The Demon's Bride

The Lord Of Warine, Master Ian White-I

As Ian got down and followed the lead of the jittery auctioneer, he went to enter a room that the man explained as the room of the head slave merchant, Turisk. Alex followed him from behind. At this point, the young man had resigned himself and decided to lend Ian a hand so he could finish whatever shopping he mentioned and got back before another troublesome matter would brew.

Turisk being an illegal slave merchant couldn't say anything much and stayed in silence after offering the Lord a seat. He inclined his chin, ordering the beat-up female servant to serve the Lord a tea. Immediately, the servant pulled herself, clinking the metallic chain and collars that took Alex's attention into a frown. When the servant noticed this, she bundled her long chain in order not to make any noise as it would seem these two particular people sitting in front of Turisk is someone that's greatly important. The blobbing sound as the scalding tea being poured down to the white teacup brought a prolonged sound to the grave silence in Turisk's office. Ian crossed his legs and sat leisurely on the couch to wait for Turisk's subordinate to bring back Elise and the slave contract.

In front of him, Tursik who always haughtily screamed at his subordinates now kept on fidgeting on his seat like a fish on land.

Ian glanced at the servant who served him the tea. Her gaunt face was filled with bruises and injuries, the type of injury that she would have received from a beating. Mr. Sieve possessed a sadistic nature, he thought with a chuckle to himself. It was always humorous to see someone who loved to strike his servants being overly scared with him now.

Humans never changed, he thought to himself. They love to see others in pain but would never want to receive a similar pain. An egoistic nature that had never and would never change. He couldn't remember when the last time he had those emotions, perhaps before he lost his humane self and become something that defied the Gods.

The servant noticed Ian was looking at her but was unable to look back in fear and placed the cup with a stuttering clink. Ian shifted his glance and noticed the servant sneakily glanced at him when he wasn't looking. He smiled under the mask and replied with an amused tone that scared the life out of the people in the room. "Much appreciated."

The female servant ran away to the corner of the room, thinking that Ian was irritated by her stealing glances. For once, Tursik felt lucky to become the servant who could tuck their tail from the man as they had carried out their job.

Other than them, Alex was also in the room. He didn't sit next to Ian and stood behind, exploring the room which had preserved the animal's head hanged around the hall with a hum. "Hunting must be your hobby, Mr. Seive," Alex commented.

Turisk Seive pulled the corner of his lips with a hard struggle to smile. "Yes, it is."

"That sound nice, have you ever go to the North? That's the best place for hunting." Alex replied, making a small conversation that could light the tense mood of the room.

"N- No... I haven't." Tursik felt a bit calmer after hearing Alex's easy-going conversation but soon her regret himself for thinking such a thing.

"Well, you should. But like hunting in the North I thought slavery is forbidden now. I never knew they are still open for business." A grim sneer slipped out of Alex's mouth. He wasn't in a certainty a bad person if he had to say for himself, however, he could see just how malicious this man Turisk is and couldn't help himself from antagonizing the foul man. Alex had disliked this slave trafficking since he was a child even though he was also a noble. He found this hobby of the nobles to be utterly disgusting and hateful. 

The proud nobility excepting him couldn't care less about these slaves since the slave trafficking had started long when the Empire had just founded and the people who profited the most from these slaves are the nobles. This misfortune had run too deep that no one could do justice for these people. 

Tursik looked down fidgeting in agitation without a word. The man beside Lord Ian wasn't a sane person he thought or hope for. Like Ian, Alex has his own enjoyment in seeing people in fear.