Raphael looked at Harlow deeply and said. "I can. In fact, I have loved you even before I met you. Is the idea of it truly impossible for you to fathom?"
"How?" Harlow almost pulled her hair in frustration. She didn't understand how it was possible. "I can't see how that can work!"
Raphael replied with a serious expression. "Surely, even before you were born and your mother hadn't seen you yet, she had loved you already, hadn't she? It's similar to that. She didn't care if her baby would end up ugly or naughty or whatever, she already loved you even before she met you."
The man looked very pleased with himself for finding such a good analogy.
"That's completely different." Harlow frowned and rubbed her face. She realized this man was really good with words. She must chase him further and find out what was the real reason why he wanted to marry her.
Perhaps… it was a sinister reason.
She read a book once that was kind of similar to this – it was a work of fiction but sometimes reality was stranger than fiction, right?
So Harlow wouldn't put it past Raphael to hide a dark secret about why he was so adamant about making her his wife.
Perhaps… he needed something from Harlow that he could only get when they were wedded?
In that book, Harlow read a story about an evil king who needed an elixir to boost his magical power. He could only get this elixir if he ate young women after their first consummation. He practiced dark magic and had been marrying one woman after another who died not long after the wedding.
That was a horror story, but it could happen in real life too, couldn't it? Especially because the man sitting beside her now was the demon king himself. He was the perfect representation of dark magic.
All the magic he had now must be from the dark side. Just look at his castle! It was a sad and lonely stone castle, but he made it look beautiful and luxurious. Can't fool Harlow that easily.
The princess looked at Raphael with curiosity and fear mixed in her eyes.
Was she safe around him? She really didn't know what to think.
Harlow could hear her repeat her words, "It's different."
"I think it's completely the same," Raphael insisted. He could see slight fear in Harlow's gaze. So, he tried hard to maintain his calm expression. He didn't want her to be scared of him.
Harlow spoke again. "I'm being serious with you, Raphael. How can you expect me to marry you when you won't even tell me the truth? I don't want to be with a person who will only lie to me. Please tell me the truth."
"And how do you even know that I'm lying to you?"
"I am not gullible. I know when someone is lying to me."
"No, you are not. You are really smart, beautiful, and definitely NOT gullible. You truly are the best woman, wifey." Raphael smiled teasingly. He hoped she would be less tense if he cracked jokes. "That's why I love you."
"Quit changing the subject and just tell me the truth." Harlow sighed exasperatedly. "Aren't I already trying to make you feel bad when I said that I can't be with someone who lies? I wanted to give you a chance but you continue to put up walls around me."
Raphael fell silent for a moment.
"Well?"
"Fine, you win," Raphael said. "I will tell you the truth about why I specifically want to marry you and no one else."
"Thank the gods," Harlow muttered underneath her breath and stared at him seriously. "Go on and tell me now."
Raphael gave her a coy smile as his eyes lit up. "I've seen you in my dreams, Harlow. When I met your mother, I quickly saw the resemblance and you flashed in my eyes at that moment. I knew that I had to have you."
Harlow's lips pressed thinly and she was far from impressed.
"Even if you were saying the truth, I still think it's weird that you want to marry a woman you saw in your dreams."
Harlow knew he was still lying, but she had given up pressuring him to tell her the real reason. He was too stubborn.
"You dismiss me too easily, I'm hurt." Raphael placed a hand on his chest.
"Well, whatever." Harlow frowned. "Since we're done talking, I would appreciate it if you left my room. I need to wash up and get changed… Plus I also need to do my laundry. So if you could leave me now, it would be great."
"Oh, of course." Raphael reluctantly smiled. "I could wash your…"
"Please don't say anything like washing my back or I will smack you." Harlow threw him a murderous glare.
Raphael straightened up and nodded. "I will stop. Instead, would you like to have some servants help you with those chores? They can wash your clothes for you, help heat up the water and even take care of Icecube. I already have some people feeding him right now."
"Servants?" Harlow blinked.
Raphael nodded and snapped his fingers as ten demons suddenly showed up in Harlow's room. The princess couldn't help but let out a yelp of surprise but then she suddenly found herself swallowing her words.
What lay before her were hideous demons. If Raphael still looked like a human with horns on his forehead, these demons were grotesque and Harlow couldn't help but involuntarily lurch and turn her eyes away from them.
Most of them had many eyes and skin that looked like they melted, and three servants even had tentacles for hands.
The princess held her breath out of shock.
"I… I can do it by myself." Harlow started to take deep breaths and squeezed her eyes shut.
Raphael glanced at his servants and then looked back at Harlow. His expression became sorrowful and once again he snapped his fingers. A wave of sparkling dust shimmered and the servants changed forms.
Now, they all looked like humans, ten thirty-year-old maids, and even dressed up in the uniforms of servants in Draec. The demon king cleared his throat. "Are they to your liking now, Princess?"
Harlow opened her eyes and saw humans wearing servant clothes in Draec. She blinked and then looked at Raphael questioningly. She wondered if he stole them.
.
.
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From Missrealitybites:
I am sure most of us here are frustrated and wanted to pull our hair too, trying to understand WHY. Harlow must be so annoyed, not knowing his reason.
