The Tyrant's Pet

"I thought there's only one party in the manor. I didn't know there's also a bonfire!"

Marsella approached the head butler, who was standing in front of a furnace. She went out of the banquet hall to get some fresh air, only to see Gustav in the back of the kitchen, burning things in an open tin barrel.

"My lady." Gustav turned and bowed at Marsella. The latter stopped beside him, holding a wineglass while crossing her arms.

"What is this?" she asked out of plain curiosity, eyes on the flames inside the furnace. "Shoes?"

"They're Lady Daniella's possession," explained Gustav as he faced the furnace.

"Ram's?" Marsella arched a brow, casting Gustav a quick look. The butler's expression didn't change, keeping his silence and eyes on the flames. But despite his unchanging demeanor, she got the answer she needed.

"The real one, huh?" she muttered, rocking her head in understanding. "Will it be a waste of energy to ask why you are burning the memories of the dead? Instead of the Marquess doing so?"

Gustav kept quiet for the next minute, eyes still on the flames. He didn't know this woman that much, but he didn't find her repulsive despite her prying questions.

"Thanks to Lady Aries, the Marquess doesn't have to hold on to the bitter memories of the past," said Gustav after another minute of nothing but silence. "Therefore, I am burning anything that might remind him of what he considers as his failure."

"You won't get in trouble for acting without his permission, will you?"

"They were in my possession for a reason." His answer was quick, but his tone was calm. "The organization the marquess was involved with in the past had killed my brother. In return, I had always thought of killing his sister."

"An eye for an eye. Sounds rational."

"I didn't realize his sister was suffering from a sickness. Yet, she never treated her brother correctly. She blamed everything on his brother, even though the Marquess had always put his life in danger just to provide for her," Gustav continued, recalling the time when Dexter didn't have a mansion or wasn't swimming in luxury.

Back then, Dexter, a capable hunter, couldn't even buy a pair of shoes. He remitted every dime he earned from the hunting organization to Daniella. But that woman, who had been sick all her life, just wanted one thing: that was for Dexter to suffer just as much as her.

"I had always thought of killing him or his sister, but killing them was mercy. So I stood on the side, watching him suffer as his sister torments him. When her health continued to deteriorate and was on the brink of death, I turned her," he added.

Marsella chuckled. "You turned her so she will continue to torment him? Aren't you a little twisted? I like you."

"She was a selfish woman."

"What did she do when she wasn't sick anymore?"

Gustav remained silent for a moment. "She desired the throne."

"Oh? Ambitious."

"Despite that, the Marquess never despised her. She's his only family and had devoted his life to her." Gustav's eyes had softened. "But now, he finally had a family who cherished him the way he deserved. Therefore, there's no need for these things to exist."

Marsella smacked her lips with her brows raised. "That took you a while."

"Indeed, my lady." Gustav slowly set his eyes on her. "What about you, my lady? Why are you here?"

Marsella shrugged. "A breath of fresh air."

"In the empire."

"Well, since you are so honest, I'll tell you," Marsella smirked as she set her eyes back on the furnace, tossing her wineglass in it, causing the flames to dance wildly. "It's my last option. If I failed here… I will bury myself alive."

"Please look after the lady once she's within the imperial palace."

She glanced at him with an arched brow. "Don't you trust my brother?"

"It is not His Majesty that I do not trust, but the type of people he invited into the empire."

"Well, you're lucky I need your beloved mistress." Marsella nonchalantly shrugged again, staring at the flames solemnly. "The last thing I want is others delaying our lectures."

Gustav smiled."That sounds reassuring."

"She's loved and needed. Isn't she a little lucky? How ironic."

"For a witch?"

"Lucky for a witch." Her eyes sharpened, listening to the crackle of the furnace. "In some places, once a woman is branded as a witch, no amount of good deed was enough to change people's minds. They might put a smile on their face, only to stab you once you lower your guards."

"That is… human nature."

Marsella snorted. "Human nature… humans are far more cruel than the monsters they called."

"They are already pitiful enough." Gustav smiled subtly. "You just need to extend your patience and understanding."

"Not going to happen," Marsella smirked, cocking her head to the side as she set her eyes on Gustav. She sniffed and grinned. "You are an interesting butler. It baffles me how a high-ranking pureblood is playing a butler role."

"It was a long story, my lady."

"Well, time is the only thing I possess." She shrugged, wiggling her brows. "The banquet was a dull place to be in. I'd rather listen to your story than listen to their gossip. They drag my intelligence, elegance, and peace down."

Gustav chuckled, raising his head as he noticed a dark raven flying down in their direction. He raised an arm, and in a second, Morro landed on his arm.

"My, my. What do we have here?" Her eyes glinted with intrigued, smirking at the raven on Gustav's arm.

Morro looked at Gustav, only to see the latter smile. When he returned his eyes back to Marsella, he spread his wings to fly away. However, just as his feet left Gustav's arm, Marsella grabbed his foot.

"Not so fast, Raven." Her smirk stretched wider while Morro looked down. A diabolical chuckle came out of her lips when Morro fluttered his wings but to no avail. "Don't worry. I'm not planning on roasting you. I'm just curious. What sort of demon are you?"