Chapter 126: Rin’s Lessons In Seducing Naviel (A Lesson For A Very Attentive Vaelory) I
Chapter 127: Rin’s Lessons In Seducing Naviel (A Lesson For A Very Attentive Vaelory) I
It’s been just a few minutes since Elyn and the King, along with Azerion, left the castle, and the servants saw it as an avenue to rejoice and come out of where they hid.
Marrok was even singing to the gargoyles, while the spiders and maids who normally cleaned quietly—making sure to hide themselves—came out of their hiding places. And while they did their work, they did it loudly, chattering as they worked.
Vaelory had to admit that she was shocked by how noisy and busy the castle was.
"Where has everyone been the past few days?" she asked in shock.
Rin gave her a look with those dark, unloving orbs of hers that made Vaelory put distance between the both of them. "Obviously they’ve been in the castle."
Vaelory rolled her eyes at Rin. "I know that, obviously. I’m asking why they are just now coming out when I haven’t seen them in the castle at all. I mean, apart from the gargoyle butler and the..." Vaelory swallowed nervously, then said softly, "...the spider."
Rin nodded. "You mean Versha and Marrok?" she asked Vaelory. "Well, they are in charge, so obviously they have to make themselves known."
Vaelory nodded as Rin gave her a look, then glanced at the obvious distance between them.
Rin stood on the lower steps of the grand staircase. She and Vaelory were watching Marrok conduct the gargoyles, since they were apparently a choir right now.
The song would have been nice if not for the fact that the gargoyles had no taste for music. In simpler terms, they were tone-deaf.
But that wasn’t the issue right now—at least it wasn’t to Vaelory. What was the issue was the fact that she stood at a distance from Rin. It was enough distance between them to host a small diplomatic summit.
Rin side-eyed her.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" Vaelory asked.
"Because I’m trying to understand why you are all the way over there when I’m here and you are speaking with me," Rin told her.
Vaelory lifted one hand and gestured vaguely in Rin’s direction, as if Rin herself were a potential hazard.
"I would rather the queen return to the castle and not see us fighting again," Vaelory said primly.
Rin blinked. Then she scoffed.
"Fighting?" Rin repeated, rolling her eyes so hard it was a miracle they didn’t get stuck. "That wasn’t a fight. That was a disagreement. A small one. Demons don’t fight the way we did."
"And yet you had your hand in my hair," Vaelory told her.
"You had yours in my hair too," Rin said.
Vaelory huffed and turned her gaze away again, chin lifted in stubborn dignity.
Rin watched her for a moment, irritation flickering—and then fading. Truth be told, there was nothing to do. No queen to follow around. No errands to run. Rin missed the queen greatly. She’d do anything to be locked up in the office with Morthen’s boring lectures right now.
Minutes passed.
Then Rin sighed and closed the distance between herself and Vaelory a bit. Vaelory shifted back when she saw Rin getting closer.
"...Hey," Rin said, her tone shifting—not softer, exactly, but more curious. "Can I ask you something?"
Vaelory huffed. "Even if I say no, you’d ask anyway."
Rin tilted her head in that birdlike way of hers. "Do you want help?"
Vaelory frowned. "With... what?"
Rin’s lips curved, slow and knowing. "With Naviel."
The reaction was immediate.
Vaelory closed the distance between them in a blink.
One moment she was across the room; the next, she was standing directly in front of Rin, eyes wide, posture alert, hands clenched like she’d just been handed a mission from the gods.
Rin startled so badly she actually took a step back.
"...Okay," Rin said, staring. "Either you’ve been hiding something from everyone, or you’re secretly a demon wearing human skin."
Vaelory rolled her eyes. "Don’t be ridiculous."
"You just crossed half a room faster than most imps," Rin muttered.
"That’s not the point," Vaelory said briskly. "Can you actually help me or not?"
Rin studied her for a second—really studied her. The straight-backed posture. The tension barely held in check. The way her eyes sharpened at the mention of Naviel’s name.
Then Rin nodded.
"Yes," she said simply. "I can."
Vaelory exhaled. "How?"
"I am a demon," Rin told her. "I know what demons like, after all."
Vaelory nodded once, decisively—then, to Rin’s utter shock, produced a small book and a quill seemingly out of nowhere.
She flipped the book open and poised the quill, ready.
Rin stared.
"...How did you do that?" Rin asked.
Vaelory didn’t even look up. "Please give me tips."
Rin opened her mouth in shock, then shook her head, deciding not to bother about Vaelory’s antics.
"I am," Vaelory said, eyes fixed on the page. "I’m ready to learn."
"Alright," Rin said seriously, "Lesson one."
Vaelory’s quill hovered, eager.
"You need to get out of that dress," Rin said, gesturing at Vaelory’s maid uniform—the one she brought with her from Aelthryn.
Vaelory blinked in shock. She looked down at herself, then frowned. "This dress is made from the finest material from—"
Rin waved a dismissive hand. "Doesn’t matter if it’s woven from moon-silk or the hairs of a horse demon."
Vaelory paused mid-scratch. "...Why would anyone use a horse demon?"
Rin shrugged. "Not important."
Vaelory stared at her for a second, then shook her head and wrote something down anyway. What she was writing, Rin had no idea.
Rin continued, pacing slowly now. "Demons care about presentation. Not just beauty—context. That dress?" She gestured. "It’s not suited for demons. At all."
Vaelory frowned. "It’s appropriate."
"For humans," Rin corrected. "I’m sure Naviel doesn’t see a potential partner when he looks at..." Rin gestured at her dress. "Whatever that gaudy and awful thing is."
Vaelory’s quill scratched faster. She didn’t even argue that the dress was made from the finest material in all of Aelthryn. Instead, she took notes.
"So clothing matters," Vaelory murmured.
"Oh, it does," Rin said. "And don’t worry. I can help with that part."
Vaelory looked up. "How?"
Rin smiled widely, and normally, Vaelory would flinch at how disturbing the smile looked—but now she didn’t care.
"You forget I dress Her Lady. I know how to make you dress better and appropriately," Rin told Vaelory.