To His Hell and Back
Chapter 85: Dearly Beloved Pet You Say?

Chapter 85: Dearly Beloved Pet You Say?

Arabella was stunned.

A blond -haired vampiress all but leaped from the carriage, arms flung wide as if she had been waiting her whole life for this moment. In an instant, she collided against Cassius, attempting to pull him into an embrace, though her hands barely spanned the width of his shoulders.

She gazed up at him with starry eyes, her scent thick with flowers and vanilla—sweet, sickeningly so.

And Arabella was standing right behind him, watching the entire spectacle unfold.

Beside her, a black haired vampiress bore a resemblance to Princess Marissa, though not quite to Cassius. Then there was a man, his golden hair matching the girl’s, looking older than Cassius by four or five years.

The girl, Adele, tilted her head back, whining, "Hug me back, brother Cassius!"

Cassius did not move. For a moment, he merely looked at her, expression unreadable, before he slowly, deliberately, placed his hands on her shoulders and pushed her away. It wasn’t forceful, not quite, but the absence of warmth made it all the crueler.

His lips held the ghost of a smile, but his eyes had gone icy.

"You mistake me for someone sentimental," he said, his voice smooth but edged with ice. "Or perhaps time has dulled your memory. I don’t do embraces."

Adele pouted. "But you used to!"

Cassius let out a soft chuckle, though it was absent of mirth. "Yes, well. I also used to believe in bedtime stories, and look how that turned out. If you want me to hold something lifeless, try dying first."

Adele’s lips parted in stunned silence.

Beside her, the blonde haired man let out an amused scoff. "Still as vicious as ever," he mused. "I was beginning to wonder if age had softened you, Cassius."

Cassius’s gaze flicked to him, the smile vanishing from his face entirely.

"And you, Lucien. Back so soon? I was almost convinced I’d finally rid myself of you."

Lucien smirked, unfazed. "Missed me that much, Your Highness?"

Cassius’s expression didn’t shift, but the air around him seemed to chill. "I’d rather miss a limb," he said smoothly. "Or a plague. Or an infestation of rats, though I suspect I’ve already got that problem covered." His gaze flicked toward Adele before returning to Lucien with effortless disdain.

Arabella stiffened. She wasn’t sure what unsettled her more; how easily he dismantled them with words, or how effortlessly they played along.

Then the black haired vampiress stepped forward. Unlike Adele and Lucien, she didn’t hesitate as she reached for Cassius, fingertips grazing his cheek.

Cassius allowed it.

Arabella’s brows furrowed slightly. If he had barely tolerated Adele, why was he permitting this woman’s touch?

The woman smiled, her red eyes twinkling. "You’ve grown even more, my dear. You look more and more like your mother."

Something in Cassius shifted, so subtly that only someone watching him intently would notice. A muscle in his jaw tensed.

"Aunt Eve," he said, his lips curving into a nonchalant smile, though his voice was quieter. "How was the trip here?"

"Don’t ask." Aunt Eve rolled her eyes, dusting off her maroon dress. "Look at these two I had to bring with me to the castle. They grumble, they complain—that’s all they do."

Cassius chuckled, deep and amused, before offering his arm. "Then I suppose I owe you my condolences."

He guided her up the stairs with effortless politeness, the rest of the group moving to follow. Arabella hesitated but knew she had no choice but to trail after them.

She remained a step behind, hands clasped in front of her, near Renard.

The blue-haired vampire didn’t shoo her away, nor did he seem annoyed by her presence. Instead, his red eyes studied her, sharp and curious, as if assessing something unfamiliar.

"Hm." Renard made a soft noise.

Arabella glanced at him, lips pressing together. "What?"

"You do look like a bird," he remarked.

She raised a brow. "I don’t."

"You do. The Crown Prince would never be wrong."

She let out a sharp scoff, rolling her eyes. "So if tomorrow he declares that the color blue is red and red is blue, you’ll believe him?"

Renard tilted his head, running a hand through his blue hair. "Then my hair is red."

Arabella blinked.

He hadn’t said it as a joke. His voice was quiet, utterly sincere. As if Cassius’s words were a gospel, unquestionable.

Like a loyal dog to its master.

Her stomach twisted slightly.

One pet was a bird, unpaid. The other is a dog, paid in blood and loyalty.

And between the two of them, she was beginning to wonder which had it worse.

Up ahead, Cassius was smiling, genuinely, for once, as Aunt Eve patted his hand.

"I heard you succeeded in another war," she mused, her voice tinged with pride. "You are as sharp as your mother, Cas."

Arabella saw how Cassius seemed to enjoy the words, simply because that would make his father more uncomfortable.

He took the praise quicker than everyone else, "I suppose I have always lived according to her lessons, though at times I do wonder if she would truly feel happy seeing me now."

"Of course dear, of course, she would," Aunt Eve said happily.

Arabella understood that though there were so many people, they were both very sincere toward each other. Almost like a mother and son even which felt very odd... out of place.

Cassius doesn’t believe in affection, yet he allows this?

Aunt Eve was different from the rest, he hadn’t insulted her, hadn’t kept her at arm’s length like he did everyone else. There was something genuine in his regard for her, something that bordered on respect.

It was strange to witness.

Stranger still was the way Aunt Eve looked at him, her gaze softening, almost fond.

Arabella clenched her hands together, feeling something unfamiliar claw at her chest. Not jealousy, no— it wasn’t that. Truthfully she felt somewhat relieved to see that Cassius wasn’t truly alone. She can’t tell if this was as sincere as it looked but it did look very genuine. So she wasn’t upset but there’s an odd and weird stir in her heat. Like an ache, perhaps, at the realization that Cassius could allow warmth in his life, he just chose very carefully who received it.

And she wasn’t one of them and never will be.

The conversation between Cassius and Aunt Eve continued as they ascended the castle steps, his voice lighter than usual, his amusement genuine. He wasn’t playing a role here, wasn’t the cold prince or the cruel strategist. He was just Cassius.

Lucien and Adele trailed behind, Adele still pouting, Lucien smirking to himself as if entertained by everything.

Arabella forced her gaze away, swallowing the lump in her throat.

Adele who had looked at Renard noticed the human girl who had been trailing behind them. She didn’t care as much at first but noticing that the girl never stopped following them, she finally found this odd and spoke up.

"What’s that thing?"

Arabella froze mid-step.

Thing.

Adele’s voice was light, sweet even, but the words curled like a blade under the ribs.

"Step aside Renard! There is an odd creature following us," Adele stepped her blue heels down the marbled floor, reaching out her hand and Arabella who was behind Renard instinctively pushed herself deeper into the retainer’s broad back, hiding her body. One thing she regrets after doing that is how Renard is a loyal knight so if ordered by Adele, he would surely step away wouldn’t he...

But just then she saw how Renard stood still in the place, unmoved.

Then he strictly spoke to Adele, "She is the Crown Prince’s pet and no one should touch her unless His Majesty said so."

Adele’s crimson eyes pooled at Arabella. She was clearly studying the girl who had become Cassius’s pet. She frowned, wondering what was so interesting about this human girl, so much so that Cassius would even pay attention to her.

Brownish red hair, glowing green eyes like emerald, and a thin figure. She didn’t look too interesting but if Adele had to pick apart from the rest of the humans, the girl does have a different pull compared to the rest of her kin. She seemed more alive, a pull that even Adele could feel by looking at her face. It was odd but Adele refuse to say that the girl was pretty.

The only pretty thing about the human pet to the spoiled young lady was just her green eyes but that wasn’t something too boastful considering it would fall pale in comparison to her red ones.

She huffed, smiling after assessing Arabella who she had judged lesser than her.

Bella could tell that the young lady had just judged her appearance and was confident that she would look much better than her, thus the smile.

Adele placed her arms one over the other, smiling as she looked at Arabella, "Not so pretty isn’t she, Brother Cassius?"

Cassius was quiet as all eyes had fallen on Arabella. His expression was as cool as ever, unable to be read with ease and recalling his warning, she remained mute, more quiet than a little mouse.

The King and Aunt Eve had also began to look at her and under the overwhelming number of red eyes that were staring at her, Arabella felt a little daunted as she took a hesitant step backward. Their gazes were intense, as if demanding who this little human was for daring to stand in front of them so brazenly.

"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and it takes one to know a beauty, don’t you think?" Cassius answered, leaving his words hanging as he then turned toward Adele whose face had turned gloom a little with his slight jab. He then smirked, satisfied that she was upset, "And why are you so curious about what I posses, dear sister?"

His voice was lazy, almost amused, but there was an unmistakable sharpness beneath the surface, like an unhappy warning. He knew one way or another everyone would keep an eye on Arabella and it would be much better to put her somewhere near him than to linger in the castle all alone. But he wasn’t too happy that Adele had put an extra concern on Arabella.

Rather than her safety, there was a deeper annoyance that his favorite little birdie was a center of other’s fancy.

Adele pouted, rocking back on her heels. "I was just wondering," she mused, her tone airy, though her red eyes glinted with mischief. "You’ve never been one for... toys. I thought you only kept things that had use to you."

Cassius’s lips curved, but it wasn’t a smile, it was something colder, something crueler.

"Oh, but she is useful," he murmured, gaze flicking briefly to Arabella before returning to Adele. "More than you could comprehend."

Arabella stiffened, his words didn’t sound as insincere as the rest which made her feel conflicted.

Adele blinked, clearly dissatisfied with his answer, but before she could prod further, Aunt Eve let out a soft chuckle.

"Now, now, Adele," she chided, stepping forward and placing a gloved hand on the young vampiress’s shoulder. "Cassius has always had his reasons. I daresay if he’s chosen to keep this girl, then she must be more interesting than she appears."

The words were gentle, but there was something knowing in Aunt Eve’s gaze as she glanced at Cassius.

Adele huffed but relented, flicking her golden curls over her shoulder as if dismissing the entire matter. "Fine," she sighed. "I suppose it’s not my concern."

Lucien, who had been watching the exchange with quiet amusement, let out a low chuckle. "You truly do have a strange taste, Cassius. First books, now a pet." He tilted his head, eyes glinting. "Tell me, does she do tricks?"

Arabella bristled, thisagain. Were humans no different than animals so they could do a trick or two?

Cassius exhaled a slow, exaggerated breath as if Lucien had just bored him beyond belief. "Ah, Lucien," he mused, "it’s always fascinating how you insist on speaking, despite having nothing worth saying."

Lucien’s smirk didn’t falter, but there was a flicker of something in his gaze like annoyance, perhaps.

Arabella kept her posture rigid, refusing to shrink under the weight of their scrutiny. She knew better than to speak, but she still felt their gazes pressing against her, sizing her up, and judging.

"Then let us visit the lake!" Adele chirped in, smiling as she glanced briefly at Arabella with mischief. "It would be fun to see the swans His Highness have collected."

"Then let us do so," The King agreed, his tone was as stiff as ever, as if he was a wooden toy.

Arabella sighed as all eyes finally moved away from her. She felt heavy, like each steps were tied with a heavy boulder around her ankles. How she wished Cassius would quickly let her see Ariel, at least he still promised to allow her see her sister, so that was enough fuel for her to continue.

Arabella forced her gaze away, swallowing the lump in her throat.

And then, just as they reached the entrance of the grand hall, Cassius’s voice, smooth and deliberate, cut through the air.

"Arabella."

She stiffened and slowly, she turned, finding those crimson eyes already on her. He had called her name but why? It was as if he was trying to soothe the storm inside her heart, the sense of uncomfortableness and unease, like he knew she felt so and wanted to remind her that things would go well because she’s his pet. Not that she was happy about it but it does give her a sense of security.

"Don’t lag behind," he murmured, tilting his head, his expression unreadable. "Or do you intend to make a habit of it, little birdie?"

It was a simple comment, but something about the way he said it, the way his gaze held hers, made her pulse jump. Renard chuckled beside her, low and knowing.

Arabella inhaled sharply and stepped forward, closer to Cassius, closer to where he could see her.

A satisfied smirk tugged at his lips.

And with that, he turned, leading them further inside. The lake they had come to visit lay deep within the castle’s sprawling grounds, nestled in a secluded part of the estate that few ever ventured to. It was a vast, mirror like expanse, its surface reflecting the pale light of the overcast sky, bordered by ancient trees that whispered as the wind danced through their leaves. The air was crisp, carrying the faint scent of damp earth and pine, a stark contrast to the suffocating grandeur of the palace.

Fortunately, the lake’s location was even closer to the forest than Arabella had anticipated. Her heart quickened at the sight of the towering trees standing just beyond the water’s edge, their darkened silhouettes a silent promise of escape. The heavy thoughts that had weighed upon her all morning—the suffocating fear, the helplessness of being trapped—began to unravel. Just beyond that line of trees lay the possibility of freedom.

She clenched her fists, forcing herself to appear indifferent, but her mind raced with the possibilities. The entrance to the forest wasn’t too far. If she could slip away unnoticed, she might just have a chance.

Her eyes were locked at the forest as if she had found a ticket to run away, leave everything behind and start anew...

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