To His Hell and Back
Chapter 96: Befitting Punishment

Chapter 96: Befitting Punishment

Arabella couldn’t understand what’s happening but she knew from how Cassius looked- that enraged expression- that someone was going to be in Hell soon. The hell that he would create for them. She wondered where they were going but upon hearing Adele’s name, her fingers trembled which Cassius noticed.

He paid a light attention to it before rushing to the bedroom where Adele was, holding a new gown in her hands while she looked at the large mirror in front of her, one feet of hers were stepping over a maid’s back. Upon seeing Cassius she had smiled wide, but her eyes fell to Arabella who was still alive and that happiness was gone as short lived as it is.

She didn’t recognize the anger on Cassius face as she was more focused on Arabella’s heartbeat that was still beating. But how? She had walked slowly, making sure almost half an hour had passed before Cassius had found her. Humans should have died for being drowned for so long, right?

Then why is she- this lowly human- still alive and kicking?

"Brother Cas- AAHH!"

Her voice rang out as Cassius who had entered her room had placed Arabella on the empty chair, looking at her green eyes intently with a quiet frown. He then pushed her reddish brown hair that had covered her forehead, as if to make sure that her green eyes could see everything clearly. While staring at her eyes, he ordered, "Watch carefully."

"What are you doing brother?!" Adele stomped her feet to the ground, "Don’t put her on my chair! I have to throw it away because of that filth-"

"The only filthy thing here is you," Cassius spoke up and in an instant, he had cut the distance between him and his cousin. The light stroll he took allowed him to reach to her and in an instant, his neck shoot forward. He grabbed her neck, his fingernails turning sharper and thicker, black on its edges and red as it reached to his fingers. His crimson eyes turned brighter while the half moon birthmark on his neck had beat in an oddly dark monotonous tune of doom.

Adele was immediately choked. Her fingers trying to pry away Cassius’s fingers to no avail. She knew that it was impossible to ever fight against Cassius, not him who had always fought in battlefield waging death. Her legs shook and so was her arms around her. What feared her more was not only the powerful hands that had choked her but the fact that Cassius’s eyes showed no hesitation.

Tears welled up as she yelled, "Hel- Help! Are you going to kill me brother?! I’m I- I’m your sister!"

"Cousin," Cassius fixed her mistake, "And yes, I’m about to kill you. Haven’t aunt Eve taught you how much I despise someone touching what I care as my own? You know that Adele. You forgot what had happened the last time you tried to break my golden cage out of some petty anger. I didn’t kill you back then but now I will."

His tone was simply too cold. Too cold to be true and Adele’s face completely drained from color as she wailed and yelled. Lucien had came but he had yelled for his mother, knowing well that even if he stopped Cassius, he would be the next target.

Upon seeing the fight that had broke apart, Aunt Eve rushed to him, placing her hand on his fingers, "Stop- Stop this Cas! She’s done wrong but she would rectify it."

"Oh dear," Cassius’s grappled Adele’s neck even tighter, "You know Adele can’t change or fix her petty attitude. Once is a mistake but twice is not. Not only is she daring to touch what’s mine but you’re going to challenge my authority aren’t you?"

Palling, Adele realized that to Cassius her action was no less than a challenge. But that wasn’t her plan! She was simply annoyed that some filthy human could be beside Cassius all the time when she couldn’t! What she wanted was to get rid of Arabella for good- the human who isn’t as important as her yet to Cassius her action was no less than testing his patience, testing to see if he really has authority above her- something she knew he despised to his marrows.

"I’m sorr-"

Cassius didn’t allow her to speak any longer but aunt Eve had stopped him with all her might, "All this- all this for that human pet?!"

Lady Genevieve didn’t want to shout nor expose the extreme mercy he had shown to the human girl, so much so that he would kill his own cousin for the human. But in face of her daughter’s safety, she had to do what needed to be done.

Cassius looked back at her, his crimson eyes locked on his aunt, "Nothing should touch what I deem is mine, Duchess Genevieve." And his aunt gulped. "And to let someone— even my family members— to cross the line without receiving any punishment is no less foolish than declaring to people that they could overstep my rule. She overstepped and now she will pay for it."

Aunt eve’s heart sunk. Though her beloved nephew, he is still the crown prince and Adele is a foolish girl who couldn’t discern that all the kindness Cassius had shown her was nothing but a mere pleasantry extended to family members. He would never let anyone touches what’s his, precisely as he had once lost too many things he had treasured so deeply. His obsession knows no bounds when he got attached to his favorite toy and this time it wasn’t a lifeless toy or a bird pet, it’s a human.

She clicked her tongue, angered by her daughter’s mistake but Adele is still her daughter, her one and only and beloved one. So she had bowed to Cassius, begging for mercy, "Please your highness. I shall not ask for your complete mercy. I am aware that— if your punishment is not delivered someone will copy what Adele had done but death, death is too heavy of a punishment. Please reconsider this for your aunt’s sake." She knew she was playing dirty but only this way could she appease his anger.

Cassius looked at his aunt and then turned to Arabella. The girl was shocked. Shocked. Speechless. Dumbfounded. Every words you could associate with the startle she had felt. Cassius was enraged— no, he even showed her what he would do to the people who had hurt her.

Despite all the words he said— despite his declaration that he’s doing this for his own sake.

His anger didn’t felt directed because he was offended. His anger was directed because he had seen her on verge of death.

The girl was too stunned to speak, watching everything in a daze that she couldn’t even worry for Adele’s fate.

"Fine," Cassius said and while aunt Eve and Lucien breathed out in relief, they were shocked as they saw the next second Cassius’s hands had reached forward, opening Adele’s jaw wide before entering his finger to hold to her fangs. "We can simply change the method of the punishment. Not death but something that will forever be etched to Adele’s mind and to everyone who sees this to be reminded what happened to those who dare to put their desires over my words—my demands."