DEVIOUS LOVE

Chapter 26 - Unavailable Tuna

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***

For once in her life, Lisa was speechless. She lifted her gaze from her Grandmother to the window. The wind howled, picking up a tornado of leaves, wrecking the beautiful forest beyond it.

Lisa silently drank the wine. She was the least shocked by the news.

All along, Lisa had known Jennie was not the Ruby Jane. And she wasn't bothered by it.

Lisa didn't need immortality when she was a Pure-Bred. She didn't need to be the strongest woman in the world, she already was one of the most powerful in the entire Empire. How else did she take the throne?

"And that fazes me, because...?" she used.

Dorothy's smile became a grimace. "The entire Empire expects you to marry the Ruby Jane. I am a prophet of the Heavens, you damn brat. If the council asks, I will be obligated to tell them the truth."

Lisa's fingers tightly gripped the teacup. In the blink of an eye, it shattered midair, the drink spewing onto the table. It dripped off the sides, like freshly spilled blood.

Dorothy let out a loud sigh. She didn't even flinch at h34 brute strength. She was used to it by now. Thus, she continued sitting there, unbothered by the stain. The spill was nowhere near her dress anyway.

"I know you find her amusing, like a new toy given to a child, but you will eventually grow bored of her," Dorothy murmured. "For your sake, you should let her be."

Lisa tapped her fingers upon the empty spot on the table. Tap. Tap. Tap. She was lost in thought, her other hand pressed upon her upper lips. She had waited far too long to let her suddenly getaway.

Staring into the forest reminded her of her eyes. It was the windows to her soul. She was an open book with her heart on her sleeves.

"You know," Dorothy slowly said. "There's a popular saying amongst humans— there are plenty of fishes in the sea."

"Yes, but I have my eyes on that emotionally unavailable tuna with trust issues and a mountain of baggage," Lisa deadpanned.

Dorothy laughed into her teacup. Why was the man in her life so stubborn?

Her son was like this too. He was adamant about marrying his wife, even though she was the adoptive daughter of a lowly ranked Baron.

Perhaps Lisa learned from the best, including her taunting smiles, and heartless antics.

"I suppose that is the beauty of this place," Dorothy quietly said. "A beautiful dream, a painful illusion, what's wrong with fake happiness when this world is filled with lies?"

Lisa did not respond. She had never once envisioned a beautiful dream with any woman until Jennie crashed back into her life.

There was no such thing as a painful illusion when all of her life, she knew Jennie was not the Ruby Jane that her people wanted her to marry.

Lisa can only pretend to be happy for so long before she grew tired of wearing a mask. When that happens, will Jennie help her laugh?

Thinking back to her under the dance of moonlight, the first time she laid eyes on her in the ball, a ghost of a smile graced her lips. She was stunning.

Under the moon, Lisa thought Jennie was a nymph that escaped the forest. When she slowly turned around towards Lisa, inquisitive face and all, she was reminded of how patiently Lisa waited for her.

"Are you sure you want to sit here and pretend to be mute, Brat?" Dorothy asked. She settled the teacup down and motioned for her to leave.

"I believe a rat snuck into the palace when you weren't watching," she added on.

Lisa's eyes flickered with recognition. Lisa's lips sneered into a snarl, revealing her sharp, piercing fangs.

It was time to go rat exterminating.

- - - - -

Jennie was surprised by the kind of maids. She had experienced people like them a decade ago, in the enormous estate back in Kastrem. Back then, they treated her like royalty, weighing on each and every one of her words.

Even now, she could remember the two handmaidens that always stood by her side, guiding her the proper etiquette and showing her a kindness unlike any other.

However, with time, their faces became blurred, and she did not recall their names.

Jennie wondered how they discovered her titles but figured they made a prediction. She fiddled with her necklace, twisting it in between her fingers. It had been a habit of hers whenever she struggled.

"If there is nothing else, y-you are excused," she added on.

Jennie had been thoroughly bathed. Her hair was washed with high-quality shampoo and conditioner, then blow-dried with Morrocan oil, and then combed through. A silk nightgown downed her body, the material soft and slick upon her skin. She was grateful that it reached up to her collarbone, meaning it would not slip down so easily.

Jennie didn't need a repeat of what happened yesterday night. Though, she predicted Lisa would have thoroughly enjoyed it. When maid left the room, Jennie rose from the plush, vanity chair. She trotted to the doors and locked it without hesitation.

Next, she made a small sprint for the windows, locking it as well. Finally, she pulled the curtains closed, going one by one in the entire room. She had learned from yesterday's troubles.

"T-this should keep her out," Jennie whispered, not knowing nothing in this world could keep Lisa apart from her.

Jennie begrudgingly walked towards the bed. She wanted to turn the lights off but was too wary of the new environment.

What if someone snuck in and tried to kill her, even in a locked room? She hadn't learned the layout of everything yet. It would be difficult to comfortably sleep in an unknown environment.

Thus, Jennie climbed into bed. A small sigh of relief escaped her just as her body sank into the comfortable mattress. She pulled the blankets up to her chest, trying to close her eyes.

Uncertainty grew. Her anxiety skyrocketed.

A second later, she snapped her eyes open.

"W-why are you such a scaredy-cat?" she grumbled to herself.

Jennie tightly clutched the covers. She was peering up at the canopy bed, where the thick pearl pink curtains were pulled open. She supposed this was meant to block out the light. It was a beautiful bed, she had to admit. There were dangling chains of pearls accompanying the curtains.

"This place is so... pink and white."

Jennie rolled towards her side, wondering if Lisa knew these were her favorite colors, or if it was a coincidence. Shifting to the side made her wary of anyone that would randomly attack her from behind. With great reluctance, she shifted onto her back again.

Jennie sighed. She wished there were books for her to read, so that she could be lulled to sleep with it. Boredly, she fiddled with her necklace, whilst silently observing the rose encased in glass.

"I think mother said this was some sort of crystal..." she mumbled, whilst continuing to play with the accessory back and forth.

Soon, her eyes grew heavy, the necklace slowly becoming tangled in her finger. Slowly, gently, she snoozed to sleep, but did not know of the darkness that lurked in the castle, and crawled up her walls.