Chapter 152: Rosemount Hotel
"I wonder why the royal authorities aren’t able to do anything about this," Eve said aloud.
"Maybe they failed to catch the culprit or..." Damien’s voice trailed off when Ivan added, "Or maybe the royal authorities are involved in this dirty play."
Eve turned to him in surprise. "You think so?"
"This whole city reeks of something dark..." Ivan said, his expression serious. "It’s so strong that my senses can’t even pinpoint a single direction to track them down myself."
"Now that would be a problem if your senses are this messed up," Damien said with a click of his tongue, amusement flickering in his tone.
"That...doesn’t sound good. Even I feel a heaviness in the air here...so much that I can’t sense anything that would lead me directly to the," Eve replied, a frown creasing her forehead.
"It’s a city of humans," Ivan explained in a clipped tone. "And humans are the ones most greedy for power. That makes them more likely to tap into dark forces...so this isn’t a surprise."
Eve swallowed hard, unease settling deep in her chest at the thought of dark forces lurking in every corner of the vast city.
It wasn’t just them who felt odd upon entering the capital; the rest of the students did as well, especially Cece, who could pick up on others’ intentions.
Soon, they crossed the iron gates leading to their lodging for the next five days. The place was very close to the royal palace of Dartmouth, making it far more exclusive than other areas. Entering the vast expanse of the estate surrounded by thick forest, they continued for about ten minutes before a magnificent fountain came into view with a statue of a woman pouring water from a pot, surrounded by tiny fairy sculptures.
Once the carriages came to a halt, the coachman quickly disembarked to open the doors for the passengers. Professor Dante and Professor Seira were the first to step down. As they did, a prim and proper man who looked to be in his mid-thirties approached with a professional smile on his face. He had sleek brown hair and black eyes that gleamed as he looked at the new arrivals.
"Professor Dante and Professor Seira, it’s lovely to see you two again!" he beamed at them. Both professors gave him a polite nod in acknowledgement.
"Well, the pleasure is all mine, Mr. Warren. We had such a lovely time on our last visit that we decided to make another stop at this wonderful place!" Dante flashed him his signature smile, and Mr. Warren returned it with one just as wide.
The other students, who had gathered behind, watched the exchange with curious gazes, though that curiosity quickly turned into discomfort as both men continued to grin at each other. The resemblance in their unnerving smiles made a sense of dread coil in everyone’s stomachs.
Ivan, Eve, Damien, Cece, and Edward stood together, observing the scene unfold.
"Well, well, well...why do I get the feeling Dante’s found his long-lost twin?" Damien mused, watching the two men continue their grinning contest, making Professor Seira look like the third wheel.
"This is so creepy. I’m getting goosebumps," Cece murmured under her breath, her red eyes fixed on the two men.
Just then, Professor Dante broke off his staring...no, grinning contest and clapped his hands together.
"Right! My dear students!" he announced cheerfully, as if he hadn’t just been locked in a silent duel of unsettling smiles. "Allow me to introduce Mr. Warren! He’s the manager of this fine establishment and an old friend of ours!"
Mr. Warren gave a courteous bow, his eerie smile never faltering.
Dante went on, still grinning far too widely. "If you happen to lose your way to your room, miss a meal, or heaven forbid...run into a ghost in the hallway, he’s your man! He handles everything here!"
Damien leaned toward Cece and muttered, "Including the ghosts, apparently."
Cece whispered back, "Yeah, and judging by that smile, I think he hires them, too."
Ivan pinched the bridge of his nose, clearly regretting coming along, while Eve pressed her lips together at the thought of ghosts in her wake.
Dante, blissfully unaware or perhaps delighting in the unease, added brightly, "Well then! Let’s get settled!"
Mr. Warren stepped forward with a polished smile.
"Hello, everyone! Welcome to Rosemount Hotel! We are quite literally at your service," he announced in a distinct, high-pitched voice that didn’t quite match his eerie composure. "Your quarters are already prepared. Allow me to guide you to your lodging wing. Later, the staff will escort you to your respective rooms. Thank you very much!"
With that, he turned around and started walking, leaving the group standing still for a moment.
"Well, you heard the man! Follow him, everyone! Chop-chop!" Dante chimed cheerfully.
As the students walked, they took in the luxurious interiors: white walls adorned with intricate gold filigree and a plush red carpet stretched across the checkered marble floor. Heavy red and white drapes framed the tall windows, letting in soft sunlight that caught the edges of the grand crystal chandeliers, scattering glimmers of light across the hall.
As they crossed the reception area, they entered a long corridor lined with marble statues of women scantily dressed, some wearing sorrowful expressions, while others seemed frozen in fear. The sight made Eve’s stomach twist, and she quietly questioned the taste of whoever thought these made for "charming" decor. Green vines trailed down the pillars separating the courtyard from the hallway, their beauty doing little to offset the eeriness that hung in the air.
Glancing again at the statues, Eve leaned closer to Ivan and whispered uneasily, "The statues...they—"
Before she could finish, Mr. Warren, who was not too far ahead, turned his head quickly as if his ears were unnaturally sharp. "Ah! These statues are marvellous, aren’t they?" he said cheerily. "They were personally selected by our Crown Prince!"
"Your Crown Prince?" one of the students asked, puzzled. "Why would he choose these for this place?"
Mr. Warren’s smile widened. "Oh, he simply adores spending time at this estate whenever he wants to relax. He personally took it upon himself to make the place more...suited to his taste. Of course, we were delighted to comply! His Highness is both our most esteemed guest and our most loyal customer!"
He glanced back over his shoulder, his grin somehow both polite and unnerving. "Doesn’t he have a wonderful taste?"
Everyone exchanged uneasy looks but wisely kept their mouths shut. Though inwardly, they all shared the same thought: ’Is the crown prince missing a few screws? Who on earth has such a morbid taste in art?’
Damien, of course, couldn’t resist muttering under his breath, "Or he’s just a pervert."
"I’m sorry, I couldn’t quite catch that," Mr. Warren said, turning to Damien.
"I just said he seems like an interesting man," Damien replied smoothly, his tone laced with double meaning.
Mr. Warren, however, took it as a compliment and brightened immediately. "Oh, he certainly is! He loves art, and he is a piece of art himself! Such a beautiful face and such a kind heart!" he gushed, clasping his hands together dramatically. "Ah, we are truly blessed to have him as our Crown Prince! Whoever becomes his Crown Princess will be the luckiest woman in the world!"
Ivan’s expression darkened at the mention of Prince Valen Kaine, the very man Eve’s parents were trying to set her up with. He stayed silent for a while, letting the man ramble on and on, before finally deciding to cut him off.
"Really?" he said, his tone deceptively calm. "Speaking of women...I noticed there were very few in number as we passed through the city earlier. Why is that?"
And Mr. Warren instantly went rigid, stiff as a board. Those watching closely noticed the subtle but unmistakable change in his demeanour. He quickly schooled his features back into a polite smile and cleared his throat.
"Oh, that’s because the women of this kingdom are simply shy," he said smoothly. "They prefer to keep to themselves."
But Ivan didn’t let him off so easily. "Is that so?" he drawled, his tone deceptively casual. "Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t the Queen the one currently running the court? In such cases, I’d assume women would have more opportunities to shine under a woman’s rule... but here, it seems quite the opposite. Strange."
Mr. Warren stopped in his tracks and slowly turned, his dark eyes narrowing as they met Ivan’s molten red gaze.
"And who might you be, sir?" he asked, his tone laced with measured politeness that barely hid his irritation.
Ivan’s lips curled ever so slightly into a smile...one that was anything but friendly. His icy eyes locked onto the human before him as he spoke in a low, deliberate tone,
"You’re speaking to the Crown Prince of Versailles, Prince Ivan Ignia De Ashen."
Mr. Warren’s eyes went wide in sudden realisation. He froze, completely gobsmacked, his mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water.
"So," Ivan continued, tilting his head slightly, his voice smooth but sharp enough to send shivers down the man’s spine, "does my identity have any relevance to what I just pointed out?"
