Upon opening the door, Maxi was greeted by Ulyseon and Garrow, both impeccably dressed for the occasion. Ulyseon looked striking in a navy blue coat over a silver tunic, his sleek silver hair elegantly tied back in a ponytail. Garrow, in contrast, wore a lustrous black leather coat over a crimson doublet.
"How strange, we have a phrase too," Hadeon leaned in, his smile never fading, "Follow the master, or face twice the disaster. Quite poetic, don't you think?"
Mallory saw Hadeon elegantly bring the same cigar she had just used to his lips, taking a slow, deliberate inhale. He held the smoke, his gaze aloft, then exhaled a perfect ring with a slight tilt of his head.
"My, my, what a handful you are," Hadeon murmured, the expression on his face stern. Stepping closer, his hand reached out to pat the top of her head. "Breathe in, breathe out," he instructed her.
"Until next time," Hadeon said with a disarming smile that somehow managed to send shivers down the spines of everyone present. "We've got quite a busy schedule back at the castle—some delightful punishments to administer. Isn't that so, Mal—o—ry?" His elongation of her name made Mallory stiffen.
Mallory gave a nod and then turned to the vampiress, "You have a beautiful garden, Lady Rose." Hadeon could learn a thing or two about actual gardening, she thought to herself.
Hadeon's attention shifted from Lady Rose to Mallory, his gaze piercing as he asked, "Enjoyed your little exploration?" and he caught her guarded expression. His golden eyes then fell on the vampiress' servant, his eyes narrowing in suspicion.
It was known that when something new was made, it was never perfect and was in its raw state, which needed to be shaped after practice. And this here involved the devil.
"Talking about sheep, you should be careful with that one, Hades," Lady Rose cautioned lightly, her eyes darting at the door through which Mallory had exited the room. "She isn't easy to tame."
Hadeon licked his lips contemplatively before speaking. "Not continuously. Someone disturbed my resting place, and something else was moved to where I was. Tell me, Rose, have you heard about any artefacts of considerable power? Something that might currently be in the king's keeping?"
Hadeon's laughter resonated with a silken darkness. "Indeed, what fun would it be if you could read me?" He then arched an eyebrow, clicking before he said, "Still testing to see if you can read my mind. You haven't changed. Always prying—scarcely the demure lady one might expect."
Hadeon, who sipped on the cup of tea, licked his lips. "The comfort of a snug coffin—what's not to love? It's rather like having front-row seats to the most tragic of plays, listening to the whispered confessions and woeful tales in the graveyard." He continued, "I would still be sleeping comfortably in my coffin bed if someone didn't decide to rudely wake me in the middle of a rainy night."
"Look at her, playing the humble card. Adorable, isn't she? Almost as if she's taking modesty lessons from me," Hadeon dabbed the corner of his eye even though not a single tear was in sight.