Chapter 53: No Damsel In Distress
Ivan’s eyes narrowed at his pitiful display and with a swift, controlled motion, he yanked the man towards one of the walls lightly and the shopkeeper’s body slammed against it with such brutal force that he could barely comprehend that someone with such powers exists.
Ivan, who felt zero remorse, glared at the shopkeeper and could only remember Evelyn, her trembling, vulnerable body and the vile intent that had driven someone to drug and exploit her in that state. He saw the man before him as someone equally responsible for selling the very tool that had brought her to such a state, all for a few pennies, without any thought for the consequences it could have on another person’s life.
No, in Ivan’s eye, this man did not deserve any mercy. Even the mere flash of Evelyn struggling made his blood boil. Magic thrummed in his veins, desperate to be unleashed on the man, to burn him alive, but he needed some more information on who bought it and to keep him alive as a witness, so willed himself to wait.
"Speak," Ivan commanded quietly, forcing his rage down.
The shopkeeper clutched his ribs, as he was certain some must have cracked after being slammed with such brute force. He slowly bowed his head on the ground and said, "There was this young scrawny looking man...h-he had short brown hair and was also a vampire..." He paused to catch his breath and winced as pain lanced through him, then continued, "He asked me for the strongest aphrodisiac, so I sold him one of the last p-potions I had in stock. After that, he gave me a gold coin to keep quiet... and not tell a single soul..unless I wanted the person behind him to come to end me."
He started bawling and begged, "I was only trying to save my life, Sire...pl-please s-spare me.."
"Spare you?" Ivan drawled. "Let me think...not only did you break a major law of this kingdom by selling a dangerous, banned potion, you also involved yourself in harming someone you shouldn’t have.."
He leaned closer, his tone dropping a couple of degrees, "Now...tell me, just how should I spare you?"
Ivan’s chilling voice made the man sweat profusely and he pressed his trembling hands together, "I-I..I won’t it a-again, Sire. Please...h-have mercy!" His sobs grew louder.
"Mercy.." Ivan repeated softly, tasting the word like it was foreign. Then, without warning, he seized both of the man’s hands.....snap!
The shopkeeper’s painful scream tore through the shop.
Ivan didn’t so much spared him another glance, instead, he turned to Alex, "Take him to the dungeons, and make him spill out any other information useful for us. Starve him and when his hands are about to heal.... break them again. We’ll need him alive as a witness."
Alex bowed, "Yes, Your Highness."
With that, Ivan walked out of the dilapidated shop, Damien followed closely behind. They stopped just outside when Damien said, "So, your guess was correct, someone is behind the man who purchased the potion...and something tells me, you’ve already figured who it is.."
He turned his dark red eyes towards Ivan, catching the way his cousin’s jaw was clenched tight, his fists curling as he struggled to rein in his rage.
"He’ll get everything he deserves.." Ivan said, his lips curled up in a cruel smile, "And so will his entire family."
Damien knew that, after a long time, another noble family was about to be razed to the ground, but he didn’t feel the slightest bit of pity. Just like Ivan, he wanted to watch vile vermin suffer for what they’d done to Eve.
Ivan on the other hand, felt restless, not from the thought of catching the perpetrators, but from the image of a particular woman enjoying her afternoon with another man. Unable to stop himself, he started heading towards the Crimson Hollows Fair.
"Hey! Where are you going? Wait for me!" Damien called, hurrying after Ivan.
.....
Crimson Hollow Square was a sight to behold, its space filled not with local vendors but also merchants from across the continent. Colourful drapes and lanterns hung in preparation for the night, casting a festive charm over the square. Various stalls overflowed with goods and food, drawing excited crowds, while street performers filled the air with the sound of lively instruments.
Eve’s eyes sparkled at the spectacle and Cece was no different. Coming from a privileged background, she had never been allowed to attend public fairs, making this her first time. While both the ladies mentally took note of everything they wanted to experience, the men: Oliver and Edward, scanned the crowd before letting their gaze settle on the excited ladies beside them.
They were all in their simple attire easily blending into the crowd which was a mix of other nobles and commoners.
Soon, some dancers began their performance, making Evelyn gasp, "Oh my...they are so flexible."
Cece, also equally captivated, murmured, "I wonder if they even have bones in them?"
Edward chuckled at their remarks, and replied while watching the performance "They certainly are."
Oliver, however, had his full attention on Evelyn, watching each adorable expression which was half-hidden beneath her hood. To him, she was the loveliest woman he had ever seen. As the performance ended, applause filled the square, snapping Oliver out of his daze.
Seizing the opportunity, he asked, "Your-Hi... I mean, milady, would you like to check out the stalls over there?" They had all agreed beforehand not to use their actual titles to keep a low profile.
Eve turned to look at him and responded politely, "Oh..yes, let’s do that." Then she glanced at Cece. "Let’s go and have a look at the stalls."
Cece gave her a knowing smile, understanding she didn’t want to be left alone with Oliver and nodded.
The two women linked hands so as not to get separated in the crowd, with the men following closely behind. The fair seemed endless, each stall offering trinkets, exotic fabrics, candied fruits, and steaming skewers that filled the air with sweet and savoury smell. Evelyn paused at a stand selling delicate crystal charms shaped like crescent moons and stars, her fingers brushing over them with childlike wonder.
Oliver leaned slightly closer, "That one would suit you," he said, pointing to a star-shaped charm.
As he had leaned in, Eve instinctively stepped back, "Oh...ahem, I was just looking." she said with an awkward smile. Cece, who caught the subtle exchange, stepped in smoothly between them and distracted Oliver with a question about one of the vendors.
Eve used the opportunity to move ahead, stopping at another stall displaying various stones. One in particular caught her attention, an obsidian stone. As she stared at it, she was reminded of the dark stone she had seen used by the darkrot the last time she was in the market.
While she was distracted, not too far away, a man was carefully pushing a loaded cart carrying several wine barrels through the crowd. A drunkard carelessly bumped into him, making him stumble, this led to the cart losing balance and barrels began to roll out one after another.
Eve, who was unaware of the catastrophe heading her way, heard sudden gasps and screams erupting through the crowd. As she turned, she saw one of the barrels rolling straight towards her and a small child standing in its path, blissfully unaware, munching on a piece of candy. Cece, Edward and Oliver, who had been distracted in another stall, turned at the commotion.
Their eyes widened in horror as they saw the heavy barrel rolling towards Eve and the child. Before they could react, Eve leapt forward, scooped the child into her arms, and stepped onto the rolling barrel, twisted midair and landed gracefully on the other side. Her hood slipped from her head, revealing her ethereal face to the stunned crowd. For a heartbeat, silence hung heavy in the air, broken only by the barrel crashing into a nearby abandoned stall.
Not too far away, amidst the crowd, stood two tall figures cladded in black. They had witnessed the entire scene unfold. The one with molten red eyes wore an amused expression on his handsome face, his lips curling slightly as he murmured in an almost breathy whisper, "Always full of surprises.."
Damien, who stood next to him, broke into a wide grin, "Well, look at that, our damsel in distress just turned into a hero. And here you were, about to go charging in like some gallant knight. Tch, what a waste of a dramatic rescue, I was already planning my slow clap."
Ivan didn’t look at him, his eyes stayed fixed on Evelyn, unblinkingly, "Shut up, Damien."
Damien chuckled and responded, "Don’t worry, cousin, I’m sure you’ll get your big, heroic moment...one day."
The corner of his mouth twitched, "...I don’t need a moment."
"Right and I don’t need wine," Damien quipped, already scanning the nearest drink stall.
On witnessing her amazing reflexes, whispers and murmurs rippled through the air at Evelyn’s heroic act. Then the child’s mother broke through the crowd, crying out, "Oh, my baby!" She hurriedly took the child from Eve and checked for any injuries, then hugged him tightly. "Oh thank you! Thank you so much, milady, for saving my child!" she cried, bowing her head in deep gratitude and respect.
Eve smiled warmly at her and said, "Please, you don’t need to thank me, I only did what was right."
"No please! Ask for anything! We would love to repay you!" the lady insisted, bowing deeply.
"I am really fine, madam. You don’t need to repay me at all, truly." She raised her hands slightly, assuring her she was alright without any reward.
The lady then relented after thanking her again and gave her contact details, insisting Eve to reach out should she ever need assistance, before leaving with her child.
