When A Ghoul Falls In Love

Zachary Krauss feels as if his lips have been glued together. The creature is watching him quietly. In the depth of the creature’s green eyes, he senses violent hatred. He’s too afraid to ask.

“Why are you interested in the first place?” Devil probes further. “Do you know my master?”

“I want to meet her.” The security around the duke’s mansion is difficult to break. There are more than a hundred layers of defensive spells. If any foreign magic is detected, the lord of the mansion will be alerted right away. He also followed that ghoul. But the ghoul managed to detect him. It’s the same with this creature.

“Are you sure?” Devil narrows his eyes. “You might regret meeting her. It’s still not too late. Go back to the place where you have been hiding for all these years.”

Why does this creature speak as if it knows everything? Zachary clenches his hand into a fist. “Does Nell know?”

“If I say yes, what would you do?” Devil chuckles when he sees Zachary tremble weakly. “It’s not hard to guess. Your brother also claimed that he was her father.”

“What?” Zachary Krauss frowns hard at Devil. “Who did?”

“Valentin Krauss.” Devil licks his paw, feeling satisfied. Maybe the timing isn’t all that bad. “He also dated Isabelle Solomon. It was two years before you met her. Both Isabelle and you weren’t aware of it, I think.”

Zachary creases his forehead. It’s been a long time. Isabelle is dead. It doesn’t matter who she had dated. Nell is his daughter.

“Your family harassed Nell. So, she doesn’t have a good impression of the Krauss family.” Devil reveals to him lazily, “They opposed the idea of her getting married to a ghoul.”

He’s not surprised after hearing that. His family, especially his mother, has always been strict about certain things. The atmosphere in the Krauss family is stifling. When he couldn’t endure it anymore, he ran away from his family. His mother must have guessed that he’s Nell’s father. The reason why his mother would let the world know that Nell Solomon, his daughter, is marrying a ghoul is that she wants him to come out of his hiding place.

“You have guessed it right.” Devil seems amused. “Do you hate your mother?”

“I don’t hate her,” Zachary finds himself answering to the creature. Then, he realizes that he shouldn’t be revealing everything to this creature. What a cunning creature! “Why are you asking so many questions?”

“I am curious.” Devil tilts his head. “If you want to meet her, you have to wait.”

“Why?” Zachary Krauss wants to meet Nell right away. He hasn’t even seen her face. “I want to meet her now.”

“It’s not possible. She’s going through a test.” Devil informs him, “If she passes the test, she will be able to marry Eli. If she fails, she might become their food.”

“Is she crazy?” Zachary raises his voice. “How could she accept such a challenge?”

“Is it surprising considering that she’s your daughter, Moon Sorcerer?” Devil clicks his tongue. “Don’t worry. She will win the challenge.”

If she fails, he will break down everything and take her back to their world. Zachary Krauss pinches his lips together. A ghoul and a human She’s truly like Isabelle.

“You can meet her tomorrow night.”

Zachary Krauss blinks his eyes, surprised. How is this creature sure that she will meet him? “Did she say that to you?”

“Near the riverbank, there’s a small cave.” Devil says to him in a straightforward voice, “You should wait for us there. I will bring her. Then, you can meet her.”

“You aren’t tricking me, are you?” Zachary narrows his eyes in suspicion. “It’s best if I meet her before she gets married to that ghoul.”

Devil becomes silent for a moment. He seems to be thinking hard about something. He scrutinizes Zachary’s face. “Don’t worry. You will get to see her before she gets married.”

He releases his breath. All he wants to hear is that she isn’t being forced from herself. He isn’t like his family. After travelling in the fae realm for so long, he doesn’t find it odd. A ghoul and a human can love each other.

But there’s always a possibility that the human is under compulsion. Many fae would abduct human females. Those females are forced to bear fae’s children. But he has also seen love happening between otherworldly creatures and humans.

But it’s best if Nell doesn’t choose to be with Eli Sanguine. That ghoul isn’t an ordinary ghoul. And Nell has gone through a lot in the past. It’s best if she marries someone who isn’t related to the invisible world. However, he can’t say anything. What right does he have? He wasn’t there when she was born. He didn’t even know that he had a daughter until recently. Then, can he have any say in her life?

Will she give him a chance to be her father?

“I am being summoned back.” Devil’s cold voice snaps the line of his thoughts. “See you tomorrow night.”

The creature disappears right away. Zachary looks up at the sky, wondering what Nell will say to him.

***

When a grumpy Devil appears in the room, Nell releases her breath. “It’s not hard to bring you back.”

“You are still weak.” Devil climbs the bed. He glances at Eli before turning his back to him. He walks to the corner of the bed and curls into a ball. “I want to sleep.”

“Where did you go?” Eli inquires solemnly. Why does he have a feeling that this cat is up to something?

“I had fun with your brothers.” Devil opens his one eye. “They are still alive and intact.”

“You didn’t do anything wrong, did you?” Eli pressures the cat. “If you have done something, don’t worry. Just tell me. I will fix it.”

“I want to sleep,” Devil growls at him. “Why don’t you take care of Nell’s dress?”

“He must be annoyed about something,” Nell mutters. “Eli, ignore him. Then, he will demand you to pay attention to him.”

“Hey, I am not a real cat.” Devil hisses at Nell. “I don’t demand attention.”

Eli rolls his eyes as he climbs off the bed. “Yes, you do not do that.”

“Little Marshmallow is on my side.” Devil sighs. “Well, he’s affected by my charms. What can I do? I am a lovely creature.”

Nell wrinkles her nose. Devil is turning into a narcissistic cat.

“Wait for me here. I will check on Belinda.” Eli smiles at her before he leaves the room. Nell wonders why Belinda is late. She should have been here already.

“Your seal will break tomorrow night.”

She becomes still when she hears Devil’s words. Her blood turns cold. How long does she have? It’s not enough. She’s not ready.

“I don’t think that you have enough time to get married to him.” Devil grits his teeth, recalling how Carmine has been forcing all the priests to deny Eli’s request. “You can’t get married to him unless you defeat Carmine when she challenges you.”

It should happen today.

Nell takes deep breaths to calm herself. She clenches her fists. “Is it going to be painful?”

“Yes.”

“I am having second thoughts now.”

“You can’t avoid it anymore.” Devil murmurs, “It’s too late.”

“I will see Baek Joon-Woo and Maisie again.” Nell stares at her hands. “I will see them again for the last time.”

Devil doesn’t reply anymore.

“Will you also suffer with me?” Nell asks Devil.

“I won’t feel the pain but” Devil hesitates. Nell will definitely say no if he tells her that Zachary Krauss wants to meet her. No, he can’t tell her that name. The name will trigger the seal too. She only has two days with Little Marshmallow. “I won’t be able to do anything for you when you are so vulnerable. The blessing of the goddess might not be able to save you. What if you die because of the pain?”

“The one who inflicted this curse on me” Nell pats Devil’s head with a small smile. “He doesn’t want me to die. He wants me to suffer more. The true suffering will begin after I remember. So, I am sure that I won’t die.”

“What about Little Marshmallow?” Devil can’t help but question her. “Will you see him after you survive it?”

Nell answers him after a long silence, “If I can.”