In Another World, All Milfs Will Be Mine-Chapter 136: [ - - ] - Fall of House of Dargan

The steps leading down into the dungeons of the Dargan’s Castle were steep, slick with moisture, and plunged into an oppressive darkness.

Belladonna clung to Leo’s arm, her body pressed against his side as they descended. She was dressed in a gown of dark crimson velvet that hugged her curves like a second skin, the neckline plunging deep to reveal the swell of her breasts.

"Leo," she whined, her voice a sultry pout. She traced a circle on his bicep with a long, manicured fingernail, "I thought we were going to do something fun."

"You worked up such a sweat out there. I was hoping you would want to... work up another one. With me. In a bed."

She wrinkled her nose as they passed a particularly damp section of the wall.

"Instead, we are in this damp, miserable hole. It smells like shit. I don’t like it here. It ruins my mood."

Leo didn’t slow his pace. He kept his arm around her waist, but his eyes were fixed on the darkness ahead.

"Behave, Bella," he said, his voice calm but firm, "If you are a good girl, I will make sure you are satisfied later."

"I will make it up to you."

Belladonna smiled as she heard him, looking him in his eyes, pressing closer. "Promise?"

"Promise," Leo said, "But right now, this isn’t about us. It’s about giving your new sister a closure."

He stopped on the landing. He turned slightly, looking back up the stairs where Seraphine was following them.

The Lady of Auravale looked different. She was dressed in a simple, severe black dress. Her hair was pulled back tight. Her face was pale, but her amber eyes burned with a cold, terrifying fire. She looked like a ghost returning to haunt the living.

She was eyeing Belladonna’s hand on Leo’s arm with a mixture of jealousy and resignation, but she didn’t say a word.

Leo reached out. He offered his hand to her.

"Come here," he said softly.

Seraphine took his hand. Her fingers were ice cold. He pulled her forward until she was standing beside him, on his other side.

He looked at her, his expression serious.

"I made you a promise," Leo said, "I told you I would help you burn it down. Today, we fulfill that promise."

He squeezed her hand.

"It’s time to let go of the past, Seraphine. It’s time to pay your last respects to Elara and Finn."

Seraphine took a shaky breath. She nodded once, "I am ready."

Leo turned back to the heavy iron door at the bottom of the stairs. He pushed it open.

The dungeon chamber beyond was large, lit by flickering fire torches that cast long, grotesque shadows against the stone walls.

In the center of the room, suspended from the ceiling by heavy, rusted chains, were two figures.

Lord Caelum Dargan and Lady Aliana Dargan.

They were unconscious, their heads lolling forward. Caelum’s fine silk robes were torn and stained with muck. Aliana’s white combat dress was shredded, her armour was gone, leaving her vulnerable and exposed to the chill air.

Standing silently in the corner, watching them with the patience of a statue, was a young man.

He was handsome, with slicked-back hair and cold, intelligent eyes. He wore a pristine suit that looked out of place in the dungeon.

Steward Malcom.

As soon as Leo and the women entered, Malcom moved. He walked toward them with a smooth, silent grace.

He stopped in front of Belladonna and bowed deeply, a gesture of absolute, practiced servitude.

"Queen," Malcom said, his voice smooth.

He turned to Seraphine and bowed again, just as low, "My Lady."

Finally, he turned to Leo. He looked at the man who had conquered his Queen. He bowed lower than he had for the others.

"Master," Malcom said.

His personality was the complete opposite of Bane’s frantic, masochistic energy. Malcom was cold, efficient, and utterly composed. He was a scalpel where Bane was a hammer.

Belladonna smiled. She reached out and placed her hand on top of Malcom’s head, ruffling his hair slightly.

"Good boy," she purred. "You did well bringing them here without a scratch. I am pleased."

Malcom didn’t smile. He didn’t shiver in ecstasy like Bane. He simply closed his eyes for a second, leaning his head into her touch like a cat accepting affection from its owner. It was a subtle, quiet devotion.

"Your praise honours me," Malcom murmured.

Belladonna withdrew her hand. Her expression hardened as she looked at the hanging figures.

"Now wake them up," she commanded, "I donn’t like it here."

Malcom didn’t hesitate. He walked to a bucket of stagnant, freezing water sitting by the wall. He picked it up with surprising strength and hurled the contents at the father and daughter.

SPLASH.

The water hit them with a slap.

"GASSSHP!"

Caelum woke with a strangled cry, thrashing in his chains. Aliana jerked awake, coughing and sputtering, her eyes wide with confusion and terror.

"What?! Where?!" Caelum screamed, twisting around, "Aaggh!"

His eyes landed on Malcom, standing calmly with the empty bucket.

Relief flooded Caelum’s face. It was pathetic to watch.

"Malcom!" Caelum cried out, tears instantly springing to his eyes, "Oh, thank the gods! I knew it!"

"Malcom! I knew you wouldn’t abandon me! I knew you would come!"

He tried to run toward his lover, but the chains jerked him back, suspending him in mid-air.

"Malcom?!" Caelum was surprised. he looked at the chains and then Malcom," Why am I chained?"

"It must be that bastard!" Caelum was quick to gauge, "Quickly! Unchain me, Malkcom."

"Before that bastard comes back! We have to go to the Capital! We have to..." But Caelum stopped in his tracks when he realized he wasn’t alone with Malcom.

He looked past the Steward. He saw a woman, looking at him with amusement. He saw Leo, looking at him with boredom.

And then he saw Seraphine.

His wife. The woman he had abandoned.

She was staring at him. Her face was blank, void of any emotion.

"You..." Caelum whispered. Then his face twisted into a mask of pure, vitriolic hatred.

"You bitch!" Caelum screamed at Seraphine, "You survived? How?!"

"Did you sleep with the monsters too?"

He turned his desperate gaze back to Malcom.

"Malcom! Save me! Kill them! Kill that bastard adventurer! Kill that whore wife of mine!"

Caelum was hysterical now, spittle flying from his lips.

"She is a snake, Malcom! Isolde was a fool to trust her! She is low-born trash! A peasant slut who tricked her way into my house! Kill her! Cut her throat!"

He looked at Malcom with pleading, love-struck eyes.

"Do it for me, my love! Do it for us! We can still be happy!" 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

Aliana, hanging beside him, was silent. She was staring at Seraphine, her eyes filled with a dawning, terrifying realization. She saw the way Leo held Seraphine’s hand. She saw the power in the room. And she knew.

Belladonna sighed. She tapped her foot on the stone floor.

"He is noisy," Belladonna said, "I don’t like his voice."

She looked at Malcom. She tilted her head slightly.

Malcom nodded. He understood.

He turned back to Caelum. He walked up to the hanging Lord.

"Yes, Malcom!" Caelum’s eyes gleamed in hope, "Free me! Both of us will kil..."

SMACK.

Malcom slapped him.

It wasn’t a lover’s tap. It was a hard, backhanded strike across the face that snapped Caelum’s head to the side.

Silence fell over the dungeon.

Caelum slowly turned his head back. His cheek was bright red. His eyes were wide, filled with a betrayal so deep it looked like his soul had shattered.

"Malcom...?" he whispered, his voice broken.

"Why?"

** ** ** ** **