The Devil's Betrothed-Chapter 709: Aaron’s Cruel Words

Aaron went to visit Lucian, as he wanted to talk about Rina. She had been staying at his home, and no one from the Rainier estate had come to check on her, which surprised him and made him wonder what exactly was going on.

When Aaron reached Lucian’s study, he found Lucian lost in his thoughts, staring blankly out of the window, his mind seemingly elsewhere.

"Lucian?" Aaron called, noticing that Lucian hadn’t even realized someone had entered his study.

Lucian snapped back to reality and turned to see Aaron standing across from his desk. "Aaron? I’m sorry. I didn’t notice you arrive. Please, have a seat."

"It’s alright," Aaron said, settling into the chair while Lucian asked the servant to bring tea.

"What were you thinking about so deeply?" Aaron asked. "Is something troubling you?"

"It’s nothing," Lucian replied honestly. "I was just staring outside and didn’t even realize where my mind had wandered."

Aaron hummed, then shifted to the reason for his visit. "I came to talk about Rina."

"Is she troubling you?" Lucian asked. "I know she came to your home after we had an argument."

"No, she’s not troubling me, but she was crying, saying she misses you," Aaron explained. "But then she didn’t want me to bring you to her either. If there’s something between you two, as her older brother, you should talk it out and try to make her understand. Sisters are supposed to be treasured by brothers."

"There is nothing worry, Aaron. But she’s not a child anymore. She’s been too pampered by us here. Let her stay away for a little while," Lucian replied, meeting Aaron’s gaze. "But if she’s troubling you, I’ll arrange for her to go somewhere else."

"No. She’s not troubling me," Aaron denied immediately. "She’s still a child, and a girl at that. How can you think about sending her somewhere else? She can stay either at Rainiers or Wynters. We shouldn’t trust anyone else with the daughter of our family. If you’re that adamant about sending her away, then she’ll stay at my home as long as she wants."

Lucian noticed how suddenly protective Aaron had become of Rina, and this was what he wanted.

"Alright, but if she becomes too much of a handful, you can tell me," Lucian said. "I’ve been with her since she was born, and I know she’s not always easy to deal with."

"She’s a good child. Even if she causes trouble, it’s nothing to worry about. As long as she stays at Wynters, she’s my responsibility," Aaron declared firmly.

"Well then, I can be relieved," Lucian replied with a hint of a smile.

With the matter of Rina settled, Lucian shifted the conversation. "Elrod is dead. What do you expect me to do with the Mortimers?"

Aaron knew that Elrod had taken his own life with the dagger Lucian had left for him, and he didn’t mind. He had already done enough to shatter Elrod’s spirit entirely.

"You can decide their fate," Aaron replied, giving Lucian the freedom to seek his own revenge.

"What’s left for me?" Lucian remarked. "Your punishment for Elrod has already left everyone shattered and full of regret."

Lucian couldn’t deny that what had happened to Zymer was cruel beyond words, but Aaron had lost his sister in the most brutal way imaginable. Breaking someone as evil and shameless as Elrod that seemed to be the only way to bring justice.

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The next morning, Aaron and Lucian returned to the prison base. Elrod’s dead body was being carried out after being left in the cell since the previous day. His throat had been slit, and his corpse was on display all night, forcing everyone to witness his end. The cruelty of the past two days had drained the life out of those who had seen it, leaving them with deep regret.

Luis and his two sons were the only ones clinging to their sanity, doing so for Grace’s sake. Grace, though still breathing, was like a shell of a person—her spirit utterly shattered by what she had witnessed.

Unlike Elrod, whose soul had only been broken, Grace’s mind had been completely destroyed. She hadn’t spoken a word since, nor had she eaten or drunk anything. The horrors they had seen had stolen their appetite and will to live.

When Aaron and Lucian entered the prison cell area, a guard announced to the prisoners, "All of you are being sent to the extreme north of the territory, to work at the construction site for the boundary wall. You will labor there for the rest of your lives."

Luis felt a wave of terror wash over him. The extreme north was nothing but ice, unbearable cold, and endless snow. Grace would never survive there, and he knew it. She would suffer greatly and die.

"Lord Wynter," Luis called out, gripping the cold iron bars of the prison cell. If he could have broken free, he would have thrown himself at Aaron’s feet to beg for mercy.

Aaron turned his gaze toward him, his expression cold and unforgiving, as if Luis were nothing more than a bug beneath his feet.

"Lord Wynter, please don’t send my daughter to the construction site. Look at her—she already seems half-dead," Luis begged, his voice trembling with desperation. "I beg you, show some mercy to her. She’s nothing but a weak woman. You can punish her by making her a maid or giving her some lowly work in your residence, but don’t send her outside. She’s always been protected within the walls of a home. She had been born and raised there. She will live there however you want her to be. Please."

Tears streamed down Luis’s face as he pleaded, his hands gripping the bars. "I beg you, for the sake of my daughter. That construction site is full of criminals. She won’t survive there."

Aaron took a step forward, kneeling on one knee before Luis, who was crumbling on the ground. Aaron’s gaze was filled with cold hatred, devoid of any trace of kindness.

"Luis Mortimer," Aaron began, his voice sharp and merciless, "do you actually believe your blood is worthy to step inside my home? Have you lost your mind? And what makes you think your daughter would be safe with me around? Don’t you realize I could hurt her in ways you can’t even begin to imagine?"