28 CHAPTER 28: The Whereabouts

Aella's cheeks were painted red as she was left flustered on the bed, barely able to gauge her thoughts.

She had to say something and not let him have the last word. He could not just leave her speechless!!

"M-My belongings!!" She belted out and Bane stopped a few inches away from the bed.

She watched as he turned his lean figure around with a thick raised eyebrow.

"Pardon?" He inquired.

"My belongings. I demand my belongings be returned to me," Aella muttered and nodded her head.

He couldn't just walk away after uttering such a confusing statement! She wasn't going to let him have it! So she was demanding something unrelated of him.

"If I'm not mistaken, you have no need for those items while you're nursing a fever," Bane said and crossed his arms over his chest.

She tried hard not to waver under his smouldering gaze which sent hot sparks into her skin. What was this male doing to her?!

"Y-You are. Those are mine so you have no need of them, or don't tell me you charred them as you did with my clothes?" Her heart skipped a beat at that thought.

He didn't, right? Did he really discard her backpack and every other thing she brought with her? That was the only sword she possessed and the compass belonged to the witch!

She just prayed the sorceress wouldn't place another curse on their family because she couldn't return her compass, and it looked to be very costly.

When Bane didn't give her an answer right away, her heart sank deeper.

'Goodness! He had really destroyed them, didn't he?!'

"You're bluffing!! Tell me you did nothing to them, you insufferable creature!" She hissed, not liking his silence at all.

"Stabilise your temper. You're quick to get riled up and it's not good for your health," his eyebrows were furrowed.

"How can someone keep their cool when talking to a disastrous brute like you?! You better hand me my things now, if you don't want me to tear this mansion apart!!" Aella gritted out as a surge of anger was bubbling in her chest.

Bane only raised his eyebrows and stared at her from head to toe in a disparaging manner.

"W-What?" Aella fretted, not knowing why he was glancing at her like she was covered in cow dung.

"Your strength compared to this infrastructure is not even up to an infant's. Your empty threats make me scoff," he uttered with a straight face.

Aella's left eye twitched with annoyance. She couldn't remain sane while conversing with this male!

"I said hand me my-"

"Quit yelling and look next to you. You would have gotten them a long time ago only if you calmed down enough to observe your surroundings," she could feel a slight irritation coming from his tone.

"W-What?" Aella turned her head around and saw the familiar items laying by her side.

"Unbelievable," she mumbled as she reached out for her backpack.

She opened it to see it was just as she left it. A few slices of bread and jerky were left with her pelt of water.

How on earth did they get here when the bed was completely empty moments ago?

She turned to stare at the male who was looking down at her with a bored expression.

'What kind of magic was he using? He could literally bring out things from nowhere,'

She reached out for the golden compass and flickered it open to see that the lines were still barren as she remembered it last, further confirming that this was indeed Cassa Dron.

"That object," 

Aella glanced up when she heard his voice. She saw his eyes on the compass which was in her hands.

"Yes?" She asked, not understanding his interest in it.

"Is it truly yours? Where did you acquire it from?" Bane asked curiously which was so unlike him.

Aella narrowed her eyes, confused at why he was inquisitive about the witch's compass in particular.

"And why are you asking that?" She raised an eyebrow and pushed the object away from his sight.

"It was a question. Is it yours or were you gifted by someone?" 

She couldn't read his facial expression or rather he had none, to begin with so she couldn't guess why he wanted to know about the compass.

"And why am I entitled to respond to that when you barely answer my curiosities?" She tilted her head and stared at him.

"And what may that be?" He frowned and Aella dusted the frock of her yellow dress as she crossed her legs.

"Tell me who this beautiful gown belongs to then I'll answer if this gorgeous compass is mine or not," Aella wanted to strike a deal with the demon's slave.

He bent his head a bit as his golden eyes observed her for a minute and she thought she had it but how wrong was she to think that Bane would give in so easily.

"Finish up your food and head to sleep. I have already done both of what you asked me," he muttered briskly before he turned away to leave the room.

"B-But hey!" the door was slammed shut and she was left all alone as she scowled.

"Couldn't just give up a piece of information?! Chicken!" she hissed and dropped her food aside.

She then noticed that he had left her with the sword which made her shoot her eyebrows up.

She grabbed the blade and unsheathed it to see the sparkling edge greeting her with a smile.

Did Bane just leave a prisoner with a weapon? Was that a slip-up or had he intentionally done that? She could easily kill him off and run away from here with this.

Aella didn't know what to think but she quickly hid the sword underneath the duvet. All she knew was that she had an opportunity in her hands that she wasn't going to miss.

She had to try to do anything she could to run away before the demon got her.

With that in mind, Aella picked up the bowl of unfinished chicken porridge and raised it in the air.

With a small smile, she dropped it to the ground which made the fine pottery crash and shatter into pieces.

Then, she waited and in no time, the door opened as Bane stepped into the room.

His eyes fell on Aella on the bed and moved to the broken bowl on the floor then to the lady on the bed again.

"What is this?" He asked quietly as though he could care less.

"A slip of my weak fingers. Goodness!! I nearly wounded myself," Aella held her head with a loud sigh.

She peeked up to see him staring down at her with a blank look. She groaned inwardly because she knew this wouldn't be easy.

"I'll make you another bowl," he muttered and turned around to leave.

"Halt!!" She yelled instantly and he froze in his tracks.

Bene regarded her with suspicious eyes and she gulped. Her cover would be blown anytime.

"U-Uh, I need not another bowl but rather an information so such incidents be curbed," she let out with a small smile.

Aella prayed he would buy this lie.

"I do not quite understand," Bane crossed his arms over his torso.

"What I mean is, I may be going through some difficulties here, say like, I was short of breath or was being strangled and I wouldn't know where to find you for help," 

She watched his expressions carefully and it was still as stony as ever.

"Just use your deafening voice to call me. I'm sure I will hear it even from another continent," he uttered and her eyes glared up at him.

That insolent- 

Aella bit her lips and gritted her teeth so she wouldn't go on a cursing spree when she needed to cajole him softly.

"Well, possibilities being possibilities, I might need something urgently from you and it would be dire if you didn't respond on time, no? As you said yesterday, getting rid of a corpse is a true hassle," 

Aella watched as his face contorted slowly into a thoughtful mask and her heart skipped a beat. She felt like it was working already.

"What is it you demand of me again?" He raised an eyebrow.

"N-Nothing much, just where I can find you when I might need you. Maybe your bedroom," she commented and her cheeks flushed red a bit by how inappropriate her statement might sound.

Asking a young lad for his whereabouts was certainly a way to do illicit actions. 

'Oh, how horrific!'

Aella could only hope that wasn't what he was thinking.

"But I still don't see any reason I should tell you that when you could just call me," Bane frowned and she sighed under her breath.

"Just tell me. A tiny piece of information wouldn't hurt, no?" 

"Be it well. I reside in the room directly opposite this one at most times and you would never need to be there," he replied briskly and slammed the door behind him.

Aella grinned mischievously and leaned on the bed.

'Oh, I have every reason to be there, demon's slave,'