The Devil's Temptation!

Making her way through the concrete path with Anna sticking by her side, she unplanningly paused in her steps after catching sight of the beautiful flowers that were almost withering at her left side. Their petals were no longer looking succulent and half of them were drying up greatly.

The sight of the withered flowers didn’t really appeal to her tranquil gaze. She suddenly crouched and plucked out one of the dry flowers with such care and gentleness.

It was a rose flower that was already getting past its season but to Anna’s amazement, the withering flower gradually bloomed in her hands until all the petals were looking fresh and attractive once again.

“Winter is approaching really fast,” she softly commented before shifting her red eyes to the rest withering flowers, “look, the beauty of the flowers are already fading, sooner or later, no one will be tempted to take a walk in the front garden and the flowers will be ignored like they weren’t even here.”

Anna, who had willingly accompanied the lady to the front yard, carefully followed the gaze of Lady Melrose and saw she was staring at the withered flowers, but Anna wasn’t sure if it’d be out of respect to give her logic response or if she should just remain quiet and not utter a word.

Melrose buried the stem of the bloomed flower in her hands, back into the earthly ground that was beautifully fabricated with shiny stone blocks.

“The same goes for everything out there in this pathetic world we live in.” She apathetically added, “once they notice the beauty in you fades, you’ll be reduced to nothing but an invisible skeleton in the eyes of those you once thought were your admirers.”

“Pardon my manners,” Anna politely intervened as she didn’t agree with that fact of hers, “but true beauty isn’t something that can be visibly seen just by staring alone, my late mother always told me that true beauty comes from the heart and should always be pictured that way.”

.....

When she was little, Anna always had the impression that the birthmark on her forehead made her very ugly. Back then, she used to think the children of Draekharm refused to play with her because they found her ugly, but her mother was always there to advise her on the most important things.

A sad mocking chuckle left Melrose’s lips after hearing Anna’s words and she raised her shoulders high after standing straight, her pretty glowing face sneakily contorted into one of visible disdain but Anna didn’t think that look was meant for her.

“It’s funny how you humans think you’re the only ones who suffer in the world.” She tsked at the blasphemy, “but in truth, if you only read the books that everyone else is reading, then it’s not surprising that you’d assume what everyone else is equally assuming.”

Based on her words, Anna could candidly tell that there was something bothering her. Ever since she came, she has been less excited about the family ball or even jubilating like her sister on who gets to be the mate of his highness. She has shown less interest in all of these things and acted out of mannerism, but if she wasn’t interested, why did she come?

“I–”

“The family ball is starting tonight,” a faint smile tainted her lips at the thought, “but it’s extremely clear to me that I’m not the mate of his highness, neither do I believe it’s going to be any of the demoness, and it leaves me even more curious to figure out who his highness might end up picking tonight, aren’t you also anxious to figure it out?”

She diverted her stare towards Annalise who froze a bit at the question, but before she got a chance to come up with an appropriate response, Lady Roseline chose to intrude as she appeared from who knows where with a soft giggle.

“How is she supposed to know? After All, she’s just a maid.” Roseline reminded her sister while heading towards their direction and Anna couldn’t help but roll her eyes internally at the supposed deceptive retort.

“Roseline, you’re here as well,” Melrose proceeded to change the subject before her sister turned it into something else, “did you also come to take a stroll? We could have taken one together.”

“I didn’t come for a stroll,” Roseline shook her head, bringing her to the main reason of why she even came here, “I came to ask if you’d be interested in following me to the capital. Mother and father sent lots of gifts to the ministers who’d be bringing them over for the celebration tonight, and I wanted to go check them myself.”

“Oh! That means we’ll return tonight with the ministers then?” Melrose inquired while Roseline nodded her head in response, still waiting for her sister’s approval.

“Sure, why not?” Melrose’s eyes expressed her willingness to follow and she turned her attention to the mute Anna.

“You may leave now, the stroll was satisfying and I appreciate the company you offered.” Lady Melrose finally dismissed her and Anna smiled at her sincere words before bowing and leaving the demoness to themselves.

“I really can not understand why you’re so soft with her?” Roseline finally laid out her complaint the moment Anna left.

Seeing her sister so calm with the human maid only ruined her mood of going to the capital city and Melrose had sensed her sister’s complaint even before she laid them out.

“Do I complain when you treat them the way you want?” Melrose inquired, “how I choose to treat anyone has nothing to do with you my dear sister, you handle them the way you want, I handle them the way I want, so shall we leave?”

Roseline’s bitter expression turned sour at her sister’s retort and without saying a word, she stormed off, leaving Melrose to fall behind.

Calista who had been trying to get Anna’s attention all this time, figured how unfruitful her plans turned out to be as she watched Anna exit herself from the yard, entering through the main door and that somehow stunned her.

She was more than happy to see Annalise alive and well, she wanted to speak to her and ask her how things were, but the questions that popped in her head and the current situation she was in gave her enough mixed feelings already.

How did Anna end up in the Demon’s den? Why isn’t she escaping and why aren’t they going after her? From the look on Anna’s face, she happened to smile at one of those ladies before stepping into the palace.

Was she not scared? Are those ladies human or demons??

Calista didn’t want to reel her head with much negativity and could only hope Anna was still the Anna she knew.