V2 Chapter 62

“Seriously…” Ezra Redhawk mumbled in complain as she plucks the loose comb from her hair, she used it to anchor her coiled braid, hanging behind her bob hairstyle. Then, she moved along the rail, her long servant skirt making discontented rustles around her legs. The breeze cooled her throat, and the night sky worked its calming effect on her.

Velvet draperies with gold and silver cords and tassels framed the glittering hall. Refracted gaslight turned the crystal shades of the sconces to diamonds. In the forgiving light of the beautiful chandeliers, the scene resembled a beautiful painting come to life—though, due to their monster-ish appearances, it kinda gives a strange yet fantasy-like ambiance to the entire spectacle.

Female demons and demi-humans spun like ballerinas in their pastel gowns, contrasting with the gentlemen in their respective black clothing or military attire. More so, the military men who were even more impressive and imposing in full dress uniform, and beastly demonic faces. Everyone looks so polished as they wove through the kaleidoscope pattern of the dance floor, with glittering parts of a grand design.

Ezra’s gaze turned towards the infamous Princess of Ice, who stood near the large table of pastries, deep in conversation with a lion-like demon whom she knows extremely well as the Raging Fang of The Ice Princess—the loyal retainer of the Princess of Ice. They were talking with stern and serious expressions and Ezra, on her position could hear about some topics related to the next war—her interest was piqued.

But just as she was about to come closer, a flicker of movement caught her eye.

She peered into the shadows at the edge of the patio. A gravel path, flanked by stone benches, meandered into the darkness of the Winter Palace gardens. And upon one of the benches, surrounded by fall-flowering spider lilies and frozen cloudflower as well as Heaven-Cold roses, sat an embracing couple.

Ezra’s eyes widened slightly...

Oblivious to her presence, the couple had their arms wound around one another, their mouths glued together in a passionate kiss. Some perverse impulse drew Ezra across the patio and into the shadows so she could get a closer look. Sweet heaven, he had his hand all the way up to the woman’s skirt. Her leg lay draped across his lap, revealing the slightly sexy dark toned thigh. Ezra’s fascination rose as the woman moaned and dropped her head back, exposing her décolletage, her voluptuous breast were dark colored, probably because of the darkness or it was its real color, but they look smooth and soft like twin moons. She then saw the man kissed the shadowy cleft between them, and Ezra felt a terrible tug of heat she had no name for assaulting her…

Sagging against the rail, she imagined what it would be like to have a man kiss her like that, touch the way the bold stranger was touching the woman, hold her in a way that suggested he’d never let her go…

As a Knight that had been training since her childhood, she had never thought much less feel such emotions, such feelings before. But now…

“Oh…!!” The woman moaned again, her voice rich with passion. “Oh, your highness, your highness….” Leaning back, even more, she turned slightly, so that the faint starlight outlined her face.

Shika! Shika! Ezra, fascinated and curious about the rare scene of passion, couldn’t help but edge forward, riveted by the scene. A pale branch of Cloudflower brushed across her face, and she pushed it out of the way for a better view of the woman who now laid with her head dropped back, her eyes closed her mouth half-open in ecstasy. She had slender hands and a dark, beguiling—and exceedingly familiar—face. Recognizing her, Ezra nearly choked. Heaven above, it was the lady Coriarty Podon, the Demon Marquis wife. Gathering information and data about the aristocrats and nobles of the Demon Empire was her mission and so she was clearly familiar with many high ranking Demons in the Northern Border, and one of them was her.

But why is she…?

An ominous tickle stung Ezra’s nose. Then, oh now... the Cloudflower is indeed, quite a fragrant flower but it's pollen kinda irritates the nose. No, oh, no, holding the handkerchief she pulled from her pocket to her nose and moving away from the floral hedge, she tried to retreat. However, despite her terrified efforts, she could not quite manage to stifle the next giant sneeze. It erupted with volcanic force, racking her whole body. And as expected, the couple on the shadowy bench broke apart, as if being struck by lightning. The man said a word Ezra had never heard before, probably in the Demon Language, though his furious tone made her blush.

With less than a second to act, she hurriedly retreated and crossed the patio, heading for the doorway. The handkerchief flew from her hand due to the panic and drifted to the ground. But without caring about it, she ducked into the ballroom.

Praying no one had seen her hasty entrance; she smashed herself against the wall, shut her eyes and tried to calm her madly beating heart and breath. When she finally calmed down, she noticed that the party still went on uninterrupted. Glassware clinked in accompaniment to laughter and conversation, and no one seemed to mark her presence. She let out a long, slow sigh of relief. Seriously… her actions were unbefitting that of a noble knight…! She criticizes herself inwardly.

“Haaa,” She let out a sigh. Perhaps, something to drink would calm her nerves and set her mind straight back. As she wandered toward the refreshments table she brushed her gloved hands over her shirt.

“So you came as well…” The resonant male voice froze Ezra in her tracks. Her shoulders tensed, and a terrible heat prickled the back of her neck. Taking a deep breath, she turned around only to find herself facing a familiar youth with an ashy gray hair and an alluring handsome face. He was staring at her with her strange yet somewhat beautiful mismatched eyes of azure and ruby, both give explicit beauty at the same danger, especially if both narrowed into a slight looking at her. “And just what are you doing here, I wonder?” he demanded. “…penetrating the enemy’s camp? How admirable,” He said with a mouth lifted in the most mocking grin she had ever seen.

It’s him… Ezra’s brows furrowed at this sudden realization. The man from the garden… and now he realized. No wonder, he looks familiar... as expected of a demon… Ezra felt a sudden bitterness welling up in her throat. Then, she glared at the Demon Prince before her. She wanted to say something but she suddenly saw him holding out on her handkerchief to her. “Yours?” he asked, but not an interrogative sentence but a declarative tone. “Thank you,” Ezra snatched with ill-humored expression. “You’re quite welcome,” he replied in a deep easy voice, so rich it lulled her senses.

“However, enemy camp…huh.”

“Well, isn’t that how you consider me? An enemy? Just like the rest of the people here…” The man grinned meaningfully. "Despite not even knowing properly who they are, or what they were. Since they stand at the land of an enemy, they are an enemy that cannot be forgiven as well... how intriguing the works of a human mind, don't you think." The Demon Prince said with a meaningful smile. "...it works not based on logic or reason, truly interesting."

“… …” Startled and confused by his sudden words, Ezra couldn’t help but frown. There’s sharpness in his voice that Ezra couldn’t make heads or tails about it. “Is there something you wanted to say?”

“No, of course not…” The second prince shook his head with a wry smile. “…however, I urge you to move faster. With the celebration tonight, I believe the security of the City will become lax and that is your cue… your only opportunity to escape this, in your own words, the land of detestable barbarians. After that, you can only leave it to fate…”

“… …??”

“…knowing that, please do not stick your nose to somewhere it doesn’t belong to or else you might get tripped along the way,” A dazzling and insolent smile lit his face, and his cold eyes clearly reflected the knowledge of who she was and what she had seen.

And what she’d felt while watching it…

Ezra’s face turned red and she glared at the Second Demon Prince. “I thank the young prince for his concern. But some things are just inevitable if one played in a place where there are people—so, if I may, please be warned to do things in moderation, and only do shameless things only if you are reassured that there are indeed no people around… hence, you will be seen, and it might cause your unjust anger to an innocent victim, your highness…”

“Hmm, point taken,” The second prince smiled in amusement. “However, if I wronged you indeed in this affair, then, I apologize. It’s just that, I thought you deliberately make a mess with my fun, after all, for many people in this palace to see us, why does it have to be you…?”

Ezra bit her lips, “That is certainly biased…”

The Second Prince smirked as he shrugs his shoulders, “Well, I can’t help it. After all, I get the impression every time we meet that you’re continually resisting me? Yes, you can’t deny it, love. It’s as though you were deliberately putting up a barrier as soon as I come on the scene… which makes me wonder, am I that substandard to be hated to this extent…? After all, if one calculates all the things I have done to you, all of them are nothing but support and help for you to survive… and I haven’t made any sort of detrimental actions with ulterior motives against you, or have I…?”

Ezra considered this statement with a solemnity that made him feel exasperated and at the same time, amused.

“No, not really…” she said at last. “It’s simply, I suppose that you’re a frightening sort of person, although you probably don’t realize that,” she grinned. “…much more dangerous and perilous than any being I have seen and met, including among your siblings, your highness… so, keeping my distance from you is an appropriate decision…I believe. No, it should be the best decision I had made all my life...”

Spiritually...and mentally...!

“Me, frightening…?” The Second Prince flung back his head and laughed.

Ezra had not realized until that moment how white and even his teeth were. Nor, for that matter, had she ever heard him laugh so spontaneously, although she couldn’t imagine what she had said that appeared to him so amusing. “Yes, you are!” Ezra reiterated stubbornly, “You may not realize it but you are rather, overawing,”

"Hm, I can take that as a compliment, and it would be my honor to take it as such, especially coming from you my love. However, I'm just a little bit dissatisfied with your attitude towards this poor prince,"

"...??"

“Well, it certainly didn’t take you long to become acclimatized,” The second prince said coolly. “Already, no doubt, you’ve had the opportunity to learn the attitude of defiance towards me, a wicked enemy, and the one who can kill you easily by the slight change of mood…and even without lifting a finger. I suppose the world has been filling your ear with its views on the vandal of a demon who was a sorry excuse of a man in the world. And when it’s not, then, there are the gully whispers of the ignorance dropping poison into your ear against me… now, you feel like the hero who came to stand against the wicked demon prince, like those in fairytales…?” The Second Demon Prince grinned, "How touching."

Ezra’s expression darkens. What he said, was probably all true, that for a moment, Ezra fell in silence. “Even if that is the case, I don’t suppose my opinion can be of much interest to you, your highness…as what you said, you can indeed kill me as easy as saying a word,” she countered stiffly. "Why bother caring about the attitude of a mere ant? A monkey so to speak...?"

“On the contrary, I care a great deal,” The Second Prince told her, a wry smile altering his expression, and she was disturbedly aware of how attractive this man could be when he chose. The Second Demon Prince’s face turned and tilted upward. A lean face, impossibly young, looked up at hers. It was a sharp face, with a wolf’s sly intelligence. Long, straight nose, with greatly mismatched eyes of a bright blue eye, and tantalizing ruby colored eye that seemed to suck anyone who is reflected on it. The most uncanny feature, however, had to be the eyebrows. For some reason, Ezra had always thought the Second Prince of the Demon Empire would be wicked and monstrous looking, but he was, in fact, a ginger and one who seemed to have a perpetual look of mischief on his face, even now, after he had just had his own head served to him on a platter.

The rumors were right; the Second Prince was terribly handsome, much more than any other excellent prodigies and worshipped men in the world.

Having been seen, she drew herself erect, averting her eyes in a flushed manner; “But why should you?” Ezra replied awkwardly, “I’m just a human… a detestable human who is the mortal enemy of your kind; my opinion can hardly have much weight with you, your highness, 'Demon Prince!'” she emphasized the 'Demon Prince!' with great annoyance.

“You underestimate yourself,” The Second Prince grinned and muttered in response. He turned towards the table and his hand reached out to pick out a small piece of pastry and throw it into his mouth, “…has it not occurred to you that men are prone to be susceptible to pretty young women, no matter what race they came from...” Ezra’s eyes widened in shock, and then her cheeks turned a slight blush. “…A friend or a foe, in love it matters not. When love strikes, the gears of fate will start spinning. And when that happens, it cannot be stopped, even if the one before you is your greatest enemy…”

Was he once again mocking her? Playing with her? Ezra bit her lips in frustration. She was annoyed, greatly annoyed… not only to the Demon Prince before her but also to herself who felt a jittery spark after hearing those, flowery words that she knows were lies among lies. She grits her teeth, hesitating—would it not be judicious to beat a hasty retreat before she became an object of further derision…? Yet, in spite of herself, her feet made no signs of moving as if it was nailed rooted on the spot. Her expression turned fierce as she glared at the one who was creating quite a mess inside her mind, “…such flowery words—are these words you used to fool women to be your toys, your highness? And here I thought you were different from any men I had seen, as you showed deep true love to your lover, but I guess I was wrong… you are indeed, a scumbag who would bite anyone who comes into your lair, as long as they are women of kind…?” she muttered impulsively.

But the second prince was still unperturbed, “…I never declare myself as a loyal gentleman, or have I…?”

“You!”

“…I indeed love my fiancée Sybilla—that is a fact that would never change. I could give my life for her without a second thought and could give everything she wanted as long as it made her smile and laugh… but that doesn’t mean I cannot love another woman, could I?” The Second Prince smiled mischievously and stepped forward towards Ezra. Ezra was apprehensive, her heart beating as she steps back. If he took a step, she would take a step backward… this lasted until she had hit the edge of the table, terrified.

The Second Prince smirked in amusement and stopped just a few inches away from her, “Men of power, possesses two or more women, that is never uncommon in this world… in any other world, even in your Human World, I believe? And especially, my love, have you forgotten where you are…? This is the World of Demons, those ones you call as wicked and the lair of sinners… If your world didn’t think much of it, why would we, demons, would…?”

“… …” Ezra wanted to retort but she finds no words to defy the Second Prince words, as even his father has two to three known mistresses aside from her mother. Though, that is also the reason why she hates disloyal men like her father was. Even still, Ezra can’t muster any power to refute the Second Prince words. She gnashed her teeth in irritation, “As expected, you seem to be the type of man who doesn’t care a jot what anyone thinks of him… I guess that’s why you are able to live life care freely despite being branded by wrongful accusations and foolish misunderstandings…”

“…I wanted to admit it, but unfortunately, you’re wrong. I’m one of those types that bottled their feelings behind a nonchalant smile—” The Second Prince shrugs. “…after all, I’m as susceptible as most men to a pretty face. Please remember that, my love,”

“… …scumbag,” Ezra’s body felt like she was electrocuted after she had a glimpse of white teeth against his pale skin. She bit her lips and without a word, turned around and started walking away. A vandal in every sense of the word…! She was thinking angrily as she turned off along the sea of fancy people. At the corner of her eyes, she could see, the Second Prince still standing at his original position, looking at her with a mischievous smile akin to that of a child that had managed to steal a candy from another successfully. And she was greatly irritated by that—but, although she doesn’t want to admit it, he had also, she recognized, a dangerous charm…

… …

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