When A Ghoul Falls In Love

Duke Balthier Sanguine shuts the door behind him and looks at his eleventh son. Lennix Sanguine’s jaw is twisted, head tilting awkwardly. His son’s arms are still frozen in the air. The Duke glances at his tenth son, Drace. The boy is bent backwards with his face toward the ceiling, standing on one leg. At any moment, Drace Sanguine might fall.

Balthier Sanguine lets out a heavy sigh as he turns away from his children, walking away. What has he been expecting? He’s not surprised by Eli’s shamelessness. His fourth son has done plenty to embarrass him.

However, Eli had never ever threatened him before. While his son held that human in his arms and yelled nonsense on his face, there was clearly a threat in his son’s eyes.

“It might be difficult in the future.” Judith, his second wife, trails after him. “That boy is too interested in that human.”

“He’s just trying to rebel against me.” Balthier Sanguine mutters, “His mother was also a rebel when she was young.”

Judith’s face contorts in anger. Her husband is still hung up on that woman who is dead for years. That sickly woman couldn’t give birth for years and when she did, it was a child who could wield darkness. None of her children has this ability. In fact, nobody other than Eli has the ability to wield pure darkness.

“That boy killed his mother,” Judith reminds her husband as she trots behind him.

Duke Balthier Sanguine halts in his tracks. He can’t ever forget the day he found Duchess Nilora taking her last breaths in her chamber. At that time, he wanted to kill Eli.

But his wife’s last wish

“I need him.” Balthier Sanguine quickens his steps. “I only need to make the girl hate him. Then, he will realize that humans are only food. They can never be life partners.”

Pinching her vermillion red lips into a thin line, Judith narrows her dark eyes. Her husband still has a soft spot for Eli.

***

“What should we do with him?” Julianne frowns at Lennix who blinks his eyes rapidly.

“Leave him be.” Belinda wrinkles her nose. “Shameless Eleventh Brother wanted to eat Sister-in-law’s b.o.o.b.s.”

“H-H-Help,” Lennix spits the word out with great difficulty. His own shadow is pricking his n.i.p.p.l.es with needles like fingers. It’s not as e.r.o.t.i.c as it sounds. “Please.”

“You deserve it,” Julianne says to him in a chilling tone. “Even though I don’t like it, how could you say b.o.o.b.s when Fourth Brother is more interested in them?”

“B.o.o.b.s are soft,” Talon comments. “The best part of a human female, especially if it’s medium raw.”

“Eighth Brother, do you want to turn out like Tenth Brother, Eleventh Brother, and Ninth Brother?” Belinda raises her brows. “Don’t come between Father and Fourth Brother.”

Drace whimpers, still unable to move.

“I am just stating a fact.” Talon sighs as he runs his fingers through his dark hair. “Fourth Brother is the same. He will have fun with her for a while before he decides to swallow her whole.”

Julianne shrugs. Fourth Brother had given her a warning the day she found out that he married a human. She was right back then If Belinda hadn’t convinced her that the woman was a homo sapiens, she wouldn’t have been fooled Julianne shakes her head, walking away.

“I don’t want to get involved in this.”

“When does she ever get involved in anything?” Talon scowls at Julianne. Though Julianne is younger than him, there’s not much difference between their ages. She’s only twenty-three years younger while Lennix and Drace are fifteen and eighteen years younger than him. Voss is only two days younger than him. So, they usually call each other by their names.

But Belinda is more than two-hundred years younger than him. She’s the baby of the family. He turns to his youngest sister. “You already knew this. Why didn’t you inform Father?”

“Brother told me not to.” Belinda tells him chirpily, “Sister-in-law isn’t bad. She likes reading books.”

As long as someone likes to read books, his youngest sister will befriend them. Talon inhales sharply. “You should raise your standards, Belinda. She’s human. Within three days, she will be served on our dinner table.”

“Not before I talk to her about books.” Belinda sticks her tongue out, making a face at him before she runs away.

“Why doesn’t she try eating books?” Talon puts his hands on his h.i.p.s. “Is she really our sister? Why does she like books more than she likes eating?”

Nobody answers him. He glances at Drace and Lennix. Both of them tremble awkwardly.

“Help!” Drace gasps. “Talon.”

“Please.” Lennix’s eyes turn watery. How long has he been standing like this?

Talon purses his lips and nods his head. Maybe it’s good that he kept his mouth shut earlier. Otherwise, he would have ended like these two.

Somehow, the day is going great.

***

“Wife, are you mad at me?” Eli pokes Nell’s shoulder. “You must have been mad about not being able to try different positions.”

“S.e.x isn’t that great,” Nell mutters. “All positions feel the same. You are a v.i.r.g.i.n. That’s why you are overly excited.”

“Is that so?” Eli lies down beside her, eyeing her pale pink ear. “You don’t love s.e.x?”

“Liar!” Devil cat clicks his tongue. “You love s.e.x.”

Eli covers his mouth and laughs.

“Can’t you keep your mouth shut?” Nell glares at Devil. “I am trying to have a decent conversation with him.”

“I want to get out, but the door is closed.” Devil yells back, “These doors have magic in them. I can’t pass through them.”

“My bad!” Eli climbs off the bed and goes to the door. Even before opening the door, he senses his two younger brothers standing outside. Did he forget to release their shadows?

As soon as he frees them, Drace and Lennix run away. Only then, Eli opens the door to let the cat out.

“Fourth Young Master.” A servant is standing in the corridor with his head lowered. He gives him a deep bow. “Lord asked you and Lady Solomon to join the dinner.”

His father did say something about dinner earlier. There’s no way that he is going to let Nell have dinner with them. She will probably be disgusted. Besides, his father is definitely up to something.

Eli opens his mouth to tell the servant that they will have dinner at his room.”We want to –”

“We are coming for dinner,” Nell interrupts him.