The Demon's Bride

Chapter 508: Road to Hell-II

Her blue eyes stopped when she reached by the middle of the room, seeing the lone single book placed and hanged on the short pillar, covered by the clear glass case. The book that was placed inside the clear box was too simple to be called Satan's most important book.

"This is the book?" asked Ian as he leaned forward, his eyes narrowing at the thin book placed in the glass case. He could not feel any magic inside the particular book and it looked very plain for him to feel that it was an important book the King of Hell would have. But noting the glass case, it was believable that the book was considered important to the Satan.

"Y-yes!" Orias answered, he didn't want to be doubted in the state he was now where his life was on the hands of Ian, "His majesty would spend almost everyday when he visit this mansion to read the book over and over again. I say that this is the most loved book of all the books that he has in all the library of Hell. Also the one most treasured."

Like others when they said the book the King would most treasured, Elise would have suspected it to be such an important book that held many secrets of Hell or maybe Heaven as well but the book seemed different. It had Elise wondering if this was book special to only Satan. Some times a pebble rock might shines in front of one person due to the memories the rock held to them but to others it would remain as a measly rock.

Coming closer Elise stared at the front part of the book there was a golden ink used to write the title of the book but the dust that covered the book hindered them from seeing what it is.

"What will happen if you were to break the glass and dirtied the book?" Ian questioned, having Orias's eyes to widen.

"The King would certainly be extremely saddened and upset—"

CRASH!

Both Elise and Orias had their jaw turn to slack when they heard the glass cover shatters to pieces. Orias who was more in panic immediately rushed to the side of the stand, trying to fix the glass by picking the shards together in horror.

Ian lifted the same hand he had used to knock and turn the glass into shards before picking the book. Elise didn't know what to say, should she scold Ian? But she knew that he had always been the troublemaker it had her question if their children would follow his steps which she hope would be lesser in term of making troubles than Ian.

"Ian," she called, heaving her breaths to speak, "Maybe we should leave the book and the house now."

"I was thinking that but also think of taking an object as our hostage. We can't have that old devil following us to our house. Though look at this, it doesn't seem to be anything important but you might want to read it," Ian smiled as he settled the book on her fingers.

Elise descended her chin, looking down at the book. Tapping her fingers lightly to dust away the accumulated grime on the book to have a better look at what the golden ink had to say.

"The little wolf and red flower girl," Elise whispered the name. "It's a children book."

Ian hummed, his finger tapped on the writing below the book, "Isn't this name familiar? Your grandfather might have muttered it earlier when he was angry. I did caught him muttering it very subtly."

"Ariel Miracle," Elise who said the name aloud had caused Orias, who was quietly picking the broken glass, thinking he might be able to fix it even though he knew he wouldn't be able to, raise his head. "Do you know who this is?" Elise questioned Orias as she sensed the demon's reaction.

"It is your dearest grandmother's name, your highness," answered Orias, "The only single late Queen of Hell, Queen Ariel, Prince Leviathan's mother. As you read the title of the book, I had just remember that it is the same book which Queen Ariel love to read for Prince Leviathan when he was still an infant."

No wonder that Elise had formed a sense of attachment to the book she had just seen. There was something about the book that was familiar whether it was the writing or the scent. "How long have you've been beside my grandfather, Orias?"

Orias had a little pride on him as he said, "I am the eldest servants in Hell who has serve the King since I have become a Demon," answered the servant.

"Have you seen my grandmother?" She then asked. It appears that Orias knows a lot about her family than she did and she who wanted to know about them decided to ask from the person who knows a lot more than she does.

"Naturally! I beg your pardon but have you never seen the Queen, your highness?" Orias's thick brown and curly hair created a fringe which almost covered his red eyes.

Elise shook her head, she asked, "Can you tell me how she looks like."

"Come with me! The picture of the Queen is just right in this library," said Orias as he began to walk, "There are many unwanted rumors which imbeciles have been making on their own such as that the King has any wives and concubines."

"It is wrong?" Elise questioned because she had heard it from Esther about it.

"No it isn't wrong... but incorrect," Orias didn't want Satan's image to look terrible to his only granddaughter. He had heard how most women like to be special and knew the most how loyal his master actually was compared to the told stories by other. "The King only seek for pleasure before meeting the Queen. But after he met Queen Ariel his heart only followed one single person who is the Queen until now. This is the Queen, milady. Angel Ariel Miracle."

At the same time Orias had spoken, the curtain that covered the wall drew itself on the right and left side after the demon servant pulled the golden rope which was hang beside the curtain. action

As the curtain was drawn, Elise was met with a tall and large painting. The painting was old enough to be called ancient and she could see the little cracks on the surface of the painting but she knew that there had been placed a magic over the painting to reserve it from any injuries.

The painting held three people. The first she noticed was her grandfather whom she had just seen earlier and a woman with the beautiful and long golden hair. Her round and large blue eyes stared at Satan lovingly while her hand hugging the small baby boy which was her father. Seeing the golden hair of Ariel, a flash of image came to Elise's mind.

'Who is this, papa?' Elise hear her own voice, in front of her was the small and round locket holding another small cut painting of the same woman which she saw now who she now could recognize to be her grandmother.

'It's your grandmother...' Elise only heard a little of her father's voice before it vanished.

"Now I remembered." At that time when she first met Lady Rachel, Lord Garfon's wife, she felt that the woman's golden hair reminded her of someone's hair. She now knew it was her grandmother's whom Lady Rachel reminded her. "I have seen her before."

Ian nodded while looking at the portrait. "She is an angel but why is her eyes blue?" He noticed the oddity the woman and knew from where Elise had acquired her beautiful blue eyes from.

"That remains as a question to us too, it is said because the Queen had a blood of a human and some says she was made by God the way she is," Orias answered while looking at the Queen he respect as much as he respected the King, "I had once tried to ask her and she told me it was a secret."

"She seems like a playful woman," Ian noted and Elise agreed. Perhaps her grandmother was a very lively and free person. She could see it from how she let her hair scatters around her dress without making them too neatly like all other portraits even the smile she had was wide and unbridled as if she was enjoying her time during when she was painted.

"How is the relationship between my father and the King?" Elise then asked Orias as they both left the library.

"You are not going to bring the book with you?" Ian questioned as he knew Elise treasure all the little things about her family.

Elise shook her head, "I think my grandfather kept it there in respect of my grandmother." The entire house was lonely and silent, thought Elise. It was difficult to imagine living in such a big house alone with the single company of Orias. Doesn't her grandfather felt lonely?

Orias replied to her previous question, "I would say that they are estranged from each other. The King might not look like it but as his loyal retrained I can vouch of his love for the prince but he is an awkward person as much as the princes was. They both shared a rather odd dynamics. Some times there are time when they would be together peacefully but also most of the time they would have a little quarrel. It's not a big quarrel just small until years ago when the prince left his responsibilities as a prince. The king was very enraged."

"Do you know about anything that caused my father to kill a demon?"

"Well, I don't, milady, I only know a few things by following his majesty. As I stood beside him, there is only to little things that I know and all I know is that the King didn't look into the incident as it had been clear," answered Orias and Ian crooked his brows at his naive look.

"What do you mean by clear?" Ian questioned as they left the library. Opening the door, they arrived in a different room where old chairs and cupboards were placed and continue to move into the next room.

"That very same day, the high Demon Baltadoure had came and witness the moment Prince Asmodeus killed the late demon Vallac."

"Why do they believe Baltadoure only by words?" Elise asked, "Was there no investigation?"

"Investigation isn't a practice learned in Hell, however, we believe Demon Baltadoure not for that reason. It is because Baltadoure had the same exact restrain as Archangel Gabriel. He cannot say lie," answered Orias, until they stopped in one room where there was a large maroon curtain covering one wall.

Instead of going toward the door, Orias said, "We are here! Finally."

"The exit is there?" Elise questioned because they were walking to the wall instead of the door.

"Yes, milady," Orias rolled on side of the curtain, showing the large and clear mirror. Elise looked at the mirror in surprise as she could see nothing of her own reflection. "This is Hellie Mirror. The Mirror which would lead the person who enter toward their destination. I reckon this is the best way for you two to come home."

"Your King does chased us," Ian said with a roll of his eyes. "How does this work?"

"It is simple. You would only need to enter like any other door," explained Orias before he pushed his hand toward the glass. His fingers didn't hit any hard substance of the glass and instead it went inside as if he was pushing his fingers toward the clear surface of a river. "The King often access to many places using this place. As the magic of this mirror can only be used by those who are allowed to and some others, I would be the one casting the magic. It is to the White Mansion, isn't it?"

"This mirror can lead to anywhere?" Elise asked again for the servant to nod and she hummed on her own as an idea struck to her mind.

"Prince Levi always bring a small part of the mirror to move around," added Orias in information, "Anytime you are ready, you can enter at once."