Chapter 181: The Things Demons Do After Midnight
Chapter 181: The Things Demons Do After Midnight
Elyn’s POV
The private dressing room was nothing like the ones back home in Aelthryn.
It wasn’t simply a room with mirrors and a polite chair in the corner. It was an entire chamber carved into the inner curve of the palace tower, circular and high-ceilinged, the walls washed in a soft amber glow from floating lanterns shaped like glass orbs. The light inside them flickered like contained fireflies, warm and flattering—the sort of lighting that made even questionable life decisions look romantic.
Mirrors lined three sides of the chamber—tall, arched, framed in dark obsidian etched with faint silver runes that shimmered when I moved. The floor was smooth black stone veined with faint crimson lines, like cooled lava beneath glass. Plush rugs in deep wine and charcoal were layered over it, soft underfoot.
And then there were the clothes.
Racks upon racks of them.
Some stood in perfect military rows, labeled with small metallic plaques bearing the names of demon designers I was slowly beginning to recognize—House Serathiel, Vorn Atelier, The Crimson Thread. Others were from newer names, unfamiliar, their tags handwritten in curling script. There were gowns that shimmered like oil on water, others that looked woven from shadow itself, fabrics that caught the light and refused to let it go.
It was overwhelming.
And Vaelory and Rin were already deep in the middle of it.
They had their backs to me.
They hadn’t noticed I’d stepped in.
"Absolutely not," Rin was saying firmly, holding up a scarlet gown that looked like it had been personally designed to cause scandal. "Too much slit. My lady is not walking into her introductory ball looking like she is personally inviting war."
Vaelory, who once would have agreed with the gown enthusiastically, tilted her head thoughtfully instead.
"Hmm," she said. "The slit is dramatic... but perhaps not for a queen’s first formal appearance."
The same Vaelory who had nearly fainted when I chose to wear what I liked was the same one now considering a gown suitable for demons themselves.
Progress.
I leaned quietly against one of the mirror frames and watched them continue.
They were separating the gowns into distinct sections. A long chaise in the center of the room had been converted into a battlefield of fabric. On the left side were the rejected pieces—too daring, too informal, too dramatic in the wrong way. On the right were the ones deemed "appropriate."
One gown in particular caught my eye.
It was sea-foam in color—not pale, but deep and luminous, like ocean water just before a storm. The fabric looked fluid, layered chiffon and silk that shifted between green and soft blue depending on how the light struck it. The bodice was structured but elegant, with a halter neckline that wrapped around the throat in a delicate band embroidered with silver thread. The embroidery trickled downward like frost climbing over glass, subtle but intricate.
It was beautiful.
"Debatable," Rin declared.
Vaelory walked over slowly, examining it. She ran her fingers along the halter band, studying the neckline.
"It’s refined," she murmured. "The neckline is high. It shows shoulders, yes, but it’s not vulgar."
Rin made a noncommittal noise.
While Rin turned away to critique something else, Vaelory glanced at the two piles.
Then, very casually—almost too casually—she lifted the sea-foam gown and placed it onto the appropriate side.
I almost laughed at that.
She had done it so quickly it would have been missed if I hadn’t been watching for it.
Vaelory was adapting to the demon realm after all.
I cleared my throat then, and the both of them startled at the sound.
Rin nearly dropped the dress she was holding. Vaelory spun around so quickly she knocked into a rack of gowns, the metal clinking softly.
"My lady!" Rin gasped.
"Your Highness!" Vaelory followed immediately, rushing toward me.
They reached me in seconds.
"How long have you been standing here?" Rin asked.
"Long enough," I said mildly.
"We have to begin," Rin insisted immediately, already moving to usher me toward the center platform—a slightly raised circular space surrounded by mirrors on all sides. "The ball is in two days."
"Two," Vaelory added, as if the number alone should cause panic.
"And we do not have a single dress," Rin continued dramatically. "Not one for the ball. Not one for the luncheon. Not one for the after party."
I blinked.
"The what?"
Vaelory turned sharply toward Rin. "After party?"
Rin paused mid-motion and looked between the two of us as if we were the unreasonable ones.
"Yes," she said slowly. "The after party."
I stared at her.
"There’s an after party?"
"There is always an after party," Rin replied, as if explaining that water was wet—which, honestly, it was. "Demons love to celebrate. The official ball is only the beginning."
I felt something between dread and curiosity twist in my chest.
"According to what Morthen told me," I said carefully, "the ball itself could go well into midnight."
Rin made a face.
"Midnight is an understatement when it comes to demons, my lady."
Behind her, Versha—who had been perched elegantly atop a nearby velvet chair—let out a small clicking sound of agreement. Her eight eyes glinted with unmistakable excitement.
"Yes," Rin continued. "The formalities will stretch late." She waved her hand dismissively. "And then the after party begins." Rin’s eyes sparkled as she spoke excitedly. "All attempts at decorum are gone."
"It is party after party after party," she went on. "Music changes. The nobles loosen. The common demons are permitted entry. The palace opens its inner courtyards. It can go on for days. Even the streets would be filled with rejoicing."
"But it’s not a wedding," Vaelory pointed out.
"Well... yes, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t celebrate it," Rin said to her.
Versha nodded vigorously, her legs tapping the chair in anticipation. "It’s been a while since we’ve had a party like this. I’m excited for it, and then we’ll have the engagement party, and then the wedding—oh, the realm would be filled with rejoicing."
As long as it wasn’t all in succession, I could try to cope. Besides, in my past life, I didn’t get to party like this, so I might as well see what this was about and how the demons partied.
Morthen’s antennae twitched like even he was excited but was controlling it. "Party after party after party," he muttered.
Rin clapped her hands once, snapping us back to the matter at hand.
"Which is precisely why we require not one dress but several."
She strode toward the approved rack and pulled out a gown.
It was a deep, rich blue—darker than the midnight sky, nearly bordering on indigo. The fabric was silk satin, heavy and luxurious, catching the light like polished glass. The bodice featured a plunging neckline that dipped low, framed by delicate beadwork that shimmered like constellations. The sleeves were long and fitted, ending in subtle flares at the wrist. The skirt flowed outward in structured waves, dramatic but elegant.
She held it up to me.
"My lady, you should try this first."
I studied it.
It was beautiful. But I wasn’t feeling it.
I reached instead toward the chaise.
Toward the sea-foam gown.
Vaelory’s eyes flickered with something—perhaps delight—as I lifted it.
The fabric was lighter than I expected. It moved like water between my fingers. The halter neckline felt secure without being restrictive, the embroidery cool against my skin. It was elegant without screaming for attention. It shimmered softly instead of demanding it.
"I’ll try this one," I said.
Rin paused.
Then she nodded once.
"Very well, my lady."
She turned sharply.
"Morthen."
He straightened instinctively.
"Out."
He blinked. "I assure you, I am capable of maintaining—"
"Out."
There was no room for argument.
He adjusted his glasses once more, inclined his head politely, and exited the room without another word.
Versha scuttled closer, settling near the base of the platform as if preparing to witness something monumental.
Vaelory moved to assist me, her hands already reaching for the ties at the back of my current dress.