A round and small creature runs toward the hut under the banyan tree. He stops near the door and hunches his body, looking to the right and left with his blood-red round eyes. He blinks a few times, listening to the sound of the woods. His purple skin glimmers green when the moonlight falls on him. As he steps toward the house, he hears a burst of soft laughter. The creature glances at the moon and purses his lips.
Only a part of the moon is in the sky.
He shudders, feeling its mischievous eyes on him. Being a moon-spirit, he's highly sensitive to the moon's moods. He wonders what is this moon up to. He pushes the door and scurries into the hut.
A musty air slams against the creature's nose. On the wooden bed, the man with long silver hair is lying on his stomach the wooden bed without a care for the world. His reverberating snores echo in the hut.
"Master!" The creature shouts and shakes his master's body with his webbed hands. "Wake up. The moon is acting strange."
"When is it not acting strange?" The man grumbles, covering his head with his arms. "Go away, Gua."
"Wrath of the moon." Gua climbs the bed and smacks his master's back. "It appeared."
The man raises his head with his eyes closed. "Did it appear now? Maybe another moon child is born. What about it?"
Whose child is it? The moon children are often born from the Krauss bloodline. His brothers don't have any children with moon's magic. The Krauss family must be happy if they receive a child who can create the wrath of the moon. It's good for them.
The man puts his head down. The hangover is bad, but he's aching for another drink. "Gua, get me some wine."
"It's not a time to drink wine, Master." Gua takes out a folded paper from the inner pocket of his robe. He unfolds the paper quickly and dangles it in front of his master's face. "The moon child is marrying a dark creature."
Interesting. The man opens his eyes slightly and glances at the paper. When he reads the paper, he frowns deeply. His child? Where did it appear from? What kind of trick is this family playing against him? He rubs his eyes and reads the article carefully.
"Isabelle Solomon." He blinks his eyes slowly. That name… He can't forget that name. It's been a long time. That year, he was running from those people. He went back to the city and stayed in an abandoned house that was rumoured to be haunted. That girl kept coming despite his warnings.
He had to let her go because he loved her. If his enemies found out that he had someone he cherished, she would have been in a danger.
Why is this name appearing in his world? Did she have his child?
Colour drains from his face when he reads the rest of the article. Isabelle Solomon is dead. Her only daughter was… by the satyrs.
"The one who caused the wrath fo the moon…" Zachary Krauss sits up and glances at Gua with a frown on his face. "Is it her?"
"It's not in the newspaper, but there are rumours that she did it." Gua leans closer and whispers, "Someone saw her spirit devouring the wrath of the moon."
He stares at the picture -- long pale hair, light skin, and a glum look in her hazel eyes. Whether she's his daughter or not, he has to confirm it first. Is there a spirit who can devour the wrath of the moon? How did she find it? It's likely that she's his daughter, but he has to confirm it first.
"Gua, find out where she is right now."
***
In the abode of Duke Balthier Sanguine, a female human is standing in front of a ghoul protectively. Without any hint of fear in her beautiful hazel eyes, she glares at the lord of the house. The soldiers peer at the female human. Her delicious scent is mouthwatering. If they could, they would have fought for her flesh. The life in her eyes is enticing to them.
They aren't backing off. His father is quite stubborn. Nell creases her forehead. She could sense the predatory looks that the soldiers are giving them. She straightens her back and clenches her fist. "Don't even think of hurting him. I am going to beat all of you if you touch him." She glares at Duke Balthier Sanguine. "Including you, Sir."
All of a sudden, their faces turn red and sweat trickle down on their faces.
Their shadows are being twisted into abnormal shapes on the floor. They feel their internal organs twisting inside their body and their bones breaking into fragments, but they can't move an inch or open their mouth to scream.
Duke Balthier Sanguine is spared from this misery.
Are they scared of her? Nell blinks her eyes. The soldiers are quiet and watching her with strange expressions. Did her threat work? She's not an idiot to believe that. Nell looks over her head and frowns at Eli. "Did you do something?"
"Me?" Eli smiles at her brightly. "I didn't do anything, Wife."
"We should try civil ways first." Nell leans closer and whispers in his ear, "Don't be afraid if words can't get your melodramatic father. We will also be dramatic and run away to get hitched."
She's keeping her voice low in hopes that only Eli would hear her. She has no idea that ghouls have a high hearing. Everyone in the room could hear her.
"Leave," Duke Balthier Sanguine commands them with a cold voice. Only then, they feel their body being released. The soldiers straighten their backs despite the pain. They march outside the hall. The moment they are out, they drop on their knees and groan in pain.
"What is happening inside?" A beautiful young boy asks them.
"Eleventh young master, we can't say it." Please spare them. One of the soldiers bows politely. Honestly, Duke's children scare them more than Duke Balthier Sanguine does.
"How bad is it from one to ten?" The boy bends down his knees and looks at them with excitement. "Is it true that Fourth Brother wants to get married to a human?"
The soldiers pinch their lips into a thin line. Does it make sense that a ghoul would marry a human? No, it doesn't make sense at all. Moreover, that human is taking a protective stance against the evilest ghoul sorcerer in this realm. They don't know whether to laugh at her foolishness or cry for the pain in their bodies.