Chapter 168 - [Bonus ] The Birth Of The Devil
Chapter 168 – [Bonus ] The Birth Of The Devil
Three days after Rinnie left Belcoot…
Hugo grunted as he weakly opened his eyes. He blinked countless times until his vision grew clearer, seeing Alice's worried face hovering over him.
"Ugh… fuck." His first words were obviously profanity, making Alice heave a sigh of relief. "Why am I seeing your ugly face the first time I wake up?"
"Goodness. Now I'm certain you're out of danger." She chuckled, clicking her tongue as she turned her head to Daniel.
Daniel was sitting on the armchair beside the bed. He nodded at Alice before setting his eyes on the woman, perching on the chair across the bed.
"Hugo, you should rest more." Alice reminded him, but Hugo already propped his elbows against the mattress to sit up. As soon as he did, his eyes caught Daniel's figure.
"Why are you here?" he inquired with an arched brow, showing his attitude while stretching his neck. "Damn… where's Rinnie?"
Silence was the response he received. Hugo paused in stretching his neck as the space between his brows wrinkled. He glanced at Daniel's unchanging countenance, and then at Alice.
"I don't like what's written on your fa…ce." He trailed off, catching another figure from his peripheral vision. Slowly but surely, he turned his head to that other person.
That second, his heart thumped against his chest so loud he heard it in his ear. The woman, his destined mate, smiled meekly at him, closed-lipped. There was this intense, unwelcomed attraction between the two of them, but because her destined mate was already married, she felt a little conflicted about it.
Hugo raised his hand to her but then stopped, balling his hand into a fist. "Rinnie," he called, peeling his eyes away from the stranger. "Rinnie? Rinnie!"
His voice grew louder, calling for his wife while staring at the door. But no one came.
"Ah, shit…" he ground his teeth, flinging his legs out of the bed to look for her instead. But before his feet could land on the floor, Alice held his shoulder.
"Hugh." Alice shook her head, seeing the panic that was slowly showing in his eyes. "Just rest first. You haven't fully recovered yet."
"Hands off," came out a distant voice, slapping Alice's hand without care. "How dare you bring this woman to the place where my wife lives?"
Hugo let out a deep exhale, hands on his rear. He sat on the edge of the mattress for a few seconds before pushing himself up. He hadn't fully recovered yet, but he was better than before he collapsed. He could look for Rinnie.
"Dan," Alice called Daniel as Hugo marched towards the door.
"Rinnie is the one who invited us over." Hugo stopped by the door when Daniel spoke. The latter slowly turned his head in his direction.
"Do you have any idea how long you are in a coma? She sent a letter and requested your mates' presence. Alice and I simply accepted her request."
"Is that so?" Hugo snorted, holding the door handle to continue his plan. But once again, he stopped at Daniel's next words.
"She left."
"What?" this time, Hugo set his eyes on Daniel, who was still sitting on the armchair. "She… what?"
"Rinnie left. She already prepared and signed the documents to free you from your marriage. It's been three days since."
For a moment, Hugo felt like there was a hand covering his ears. Did he hear his brother correctly? Rinnie left? Three days ago? He tried to process the crown prince's words, but he just couldn't. His brain wasn't absorbing this information.
He snapped his eyes when Alice spoke. "Rinnie… is gone, Hugh. Respect her decision…" Alice trailed off when he suddenly flung the door open and rushed outside.
"Hugh…" Alice gritted her teeth as she clutched her hand into a tight fist. All they could do was stare at the open door in silence.
"I'm sorry, brother," she whispered, feeling the pain in her heart as she couldn't do anything. In the end, Rinnie still chose to let him go so he could be with his destined mate. It reminded her of her own past, knowing Hugo's pain because, at one point in her life, she was in Hugo's shoes.
"I will go after him." Daniel planted his hand on the armrest, eyes on Alice and then at Hugo's mate. "Forgive my brother's action, Lady Ida."
"Not at all. It's fine and I understand." Ida waved her hands sideways, smiling warmly at the crown prince. "There's no need to apologize. But I am worried His Grace might collapse if he moves too much."
"Rest assured, I will bring him back." Daniel's demeanor remained distant as he walked away. But just when he was by the door, Ida suddenly sprung up and spoke in urgency.
"Can I come?" she inquired. "I'm… just really worried."
Daniel glanced over his shoulder. "He might kill you if you come close to him."
"That's fine with me." Ida huffed, eyes on Daniel's back.
"Ida…" Alice called under her breath.
"Let me come, Your Royal Highness. I'm just really worried and… I think me and His Grace should deal with this matter since this is about us." Ida sported a brave look, standing on her ground.
A shallow breath slipped past his lips. "Don't blame me if you got hurt." That was all Daniel uttered before departing the room without looking back.
Ida heaved a sigh of relief as she gazed at Alice. She only offered the latter a smile before jogging away to follow Daniel's tracks. In the end, Alice also followed since she also wanted to stop Hugo in case he lost his mind.
*****
"Ivo! Reks! Nathan!"
Hugo's voice echoed across the entire castle as he marched angrily through the hallway. Still in his nightwear, Hugo huffed and ignored the fatigue he was still feeling.
"Ivo!!!" he yelled until he reached the castle's foyer.
"Your Grace!"
After hearing the alpha's angry call, everyone rushed to the foyer. As soon as they caught sight of Hugo, everyone held their breaths.
He knew. He already knew about Rinnie. And he was furious.
"Send everyone for a search. Bring Rinnie back here." Hugo didn't falter in his steps as he trudged toward the entrance.
"But Alpha Hugo, it's been three days since…"
"BRING. HER. BACK." Hugo stopped only to glare at them as his eyes turned red. "Send everyone and look for her. I don't care if she went to hell. Bring her back to me. How can you let her leave?"
He was gassing out while his face already showed his health hadn't fully recovered. Yet, he already resumed leaving the castle to look for Rinnie. Hugo only stopped when he was by the door, sensing that no one moved a muscle.
"What the…? Didn't you hear me?" he looked back and growled, making everyone flinch.
Ivo clenched his teeth, hanging his head low. "Alpha Hugo, how about her? If we manage to bring her back, what will happen then? She will only be in even more pain — the both of you will just suffer even more."
"Ivo," Hugo scoffed as he looked at everyone in dismay. "Ah. I am the only one who wants her back? You lot already accepted a woman you don't even know just because she is the one the moon goddess gave me?"
The level of stupidity he was seeing rendered him speechless. Hugo could only shake his head in disbelief, unable to think straight.
"Sure… go ahead. I step down." He raised his hands and smirked in ridicule. "Do whatever you all want, but don't stand in my way. I will kill anyone who will try."
With that being said, Hugo continued to walk away without looking back. He was wrong. Everyone didn't want Ida, even if she was his rightful mate. They all begged Rinnie. Even cried to her.
But… how could they stop someone who was already determined to leave? How could they selfishly restrain her in this place if they all knew Hugo would eventually succumb to his destiny? That he would soon seek his mate and not Rinnie?
They weren't listening to Hugo's orders, not because they didn't want Rinnie anymore. It was because that was their luna's wish and they wanted to honor her wishes.
Little did everyone know, the day Hugo would stop looking for her, it was also the day 'that' Hugo died.. Because the one who was left behind, abandoned, even for good intention, never had a good outcome.