Before he could respond, the door creaked open, and the very woman they were arguing about stepped inside, her gaze darting between them, her eyes seemingly wide, innocent and fearful.
"My apologies, Your Highness," she said, her tone was sweet and deferential. "I didn't mean to interrupt, but you asked me to—"
"Not now," Azrael snapped, his voice colder than ice.
The woman hesitated, her eyes lingering on Lareina for a moment before she curtsied and left.
Lareina's breath hitched, her chest heaving as she fought to keep her emotions in check. "You asked her to what?" she whispered, her voice barely audible.
"It's not what you think," Azrael said quickly, his frustration giving way to something that almost resembled panic.
"Then tell me what it is," Lareina said, her voice breaking. "Tell me why she's here, why you trust her more than you trust me."
"This has nothing to do with trust," Azrael said, running a hand through his hair, ''You are reading too much into this.''
"Tell me what this is about," Lareina whispered, shoulders slumping at the weakness that consumed her body all of a sudden. "Why have I become an outsider in my own marriage? What am I supposed to believe when you won't tell me the truth?"
Azrael opened his mouth to respond, but the words wouldn't come. The silence stretched between them, heavy and suffocating.
She took a step back from him, just in time as he reached out to her.
"Don't touch me," she said, her voice trembling. "I can't do this anymore. I can't keep pretending it is anything more than a lie,'' she mumbled, more to herself, than him.
He looked at her for a moment and she saw the unfiltered rage and annoyance on his face but in the end, he did not say a word as he turned around and left.
The tears she had fought so hard to restrained flowed freely and her heart felt a little cold. That night, she kept tossing and turning, unable to sleep properly.
The next morning, Lareina sat for breakfast in her bedchamber. Rosie served the food on the small table, ''My Lady, I woke up late so I could not prepare more than two dishes for you. The human delicacies take a lot of time to prepare and I am still inexperienced in it.''
Lareina scooped a spoonful of the thin porridge and ate it without a change in her expression, ''They must have made things difficult for you in the kitchen.''
Rosie's eyes widened, not expecting to be seen through like that.
''Initially, they were still afraid and let us live peacefully because of my position as his wife. As things have come to this, they would not be so tolerant anymore,'' Lareina looked out of the window, her expressions distant, ''So, don't get yourself in trouble.''
The sound of approaching footsteps made both the women turn in the direction of the door.
Azrael strode in and on his way, he dragged a chair to the table.
"Your Highness,'' Rosie greeted the man.
Lareina did not look at the man as much even as he took a seat on the other side of the table.
The sound of impatient tapping of fingers was the only sound that could be heard in the empty room.
''Are you not going to look at your husband's face now?" A mocking voice sounded, ''No greeting whatsoever. Or are you afraid that looking at me early in the morning would ruin the rest of your day?"
Lareina did not raise her head, ''You jest, Your Highness. It is improper to talk while eating,'' she pooled up the bowl of porridge and continued eating without gazing at him even once.
Azrael's eyes narrowed, scanning across the table, taking in the sight of the stale bread and the porridge bowl that was not even the size of his palm.
He grabbed Lareina's hand and obstructed her movements, ''Why are you eating these things?" When she looked up at him, his face darkened even further. He leaned across the small table and grabbed her jaws, ''Why do you look so pale?"
Lareina pursed her lips and looked down.
He yanked her jaws, gently but firmly upwards, ''I am talking to you.''
''Shouldn't you know better?" Lareina felt like laughing at herself. At this juncture, must he mock her like this?
Her status in the demon realm had already been on thin ice but the demons were still wary because they did not know his stance on his human wife. So, even though she was not treated particularly well, they still did not go out of their way to humiliate her.
But now, Azrael came back with a lover and her position was clear in everyone's eyes. She was an unwanted wife who would be discarded sooner or later.
Her cold and crisp reply made him tighten his grip on her jaws slightly before he released her face and turned to Rosie who was standing at a little distance, ''Go, prepare a proper breakfast for her,'' he snapped his finger and an illusory mark appeared on the maid's palm, ''Tell them that you are acting on my orders.''
''Yes, yes, Your Highness.''
Once Rosie left, the room sunk in silence. Azrael pushed himself to his feet and stalked towards Lareina, ''Are you feeling unwell somewhere…''
Lareina pulled her hand back and stood up from the chair before he could touch her.
His face darkened.
At this moment, someone barged inside the room, footsteps frantic.
Azrael looked over his shoulder and growled at the demon soldier, ''Get lost!"
''Your Highness, My Lord has summoned you.''
Azrael's expressions loosened in the slightest and he stepped back from Lareina, ''Where?"
''The hunting grounds.''
Azrael had just taken a step when the demon continued, ''The Lady is summoned as well.''
Lareina stood there, bewildered until she felt slender fingers wrapping around hers as her hand was held in a firm grip.
She looked up at Azrael.
''Don't look at me like I am taking you there to be a human sacrifice,'' The displeasure on his face was glaring as he led her out of her room, holding her hand.
She struggled to free her hand from his grip but that only led to him tightening his hold even further.
The hunting grounds of the demon realm had an eeriness to it. A vast and dark stretch of ground with dark miasma floating in the air.
However on that particular morning, the place was jostling with cheers from the demons. The King was seated on his high throne with the crown prince by his right and the young fourth prince by his left.
And just like yesterday, the beautiful demoness whom Azrael had brought was occupying the seat next to his. Upon seeing Azrael, she stood up and smiled as if the world ceased to exist in her eyes.
''You are here on time,'' The King's voice boomed in the cheerful atmosphere of the hunting ground.
''Men, release them…''
Azrael had let go of her hand the moment they had stepped into the hunting grounds. A subtle discomfort flitted through her veins as the cheers of the demons got louder and louder upon seeing her.
The howls of the demons exploded at this moment and they were accompanied by brutal animalistic growls that approached close to her.
Lareina stumbled when a dark shadow whizzed past her body but just when she thought she was about to crash onto the ground, a solid body stood behind her and her back hit Azrael's chest.
However, the chill that had permeated her body was not Azrael's body temperature. Instead, it was the view of a horde of gruesome looking beasts dragging around humans between their claws and fangs.