CHAPTER 348: ENVY IN FLESH-II

"It hasn’t been long since you have entered the castle and now you tell us that you truly, deeply, and sincerely care for all the sorcerers here?" Alice chuckled with her upper lips tugged, a kind of smile that gets on everyone’s nerves. "I find that hardly convincing. The last time someone utters that they care for others, instead they were the first to abandon those they claim to care."

At this, Ariel frowned.

The woman’s words were far too sharp, far too instigating.

Everything she said was spoken as if to offend, to create doubt between two people, the type of person who only thrives when seeing others in distrust.

Sure enough upon her words Morpheus’s eyes on her also turned doubtful.

She heaved her breath, smiling back at Alice but not meekly, "The one I wish to protect are here in the castle and only to them will I have to answer my sincerity, not to an outsider."

Alice narrowed his eyes, not expecting that Alice’s tongue was sharp. Usually Alice prefer to speak gently and to not hurt anyone’s heart but she is Arabella’s sister and the two had tongue that could touch the sorest wound of someone without even trying.

She then turned to Morpheus, "I understand that to you I am still a guest. Perhaps my concern is unnecessary and even worse, a bother to you. But as you have told me, this castle is my home, a place where there are people who share my blood and power. They were kind to me, welcoming, and for that I want to repay their kindness."

Her green eyes were full of sincerity as she looked at Morpheus and after each words she said, she could see how Morpheus’s once doubtful eyes slowly softened up.

"I want to understand what had occurred, especially since they were the people who I had taken care as well. But if you are terribly busy with the lady beside you, I understand. I will understand even more if you think that I am a burden for caring. But please tell me if I have overstepped my boundaries and if you wish for me not to care about the people in this castle."

She let Morpheus to decide whether he wanted to trust her or let her leave as Alice had tried to make him to. But she knew that with the way she had worded thing, there was only one reply Morpheus would say.

Sure enough, she was correct.

"You are not a bother," Morpheus uttered as he sighed, walking to where the chair was. "I was merely wishing to not put more stress on you when you have been busy."

That was a lie.

Ariel knew that the reason why he was upset when she had barged in was because Morpheus was in a middle of a secret conversation with Alice, one that involves the two bodies outside.

Two dead bodies. An appearance of a witch.

A gut feeling added with this sense of fishiness pointed to Ariel being the one behind the death of those two guards.

But why is it that Morpheus seemed unbothered?

He was annoyed, angry even, but he didn’t attack Alice for harming the two guards.

Was she wrong? Morpheus would never allow anyone to harm his sorcerers, paying blood with blood.

"Their death happened due to a wild beast," said Morpheus as he sat down but Ariel didn’t buy that.

What kind of wild beast can turn those sorcerers rotten in just under a few hours? It was still nighttime when she had seen them and the sun haven’t risen up yet.

"Then this lady?" Ariel eyed Alice who had smirked back at her.

"I was here to visit when I found their body. Fend against the beast that’s why my clothes are torn," Alice explained playfully and her lack of emotion confirmed that she was the one who was behind the deaths.

Ariel wondered what kind of a fool had they imagined her to be?

How was it that they were so brave in lying, thinking that she wouldn’t find this suspicious and their lies an utter garbage?

"It is also the right time for me to introduce you two," Morpheus on his throne pointed lazily at Alice, "This lady here is a witch, a well known witch and a friend of the first witch."

"Alice Veny," Alice introduced herself, her eyes turning crescent as she spoke, "I have heard that there are two princess and you must be the youngest?"

"The older one, Ariella," introduced Ariel with a slight tipped chin to show her respect, "A witch and an old friend of the first witch, that must make you a very magnificent witch, Lady Ariel, perhaps even rival all the achievement of the first witch."

Ariel had only wanted to praise the woman’s skill to make her spill. Unexpectedly, her expression suddenly turned ugly.

Seeing this Morpheus seemed to smile, "The first witch is much too powerful and a genius at that. Most witch wouldn’t be able to keep up with all her achievements."

Ah.

So Alice’s power wasn’t comparable to the first witch.

"But I am even more capable than her when it comes to controlling my coven," said Alice and at this Morpheus seemed unhappy.

How odd. These two aren’t exactly on a friendly term are they?

Alice didn’t seem to like Morpheus who wasn’t easy to control and sway.

Morpheus didn’t like Alice for her annoying personality that gets on his nerves.

It must be such a great goal that had stitched them together as friends.

"I see, I didn’t know that witches would like to come to another coven’s. You must have been a great friend of the first witch to constantly come for a visit despite how she has been gone for so long," Ariel said and Alice scoffed.

"Exactly, we were such close friend," and her bitterness shows as if she had just fought against the first witch. "But I didn’t come here for a mere visit. I am here to help Morpheus find a way to break a curse."

"A curse?" Ariel narrowed her eyes, "The curse that disallow all the sorcerers from leaving this castle?"