Chapter 56

IAN was looking at the ledgers of his tenants back in St. Betown in the East. He was pinching his nose before he felt something in his mind. He did not know when it had got started, but it was getting worse and worse as he was doing his work.
“Butler,” Ian called for his butler to get his blood-laced wine before he got up from the chair. He stumbled forward as the butler was coming into his study room.
“My lord,” the butler said as he was helping Ian up. He was breathing hard before he felt that he was spinning around.
“To…my…bedchamber…now,” he restrained him as he was seeing red behind his retina. He knew what that meant. It meant that he wanted blood, but he could only take it from his wife, Emily. But Emily did not know about his secret. No one did unless it was his household.
“Do you want me to get the mistress?” The butler said he was shaking his head.
“No…one…must…know,” he said as the butler was nodding at Ian. Then, they went to the bedchamber, which was empty, as Emily was going into town with Lady Rebecca Dragomir, Duchess of Belikov.
The butler was slipping Ian into his bedchamber that he had shared with his wife after that fateful night in the carriage. He smiled despite the pain that he was feeling right now. It kept him at bay to go attack anyone that could be harmful to him.
But it has to be the opposite sex.
Ian was breathing hard when the butler was slipping him under the cover. Ian was shivering. He cannot control it as it was Porphyria that acted in his body now. Since his adolescence, Ian has not been the same young man that he was.
Now, he was a changed man.
“I will get some blood for you, my lord,” the butler said, as Ian was nodding. The butler left the chamber before Ian was breathing hard. He has to control this. Ian was not known to be weak and he had been doing this since he was a young boy.
Ian just hoped that he could get this under control before his wife arrived.

EMILY felt something tingling inside her chest as she turned to look at the side of the capital where the Higher Court, as well as the Lesser Gentry, were residing when they were in Royal Molftus. She knew that something was nagging her inside her chest but she could not pinpoint what it was.
“Emmy, are you alright, my dear?” Becca asked her as Emily turned to look at her best friend. She smiled before shaking her head as her hand was rubbing the right spot of her chest, wanting that feeling to be gone, but it persisted to stay there.
Perhaps I should go home to Ian, she mused, but that would be defeating the purpose of today’s outing, going to the town. Becca was excited about showing her the new location for the tailor, Lady Ivashkov, to her, and Emily was happy enough to get more of the gowns from that most sought-out tailor on the island.
“I don’t know, just feeling jumpy I suppose,” Emily said as she was selecting some of the fabrics that she wanted to make for her and her husband's clothing for her.
Becca hummed before Emily turned to look at her as she felt like her best friend was trying to decipher her like she was under a magnifying glass. Emily arched her eyebrows.
“What?”
“I see how it goes now that you both share the same bed,” Becca sang as Emily blushed at her accusation. It’s not that Becca was not wrong but to publicly acknowledge it and maybe the Gossipers would hear about it…
There will be a scandal in The Gossipers tabloid tomorrow.
“Hush, you’re such a bad lady, Becca,” Emily said, but a smile was plastered on her lips as Becca was laughing while they were walking around the marketplace.
“I cannot wait to tell my husband about this development of his best friend. I think Nick would be pleased to know that Ian would be annoying him anymore. He has you now,” Becca said as her green orbs were twinkling. Emily shook her head before they were walking around to sightsee more of the capital.
“You’re the worst, Becca, I swear,” Emily said before Becca smirked.
“But you love me anyway,” her best friend said as Emily smiled.
“That I do,” she said as they went on with their outing, knowing that Emily would still want to get home as soon as possible and that she could afterward.

LADY Emily Hassildor was having a blast with the Duchess of Belikov, Lady Rebecca Dragomir. They went sightseeing as well as getting some supplies for their clothing and tried some teas and bought for their husbands.
Right now, Emily was sitting in the backyard of Belikov Estate after a tiring day of shopping around and sightseeing the Royal Molftus with Becca since her marriage to Niklaus.
Emily could not have been happier just catching up and chatting with her best friend. Becca sighed as she was leaning against the chair in the backyard as Emily was sipping on the tea that had been prepared by the maid for them both.
“It is so tiring since I haven’t been going around for a while. Nick is too busy to go out with me and so I spend my time in the library,” Becca said as Emily was nodding at her.
“But now that you’re back in Royal Molftus, I think I can safely say that we will be going out quite often, spending our husbands’ wealth,” Becca said as Emily was looking at her neck. She was wearing a black choker that covered her neck. She had never noticed that Becca was rocking that style before.
“Is that a new accessory?” Emily asked as Becca was touching it. She noticed that Becca’s face paled a bit before Emily smiled at her. “It looks good on you,” she said, as Becca sighed before she smiled at Emily.
Why would her best friend be nervous when she asked about that? Emily thought it was an uncommon reaction out of Becca, but she had never been a nervous person before.
Something about this had made Emily wonder what had changed Becca.
“Oh, it was a new accessory that I thought would look good on my skin. Do you approve of it?” Becca asked Emily as she nodded at her best friend.
“Yes, the black choker was nice and it made your pale skin stand out. As well as your black hair, my dear,” Emily said as Becca’s green eyes were twinkling under the dim gaslight. Then, Emily was surprised when the butler came to hand her a telegram from her home.
“Someone sent this to you, my lady,” he said before Emily thanked him and she was removing the seal to read it. It was from her butler back at home.
Something was wrong with the marquis. I wish you would come home immediately at your convenience, mistress ~ B
Emily was looking at Becca after she read the dismissive disillusion before she was standing up from the chair as her skirts rustled. Becca was looking at her before the duchess stood as well.
“What’s wrong, my dear?” Becca asked Emily as she was smiling weakly at her best friend.
“I have to go home now. Ian is in trouble,” Emily said as she was looking for her purse and all the stuff that she carried with her earlier.
“Oh dear, I hope it was not bad,” Becca said as Emily was putting on her coat as the butler was giving it to her. Emily turned to look at Becca before they were walking to the front of Belikov Estate.
“I’m sure it’s nothing, usually Ian wanted me home because he was lonely,” Emily said before Becca was arching her eyebrows and smirked at Emily.
“Oh, I bet these lords do,” Becca said, smirking as Emily was smoothing her skirts before the carriage that bore the sigil of Hassildor was arriving in front of the castle.
“I would love to chat later, dear. I will see you soon,” Emily said, as Becca was nodding at her.
“I see you around, my dear. Take care,” Becca said before Emily hugged the duchess and got inside the carriage as the footman was closing the door. Emily was looking at Becca before she was waving at her best friend as the coachman was whipping the horse and it neighed. Then, the carriage moved to its final destination, the Marquis of Kain’s townhouse in Royal Molftus.