Claimed by the Prince of Darkness novel Chapter 118

Chapter 118: Memories of winter

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Once the Slater and Belmont families wrapped up the discussion in the parlour room, the humans excused themselves to return to their house. As their own carriage had suffered a broken wheel from a harsh bump in the road, they travelled back in the vampire’s carriage.

Upon reaching the destination, the carriage door opened and the cold air greeted them immediately.

Little Ruelle climbed down after her parents, her hood slipping back as she crossed the frosty ground toward the front door.

"The arrogance of those bloodsuckers. They think they own the world," Harold grumbled through clenched teeth once they were inside. He had bowed to Lord Azriel politely and all he had received in return was just a nod.

"Loathsome creatures, indeed," Megan agreed, placing a soothing hand on his arm. The servants hurried forward to remove their coats. She let out a sigh. "We must tread carefully, Harold. You don’t want to lose the position the minister is offering through this alliance."

Mr. Belmont clicked his tongue as he was still irritated. His gaze then moved to Ruelle, who stood at the doorway. He warned her,

"If not for yourself, then at least think of how it reflects on me. Do not embarrass us, Ruelle. Do you hear me?"

Little Ruelle nodded timidly.

"Mama! Papa!"

A small voice rang from the staircase, followed by quick footsteps. Soon a little girl just a year younger than Ruelle rushed down, her hair bouncing as she flung herself toward Mr. Belmont.

"I was waiting for you to come home, Papa!"

Harold’s expression softened at once as he bent to scoop his youngest daughter into his arms. He chuckled, "Were you now?" and pressed a kiss on her cheek. "I am sorry it took us so long." 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

Mrs. Belmont smiled before asking, "Did you behave while we were away, Caroline?"

A small frown settled over Caroline’s small face as she complained, "I don’t like the lessons..." Megan gave a soft, indulgent sigh. She then began to climb up the staircase with Harold and Caroline.

Little Ruelle watched their backs as they climbed higher and higher, their voices fading with each step, until the staircase swallowed them whole. No one noticed she had not followed and no one called her name.

An elderly maid came to her side. "Miss Ruelle, let’s get you changed into something comfortable, shall we?" and the young one was guided out of there to her room.

During the change of clothes, the maid asked, "How was your trip today, miss?"

Ruelle shook her head. "I fell," her voice was small. "Father was disappointed..."

"Don’t think too much on it, Miss. The vampires have that effect on many people," the maid consoled her. "For what they are and what they do. It can be scary at times."

As the maid was going to pull a fresh pair of nightdress over Ruelle’s head, the woman’s hands slowed. Her eyes fell on the child’s legs, where old bruises overlapped with newer ones. Marks left by Mr. Belmont’s cane for when he found a fault. And the wounds had made the girl’s legs weaker, unsteady on her feet and quicker to fall.

The next days, the Slaters’ carriage began coming for Ruelle to pick her up.

Right now, she was in the glasshouse of the Slaters’ Mansion. She walked next to Dane, with Lucian trailing a few steps behind.

"Tell me which one you like and Lucian will pluck it for you," Dane said with a smile, clearly enjoying his role as her chaperone.

When Ruelle paused at a patch of flowers, she turned to Dane and asked, "Then... can I take this one, Brother Dane?"

Dane stared at her for a moment before sweeping her into a playful hug and replied, "Of course! Big Brother Dane will give you the whole garden!" While a surprised Ruelle stood still for a moment.

Soon Ruelle carried flowers in her arms and when there was no more room, Dane began tucking the rest into her braided hair.

"Brother Dane...here," the little Ruelle extended her hand and when Dane leaned forward, she placed a flower in his blond hair. She then smiled, "You look pretty."

"Heard that, Lucian?" Dane laughed.

Idiots, Lucian thought, who stood a few steps behind watching them in silence. He didn’t understand what was so fascinating about it, but it seemed to make the girl happy and she spoke more.

When Ruelle stopped by an inky-blue flower with petals outlined in red, she looked at it in awe. But the moment she touched it, the flower began to wilt.

Seeing her worried expression, Lucian explained, "They are shy to touch. Ghost’s Umbrella... They will return to their normal state after a minute."

"Ghost’s Umbrella," she repeated under her breath as if to memorise it.

​​Lucian noticed her attention then move to a pale pink flower, which was half-hidden behind the leaves. At the same moment, a low buzzing sound slipped in and his eyes fell on a small movement near her wrist.

She was about to touch the petal when a swift hand struck hers away. Startled, she pulled back at once, eyes wide with shock.

When she turned, she found Lucian staring at her with a tense expression. He said flatly,

"That’s enough flowers. Go back inside now."

"I—I’m sorry," Ruelle whispered, her cheeks burning as she lowered her head.

Realising his mistake, Lucian’s lips parted but the little girl felt too ashamed and quickly ran out of there.

Dane who witnessed this, snorted. "How mean," he teased, before adding, "A few flowers were of no harm," and he followed Ruelle.

"They were too many," Lucian remarked under his breath, lifting his hand and slowly opening his palm. A dead wasp lay there, its crushed body streaked against his reddening skin. He turned and caught sight of a few bees flying inside the glasshouse.

He dropped the dead wasp to the ground, while the buzzing of the bees began to fill the place. Soon after, snow began to fall on top of the glass ceiling.

When the night fell, Lucian’s mother tended to his palm. He stared beyond the window, where the world disappeared in the raging snow and howling wind.

"Dane told me what happened in the glasshouse," Lady Irina stated, her eyes still focused on his palm and he looked back at her. Snow battered the windows as she asked, "Do you find the Belmont girl unpleasant to be around?"

"I never said that," Lucian frowned faintly.

"That is good to hear," Lady Irina replied, setting the cloth she was tending his palm with aside. She then adjusted the cuff of his sleeve with quiet care before saying, "I know you aren’t one to explain yourself, Lucian. But sometimes... a few gentle words can mend a fright you never meant to cause."

Long after his mother left and the fireplace went cold, his mother’s words stayed with him.

Two days later, when Ruelle returned, she was stopped in her tracks as Lucian stepped directly into her path. Without a word, he lifted his hand, holding not just a pale pink peony flower but the entire plant with its roots exposed and soil still clinging to them.

"For you," Lucian remarked with a straight face as he watched her stare.

Ruelle looked unsure at first before her face slowly lit up. She carefully took the plant into her small hands and smiled, murmuring, "Thank you."

And though Lucian didn’t say anything, the quiet ease in his expression made it clear that he was pleased.

In the next days that followed in the winter, in the Slaters’ Mansion, Ruelle’s little feet got comfortable enough to wander on their own, finding Lucian with his books. He did not ask her to stay but he never told her to leave either. So she stayed.

And when Maude came to collect Ruelle when it was time to leave, she would often find the young master sitting exactly where he had been while the girl’s head rested on the open book he had given her.

One noon, at Ruelle’s relentless insistence, Lucian found himself sitting on a rock while she ran off to hide. He counted aloud with little enthusiasm before opening his eyes. Even without trying, he could still hear her uneven footsteps on the ground.

The forest was dusted white, the ground soft and bright beneath the winter light.

If he truly tried to find her, the game would be over in less than a minute. So he waited.

Only after a while did he rise and head in the direction she had tried to disappear, making sure his steps were loud enough to be fair. But this time, he found her sooner than usual.

Ruelle was sitting on the ground with her legs folded awkwardly like a frog. Her cheeks were flushed pink from the cold and her eyes were wider.

"Did you get hurt?" Lucian asked, as if already expecting that she had fallen.

"No," Ruelle shook her head while holding her stomach.

When Lucian caught the damp scent of fur, his eyes dropped just as she pulled her coat aside. He heard her say,

"I found a dog!"

That was no dog—it was a wolf. "You should put it down. If its mother sees you holding it, she will think you stole it."

"But it’s alone. Let us look for its mother," Ruelle argued softly.

"Leave it there. It is going to cause trouble."

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