The Demon Lord's Bride (BL)
Chapter 544: With different enemies, comes different approach

Chapter 544: With different enemies, comes different approach

Instead of going out, we went even deeper inside the dungeon. This time, I didn’t even need to deliberately make my face look serious and menacing. Aside from how angry I was at Angwi’s story, the deeper floor was also more eerie.

The black stone of the wall felt colder, and the sconces let out a faint blue light that might be mistaken as drifting souls. Our footsteps echoed loudly through the narrow stairs and hallway, drowning my increasing heartbeat.

After going through corridors that felt as if it was modeled after a haunted house, we reached a metal door with more lock formations than the most secured bank. The formations weren’t just in the door, but also the walls, ceiling, and floor, making it a huge vault.

In that room, even if someone were to die, their soul would get trapped there instead of swimming into the world of nothingness.

Four guards activated four formations on the wall, and a small, circular hatch opened in the middle of the door. Angwi, who was holding Natha’s key, placed it inside the hatch. With a hissing sound and blue glow, the locking formations on the door activated and the metal frame slid to the side for an inch.

I counted, and it took twenty-seven seconds for the whole contraption to work.

The guards pulled the heavy-looking metal door to the side, allowing a path to the chamber.

That was where my ’Iron Maiden’ lay suspended.

It was tied with several chains, hanging from the ceiling. The thorns were still there, inside and out, and the cocoon wriggled with the sound of painful cries and furious wrath spilling out.

I looked at Natha while we were standing in front of it. "Are you sure it’ll be fine?"

"Yes, the isolation chamber is intact," Natha looked around to check on the arrays littered the chamber.

I didn’t know much about Spectre, but from what I understand, Spectri could ’disintegrate’ and ’reintegrate’ themselves--which meant they could turn into a wisp of smoke if they wanted to. That was why they wore masks; it was hard to make one’s face fully intact when they kept destroying it.

Hmm...let’s keep that mask on in that case.

Anyway, that was why we needed to seal the place well so this piece of shit couldn’t get away like that night when Natha hunted them down.

"We’re ready, my Lord."

Caba and Haikal, along with two Castle’s magicians, held mana-restraining chains and shackles in their hands. They positioned themselves around the thorny cocoon and nodded at me.

"Aight," I stretch out my hands toward the wriggling cocoon. "Here I go."

My mana swirled and the vines forming the cocoon slowly unraveled. I hastened the step before the Spectre could realize the prison was breaking, and set the cocoon loose all at once. The mask stirred, but right at that second, the chains were thrown and the shackles were put in place on their wriggling limbs and below the mask.

The restraint, sealing their mana, forced the Spectre to return to the cloaked figure I saw that night--although the cloak was already tattered at this point.

"Aaargh!" a sound of scream and groan came out behind the mask, and I could feel the glare of the glowing eyes.

What? Should I be scared of someone I defeated when I was low on magic?

"That’s them? The one who took you?" I asked Angwi, and she nodded with hardened eyes and trembling lips. I imagined it was out of anger rather than fear. "Alright, do whatever you want to them," I snapped my finger and passed on my authority. "Hit them, play with them, make them dance...it’s up to you."

"You lowly beings dare to--mpph!"

Natha did not bother to let the Spectre finish their words. He held some kind of controller that activated the shackle on the Spectre’s neck. It expanded and created a mask--or should I say muzzle?--that covered the Spectre’a already masked mouth.

"You can use it to close their mouth like this too," he said, waving the controller.

"Wow!" I clapped enthusiastically, grinning at the glaring eyes. They weren’t really visible with the mask anyway.

"Here," Natha put the controller in my hand, and I gave it to Angwi. "The control is yours, Angwi."

She stared at the control blankly for a few seconds before clutching it tightly. From the gleam in her eyes, I could only imagine what kind of things she would do with this control. But that fun was for Angwi to discover.

Still, I didn’t want her mind to only be occupied by that revenge, because Angwi was much, much more than that. She was much much more than that Spectre.

"I you get bored seeing that cringy mask, come to the Lord’s Quarter, okay? Let’s have some tea together," I held her hands and looked into her eyes. "Oh! Let’s visit Shwa too! Okay?"

She bowed politely, but I could see her biting her lips before her face disappeared. I hugged her tight, and over her shoulder, I glared at the Spectre. "If you hurt her again, I’ll boil you slowly in my Salamander’s magma pool, do you hear me?" I hissed before pulling back. "Oh, but you can do that too if you want, Angwi. I’ll let Ignis know."

This time, I could her smile again.

"See you around, yeah?"

Still with her soft little smile, she stroked my head like the Angwi I always knew. Yes; I was sure she wasn’t just her revenge.

* * *

"Haa..."

At the bright sky and the sunshine, a long sigh escaped my slightly trembling lips.

"Are you okay?"

At Natha’s concerned inquiry, I shook my head and raised my arms. "I need a cuddle."

Natha chuckled and proceeded to carry me through the garden. I laid my head on his shoulder and let out another sigh. Carrying punishment to those who deserve it was fine, but it was frustrating how much people could do to bring others misery, and it tired me out.

I mean, I wouldn’t go as far as telling others to live unblemished lives, but...could they at least have some respect for other’s lives?

"I knew Angwi must have a story, but...haa..." another sigh left my lips. "I guess, the scar must be running deep if she still refused to talk even now."

"At the start, she couldn’t even smile," Natha said. "She is resilient, and she used the trick she had to learn as a performer to get stronger, turning it into a killing art."

Ah, I never saw Angwi in action, but I knew she was strong. To think someone who only knew how to sing and dance became that strong...

"Still, she probably hates the crowd even more than Aunt Nezja."

I raised my head and looked at him with widened eyes of realization. "Was that why you put her in the Lair?"

And...was that why the servants, who were directly under her, were all golems? It wasn’t only to make it easier to command them without words...

"In the first place, I never planned to make her my people," Natha shook his head slightly. "I offered her freedom, but she said she would die with that freedom."

"Oh..."

My grip tightened up on Natha’s shoulder as my heart ached.

"She needed a goal, even if it was revenge," Natha continued. "So I told her to get stronger and placed her to take care of the Lair while we were tracking down the Spectri."

Ah!

"But I guess...having her take care of you is a good decision," Nuthe chuckled and squeezed my cheek suddenly.

"Why?"

He smiled and turned the squeeze into a soft caress. "Because she had smiled more times when she was with you than in the past few decades since her ’freedom’."

What kind of expression should I have in the face of this information? Happy? Sad? I buried my face in his neck again while he turned to the path leading to the greenhouse.

"She’s strong," I whispered.

"Yes, she is," Natha patted my back. "Don’t worry, she’ll get through this one and come out even stronger."

"Yeah," I gripped his shoulder tightly as I recalled that arrogant mask again. "I’ve beaten that Spectre to my heart’s content that night, so Angwi should vent all she wants."

Natha laughed and suddenly, I recalled witnessing Natha giving something else to Angwi earlier, before we left the Spectre’s chamber. "Is that why you also give her potions?"

"They also used to give her potions just so she couldn’t die and kept being their toy," Natha said coldly. "It’s only right that they experience it too."

"Ugh--it makes me mad just thinking about it!"

He chuckled and patted my head to calm me down, even though I knew how much rage he had in his heart. I knew he must have wanted to deal with them himself, to wreck them with his own hand. But he let me and Angwi did it, and it just made me fall even deeper in love.

"I’m glad if it helps Angwi get her justice," I smiled and sighed again--this time in relief. "But, Nat..."

"Mm?"

"Will she be alright after?"

He tilted his head. "What do you mean?"

"I mean...you said her goal is revenge, and that’s what made her cling to her life," I spoke with drumming heart and rising anxiety. "So...what will happen after the revenge?"

"Are you worried she’ll lose her purpose and end her life?" he asked, and I nodded cautiously. "That might happen if it were ten years ago."

Huh?

"But like I said, she’s been smiling more often," he brushed my fringe and stroked my cheek with his thumb. "She looks more alive than ever these days; I’ve never seen her happier than when she prepared your wedding ceremony."

"R-really?"

"I think, the way she is now, she won’t feel empty even after her revenge is over," Natha glanced in the direction of the greenhouse--no, the forest. "At least, she’ll want to see Shwa, don’t you think?"

I gasped. "That’s right!" giggles left my lips. I should bring her to see Shwa often while she was here. "Oh, I want to see Shwa again..."

"Aright,"

My eyes widened at how easily he agreed, even though we only visited yesterday. "Really?"

"You deserve a reward," he shrugged.

"Hehe," I giggled and kissed his cheek joyfully. "With this, is it over?"

"No."

"No?"

"We still have that incubus to take care of."

Ah...