Seven Devils and a Rose

Book 2: Seven Devils and a Rose - Chapter 71

I endured sitting on Lord Geoffrey's lap for some fifteen minutes more because he just wouldn't let me go... until we arrived at Butterflies Paradise along the red-light district.

I breathed a sigh of relief once we got out of the carriage, and after retrieving the gift basket, we headed toward the establishment via the front door.

The moment we stepped over the threshold of Butterflies Paradise, the manager greeted us, and after instructing a maid to guide us to Mariann's bedchamber, the plump woman expertly stole Lord Geoffrey away.

"See you later, Alfie," said Lord Geoffrey, a dashing smile on his face that made my heart skip a beat.

The cute maid took us up the stairs to the third floor where the girls' bedchambers were located. There, we were led to a door at the very end of the hall. A few moments later, she knocked, and a soft voice said, "Come in."

The elf maid then opened the door and signaled for us to enter.

Mariann—a beautiful, exotic elf woman with ash-blond hair that came down to her waist, violet eyes, and sensual lips—was propped up in bed. The moment she saw us, she brightened up immediately. She even eagerly opened her arms, begging for a hug from Brenna, like a child. I wondered which of the two was the older sibling? From their mannerisms, I would assume that Brenna was the older one, since Mariann acted rather dependent and childlike when Brenna was around, and of course, Brenna turned into a mother hen when Mariann was around. From their looks, however, it was hard to guess their correct age since they were two different types of species, with Mariann an elf and Brenna a beast person. I had learned from Brenna that elves usually had a longer lifespan than beast people, and they grew and matured slower as well, which explained Mariann's behavior.

Suddenly, I wondered what it would be like to have a sister or even a female cousin for that matter. Since I was an only child, I felt quite lonely sometimes, having no one close to confide my troubles and secrets to. Of course, I had friends from high school and university, but that wasn't the same. As for a cousin, I had none of those either, as both Mom and Dad were only children from their respective families.

Brenna chuckled as she embraced her adopted sister, and the two laughed like schoolgirls. When Brenna moved back, she asked, "How are you feeling?"

Mariann said, "Sick. My chest hurts, and I can't breathe properly."

Brenna said, "Leona is here to examine your body, and Aria will check your qi. I hope that'll help us figure out what's wrong with you, because otherwise, we'll have to take you to the hospital."

Mariann looked a little worried for a moment and said, "No hospital, please. I don't like that place. And I'll be as good as rain in no time." She turned to Aria and Leona. "I'm so sorry that you two are brought into this. Is it all right for you to be here?"

Aria waved her concern aside and said, "It's fine, and I want to be here." She chuckled. "Oh, and Alfie made you food."

On cue, I held up the gift basket to show off my creation.

Mariann looked delighted, which pleased me. She said, "Thank you so much, Alfie. You're a wonderful boy."

Brenna said, "I helped with the tasting, by the way. It's delicious, Mariann. It's like nothing you've ever tasted in our kingdom."

I blushed. That compliment was a bit too much for me to accept. Seriously? Brenna thought my food was nothing like she had ever tasted in this kingdom? Surely not.

A moment later, Leona sat on the side of the bed and started her examination of Mariann's physical body.

I placed the gift basket on the table near the window and then took a seat on one of the chairs to watch.