Shackles to Keep Her

Larkin was amused at Marissa's behavior, but he ended up glaring when she mentioned the cursed creature. However, the only edge Artie had over that woman was that he knew exactly what she was before they married. He only hummed along with an answer. "There are things that I cannot share with you, but I do have multiple reasons for choosing her among all the women in Galacia… or even in the whole world."

The twins were shocked, but they didn't show it on their faces. Marissa then continued, her tone seemingly showing worry, "Father… please pray tell. Even if we have little respect for you, we still don't wish for you to undergo the same treatment you have gotten from our blood mother."

"...it's a little promise I made to myself years before I started looking for you."

"A promise?" Marissa twitched. The answer was so vague, and yet she could feel something strong was behind it. What could have possibly compelled him to look for them? Why would he make a promise to himself and not to someone else? The younger twin glanced at the older twin before opening her mouth, but Larkin's sudden gaze at her eyes made her stop.

"Marissa, Clarissa… whatever you have seen her do, it's all for your safety. How could you incriminate someone who chose your lives over her possible death sentence?" Larkin's hidden hands balled into fists and relax as if regulating his anger. Artie had told him not to hold his anger, but he was scared to hurt them. "Do you wish to argue that I should have told her to leave you to die lest she would face death herself?"

"What could possibly warrant her death sentence?!" Clarissa exploded as if sensing the dangerous aura coming from Larkin. In fact, they were both used to challenging Larkin's patience as a way for him to hold back whatever he was feeling. For this small form of power to be taken away from them? "What exactly is that hideous monster?! There's no way she really looks close to what she appears to be!"

"Father, we don't think it's wise for you to proceed with the wedding. The guests will be arriving tomorrow. If something happened once again, what would you give to save Artie Shen?" Marissa leaned forward and frowned deeply at him. "Reconsider. Promises are delusions."

Bang! Larkin couldn't help but whip out the black lightning and crushed the table in one strike. The twins quickly jumped back at the loud sounds of the plates and cups breaking. It only lasted for a few seconds before Larkin recalled his magic and stared at the destruction that he had wrought.

His eyes blinked slowly as the slow realization came to his mind. He could have killed his daughters if he wasn't able to hold back the last minute. Larkin didn't bring his eyes up, but he could still see their bodies in his peripheral vision. The two had not run away.

"I apologize. It wasn't my intention to hurt you..."

"She must be a witch like our mother..." Marissa blinked as she forced her stiffened body to move. The only reason why they didn't run was that they were frozen from the burst of magic that slapped them. It was cold and murderous, terrifying and brutal. The person who could only manipulate a demon must be a witch…

Though witches weren't exactly a race that existed outside the books of Galacia, though witches were deemed to be fallacies crafted by those who feared unknown power…

"She's not like Sarafina..." Larkin murmured before pressing his palm on his forehead. "Artie's… something more forbidden to exist in the devildoms… and yet… heavily-sought in times of uncertainty and deprivation…"

"...?" The twins could barely his words, but they had a feeling that whatever Artie Shen was, she had a strange clawed grip on their father. Clarissa had told Marissa that Artie could easily kill demons, and for a moment, they were both worried. Not because the loss of their birth father would hurt them, but because the power their origins held would vanish.

No, Larkin Ellis should never fall this way.

Before Marissa could probe again, the door of the study opened. Miel cast his gaze on the twins, on the broken table, and at the despairing stance of the archduke. He closed the door behind him and walked towards them, staring down at the two women on the couch across their father's. "What have you done to him?"

"It wasn't us! It's that witch Artie Shen!" Clarissa stood up and growled at Miel, but he was too tall for her that she had to look up. She swung a pointing finger at their father. "That woman had done this to—!"

Miel caught the swinging hand and pulled it back as if not letting the older twin gesture at Larkin like that. He then spoke calmly, but his eyes were slightly raging. "Clarissa, Marissa… Lady Shen is here to salvage the lost and repair the broken. What you see is clearly a sign that she's enough to affect Lord… enough to affect Father in ways no one else could. This is him dealing with all the damage our birth mother had done.

"Please don't hold his actions against you. 

"As for Lady Shen's true nature, the emperor had given her permission to exist in Kingdom Achlys, but it would heavily rain upon us if the other houses took notice. Please keep it to yourselves for now." Miel controlled the tightening grip on Clarissa's wrist, and his eyes started to glare straight at her face. "I know, for a fact, that you only needed Father for influence. We will all lose something should you act stupidly."

He released her wrist, and Clarissa stepped back as she held her wrist against her chest. Marissa got up from her seat as well and pulled Clarissa away from Miel… and out of Larkin's reach. The younger twin then spoke, "Salvaging the lost and repairing the broken? Is the wedding shackles to keep her here in Ellis Plains?"

Miel didn't want to say it, but technically, it was the truth. Artie Shen landed in Ellis Plains and was kept as a pet of the archduke. Since she started her miraculous behavior, keeping her as a pet was no longer viable. A binding marriage was the answer that they had come up with. Under the guise of an archduchess's duties could they keep Artie from leaving and transferring her blessings to another duchy.

The sudden aversion of gaze spoke so loud to Marissa. Even if Clarissa didn't get it, the younger twin only nodded slowly. She then spoke, "Then, I will believe you. As long as Father does not die, we will not expose that monster. As long as she won't come for us, we will keep our lips sealed."

Then, her eyes mellowed as if showing genuine worry. "Sister Havina will be here tomorrow. What will you do if she notices Artie Shen's peculiarity?"