Ian was used to the unwelcoming gaze of others as he was always seen as a hot monster with a shrewd mind. For the past years, he hadn't been killing people as much as he did in the old times which why the gaze felt rather refreshing than when he visited soirées or parties where people wish to be on his good side.

But the gazes today wasn't directed to him but Elise. He turned his head to his bride, watching how her eyes were not in fear but distant while watching the villager. "Tell me, Elise sweetheart, have you seen all these people's faces?"

Elise took in the faces of the villagers that crowded near them. She saw Mrs. Welly standing with some other women and men who she knew. She noted that they have gotten older and some seemed to have a grandchild. "Yes, I know them... well."

"Doesn't seem like a good 'well' I hear now." she turned her eyes at Ian, watching how he smiled and the evilness that lurks wanting to take place. 

"It was a long story, but they don't like me." She remembered the day when some of the adults threw her with stones. The look on their faces didn't change, thought Elise. But then not all people change for the good and sometimes they don't change at all.

"I could clearly see that," he answered, "We should offer them an invitation soon."

Elise raised her brows, "Invitation?"

Ian put one hand bellow his lips, his eyes taking how many people were near them now, "My scaffolds have been getting lonely since last time. As the Warine's Lord, it's not right for no one to die when our year is about to close. What do you think?"

Elise saw how there were babies with the rest of the villagers and shook her head. It might be the fault of the adults, and although Elise felt angry with the unfair treatment they gave her when she was young, she didn't want to become like them— people who abuse children that barely know their surroundings. 

It was then when one woman stepped forward. The other villager made way for the older woman to step forward. From her appearance, she looked like a lady in her fifties. A few streaks of white hair covered the top of her head. "What are you doing here?! I demand you to tell me your name, lady."

"What a treat," Ian rolled his eyes for the old lady to glare at him.

The old lady gave him a pointed look, "This question goes for you too, sir. Our village, Saltige does not allow any tourists to come without our magistrate's permission. Especially for a red-eyed man like you as we don't take well mythical being's appearance here or a blood-sucking monster."

"Fair enough," Ian raised his hand, his nonchalant tone brought another wrinkle of frown on the old lady's forehead. "I assume that this magistrate is living in that very good-looking house?"

The old lady couldn't get the audacity Ian had where he had no respect for an elder woman like her. "Yes."

"Now if you don't allow me to enter, what's the hold up for my bride here?" Seeing how they treated Ian, Elise was now sure that the villagers didn't know Ian as the Lord of Warine. After taking the old lady's features, Elise recalled who she was. The woman was one of the women who didn't hurt her, but she was open with her hate and disgust for her red hair.

The elder woman looked uncomfortable when looking at her and a deep hatred swirled inside the woman's eyes that Ian could tell well. For once in the past, Ian had been subjected to the same state which why he could tell, "She reminds us of someone— of a person who is not supposed to be in this world, which why we need your names before entering here."

Elise raised her brows slightly, wondering what the woman meant that she wasn't supposed to be in this world. Did she mean she had died? Was that what her aunt told everyone in the village?

"I guess adding years in one's age doesn't make them wise," chimed Ian, "If you want my name introduce yourself and bring the magistrate. I don't see why I should tell you my name when you are not the ruler of this place."

The woman gritted her teeth, she had not been disrespected ever like the way Ian did now in front of other villagers. Ian saw one man came next to the older woman, he appeared to spare a look at him but when he smiled the man was alarmed. He quickly bowed to Ian, "Milord! W-we welcome you v-very much to our village. We don't have much to offer-"

"That's enough," Ian raised his hand to stop the magistrate. When Elise saw the magistrate, she notices she hadn't seen the man before. "Guide us to Angelica Herney's house."

The magistrate quickly nodded his head, spreading his arm to escort them through the crowds, while Elise saw the commotion around the crowds when they heard Ian calling her aunt's name.

Welly, who was at the far tail of the crowds saw how Ian moved between the people, and when hearing Angelica's name, she hurried to run to her neighbor's house. Angelica woke up from her table when she heard a knock. Pushing herself she wondered who it was. Because she had slept in the basement, it took her a while to notice the sound of knocking. 

Angelica frowned when she was greeted by the light once she stepped out of the basement. She went to open the door, to see Welly, her neighbor holding her fist near her face as she had been knocking on the door.

"What's wrong?" asked Angelica, wondering what was going on as Welly seemed to be in a panic.

"Someone is coming for you! I think you should leave," advised Welly, she turned behind taking a stance to run in case the two guests of the village came.

"Someone? Who is it?" Was it the Church members? It was only the night before that she reported to Thomas how people were coming around Saltige, but why did they come for her? "Is it the Church?"

"Not them. It was a tall handsome man, the magistrate called him with high respect, and there was this one lady with red hair who looks exactly like your late-" Welly suddenly stopped talking when she saw shadow enlarging over her and Angelica. She breaks her eye contact with Angelica to look back at Ian who offered them a sweet smile.

"Thank you for your introduction, miss... whatever your name is," Ian pushed his finger to the side, "Do you mind if you step away from the door? I can't promise not to strangle your neck if you choose not to."

Elise stepped from Ian's back and when she looks at the woman with black hair, the last memory she had with Angelica, came rushing back to her mind, where she was sold, and the cold gaze her aunt gave that didn't spare pity after selling her.

The threat Ian said was enough to make the human woman startled; Welly staggered as she took steps to the left side before looking back at Angelica to run away from the house.

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