Married To The Mad Vampire Lord-Chapter 101: The boutique_Part 1

After a quick explanation about the vampires’ yearly event—a long-standing custom they had followed for centuries and one that would continue to be held for generations—Belle understood that she had no choice but to take part in it, whether she liked it or not.

The event clearly held great importance among the vampires. It was not merely a celebration, but a symbolic show of strength and unity. Anyone who refused to participate, especially someone invited as a guest or part of the royal household, would be seen as an enemy to the progress the night creatures were trying to make in building their land and changing their image in the world.

The vampiress had assured Belle that she wouldn’t be the only human attending and that she still had a month to master the art of archery and hunting. She had even added—perhaps with a touch of amusement—that if Belle managed to win, which Belle doubted entirely, the king himself would offer a reward, and she would be recognized and honored across the land.

Knowing there was no way out of it, Belle had forced a stiff smile and lied through her teeth, saying she couldn’t wait for the day to arrive. She even agreed that their training would begin tomorrow.

Belle ate breakfast in the dining hall with Cordelia after taking the time to bathe and dress; the ache in her body felt much better after the warm soak.

Rohan had insisted for her to sleep a little when he saw her walking down the stairs on his way out, as from last night’s experience she must have not gotten enough sleep—and he was totally right—but the thought of sleeping and being thrust in that world scared the living daylights out of her, and she was quick to refuse his suggestion.

He saw through her, and knowing he wouldn’t be around as he had some matter to attend to outside the castle, he had not pushed her to sleep again and left the castle after informing her he had somewhere to be.

She would have felt more at ease with him around, especially with the vampiress in the castle. But Belle knew Rohan had his own work and duties to attend to.

Still, the memory of how the vampiress had interrupted them this morning lingered, and she couldn’t forget the look of annoyance that had remained on his face when he left her chamber. It left her torn—disappointed, yet strangely relieved.

Relieved, because she wasn’t ready to go through with the act just yet.

From all the dreadful whispers and gossip she had heard about the marriage bed act, the pain that left a woman forever dreading intimacy with her husband, Belle feared she might end up hating his touch.

And she didn’t want that.

She didn’t want to hate the way he touched her.

She didn’t want to dread the way he kissed her.

Most of all, she didn’t want to lose the feelings that stirred in her when he rubbed his body against hers.

If she could prolong it just a little longer—she would.

She had felt the sting of pain when he had just begun to slide into her before the interruption. And remembering it, her lower abdomen throbbed hotly.

"Are you all right?"

Cordelia’s voice made Belle snap out of her thoughts to look at the other woman across from her, who was putting on her outing gloves.

"Yes, I am all right. Why?"

"Your heart is beating fast and you look red in the face. Are you scared of going out to shop in the city?" Cordelia asked as she placed a friendly hand against Belle’s shoulder. "Don’t worry. Most of the salespeople are humans, if that is what is making you look sick."

Belle wasn’t nervous about going out.

After breakfast, Cordelia had proposed they visit the city to shop for weapons and training gear, and to give her a tour since there was nothing pressing to do for the day. Belle, however, had plenty to do—she just hadn’t said any of it aloud because it was personal.

She wanted to write the letter she had been planning to send to Jamie, who was staying at the inn. She had decided there was no point in keeping him waiting—not when she knew deep down that she would never be able to go with him. Especially not now, when everything hinted that she might be something different from him.

Jamie deserved the freedom to move on, just as she intended to. She would always cherish the memories they had shared, but she couldn’t cling to the love. Not anymore.

Today, she had planned to figure out how to get the letter delivered to him. But with no good excuse to give the vampiress, and not wanting to raise questions, she had simply agreed to go shopping with her in the city.

The vampiress had brought a trunk that had been placed in the guest chamber, as she would be staying in the castle until the day of the hunt, and though Belle knew she wasn’t looking forward to spending a month with the woman under the same roof, she was to pretend she was all right with it, as her husband had not been against it.

With the vampiress in the castle, she had to be extra careful about her abilities. Rohan had told her that Rav and Gwen had worked for him for long and they knew better than to let it out that she was different. She was assured about them, but not this crazy two-faced woman.

Being betrayed by Farrah had taught her something important. The most innocent face could have the darkest heart, and though she missed the friendship she shared with the girl, she had learned to be wary of everyone—especially this one.

Belle began to also put on her gloves as she replied to Cordelia with a smile, "Not at all. I can’t wait to see what the city looks like."

It was good they wouldn’t be going alone. Rav and Gwen had been ordered to escort them, and with another company only she could see—Kuhn.

He sat right beside Cordelia in the carriage as they rode off, his hand even draped on her lap, but the vampiress was completely oblivious to it and to the fact that the creature was seemingly glaring at her with it’s faint red eyes that glowed within the dark hood of his cloak.

He liked her no less than Belle did.

And it was totally uncomfortable that the vampiress had chosen to wear something so immodest it made Belle feel uncomfortable on her behalf. Her neckline was too low and her breasts were too pushed up and out, not to mention the open back—it was like she had come prepared to seduce someone.

A hot, tight knot twisted in Belle’s chest. Did she dress like this today just for Rohan to notice her?

Belle had tried to ignore it, but she couldn’t unsee the way the vampiress had been acting coy the entire time she spoke to Rohan in the castle. There had even been a moment when she’d tripped on her dress and conveniently fallen toward his direction, her chest grazing his arm.

It might have looked subtle to anyone else—but Belle had noticed it.

Belle shouldn’t be happy that Rohan did not stick around to come with them to this outing, but she was. It made her feel better that it wasn’t his eyes seeing this display now.

The noble town of Nightbrook was a sight to behold for Belle, who had not stepped into it since the day she had come into the land. The buildings were built in different ways from the ones in Aragonia, with clean streets and organized residences, each with a post with the written name of its owner.

It was afternoon, and the sky was clearer than it had been since she came. The sun was not shining brightly, nor was the sky too gloomy—it was just a perfect weather to be out in. She was fascinated by this side of the town until they reached the market known as White Valley.

White Valley was an elite market, frequented by the most important vampire families—especially the purebloods. Access to the shops and boutiques was highly restricted; unless you held status or influence, you were unlikely to be allowed inside, Cordelia had explained. The place was elegant, with many of the storefronts painted in white and gold.

However, Belle didn’t like what she saw there.

It wasn’t that it was not good-looking, it was just that she did not like what she took note of among the people walking the markets when their carriage halted.

They had brought two carriages, with Rav and Gwen in one and she and Cordelia in the other, and as she came down the carriage the first sight she was greeted with was a vampiress beating up her human slave on the side of the street with a strong, long whip that had torn her dress and skin.

"...dare you touch my things with your filthy hands?!"

All of the vampires wore wide-brimmed hats for protection and some cloaks, most of them with one or more than two slaves following behind them with bags of shopping or carrying trunks on their heads.

On another side of the street, another male vampire was openly taking blood from a human, who was dressed too fine for a slave, and once he pulled back he smiled into her eyes as he spoke some words, and just like that the human made her way into a fancy carriage and drove off. frёeweɓηovel.coɱ

He had compelled a noble lady in the middle of the street and drank from her openly.

It seemed Rohan was right when he said a human who couldn’t be compelled would be in danger in this land.

Not even the nobles were spared. She shuddered at the thought of falling into such a situation, and unable to look around and study the cruel ways of the people, she followed the vampiress inside the big Boutique they had stopped in, deciding to keep a low profile by minding her business.

Unlike when she first came here, she had realized that cruelty wasn’t limited to one kind. It could live in both humans and vampires alike.

She had chosen to be close to Farrah because she was human, keeping her distance from the vampires. But now, things had changed. If keeping to herself and minding her business meant surviving, she would carry that attitude carefully, not out of coldness, but out of necessity to not make more unwanted enemies.