The sight of lady Anny with her white wings softly resting over her shoulder while her pink cheeks spread shyly as she pulled her smile stunned Evangeline more than what she would like to admit.
The lady who had once looked down at her now appeared demure, like a real angel itself. Perhaps what made it stung even more to Eva was how beautiful Lady Anny was, so much so that the sight of her side profile and her blonde hair appear so delightful to the eyes, like a painting that belong to the gallery of this castle.
Her father beside her looked proud at his daughter's beauty, boasting aloud, "Lord Hades, though this is your first time to see my daughter, I know you must enjoy her beauty. Even amongst all the Seraphs in the land, isn't she a delight to the eyes?"
Eva's eyes shifted from Anny's beauty toward Hades who was smiling.
Didn't the maids said that Hades didn't particularly have the habit of smiling?
Yet while looking at Anny, he looked delighted. Almost as if he was genuinely enjoying her presence.
Something that... she couldn't blame.
A beautiful Seraph, a lady with such stature and beauty, so lovely with a demure etiquette...
Someone like her who is a human, with a beauty that match a worn out candlewax... and a family who never once chose to praise her... how could she ever hold a light against her?
Before she knew it, Eva had held too tight at the lace and when she noticed her own action, she panicked, not wanting to ruin the lace that belong to Hades. When she noticed how tightly she had gripped it, she panicked, quickly smoothing it out again as if to erase her own emotions.
Then his voice broke through the silence.
"Oh, Evangeline."
The sound of her name rolled softly from his tongue, and heads turned. Startled, she lifted her chin just as Hades walked toward her, his every step unhurried, commanding the space with quiet ease.
He stopped before her, eyes gleaming faintly, and reached for the ribbon between her fingers.
"I must have forgotten this," he said, his tone light yet unreadable. "You have my thanks for bringing it back to me."
Eva managed a small smile, though her heart was pounding. But over his shoulder, she caught sight of Lady Anny's expression—her lips parted in disbelief, eyes wide with something more than surprise.
Anger.
Not the anger of a noble insulted, but the kind born from jealousy, at the thought that a mere human dared stand before Lord Hades and be acknowledged by him at all.
"Why is she—"
A slip of contempt escaped Lady Anny's lips before she caught herself. Her smile faltered for half a second, but the damage was done. Hades turned to her, one brow lifting with leisurely interest.
"Do you know Evangeline?"
Count Stefard followed his gaze, his eyes landing on the timid human girl standing a few steps away. His mouth twitched in poorly hidden disdain. "Is she someone you know, Anny?"
"No," Anny replied swiftly, her tone light, so innocent that no one could tell her contempt or underlying poison in her tongue, "A face like hers is rather common, don't you think? Though now that I recall, there was a beggar who looked like her once. The resemblance startled me."
"A beggar, you say?" Hades repeated softly.
Eva's face burned crimson. The words stung, and her fingers trembled against the ribbon she held.
Hades glanced at her, then back at Anny, and smiled. It was not a kind smile but no one in the hall could ever notice it.
"Evangeline is no beggar," he said, voice smooth as silk yet cutting like glass. "In fact, she surprised even me with her art. I'm not easily impressed, yet she managed to do just that."
The color drained from Anny's face. For a heartbeat, silence filled the air thick and uneasy.
Eva, though flustered and mortified, felt warmth bloom in her chest at his defense. His words, sincere or not, were a small mercy she hadn't expected.
But to Anny, they were humiliation.
Her lips tightened before she forced a brittle laugh. "How wonderful, milord. Though surely there must be others who could impress you far more."
"Yes indeed," her father eagerly chimed in, oblivious to the tension. "My daughter, for instance! She paints beautifully. I daresay her talent could rival any artist in Salestas."
Hades tilted his head, his gaze sliding lazily toward Anny. His eyes gleamed faintly, amusement, sharp and knowing. He had seen the contempt in her eyes, the disgust she'd tried to bury. And now, with deliberate grace, he poured honey over her wounds.
"Then perhaps," he said, voice gentle, "you might show me one of your paintings sometime. I should like to see if your art carries as much emotion as Evangeline's."
Anny's breath hitched. Her polite smile faltered, just barely, but Hades noticed. He always did.
Evangeline, mortified by the tension, lowered her gaze. Lord Hades might not know but Anny having been at the end of Anny's anger, she didn't want to repeat the incident. It was better for her to take off before things turn for worse, she schooled herself.
"Thank you for everything, milord. I should take my leave."
"Come back whenever you wish, Evangeline," Hades replied, loud enough for all to hear. His tone was soft, yet unmistakably intentional.
Anny's head snapped toward him, fury flashing in her bright eyes.
Eva felt it instantly, the weight of that glare, hot as a brand—, and nearly stumbled in her haste to bow and retreat. She all but fled toward the castle doors, clutching the book to her chest.
Watching her go, Hades's lips curved though everyone in the room could never guess what goes on in his head, they could tell that the smile wasn't all innocent and pure.
He had seen the disdain in Lady Anny's eyes the moment Eva appeared. And so, like the serpent he was, he'd chosen to stroke the wound—softly—until it stung.
"Do you know the girl well, Lord Hades?" Anny's tone dripped with sweetness, her voice soft and lilting like a songbird's. She wielded it carefully, the way one might handle a delicate blade— meant to charm, but ready to wound.
But she had chosen the wrong man to charm.
"Are you that interested?" Hades's reply was gentle in sound only; his smileless violet eyes warned her not to tread too far into his affairs.
Anny's lips parted, flustered. "I—I wouldn't dare, milord."
"Of course," he murmured, the dismissal sharp as glass. He had already grown bored of her. "You know I dislike nosy folks."
Count Stefard, too dense to sense the undercurrent, cleared his throat with forced cheer. "How about a tea with my daughter—"
"I don't think it's a peaceful time for us to hold tea," Hades cut in coldly. His tone remained polite, yet the chill beneath it silenced the air. "Haven't you come here to give me one believable excuse as to where the taxpayers' money disappeared to, Stefard?"
The count's face drained of color. "I thought perhaps... to ease the tension, my daughter and I could—"
"She doesn't seem like she could offer a reason," Hades interrupted again, his words laced with cruelty, "unless you mean to say she is the reason all the taxpayers' money vanished?"
Both father and daughter stiffened, blood leaving their faces.
"N-no, of course not," Count Stefard stammered, bowing low. "I shall provide a full accounting in writing, milord." He cast a fleeting glance at Anny, his shame evident— as though her presence had only worsened his case.
Hades didn't even spare them a second look. He had already turned away, the faintest smirk tugging at his lips— a remnant of satisfaction. He had seen the jealousy twist Anny's face earlier when he'd spoken kindly to Evangeline. He had known precisely what he was doing then: letting his praise cut her like a knife.
Apollo appeared from the corridor, an envelope in hand. Hades took it, opened it, and exhaled through his nose in quiet irritation.
"Way to ruin my good mood. That little dog must be looking forward to annoy me, let's see if he succeed this time, or ever," Hades muttered, rolling his eyes before striding off — his coat sweeping across the marble floor like a shadow that refused to linger.
Though the brief encounter had soured his mood, he didn't consider it a loss. From the corner of his eye, he had caught the flicker in Eva's expression— those wide green eyes dimming with disappointment, hurt crossing her face as she watched him smile at Anny.
A low chuckle escaped him. "How adorable."
She hadn't realized that his smile had never been meant for Anny, but for her— that every glance, every word, every gesture had been orchestrated for the reaction now etched across her innocent face.
It was perfect. Everything was unfolding just as he intended.
The silly little angel had no idea she was already resting in the palm of his hand.