The discord between Ian and Garfon was clear, and Elise felt the tension for the first time. It was apparent that this wasn't the first time Garfon had provoked Ian. With a smile Ian tilted his head as if he couldn't understand what Garfon spoke of with a gaze that watched Garfon as if he had spoke crazily, "If offending someone is enough to die, right this moment there would already be another head rolling," and by head it was clear Ian had meant Garfon's head. 

Elise saw anger switched over Garfon's face and when her eyes moved to see Mrs. Graham, her eyes met Edward's by a small second. Even when Elise had removed her gaze from the vampire, she could sense his stare still lingers on her and she felt uncomfortable as now, Elise could feel the deeper meaning behind Edward's gaze.

"What's wrong dear?" Ian ignored Garfon and switched his stare toward the sweet creature beside him who was stared by a small mosquito. "Do you feel stuffy and don't like to be here any longer?"

Elise blinked at his question, she wanted to say no as she wasn't feeling stuffy like he said, but she could tell he had stated the question aloud for a reason. 

Lady Rachel giggled softly, breaking the tense air between her husband and the Lord of Warine, "I heard that this is the first social event for Lady Elise. First event is always the most burdensome and tiresome, I would suggest to take rest in the waiting room." Lady Rachel states at Elise's blue eyes, waiting for her words as if she was offering Elise to come with her.

"Thank you, Lady Rachel, but that is not necessary," Ian replied instead of Elise, "We plan to go home soon and spend time specifically together. As you know, nothing is better than being with your beloved than people who knows nothing better than speak with audacity. I'm not patient enough to hear words spilling from a dirty mouthed person while holding myself from tearing their mouth." Ian offered his elbow for Elise to wrap her hand on it. Ian's red eyes stared at Garfon whose face mood had took a turn for the worse, "Have a nice night all of you."

Few people stared at their backs as they left. More eyes that settled on Elise was on the negative side which was Lady Monica who had just left the room, and Edward who could barely kept his cold head and seemed as if at any moment would snap a human's neck and drink them dry. 

On another side, Elijah, Monica's older brother shifted his eyes after seeing the Lord and the maid who would soon be someone with a higher position than them, noticed Edward's expression and when he found where the vampire's gaze settled on, his lips curled in a malicious intent.

Elise wasn't used to wear a high heeled shoes, it was pretty but also hurt the back of her feet at the same time. Ian's hand helped her to gain stability and lessen her pain, "Thank you," she said, knowing he had offered his hand for the reason to help her. Elise didn't know how Ian noticed her feet was feeling painful as she believed she had kept a rather calm expression, not wanting to stress on her pained feet.

"No worries. I noticed you limped when you walked earlier and smell some of your sweet blood," the way Ian had spoke about her blood felt oddly sensual and as though he knew what he did to stir something inside her, his grin widened.

At the moment they had just left the hallway, entering the ballroom again to leave through the main entrance but stopped near the door when Cynthia had just arrived to the ballroom. Seeing Elise with the Lord, she politely bowed to show her respect, "I apologies for being late, milord."

"How is the matter of searching Elise's sister goes?" questioned Ian to his aide who had just arrived, making sure he asked the question with Elise beside him.

In the mention of her sister she had never know to have one, Elise looked at Cynthia full with expectations and her curiosity burnt in her eyes. 

With Ian beside her, Elise didn't feel lonely, but there was a part deep inside her that wish to have her own family, parents or sibling which she never had the privilege to have so. When hearing that she has a sister, something spark inside Elise, a feeling of longing which she never realized before. In the past she thought it was enough if she had just one single person to stay beside her. The feeling didn't change until now, but perhaps a part of her had turn greedy, wishing to have more family as she currently only has Ian who would soon count as a family member.

Elise saw Cynthia looked back at her, a smile widened on her lips, "It's a good news, I found the village where I suspect your father settled himself to. I have yet seen her, but it is almost certain that she is your sister. Austin is taking care of the matter for now and to watch her from afar as the village she currently live is quite prone to danger."

Elise couldn't describe what she felt hearing the news. There was a swirl of mixed emotions inside her, she was happy, curious, and some other feelings she can't put her finger to name what it was. She looked at Ian who smiled back at her, "It's a good news, isn't it?" and Elise wholeheartedly nodded. 

"I don't know what I feel now, but I think I am very happy," she confessed, Elise heard about Ian having a brother, but from what she heard their relationship didn't seem to be good. "I do think we should meet her early, more so if the village is dangerous."

"No need to be in a hurry," chuckled Ian, his finger raised to rub her nose affectionately. "It's not as if your sister is a fugitive on a run that we need to chase time and meet her. Austin is there, he is able to protect a single girl, you can leave that matter to him."

Elise knew the extent of Austin's power and she nodded, agreeing. Cynthia watched the air between the two, seeing how their relationship had progressed fairly quick. The woman said, "Austin will be able to protect her, when he knew about your sister, he promise to protect her. There is also a few things I wish to talk to you but you two seem to be leaving the party?"

"The party is going stale, so we decide to go home. There was one accident that caught our interest, but it's better for Elise not to associate herself any longer with these people inside this Ballroom. I don't want her to get tainted by their ugly jealousy and envy. Not to forget the germs," Ian lightly threw a shade over the people inside the Ballroom. While most guest who had come to speak sweetly to be on Ian and Elise's good side thought they had masked their intention well, they didn't know how sharp Ian was to read whatever thoughts that crossed their mind.

"I will leave the rest of the party to you and report to me if you find anything out of place." and Cynthia bowed, taking the order and obliege. Once the woman left, Ian turned his eyes to Elise who was watching Cynthia who had just left, "Before we leave should we ask that man who died earlier?"

Elise nodded, she wondered who had been bold enough to kill someone in the ball where people come and go, and many eyes watching them? "But how do we get the ghost?" because they had left the ghost on the hallway which was still crowded with people. 

"Follow me," Ian said, leading her to exit the ballroom and they went to the passage with lesser people. When there were no more people, Ian snapped his finger and within a second, the ghost of Mr. Carlos Graham appears, but the man was on the far corner of the room.

Elise didn't know how to interact with the ghost after the warning Ian gave her. She noted the empty gaze the ghost had and his mouth that continued to mutter things in a very faint but aggressive whispers. It was eerie as the ghost appeared to not care about his surroundings, but there was a grudging going on his eyes as if he was angry to the people who had taken his live.

Ian playfully took a step, and Elise watched what he was doing when her hand held the end of his sleeve, "What will you do?" she asked to know as it was better to know than not.

"Talk, if it's a demon who talked to him, I'm sure he'll remember how to speak instead of spouting gibberish words," and with that Ian took three steps forward, conversing with the ghost.

Elise watched the scene in front of her, Ian had spoken calmly, but his opponent looked as if talking with him destroyed his soul. Carlos Graham's ghost was stricken in fear when Ian approach him, as if to his eyes Ian didn't appear like a handsome human he was but a person whose skin was burnt and peeled, leaving only some red flesh sticking on his visible skull and bones. And Elise's thoughts were close to correct. 

While humans perceive Ian in a state of a human, the ghost could see his true figure, where he was not a human, but a horned being with a frighteningly bloody appearance.

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A/N: update, sorry for the very late update, I was just soo tired. The surgery took three hours, and as soon as I got back I immediately wrote this chapter. I don't want to get in details and ruin the mood to you guys, but I am fairly dead with everything now and very sleepy, >^<. Anyways, I am still busy so the update would be late, but not as late as it did today. P.S. thank you for everyone's words of encouragement it really did lift my mood like magic!