Chapter 9: Crimson Eyes And Hair In The Inn-I

He told her to enter the carriage but now that she looked at the height of the carriage and the ground was high. Her body was too small and it was hard for her to ascend the high carriage without any stool. She reached out her hand to see whether she could climb the carriage but then saw how luxurious the interior of the carriage and looked down at her dirty dress. If she come up like this, wouldn't she dirty the red carpet of the carriage? Ian who noticed it was quick to take her to his arm and carried her into the carriage. In only one hand Elise fitted perfectly. Her hands didn't know where to put on as she noticed how expensive-looking the fabric to his clothing look and in the end stayed back on the hem of her dress. Placing the little girl carefully next to him like a fragile glass, Ian took a seat beside her.

The carriage immediately took off after Ian and Elise entered to the inn. Meanwhile, Alex was inspecting the girl with his eyes which made her even more nervous and small. Like a cowering little mouse, her behavior had a waft of adorableness yet frail. It was as if raising an octave of his voice now would make her faint from fear. She was small, innocent, and didn't seem to have any wings on her back, horns, sharp tampered ears, or any strangeness that could pique the interest of Ian who was well known for his peculiar taste in picking up his subordinates and aides. If Ian didn't plan to make the girl work under him, then why would he buy her? It doesn't seem that he bought in a whim and coincidently chose to buy her. Even though Ian was a blood-loving person, he wasn't someone who would use the girl for anything disgusting.

It made him wonder why he would bid four thousand gold coins on the girl, which in the end was cut into a thousand and two lives had been lost after wounding the unknown little girl. She didn't seem any special other than the fact her hair was burning red like fire and her eyes were clear azure blue like the surface of the sea.

Noticing his stares only making the little girl pressured, Alex smiled gently to ease her and shifted his eyes to Ian to whisper. "So? Would mind telling me what's going on, my lord?" His legs subconsciously tapped the floor in a tapping rhythm.

"Telling you about what?" Ian saw Elise gluing her eyes sneakily on the street that was still merry in the night. Orange-colored lanterns coloring the streets to light the dark street and people exchanging flower crowns on their heads with delightful face.

"The girl." Alex pointed by lifting his chin so the girl wouldn't notice. "You are not the type of person who would take in a poor little girl only because she was sold, would you?"

"Why do you have to know anyway?" Ian replied to him with eyes still staying on the girl who was fascinated by whatever she saw on the night street.

"The church would sooner or later pressure me to have an answer for this if you could consult with me now, I could help you out." Alex's persuasion was good enough after years and years of hard work in talking to the unreachable man.

His eyes trailed away to the little girl beside him to ask. "Who made that bracelet, puppy?"

Elise heard him talking and looked over her back to only look down again on the small palms on her laps. Questions filled her head when she heard Ian asking the maker of her bracelet. Did he found out her ability to see things that couldn't be seen by naked eyes?

Or was he only giving a question?

"The sister in the church gave me." Elise heard the man hummed in response. "The church again. With a power to make such a strong amulet, that woman must be the white witches." he commented sourly, blatantly showing his dislike.

"What are you talking about?" Alex couldn't understand their line of conversation and chided.

"This girl seems to be holding a power different from normal humans." Ian leaned crossed one leg on top of each other to explain Alex.

"What do you mean?" To his complex words, Alex crossed his arms.

"She could see ghosts, faeries, and the things that humans can't see. The ones being called "the sweet child" by the faeries. This bracelet which she used is controlling down her power at the moment and shielded her from the other beings." Ian nudged his head toward the girl and kindly asked. "Am I right, puppy?"

Alex saw the girl nodding in response with a little hesitation on her face.

Elise couldn't understand how Ian found out about her eyes' power but couldn't ask as it wasn't her position to do so. Understanding it obediently, the little girl could only detach herself back to the night street before gazing the night sky which only has a few handfuls of stars.

"Then... you took her in because of that reason?" Alex further inquired.

"No." Ian quickly replied and glanced over the beautiful red hair that the girl had and thought of how silky her hair look before leaning his back fully on the cushioned seat. "There's another reason for me to take her in. A decisive one. But it would be best for you not to concern yourself of this matter. I have told you what you need to know. For what kind of report you would relay to the church, I will be leaving it to your liking."

"Hah." Alex sighed. He had known Ian since he was still a baby. At that time, he didn't notice it until he turned ten when he finally realized Ian's face had never gotten older in a bit. After another few years, he learned that Ian wasn't a normal person, not that he was a normal sorcerer, but a being that could never die or get old. A being that no one had never encounter before.

Out of curiosity, he asked his parents of Ian's real identity, but they didn't reply to him and forcefully steered their conversation away from it. The church was the same, they never say what being Ian was and only labeled him as an undying notorious being.

He also guessed that Ian was over eight hundred years old. Perhaps even a thousand at most because the Warine Land had always been governed by him alone for many generations. In the painting hall which was usually used to hang the portrait of the previous lords of the land all had the same face with only different clothing. It was evident that Ian had always looked the same without a single change to his face.

Alex removed his glance from Elise and pitied her for having to deal with Ian's mood swings. The girl was young, he couldn't see and doubt that Ian would have any evil intention to the girl after seeing how angry he was to the people who whipped and made her cry. But what the man in front of him is intended to do is something that he has to keep an eye on in the near future.

Ian looked over the moon but moved away after he heard Alex knocking the roof of the carriage. The coachman picked up the thudding sound on the roof and pulled the reign of the horse to halt its legs from advancing a single step.

"I still have things to do near here. I will be parting ways with you here now. " he said which returned with a nod by Ian to see him exiting the carriage.

Being left with only both of them together in a narrowed space, Elise looked across the seat which was empty and kept on thinking whether she should scatter away to the empty seat or continue to silently sit next to him.historical

"Can you take the bracelet off?" Propping his chin on the armrest beside him he glanced down at the red bracelet.

Elise nodded silently without an answer. Ian had noticed the girl being overly scared of him even though he had done and would never do any harm to her. Curiously he asked. "Are you scared of me?"

His self-conscious words brought giddiness to Elise. She didn't know what to say. Should she confessed to him, yes she was afraid that he would use him as a sacrifice?

Or should she lie? But surely lying wouldn't do anything good. But saying the truth which wasn't pleasing to his ears could also angered him which she didn't want to happen.