face reddened at his words. Her jaw clenched as the sting of truth landed exactly where it was meant to. She blurted, "But because of my decision, Ruelle and you were able to meet again in Sexton."
"You, your daughter. You wouldn’t be in this situation if you had simply followed through with the treaty that was set twelve years ago." It would have spared Ruelle years of suffering. Lucian’s eyes narrowed dangerously and Mrs. Belmont could feel something crawl in the corner of the shadows where light didn’t reach and fear entered her mind.
Mrs. Belmont suddenly dropped to her knees before him and explained, "We were being hunted after the treaty was signed. The minister who promised protection died during the war—If you wish, Harold and I will apologise to Ruelle ourselves. She would be happy about it. You know she still loves her father."
She had turned desperate and was worried he was really going to send Caroline on the scaffold.
"There is little point dressing a corpse in silk. It does not bring it back to life," Lucian responded in a nonchalant tone.
The woman frowned faintly, failing to grasp the meaning beneath his words.
Lucian continued, "She is better off without you. I prefer it that way. Now—regarding Mrs. Henley. We will proceed with Mr. Henley’s interrogation after your testimony."
Not far from the courthouse, Ezekiel had been on his way through the crowded streets when his attention caught on the stack of freshly printed newsletters being sold nearby.
People gathered around them in excitement, voices overlapping one another.
"A human marrying into the Slater family..."
"Oh, Mr. Henley. What are you doing here?" asked one man, who was familiar with him.
"Would you mind if I gave the paper a quick read?" Ezekiel smiled at the person before taking it and his eyes moved across the words once. No...she couldn’t do it. The paper slowly crumpled in his hand as rage filled his eyes.
