Chapter 244: Of Locked Doors, Relentless Officials, and a King Who Owes a Stamp
Chapter 244: Of Locked Doors, Relentless Officials, and a King Who Owes a Stamp
Elyn’s POV
I closed my mouth.
Then I looked at him.
Really looked at him.
Something was off.
Zorathys wanted to show me around the demon realm? This same demon who avoided work like it was the plague? The same demon who didn’t even like walking?
I stood up.
I walked toward him slowly, stopping when I was close enough to look at him properly. I scanned him from the top of his head to his feet. His hair, his eyes, the slight openness of his collar. Nothing visibly wrong.
I walked around him.
He let me.
My hand went to my chin.
I completed the full circle and stopped in front of him again.
"Who are you," I asked, "and what have you done to Zorathys?"
Zorathys laughed.
"Ha. Ha."
I stared at him.
It was the fakest laugh I had ever heard in my entire life.
"You’re very funny," he added.
I smiled. Well, that wasn’t a lie.
"I know I’m funny."
His eyes narrowed slightly at that, like he hadn’t expected me to agree so easily.
Then he straightened, brushing nonexistent dust from his sleeve with the kind of composure that would have worked on literally anyone else.
Unfortunately for him, I had spent enough time around him to know better.
"No one would dare possess me," he said.
I tilted my head.
"Well, that is true," I said slowly. "But then, why are you willing to work?"
There was a pause.
A very brief one.
Too brief.
"I am not doing work," he replied smoothly. "I am showing you around the demon realm."
I blinked, then sniffed the air.
"What are you doing?" he asked me.
"Can’t you perceive the lie in the air?" I asked him. "The one from you?"
He gave me a look. "Really?"
"Yes, really. You don’t expect me to believe that you are willing to work and then claim it’s not work," I told him.
"It is not work if I enjoy it," he replied.
Enjoy? Enjoy? Really, this was more suspicious than Azerion stealing snacks and pretending like he hadn’t when he had evidence on his face.
"You don’t enjoy anything that requires effort," I said to Zorathys.
He paused. "Well...that is true," he told me. "But you have only visited the beast demon territory, and that was because we had something to do there, and even then you did not explore it fully."
That was... true.
"But that doesn’t explain why you’re suddenly so eager," I said.
"And besides," he added, ignoring me completely, "you did make me promise to show you around."
I stared at him. Yes, I had said that, but this was Zorathys. He never willingly did any work.
He didn’t even like walking. Another reason why this was suspicious.
"You’re too eager," I said, narrowing my eyes at him. "Too willing."
He raised a brow.
"There has to be something involved," I said.
"There is nothing involved," he said, his tone flattening slightly.
"Are you skipping work?" I asked him suspiciously. "Are you running from Ignivar and Naviel and using me as a cover?"
He gave me an unimpressed look. "And why would I do that?" he asked me.
Just as I was about to reply to him, I heard footsteps echoing faintly beyond the door.
Zorathys went still.
It was subtle.
Barely noticeable.
But I saw it.
And then his shadows moved.
They slid across the floor in a silent sweep, gathering at the door before sealing it shut with a soft, final click.
I raised a brow.
Slowly.
Very slowly, I turned to look at him.
He was dusting his sleeve again. Like that was a normal thing to do twice in under a minute.
I stared.
He did not look at me.
There was a knock at the door.
"Your Majesty," I heard Naviel say. "I know you’re in there, so just come out."
I turned my head slightly toward the door.
Then back to Zorathys.
He had moved on from his sleeve and was now adjusting his earring.
I stared harder.
There was a pause.
Then another voice spoke.
"Your Highness," Ignivar said, and I could hear the exhaustion in his tone, "please tell His Majesty to come out. At least so he can attend to his work."
My gaze remained fixed on Zorathys.
I didn’t even blink.
"I knew it," I said.
He looked at me then.
"Are you speaking to me?" he asked, his tone calm, almost offended.
I didn’t answer.
I just kept staring.
"I have no idea why Ignivar and Naviel are at your door calling for me," he continued smoothly. "I owe them nothing."
From outside—
"You owe us something," Naviel said. "All we need is your stamp."
Ignivar added, "Just your stamp."
Zorathys shook his head slowly.
"I have no idea what they are talking about."
I exhaled.
"I didn’t even ask."
"I am answering your future question," he said.
I rolled my eyes.
Of course he was.
Of course he was avoiding work.
Of course this whole ’I want to show my wife around the demon realm’ was him avoiding work.
I turned and walked toward the door. Behind me, I could feel his gaze.
I reached for the lock, unlocked it, and opened the door.
Naviel and Ignivar were standing there.
Both of them looked like they hadn’t slept.
There were dark circles under their eyes, their usual composure worn thin by what I could only assume was hours of dealing with... him, Zorathys.
The moment the door opened, they straightened.
Then immediately dropped to their knees.
"Your Highness," Naviel said, his voice controlled but strained, "please—"
"Your Highness," Ignivar added, his tone more desperate, "we beg you—"
They both bowed their heads.
"Please help us get His Majesty’s stamp," they begged.
I turned to Zorathys, who stared back at me innocently.
"Like I said, I have no idea what they are talking about," he said.