Married To The Mad Vampire Lord

Chapter 383: At The Ball_Part 2



Back in the Dawson mansion, the Dawsons had not prepared a carriage for the vampires this time, as they had taken all their extra carriages out. But thankfully, they still had the ones they had come with to Aragonia.

Rav, who had long since finished getting dressed and was standing outside beside the carriage waiting for the ladies, glanced down at the new pocket watch Lady Evenly had bought for him, along with other things. This was his first time owning a gold pocket watch, his first time possessing many of the fine items he now carried. He dared not let himself grow attached to them here, for he knew he would lose them once they returned to Nightbrook and stopped posing as nobles.

Rav looked away from the watch that read five in the evening and lifted his gaze to the cloudy sky, his red eyes glimmering as troubling thoughts filled his mind. It wasn't only about the things she had bought for him. He had also come to realize that he needed to put a stop to the dangerous attachment slowly forming between himself and the lady who was merely posing as his wife here. He had begun to look forward to her small gestures, to the little ways she did things for him, something he knew was utterly wrong for him to do.

That very morning, she had chosen the attire he now wore before leaving with Angel to visit Lady Belle. It was new, well-fitted, and dignified, paired with polished leather shoes. Not only that, she had also set aside a new box of shaving supplies for him, complete with scissors to trim his hair for the event, just as a wife would prepare for her husband.

Rav shifted uncomfortably on the balls of his heels as the thought stirred a strange warmth in his stomach, one that made him wish he could pull back and undo what had been done. She wasn't his wife and would never be. She was only playing her part here, and once they returned to Nightbrook, she would return to being the hasty, sharp-tongued lady who always put him in his place.

Not even his own wife had been able to tolerate him or do such thoughtful things for him the way Evenly was doing now, and he shamefully realized that was the reason he was becoming drawn to her. For there had always been a part of him, deep in the past, that had longed to be cared for, even just a little.

When you carried the weight of a family and worked tirelessly without rest, a time came when you stopped thinking about yourself, stopped placing your own needs before others. Slowly, you began to believe you were unworthy of care. It was a feeling that had grown inside Rav for years, so now that someone was treating him with care, it was affecting him in ways it never should have.

But he had promised Allison and their son that he would hold them dear in his heart until his very end. He had to keep that promise in order to never live with the unbearable guilt of being part of what had caused their deaths.

Living on as though he hadn't lost them, as though he hadn't failed to protect them, would do nothing but mark him as a terrible father and husband. They had died, their lives cut short, stopped forever, never to be given back, and the thought of him moving on felt like a betrayal too deep to consider. He didn't think it was possible, yet with how another woman kept drifting into his thoughts every second, he was beginning to feel as though he was losing a silent battle he had sworn he must never allow himself to lose.

Rav was so lost in thought that he didn't notice the ladies approaching until a soft breeze carried the delicate fragrance of their perfume to his nose. He raised his head toward the sound of clicking shoes but stopped dead, his breath catching at the sight before him.

The two ladies were walking out from the entrance doors, both dressed in elegant gowns that enhanced their unique beauty. Yet it was Evenly who captured his gaze, for she was the one his master had not forbidden him from looking upon for longer than he should.

His master's possessiveness toward his wife had taught Rav to never look at her more than once before taking his eyes away, but no such warning had ever been given about Lady Evenly. Hence, he watched, stared, entranced.

She wore a midnight-blue dress with many layered folds, the skirt flaring out to the hem and making her look every bit an alluring princess. Her red hair tumbled down her shoulders in soft waves, with a crown-like braid pinned delicately in place. The dress hugged her waist, accentuating her figure, and the overall effect was breathtaking.

Rav found he couldn't tear his eyes away, until a baby's laughter made him shift his gaze. Angel, instead of being carried, was being guided by the two ladies, each holding one of his little hands as he walked between them to steady his legs. He grinned happily at the chance to walk, nearly swallowed up by the swaying skirts that surrounded him.

"Oh, Rav, you look handsome," Lady Evenly complimented when they reached him at the carriage. Heat rose to his cheeks, and he quickly cleared his throat in embarrassment as he met her smiling eyes.

"Thank you, my lady. You… you look lovely yourself," he returned, but realizing she wasn't the only one present, he amended, "You ladies both look lovely." Bowing his head respectfully toward Belle, he added, "My lady."

Belle smiled warmly at him. "Thank you, Rav."

Already late for the event, having been left behind by the others, they wasted little time in further conversation and climbed into the carriage. As the vampires' carriage was larger than those of Aragonia, they all fit comfortably without being cramped.

They rode in silence, the only sound inside the vehicle being Angel's cheerful babbling as he played with the buttons of his little coat, a coat he had refused to wear properly but insisted on holding.

Belle sat beside him, holding him gently, trying not to dwell on the silence inside the carriage. The two seated opposite her remained stiff and wordless, as though uncomfortable sharing the same seat with each other. Evenly's skirt flayed out over Rav's thigh from how big it was, and he had shifted a few times as if to move away, but he couldn't avoid the skirt pressing against him. In the end, he gave up and turned his head to look out the window in silence, his face a bit red, Belle noted.

It was the first time she had ever seen such a deep color on Rav's pale face, and she observed the two of them closely until she became consumed by other thoughts.

As much as Belle wanted to push aside thoughts of the ball, the closer they drew to the palace, the more anxious she became. The Aragonian ball was not something to be taken lightly, for one never knew when they might suddenly fall at the mercy of spoiled noblewomen.

Furthermore, she was even more anxious about the moment she would meet the king. Though she was confident in what Rohan had taught her to say and present, there was still a part of her that had sweaty palms at the very thought. For some reason, she wished Rohan were here with them.

Their carriage was the last to arrive, forced to stop at the far back of the already filled parking grounds of the palace.

When they alighted from the carriage, Belle couldn't carry her son in her arms because of her gown and shoes, nor could Evenly, and they couldn't possibly let him walk the long distance across the crowded grounds to the palace entrance.

Before either woman could speak, Rav stepped forward and silently scooped the boy into his arms. "I will carry him," he said.

Evenly looked at him with concern. "Are you sure?" she asked softly, knowing how he usually avoided holding Angel and what it cost him whenever he did.

Rav turned to look at her with a faint smile, gave a single nod, then turned back and began to lead the way, carving a path for them so they wouldn't be trapped between the many carriages. Angel's presence no longer troubled him as much as it once had, yet he couldn't help but quietly appreciate the lady's concern for him once again.

"He's such a gentleman, Belle. I've never met any man like him before, you know," Evenly whispered to Belle as they followed behind, her eyes fixed on Rav's tall figure carrying Angel securely in his arms.

Belle turned to her friend and immediately noticed a look she recognized all too well in Evenly's eyes as she stared at Rav's back. Yet Belle said nothing, choosing not to point it out. She only smiled faintly. "He is. Whoever marries him will be lucky," she remarked, though her eyes turned nervously toward the palace entrance that loomed closer, music drifting out from the grand hall beyond.

"He will never marry again," Evenly mused under her breath, but before Belle could ask what she meant, they had already climbed the wide stairs lined with a rich red carpet, reaching the grand double doors of the hall.

The guards standing there opened them with deep bows, allowing the ladies and Rav to step into the golden brilliance of the royal ball.


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