Chapter 203 Souvenir of the dead

Music Recommendation: Nowesind- Jacob David

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Eve lay in the grave next to Vincent, watching the sky.

Who would have imagined that she was going to test the grave she had dug before letting the dead occupy it. She mentally admitted this place was somewhat cosy because the chilly wind didn’t brush against her skin as much as when outside the grave.

She asked, “How long are we going to spend our time here?”

“Considering how comfortable I am right now, I was contemplating taking a nap. You should take one too,” Vincent hummed.

Eve turned her head to look at him, noticing the peaceful expression on his face. It was past midnight. She asked him, “Aren’t you worried about being caught?”

“If I worried every time with the thought of being caught, I would have been caught already,” he murmured and Eve frowned. He then said, “Do you ever worry of being caught when you go near water?”

“Sometimes,” Eve whispered.

She heard Vincent say, “So many billion stars in the sky, and we choose to see only a few. And remember fewer than what we know, just like people. Look,” and upon his words, she looked at the sky, in time to catch a meteor shoot across the sky.

A smile appeared on Eve’s face, noticing the beauty of nature. Though she had killed someone a few hours ago, here she was, lying in peace. More importantly, alive. And as quick as the smile appeared, it slid away like the sands at the shores pulled by the waves of the sea.

The world they lived in, there was no room for the weak, powerless and poor. To know she had taken a life today was hard, but Eve knew that before anyone, she would have to forgive herself for the blood on her hands. Maybe not now, and maybe not today, but she would make peace with what she did.

She didn’t want to be okay with killing people without a second thought. The only flip side was that she would be buried in her guilt if she didn’t.

Eve’s eyes fell on a relaxed Vincent, who didn’t look at her.

Somewhere, it bothered her. Vincent had made the entire ordeal as if it was normal, putting her distressed mind at ease. She was thankful for it, but at the same time, it scared her. He scared her.

Sensing her intense gaze on him, Vincent asked, “Found something more interesting than the stars?” He turned his head to meet her eyes.

Vincent held darkness within him. More than the dark side she had stepped into, Eve felt it was his darkness that she was sinking in. And even though she was aware about it, she didn’t pull away. As if finding comfort in the darkness.

Neither Eve nor Vincent realised the seconds had turned to a minute as they silently stared at each other.

“Do you not like your bed?” Eve asked, considering how comfortable he was lying down here.

A grin cracked on Vincent’s lips. He responded, “I do, but it isn’t as fun as what we are doing now. For a moment, I was sure you were enjoying it.”

Eve pursed her lips before replying, “It is… different compared to other days I spend. Have you ever asked Mr. Briggs to join you? To relax like this.”

“I don’t like sharing my grave space with anyone,” Vincent answered with a straight face and just for a mere second, Eve felt her heart go still, “Besides, Mr. Briggs isn’t as fun as you are. If I ordered him to come join me, he would do it without a question.”

“If it is a person you want, who questions your idea of fun, I am sure you will find plenty of them,” Eve replied, breaking her gaze away from his intense ones so that she could go back to looking at the stars when in truth her attention was on the vampire next to her. She murmured, “You do know that it isn’t normal to lay in a grave.”

Vincent hummed in response, “Which is why it is more exciting, isn’t it?” There was obvious amusement in his voice. His voice turned slightly serious, and said, “What happened today, do not discuss it with anyone. Even with your aunt or your servant.”

Eve didn’t look away from the stars and said, “Someone is going to report her to be missing.”

“Undoubtedly. The council will question everyone she’s come in contact with. And you will be questioned, if the butler was informed on where his mistress went,” replied Vincent, and Eve felt her stomach turn into knots. “Don’t be scared, little one. Death and murder isn’t uncommon in the world that we live. You will survive.”

“How are you sure?” Eve asked, her eyes moving to the corner to look at him.

“Because you are my mermaid,” came the answer from Vincent, meeting her eyes. “And I always protect what belongs to me.”

Eve knew Vincent’s words didn’t hold any more meaning than what he said, but the way he said it, there was something that had her lower her eyes.

Vincent switched the subject, “You were asked by many men today. From the council members who met you at the soiree. One of them showed a very keen interest and wanted to court you. He seemed to be quite smitten by you and wanted to invite you for a meal.”

Eve asked, “Who?”

Vincent’s eyes sparkled and he drawled, “Interested?”

“It was just a conversational question,” Eve pursed her lips.

Vincent turned to lay on one side of his body, facing her, “What do you think I told him?”

“That I wasn’t available?”

“Why do you think I would say that?” Vincent stared into Eve’s eyes, a faint smile on his lips.

Eve turned on one side of her body like him and said, “You said ‘wanted to court’. Also because you wouldn’t get my blood?”

Vincent chuckled at her words and replied, “Just because you marry someone doesn’t mean I will stop drinking from you.” If it weren’t for her being attacked by the useless vampiress, he would have taken a bite from Eve. He was addicted to the taste of her blood and was turning addicted to her company. “But you are right. I told him you are already occupied. He was unsuitable.”

Curious, she asked him, “Why do you think so?”

Vincent thought for a second before he said, “His credential merit in the Council is decent, which is fine as you are only a governess,” Eve’s eyes narrowed, catching a hint of tease in his voice. He continued, “He’s a human.”

Eve frowned, “I thought a human would be a good choice after a merman.”

“If you want to die, sure,” Vincent remarked, rolling his eyes. “Like it or not, humans are weak.”

As they were on the subject, Eve decided to delve in and asked, “How about you?”

“Asking me to consider you as my partner, hm?” Vincent’s eyes were filled with mirth.

Blood slowly crept up her neck, and she said, “I meant if you found someone.”

Vincent’s lips curled, “I am looking for someone, who probably doesn’t exist anymore.”

His words caught Eve’s attention, and she asked, “From your dreams?”

“Better. From my memories,” he murmured, “I wonder if that is why I stay next to the shadow.”

His answer was vague, leaving Eve to wonder what he meant. After lying there for five more minutes, they finally climbed out of the grave.

Before lowering the vampiress’s body into the place they dug, Vincent sat next to Lady Camillie’s body. Eve watched him bring his hand forward and realised how wrong she was of him in a few things. He was a considerate person who would close Lady Camille’s eyes.

But Eve frowned when she saw his hand not close Lady Camille’s eyes. Instead, it went to the vampiress’s mouth.

“What are you doing?” Eve asked him, coming near him.

In less than two seconds, Vincent broke the fangs from the deceased vampiress’s mouth and Eve’s mouth hung open. He looked up at her and a crooked smile appeared on his lips. He said,

“Something to remember her by,” and he slipped the fangs into his trouser pocket.

This crazy vampire… Eve said in her mind.

Placing the dead body in the dug ground, Vincent and Eve pushed the mud back into it before levelling the ground to make it appear the same as before.

Vincent stared at the ground. Though people were naturally petty, Lady Camille had come to Eve when she could have ignored it. His eyes narrowed, wondering if there was something the woman was hiding.

His eyes then shifted to look at Eve, who was quiet, and as if sensing his gaze, she looked at him. He said,

“Time to leave.”

Soon, Vincent and Eve climbed the carriage, and Mr. Briggs drove the vehicle away from Darthmore without anyone’s notice.

The next day, when Eve was about to leave home, Lady Aubrey asked,

“Is everything alright? You seem tense and you are leaving early.”

Eve nodded, managing a smile. She had to loosen herself and couldn’t stay tense. She said, “If someone asks, Eugene picked me up yesterday from Moriarty mansion.”

Lady Aubrey stared at Eve with slight worry and nodded, “Okay. Be careful, Eve.”

When Eve left the house, Eugene said, “There were blood stains on the clothes Miss Eve wore yesterday.”

“Maybe that is why she has been quiet,” replied Lady Aubrey with a grim look.

On her way to work, before Eve could hop onto the local carriage, she visited the church. She held her hands together, while on her knees, and her head bowed in front of God.

Eve often visited the church when her heart felt troubled. She had picked the habit from her mother, who used to bring her to the local church of Crowbury to pray for better days. Eve’s days had improved as she grew up, but her mother’s days were cut short.

As much as she tried not to think how she had killed Lady Camille, her thoughts went to it. Seeing the priest arrive, she got up.

“Good morning, Father Joseph,” Eve bowed in greeting.

The priest was an old man who returned her bow and greeted her, “Good morning, Genevieve. You are quite early today.” It was because on weekdays, Eve mostly visited the church in the evening. “How are you doing?”

“I was hoping if you could hear my confession,” Eve spoke politely, and the old man was quick to nod.

“Of course. This way,” Father Joseph led her to the confession box, and Eve followed him, walking to the other side of the box.

The two stepped inside the confession box and sat down in their seats. Eve heard the old man lock his side of the door before he said, “Go ahead, my child. What is troubling you?”

Eve confessed, “I did something I thought I would never do. Something bad… But I had no other choice.”

The words she continued to speak were all vague. And while she spoke, her conscience cleared a little. The priest continued to listen to her speak, while offering words of advice and hope to her. Once Ever was done, they stepped out of the confession box.

At the same time, Mr. and Mrs. Humphrey entered the church. Mr. Humphrey noticed Eve and said to his wife,

“Look, it is Genevieve Barlow. Did Patrick ask for her hand yet?”

Mrs. Humphrey’s already narrowed eyes shifted to see Eve talking to the priest. She said, “Not yet. Patrick is apprehensive about it.”

Her husband turned surprised and asked, “Why? What happened?”

Mrs. Humphrey replied, “Word is that the girl is receiving favours from her employer and vice versa.”

“That can’t be true,” replied Mr. Humphrey. He quietened along with his wife when they saw Eve making her way towards the exit. Meeting them on her way, she offered a slight bow and they did the same, before stepping out of there.

“Are you sure about it? She doesn’t look like someone to do such a thing,” stated Mr. Humphrey, as the couple took a seat on one of the benches while smiling at the fellow townsfolk.

Mrs. Humphrey spoke to her husband in a hushed voice, “The information is from Mrs. Edwards, their neighbour. She saw her come home late after midnight. Not once but many times and different carriages.”

“I am surprised that Mrs. Edwards was even awake at that time to catch it,” murmured the man.

Mrs. Humphrey lightly hit her husband’s leg and said, “That isn’t what’s important. The girl has been making money. Painting walls, redoing the floors and what not.”

“I cannot believe a decent woman such as Aubrey is letting it happen. It’s probably just loose words.”

Mrs. Humphrey shrugged her shoulders, “One can never know. Didn’t you see she was at the confession box just a minute ago?”

Mr. Humphrey laughed, turning his wife puzzled. He said, “We all go to the confession box once in a while. That shouldn’t mean much.”

“I am sure it does! She came this early, I am sure the guilt is catching up with the immoral things she has been doing,” Mrs. Humphrey said, nodding to herself.

Mrs. Humphrey was convinced that Eve was hiding something. Genevieve Barlow had refused her son, and now she would let everyone know her business.

Eve walked towards the parked local carriages, offering polite smiles to the people she knew. Paying the coachman for the ride fare, she stepped inside the carriage. Once the stop for Skellington arrived, she started to walk towards Moriarty’s mansion.

On her way stood Lady Camille’s mansion, which looked peaceful and quiet.

Upon reaching the Moriarty mansion, Eve caught sight of a carriage parked inside the Moriarty mansion that didn’t belong to the family. Next to the carriage stood two men and Lady Camille’s butler.

Taking a deep breath, Eve stepped inside the gates.