"...What was that all about?"


    Dominique waspletely shocked by what she had just witnessed. She could really only watch in awe from inside the building as Rhys''s entire demeanor justpletely changed as he addressed the questions of the reporters.


    It was almost as if he was apletely different man entirely — and as someone who had also served in the Underworld Corps, Dominique was also trained topletely act calm under pressure, no matter what… but this waspletely different.


    Rhys was also mostly answering the questions of female reporters, and by their expressions, he was convincing them all. It was almost as if they were just eating whatever came out of his mouth, almost literally as the women have their mouths opened while just feasting with their eyes.


    And now that he was done and entered the prison building again, his demeanor shifted into Rhys that Dominique was familiar with.


    "Why are you making this weird?" Rhys just squinted his eyes at Dominique as she was looking at him from head to toe, even patting him in several ces almost as if she was touching a ghost.


    "Who are you…? What have you done to Rhys!?" Dominique then lightly pushed Rhys away before pointing right at his face.


    "You really should have told me about them," Rhys only let out a heavy breath as he lightly swatted Dominique''s hand away, "And why — how are they even here? I also saw arge satellite outside, does that mean we have connection to the outside world now?"


    "Nah," Dominique followed behind Rhys as he started walking away, "The reporters are using it. Some of the gang actually wanted to talk to their family, but it would seem we do not have the same privilege as you since they were almost shut down by the new guards."


    "...New guards?" Rhys looked around, only to seerge empty hallways, "I haven''t seen anyone in uniform."


    "Well, they''re more like military, I think. They don''t go inside the buildings," Dominique shrugged, "I''ve heard from the Maria chick that they have orders not to enter the building. But if you ask me, I think Talia scared them off — they''re mostly just in the airstrip and the road leading here."


    "And where''s Talia?"


    "She should be—What the fuck!?" Dominique could not help but almost jump in fright as Maria suddenly popped out of her shadow without any sort of hint or warning. And while Dominique waspletely shocked, the woman who just so casually emerged from her shadowpletely ignored her.


    Maria just quickly and very swiftly went to Riley; wrapping her arms around his neck before just kissing him there and then.


    "What—" Dominique was going to say something, but she could not help but just shut her mouth as soon as she saw Maria putting her tongue inside Rhys''s mouth. She wasn''t just casually kissing him, she was dead-smack viting the inside of his mouth in front of Dominique, a stranger.


    Dominique then suddenly lost her breath as Maria suddenly nced at her; a small smile, crawling on her face while she was busy kissing Rhys.


    Was she… actually enjoying that someone was watching?


    "Uh…" Maria then let out an unnecessary small moan as she finally leaned away from Rhys. She then turned to look at Dominique while wiping off the saliva trailing from her lips, "I didn''t see you there. I''m sorry for showing such an unsightly sight."


    "The fuck you didn''t," Dominique gulped, "You came out of my shadow!"


    "Rhys," Maria then turned her back to Dominique, not even bothering to answer her anymore as she focused on Rhys, "It would seem that you have been busy. I truly thought you would rest for a little while while in prison, but it would seem trouble and opportunity just finds you wherever you go."


    "Please greet me like a normal person next time," Rhys could really only sigh as he wiped the saliva on his face, "And I''m guessing you didn''t just wait for me to return here to murder my mouth?"


    "I did," Maria shrugged; her voice, still as monotonous as ever, "I did wait for you just to do that, Rhys Wilder. But also, I am here to tell you…


    …that Wilder''s Harem has been forcefully disbanded by the Explorer Association."


    "...Why?" Rhys could not help but blink a couple of times as he heard Maria''s words.


    "Because you were sent to prison, and no one really wanted to step in your shoes as the guild master," Maria shook her head, "And there is also the fact that some of our members took it upon themselves to incite a rally for your freedom."


    "That''s… not good," Rhys could really only close his eyes and sigh.


    "I have to say, Rhys Wilder," a very small hint of a smirk crawled on Maria''s face, "You managed to be even more popr while in prison — people are, after all, free to think whatever they want of you. Your absence made it possible for people to think you arepletely unreachable already…


    …like a god."


    "That''s not my intention at all."


    "It''s not?" Maria then stood closer to Rhys as she started trailing her fingers on his chest.


    "...I''m not as smart as you think I am."


    "That I know," Maria then tapped Rhys''s chin, "But you never know with you, Rhys Wilder. You have a way of turning situations in a way that would suddenly benefit you — like what happened in this prison, and your decision to involve Joseph Hayden."


    "Joseph… Hayden?" Rhys furrowed his eyebrows, "Who''s that?"


    "The former mayor of Old York."


    "That was his name?" Rhys breathed out before just starting to walk away, "Anyway, when are you leaving?"


    "I n to stay here until your release," Maria just shrugged as she walked beside Rhys. As for Dominique, the only thing she could really do was follow behind them, still seemingly confused as to what to think about Maria.


    "I''ve been sentenced to life in prison."


    "Not for long," Maria shook her head, "But I think you already know that. With all the circumstances involving your arrest and your stay here in Typhon''s, even those who were previouslypletely uninterested in your case are starting to voice out their opinions — the government has no choice but to listen…


    …and I do believe they are nning to pardon your crimes soon."


    "I see," Rhys sighed.


    "It''s too bad," Maria licked her lips, "I quite like seeing this rugged side of you. They murdered your hair, but you look even more bad this way, in a good way. Like a beast that would ravage me and vite me sexually in front of all the people."


    "What the fuck…" Dominique could not help but once again widen her eyes at Maria''s statement, "...Rhys, are all of your women whacked in the head? I thought Talia would be the most crazy one."


    "You have not even met K," Maria nced at Dominique, "If you think Talia and I are crazy, wait until you meet her."


    "Katarina isn''t that crazy," Rhys looked at Maria.


    "You don''t see it because the one she is crazy about is you," Maria scoffed, "W—"


    "This woman is still on our side of the border?" And before Maria could finish her words, Talia appeared from the other end of the hallway, ring at her, "I thought you''d left."


    "I thought you would have died already considering your age," Maria responded almost immediately, "I suppose we are both wrong."


    "Heh," Talia only smirked before focusing on Rhys, "Wilder, your pet called on the line. I have no idea what she is saying, but it seems urgent."


    "...Where is she now?"


    "Behind me," Talia then pointed her thumb behind her, and there, Edissa was dragging a very unwilling Prince Abu across the floor.


    "Ah, Rhys!" And as soon as Edissa caught Rhys in her eyes, she immediately kicked Prince Abu on the head, momentarily causing him to stop struggling, "Prince Abu is awake! I brought him to the courtyard like you said, but it caused him to be even more manic."


    "I guess he''s stubborn until the end," Rhys sighed.


    "Should… we just kill him?" Edissa then looked Rhys in the eyes, "He''s also starting to annoy me."


    "No…" Rhys squinted his eyes at Prince Abu for a few seconds before approaching Edissa and grabbing the prince from her hand, "...Is the vegetarian prince and his cohorts awake too?"


    "Mildly."


    "Call them and then follow me," Rhys ordered Edissa before turning around and walking away.


    "Yow, yow!" Dominique quickly walked beside Rhys as she noticed where he was heading, "That''s the way back to those hyenas."


    "I know," Rhys just casually shrugged his shoulders before dragging Prince Abu with him. As for Maria and Talia, the two just looked at each other before scoffing and following behind Rhys.


    "Wake up," Rhys then pped Prince Abu several times on the cheek to wake him up,


    "It''s time to introduce you to the world, Your Majesty."