Next day arriving, Elise met Vella who had prepared herself to leave the castle. It was still early in the morning where the hazy fog of the morning coming over. The snow had grown thicker where Elise felt her boots sinking in but not enough to slow her movements.

"Take care," said Elise to Vella who was holding a trunk on her hands. Separation was never easy, she thought.

Vella took her hand, squeezing warmly and a small smile appeared on her face when she stared at Elise's face, "I am sorry. I know I tried to talk to Carmen, but I should have reported it before to Maroon, and perhaps we might be able to avoid things or getting your harmed. But I was afraid. If only-"

Elise put a hand on Vella's shoulder, stopping her and she shook her head. 'If' was a dangerous word, and a terrible one. When one indulge to if, they would gradually think and wish to turn time, "What has passed have pass we can't change anything it's irrevocable," she whispered, oddly enough Elise felt someone had spoke the same words to her. 

"You're right," Vella looked at her, "We even thought about Christmas," she sighed as if to fight the sadness she thought inside her mind. "I will go now, thank you for everything, Elly, really."

"Where will you be going now?" asked Elise. To search for work now wouldn't be easy especially with the past Vella had, she could tell it wouldn't be easy.

"My hometown, I think I would rest there, took a break before thinking about the future," Vella drawled with her eyes looking to see a carriage had came for her, "I will go now," she hesitated before adding, "I hope we would meet again." Elise appreciated her words. Vella didn't blame her and this meant a lot for her.

She continued to watch Vella leave while Ian watched her from the window of the castle. "The death must not be easy for the lass," came Beelzebub's voice behind him.

Ian only turned his head, no words came before he walked down the hallway, "No death is easy. You will have to get numb over it."

In the afternoon, Elise left the castle. She sat inside the carriage, thinking that it had been long since she ride one as she had fly around with Ian. Her eyes continued to look at Ian who quirked a smile when meeting her eyes, "Want to sit here?" his hand patted his laps and quickly Elise refused by shaking her head.

"Is Maroon a Demon?" asked Elise, getting to the question she thought last night. The butler's eyes flickered to red, unlike Ian who never hide his eye color, making this part of him to be mysterious as he wasn't a vampire, Maroon kept his eyes gray and she wondered why. "I saw his eye color turn to red."

"Maroon is fulfilling a promise he made hundreds of years ago, I remember it was four hundred years ago when he was still a human," Ian crossed his legs, his eyes continue to watch her that made her feel as if his entire focus was nowhere but her.

Elise pulled her brows faintly, "When he was still a human? Could a human turn to a Demon?" Elise had a faint thought that before in the past Ian was not a Demon. She wondered if a human could turn to Demon and Maroon's situation sounds like a clue.

Ian knew where this were going to go, "Depends," he said and she tilted her head to her shoulder. "Maroon isn't a genuine Demon. About sixty-five percent of his body is demon while the rest is human."

Elise at this point felt like the percentage matter, "How could that happen?" 

"I turned him to one," Ian stated coolly as if he hadn't done anything big, but Elise could tell that it was not easy or normal for anyone to turn others to Demon.

"How?" she asked.

Ian grinned at Elise's awed expression, and said, "He swore to become my servant that's all. There are types of Demons you see. In Hell we have rank. Some Demons are as some priests said settled to torture bad humans who did many sins when they were in mortal's world, while the rest held different responsibilities."

"Responsibility?" somewhere to Elise, Hell sounded like a place in mortal's world, not far different from what was happening in here and she doubt she was correct. 

Ian tipped his chin, crossing his arm with a wider smirk, "Being a Demon itself is their responsibility. Come here," Ian patted his laps again and this time he didn't ask her but a hint of order was in his voice, "Sit here."

"I can speak from here," she didn't think sitting there would be a good idea. Somewhere she had a feeling sitting there now wasn't a good choice for her to make.

"Elise," Ian called her name with his velvety voice that was hard for Elise to resist and say not to. Elise gingerly pushed herself from the chair, her hand first took his palm and before her body could stand straight inside the carriage, Ian pulled her waist and bring her close to him.

Elise felt her body pressed to Ian's back, "You can't never say no to me, can't you?" whispered Ian beside her ears, and her back curved when his breaths first touch her skin.

She pursed her lips, her eyes moving to see Ian from the corner of her eyes, she didn't reply but the answer was on her face. Instead of saying yes, Elise replied, "Can you say no to the person you love?" The words she said sounded brave but her voice didn't deliver it the way anyone thought she would.

Ian cant help but to chuckle, "Sweet Elise, always so good at tempting me, don't worry, I can't resist you either, so much that I can't have you sitting like a doll. I need you close to me, on places I can touch," as he spoke, Ian's hand traveled from her waist and upper, while another hand moved down from her waist.

"I'll go back-" started Elise only for her voice to be gone as she yelp when she felt Ian had took a bite on her shoulder.

"So quick to run and all you do is tempting me more, I feel like a predator every time you make a run from me you know." 

But she can't help it, thought Elise. When Ian's fingers were on her skin and the very presence of him was enough to shake her stable surface. It was easy for Elise to feel like she was about to faint when Ian put his advances on her. And Ian had never been the type of man who held back.

"Are you scared of me?" he asked and Elise quickly turned her head shaking it vigorously.

"I am— was embarrassed," she whispered, "This is my first time." To have someone to love, to touch, to share warmth, and someone who didn't let her to catch a breathe, making his way to the corner of her heart without patience. Elise doubted she would ever meet someone like Ian outside. 

Ian cracked a grin, his eyes turning cold but not murderous. Elise was so tasty and innocent that he really want to gobble her whole. Though, he wouldn't want to eat her to satisfy his hunger but something else utterly different.

"Glad to have your first time," he moved his hand low enough to settle under the curve of her breast with another between her legs. But he made enough distance not to go straight to touch her private places, "If I know this wasn't your first time, I might've killed the person who become your first."

Elise blinked at Ian. Somewhere their talk had double meaning that made her fingers squeeze. He was joking wasn't he? But then Elise saw that he was almost serious or perhaps completely serious. She tried to think but then Ian's thumb glide dangerously closer to the place between her leg and a gasp involuntarily escaped from her lips.

Trying not to put in mind of their situation which was impossible, Elise spoke, "Do every demons could turn humans to demons?"

It was fun to see Elise struggling on herself. Ian could tell she wasn't used to sexual activity and if she did, he would put a narrow mind on it. Not that Ian would reprimand her but he would put a thorough search on why she knew about it. As for now, Elise didn't seem to know anything not even the fact that she was turned on which was a sight of its own.

"There's an exception," replied Ian, "The ranking showed what some demons could do and what some cannot. As you know by now I'm not a normal Demon. I am a little outcast from many place, leading me to live here, remember? I am the exception," Ian told her, reminding of their talk in the dining room. 

It didn't seem to Elise like Ian would stop, his fingertips caressed her skin and she felt her stomach turning hot, she took a mouthful of breath when his fingers rubbing her thigh. "Can you turn everyone into a Demon?" she asked.

"A procedure had been made, I can turn them as my servant which turn them to Demons, but the result doesn't lie on me. It's whether the human themselves are able to withstand the transformation. And Maroon pulled it excellently," Ian pulled one corner of his smile wider as if he was recollecting the time.

"Was it painful?" asked Elise.

"More than painful," whispered Ian, "It was a hell-like, a very excruciating pain one could ever dream to receive. As if every bones in their body was twisted and broken. Only one out of a hundred person could do this. With the rest dying from madness of the pain."

Elise wondered why Maroon would do that. To turn himself to Demon despite the pain he had to endure.

Today will be one chapter because I'm sick >.< I plan to write two chapters for two days and one chapter for the next and repeat the cycle because I think my health will fail if I do more. Please the understanding. ^^