Claimed by the Prince of Darkness

Chapter 137: Lessons Before the Auction

Realising her body was almost pressed against Lucian’s, Ruelle quickly rolled away. But before she could place her feet on the ground, they tangled in the sheets and the next moment she fell straight to the floor.

"Ouch..." she winced before turning to look over her shoulder with only her eyes peeking, where Lucian finally pushed himself up as if he had been waiting for her to wake up until now.

She quickly turned away, unable to believe she had wormed right into him last night while sleeping. He had been gracious enough to call her a butterfly instead of calling her a worm.

"I will wait. You should take the bath first, I will—"

"There’s no need for it. You can wash first," Lucian replied, his footsteps softly padding against the floor. She carefully stood up and watched him head to his cupboard before picking up his clothes. He then turned to her and said, "I will use Dane’s bath. Unless you want me to stay so that your feet doesn’t trip over the next possible object."

Ruelle let out a small, awkward laugh, though the warmth in her face betrayed her. He then moved to the drawer, pulling out a white ball and stretched his hand to her.

"What is this?" Ruelle asked him. He had given it to her last night too before bandaging her wound.

"Medicine. It has components with faster cell turnover in the skin. It is why you aren’t feeling the pain," Lucian explained as he dropped the medicine in her hand.

Ruelle was in awe that something like this existed. She had never heard about it before and she murmured, "Vampires are truly advanced when compared to us humans." She didn’t know why vampires would even need it when their healing was faster than her kind. She then looked up at him and asked, "Where can this be found? Wait, did you make it?"

"You can take the ones from the drawer. The next batch needs to be prepared," Lucian answered.

In the past, when his mother had passed away, Lucian had gone over that day more times than he could count. Her hollow eyes had marred his soul and the regret of being unable to help gnawed and chipped at his mind. He had created this medicine so that the next person who would be injured in front of him wouldn’t share the same fate as his mother.

He stared into Ruelle’s brown eyes.

"I won’t be scolded?" She asked because the first week she had gone cleaning the room because Lucian had been mad at her. He really had a temper behind the calm demeanour he tried to carry, she thought to herself, but people around him could sense it.

He remarked, "If I didn’t want you to, I wouldn’t have told you where they are."

After what felt like nearly an hour, Ruelle was dressed and she was ready to leave when she heard a knock from the other side.

When she opened it, she found Hailey standing in the corridor she leaned away from the door, her neck stretched as if she had been trying to look down the hallway. The moment Ruelle opened the door, Hailey straightened at once and flashed a bright, entirely innocent smile.

"I saw Lucian in the hall below and decided to come see you," she said.

Ruelle looked at her for a long second before a small smile pulled at her lips. She greeted, "Good morning to you too, Hailey. You seem unusually energetic this morning."

"I am," Hailey said, grinning. But then her expression softened, her eyes flickering briefly toward Ruelle’s back in concern. "Firstly, how are you feeling today?"

"Much better," Ruelle replied, stepping out and pulling the door shut behind her before locking it. "I even slept well."

"That is good to hear," Hailey muttered, wrinkling her nose slightly as they began to walk down the corridor. "Otherwise Kevin would get smacked for stabbing you. Not that he isn’t already smacking himself."

A small laugh escaped from Ruelle’s lips. They walked a few more steps before Hailey spoke again, this time lowering her voice slightly.

"So..." she began casually, though there was nothing casual about the way her eyes were already shining, "what is going on between you and Lucian? You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to."

head slowly

she whispered urgently. "I want

closed her eyes for a brief moment and she could hear the distant cawing of a crow. As if gathering courage, before the words came out in

me to move out of the room. I should have told you sooner but I didn’t know how to say it. God... it feels so much better now that

walking so abruptly that Ruelle

back and forth, her eyes wide with a mixture of delight and disbelief. "Of course he doesn’t! Else he’ll burn the

Ruelle said, while Hailey continued to beam at her like she had just been handed the most

that mean? Is he going to buy

to buy her? Ruelle

be put on the bid and someone was going to buy her. That much was certain. And if that was the fate waiting for her, then she wouldn’t mind if Lucian bought

haven’t asked him about it," Ruelle

back to you on the contract?" Hailey asked touching her

shook her head. "I did think about it that maybe it wouldn’t be considered. But my parents were given money and I doubt Sexton

of old lineage. I am sure it is just spare change for him," Hailey said matter-of-factly. "Then there’s Prince Edward with money too. By the way, have you thought about what to say

Ruelle frowned, holding the railings as

for you specially," Hailey said brightly. She

"Why does it

completely unashamed. She replied, "Forgive me. I just thought it was romantic. The last time I was this excited was when I stole the neighbour’s

at Hailey. Feeling her gaze, her friend

fell between them for a few seconds, and Ruelle then asked, "Did the chicken taste

grin spread across Hailey’s lips. "It did. It

the students gathered there began to move upon seeing her. The corridor quickly

as she was talking about last night and

stepped inside the dining room, an almost quiet hush fell in there, and she tried hard not to look

lips twitched as if threatening to

owner about it," Ruelle replied as they approached

sweet, Ruelle peered into the bowl and noticed the bottom was almost clean except

moist cake," Ruelle murmured. "I didn’t realise

to head in the direction of the groundlings’ table, she almost bumped into someone

on the small cake, still moist, its top glistening with a drizzle of cream. The scent of sugar and

then extended to her and she looked up to

you looking for sweets? Fortunately, I came here to return it, as I didn’t have an

next moment, the cake was suddenly lifted away from the plate and the cake disappeared in one

Ezekiel blinked, watching Dane chew it

Henley. Just the treat I

was at a loss for words, while Dane ran his finger

me bless you and your lovely wife to have many children," Dane smiled before turning to Ruelle and he greeted, "Good

she smiled.

at her and he said, "This is why you are

pushed the feeling of annoyance from earlier. He

are related. Is that not so, darling?" Dane beamed, and one would have thought the sun had descended into their dining room. He then spoke, "What are you doing standing here