Married To The Mad Vampire Lord-Chapter 87: Punishment for the traitor_Part 1

"Yes, my Lord. The dinner is served."

Belle, on the other hand, who stood quietly to the side after Rohan had brushed Rav’s hands away and removed her cloak himself, heard him ask about dinner. freewёbn૦νeɭ.com

She had only eaten with Rohan once since the time she had been brought to this castle, and though she had looked forward to having a meal with him all those days he was always away, she did not think she could stomach any food now after everything that had happened. Not to mention she longed for a hot bath and to change this dress that was dirtied at the hem and a little drenched from the flying.

With everything that had happened so far, she was exhausted. She had run around the forest for hours, and then almost got assaulted and even killed by vampires before she was saved and witnessed a traumatizing scene — one that, had those two been humans, would have affected her even more than it did to witness them die like that.

But though it had disturbed her, it wasn’t so much because she realized if Rohan had not come to her rescue, she would probably be in their place — dead and gone. She shuddered at the thought and hugged her arms around herself.

She longed to go to her chamber to settle her mind enough to think of how to send a letter to Jamie and tell him to leave the land, as he was no longer safe now that Rohan knew about him. He was no longer safe, and she did not think she would make another attempt to elope with him again — not with everything that happened today and the threat she would bring to his life.

She did not protest, even though she did not feel like eating, as Rohan led her to the dining hall where their food was set and waiting on the long table.

Rohan stepped to the side and took another fresh clean glove from Rav, and as much as Belle wanted to look to see what was wrong with his hands that he always wore gloves, she couldn’t see beyond his broad back that was turned to her as he changed it and then turned to her after he was done.

They soon sat down and their meal began to be served, and though she wasn’t very hungry, Belle forced herself to eat, sensing that Rohan was up to something—his eyes had been fixed on Farrah, who had come to serve her.

The girl had looked somewhat startled to see her but had quickly composed herself, and Belle thought it must be because Farrah had believed she was now with Jamie, only for her to return with her husband.

Through Farrah’s green eyes that briefly met hers, Belle saw the silent question there—why had she come back?

She smiled at the girl with her eyes, hoping to convey what she could not say aloud—that they would talk later.

Unknown to Belle, there would be no later.

Belle did not like how Rohan was staring at her with those intense eyes of his. Farrah had helped her leave the castle. The girl had helped her out of goodwill but to her husband, who had taken what she did as a betrayal, he must be taking her as a traitor, which he had spoken about when they were outside and said needed to be punished.

The girl was the only friend she had in this land, who she learned many things from; she wouldn’t stand by and let her get punished for helping her. Thus, Belle ate her food, keeping her eyes on Rohan, waiting for when he would decide to announce that he would punish Farrah for what happened tonight.

Belle watched while eating as he deeply drank the blood wine served to him, refilling his glass three more times. He only began to eat after he had almost finished the bottle of blood wine—a wine that was more blood than wine, as she noticed how thick the contents in the glass seemed and how it made his lips redder.

Just as she had noticed the first time she came here, where he had kept taking and eating everything she took on the table, her husband had a bottomless pit for a stomach. He did not settle for just one dish like she did; the moment he finished one, he refilled his plate with another.

He wasn’t eating fast or rushed; he ate with the elegance of a nobleman—only he took large bites and barely chewed before swallowing.

She rarely saw him eat, and from what she had learned, vampires could live without human food. But she doubted this one played with food when he got the chance to enjoy it.

Her eyes fell on his lips as he licked the juice of the steak from them in a way that made her insides warm. He looked so boyish eating like that, and she almost wanted to give him her own plate of steak as he finished his and looked at the main plate, only to see it was now empty.

He didn’t mind and simply took a bowl to eat from another dish.

Was it just her husband, or were all men this charming and disarmingly handsome when they ate?

To her shame, she thought she could watch him eat and take silent pleasure in it for hours without getting bored or tired.

When he ate from the ragout in his bowl and looked up at her, catching her watching him, the side of his lip pulled up in a slow, devastating smile, disarming her completely and causing her heart to begin beating faster—steady and loud like a drum ringing in her head.

Their eyes locked for an instant before he looked away.

"I like that sound, sweetheart," he murmured, his voice deep and slightly rough, referring to the sound of her heartbeat as he chewed his food.

Then, with a casual movement, he scooped up a portion of the ragout with his spoon and extended it toward her lips, his gaze never leaving her lips.

"Open," he said, smiling with a lazy charm.

Knowing from experience that he wouldn’t allow her to take the spoon herself, Belle slowly, hesitantly parted her lips, her cheeks already flushed pink.

She accepted the spoon into her mouth, her lips brushing against the metal, and with a slow, deliberate movement, he withdrew it—so excruciatingly slow it felt as if he were pulling a thread of fire from her skin.

Instead of dipping it back into his food, he brought the spoon to his own mouth and licked it clean—slowly, wickedly—his pink tongue dragging along the gold surface like he wanted to savor the taste of her from it.

The gesture was so shamelessly intimate Belle ducked her head shyly, feeling her face flame hotter, especially with the knowledge that they weren’t alone in the hall, the servants standing silently behind them, witnessing this almost-indecent exchange.

Did he have to do that in front of her maidservant and the others? She mused, slightly embarrassed and stirred up in ways she did not want to pay attention to.

"If you don’t eat, I will continue to feed you, little bunny," came his amused voice as he resumed drinking his wine after he had done much of the eating.

Belle didn’t need to be told again; she began to eat, even though she had little appetite.

But just behind her, a pair of heated eyes were glaring daggers at her, full of silent rage and resentment—something her husband was fully aware of, but pretended he did not see it.

It was when they were eating dessert that, to Belle’s dismay, Rohan called her maidservant and beckoned for her to come forward.

Belle felt her stomach knot in nervousness.

"Umm, I need to bathe. I would like Farrah to come with me to my chamber now, my Lord," Belle said quickly, in hopes of prolonging and if necessary stopping him from punishing the girl for something that wasn’t her fault.

"Sit down, Isa. You will take your bath after her punishment," Rohan said to his wife and then turned to the young servant who was now looking nervous at the mention of a punishment, with her hands folding shakingly in front of her dress.

She walked to where Rohan sat and quickly fell to her knees and bowed her head.

"Forgive me, my Lord. I didn’t want to go against you, I was just helping my mistress!" she cried out with her forehead kissing the floor.

Belle looked pleadingly at Rohan.

"Please spare her, she did nothing wrong and only followed my orders."

She’d always envied noblewomen in Aragonia who had loyal handmaids who would do anything for their mistress, and Farrah had been just that and more than it. She was a friend who she shared her meals with at times and even let her try on dresses Rohan had bought her, as she saw how much the girl wanted to try them on.

She couldn’t stand by and watch her get punished just because she had helped her. But if her husband heard her pleading words, he merely smiled and turned to look at the girl without indicating he would show mercy.

"I have sensed something wrong with you since the first day you stepped into my castle, slave," Rohan said, his voice low and husky. "I don’t do too well with traitors—and you are a big one who should not see the light of tomorrow."

He rested his elbows on the surface of the table, interlocking his fingers and propping his chin on them as he stared down coldly at the trembling slave girl. "Do you have any last confession to make to my wife before your death?" he asked, his tone deceptively calm as she began to beg for forgiveness.

"I...I did not do anything wrong, my Lord, I was only trying to—"

Farrah’s neck was suddenly gripped and she was yanked up to her feet by Rohan, who had moved to her with an inhuman speed that stunned Belle and made her get up to her feet as the girl struggled in his grip.

"My Lord!" Belle exclaimed, scared that he would rip off her head like she had watched him do just this night to the vampires in the woods. However, if he heard her, he didn’t pay her any attention.

"Do you know what I hate most, slave? People who act innocent when they are not. I despise them. If you don’t want me to rip your head apart, start talking."

Rohan said calmly, but there was nothing calm about him, if it wasn’t for his bunny, this useless human would never have any access to live in his castle and under his roof. People like her disgust him.