Married To The Mad Vampire Lord-Chapter 71: The banquet_Part 2

When they got to the castle, Belle was amazed by how grand the exterior was and how bright it was compared to the other castle. There were a few carriages outside, and the light that poured out of the castle made it obvious that an event was happening within the grand, beautiful walls that were nothing less than a castle from a fantasy book. But Belle couldn’t admire it for long, to her despair, because of the challenge that awaited her inside it.

She liked more than anyone to be in her comfort, simple zone, but circumstances were beginning to push her out of that beautiful, comfortable zone, which she totally wasn’t looking forward to. Her husband looked relaxed and calm, like the world could burn and he wouldn’t blink nor sweat. On the other hand, she was a nervous wreck with a sweaty back and palms, but thanks to the gloves she wore, it was hidden.

They walked into the castle with her arm hooked around her husband’s bent elbow, where he kept telling her to calm her heartbeat, and she was trying to calm. They walked at a slow pace, and to her astonishment, the long, brightened corridor that led to a huge double-opened door at the end, where slow music poured out—its walls held portraits of past royals on their high thrones with their queens.

Instead of focusing on her anxiety, she began to look at the portraits on the walls that lined up the long walls. They were placed according to the time period of the rulers, and the manner of the dressing was each different and designed according to the era. ƒгeewёbnovel.com

The wall was painted in gold, with the high chandelier and wall lamps illuminating each portrait. Belle found herself counting down to when she would reach the period of the boy who had lived in her chamber and also her husband’s parents. She didn’t find the other one, but she found the latter according to the period that was known to many in Aragonia.

Rohan’s parents, with its time period below it. She wouldn’t have even known it was them if she didn’t know the time period, because to her dismay, none of them looked like Rohan. They both had deep red eyes, and one thing she was quick to notice was the fact that they looked kind, with a soft smile on their faces. Their expressions looked so humanlike, unlike the arrogant nature known of the night creatures.

She slowed down her pace to a stop to look at it, and in the process, her arm slipped away from where it was hooked on her husband’s. He was also forced to stop in front of a portrait of the people he did not want to see. When his eyes rose to the couple on the throne, they were dark and blank, with no emotions in them.

Belle moved closer to the huge portrait that was left on display as if to show respect to the deceased past rulers. The woman in the portrait had long black hair, and the man had a dusky, sand-brown hair that was long and smooth. Both had pale skin and a welcoming demeanor that varied from that of their son.

Now that she thought of it, Rohan had not kept any portraits of them or anyone in the other castle. Though she had heard about how many people said he had killed them cold-bloodedly, she couldn’t completely believe it, and seeing their portraits now made it all the more unbelievable to her.

Rohan wasn’t that bad. How could he have killed these nice-looking people who so happened to birth him? How could someone who had so painstakingly gently taken care of her when she was sick kill his parents? If he was heartless and uncaring, he would not have bothered about her and let her suffer or even die from the fever. She refused, no matter what anyone said, that her husband was a cold-blooded mad killer.

"What do you think about your late in-laws, little bunny?" came his detached deep voice from the side that made her tear her eyes away from the portrait to look at him. He was also staring at the portrait, but his face displayed nothing.

"Your mother is beautiful. She looks kind, and so does the king," she told him exactly what she thought about them, and to her surprise, he chuckled humorlessly and clicked his tongue.

"They are kind indeed. Do you always judge people based on their outer appearance, Isa?" he asked without looking at her, that smile still lingering on his lips.

Belle pursed her lips. She had always considered herself a good judge of character based on what that person looks like. Perhaps that was not how it should be done, but she had always done it that way and sometimes got it right. From what she saw, the couple in the portrait looked like nice people.

"I can tell a bad character and a good one from what they look like," she told him, and he looked away from the portrait to her, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"Be careful, then," he said, all humor gone from his tone and face. "We should go in." He turned away and began to walk, but Belle spoke before she even thought about the words or talked herself out of asking it.

"Is it true?"

He stopped in his tracks and turned over his shoulder. "What is true?" came his clipped words.

Belle wet her lips and tasted the rose petal powder and oil mix on them. "Did you kill them?" she asked and then held her breath for his answer. Cordelia had told her he had that day, and though she should believe it, she didn’t want to. That woman was a two-faced snake, and she would be stupid to believe anything she said after what she had done that day.

There was silence in the corridor, with the noise being the activities coming from the hall ahead of them where the banquet was going on already. She had thought he wouldn’t speak, but then his cold voice came, "Yes. I killed them and watched them die before my eyes while I took pleasure in it," he said. "Now you see, you are not a good judge of character. I am not a good person, Isa. Do not let yourself judge me based on how and the way I treat you."

Belle felt her heart squeeze in her chest at his words. Though he had said it and confirmed the words she was finding hard to believe, something in her still did not choose to believe it. Was she just in denial because she had begun to like him a tiny little bit?

"Why did you do it?" she found herself asking him again, and this time he turned to her fully and massaged his temple as if he was having a headache.

"Tsk. As much as I want to tell you about them and what I did, the thought of those two gives me a headache. They were boring parents and plain stupid. I killed them for my own satisfaction, and if you don’t want to hear the details of their death, I suggest you let us go inside now." He held out his hand to her.

"Come."

Perhaps it was the complete lack of remorse or emotion in his voice—or the way he spoke so casually about the death of the very people who had once loved him. Maybe it was the cold shattering of the fragile illusion she had clung to—that he wasn’t that bad. Or perhaps, more dangerously, it was the part of her that, even now, still felt drawn to him that shocked her and rendered her speechless.

She was not the kind of person who condoned cruelty or injustice. She hated it. And yet, what truly unsettled her wasn’t what he had done—but the fact that even now, knowing this, she couldn’t bring herself to despise him and feel disgusted by him like many people did. She didn’t fear him the way she should. A sane person—any normal person—would run. Would scream in his face and call him a monster. Would wonder if they’d be next. Would fear being murdered one day for his own selfish satisfaction, just like his parents.

But she wasn’t normal, was she?

No—she was still curious. Still hungry to know more. Still aching to peel away every layer he kept hidden, to see what he truly was beneath it all. And that scared her. It made her angry. Angry at him—for making her feel this way—and angry at herself for letting it happen. Because Rohan was dangerous. Twisted. Shrouded in a darkness she could barely comprehend.

And still, despite everything... she felt herself drawn in a way she could not place a finger on. This wasn’t her, was it? Belle clenched her fists and yelled at herself not to take the hand he held out to her to show him how she would never understand his ways. She should ignore it, but then her hand moved against her very will and fell into his, where he clasped on tightly to it and then pulled her forward to him like a doll. She saw a smile pull up his romantically beautiful lips.

Patting her head gently, he said, "My good girl. Shall we?" He put her hand back on his bent elbow and began to lead her towards the hall, all the while Belle wondering if he had somehow compelled her into feeling the way she was feeling, but she knew more than anyone that he hadn’t. It was just her swaying away from the path she knew was right and getting curious about danger.

Belle was too distracted by her own emotions to see that when they walked past the portrait, Rohan turned to his parents portrait with a look that conveyed his hate and anger.