To His Hell and Back
Chapter 75: Uncomfortable Tea Time-II

Chapter 75: Uncomfortable Tea Time-II

As they walked through the castle halls, Arabella couldn’t shake the feeling that this was more than just an invitation for tea. Queen Morgana never acted without purpose. Their last conversation still lingered in her mind, the veiled promises, the carefully placed temptations.

What did she truly want this time?

And more importantly... what would she do if Arabella refused?

Her thoughts were briefly paused when they had arrived at a room. The smell of vanilla immediately greeted her. The scent was far too strong, as if to mask the bloody and rusty scent of blood that had once sunk into the walls of the room.

Arabella’s stomach twisted. The sweetness of vanilla was cloying, too deliberate, an attempt to conceal something far more sinister. It didn’t take much imagination to know what had once tainted these walls. How many had sat in this very room, sipping tea with Queen Morgana, only to meet a fate they never expected? The thought made her regret stepping from Cassius’s room.

Princess Marissa stepped aside, gesturing for her to enter. Arabella hesitated for just a fraction of a second before composing herself and stepping inside.

Queen Morgana sat gracefully at the head of the table, a serene smile gracing her lips as she poured tea into delicate porcelain cups. She looked up as Arabella entered, her expression warm... too warm.

"My dear, I was beginning to think you wouldn’t come," the queen said sweetly, motioning to the chair across from her. "Please, sit. I had the tea specially prepared for you."

Arabella swallowed her unease and lowered herself onto the chair, keeping her posture straight, her guard high.

She slowly turned to Princess Marissa, who had sat beside her, picking the teacup that was actually filled with tea, unlike Queen Morgana’s, which was blood. This small gesture made Arabella certain that the Princess had chosen to drink human’s tea so she wouldn’t creep her out.

"How have you been, girl?" Queen Morgana pointed, her eyes staring at her like she was a prey that had to be squashed down under her feet.

Arabella was already used to the deadly gaze of vampires. She managed to retain her coolness as she answered the Queen in a deliberate politeness, "I have been well."

"Well, oh, that is a word that could hardly be said by someone in your position," Queen Morgana remarked with a chuckle. "Cassius really does take care of you well. My sweet step son."

Bella felt the itch hearing the words Queen Morgana said for how fake it was. She turned to peek at Princess Marissa, who hadn’t said a word. Why was she here too, by the way?

"Cassius, you see, is very fickle. I was worried," Queen Morgana said as she rubbed her stomach, "But he had never failed on a mission. Yet this time, I heard that he didn’t manage to find the person behind the selling of that odd potion. Ah- the one they said could turn vampires into mindless, hungry monsters."

Bella could feel her gaze pooling on her as she pointedly spoke, "All because last night he had come with his human pet instead of coming there alone like he always does. You change him, dear."

Change... who? Cassius?

That Cassius who wouldn’t even change even if hell froze over?

That’s impossible, she thought in her head with a faint smile. It seems that Queen Morgana really didn’t understand Cassius too well.

Queen Morgana leaned in slightly, her brownish red eyes gleaming with amusement as she studied Arabella. "Cassius has always been ruthless when it comes to completing his tasks. Unrelenting. And yet... this time, he was distracted... to protect you?"

Arabella kept her grip firm on the top of her dress, refusing to let her expression betray her. "You must be mistaken, Your Majesty. His Highness was extremely aware of his actions. He wouldn’t pay attention to my presence. I am a mere pet, I doubt that there is any reason for him to ever be distracted by caring for my safety."

Morgana hummed, stirring her tea with slow, deliberate motions. "Oh, but that’s where you’re mistaken, dear. A woman can be a man’s greatest downfall. A single weakness can crumble even the most unshakable of warriors." She tilted her head. "And Cassius, my dear, has never allowed himself such luxuries... until now."

Arabella’s pulse quickened, but she refused to look away.

The queen let the silence stretch, savoring the moment. Then, she smiled sweetly. "Tell me, dear... how much do you think Cassius would sacrifice for you?"

Arabella knew this was a trap. A test. If she admitted he cared, it would be used against him. If she denied it, Morgana would only press harder. She chose her words carefully. "That would never happen."

She shouldn’t protect him.

But she didn’t feel comfortable with Queen Morgana using her as his weakness, either.

"His Highness would be at ease even if he watches as I catch on fire."

"Oh, why are you so sure about that?" Morgana exhaled in amusement, watching her reaction like a cat playing with a cornered mouse. "Besides, Cassius is-"

Before Arabella could respond, Princess Marissa gently placed her teacup down, the soft clink cutting through the tension like a blade.

"Your Majesty," Marissa interjected with a practiced smile, her tone light, but her smile was rather bleak and grim. "You seem quite fixated on my brother today. Are you worried about him?"

Morgana’s gaze flickered to her stepdaughter, just for a second, assessing.

Marissa tilted her head, feigning curiosity. "Cassius is hardly the sentimental type. Surely, you’re not suggesting that a mere human could change him?" Then, with deliberate ease, she gestured toward Arabella’s wounds. "Look at her, covered in injuries. From what I see, it seems my brother used her as a decoy in his mission. Typical of him, wouldn’t you say?"

Arabella stiffened, caught off guard by the unexpected shift. But as Marissa’s sharp gaze met hers but somehow, Bella felt as if she had just seen a glimpse of something. Of a bond. A sibling bond.

"Don’t be afraid to tell the truth," Marissa continued smoothly. "Didn’t he use you?"

It was a question designed to incriminate Cassius. Yet... something in Marissa’s voice told a different story. She could tell Marissa was leading Morgana’s suspicions elsewhere, painting Cassius as the same ruthless, calculating figure he had always been. An image that was easier, safer, and unquestionable.

Morgana’s fingers traced the rim of her teacup before she finally smiled, slow and knowing. "Of course not. That would be foolish, wouldn’t it?"

But Arabella didn’t miss the way the queen’s gaze lingered on her, longer than necessary, sharper than before. As if she had just confirmed something she suspected all along.