To His Hell and Back
Chapter 232: Symphony of Sorrow-I

Chapter 232: Symphony of Sorrow-I

When morning arrives, Arabella who had made up her mind to visit the dungeon today, couldn’t wait to see her friend, Donna. She wanted to bring Donna out of the dungeon but Cassius had suggested the opposite. As giving one person to leave the castle would cause jealousy to erupt and chaos, he suggested to bring Donna out of the castle for good, so she could escape.

She suggested to ask Iliza but Cassius disagreed with it, not only because he didn’t like her but also the fact that Iliza now stick to Minister Rueben like a glue.

Renard chided, "I have also seen that human standing beside Lord Lucien. Lady Genevieve was unhappy about it, she said no more human’s company is needed as she had have enough of the mess it would bring."

Arabella felt herself pricked by Lady Genevieve’s words, knowing that the lady had meant to talk about her.

"Why was she with Lucien?" Arabella asked as Renard and her made their way to the dungeon. Today the one to lead her to the dungeon would be Renard who is Cassius’s most loyal aide.

"It won’t sounds good," Renard said with a sigh, "But from what I have heard it seems that Lucien had slept with Iliza and was favored. But Lucien is quite fickle and usually all the things he likes would ended up in a terrible fate."

Arabella sighed, she thought of telling Iliza not to mess with the royals but even if she did warn her friend not to do so, unless Iliza listened to her, nothing could be done.

Lucien... he’s a dangerous man. One who also covet the throne though he knew he couldn’t do it so openly as Cassius was far stronger, whether in authority, support, or raw prowess. But that doesn’t mean he’s incapable of betraying Cassius when chances arose and when the crown gets too close to his sticky fingers.

She wondered if this was a ruse.

Minister Rueben is nothing less than Queen Morgana’s working bee.

That working bee had taken Iliza in despite his hatred towards humans, as if he had taken Iliza in so she could do his dirty works. Iliza herself had been so distraught the last time they met and she could tell how she wouldn’t refuse an opportunity.

But wouldn’t Iliza stop whatever agreement she had made with Minister Rueben if she finds out that the human hunt wouldn’t be about murdering humans anymore?

Arabella sighed while Renard eyed her sharply with his red eyes.

"You know," Renard started and when their eyes met, the blue haired vampire smiled, the corner of his lips pulled to show his sharp gleaming white fang, "It’s foolish to believe in someone’s goodness."

She looked at him, surprised, "You think that me trusting in what Iliza could be is foolish?"

"Yes," Renard answered in such a statement without a hint of regret but then he hummed and added, "Oh I don’t mean to be rude but I think we think it differently. Not because you’re a human and I’m a vampire but rather due to our occupation."

Arabella had wondered why Renard’s tone had never felt so offensive despite his sharp words and now she came to understand that that was just Renard is as a person, someone who would say what he thought unfiltered even if it could dug his grave.

Renard continued, "There are vampires who will believe in someone, over and over again, until the moment they die. So I don’t think naïveté is something unique to humans. But I understand why you believed in her. You thought she was a friend. Still... the truth is, you two weren’t friends because you wanted to be. You bonded because you saw yourself in her. Someone who had suffered like you. And in that shared suffering, you mistook empathy for loyalty."

Arabella fell silent, his words settling like a stone in her chest. She thought of Iliza, her bitterness, her barbed words, the way she’d lashed out so often. Under normal circumstances, Arabella wouldn’t have chosen someone like her to be a friend. But they had both suffered under the cruelty of vampires. And that pain... it made her make excuses. It made her want to believe Iliza was different.

But that had been foolish.

Renard wasn’t wrong. In fact, he was so right it stung. It put things into a clarity she hadn’t wanted to face until now.

"Besides, she could turn bad due to circumstances but how could that be your problem? She chose her own action and you owe her nothing. Though if you still feel bad, you could warn her, but I warn you not to do more," Renard paused and added, "Because I had once done more only to be stabbed over here," he pointed to his left hip, "Still hurt that I even have nightmares of it decades after that."

She smiled back at Renard, sincerely nodding to his words, "You’re right. I have always believed that it is my responsibility to care for her as she is the same age as Ariel. But a moment of hesitation causes more loss than good."

"Yes!" Renard snapped his finger and at that time they had reached the dungeon’s door.

The two guards had looked down, never once daring to look at her and only then she did notice that though these guards had always been so haughty and rude, or at times outright violent, they would only show their true color when it was to people they deem weaker than them. But when it’s someone like Renard, they would do anything to turn tame so they wouldn’t face punishment.

She ignored the guards and walked inside when she caught sight of a face that startled her.

"Oh," Hans said with a surprised look on his face when he saw Arabella. He then schooled himself and turned his gaze at Renard, pretending that his earlier startle was due to seeing him and not her. "Sir Renard, I am the captain guard of the fourth troops. I have been a big admirer of your swordsmanship."

"Captain guard of the fourth troops?" Renard repeated, "I have heard a lot of good things about you as well, nice to meet you, oh I didn’t catch your name?"

"Hans," said Hans with a smile, "Hans Monet."