Married To The Mad Vampire Lord - Chapter 544

Chapter 544: Family Dinner_Part 1
Many of the paintings were on display, mostly of his wife, while the private ones were kept where only he could see them. The ones capturing happy moments he had shared with her and their children were there for everyone to admire.

The largest of all the portraits depicted the moment he had hugged them in his arms, bathed in the glow of the sunset. It was such a lovely portrait that anyone who looked at it could tell the artist had painted it with love. The details were so carefully rendered that anyone who saw it would pause to admire the happy family captured within it.

On the third night they moved into their new home, named House Belloran, Belle hosted a lavish dinner in the newly furnished dining room, where she had carefully arranged candles to make everything feel warm and cozy.

Everything carried the scent of newness, and the feeling of being in a new place was still fresh in every one of their hearts.

Belle, for one, couldn’t have enough of looking around and admiring every polished corner and detail. Though the house was far bigger than the one she had imagined, it already felt like a home, especially since they had decorated a few of the rooms together as one family.

The first night she had slept in the house, everything had felt awfully strange and unfamiliar, the space too wide and the silence too deep, unlike in the small cottage where every movement and sound was not hidden.

But making love to her husband on their new bed, in their new room, being held in his embrace throughout the night, and waking up to find him watching her as the morning light streamed in through the windows had been the best part. It was in that moment she accepted that this was home now, a permanent home.

She had then decided to host a dinner on the third night and invite guests over, though who she intended to invite had remained a mystery to Rohan, who had asked where she would even find guests when they lived in such a secluded place.

“You’ll see,” she had told him with a smile. “Just dress for the event.”

Rohan had laughed and shaken his head, thinking she was teasing him about having guests over.

Rohan had told her about what he had done to help Ereves and the five demons, who were now working to fix the demon world, but he had never actually expected her to not only invite Ereves himself as their guest, but also the other demons he had rescued.

He had known she was up to something when she had ordered the new workers assigned to their house to make the dinner lavish and grand, while also reminding him about the guests.

He had felt Ereves’s presence in the house the moment he stepped inside. That feeling was confirmed when Rohan came down the stairs for dinner, dressed formally and carrying his daughter in his arms, only to find Ereves and the five demons already seated in their dining hall.

“You’re finally here, come along,” Belle beamed as she walked toward her husband, who had stopped short at the sight of his father. She gently guided him to his seat, taking Rosey from his arms and placing her in her chair. The little girl could walk steadily now, having inherited the fast growth of the demon blood in her veins.

The moment Belle set Rosey down, she herself got down from the chair and walked around to the strangers sitting in their house, staring at her grandfather in particular, who looked so much like her papa. She walked to him and, with the innocent curiosity of a child, arched her brows and asked, “I have two papa?”

Ereves, who looked uncomfortable and tense as he wasn’t used to all of this, sitting for dinner with beings he had once considered beneath him, let out a laugh at the adorable little girl in the beautiful gown before him. She had grown so much from when he had last seen her as a baby with striking eyes. Those same eyes were still there, bright and expressive, and her cheeks were still round and pink. He almost couldn’t believe that someone this fine, this lovely, had come from his bloodline.

“More like grandpa. Rosemary, is it?” he said as he bent down and awkwardly took her into his lap, but Rohan’s snort of displeasure made him quickly put her down.

“Don’t give my daughter a name that isn’t hers. It’s Roseline. Go find your Rosemary elsewhere. Grandpa indeed, you can’t even remember her name correctly. Come to Papa, princess,” Rohan said, opening his arms for his daughter, who began to run toward him, but Belle stopped her and picked her up, placing her instead on Ereves’ lap.

“Don’t you want to hold her?” she asked the demon, who supported the little girl awkwardly. Then she gave her husband a warning look with her eyes, silently telling him to be good to his father, who was already trying to make amends with him and the children.

“I’m not so good with names,” Ereves said apologetically as he held his granddaughter, who had now turned her gaze from his face to her father’s, as though she couldn’t believe how much alike they looked. Apart from the length of their hair, a little girl like Rosey wouldn’t have been able to tell them apart.

“It’s all right. You aren’t the only one I know who forgets people’s names in the moment they are introduced to them,” she said, giving her husband a pointed look as she knew he was aware she was referring to him.

“At least I don’t forget the names of people important to me. I am different,” Rohan said defensively, and Belle only smiled, looking around for her son, who hadn’t yet arrived in the dining hall with Evenly and the twins.

When Angel finally arrived, he was holding the tiny hand of Elle, who was just learning to walk. Her twin had already started to walk and run around the house with Rosey.

Elle on the other hand was a very delicate little girl, fragile-looking and pretty just like her mother, with her innocent brown eyes and red hair that set her apart from everyone. Perhaps it was because Angel often kept her warm when she was always cold and looking for warmth. She followed him around like a shadow and liked for him to carry her, which he also enjoyed doing.

Angel was very protective of the girl, just as he was of everyone in his life, though he treated Elle the way one would treat an egg. Whenever she lost her footing or tripped over her little legs, he was always there to catch her at a speed no one ever anticipated.

“Good evening, Grandpa. I knew you were going to make it to the dinner. I am glad you did,” Angel said to the demon king, whom he had communicated with through his link at his mother’s request to invite him last night. Ereves had told him he wasn’t certain he would be able to attend, as there were many things he still needed to handle in the demon world.

Angel had told him it would be good if he made time, and Ereves had only listened without answering.

Ereves looked at his grandson now, taking in his neat, formally tailored dark blue coat that matched his hair, which had been smoothly combed back, emphasizing the long, chiseled lines of his face that looked like his father’s. “Well, since I was invited,” Ereves replied evenly, “I saw no reason not to make it here.”

Angel gave a respectful nod before proceeding toward the long table. As he passed, he greeted his parents, smiling brightly. “Mama, Papa,” he said, bending slightly as he lifted Elle into his arms and made his way to his seat. He settled down and placed the girl on his lap, where she immediately began looking around warily at the strangers seated at the table.

Elle laid her head against his chest, seeking comfort from someone she took as a protector, and Angel smiled softly, resting a protective hand against her back. He then looked up at his mother, who had been watching them, and said gently, “I think she’s not used to having this many people around.”

Belle nodded with a knowing smile and reached out to touch Elle’s hair, brushing her fingers over the girl’s soft fringe. It was natural for her to feel wary when she barely stepped out like the other children. “Where is your aunt, Angel?” she asked, referring to Evenly.

“She’ll be here in a moment,” Angel replied. Then, after a brief pause, he added politely, “Mama, could you fix my collar for me? I couldn’t get it right.” He tugged at it slightly, uncomfortable. He had insisted on dressing himself, but the coat had been tailored a week ago, and he had grown since then, making it a bit too tight around the neck.

Belle, who had begun to think her son no longer needed her help with such things, was more than happy to fix it for him. She adjusted the collar carefully, smoothing it into place, and when she was done, she pressed a soft kiss to his forehead. “Never stop asking me to fix your clothes, son,” she whispered into his ear.

Angel smiled at her words, making a quiet mental note to always ask for her help, knowing how much she loved doing things like this for him. I like it too, he thought, absentmindedly stroking Elle’s hair to reassure her, letting her know the strangers around them meant no harm.