《Sold to a Prince!》


 Chapter 1 - Sold?!

    Sylvia winced in pain as she took a step forward.


    Her eyes were blindfolded but she could feel the warm sunshine and the gentle wind caressing her body, her thin robe fluttering. So she could tell that she was out in the open.


    She could also tell that there were a lot of people surrounding her. They were all in high spirits and yelled random obscenities, most probably aimed at her.


    Even though she was wearing a robe, that wrapped around her body, Sylvia couldn''t help but feel naked in front of so many people, men mostly, judging from the sound of their voices.


    It was as if they were undressing her mentally.


    Sylvia bit her lips in frustration. She had unintentionally slowed down.


    The man standing behind her immediately poked her with the hilt end of the whip, his voicemanding her. "Move it."


    Sylvia bore the pain and took another step forward. She didn''t dare to disobey him.


    The metallic sps around her feet and her arms weighed her down heavily and sent shivers of pain through her body.


    Sylvia bitterly wondered what she had done to deserve this punishment. She had always doubted her uncle and aunt.


    She knew deep down that they harbored ill intentions towards her.


    But naively, she had chalked it up to them lusting over her family house and the medium-sized farm.


    She had never once considered that they would actually be this cruel¡­ cruel enough to sell her off¡­


    As Sylvia''s thoughts trailed away, the loud boisterous noise around her surprisingly died down.


    She could now only hear whispering and murmuring noises in the crowd.


    She wondered why the ve market had gone suddenly silent, not realizing that it was she who had brought about this silence.


    But she didn''t have much time to think.


    The man standing behind her pushed her forward with an exaggerated force, making Sylvia stumble and skid forward.


    He then loudly announced. "The final item of today''s auction is here!"


    Everyone in the crowd immediately started cheering.


    Sylvia parted her lips slightly as she sucked in a big breath of cold air. This time, she had no doubt what or rather who was being auctioned away.


    It was none other than herself!


    A bitter mncholic smile surfaced on her lips.


    Who was going to buy her? What kind of torturous life awaited her?


    Sylvia''s mind swirled with a million questions that she didn''t want answers to.


    "Long silver hair that is as soft as feathers, smooth wless porcin skin, cherry red lips, a slender figure with seductive curves andst but not the least, a beauty that could topple nations!!!"


    "Gentlemen and women, here we have the finest ve you will ever see in the Kalindor Empire."


    "Who wants her?" The auctioneer winked and added. "She is an 18 years old virgin and an orphan with no one to care."


    Tears streamed out of Sylvia''s eyespletely soaking her blindfold.


    She wanted to scream but having been whipped several times, she was too terrified to open her mouth and cry.


    Everything was already over¡­


    All she could do now was bite her lips and silently pray for a good master¡­ but how could someone like her get lucky? She shuddered in fear.


    "1000 gold coins"


    "2000 gold coins"


    "10000 gold coins"


    "100000 gold coins"


    The crowd erupted into amotion and continued chaotically shouting. The price was exponentially increasing by the second.


    Every single voice sent out a tremor through Sylvia''s body.


    To her ears, somehow all the voices sounded as if they belonged to some dirty old lechers. Each worse than the previous one.


    Themotion continued for another few seconds when suddenly a cold and arrogant voice thundered from the back.


    A lone silhouette shrouded in ck appeared with a powerful magical aura.


    "10 million gold coins." He said.


    The crowd was immediately silenced and no one dared to speak anything at all.


    Even Sylvia blinked in confusion, unable to believe what she was hearing.


    Someone had paid 10 million gold coins to buy her?? That was simply ridiculous!!!


    At that time, she couldn''t help but feel a small joy and satisfaction in her uncle and aunt''s misery.


    The duo had sold her for a mere 1000 gold coins.


    How would their expression be when they hear about her actual selling price?


    Sylvia chuckled inwardly.


    She knew that she had gone crazy to feel happy about something like this when her entire world had copsed and her future was dark and gloomy, but still¡­


    The auctioneer was also equally shocked. He felt his throat dry up.


    10 million gold coins were nothing to scoff at!!


    It took a couple of seconds for the man to digest the bid that was presented, but he quickly regained hisposure and continued.


    "Any other bids?" He awkwardlyughed.


    The crowd whispered amongst themselves but no one dared to raise their hands or even speak up.


    "Going once"


    "Going twice"


    "Going thrice"


    "Sold!"


    As the man''s shrill voice beamed in her ears, Sylvia felt a sudden sharp pain in her neck and she fainted.


    The ck-robed figure had already materialized next to her and picked her up as she lost her consciousness.


    He threw a small sack as payment at the auctioneer and then right in front of everyone''s eyes, the man and his newly acquired ve disappeared into nothingness.

 Chapter 2 - Spread Your Legs

    Sylvia groaned in pain as she slowly regained her consciousness.


    She could feel her body lying on a cold hard floor, the warmth of the sunshine no longer providing herfort.


    Am I in an underground dungeon somewhere? Chained to the wall like an animal?


    Her mind started wandering to dangerous ces. Her anxious nerves did little to help with her imagination.


    Sylvia could feel her heart ramming wildly against her chest.


    Sheid there crumpled up, unable to move even an inch.


    Her arms and legs were bound and she didn''t have the strength to try any sort of crazy shenanigans like wiggling on the floor like a worm.


    What would she even aplish by doing so?


    She didn''t have the slightest clue as to where she was or who her ''owner'' was.


    Sylvia smiled bitterly. That''s right she was a ve now and she had an owner.


    very was not something new in the Kalindor Empire, but never did she think that she would actually be one someday.


    GU RU RU RU RU


    Loud rumbling sounds suddenly echoed from Sylvia''s stomach, breaking her mncholic train of thought.


    It has been several hours now since Sylvia had regained her consciousness but no one had brought her any food yet.


    Her stomach was severely aching from the pangs of hunger and anxiety.


    Her entire body was extremely tired and she was at her physical limits.


    Sylvia struggled with it for some more time, and then, she finally passed out again from a mixture of pain and hunger.


    Not long afterward, the door creaked and a man walked in.


    He bent down and sprinkled some water on Sylvia''s face, conjuring it out of thin air.


    And this was in fact, not any ordinary water.


    These were droplets of healing water, materialized by casting the spell Healing Rain Drizzle, a simple 2nd circle magic spell.


    Sylvia slowly stirred awake, as color and strength returned to her body and she somewhat felt better.


    "I¡­ I¡­" She mumbled weakly.


    "Get up." A man''s deep voice sounded near her. It startled her and she felt as if he wasmanding her very soul.


    Sylvia fumbled slightly trying to get up.


    She could feel that her hands and legs were now untied. So she willed her tired body to weakly stand up, but only to lose her bnce the very next instant.


    Her fall, however, was unexpectedly broken by a pair of cold hands that held her and helped her stabilize.


    "Ah~ T¡­ Thank you, my lord."


    Sylvia quickly mumbled, a fear creeping into her heart from the coldness of his touch.


    The man didn''t reply. She could feel his presence near her but he didn''t say anything.


    Sylvia gulped nervously. Who was he? What was he going to do? What was he going to do? Her heart shuddered.


    The air around them was so eerily quiet that she could only hear her own breathing.


    She couldn''t help but wonder why the man didn''t breathe. Or did her loud ragged breathing drown his soundspletely?


    She was so nervous that her brain was not working properly.


    As she just stood there not knowing what was happening around her, suddenly she felt a handing near her.


    Her blindfold loosened, falling down to her feet.


    Sylvia blinked hurriedly, waiting for the blurry images to clear and to see just what sort of a monster was she going to be a ve for.


    But in just a few seconds¡­ her eyes stopped blinking¡­


    She gulped and swallowed hard the saliva in her mouth, gazing at the man in front of her, forgetting to even breathe.


    In front of her, sitting on a feathered bed, was a man so ethereal that she couldn''t believe her own eyes.


    How could such a person exist?


    He had dark ck irises that seemed to contain the whole world within them.


    His hair, his nose, his jawline, everything was perfect.


    Sylvia had never seen a man so handsome or rather so beautiful.


    His single nce can melt any maiden''s heart.


    If it was him¡­ she wouldn''t even mind being his ve¡­


    Damn it. What nonsense am I thinking? Sylvia calmed down and she snapped out of her trance.


    She was mesmerized for a second by the man''s otherworldly beauty that shepletely forgot where she was and who she was.


    Her gaze wavered and she looked at him again.


    But this time¡­their eyes unexpectedly met and she quickly bent her head down in fear.


    His gaze had made her shiver inwardly.


    She knew that the man was still eying her but Sylvia didn''t dare look up again.


    She anxiously waited, wondering what was about toe next.


    All the nasty rumors she had heard about sex ves and how they were treated popped up in her brain, making her shudder.


    She had heard many stories about deviants who tortured and tormented their ves endlessly, not even allowing them the sweet release of death.


    He definitely wouldn''t be like that. Sylvia consoled herself.


    Someone so beautiful and elegant like an angel can''t be too bad right? A small hope surfaced in her heart.


    But the next instant, the man opened his mouth and all her hopes were crushed into nothingness.


    "Spread your legs." He said, his voice cold, cruel, and nonchnt.

 Chapter 3 - Naked

    "W¡­ What?" Sylvia stammered, fear apparent in her eyes.


    She looked up, hoping that the elegant angelic man would rify this weird thing that she had just heard.


    But this time, when she looked at him, a surreal chill swept across her entire body.


    This man¡­ even though he was so elegant and beautiful¡­ there was something unspeakably dark and dangerous about him.


    He was surely no angel. She could feel it. She could sense it in her bones.


    "Hmm¡­ Am I not talking to you?" The man extended his hand, almost reaching Sylvia''s face.


    Sylvia''s eyes moved, trailing his actions, watching his hand curiously.


    SNAP!


    The man made a loud sound clicking his fingers together, very obviously startling Sylvia.


    "So you can hear me." He indifferently mumbled, making Sylvia even more nervous.


    "Spread your legs and don''t make me repeat again." Hemanded her.


    Sylvia bit her lips. Tears threatened to fall out of her eyes but she forcefully held them down.


    Do whatever you want to me, but I won''t show you my fear. She resolutely clenched her fists, though every single part of her body already gave away her feelings.


    "Hmm¡­ Why test my patience when all I am asking you to do is spread your legs wide?"


    The man didn''t wait for her and his voice reached a dangerous threatening pitch.


    Sylvia shuddered.


    A part of her wanted to defy him but a part of her simply wanted to obey him and get this over with.


    She slowly dragged her feet and moved them slightly apart.


    And as soon as she did that, a lightning-fast almost invisible sh crossed her eyes.


    Huh? Sylvia looked up, only to find her robe falling to the ground the very next instant.


    After her robe, it was her petticoat''s turn, followed by her corset and then finally her bloomer.


    Sylvia suddenly found herselfpletely naked, exposed, and vulnerable.


    Time stopped for her. Her brain froze.


    She couldn''t even move a muscle and stared at the man in terror.


    But, strangely, the man didn''t meet her eyes.


    He was busy scanning her body, that too in a very obvious manner.


    He stood up from the bed and walked around her, observing her from head to toe.


    His eyes traveled through every nook and corner of her body, making her shiver involuntarily.


    A couple of secondster, Sylvia snapped out of her trance and quickly tried to cover her chest with her hands, but then she realized that the lower portion of her body was still exposed.


    Tears, that were already on the edge, started falling down, like raindrops on her cheeks, trailing all the way down to her neck.


    The man, however, didn''t seem to care.


    He, not even once met her gaze, the gaze of a whimpering terrified woman and there was no reaction from him. Only a cold indifference.


    She felt almost invisible in front of him and would have believed it if not for his eyes ravaging her body, not leaving a single spot unseen.


    "Tsk. Tsk." He clicked his tongue.


    Was he not satisfied? A question popped inside Sylvia''s brain.


    She didn''t want to think about the consequences when a man, who paid 10 million gold coins for something, was not satisfied with that object.


    And she was not an object.


    She was a living being that he could take out his frustration on, the frustration of wasting such a monstrous amount of gold coins!


    Was he going to take out his anger on me? Sylvia watched fearfully as the man sat back down on the feathered bed, a small frown on his face.


    He didn''t say anything to her though.


    He simply picked up the sword near him, which he had used earlier to sh open her robes with pinpoint uracy, cutting only the clothes and notnding a single scratch on her body.


    Or maybe there was a scratch and Sylvia was too numb to feel it.


    Either way, she didn''t care about that particr detail so much right now.


    What was he nning to do with that sword? That was the bigger question on her mind.


    She dumbfoundedly watched him as the man brought the sword closer to her legs¡­ to her thighs¡­ and in between her legs.


    Sylvia could feel the tinge of the cold steel on her skin.


    "Move it." His deep voice sounded, once again sending shivers down her spine.


    Sylvia trembled and her leg moved on its own without even her consent.

 Chapter 4 - The Glowing Crescent

    If not for the fear that overwhelmed her, Sylvia would have felt utterly humiliated.


    She knew and understood that she was a mere ve now and a ve was most often used for sex, but she was not yet mentally prepared for it.


    How could someone ever prepare themselves for something like this?


    The man, however, seemed as if he couldn''t care less about what she felt. He was far too engrossed in his own thoughts.


    Sylvia bit her lips shamefully as he took another nce at her most intimate private part and then sighed in displeasure.


    It almost looked like he was searching for something, but then again he could just be another garden variety pervert eying a woman''s body from various angles.


    Before Sylvia could muster some courage to open her mouth, the man leaned back and threw the sword in his hand onto the bed.


    He then hurriedly rummaged inside a leather pouch tied to his waist and soon took out a pearl-like gem from within.


    As soon as he brought the pearl near her, Sylvia could weirdly feel her whole body tingle.


    She was extremely confused and curious.


    But she didn''t really have any mental space to think about that right now.


    She clutched her shoulders tightly with her arms, not to cover her body since it was impossible to do so, but rather tofort herself even if it was just a little bit.


    The man''s eyes finally noticed her expression and a cold chuckled escaped his lips.


    "This will be over soon." He said.


    He brought the pearl close to her and again started ravaging her body with his eyes.


    Luckily for Sylvia, this time it was not that embarrassing and it didn''tst long.


    However, unluckily for her, his eyesnded in the center of her chest.


    His hand then followed his eyes as he raised his index finger and circled a spot on her chest.


    Sylvia''s eyes curiously followed his actions and a loud gasp escaped her lips.


    On her chest, where the man was circling his finger, there was a small glowing mark.


    Yes, glowing.


    Why the hell was it glowing? What did he do to me?


    Sylvia took a step back, her eyes and face painted with shock and disbelief.


    There was a small crescent-shaped mark on the center of her chest brightly glowing.


    She looked at the mark and then looked at the cold and cruel man, who now weirdly looked content and satisfied as if he had gotten his money''s worth.


    He also didn''t hover around any longer and walked away, tossing a piece of silk cloth lying on the bed towards her.


    The man then shut the door loudly and left the chamber, leaving behind apletely naked and bbergasted Sylvia.


    Just what the hell was happening? She wondered, her lips parted and her breathing ragged.


    Sylvia crouched down in a corner of the chamber and hugged her knees, still shivering from the aftermath of what just happened.


    She clutched the thin silk bed sheet, now wrapped around her body as if her life depended on it.


    It took a while for Sylvia to calm down.


    In all honesty, she expected apletely different series of events. She thought that the man was going to devour her wholly right then and there.


    And she didn''t know if what transpired just now was better or worse than that.


    She took a few more deep breaths and calmed herself down, when suddenly the door creaked open again, making all her efforts vain.


    Sylvia instantly panicked and moved closer to the corner, cramming her frail body against the wall, seeking its non-existent support and protection.


    At the same time, her head tilted slightly and she couldn''t help but nervously peek through her silver locks to see who had entered.


    A middle-aged woman dressed in a prim and proper maid uniform stood at the door.


    The woman was gazing at her, her face filled with a mix of pity and intrigue.


    On her hand was a tter of what looked and smelled like food.


    Sylvia slightly rxed, her eyes still holding a fair bit of anxiety.


    Her stomach, however, unequivocally groaned and grumbled in hunger.


    "Would you like to eat something dear?" The middle-aged woman finally opened her mouth and spoke.


    Clearly, she had also heard the embarrassing cry of help from her stomach.


    Sylvia hesitantly nodded.


    She didn''t know what exactly was awaiting her in the near future, but right now, a te of warm food sounded good to her ears.


    "Get up dear. Come here and sitfortably while you eat." The maid waved her hand and called her over.


    Sylvia again obediently nodded her head and stood up, tightly clutching the nket and inched closer to the maid.


    Apart from the bed, there was also a table and chair in the room.


    The food tter was ced on the table, so Sylvia sat down on the chair.


    She adjusted her bed sheet to make sure that nothing was exposed, but overall she still looked very ufortable.


    "There you go. Eat some food. You will feel better." The maid encouraged her.


    She opened up the lid covering the tter and it revealed a generous portion of meat, potatoes, and a cup of broth.


    The warmth and the smell of the fresh foodforted her greatly and Sylvia immediately dug in.


    Slowly and hesitantly at first, but soon she gulped down everything present on the te.


    The maid, who was patiently waiting for her, standing on the side promptly took the empty tter away.


    "If you are still hungry, I can bring you some more?" She asked gently.


    Sylvia hurriedly nodded. She hadn''t eaten anything for what felt like ages and she was terribly hungry.


    The maid chuckled at her childlike expressions.


    "Okay dear, sit tight. Let me bring you some more. I will also bring you some change of clothing?" She smiled and nodded.


    "Thank you for your kindness, Lady¡­?"


    "Oh! Ha ha. I am not a Lady. Please call me Jane, dear. I am just a maid here."


    A small smile surfaced on Sylvia''s beautiful face and she politely nodded.


    She saw that Jane was about to leave and quickly stopped her, by tugging on her dress.


    "Ummm¡­ Ummm¡­ Jane. May I ask who is the master of this household?"


    "Household?" The maid eximed in surprise.


    "No, dear. You are currently in the private castle of Prince Mikel."

 Chapter 5 - Pull Up Your Dress

    "I am in the ca¡­ castle? Prince Mikel?"


    Sylvia stared bbergasted as the maid closed the chamber door and walked out to fetch her another helping of food.


    Though Sylvia pretty much had the rest of the day to herself, stomach full and clothedfortably, her mind was inplete disarray.


    She felt as if her head was going to burst, not knowing what the hell was happening.


    Sylvia gulped nervously and took a peek for the umpteenth time inside her faded violet-colored dress, in between her cleavage.


    But it was still the same. There was no mark and there was absolutely no glow of any kind.


    Hmmm¡­ She pondered for a while and then loosened her dress in the back slightly, before pulling it up above her head.


    Sylvia wanted to see if the crescent mark would again show up and glow in the darkness.


    So she ducked in and also used her hands to close any small gaps on the side.


    Her posture looked extremelyical as if she was a turtle trying to get back inside its shell.


    Unfortunately for Sylvia, the door creaked open again at this exact same instant and this time it was not the maid who walked in.


    The temperature in the room dropped immediately and Sylvia could feel the man''s frosty aura, even with her head under her dress.


    A shiver crept up Sylvia''s spine and she immediately tried to duck out and stand up in respect.


    But while trying to do so, she unintentionally used too much force in a panic.


    As Sylvia fumbled around, the old dress ripped apart right in the middle and came undone, leaving her upper bodypletely bare and naked... again¡­


    Ahhh¡­ Shrieked Sylvia, partly in fear and partly in embarrassment.


    Mikel stared at the woman in front of him, and his eyes turned even frostier.


    "Pull up your dress." His deep voice sounded, stern but velvety smooth. "I am not interested in your body."


    Sylvia immediately nodded with her face flushed red. She stood up, covering herself properly.


    "I am sorry, your highness." She bowed and prayed inwardly that the Prince wouldn''t cut off her head for this tant insolence.


    "Hmmm¡­" Mikel simply waved his hand wordlessly.


    He sat on the bed and stared at the woman, whose head was still lowered.


    "It''s good that you are aware of who I am."


    Sylvia slightly shivered at the sound of his voice.


    "Rest assured. You are not in any danger here." Mikel mumbled. There was subtle tiredness in his tone.


    "You will be a maid in the castle starting today. There is nothing special that is expected of you."


    "Report to the head maid and she will give you further instructions."


    "You are not allowed to speak of what happened earlier and you are not allowed to talk about your crescent mark."


    Sylvia listened intently and with every passing second, the knots in her stomach were slightly rxing.


    She had imagined the worst and this didn''t seem half bad.


    "Now go. Scram." Mikel waved his hand and flopped back onto the bed.


    Sylvia spun on her heels and quickly twirled around to dash out of the room.


    She was wrong to rx!!! This man was scary!!!


    She realized that she was holding her breath and forced herself to breathe.


    Her heart raced as she quickly opened the chamber door to get the hell out of there.


    But before she could leave, the man''s cruel voice sounded again.


    "And one more thing¡­ Don''t ever step out of this castle."


    The man''sst few words contained an unveiled threat within them and Sylvia knew that he meant it.


    She bowed her head again, closed the door softly, and turned around.


    Only then she sighed a breath of relief. Her heart, however, was still beatingboriously fast.


    What a fearful man! She patted her chest and looked around.


    She had never been inside of a royal castle and she had no idea where the head maid or anything else was.


    Of course, she couldn''t really turn around and ask that devil for directions.


    So Sylvia braved herself and slowly walked along the long empty corridor.


    The castle was made out of polished white stoned, with a clean and smooth interior finish.


    The walls were not too extravagant and proudly disyed a couple of elegant art pieces here and there.


    Sylvia gasped ever so slightly as she slowly walked ahead, drinking in everything around her in marvel.


    Luckily for her, not long after, she came across Jane again, who was now dusting a couch and the two cushioned chairs next to the couch.


    "Hello, dear." Jane greeted warmly on seeing her.


    Sylvia first stared nkly but eventually managed to sh a small smile in return.


    She couldn''t help but wonder if the woman would still treat her this kindly if she knew that she was a mere ve.

 Chapter 6 - New Home

    Jane saw that Sylvia looked confused and offered her help. "Do you need something dear?"


    Sylvia smiled bitterly and nodded.


    She then slowly mumbled. "Ummm¡­ Yes, Jane. His highness¡­ His highness has ordered me to report to the head maid."


    For amoner like Sylvia, that too amoner without the gift of magic, stepping into the royal pce was a huge deal. Not to mention as a ve.


    So naturally, she was extremely nervous.


    But Sylvia tried her best and put on a brave face, without letting her insecurities slip outside.


    "Head maid? What for dear?" Jane asked, slightly surprised by that request.


    "I¡­ I¡­" Sylvia stammered. She wanted to say that she was a newly acquired ve but it was too hurtful to get the words out.


    Jane saw that she was hesitating and exined to her. "You can tell me, dear. I am the head maid."


    "Ah¡­" Sylvia nodded in understanding. She then took a deep breath and slowly said what had to be said.


    "I¡­ I am a ve. I have been ordered to stay within the castle at all times and work here."


    Jane''s eyes immediately widened. She hadn''t expected such a wlessly beautiful young girl to be a mere ve.


    But she quickly regained herposure and patted Sylvia. Poor child. She inwardly sighed.


    With Sylvia''s beauty and her young figure, there was no doubt that she must have suffered a lot.


    Jane knew firsthand how piggish men can be. Especially men of power.


    So she sympathized with her and tried tofort her, at least as much as she could.


    "Child, don''t worry. His highness is a very kind and considerate master. You don''t have anything to worry about under his care."


    Sylvia nodded. This was the second time she was hearing these words.


    Do I really have nothing to worry about? The bitter smile on her lips still remained.


    She silently followed Jane, the head maid, as the middle-aged woman wandered through the long corridors of the pce.


    Jane was very kind and sweet even though she was a ve and exined to her how everything worked in the castle.


    The castle was mainly divided into three areas, the central guest entertaining courtyard, the servants'' and other workers'' quarters, and the prince''s private quarters.


    Apart from this, there were also other areas of the castle like the garden, the library, the training grounds, and the underground cer.


    Overall, the castle could be categorized as a medium-sized castle.


    Why was the King''s firstborn, Prince Mikel only gifted a medium-sized castle by the King?


    This was because Prince Mikel was not very talented in the art of magic, at least in the eyes of the royal family and the public.


    Not only that, but there were several bad rumors about his mother.


    This being the case, it was already a huge deal for the King to not directly disown Mikel and still treat him as a member of the royal family.


    So of course, no one questioned his actions, when the Second Prince Denault was crowned as the heir.


    Despite all these politics and his standing in the royal court, Prince Mikel was nevertheless extremely popr and very acimed.


    The man was second to none when it came to his wits, devilishly handsome beauty, and warfare strategies.


    Prince Denault might be the Crown Prince in name, but he dared not to offend Mikel under any circumstance.


    Jane took her time and slowly showed Sylvia around the castle.


    The duo then arrived at the maid quarters, where Jane showed Sylvia her room.


    "Why don''t you freshen up and rest today, dear? You can start working tomorrow." She patted her and handed over a couple of keys.


    "Umm¡­ Thanks." Sylvia nodded. She clutched the set of keys in her hand and opened the door.


    The room itself was not too big, but it was spacious enough for a small cot and a table. It even had a window that faced towards the garden.


    She turned around to thank Jane, but the woman was already gone.


    Jane was after all the head maid and she still had a lot of chores left to finish.


    Sylvia dazedly nced at the empty corridor for a while, before closing the door behind her.


    She then let out a long sigh.


    This was it. This was her new life.


    This small cramped room and a lifetime full of menialbor. This was what awaited her.


    Unknowingly, tears streamed down Sylvia''s mesmerizing eyes.


    No matter how relieved she felt to not be in a worse situation, she still couldn''t bring herself to digest the fact that she was a mere ve now.


    Sylvia slowly sat down on the cot and gazed outside her window absentmindedly.


    It was a gorgeous view with numerous colorful flowers, nts, and trees cheerfully dancing to the tune of the wind.


    The gentle wind caressed her wet cheeks and alleviated her grim mood.


    Sylvia took a few deep breaths and a sense of calm and serene bubbled in her heart.


    For a moment, everything didn''t look as bad and bleak.


    However, the next instant, a familiar figure strolled across her garden, instantly shattering her newfound tranquility.

 Chapter 7 - Knock Knock Knock

    Sylvia stared at the lean and muscr man standing at a distance in the midst of two gently swaying trees in the garden.


    Even though she was only looking at him from afar, through her grilled window, from the confines of her room, she still couldn''t help but feel a little nervous.


    Mikel had such a strong and imposing presence. Just merely looking at him made her feel very uneasy.


    But weirdly enough, Sylvia found herself staring at him, unable to avert her eyes.


    The man was exuding an otherworldly elegance under the glimmer of the moonlight.


    From her perspective, it looked as if he was busily talking with the two men in front of him about something very important.


    There was a lot of hand gesturing going on and the two men even looked a bit frightened.


    Sylvia couldn''t help but wonder what they were talking about.


    "Are they talking about me?" A small doubt arose within her, steadily quickening her heartbeat.


    A few minutester the two men humbly bowed and dispersed, leaving behind only Mikel.


    The man was standing by himself in the beautiful garden, the wind whipping his long golden hair, and his aura more enchanting than the garden itself.


    Sylvia didn''t quite realize it but by now she hadpletely moved closer to the small window and her face was almost pressed against the iron grill from trying to see what was happening.


    How could she not be curious about the man who now held her fate in his palm?


    It was only natural for her to want to know more about him and understand better the predicament she was in.


    As Sylvia dazedly stared at the elegant figure in the garden with a million questions brewing in her head, suddenly¡­ out of nowhere¡­ the man turned around and looked directly at her¡­


    Sylvia''s heart instantly stopped. She knew that he was looking at her. There was no doubt about it. His gaze met hers.


    Damn it. Sylvia jumped back in fright and coughed roughly, panting in fear.


    "Did I just get caught doing something weird?"


    "Did he think that I was spying on him?"


    "Oh Lord, did I just get caught spying on the first Prince of Kalindor?"


    That was treason for heaven''s sake!


    Sylvia cursed herself for being so stupid. She had quite literally dug her own grave in less than a day.


    "I should have never looked." She clutched her knees and sat on the bed, her body slightly trembling.


    She didn''t even know what to do now. She could only patiently wait and hope that nothing happened.


    Perhaps the Prince wouldn''t care about something so trivial?


    After all, wasn''t she just looking out from her window?


    Sylvia felt like she was going crazy. Every little thing was making her nervous and she hated it.


    "I am a strong independent woman, damn it. Why am I behaving like this?"


    She clutched her knees even tighter and tried to calm herself down.


    Being an exceptionally beautiful maiden, Sylvia had a rather confident and strong personality.


    Of course, this was only when she was in the midst of othermoners.


    When it came to people with power and magic, she knew that her beauty was worth nothing and she was a nobody.


    They were slightly well off and a bit better thanmoners but still neither her parents nor her uncle''s family was of a noble lineage.


    So Sylvia never dared to act over-confident and entitled. She knew her ce in society and acted prudently.


    But now, it felt like she hadpletely lost control of herself.


    "Stop it Syl. Don''t be an idiot. You can get through this." Sheforted herself and took deep breaths to calm herself down.


    A couple of minutester, she finally sighed in relief and arranged her bedding to turn in early for the night.


    "See nothing happened. Everything is fine. Everything is fine." She muttered to herself under her breath.


    She barely even finished those words, when suddenly a loud and clear tap sounded on her door.


    Knock. Knock. Knock.


    Sylvia felt her entire body instantly stiffen up. She couldn''t bring herself to move and open the door.


    She simply stood frozen near the door.


    Knock. Knock. Knock.


    The loud knocking sounds echoed again.


    The party on the other side of the door didn''t look like they were going to leave anytime soon.


    Damn it. Damn it. Damn it.


    Sylvia still hesitated to move, when finally a gentle and kind voice sounded.


    "Are you alright dear? I just came by to see if you needed some more supper?"


    Jane asked loudly, just to make sure that Sylvia hadn''t gone to sleep already.


    Sylvia immediately breathed out in relief. She swallowed her saliva and quickly stepped forward and opened the door.


    "Sorry, Mrs. Jane. I apologize for my foul manners. I drifted off by mistake."


    "Don''t worry, dear. I just dropped by to check on you."


    "In case you feel hungryter, you can always visit the kitchen and eat some leftovers. There are plenty avable."


    "Have a good night." Jane smiled kindly and left soon after patting Sylvia on the shoulder.


    Sylvia let out another sigh. She had almost offended the head maid by being overly paranoid.


    "How silly of me!" She rubbed her temples and closed her door again.


    This time she didn''t bother sightseeing outside her window and directly went to bed.


    She was extremely tired after all.


    Within a few seconds, Sylvia fell into a deep slumber and her chest rhythmically undted up and down matching her breath.


    However, not long after, her door slightly creaked open and a shadow entered.


    Mikel stood silently by the bed and gazed at the sleeping woman for a long time.


    His gaze held an unfathomable expression.

 Chapter 8 - There Are Rules

    The next day morning Sylvia woke up bright and early. She was already feeling better and was not as nervous as she was the previous day.


    She didn''t have any change of clothes, so she only adjusted her appearance, before heading out.


    She first went to the kitchens to report to the head maid.


    Sylvia had originally expected a lot of maidservants and other workers bustling about in the kitchens and in the castle but surprisingly, she didn''t find anyone around.


    It was only Jane running around doing this and that.


    "Good morning, dear. You are awake early!" Jane greeted her with a bright smile despite being very busy.


    "Umm¡­ Sorry, Mrs. Jane." Sylvia apologized nevertheless.


    "Ha Ha. Don''t worry. Don''t worry." Jane nodded and continued stirring a pot.


    "I am almost finished preparing breakfast for the prince. How about you have some food as well?" Jane suggested.


    "But Mrs. Jane, how can we eat before his highness eats?" Sylvia asked in confusion.


    "Ha Ha. His Highness doesn''t care about things like that. We are allowed to eat whenever we want."


    "There is usually not much work in the castle as well. Have you met Jenny on your way?"


    "She in fact already finished her meal. So you don''t have to worry."


    "Umm. I see." Sylvia absentmindedly nodded.


    "Is it just three of us working in this castle, Mrs. Jane?"


    Sylvia couldn''t believe that a King''s son would live so frugally, without a surplus of maidservants and workers.


    "Yes. Yes. You will slowly be familiar with the things in this castle."


    "Apart from Jenny, there are a couple more maids in the castle, but in general we have very few people here."


    "His highness prefers it that way. On that note, be sure not to enter his majesty''s private quarters."


    "Unless he explicitly gives permission, none of us are allowed to enter that part of the castle."


    Sylvia carefully listened to all of Jane''s instructions and made a mental note of everything.


    She had always been gifted in remembering things and these few rules were next to nothingpared to their Kingdom''s voluminous historical records.


    After finishing her conversation with Jane, Sylvia quickly wolfed down a couple of bread slices, washing them down with a ss of milk.


    She then basically had nothing else to do.


    Jane, Jenny, and Beth, the other three maids who were very proficient in chore magic took care of everything else.


    And since they used magic, it didn''t take long for them toplete the daily routine.


    There was not really any space for Sylvia to help out.


    Ever since she got caught in the first ce, the only thing that Sylvia thought about was how to escape her inevitable fate.


    But unfortunately, her new master was a Prince, and that too a mage!


    How could she even think about escaping now? It would simply be a fool''s errand.


    Mages were the actual upper echelons of their society and they were even more valued than members of the noble families.


    They were powerful entities who determined the strength and defense of a Kingdom.


    In truth, the chairman of the Kingdom''s Mage Council possessed a lot more power than the King himself.


    So Sylvia no longer thought about plotting and nning her escape.


    Her fate was sealed the minute a mageid his eyes on her.


    Even if she escapes, all the man had to do was cast a simple trace spell. This wasmon knowledge.


    Several criminals of the Kingdom were caught in this fashion.


    Even though she no longer had any chance to escape, Sylvia didn''t feel that unsettled or anxious anymore.


    After a good night''s sleep and from the long conversation she had with Jane, she could already tell that her situation wasn''t too bad.


    However, she still had a small sense of unease at the back of her mind.


    For a while, Sylvia wandered around here and there in the castle, but then she suddenly remembered the incident from yesterday and decided that it was best for her to not roam around so much, lest she runs into a certain someone.


    Back home, she had the habit of reading often, so she decided to pay a visit to the library in the castle and spend some time there.


    Sylvia looked around in awe as she slowly walked towards the library.


    In the light of day, the castle really did look marvelous, especially the exquisite designs on the stained ss skylight.


    Light passing through those ss panes was brilliantly reflected, and it was a sight for the sore eyes.


    Sylvia gulped nervously, feeling a bit overwhelmed by the extravagant luxury around her.


    She soon reached the library, where she thought the presence of books mightfort her, but unfortunately, she was once again wrong to assume so.


    The enormous chamber doors of the library were open and the library itself was breathtakingly huge. It might even upy one-fourth of the entire castle!


    Sylvia stood at the entrance, her mouth wide agape.


    When she paid close attention to the chamber, she noticed that the library stretched all the way from the ground floor to the top floor of the tower.


    In other words, one entire tower of the castle had been fashioned into a reading library.

 Chapter 9 - Some Are Gifted. Some Are Not.

    Sylvia felt like she was a kid in a candy shop as she craned her neck to her left and right, taking in theplete view.


    No matter where she saw, there were neatly stacked books.


    To someone like Sylvia, this was heaven on earth.


    She was sure that Prince Mikel''s personal library was at apletely different level whenpared to even the Kingdom''s famed public library.


    The young woman felt a sudden surge of energy and she started hurriedly exploring the enormous bookshelves standing tall like giants.


    Just the ground floor alone had at least twenty such tall bookshelves which stretched all the way to the ends of the chamber.


    There had to be a thousand books or more on just a couple of these shelves.


    There were books about the history of the Kingdom, books about magic, and even books about gardening and the various nts and herbs. The list was truly endless.


    There were also some books written innguages that Sylvia had no knowledge about.


    There were more than plenty of choices for her to choose from, but Sylvia directly headed to the sectionbeled Magic.


    As amoner, since she was tested with zero affinity for mana, she never had any ess to these special books.


    So naturally, Sylvia was curious.


    She wanted to read and know the contents of an actual book about magic.


    She hurriedly nced at the various book titles, at least whichever she could decipher.


    Luckily, it didn''t take long for her to pick out a good book, something named ''Magic for dummies''.


    Sylvia smiled lightly at the name and quickly opened it up.


    "Lesson 1 - The ebb and flow of mana"


    The woman''s brilliant blue eyes sparkled and she subconsciously began reading things aloud out of excitement.


    "Hmmm¡­ So just like air, one should be able to breathe in and breath out mana through the pores in our skin."


    Sylvia shut the book and sat cross-legged attempting to sense the world energy around her, whilst breathing in and breathing out at a steady pace.


    She did this for a few minutes.


    And then a few minutes.


    And again for a few more minutes.


    But unfortunately, all she did was simply breathe puffs of air in and out.


    "Damn it." Sylvia scrunched her face out of frustration.


    But she wasn''t too disheartened. After all, she was just trying this out for fun.


    Every child of Kalindor was tested at an age of 10 for affinity to the world energy or mana.


    So she already knew that she had absolutely no affinity at all and hence couldn''t sense any amount of atmospheric mana.


    But she had never been upset about that.


    Some are gifted. Some are not.


    Sylvia didn''t dwell too much on such a finite thing.


    She always believed that no matter what cards we are dealt with, the win or loss ultimately depends on the yer.


    Such maturity in a young girl was umon but she had lost both her parents at a young age and had to grow up in a house full of strangers who called themselves her parents'' distant family.


    Back then she had blindly trusted them, but in the end, they had mercilessly sold her out.


    Tears spilled from Sylvia''s eyes without her permission as she dazedly looked at the worn-out book on her hands.


    Small salty drops started falling like flower petals on the pages and Sylvia hurriedly tried to wipe them off, lest the book gets damaged.


    She still hadn''t quite grasped the temperament of the master of this castle, Prince Mikel, but she didn''t want to test it out by ruining one of his books.


    So she quickly tried to salvage the wet page.


    Unfortunately, her tears had irreversibly made the crispy clean page dirty and soggy.


    Damn it. Silvia bit her nails nervously.


    The damage was already done. Now there was no route of escape for her, except to hide it somewhere in the back.


    And she needed to do it quickly!


    She turned around in panic and tried to quickly shove the book far back in when suddenly a pair of legs appeared in her peripheral vision.


    Sylvia''s heart sank as she instantly knew who that was. She recognized those familiar ck boots, perfectly clean and shining.


    She hesitantly removed her hands from the book and gulped nervously.


    "Gr¡­ Greetings, your highness." She mumbled under her breath, quickly standing up to bow respectfully.


    Standing right beside her, leaning casually on the bookshelf, was the tall and handsome figure, the man who owned her.


    Unlike her flustered actions, the person in front of her didn''t respond immediately.


    Mikel took his time. His gaze was impassive but there was a hint of a subtle smile on his face.


    He slowly bent down and picked up the book which Sylvia had tried hard to hide.


    "Hmm... Interested in magic, are we?" His deep velvety smooth voice tickled Sylvia''s ears.


    She slightly nodded, praying for him to not notice the ruined pages.


    "Do you have any affinity with magic?" Mikel asked. His gaze was fixated on the woman in front of him, eying her from head to toe.


    Silvia again nodded. "No, your highness."


    "No magic huh? Interesting. Do you know the meaning of your name, S - y - l - v - i - a?" Mikel slowly spoke, enunciating her name, syble for syble.


    "Umm... No, your highness." Sylvia had never thought about something like that.


    "Your name is derived from one of the mythical creatures, nymphs. A forest nymph to be more specific."


    Sylvia nodded again, not knowing how to react. Why is he interested in my damn name? She cursed her bad luck.


    Mikel let out a cold chuckle. The woman in front of him was clearly terrified of him.


    She looked like a frightened little kitten, who was begging to be pinched and teased.


    He was too tired to notice it previously but the girl''s features were quite exquisite. She had an innocent pure charm about her.


    It was very much to his liking.


    Mikel leaned in a bit more closer, pinning the poor woman against the wooden bookshelf.

 Chapter 10 - I Have Plans For You

    Mikel leaned in a bit more closer, pinning the poor woman against the wooden bookshelf.


    He was standing extremely close to her, so close that Sylvia could feel his warm breath and it made her very nervous.


    "No affinity for magic. Don''t even know the meaning of your own name. Quite useless aren''t you?" He chuckled mockingly.


    Was knowing the damn meaning of her name so important?


    Sylvia, being very flustered, lost herposure for a second and angrily retorted. "Sorry that you wasted your money. Why don''t you return me and ask for a refund."


    She looked defiantly, meeting the devil''s gaze eye to eye.


    But as soon as she saw him, saw the amused cocky smirk on his face, she immediately returned back to reality.


    What did I just do? She covered her mouth with her palms in shock.


    Sylvia didn''t dare to look up at the devil in front of her again. Her heart raced as if she was prey caught by a dangerous predator.


    But Mikel only coldly chuckled. He was amused at her little outburst.


    She was the painted picture of an angry cat trying to w at him.


    "Don''t worry, my dear kitten. I know how to get my money''s worth." He extended his hand forward and tousled her long silver locks with his fingers.


    "Did you know that nymphs are said to have an insatiable appetite?"


    Huh? Sylvia was confused. What the hell is he talking about now? Did he always have to talk in riddles?


    "They ate a lot?" She muttered under her breath, hoping to change the conversation and erase whatever happened a few seconds ago.


    "No, my dear. Not that appetite. The other one. Do you want me to exin it to you further?" The man''s eyebrows raised as he eyed the woman in front of him again.


    Sylvia was not a dud. She instantly realized what the viin was talking about and her entire face heated up.


    This whole thing made her painfully aware of how she had been stripped naked, just yesterday, by this man in front of her, each and every part of her body already seen by him.


    The woman''s pale cheeks turned into a shade of deep red and anger and frustration whelmed within her.


    This man was clearly toying with her!


    "So... What do you think? Shall I start getting my money''s worth?" Mikel teased her again, this time grabbing her wrists and pinning them above her head.


    Sylvia shook her head vigorously. She was sorry that she ever came into this forsaken library.


    "Aha Ha Ha Ha." The devil, however,ughed loudly at her miserable plight.


    "Don''t worry, kitten. I have others for that. For... YOU... I have something else entirely different nned... Aha Ha Ha Ha."


    Mikel let her go and he then casually walked away as if nothing had happened just now.


    Sylvia, on the other hand, slid down to the ground, and sat weakly, folding her knees to her chest.


    Her body subconsciously shivered from the terrifying encounter that she just had.


    What did he mean? What ns did he have for me? Is he going to drain my blood and drink it all like a demon? Is he just going to eat me alive?


    At this point, nothing would surprise her!!!


    Stupid Jane! How is this asshole a kind and benevolent prince??? She needs to get her eyes checked!


    A couple more minutester, Sylvia shot out of the library and ran back to the servant''s quarters at lightning speed.


    As far as she was concerned, this was another territory that she was going to avoid like the gue.


    Wherever the devil went, she would never go!

 Chapter 11 - The Devil In Her Dreams

    That night when Sylvia went to bed, she had one horrible nightmare after another.


    She even dreamed of her lying on some sacrificial altar and the devil stabbing right through her heart.


    When she woke up the next morning her entire back was covered by ayer of sweat.


    "Syl, are you awake yet?" She heard Jane''s pleasant voice and quickly got out of bed.


    "Here are some change of clothes." She then paused and shoved a bundle of clothes onto Sylvia''s hands.


    "Ah. Thank you." Sylvia gratefully nodded. This was something she direly needed.


    Jane, however, weirdly kept smiling at her.


    Huh? Sylvia blinked. Why is she looking at me like that?


    "His highness personally ordered me to fetch some for you," Jane exined with her eyes twinkling.


    Ah~ Sylvia was speechless.


    Just yesterday, the man had terrified her, even ruining her night''s sleep and today he was gifting her clothes?


    Sylvia couldn''t understand the man''s actions at all. She sighed and didn''t think too much about it.


    She looked at the clothes in her hand and some of them were simply too luxurious.


    How could a ve like her ept things like this? Then won''t the other maids in the castle feel animosity towards her?


    This was a recipe for disaster.


    She quickly took out the top half of the stack of clothes that looked very luxurious and gave it to Jane.


    "This is too much, Mrs. Jane. Please take some of them."


    Jane immediately backed away as if the clothes were hot potatoes.


    "Eh? No. No. Dear! His highness personally instructed me to hand you these. You should keep them." She shook her head resolutely.


    Jane had a soft corner for the young girl because she was always polite and well-mannered and never acted impatiently.


    So she genuinely advised her. "Listen, dear. I am already an old widow. Why do I need these clothes for?"


    "You should keep them and wear them for nice asions. You are very pretty."


    "I am sure you will catch the eyes of a fine young man in no time."


    "Don''t think that you will forever be a ve and a maid. His highness is very kind and generous."


    "If someone fancies you and asks him for your hand, I am sure that he wouldn''t mind blessing your marriage."


    "Anna''s elder sister also got married in this exact same way. Aha Ha Ha. She even married a court official."


    "So don''t look so gloomy all the time and be cheerful, girl!" Jane patted her and chuckled.


    Sylvia gulped. Again with the terms ''kind'' and ''generous''! Blessing my marriage? Will that devil really agree to that?


    "Ok. Ok. Now don''t dawdle anymore and get ready quickly. We are expecting some guests in the castle today."


    "Lend me a hand in the kitchen and wear one of the good dresses." Jane winked and walked away briskly.


    Ummm¡­ Sylvia could only stare at her back dazedly.


    She then chuckled lightly and went back inside her room to change.


    She was truly grateful for Jane and her kind words.


    Sylvia looked at the stack of new clothes in front of her and gasped lightly.


    Some were even better than the dresses she used to wear. How are these supposed to be casual?


    Wouldn''t it be ridiculous for a maid to wear such fine clothes?


    Sylvia didn''t want to invite any more unnecessary trouble her way.


    So she selected the simplest dress from the stack, a pale violet-colored one, and quickly changed into it.


    It had a really pretty bow that magnified the look of the entire dress, but Sylvia decided to not wear it.


    She then hurried over to the kitchen and washed her face in a pail of conjured water.


    It was very convenient that Jane, Jenny, and Ana were able to do chore magic.


    So unlike the other households, where the maids had to painfully lug around pails and pails of water from the well, the water here was simply conjured out of thin air.


    Chore magic was not too difficult so even people with very less magic affinity were easily able to do it.


    Conjuring water, small spirals of wind for cleaning surfaces, a few sparks of fire to ignite the wooden branches, these sort of small magic spells were rtively easy to cast.


    But that being said, not everyone can afford such magically talented house help.


    They were often in high demand and only the royal families and noble families were able to afford such costly house help.


    After washing her face, Sylvia quickly started kneading the dough for pastries.


    A pot of tea was steaming next to her and Jane as well was flitting about here and there in a hurry.


    "Who is this special guest, Mrs. Jane?" Sylvia couldn''t help herself and she asked curiously. Commoners like them never had a chance to meet the royalty.

 Chapter 12 - Wow! Just Wow!

    "Who is this special guest, Mrs. Jane?" Sylvia couldn''t help herself and she asked curiously. Commoners like them never had a chance to meet the royalty.


    "Aha Ha Ha. You sound excited dearie." Jane quickly removed the dough Sylvia was kneading. "And rightfully so!"


    "Have you ever seen his highness Nics before? Oh, dear! He has the cutest dimples!"


    Sylvia chuckled at the sight of the middle-aged woman swooning and blushing.


    Jane spoke a great deal about the young prince but Sylvia''s mind drifted away as she subconsciously startedparing the two brothers.


    Both the brothers were bright and sunny ording to Jane, with the younger brother being a little bit of a tease and very flirtatious.


    Sylvia, however, didn''t quite believe that story.


    Jane was definitely wrong about the elder brother and about the younger one? She decided to only believe what she sees.


    While Jane excitedly continued chatting away, time flew by quickly and the much-awaited guest arrived.


    One of the castle guards came to the kitchen to notify them and Jane immediately loaded up a tray with fresh warm biscuits and a pot of steaming aromatic herbal tea.


    She then flitted away to serve the two handsome princes like a young teenager in love.


    Sylvia didn''t want to go with her and waited for Jane at a distance, ready to help in case she needed it.


    But the middle-aged woman was more than happy to serve tea to both the young men by herself.


    She even had a visible blush on her face and giggled at the slightestpliment Nics threw her way.


    The woman was totally smitten with Prince Nics!


    Sylvia chuckled at this embarrassing sight.


    She couldn''t hear any of their conversations from her position, but she could see the tall young man clearly.


    Nics had broad shoulders and a very sunny disposition with a bright smile lingering on his face at all times.


    The man''s features were distinctly different than Mikel''s but he looked handsome and charming nevertheless.


    If Mikel were to be the cool evening moon, this young man would be the morning sunshine. Well, at least on the surface.


    Sylvia quietly watched the two men talking to each other, and Jane standing at a distance, waiting on the duo.


    For some reason, from her perspective, it almost looked as if Nics was having more fun with the conversation than Mikel.


    The damned devil had a clear frown on his face.


    Sylvia couldn''t help but wonder if there was any discord between the two.


    However, that was highly unlikely because Nics was the King''s second wife''s fifth son.


    This meant that he was only fifth in line to the throne and hence behaved quite freely with Mikel.


    There was no need for him to view Mikel as any sort of threat.


    Thanks to Jane''s borate fan-girling, Sylvia got to know about all these small details.


    She sighed and silently watched the group from a distance, when suddenly Mikel turned towards her and once again directly looked at her, his eyes seeing through her very soul.


    Sylvia immediately froze. She could never get used to this devil''s invasive eyes.


    She gulped nervously and took a step back, but stopped herself, after realizing that she had done nothing wrong this time around.


    She was a maid in the castle and she was supposed to be waiting on the guests.


    So Sylvia stubbornly red back at the man and did not lower her gaze.


    Mikel chuckled, amused at the expressions on the girl''s face.


    To others, thisugh might have seemed charming and lovely, but it only sent shivers down Sylvia''s spine.


    She gulped nervously and watched the man as he signaled her to walk towards him.


    Huh? He is calling me over?


    She hesitated, but the man continued staring at her and snapped his fingers again.


    Sylvia could no longer ignore hismand and started slowly walking towards the group.


    She tucked the unruly strands of her hair behind her ears and nervously approached them.


    "Your highness." "Your highness." Sylvia bowed twice, politely greeting the two royal princes.


    She had some training on formal etiquette but definitely not at this level. So she could only hope that her manners were decent enough.


    But luckily or rather unluckily for her, such worries were for naught.


    Because the moment Sylvia walked over, Nics, all but wolf-whistled at her!


    "Wow! Just wow!" Nics loudly eximed and he even stood up from his chair.


    "Greetings, Miss Sylvia."


    He immediately leaned forward and took Sylvia''s hand casually, raising it and cing a kiss on the back of her hand.


    After that, the man didn''t immediately let of her hand either.


    He paused a moment, his eyes gazing at the stunningly beautiful specimen in front of him, his lips still lingering on the back of her hand.


    Ah~ Sylvia awkwardly stood still, not knowing how to respond to this situation.


    Nics was definitely charming and his undivided attention was making her blush slightly.


    Even her face was heating up as the man''s lips brushed against her hand.


    Jane, standing on the side, was also smiling, barely containing her excitement.


    While these three were immersed in their own world, nobody noticed that a certain someone had a cold and frosty expression on his face.


    Mikel cleared his throat loudly and only then did Nics finally let go of Sylvia''s hand.

 Chapter 13 - A Deviant In Bed

    "Oops. My bad, sorry big brother. I got carried away." Nics chuckled and tousled his hair.


    His auburn hair magnified his boyish charm and made the man look even more adorable.


    As he clumsily sat back down, Sylvia as well crossed her hands elegantly in front of her, her one hand holding the wrist of another, and waited.


    But unfortunately, she hadpletely forgotten to wipe that small shy smile off of her face.


    Mikel''s gaze not even oncended on the woman but his eyes continued to remain frosty.


    He lifted his hand to dismiss the two maids when Nics quickly stopped him.


    "Not so fast, big brother. Why are you trying so hard to hide your little ve?"


    "Aya. This is so unfair!"


    "If I had known that such a beauty was going up for auction, I would have surelypeted with you!" Nics sighed exasperatedly.


    "Hmmm¡­ I am not really trying to hide anyone. Why don''t you sit here and stare at her for some more time?"


    "I have some business to attend to. I won''t be keeping youpany."


    Mikel only spoke as a matter of fact, but for some unknown reason, a shiver ran down Sylvia''s spine.


    She could detect a cold violet aura surging from the man.


    Could these two not feel anything? She looked at Jane and Nics with a puzzled expression.


    "Aha Ha Ha. Even better. Why don''t I take her off of your hands?" Nics chuckled, pushing his luck.


    Mikel, who was just about to leave, stopped abruptly in his tracks. He paused and didn''t reply immediately.


    Though his back was turned towards Jane and Nics, the man was facing Sylvia and his obsidian ck eyes red at her like that of a vicious beast.


    Sylvia''s eyes panicked and she clutched her dress tightly. I didn''t do anything. She wanted to shout.


    Still ring at her, Mikel''s thin lips parted and the man slowly spoke.


    "Lusting after my property, brother? Or are you trying to test something?"


    This time, even Nics and Jane felt the violent aura.


    Nics immediately stopped teasing the man and quickly diffused the bomb.


    "Sorry. Sorry. Just kidding. She is a real beauty though!"


    "Indeed, isn''t she?" Mikel turned around and sat down back in his chair. He no longer looked like he was leaving.


    "Say, Nics, didn''t you want topete in our archery skills?"


    "Why don''t we have a small match right here? The winner gets the ve. How about it?"


    Nics looked at Mikel and stared at him pensively. "Are you sure about this, brother?"


    He knew from his sources that Mikel had spent a great deal of money on this woman.


    "Heh. Of course. Are you willing to part with the family grimoire in return?" Mikel casually chuckled.


    "Ah¡­ Hell no! Father will skin me alive!" Nics immediately refused this offer.


    "Don''t worry. Don''t worry. It will be just a loan. What do you say?"


    Mikel grinned and further added. "You are the one getting a bargain here. She is a real deviant in bed."


    Sylvia''s face paled.


    D¡­ Deviant in bed? When did I? When did we? She looked at the unreasonable man with her questioning eyes.


    Mikel met her gaze without the slightest trace of emotion and then purposefully said a few more words.


    "Her throat is very deep and she can scream all night long."


    Sylvia''s entire body heated up, her face turning bright red like a tomato.


    Lies! Lies! Lies! This man was a huge bully and a liar!


    She was extremely embarrassed and angry at the same time.


    She would have foolishly retorted something back, but luckily for her, she was too shocked at the moment to do so.


    "Aha Ha Ha. What are you saying, brother? She looks like the pure and innocent type." Nics awkwardly smiled.


    He didn''t really want to part with the Grimoire even though it was just a loan.


    It contained several taboo ancient dark magic spells which only the King''s main family and other high council elders were allowed to ess.


    On the other hand, the woman in front of him looked extremely intoxicating.


    She looked like a delicate ethereal flower that had just freshly blossomed.


    Even though her figure was slender, her curves were seductive and her skin was tender and wless.


    His brother might have tasted her first, but she was still sparkling like an untouched gem.


    Nics couldn''t help but imagine how it would feel to have her underneath him and ravish her to his heart''s content.


    Mikel patiently waited for his reply, slouching on the chair, his chin resting casually on his hand.


    He was already sure that the man in front of him was going to agree to this.


    Nics had two weaknesses. One was being too nosy and the other was women.


    And just like he expected, Nics hesitated for a couple more seconds, before eventually agreeing to the terms.


    He was a womanizer through and through and he couldn''t resist the temptation.


    "Alright brother, we will do as you say." He then got up to leave and didn''t forget to wave Sylvia goodbye.


    "I will be taking you home tomorrow, beauty." Nics grinned cheekily, already insinuating that he would be the one winning tomorrow.


    Mikel simply smiled, his demeanor back to his warm and cheerful facade.


    He liked engaging in real battles rather than verbal battles so he didn''t bother to respond to his brother''s childish taunt.

 Chapter 14 - Harsh Reality

    After Prince Nics left, Mikel as well stood up to leave.


    He casually walked past Sylvia without bothering to say anything else.


    His eyes, however, fleetingly hovered on her for a split second before returning to their nk distant state.


    Jane made sure that the man turned around the corner and she hurriedly rushed towards Sylvia''s side.


    "Oh dear, are you alright?"


    Seeing that Sylvia was standing frozen like a statue, she was extremely worried.


    Jane sighed. She didn''t know how to console her.


    It was indeed demeaning and traumatizing for anyone to be traded away like a piece of meat.


    But it was normal for men of power and status to have several lovers, some as official mistresses, while others as mere maids and ves.


    This has been happening for decades and centuries and it was nothing new.


    Jane, however, was slightly surprised that his highness had been intimate with Sylvia and even said such inappropriate words about her.


    As far as she knew, the Prince had always been a kind and caring gentleman.


    He was unlike other nobles and royals and seldom abused his power to vite women against their wishes.


    In reality, he didn''t have to do things like that in order to satisfy his needs.


    Women, particrly women of status, many of them with exceptional beauty, threw themselves at Mikel constantly.


    This was no secret. The man was dashing, gentle, charismatic, and absolutely captivating.


    Even though his talent in magic was sub-par there was no end to women who were willing to be his lover.


    But weirdly enough, Prince Mikel had always kept women at an arm''s length.


    He was not rude to them but at the same time he also didn''t lead them on.


    He was always polite and charming but curt.


    So even Jane was shocked when she heard such vulgar words from the Prince and the fact that he had been intimate with Sylvia.


    In all her years of working for his highness, she had never witnessed such an incident.


    She couldn''t help but look at Sylvia again and sigh. She looked ghastly pale and sad, but her beauty still shone.


    Sometimes beauty was nothing but a curse.


    "Let''s go, dear. Why don''t you head back to your room and take a rest?"


    "There are no chores left anyways."


    Jane tried her best and continued chatting with her, talking about random things, but Sylvia walked silently in a daze back to her room.


    And once Jane left, after closing her room''s door, tears rolled out of Sylvia''s eyes uncontrobly.


    She had only just nowe to terms with her life as a ve.


    She had thought that at most she would be a maid for the rest of her life.


    Though this was not many young girls'' dream, it was still a peaceful and uplicated life.


    She could learn to live with just this. It was not too bad.


    But before she could even digest this, the cruel man had tossed her away like she was nothing.


    He was cing her as a bet, as something that could be won, that too against a mere book.


    Sylvia''s lips trembled.


    Her fate now rested in the hands of two men, one who had spoken such obscene things about her and the other who had looked at her as if he was mentally undressing her.


    Her worst nightmare was thinking about what would happen once Nics was also done with her.


    Would she again be traded to another man?


    Just how many times did she have to tolerate being humiliated and demeaned like this?


    Was this her life now?


    The cruel heartless bastard had told her that he was not interested in her body and he had other ns for her.


    But in the end, it looks like all she would ever amount to was a sex ve.


    Tears streamed out of Sylvia''s eyes until they were red and swollen.


    They didn''t, however, manage to ease the helplessness and the frustrations that the woman felt.


    What could someone like her even do? Someone so weak and powerless...


    As long as she was weak, powerless and a nobody, her fate would always rest in the hands of others.


    Sylvia was in too much pain and agony to notice it, but right at this moment, the crescent mark in the middle of her chest surfaced again.


    It faintly glowed, emanating a soft golden light amidst her darkness.


    Sylvia didn''t know when she finally fell asleep but the next day morning, she woke up abruptly as she felt a pair of hands nudging her.


    Panic and fear immediately flooded her senses and she backed away like a frightened animal, her eyes tightly shut.


    Was she already traded? Were men here to take her away?


    She bit her lips and awaited her fate when Jane''s gentle voice sounded through her delusions.


    "Dearie, wake up. Wake up fast. His highness is calling for you."


    Sylvia had slightly rxed when she heard Jane''s voice but then she again froze on hearing thest sentence.


    Jane quickly conjured up a pail of water for her to freshen up and helped Sylvia change her clothes.


    The girl''s hands were shaking too much, so Jane took over and hurriedly got her ready.

 Chapter 15 - An Apple On Her Head

    Sylvia was purposefully dragging her feet. So Jane sighed and dragged her along as gently as she could.


    Once the women were out of the shadows of the maid quarters, the morning sunlightpletely drenched Sylvia, making her appear almost like a fairy.


    She was wearing an elegant high neck white dress that trailed all the way down to her legs.


    Thecy patterned design of the dress modestly exposed parts of her skin leaving the rest to the imagination.


    Sylvia''s long silver hair and her gorgeous blue eyes perfectlyplemented her pure and innocent attire and she looked like an angel descended from the heavens.


    As she walked into the central courtyard, the two men already standing there couldn''t help but turn around and gaze at her unblinkingly.


    The conversation that they were having had stopped midway and their full attention were on the woman in white.


    Normally, Sylvia would have squirmed under Mikel''s gaze, let alone when both princes were looking at her unabatedly.


    But today she was too out of it to feel anything. She just nkly stared ahead like a lifeless doll.


    Jane has to nudge her once again, reminding her to greet both the royal princes.


    "Your highness," Sylvia mumbled her words incoherently and bowed without indifferently.


    Her mncholic appearance and fragile actions only further entuated her elegant beauty and both the men subconsciously swallowed hard.


    Nics was the first man to snap out of his reverie and awkwardly chuckled.


    "Ha Ha. Our guest of honor is here, brother. We should start thepetition soon."


    He then rubbed his hands together and added. "I am getting a little impatient."


    Mikel vaguely nodded, his eyes still lingering on the woman in front of him.


    "Oh and about the other thing, brother?" Nics anxiously asked.


    Mikel once again wordlessly nodded.


    He had already ordered for the castle to be cleared out this morning except for Jane and Sylvia.


    The royal family''s copy of the Grimoire was a high-level ssified topic.


    So both the princes wanted to keep this small strictly not allowed exchange under the wraps.


    If the King came to know that Nics had allowed a branch family member to look at the book, the man really will skin him alive.


    But Nics trusted Mikel enough to do this. So he didn''t care too much. Not that he cared about much typically.


    The young prince was known for being extremely jovial and carefree at all times and hence, his training in the battle magic severelycking.


    "Brother, let me tell you this now itself."


    "Even in the off chance that you somehow hoodwink me and manage to win this wager, I can only loan you this book for one day, more specifically until dusk today."


    "No matter what I need to return it back to the treasury by tonight else father will most definitely find out about this."


    Mikel shrugged lightly. He finally peeled his eyes off of Sylvia and smiled gently. "That''s more than enough time for me. Don''t worry."


    "Ok. Ok. Ok. Let''s do this then." Nics pped his hands.


    Mikel chuckled coldly and signaled Jane to leave.


    Sylvia was about to follow her, when the man''s cold voice thundered out, stopping her in her tracks.


    "Where are you going, my darling? You are the star of today''s show."


    Sylvia blinked and looked at the man questioningly.


    Was it not enough that he was already trading her like a piece ofnd? He still needed more from her?


    She was trying not to get emotional and do something stupid but the smug look on his face made her lose control.


    While her lips did not part, her defiant eyes conveyed the anger, frustration, and helplessness roaring in her heart.


    "You have such lively eyes, my dear." Mikel walked towards her and yed teasingly with her long strands of delicate silver locks.


    They were shimmering like a treasure in the bright sunlight.


    He had expected the woman to have broken downpletely but it looked like she still had some spirit left within her.


    He chuckled coldly in amusement. "Come here. Walk with me."


    Mikel turned around and started walking to the edge of the long courtyard.


    Sylvia had no other choice but to follow him. For some reason, she had a feeling that her nightmare was just beginning.


    "What are you doing brother?" Even Nics had no idea what was happening.


    Mikel didn''t answer him and continued walking all the way to the northern wall of the courtyard.


    He then turned around and waited for Sylvia to reach as well, his face looking as cold as ever.


    When Sylvia finally reached, the man casually grabbed her wrist and pulled her closer to him.


    He then pushed her to the right, pinning her onto the wall, her back against it.


    "Stay still, my dear. For your own good." He leaned closer and whispered in her ear, making Sylvia''s body instantaneously stiffen up.


    And before she could understand just what the hell was happening, a small apple appeared on her head.


    "We can start now," Mikel spoke loudly, his cold gaze lingering on the confused woman.


    He then vanished into thin air right in front of Sylvia and appeared at the other end of the courtyard near Nics.


    "To make things interesting, for today''spetition, we will be aiming for the apple on the ve''s head."

 Chapter 16 - Showdown

    "To make things interesting, for today''spetition, we will be aiming for the apple on the ve''s head."


    Mikel''s voice boomed and the man teleported from one end of the courtyard to the other end in an instant.


    Sylvia looked up in dread. This man¡­ He was going to use me as a live target dummy?


    Her eyes reddened and gradually turned frosty. Her lips trembled but they as well calmed down.


    The woman clenched her fist tightly until her knuckles turned white.


    Sylvia looked up and stared at the two men in the distance. They seemed to be pleasantly joking and chatting.


    One of them pointed towards her and suddenly thick wines started sprouting from the wall behind her.


    The wines tightened around her and held Sylvia firmly in ce.


    They closely imprisoned her against the wall and extended all the way up to her neck.


    Sylvia couldn''t even turn her head slightly.


    If an arrow was to misfire ande close to her head instead of the apple on her head, she wouldn''t even be able to move an inch to save herself.


    At this moment, the young woman simply bent her head down.


    Her silver locks covered her face and no one could see what she was thinking.


    At the other end of the courtyard¡­


    "Aha Ha Ha Ha. Brother, what joke is this?"


    "Don''t you dare damage my girl!!!" Nics patted his back and chuckled.


    Mikel smiled casually and picked up a dark red bow from the ground.


    It was not really anything special, just a simple wooden bow with a metallic string.


    It was a piece ofmon equipment that most trainees used for practicing archery.


    "You are not using your ck thunder?" Nics curiously rubbed his chin.


    ck thunder was Mikel''s famed personal bow which he used exclusively used for hunting andbat training.


    "Feeling cocky, are we?" Nics nudged and teased his brother.


    Mikel, however, only shook his head without any answer. A charming smile hung on his lips.


    He stretched his limbs and then nonchntly ced an arrow across the middle of his bow, a wooden arrow with a metallic head.


    He then pulled back the bowstring and the arrow in one quick swift motion, releasing them in a second.


    Peng!


    The first arrow zoomed past them and headed straight for Sylvia.


    It cut through the air with an impressive speed and within a fraction of a second, it reached its target.


    Bang!


    The arrow hit the apple on her head with pin-point uracy and the fruit cracked into two halves, right down the middle.


    "Tch. Tch. Why are you this good?" Nics sulked and rubbed his temples.


    He then flicked his finger and reced the apple on Sylvia''s head with another apple from a basket nearby using elementary wind magic.


    Mikel, however, did not need to wait around to see the results.


    He already knew that the arrow would meet its target as required.


    So he promptly loaded the next arrow onto the bow and pulled back once again.


    The man exuded confidence from top to bottom, which added elegance and allure to his broad frame.


    His muscles visibly strained under his loose dress shirt, the top two buttons undone, revealing his chiseled chest.


    A bead of sweat dripped down his neck as another arrow whooshed past them.


    Bang!


    And once again, the arrow hit its target urately, splitting the innocent apple into two perfect halves.


    "It''s my turn now." Nics loudly eximed, rubbing his hands together.


    Mikel chuckled lightly and took a step back, giving Nics enough space to maneuver.


    Unlike him, Nics took out an extravagant golden bow with exquisite engravings on it and special arrows tailor-made for the bow.


    The bowstring also seemed very unique, made from the guts of a magical beast.


    "I am going all out here brother. You better rethink your decision to not use ck thunder."


    Nics chuckled.


    He, as well, was no lesser than Mikel and his figure sparkled with a charm as the arrow was elegantly released.


    Bang!


    The apple on the ve''s head was once again split into two.


    "He He. Did you see that? Brother, have you forgotten? I am adept at archery as well!"


    "Let me quickly jog your memory."


    Nics grinned like a mischievous child and sent another two arrows in a row, both hitting the apple simultaneously, even though they were shot one after the other.


    Mikel casually apuded his brother''s skills and smiled, one end of his lips pulling higher, revealing a subtle smirk.


    "Hmmm¡­ This is far too easy and far too boring. We should take this up a notch. What do you think?"


    "Bring it on. I am just getting warmed up!!!" Nics gave him a thumbs up.


    The man had almost forgotten the bet and was having more fun showing off his game.


    Mikel smirked and mumbled some words under his breath.


    Instantly a dozen small wind tornadoes surfaced near them.


    The sheer force of the wind whipped their hair into an unruly mess and almost affected even their grounding.


    "How about this?" Mikel looked at his brother challengingly.


    "Now, this is what I am talking about!" Nics grinned.

 Chapter 17 - The Missing Arrow

    Sylvia remained still, her head bent down and her gaze fixated on the floor.


    Complicated emotions swirled within her eyes.


    The next few minutes were nothing but a blur for her.


    Loudughter rang out and arrows whizzed past her face.


    Somended on the apple, urately splitting it into two halves, while somended on the wall behind her.


    One particr arrow even grazed past her neck and very narrowly missed it.


    Sylvia, however, remained silent and in the same position all throughout without even the slightest hint of movement.


    Minutes ticked by and she finally heard a set of footsteps near her.


    She looked out hesitantly and saw the two men walking towards her.


    "Come on brother! Isn''t this making things a bit too difficult? Wind tornadoes at both sides? You have gone crazy!" Nics loudly eximed.


    But Mikel did not yield. "Don''t tell me that you are backing out now?" He pulled his lips upwards.


    "Of course not." Nics immediately got defensive.


    Mikel chuckled, his baritone voice charmingly resounding.


    "Don''t kill my ve, Nics. Else, you will owe me a lot of gold. I am warning you."


    "Tsk. Tsk. What a pain!" Nics grumbled and teleported back to the other side of the courtyard.


    After setting up the wind tornadoes, Mikel as well was about to leave, but he met Sylvia''s gaze momentarily before doing so.


    Sylvia trembled. Even though he was looking at her, it felt as if he didn''t see her at all. He saw right through her as if she didn''t exist.


    Watching the man disappear once again, Sylvia bitterly smiled. "That''s right. I am nothing to them. I am no different than livestock."


    This time, she didn''t bend her head down.


    She gazed at the tiny wind tornadoes dancing in front of her, kicking up dust. They looked beautiful.


    A few secondster, arrows again started to whizz towards her.


    This time many of the arrows didn''t even meet the apple of her head.


    They mostly got deflected by the wind currents and hit the wall behind her.


    But Sylvia kept watching the theatrics intently.


    She watched and she watched until finally one arrow came directly at her throat, headed right towards her carotid artery.


    Sylvia obviously didn''t realize it since the arrow''s movement was too fast for her eyes.


    But at the veryst moment, Mikel flicked his fingers and the arrow deflected, just merely grazing by her neck, rather than shing it into a bloody mess.


    "Oops. It looks like we have had a bit too much fun, brother. Let''s stop here." Nics sulkily epted his defeat.


    He took out a thin tattered book from within his leather bag and handed it to Mikel.


    Mikel nodded and epted the book.


    He still wore a casual smile on his face but there was a subtle twinkle in his eyes that betrayed his anticipation.


    Nics, however, was too busy to pay attention to that small detail.


    He swung his bow on his right shoulder and tossed a bunch of his arrows back into his quiver, leaving soon afterward.


    Normally, he would have lingered around longer and chatted with Mikel, but today he was a bit too embarrassed about his defeat.


    So he turned tail and ran away immediately. He left so quickly that he didn''t even notice an arrow missing from his quiver.


    Mikel gently ced the Grimoire on one of the tables in the courtyard. He then let out a long sigh of relief.


    He was about to sit and search for the information that he needed when he remembered that a certain someone was still imprisoned by the vines.


    He closed the book and walked towards the girl in white.


    He squinted his eyes and curiously gazed at the woman. Her head listlessly hung down.


    Mikel flicked his fingers and the wines imprisoning Sylvia fell apart and crumbled into dust.


    She, however, remained pinned to the wall, standing still.


    The man sighed lightly and flicked his fingers again.


    This time the upper half of her dress ripped right down the middle and her tender skin was revealed.


    But Sylvia still did not move. She just silently stood there.


    Mikel inched closer and stood in front of her.


    He brushed the silver locks away from her face and his hand trailed to her chest.


    He cupped her left breast and moved it aside, inadvertently groping her.


    But his attention was not on that. His attention was somewhere else.


    His obsidian ck eyes searched for the traces of the glowing crescent tattoo that he had observed previously.


    But unfortunately, nothing of that sort was there.


    Hmmm¡­


    Mikel absentmindedly stared at Sylvia''s chest engrossed deeply in his thoughts and his hand that cupped her breast gently squeezed the softness underneath, without the man intending to.


    But right at this moment, the wless soft skin revealed a small mark, a bright glowing crescent.


    Mikel''s eyes immediately flew wide in surprise and he looked up to see the woman when suddenly a sharp pain surged in his chest.


    Sylvia''s reddened eyes were ring directly at him as she swiftly jammed an arrow right into the man''s chest.

 Chapter 18 - Questions

    Sylvia panted in utter panic and dread.


    A wave of anger swept through her body, consuming all of her muscles, bone, and blood and she had instinctively jammed the metallic arrowhead onto the man''s chest.


    She hadn''t thought through it at all. Even when she secretly hid the arrow, she didn''t have a clear n in her mind.


    But when the man had nonchntly groped her, acting as if she was invisible, she had lost control of herself and rammed it into him with every ounce of strength that she could muster.


    She knew that she shouldn''t have but she still attacked him, hard enough to draw blood from his defined body.


    Mikel''s gaze shifted. He looked at the arrow on his chest and then at the woman in front of him. His piercing eyes red at the woman like a beast eying its prey.


    "Did my ve just attack me?" The man raised his eyebrows, his voice reaching a dangerous threatening pitch.


    "I¡­ I¡­" Sylvia stammered.


    Right in front of her eyes, Mikel yanked the arrow and casually tossed it down as if it was nothing.


    Her attack with her full power behind it was nothing more than a mosquito bite to the monster.


    Sylvia panicked and in that split second, she tried to run away. She didn''t know where to but she just wanted to get away from there.


    But unfortunately, a pair of lean and muscr hands shot out, imprisoning her on both sides.


    And with the wall behind her back, Sylvia had nowhere to run.


    Mikel looked at her flustered eyes and sighed. He leaned forward, his head touching the wall and his face right next to hers.


    "Just this once, I will forgive you. Go."


    Sylvia blinked dazedly, trying to digest the man''s words.


    Did he just let me go just like that? Even when I attacked him with an arrow and wounded him?


    She could neither believe what she was hearing nor could understand his behavior.


    But she didn''t want to linger there any longer and test his patience.


    Seeing that the man had retracted one of his arms, she turned on her heels and ran away towards the servant''s quarters.


    She held the ripped upper half of her clothes with her hand and ran as fast as she could away from the monster.


    Loud thumping noise echoed in her ears, her heart ramming against her chest like never before.


    She huffed and panted and reached her small cramped room, but still, nothing changed. She did not feel any safer.


    As long as she was here¡­ As long as she was someone else''s ve¡­ someone who could be tossed out and reced in an instant¡­ someone who was absolutely powerless¡­ she would never feel safe.


    But this was her fate. How could she possibly ovee it???


    No matter how much she wanted to change her current circumstances, how could she possibly go against her predetermined destiny?


    Tears streamed out of her eyes as the woman screamed and cried into her pillow and she eventually fell asleep.


    When Sylvia woke up again, it was already dark outside and probablyte in the night.


    The sleep had helped her calm down and her mind was somewhat settled.


    In her frustration earlier, she realized that she hadn''t paid attention to a lot of things.


    But now, she was at least clear-minded enough to think about those small details.


    Why did Mikel simply let her go?


    The man might be kind-hearted, might even be a saint, but still¡­ why would he forgive a mere ve for raising her hand against him?


    More importantly, she was literally just used as a live target dummy but still, there was not even a single wound on her body.


    Not a single arrow had hit her body except for that one that had marginally grazed her.


    These were just small insignificant details but when Sylvia calmly considered them, she could see a hidden meaning.


    She could tell that she was important to the man.


    It absolutely made no sense for someone like her to mean something to someone like him.


    But still¡­ her gut feeling told her so.


    And why was she important?


    This definitely had something to do with the mysterious glowing crescent tattoo which asionally appeared on her chest.


    Sylvia didn''t know or understand anything more than this now, but she silently resolved to herself to find out more.


    This was her key for survival and this was her only gamble.

 Chapter 19 - All For A Book

    While Sylvia was silently drowning in her thoughts, her stomach loudly grumbled in hunger.


    She realized that she hadn''t eaten anything since early morning.


    Sylvia quickly wiped her tears and changed out of her ripped dress.


    She needed her strength.


    She needed to take care of herself because this would not be the end of her life.


    Sylvia stubbornly refused to ept such a pathetic fate.


    As the woman absentmindedly walked over to the castle kitchens, she heard loud ttering noises inside and hurried over to see if Jane was back.


    She was now more than curious about the Prince of this castle and she needed to gather all the information that she could.


    Her life depended on it.


    And there was no one better than Jane for this job.


    She had worked in this castle for a long time, maybe even since Mikel was a young boy and the woman loved gossiping more than anything.


    So Sylvia rushed into the kitchen quarters as fast as she could.


    However, when she got there, she neither saw Jane nor any of the other maids.


    Instead, she saw the person whom she least wanted to see right now.


    And more importantly, that person had copsed on the ground,pletely unconscious.


    Sylvia''s footsteps froze and she stumbled in shock, supporting herself on a wooden shelf nearby.


    "This¡­ This¡­ What am I supposed to do now?"


    Sylvia''s mind was racing a mile a minute.


    Was this her chance? Could she use this opportunity to run away and escape?


    But if something happened to one of the Princes of Kalindor, then how could she really escape?


    Considering that she was the only person in the castle other than Nics, wouldn''t this mishap be pinned on her?


    Wouldn''t everything be med on her?


    If that happened, it was only a matter of seconds. They could trace her easily wherever she fled to and then she will no doubt be executed in the gallows in a very brutal and public way.


    So no. There was no way that she could leave now.


    Sylvia didn''t waste any more time thinking and quickly approached the unconscious manying on the floor helplessly.


    He looked much less intimidating this way.


    She used her hands to scoop up some water from a bowl nearby and sprinkled it on his face.


    But unfortunately, the man didn''t respond.


    "What am I supposed to do now?" Sylvia fidgeted with her hands nervously as her eyes trailed the man''s well-toned body.


    Every inch of his being was perfection.


    Sylvia couldn''t help but wonder how long it will take to build muscles like this?


    Could she ever do it?


    Since she was not magically gifted, could she ever possibly be a skilled warrior?


    As a woman, that too someone with exceptional beauty, Sylvia had never thought that her life woulde to this.


    She was supposed to wed a nice man from a nice family and lead a simple happy life.


    But now that her supposed future had copsed and shattered to smithereens, she had no other choice but to learn to protect herself.


    Maybe if she had done this from the beginning, she would have never been in this position.


    As Sylvia''s mind wandered, her eyes lingered on a particr spot on Mikel''s body, the ce where she had impaled him with that arrow.


    Suddenly a thought popped into her mind and she quickly knelt down on the floor right next to Mikel.


    Hesitantly, Sylvia then used her small hands to undo the buttons on the man''s shirt one by one.


    Every button revealed more of his perfect muscles, and she gulped nervously.


    Before long she finished unbuttoning that simple white dress shirt.


    She moved the clothing aside gently and carefully, very unlike how he had roughly torn hers apart.


    She then nervously looked at his right chest where she had attacked him.


    She was indeed correct. The man had apparently bandaged the wound but it was not enough.


    There was some blood and some sort of puss leaking from it, not to mention a faint bluish-purple coloring.


    Sylvia didn''t have to think hard about what this meant.


    She was not a trained physician or a healer but from her vast knowledge about several things she knew that this was a clear telltale sign of the skin being poisoned.


    Most probably from the arrow that she had pierced him with.


    Shit. Shit. Shit. Sylvia started panicking.


    Most of the poisons were rtively fast-acting. Why did this man not treat it immediately? Did he underestimate the poison?


    She then remembered the conversation between Mikel and Nics about the Grimoire, her wager counterpart.


    She recollected Nics mentioning that Mikel only had time until dusk to peruse it.


    This man¡­ Did he risk his life for reading a damn book? Sylvia was speechless.


    But that was not important right now.


    All that mattered now was that she needed to save this man or at least get the necessary help.


    Otherwise, it wouldn''t be too long before she herself met the maker and joined Mikel on the other side.

 Chapter 20 - So Damn Beautiful

    Sylvia raked her brain trying to think of a solution to her current predicament.


    She could recognize the signs of poisoning but what more can she possibly do about this?


    The devil had warned her repeatedly about stepping outside of this castle but now she had absolutely no other choice.


    She needed to go out and get some help. Her time was running out.


    As Sylvia scrambled to get up, and hurriedly lifted the edges of her dress, preparing to run, she noticed a small piece of crumpled paper on the floor.


    She hadn''t noticed it earlier, probably because she had inadvertently sat on it.


    But now that she had seen it, she picked it up with her slender hands in order to take a quick look.


    "Rosemary"


    "Ginseng"


    "Ruby leaves"


    "Beetroot stalk"


    "Aren''t these all herbs?" Sylvia pondered out loud.


    Now that she was standing, she also saw a bunch of green leaves sprawled on the kitchen counter messily.


    Mud and dirt were everywhere and it was hard to miss.


    She probably didn''t notice it earlier as she was too panicked from seeing Mikel lying on the floor unconscious.


    Sylvia absentmindedly walked closer to the green leaves and she also noticed that there was a mortar and pestle on the kitchen countertop.


    More importantly, the mortar had a semi-ground herbal mixture within it.


    Sylvia patiently observed everything.


    She then used her finger to scoop up a small portion of the ground paste and smelled it.


    Ginseng''s strong pungent aroma instantly assaulted her nose and inteced with it was also rosemary''s unique scent.


    Looking at all these things, she couldn''t help but think of the obvious.


    This man was clearly in the middle of preparing an antidote of sorts for himself when he had copsed on the ground.


    "Should I apply it on him?" Sylvia pondered.


    Though she had made some guesses, she was still not too sure that this was the correct antidote for the poison.


    She could very well be wrong.


    But then again, going out of the castle was easier said than done.


    The building was surrounded by acres and acres of forest andvish gardens.


    Without a carriage or a horse, it might take her a few hours just to step out of the castle''s main doors.


    Would this man really be able to hold on until then? She didn''t know.


    Sylvia contemted the decision for a couple of minutes before hesitantly deciding to apply the herbal paste first.


    After that, she could still rush outside and get some help. A few minutes dy wouldn''t make much of a difference then.


    She grabbed the pestle and hurriedly mashed the herbs in the mortar some more before kneeling next to the devil again.


    Gulping nervously, the woman then used her soft hands to remove the bandages on the wound.


    Her actions stirred Mikel awake and the man slightly winced in pain.


    This was enough to scare Sylvia and she almost dropped the bowl on her hands.


    But seeing that the man''s eyes were still closed, she sighed in relief.


    She patted her chest and calmed herself down.


    Damn it. Get it together. Sylvia reprimanded herself and removed the rest of the bandage.


    Fresh blood leaked out of the ghastly wound and it looked extremely infected.


    The skin around the injury had also darkened.


    Sylvia hurriedly scooped up some paste and used her hands to apply medicine gently.


    She carefully rubbed the antidote all over the infected area and then poured the remaining juices on top of the man as well.


    The previously defined chiseled artwork was now a big mess with green goo all over.


    "Huuu¡­ Ok. This is all I can do." Sylvia sighed and wiped the sweat off her forehead.


    Since the devil had slightly regained his consciousness earlier, she thought that it was best if she stayed around for a few more minutes.


    Perhaps if he awakened from his stupor, then she could ask the man himself for further orders.


    Time quickly ticked away and a few more minutes flew by.


    With each passing second, Sylvia started to slowly doubt her actions.


    She was regretting not running out to the castle''s main gates in order to get help.


    She could have already covered good distance if she had started a while back.


    As Sylvia restlessly fretted, the man beside her unexpectedly stirred again.


    "Mmmm¡­" He moaned in pain and his enchanting longshes fluttered ufortably.


    This time Sylvia wasn''t caught off guard. She intently looked at the man, even moving a bit closer.


    "Mmm¡­" Mikel groaned again.


    "Your highness. Your highness." Sylvia anxiously called out.


    The man remained silent.


    However, Sylvia could see that his breathing was a lot more stable now.


    The man''s chest rose and fell rhythmically and his face looked rxed.


    She heaved a sigh of relief and continued to observe him.


    A few more minutes passed and Sylvia nodded off slightly, supporting her face on her palm, when suddenly a hoarse voice sounded near her and jolted her awake.


    "Why do you look so damn beautiful?"

 Chapter 21 - Answers

    "Why do you look so damn beautiful?" A hoarse voice sounded near Sylvia and jolted her awake.


    The woman blinked her eyes in confusion. Was this really the devil talking?


    She gulped nervously and looked at the man, only to find him gazing at her. His eyes were unusually soft and gentle, full of warmth.


    Sylvia trembled and her heart skipped a bit.


    She didn''t think that even a monster like him could show such an expression.


    Amused at the woman''s bewildered expression, Mikel feebly lifted his hand, wincing in pain with every small action.


    He lifted his hand all the way to her soft cheek and gently caressed it with his fingers.


    Her skin felt warm and soft, radiating a pleasant heat that soothed him.


    "Have I been too hard on you?" The man mumbled, his eyes not breaking away from the delicate figure in front of him.


    Sylvia was originally only slightly surprised at Mikel''s unusual actions but now she waspletely dumbstruck.


    This man? Why was he treating her nicely? What new torture is he nning now? Her mind frantically wandered.


    "Your highness¡­ " Sylvia nervously stuttered. She was too afraid to even move a muscle.


    "I am sorry, my dear." Mikel continued. He seemed to be in his own world, ranting to his own tune.


    "Ummm¡­" Sylvia didn''t know what to respond to him, but the good thing was that the man didn''t seem to be needing any.


    "Did you get hu¡­ hurt anywhere¡­ I did my best¡­ to make sure that nothing... touch you." Mikel slurred his words.


    "I am sorry I even wagered wid you. I needed that b¡­ b¡­ my dear."


    "I would¡­ I would have never lost you¡­"


    "You are¡­ hope¡­ You are¡­ mine alone¡­ I will never¡­" Mikel groaned in pain and closed his eyes.


    Sylvia silently stared, her brain frozen still in shock. What the hell was happening?


    What kind of game was this man ying?


    She couldn''t understand any of it. She couldn''t understand him at all.


    Was he really speaking the truth?


    But if these words were true, then what about his behavior earlier?


    Sylvia simply sat beside him, staring at the man, unsure of what to make of anything.


    A few minutester, the man''s long eyshes fluttered and Mikel shed his eyes open again.


    But this time Sylvia noticed something new.


    His eyes. His obsidian orbs which usually stared down at her, filled with arrogance and indifference, looked a little weird as if theycked power.


    The man''s pupils were dted.


    Sylvia snapped out of her trance and hurriedly tried to talk to him before he lost his consciousness again.


    "Your highness¡­ These herbs¡­ Are they the medicine for the poison?"


    She couldn''t care less about the devil''s flirtatious words. Those words even if they were true could never mean anything.


    What she cared about most right now was this man''s condition! Her life depended on it!


    "Yes¡­ That¡­ That¡­ works."


    "Nics¡­ idiot¡­ arrows are poisoned."


    "Mmmm¡­"


    The man might lie about anything but surely he would at least speak truthfully in the matters concerning his health?


    Sylvia heaved a huge sigh of relief. Only now she slightly rxed.


    She looked at the crumpled sheet of paper and stared at the list of herbs again.


    "An antidote to a poison huh?" Sylvia nodded her head as she memorized the herbs. "Perhaps it might one day be useful for me."


    She then looked at the man again who seemed to still in a haze, looking at her and smiling sweetly like a warm sunny day.


    She averted her eyes, afraid to look at him any longer.


    However, every now and then she sneaked a quick peek at him and found the man still smiling at her and looking at her lovingly.


    Is he not tired? What is so entertaining about my face? Sylvia bit her lips awkwardly.


    What is wrong with him? Why is he acting so deliriously?


    As the woman silently mulled over this new form of torture unleashed by the devil, a thought suddenly popped into her brain.


    "Delirious¡­ Drugs¡­"


    "Did one of these herbs perhaps have such an effect?"


    "Is he intoxicated heavily?"


    "Is this why he is acting in such a bizarre manner?"


    Considering this possibility, Sylvia felt as if all the dots connected and everything made sense.


    She stole another nce at that angelic loving face and gulped nervously.


    "If this is in fact true, then perhaps this man could¡­ tell me things¡­"


    Sylvia''s mind spun quickly and her gorgeous blue eyes twinkled with a mysterious glint. "Your highness, why am I here? Why did you buy me at the auction?"


    "Mmmm¡­ " Mikel murmured something incoherently and closed his eyes.


    His thin lips then parted again. "You are here for me, my dear. I need you."


    "But why? Why do you need me? I am so weak. I don''t possess any magic. I am a nobody." Sylvia frantically asked him again.


    "You are¡­ not¡­ nobody. You are everything. Powerful¡­ Magic¡­"


    Mikel weakly mumbled, his eyes still closed, as if he was talking in his sleep.

 Chapter 22 - Upperhand

    "You are¡­ not¡­ nobody. You are everything. Powerful¡­ Magic¡­"


    Mikel weakly mumbled, his eyes still closed, as if he was talking in his sleep.


    "Magic?" Sylvia''s calm lips trembled.


    As soon as she heard that phrase, a switch flipped inside her and she frantically held the injured man.


    She shook him hard, trying to wake him up.


    As someone who had been weak and powerless for her entire life, this single word held tremendous importance for her.


    "Can I do magic? Do I have mana affinity? How can I do magic?"


    "Does this have something to do with the glowing crescent tattoo?"


    "Please¡­ Please¡­ Tell me."


    Sylvia begged the man for answers, without even realizing that tears had spilled out of her eyes, out of sheer desperation.


    However¡­ No matter how much she pleaded, it all fell on deaf ears.


    Except for a few iprehensible slurs, nothing else came out of Mikel''s mouth.


    The man had seemingly fallen into a deep slumber.


    "Damn it. Damn it. Damn it all!"


    Sylvia''s voice reverberated in the empty kitchen chamber, as the woman hugged her knees and buried her head in the darkness.


    She was so close to everything that she needed, all the answers, yet the next minute, she was back to square one.


    "Damn it all." She muttered under her breath, her chest restlessly heaving up and down.


    The moon and the stars brightly shone down on her, a magical luminescence slipping in through the open window.


    She sat like that for a while, allowing the gentle breeze to caress and heal her tired body.


    Soon, the woman slowly stopped trembling. Her breathing stabilized and she calmed down.


    She might not have gotten everything that she had wanted tonight, but she had gained more than enough.


    First she needed to know WHY!


    Why did he spend so many gold coins just to buy her? Why did he bring her here?


    He was clearly not interested in her sexually. Otherwise he would have tied her to his bed and had his way with her from the very first day.


    He also didn''t torture or torment her, well the asional teasing and exaggerated bullying aside.


    She was only a weakmoner woman without any magic talents. So why the hell was she here?


    The only thing that stood out about her was that single glowing crescent tattoo, which never showed up after that day.


    Did that mean something? Did she also possess some kind of power or magic talent?


    Was that why he had brought her here to experiment on?


    Sylvia''s eyes gazed on the mesmerizing man in front of her. He seemed to befortably sleeping, without a care in the world.


    The cunning devil didn''t realize it yet, but today, he had inadvertently revealed to her something important.


    The man needed her alive and he was not going to physically harm her at least for now!


    This had be exceedingly clear to Sylvia.


    And more importantly, she might be able to do magic after all.


    These two things were now her only strength and her only weapon against this bastard.


    And she was going to escape this prison! No matter what!


    Sylvia had never considered what she wanted from her life. She was far too young to think about something like that.


    But circumstances had lead her to mature early. She might still be unsure of the future that awaited her but this was most definitely not it.


    Sylvia took onest look at the man on the kitchen floor and slowly but steadily walked away.


    It was best for her if she didn''t jog his memories when the man woke up, perhaps in the morning or perhaps tonight itself.


    She decided to head back to her room and act as if she had no idea what had happened.


    For the first time she had gained an upper hand against the devil and she intended to keep it that way.


    This was her secret.


    And as for the man''s sweet and flowery words¡­ the words which he had spoken in the same delirious state¡­ the words which promised her safety and well being¡­


    Only a fool would believe those words¡­

 Chapter 23 - Little Devil

    Sylvia could barely sleep for the rest of the night, in fear that the man might regain his consciousness ande knocking in the middle of the night to punish her for inflicting such an injury, or worse to question her about their conversation.


    Sylvia had never been a good liar and she was not sure if she could pull off a big lie like this with a straight face.


    But luckily for her, the night went smoothly and she as well had drifted asleep into a peaceful dreamless slumber.


    Sylvia only stirred awake the next morning when Jane barged into her room.


    Jane usually knocked on the door politely but she had been so worried about her that she didn''t stand on ceremony this time around.


    When Sylvia didn''t respond to her, she used her spare set of keys and quickly entered inside to check on her.


    And only after seeing the girl whole and healthy, peacefully sleeping, she breathed a sigh of relief.


    A warm smile appeared on Jane''s face and she was about to duck out without disturbing the sleeping beauty but it was already toote.


    Sylvia woke up groggily and rubbed her eyes. "Good morning. Mrs. Jane." She greeted the head maid without thinking much and only then noticed that something was out of ce.


    Her expressions quickly changed and she asked, worry painted on her face. "Mrs. Jane, is something the matter?"


    "N¡­ No¡­ NO. Nothing dear. I am so very sorry to barge in like this. I was just worried." Jane hurriedly exined.


    Sylvia gazed at the middle-aged woman in confusion, and then a warm smile surfaced on her lips. "Thanks, Mrs. Jane. I am alright."


    "Ok dearie, I will see you in the kitchen then?" The woman chuckled and left awkwardly.


    Sylvia nodded and got out of the bed. She saw Jane''s disappearing figure in the long corridor and closed her door.


    She then changed into a fresh set offortable clothes, a simple yellow dress, making her look young and energetic.


    Her hair was naturally straight and well behaved, so it didn''t take much of her time.


    In less than a few minutes, Sylvia as well followed Jane''s footsteps and went into the kitchen.


    Since the other two maids took care of most of the chores using magic, this was really the only ce she was needed.


    Sylvia quietly hopped on next to Jane and grabbed the dough from her hands. One of their daily chores was this painful kneading.


    Even though Jane could use a little bit of magic, she was physically not that strong and hence, the kneading was particrly tiresome to her.


    Sylvia knew this and volunteered to do the hateful chore to get the head maid in a good mood.


    "You a lifesaver, child." Jane chuckled at her.


    Sylvia smiled brightly and her hands busied themselves.


    She patiently watched Jane do a couple of other chores and when the woman was finally taking a break, she carefully broached the subject.


    "Mrs. Jane, is his highness a very powerful mage?" Sylvia asked, her head curiously cocked to a side.


    Ah~~ Jane hesitated for a second and looked at Sylvia, slightly taken aback by the out of context question.


    She noticed the woman''s face and quickly exined. "Aha Ha Ha. I am only asking because yesterday I witnessed his highness do a lot of magic spells."


    "He looked extremely cool and dashing." Sylvia cooed and ttered the man exaggeratedly.


    "Oh." Jane nodded. Now the question didn''t seem that weird to her and she casually answered, sipping her tea.


    "Yes indeed. His highness is very gifted and talented." She then paused awhile and added a couple more words as an afterthought.


    "But dearie, don''t bring this matter up again."


    "I think that you are probably not aware of this. His highness is actually¡­ a bit weak."


    BANG


    Before Jane could finish her sentence, a loud noise erupted from the huge iron doors at the kitchen entrance.


    Both Jane and Sylvia turned around in shock and their eyes instantly filled with dread!


    Talk of the devil and there he was!!!


    "Your highness." "Your highness."


    Both the women immediately bowed their heads, Sylvia a second slower than Jane, who by now probably had this habit mixed in her blood.


    Because of this Sylvia had momentarily met the man''s gaze and she shuddered from the memory of it.


    His ck orbs were as frosty as ever and she didn''t could decipher the thoughts hidden within them.


    Sylvia gulped nervously.


    Just how much did he hear now? Just how much did he remember the events of the previous night?


    Was he here to punish her?


    Her heart thrummed as if it was a fish out of water.


    Worse than her, Jane was sweating profusely. She had spoken about the taboo topic and was worried that the Prince was going to punish her.


    Mikel was in general kind and gentle but he had his buttons too and those who dared push them most definitely had to face his wrath.


    While these two women nervously stood still, their heads bent down and their hands tightly clenched, a small sweet voice squeaked, breaking the deafening silence.


    "Ah¡­ What a pretty big sister!"


    From behind Mikel, a young boy cheerfully hopped over and stood next to Sylvia, craning his neck upwards and taking a peek at her flushed face.

 Chapter 24 - A Frightened Kitten

    "Uncle! Uncle! Pwease! Pwease! Can we take this pretty big sister with us?"


    The boy blinked his eyes innocently and asked with an extremely adorable expression, one that could even melt a stone.


    Sylvia nervously gulped. Uncle? This devil had such a cute nephew?


    The boy shared Mikel''s delicate features and that coupled with his slightly chubby appearance, he looked absolutely charming.


    Mikel turned his head away from the puppy dog eyes begging him. He sighed and rubbed his temples.


    He had never been able to say no to this nephew of his.


    The boy had lost both his parents at a very young age and now lived with a distant rtive, only asionally visiting Mikel.


    So even though it was risky, the man couldn''t deny the child''s simple wish and reluctantly agreed with a faint nod and a warm smile.


    Sylvia''s ocean blue eyeballs almost popped out seeing such a tender and caring expression on his face.


    Well, he had indeed revealed a simr expression to her the other night but this time she could tell that it was real and not fake.


    Hearing Mikel''s response, the small kid was instantly overjoyed and grinned ear to ear.


    "Who is dis, uncle Mike?"


    The boy ran over to the devil and swung back and forth yfully holding the man''s arm.


    "She is my ve." Mikel curtly replied, ruffling the child''s neatly groomed auburn hair.


    The two continued to walk out of the kitchen and Sylvia had no idea what she was supposed to do now.


    "Follow them, dearie. Quick. Quick. Follow them." Jane nudged her as if she could read her mind.


    Sylvia looked at her and swallowed nervously before heading out.


    But Jane pulled her back before she could take another step and quietly whispered in her ear with an urgency.


    "About the thing that you asked me. Never speak of it again. His highness does not like it."


    "His magic talent is very mediocre and no one talks about it or gossips about it."


    "Do you understand, girl?" Jane warned her.


    She didn''t want the pitiful woman to get into any more trouble than she already had.


    Sylvia absentmindedly nodded, several thoughts swirling in her mind as soon as she heard Jane''s warning.


    If the devil was weak¡­ then maybe¡­


    The small me of hope that flickered in her heart suddenly sizzled and crackled, surging brightly.


    Her eyes twinkled with hidden mirth and the woman hurried along to catch up with the two devils walking out of the kitchen quarters.


    And as she neared them, she pushed down her pants, trying her best to remain invisible.


    She was still afraid that the devil would remember what had happenedst night and didn''t want to risk jogging his memories.


    However, the man had noticed her small expressions from the corner of his eyes, though he continued walking casually.


    After a while, the small kid, Cassius chirped happily. "Uncle, Wat for me. I need to visit the potty."


    Sylvia blushed instantly at the kid''s straightforwardness, while Mikel ruffled his hair again, nodding his head.


    He watched the kid hop and run, adjusting his trousers in an embarrassing but adorable way.


    Sylvia as well smiled at his goofiness, forgetting for a moment that she was now alone with the devil.


    "Having fun, are we?" A chilling voice sounded, bringing her back to reality.


    The man who was warm and gentle as the bright sun suddenly turned cold and frosty, eying her with an unfathomable gaze.


    He took a step forward, making Sylvia stumble as she took a corresponding step back.


    She would have fallen too if not for the wall behind her and when her back did bang against the long corridor wall, the man stood in front of her, his eyes as cold as ever.


    He ced his palm on the wall next to Sylvia''s head and leaned forward till her eyes widened in panic.


    "There seems to be something different about you today?" he asked her.


    Sylvia instantly stiffened, trying her best to keep her face passive and not give away anything.


    She held down her internal turmoil and innocently answered. "I am not sure, your highness."


    "Really?" Mikel''s lips curved upwards in amusement. He edged closer, while simultaneously blocking her exit with his other palm.


    "But you look like a frightened kitten."


    The man''s lips almost touched hers as he mouthed his words, his eyes peering into the depth of her soul.


    "And a frightened kitten is always hiding something."


    Sylvia closed her eyes, unable to bear his scrutiny any longer.


    The knot in her throat traveled up and down as she tried to calm her nerves.


    She wanted to lift her hand andnd a tight p on the bastard.


    How does he know what a frightened kitten looks like? Does he rear cats in his free time like an olddy?


    She rolled her closed eyes and sighed, hoping that the devil would let her go soon.


    She could feel the man''s warm breath beating down on her and it made her crazy.


    And while she was concerned with this tingling warmth, the man''s hand suddenly shifted,nding right on top of her chest.


    Sylvia''s eyes shed open in shock.


    The damned bastard was once again groping her!


    This guy definitely had weird fetishes, one with cats and one with her breasts!!!

 Chapter 25 - Beating Heart

    "Eh? Quite the look you have got there, kitten!" Mikel chuckled, amused at the woman''s frustration with his intimate action.


    "Should a ve really be reacting like this to her Master''s touch?" The man''s grin widened.


    Sylvia ignored the man''s taunts and focused on calming herself down, because she knew that right underneath his hand, her heart was pounding crazily, like a dog in heat.


    She was worried that it would give her away.


    And much to her dismay, this was what the devil wanted as well.


    He gazed into her eyes, chuckled at her silence, and then slowly asked, enunciating word for word.


    "If you are not hiding anything¡­ why is your heart beating like this?" The man''s brows rose subtly, awaiting her response.


    Damn it. Sylvia cursed her bad luck inwardly, trying her best to keep a straight face.


    "I am not sure, your highness." She mumbled with a weak smile.


    Hmmm? The man smiled, his eyes crinkling with mischievous mirth.


    "If you are not hiding something¡­ then perhaps your heart is beating for other reasons."


    Sylvia''s eyes widened, and she stared at the devil in front of her with her mouth agape.


    The devil was not that subtle and she could tell what the man was insinuating. So shameless!


    While the two intimately exchanged nces, just a hair away from each other, suddenly a pair of footsteps sounded breaking their secluded silence.


    Sylvia prayed that it was the small kid and eagerly turned around as if she was going to be weing her lifesaving hero.


    But unfortunately, standing near them was only Ana, another maid in the pce.


    The young woman saw the two people in front of her in such apromising position and she instantly bent her head down, not looking up any longer.


    Sylvia''s entire face reddened.


    Someone else had actually seen her like this! With a man''s hand on her chest!


    How embarrassing! Ana must have definitely misunderstood the situation.


    She wished that she could just dissolve into the wall behind her and turn invisible.


    Mikel, on the other hand, was thoroughly enjoying her frustration.


    He leaned forward and rubbed his nose on Sylvia''s cheeks, making the woman tremble and shiver.


    He did not evenmand Ana to leave or ask her the reason for her presence and purposefully prolonged this ufortable silence.


    The man lifted his face and was just about to¡­ when another pair of footsteps echoed near them.


    This time Sylvia didn''t even have to turn around.


    Mikel instantly let her go and stepped back to warmly greet his adorable nephew.


    His cold and frosty aurapletely melted, once again turning into a warm and loving dollop of honey.


    "Shall we head out now?" He smiled and asked the little kid, rubbing the boy''s head.


    TWO-FACED JERK! Sylvia screamed inwardly.


    She gulped and looked at Ana, begging with her eyes to not mistake her, but the woman still had her head bent.


    "You have something to tell me?" Mikel''s voice sounded, finally giving her permission.


    "Your highness, Sir Theodore is here." Ana bowed and announced.


    "Ok. Let him in." Mikel nodded.


    Who is this now? Sylvia pondered.


    She couldn''t help but hope that the man wasn''t another one of the devil''s brothers.


    She didn''t want to be a target dummy for a second time.


    The loud clicking of boots disturbed her thoughts, and as she looked, a man turned around the corner and walked towards them.


    He had a head full of inky ck hair, that rested with arrogance and pitch-ck eyes, that could instill a sense of ease on the beholder.


    Sylvia watched him as his tall and muscr frame stood near her, in front of Mikel.


    "Your highness." The man mumbled, slightly nodding his head. He didn''t bow to Mikel as everyone else did.


    Sylvia looked at him curiously and observed his attire. Clean simple clothes, a sword hanging on his waist, and metallic boots on his legs.


    This man was a knight! And from the looks of it, most probably Mikel''s personal knight!


    Mikel, finally, shifted his eyes from his nephew and returned Theodore''s nod.


    "How did the mission go?" He asked him, a subtle interest swimming in his gaze.


    Sylvia''s ears immediately perked up, as she intently listened to the conversation, whilst appearing passive and nk on the surface.


    She wanted any and all information that she could use against this devil!


    Theodore, however, did not fulfill her wishes. The man spoke curtly without revealing any additional details.


    "It went smoothly, your highness." He said.


    Mikel nodded and then turned around, paying attention to his nephew again.


    "Come with us. We are going out on a hunting trip and I have a feeling that I might need your assistance."


    Sylvia didn''t know why but when the man spoke thest few words, she could swear that he was looking at her from the corner of his eyes.


    That damned devil!

 Chapter 26 - Carriage Ride

    Sylvia silently followed the two men as they walked out of the castle main building.


    Standing side by side, the two handsome figures were quite eye-catching, the sight wasted within the confines of the empty castle.


    The little kid on the other hand was in an entirely different mood.


    He jumped around like an energetic monkey and chattered non-stop, that too especially with Sylvia.


    "ve gal, why are your eyes so blue?"


    "ve gal, where are your mom and dad?"


    "They sold you?"


    "ve gal, do you know to read and write?"


    "Can you sing me something?"


    "Your hair is so pretty."


    "Can wu do magic?"


    The cute and adorable pair of eyes, a miniature version of Mikel''s cold and demonic ones, blinked at her and badgered her with a million questions.


    Sylvia felt as if her head was going to burst.


    The little devil even kept addressing her as a ve non-stop, bashing the cold hard reality again and again right on her face.


    Though the child''s words were innocent enough, she still felt the twist of the knife in her already injured soul.


    She bit her lips in frustration and nodded every now and then, vaguely nodding at the kid.


    She was not someone who hated children. She was very fond of cute babies and toddlers but for some reason, this kid drove her crazy.


    Was it because he resembled Mikel? She didn''t want to think about that and bent her head down in silence.


    When the group finally reached the inner gates, Mikel and Theodore halted their footsteps.


    A carriage had already arrived and was waiting for them.


    Sylvia gulped as she looked at the luxurious vehicle in front of her. This was nothing like the carriages in her vige.


    The four pure breed white horses, the extravagant gold and silver carvings, not to mention magic gems embedded in the corners to provide additional security, everything looked over the top and first ss.


    The coachman immediately stepped down on noticing them and quickly bowed, paying his respects.


    He opened the carriage door for Mikel, as the prince first stepped in, followed by Theodore.


    He then gently extended his hand, helping his nephew up the carriage.


    The man turned around after that and almost as if it was an afterthought, he turned back again to extended his hand once more, this time towards Sylvia.


    His gentle face, his warm smile, and his charming mannerisms made Sylvia dazed for a second before she remembered exactly how fake they were.


    This two-faced devil surely knew how to act. She scoffed inwardly.


    At the same time, she decided to match his acting skills.


    She coyly epted the man''s hand as if she was ady and stepped in with elegance when in reality she badly wanted to swat him away.


    Mikel''s brows shot upwards noticing this new behavioral change.


    A subtle smirk shed across his face as he eyed the damsel with amusement.


    He didn''t say anything though.


    He silently sat next to his nephew, while Theodore and Sylvia sat opposite to them.


    It might be normal for a knight to ride along with this prince or princess, but was it really the norm for a ve to ride with them as well?


    Sylvia gulped nervously, feeling a bit overwhelmed by the presence of these many royals in close quarters, not to mention the devil himself.


    Once everyone was seated, the horses neighed majestically and the carriage immediately started moving.


    Sylvia ufortably shifted her eyes to the windows, looking out eagerly.


    She had never been to the royal city, let alone the castle. When she was brought here, she was already unconscious.


    She had also lived a pretty sheltered life, not having the opportunity to travel and visit any other cities, even the one neighboring her vige.


    So she did not know what the royal city of the Kalindor Kingdom looked like.


    Sylvia peered out the window, almost mirroring the actions of the small kid sitting opposite her.


    Outside the well-groomed and regrly maintained castle gardens, gigantic redwood trees and pine trees were clustered together, the dense forest extending for acres and acres till eyes can see.


    Except for the single clear paved path they were taking, the castle grounds seemed to be extremely untraversable.


    Sylvia broke out into a cold sweat as she vaguely heard a few wild animals howling in the distance.


    Her face lightly fell with the realization hitting her hard. Traversing these forests to escape the castle grounds was next to impossible!


    She inwardly sighed, her small disappointment not unnoticed by Mikel.


    "Feeling sad, are we?" He chuckled.


    Sylvia snapped her eyes to look at him, genuinely shocked and flustered.


    Could the devil even read her thoughts? This was unfair!

 Chapter 27 - She Took My Candy

    "No, your highness." Sylvia swallowed her thoughts and replied passively. "In fact, I am very pleased to be able to visit outside."


    She bent her head down, waiting for the devil to further grill her, but the man simply chuckled and looked away.


    Did he buy my act? Sylvia wondered.


    She shifted her eyes from the carriage floor to look outside again, ying the part of the woman she had just described.


    She gazed out the carriage, her eyes wide open, as the scenery shed before her.


    Several types of trees, nts, creepers, flowers whooshed past her as the carriage blew through the castle grounds.


    Sylvia wondered if the vehicle was magically enhanced as it barely took them a few minutes to arrive at the outer gate.


    The horses clicked their heels as they ran over the bridge on the moat of water surrounding the castle and then ran for a while, before finally arriving at the pair of gigantic gates and the lowpound wall bordering the property.


    The few guards stationed outside immediately rose to their feet and bowed in respect.


    They quickly pushed a lever that opened the gigantic metallic gates.


    Though they had pressed the lever effortlessly, Sylvia could see that it required a lot of muscle strength.


    Will I ever be able to do it? What will I do with these guards? Sylvia didn''t like the way things were looking.


    Escaping through the main gate was definitely not a viable option.


    When the carriage halted, waiting for the men to open the gates, Mikel and Theodore stepped outside.


    They walked over to the guards and were discussing something with them, serious expressions lingering on their faces.


    Sylvia couldn''t hear what they were talking but it definitely looked important.


    Breaking her thoughts, a small voice sounded, bringing her back to reality. "ve gal, do you want a candy?"


    The little devil adorably looked at her and blinked. His small hand extended towards her with a piece of candy at the center of his palm.


    Eh? Sylvia blinked in surprise.


    But considering that it was just a small candy and she liked sweet things, she didn''t think too much about it and epted it.


    After all, the child was only yfully sharing it with her. What could go wrong?


    She epted the candy and put it in her mouth, while continuing to look at the two men, trying her best to snoop on them.


    Shepletely failed to notice the naughty twinkle in the eyes of the child in front of her.


    A couple of minutes passed and Mikel and Theodore returned, hopping back into the carriage.


    Sylvia immediately adjusted her position, her head bent down, looking at the floor again. She tried to look as unsuspicious as possible.


    But the very next second, a sharp cry sounded, making all her acts fall down into the drain.


    "Uncle. Uncle. ve gal took my candy. Woo. Woo. Woo."


    "She took it from my hands. Woo. Woo." The kid started crying, screaming at the top of his lungs.


    Sylvia''s mouth opened wide agape, utterly shocked and stupefied. What new hell is this???


    She couldn''t believe what was happening. This kid in front of her¡­ just tricked her?


    He was clearly putting on an act!


    While she was seriously plotting to get out of the devil''s grasp, a small child somehow managed to outwit her and trap her???


    Sylvia wanted to bury her head somewhere, shame and embarrassment filling her senses.


    But that had to wait... because right now, she still needed to face the consequences for this tant usation.


    The candy in her mouth had already dissolved so thankfully at least there was no proof.


    This gave Sylvia some hope and she breathed out in determination.


    She might not be able to defeat the big devil but at least she can win over this little devil.


    Before Mikel could respond to the child throwing a tantrum, she hurriedly raised her hand and shook her head vigorously.


    "I didn''t do anything, your highness. I swear, I didn''t do anything."


    Cassius stopped his fake crying and pointed his chubby finger at her. "Liar. ve gal. Liar"


    Sylvia immediately made her face small, as if she was a soul on the verge of despair and destruction.


    Anyone whoid eyes on her could only feel pity with a such beautiful young girl showing such a pitiful expression.


    Even the little kid slightly paused, regretting his actions.


    Though he wanted more candy, which was why he had plotted as such, he now felt bad for the cute sister.


    But he knew that he couldn''t stop now, because his uncle would then scold him for lying.


    He knew that Mikel hated the habit of lying the most.


    So he fidgeted with his fingers and turned his head away, burying into Mikel''sp.


    Mikel looked at the two in front of him, and then at Theodore, whose head was down, the man barely containing hisughter.


    Mikel sighed helplessly. His head came to rest on his hand and he rubbed his temples as the man''s half-amused and half-annoyed voice sounded.


    "Hmmm¡­ Does the culprit want to confess or should I find out the truth myself?"

 Chapter 28 - Interrogation

    "Hmmm¡­ Does the culprit want to confess or should I find out the truth myself?"


    Both the parties gulped nervously after hearing Mikel''s stern voice.


    They hastily retorted back to him, almost at the same time, even their answers matching each other''s intensities.


    "I didn''t do it!"


    "I didn''t do it!"


    Mikel hummed silently and ignored the small kid as his eyes gazed at the beautiful liar.


    "Theo. Why don''t you stand outside for a minute?" He spoke without taking his eyes off of the woman. "Oh, and take Cas with you."


    Theodore nodded and took the small kid with him, who was now drenched fully in sweat, and darting his eyes here and there like the little mischief-maker that he was.


    His big round eyes blinked and looked at Sylvia, feeling extremely bad about his earlier actions.


    He watched her as Theodore closed the carriage door tightly shut behind them.


    Sylvia couldn''t help but slightly shudder.


    She wiped her palm on her dress, feeling the overwhelming pressure of being alone with the devil.


    "I can get through this. I can get through this." She muttered under her breath.


    Mikel gazed at her, his eyes visibly enjoying her plight.


    He took his sweet time before raising his hand and snapping at her to get her attention.


    "Come here." He said, patting the seat next to him, where previously Cassius had been sitting.


    Sylvia gulped and looked at him. What is he up to now? Is he going to punish me? Her heart fluttered.


    This was all that damned kid''s fault!


    She knew that she couldn''t refuse him, so she reluctantly stood and sat by his side, albeit at the edge of the seat.


    She hoped that the devil would be satisfied with just this, unfortunately, he was not.


    "Is that where I asked you to sit? Do I have to repeat myself again for such a simple thing?" The man mumbled in annoyance, running his fingers through his golden locks.


    Sylvia shook her head and immediately stood up to sit a bit more closely, however, it was still nowhere close to where he had pointed.


    Without giving her another chance to correct her mistake, the devil sighed in exasperation, his hand shooting forward.


    Mikel pulled the reluctant girl closer, his hand grabbing her waist, only letting her go when she was sitting right next to him, glued to his side.


    Ah~ Sylvia gasped lightly as she was caught off guard.


    "Now tell me." The man''s long eyshes moved up and down as he searched the woman''s gaze for answers. "Did you eat his candy?"


    Feeling the man''s intent gaze, sitting so close to him, Sylvia felt like a trapped animal that had nowhere to run.


    She cursed the damned devil in her heart. Wasn''t it just a stupid candy? Couldn''t he let it go already?


    What was this third-degree interrogation as if she hadmitted a murder?


    "I didn''t. I didn''t." Sylvia mumbled, her eyes circling the carriage floor and her words barely audible.


    She was determined to lie through her teeth and deny this crazy usation!


    "Hmmm¡­ So my ve is now lying to me. I wonder what punishment should I give?"


    "After all, lying is something that I can''t easily condone."


    This despicable man! Sylvia snapped her eyes to look at him in disbelief.


    He won''t punish me for almost killing him with a poisoned arrow, but he will punish me for lying about a candy??!!!


    This waspletely insane!


    This man was a lunatic!


    Maybe because she was angry at this unfairness, she stuck to her lie and stubbornly stood her ground.


    "I didn''t eat any candy, Master." She gripped her skirt tightly and answered him.


    "Still lying to me?" Mikel''s eyebrows shot up in surprise.


    He leaned closer to her as if he was going to lick her ears and whispered. "What if I prove it to you?"


    Proof? What proof could he even provide for something stupid like this?


    Sylvia shuddered, a slight doubt arising in her heart.


    Did I just make a mistake by prolonging this stupidity? Should I have simply epted all the me?


    She honestly couldn''t guess which oue would have been worse.


    "What proof, Ma¡­ Master?" She asked in nervousness, immediately regretting her question, as soon as it slipped out of her mouth.


    "Heh." To Sylvia''s dismay, the devil''s lips curved further up as he brought his face, closer to her, his hand grabbing her jaw.


    "Stick out your tongue." He said.


    Sylvia immediately panicked. The devil had hit the nail on the hammer spot on.


    Some candies indeed left a shade on the tongue, blue or purple or orange or whatever the corresponding color.


    How could I have forgotten something so simple?!! Damn it. Damn it. Damn it.


    Sylvia was not really that stupid but this entire unexpected predicament had whacked her out of bnce and consequentially, she didn''t think of something as simple as that.


    Already knowing the verdict, she closed her eyes and slowly stuck her tongue out, awaiting her punishment.

 Chapter 29 - First Kiss

    Mikel gazed at the swan-like beautiful maiden sitting next to him with her tongue hesitantly stuck out.


    She looked so vulnerable, which made her innocent and pure beauty even more enticing to the man.


    Does she even realize the state in which she is in? He ran his fingers through his unruly golden hair and sighed lightly.


    The girl was truly testing his patience.


    The morning rays of the sun flitted through the carriage window and fell on her face and her lips which brought about a certain mesmerizing aura.


    Mikel paused his actions, staring at the girl intently.


    Contrary to what he had thought, her trembling rosy tender tongue did not have any shade on it.


    Mikel, however, couldn''t care less about it right now.


    He leaned closer, without giving anything else another thought, and at the same time, Sylvia, sensing his closeness, pulled her tongue back into her mouth.


    But that didn''t stop the man.


    He continued his actions and only stopped when his lips hadpletely sealed hers.


    "Mmm," Sylvia was startled and her eyes sprung wide open, only to see that the man had his eyes closed.


    Without giving her any warning, the devil''s tongue intimately greeted hers as he started kissing her gently and deeply.


    Every time his tongue touched hers, her nerves prickled, overloading with electricity.


    A new and vague sensation spread through her body making her weak to his touch, as if her body had a mind of its own and wanted to melt in his arms.


    Sylvia was even more shocked at this tant betrayal by her own body.


    She regained her senses and pushed back the despicable devil with all the force that she could muster.


    Mikel stopped. His lips glistened, as he licked it with a serious expression on his face, looking at the indignant girl.


    "Didn''t like my kiss?" He asked, a subtle smirk hidden in his voice.


    Sylvia fidgeted with her hands in frustration as she looked down. What was she supposed to answer to this question?


    Of course, she didn''t like it!


    Her body might answer differently but she didn''t like it and she was stubbornly sure about it.


    "Heh. Too bad for you then." Mikel chuckled.


    Though his face looked smug and arrogant, a faint rosy hue was unmistakably floating on his high sculpted cheek bones.


    And much to Sylvia''s dismay, he added. "You might want to get used to them."


    Sylvia immediately stiffened, and her eyes shot back at the man conveying the feelings in her heart.


    "You promised me." She said, slowly, word for word.


    The man had clearly dered that he was not interested in her sexually. So what was this now?


    "Heh. Did I? I don''t remember any such thing."


    Mikel hummed, saying his words with a straight face and crossing his arms in front of him in a carefree manner.


    Sylvia bit her lips and stared at the man as if she wanted to kill him right then and there.


    Mikel returned her threatening angry gaze and asked. "So what if I did? I own you. You, your lips and your body. Do you want me to take you right here and now and prove it?"


    His words shocked Sylvia for a second, as she stared at him nkly.


    She then turned her head back down, looking at the carriage floor once again.


    A bitter smile surfaced on her lips, as she quietly mumbled. "I apologize, your highness. I indeed belong to you. My body that is."


    Mikel gazed at her intently, but he didn''t respond to her words, which left a bitter taste in his mouth.


    He saw the woman, eying the sadness in her soul, but his face remained as indifferent as ever.


    "What do you mean, kitten? Are you telling me that no matter how many times I conquer your body, your heart won''t belong to me?"


    Sylvia trembled, but didn''t answer.


    "Heh. Aren''t you a little too naive, my kitten. Why would I want your heart?"


    "Don''t think so highly of yourself. You are just a ve who I bought on a whim."


    "And if it pleases me, I will take your body as many times as I want, even every single night till the rest of your pitiful life."


    He taunted her, provoking her purposefully again and again.


    "Yes, your highness," Sylvia replied this time. Her fists were tightly clenched, gripping her skirt till her knuckles turned white.


    Mikel wordlessly stared at her again, observing even the smallest of her reactions.


    The woman looked furious from head to toe and did nothing to hide it from him.


    It seemed that this single kiss had worked wonderspared to the drawn-out archery show he had put on for her.


    The man chuckled as he suddenly extended his hands and grabbed the woman by her waist.


    He pulled her towards him, brashly and quickly, making her fall on hisp.


    He then, reached forward and did the thing, which he had done so many times up until now.

 Chapter 30 - The Beast Within Her

    Mikel pulled the fuming woman closer to him, brashly and quickly, making her fall on hisp.


    He then reached forward and did the thing, which he had done so many times up until now.


    His hands skillfully dug through the buttons and reached inside the dress with familiarity.


    The touch of the warm and soft skin felt wonderful to his hands and the woman''s chest was neither t nor too obscenely big.


    Her curves were tastefully voluptuous and fit perfectly in his hands, soft and tender to his touch.


    Any other man would have been enticed by her beauty and let his emotions waver, but Mikel''s attention was on something else.


    His hands continued to undo the corset underneath the dress, which was squishing her breasts together and hiding what he was looking for when suddenly a hand shot up and held his in ce.


    "Hmmm? Do I need to teach my ve another lesson?" Mikel''s brows knitted together and his gaze shifted to the look at the woman, surprised by her bold actions.


    However, what met him was something else altogether¡­


    Sylvia red at him back in anger, her frustration reaching its peak, her chest heaving up and down.


    But that was not what held Mikel''s attention.


    She hadn''t realized it herself but right at this moment, the woman''s gorgeous soulful blue eyes turned bright golden in color, with her round pupils constricting to a slit-like shape.


    Though it was a woman in his arms, the eyes that red at Mikel could easily belong to a bloodthirsty ferocious beast.


    Matching the viciousness in her gaze, the crescent-shaped mark in her chest as well glowed brightly, as if it was reflecting the emotions swirling in her heart underneath.


    These were not just mere changes in her appearance, but a strong and overpowering aura flowed out of her as well.


    Mikel gulped, a nervousness filling inside him for the first time.


    He had wanted to bring out the beast within her. He had meticulously done everything just for the sake of it.


    However, he had vastly underestimated the said beast.


    What was she? He didn''t know that yet.


    He knew that she belonged to the beast n, a forbidden ancient n of magicians who were able to shapeshift into powerful beasts but as to what specific beast she was¡­ even he had no idea.


    As he held the woman''s gaze, her terrifying bloodthirsty eyes, he couldn''t help but marvel at her beauty and allure.


    If he continued looking into those soul-piercing eyes, something told him that he might soon forget himself in them.


    They were nothing short of bewitching.


    The woman had a mystical animal maism that attracted him to her and made him momentarily forget where he was and what he was doing.


    But luckily for him, a loud knock interrupted them, making Mikel snap out of his trance.


    A grin surfaced on his face as he quickly muttered a spell.


    The very next instant, the woman in his arms lost her consciousness, falling back into his embrace, her eyes closed.


    Mikel gulped, sighing in relief.


    He had finally seeded and his doubts were also proven correct! He had been waiting for this day for a very long time!


    However, this was neither the ce nor the time to act on it. Not just yet.


    Mikel clenched his fist tightly to control his trembling figure, as he gently ced Sylvia on the carriage seat, her head on hisp.


    There was an unfathomable sadness in his eyes, which neither his charming and gentle facade nor his cold and arrogant facade could hide.


    The man then leaned forward and nted a kiss on her forehead. "I am sorry for pushing you so hard." He muttered, with no one else to hear.

 Chapter 31 - What Smells So Nice?

    After a few minutes, with his typical trademark bright and sunny charming smile, Mikel opened the carriage door, letting Theodore and Cassius climb back in.


    The little kid looked at Mikel nervously and then at Sylvia who seemed as if she was peacefully sleeping, her head rested on the Prince''sp.


    The small back of his body waspletely drenched in sweat.


    "Uncle¡­" He hesitantly mumbled without meeting Mikel''s eyes, but surprising him, the man only chuckled lightly.


    He seemed to be in a very good mood. "Don''t worry about it anymore. I will buy you some sweets from your favorite shop."


    He pinched the small kid''s cheeks and knocked on the carriage, signaling the coachman to start moving.


    Cassius nodded with a confused smile and sat on the opposite side, next to Theodore.


    His eyes, however, had stopped looking out the window. They were rather busy circling on the sleeping woman on his uncle''sp.


    He gulped nervously feeling extremely guilty about his earlier actions.


    And so an ufortable silence prevailed in the luxurious carriage as it flew by the streets of the royal city, unaffected by the hustle and bustle of the roads.


    Unfortunately, Sylvia slept through the whole trip and missed the splendor of the royal city altogether.


    She only stirred awake when the carriage had almost reached the far outskirts of the city, nearing the bordering forests.


    Sylvia''s long eyesshes fluttered as she slowly opened her eyes, stretching her arms and stifling a yawn.


    "Mmm¡­"


    She mumbled something incoherently, still half-asleep, and turned her head to the other side, hugging something tightly, something which felt extremely warm andfortable.


    "Since when did my pillow smell so nice?"


    In her semi-sleepy state, Sylvia sniffed, again and again, taking in the pleasant alluring scent and her handszily and curiously explored her surroundings.


    Mikel gazed at the woman in amusement.


    She was running her hands all over him without any restraint, but he didn''t stop her.


    Rather the twinkle in his eyes gave away the fact that he was very much enjoying her touch.


    In fact, he would have allowed her to continue on but unfortunately, his nephew was sitting right there.


    So he settled for the next best thing and the devil wickedly cleared his throat with cruel intentions.


    "Are you done groping or should I unbutton my shirt for you?"


    Startled awake by the familiar yet dangerous voice, Sylvia snapped her eyes open as she suddenly recollected where she was and what had happened.


    Her eyes flew wide at the sight of the devil''s face right above her, hovering over her with a smug grin.


    She gulped meeting his gaze, the image from the corner of her eyes telling her where she was lying down and more importantly, where she had been touching.


    She quietly retreated her hands which were feeling the man''s chest.


    And then she remembered the sniffing¡­


    With her face right next to his crotch, it was not really that difficult for the young woman to guess what she had been sniffing.


    FUCK!


    Sylvia felt as if lightning had struck her body.


    Her face instantly heated up and she scrambled hurriedly, trying to get up from the man''sp.


    "Slowly, my dear. Slowly. Don''t hurt yourself." Mikel chuckled.


    Sylvia noticed that the man didn''t call her using the nauseous nickname he had kept for her.


    Wait, what am I even thinking about right now??? Sylvia fumbled about trying to get out of the devil''s grasp and since the carriage was moving, she easily lost her bnce.


    The woman was about to fall face forward onto the carriage floor when the devil chuckled and helped her out.


    He scooped her up like adle with water and poured her onto the seat next to him. "There you go?"


    Sylvia red at the devil and his curved lips. This man was getting a bit too amused from her misery! Damn it!


    She quickly wiggled to the edge of the seat, getting as far away as she could from the handsome charming devil.


    Her eyes then fell on the other upant of the carriage, sitting right in front of her, the mini version of the big devil.


    The boy blinked at her cutely and smiled, with traces of guilt and hesitation at the edges of his lips.


    This little rascal!


    Sylvia cursed her bad luck for being surrounded by devils like this.


    But unexpectedly, the next second, Cassius extended his hands, this time offering her an entire bowl of small square-shaped sweets.


    "Umm¡­ Umm¡­ ve gal¡­ you want some milk sweets?" He innocently blinked and asked.


    Sylvia''s mouth twitched uncontrobly as she stared at the unbelievable child.


    This boy! He made so much trouble for her and now he was again using this same line? She didn''t know whether tough or cry.


    The kid even had a big basket of sweets next to him, very obviously, something that the devil hadpensated him because of her ''misbehavior''.


    Sylvia silently fumed inside. She might be a ve but this was a bit too much, damn it!


    She bit her lips in frustration and quietly nodded, stubbornly refusing to ept the small kid''s offer.


    But when she looked at him again, she could see the boy''s eyes glistening, a small whimper escaping his lips.


    Oh no! The boy looked like he was about to cry!!! Sylvia immediately panicked.


    She then quickly smiled and begrudgingly even thanked the little kid before epting his tainted offering.


    She decided that she would rather eat this trap candy than face the wrath of the big devil for making the little devil cry!

 Chapter 32 - Border Market

    The royal city, the ce where the royal family of Kalindor resided, was surrounded by forests on three sides.


    These forests though quite harmless in the beginning, became more and more dangerous as one headed deeper inside.


    In fact, the city was a sort of bridge between the several small and medium-sized Kingdoms and the two big Empires in the Xenith continent and the vast wilderness.


    This sort of a position, however, was both a curse and a blessing to the citizens of the Kalindor kingdom.


    While they resided extremely close to the dangerous wilderness, they were also the ones with the best ess to the natural resources.


    On top of that, they collected gold for allowing the various hunters, and magicians to pass through the city gates.


    Considering that these were the best training grounds for the young magicians and warriors of the continent, this contributed to a significant portion of the Kingdom''s revenue.


    Mikel''s carriage as well was currently headed towards these bordering forests.


    Even though the academy Cassius was studying in had plenty of realbat training and practice, Mikel still took the time to personally monitor his nephew''s progress.


    This was also a way for him to spend time with the little kid.


    He had lost both his parents at a young age and Mikel was the only living rtive he had.


    So whenever the kid had a holiday in the academy, Mikel without fail, no matter how busy he was, spent the day with him.


    This was also why the kid often tended to act mischievous and spoiled in front of Mikel because he had no one else to do so with.


    Soon the carriage reached the city borders and the coachman stopped the horses after heading a bit inside the forests.


    He stepped outside and opened the carriage door, respectfully bowing and greeting Mikel again.


    Sylvia begrudgingly watched the man''s actions as he shed a gentle smile and tipped the coachman with a gold coin.


    This hateful devil was nice to everyone except for her!


    Did I do something unintentionally to piss him off? She couldn''t help but wonder.


    "Step out. How long are you nning to dawdle around?" The devil''s harsh words sounded startling Sylvia out of her thoughts.


    "Sorry, your highness," Sylvia mumbled and hopped out of the carriage as well.


    Mikel looked at her, waited for her to meet his gaze, and then slowly spoke, enunciating his every word.


    "Stick close to me, else you might not return back alive." He warned her.


    Sylvia nodded. She was not a fool. She as well knew how dangerous the wilderness was.


    Even the smallest vige was aware of the frequent beast horde assaults on these forests.


    If not for the Mage High Council and the strong experts of the various royal families and their army, the Kingdoms and the Empires of the continent would have already been wiped out thoroughly.


    So no one dared to underestimate the danger hidden in these clusters of trees.


    That being said, the outer parts of the forest where the group was currently in were nothing short of crowded.


    There were a few soldiers patrolling here and there. There were other strong young men traveling to and from the forests.


    There were various alchemy shops, weapon shops, talisman shops, restaurants, inns, and several other merchants.


    This was rather a good ce to set up a business because it allowed the mages and hunters to fill their supplies and take a few days of rest in the local inns without having to travel all the way back to the city.


    Sylvia looked around everywhere with her mouth wide agape. She had never been to such a thriving market before.


    She had also never been in the vicinity of so many experts. Every single man and woman who passed by her exuded a strong and powerful aura.


    They had various scars on their body, some with even nasty ones on their face.


    Sylvia gulped as she felt a little nervous in the presence of such strong men.


    As she dazedly looked around everywhere, unknowingly she had fallen a little behind, even though Mikel had warned her about this exact same thing just seconds ago.


    The three had already walked ahead leaving behind Sylvia who was a bit slower and preupied, taking in the new sights.


    A couple of seconds passed when Sylvia noticed that she was standing alone by herself.


    Instantly, a small hope arose in her heart, along with an excited smile on her full lips.


    Waaaahhhh!!! Getting away from the devil was so easy??? Her heart started racing.


    In this crowd, if she really disappeared, would the devil still be able to find her?


    Ha Ha Ha. A burst of celebratoryughter rang out in her brain as she turned on her heels to run in the opposite direction.


    All she needed to do was get into a carriage that would take her to one of the viges.


    She could then take another carriage to a neighboring kingdom and then figure out ways to hide her traces.


    Perfect n!


    The woman hurriedly turned around and dashed forward, when her head banged against something warm and solid.


    Before Sylvia could apologize and continue running, a familiar voice greeted her.


    "Where do you think you are going, kitten?"

 Chapter 33 - Holding Hands

    "Where do you think you are going, kitten?" Mikel stood like a towering mountain in front of Sylvia, blocking her view of the sweet sweet freedom.


    "Aha ha ha. I apologize, your highness. I got lost." Sylvia weakly smiled and replied, whilst crying buckets inside.


    "Heh. Is that so?" The devil curved his lips upwards.


    Sylvia''s heart sank looking at that familiar expression. This man was up to no good.


    "Since you seem to be incapable of following simple instructions¡­"


    The man paused, his hand reaching out and grabbing hers without any further exnation.


    Sylvia winced ufortably, though his grip was neither painful nor firm.


    It was rather warm and gentle but at the same time, she could tell that it was going to be an impossible ordeal to get away from his grasp.


    As the man tugged her, she quickly followed along catching up to Theodore and Cassius who were walking ahead of them.


    Sylvia couldn''t help but look down in embarrassment. She could suddenly feel several pairs of eyes on her.


    And some of them had particrly strong killing intent.


    She gulped trying to ignore the prying eyes while simultaneously curing the hooligan.


    Not only was the devil ridiculously good-looking but the man was also a royal prince.


    So obviously, when he held another woman''s hand in such an intimate manner and walked casually, it sent the wrong picture.


    Even though she was a ve, she looked gorgeous and had donned a pretty dress, so rather than a man dragging his ve, in other''s eyes they appeared as lovers walking together, holding hands.


    Thanks to that, Sylvia was currently being eyed with envy by the other women in the busy market.


    And to make matters worse, Mikel stood out like a sun on a cloudy sky attracting all sorts of attention.


    Other women might probably be happy and be ecstatic, provided with such a rare and delicious opportunity, but to Sylvia holding hands with the devil was nothing more than a leash on her neck.


    She sighed helplessly and ran along as the devil dragged her.


    The man had long strides thanks to his tall stature and he walked much faster than her.


    Sylvia was almost panting and out of breath by the time they walked past the huge market and reached the forest borders.


    Her legs as well were a bit sore.


    As if that was not enough, the little devil pointed at her and poked her.


    "He He He. ve gal is so weak." The kid chuckled.


    Now that he had ''made'' up to Sylvia after having fed her several milk sweets, he was back to his normal and cheerful self.


    Sylvia red at him but quickly changed her expression, controlling her anger.


    Though she wanted to pinch the chubby boy''s cheeks till they tuned bright pink, she managed to squeeze out a weak smile and nodded.


    The group paused a while in front of one of the rough trails leading into the forest.


    They then armed themselves with appropriate pieces of equipment.


    Sylvia watched in amazement as Mikel and Theodore, both touched their rings on their respective index fingers, and things magically popped up in their hands one by one.


    What the hell? She stared dumbfoundedly at this magic.


    "ve gal. Wha cha are you looking at?"


    "Ha Ha Ha. Have wu not seen a magic ring before?"


    Cassius waved his palm in front of her, trying to get her attention and trying to show off that he as well had one such rings.


    When Sylvia''s eyes trailed down and fell onto his small chubby body, he grinned proudly and took out a small bow and arrow.


    This again??? Terror filled Sylvia''s eyes as she nced at the three bows in the three men''s hands.


    Except for the one on Cassius''s hand, the other two looked particrly terrifying.


    Unlike the wooden bow which Mikel had used previously, this time the one he was wielding looked golden and magnificent, with several gems lining the limbs of the bow.


    The knight Theodore''s bow was equally splendid and was emitting a powerful aura.


    Please! Please! Please! Don''t make me the bait again. Sylvia prayed inwardly, cursing her bad luck.


    Mikel, finally couldn''t stand the faces she was making and leaned closer to whisper in her ears.


    "Settle down, kitten. I won''t be aiming for you today." He chuckled, taking great pleasure in her misery.


    But Sylvia was already used to the jerk and his bullying ways. So she simply sighed in relief.


    "ve gal. You don''t have a bow?" Cassius beamed and nagged her again.


    Apparently, the kid was determined to show off to her since the other two guys had obviously better pieces of equipment than him.


    "I don''t have one, your highness." Sylvia nodded and replied to him, hoping that this would satisfy his eagerness to boast.


    But the little viin did not relent and turned around to sh an adorable smile at Mikel.


    "Uncle! Shall we give ve gal one bow too? I want topete with her!!!"

 Chapter 34 - Born Genius Part1

    Cassius turned around to sh an adorable smile at Mikel.


    "Uncle! Shall we give ve gal one bow too? I want topete with her!!!"


    "Uncle! Please! Phleas! Plesh!"


    "Alright. Alright." Mikel sighed and caved into his demands.


    The little devil immediately turned around to give a big thumbs up to Sylvia as if this was something she wanted.


    Thanks to the trauma of having been a target dummy, she didn''t want to go anywhere near a bow and arrow.


    She raised her hands to refuse but Mikel shoved amon wooden bow into her hands.


    "I am also curious. Let''s see if you have some skills." He smiled gently, though it sounded like a taunt to Sylvia''s ears.


    Standing beside them, Cassius started jumping up and down. "Yipee! Yay! Game Arcade! Uncle, can we go there, please!"


    "Ha? Little rascal. So this what you were aiming for?" Mikel helplessly shook his head and chuckled.


    The group then walked over to one of the gambling dens nearby.


    Sylvia fumbled with the crossbow in her hands. She had never held anything like this before.


    Though it was a simple wooden bow, it had a smooth finish and didn''t weigh a lot.


    Considering Sylvia''s physical fitness, this was really convenient for her to use.


    Mikel had only casually taken out this piece of equipment in the spur of the moment but it perfectly fitted all of Sylvia''s requirements, even taking into ount the width of her chest.


    As she looked at the bow dazedly, Sylvia ran her hands over the spine and then over the taut string connecting the two ends of the bow.


    She couldn''t recognize the material and absentmindedly wondered what it was.


    Without thinking much about it, she pulled it lightly, making a ''Twang'' sound.


    Unfortunately, the string was too sharp for her fingers.


    It immediately left a deep cut on her thumb finger, with a few beads of her blood started to seep out.


    Argh. Sylvia winced at the sight of blood.


    She lifted her finger to suck on it and help the wound clot when suddenly another hand helped her do the same.


    Sylvia looked up in rm, only to find Mikel''s full lips sucking on her finger.


    The man even had a look on his face as if he was tasting some fine delicacy.


    "Be careful kitten. Only I am allowed to leave marks on your body." The devil smirked and let her go.


    Sylvia shuddered lightly as she withdrew her hand back.


    She could feel the man''s eyes still lingering on her, waiting and watching her reactions like a predator.


    Even though they were amidst a sea of people, standing in the middle of a crowd, Sylvia suddenly felt alone under the devil''s stare.


    She kept her gaze down and hurried forward, quickly following the little devil and Theodore, running away from the big devil.


    Mikel chuckled at the woman''s expression and walked after her.


    The gambling dens were located in one of the far corners of the border market and quite a big crowd had gathered near it.


    Including the archery game, there were several other stalls with very interesting games.


    People were having a lot of fun cing bets and trying to show off their talents.


    To add to this merriment, scantily d attractive women flitted about here and there serving aromatic wine.


    The entire atmosphere was extremely rowdy and boisterous.


    Sylvia looked around ufortably, sensing several pairs of eyes staring at her.


    Being a beautiful woman, this was not unusual for her but it still made her nervous.


    Was this even a ce a young kid should visit?


    She looked at the small prince who was dancing in excitement and smiled bitterly.


    Whatever. I will just y along!


    Sylvia silently followed the group and paused when they arrived at the archery game spot.


    On a big stretch ofnd, several men and women were standing around.


    While some of them had crossbows in their arms, waiting and aiming for something in the air, some simply stood around cheering theirpany.


    Sylvia couldn''t understand this so-called game. What were they aiming for? She looked around in confusion.


    "Look up ve gal!" Cassius nudged her and winked at her.


    Sylvia nodded and looked up, but there was nothing there as well.


    However, just a couple of secondster, a sharp noise sounded and something whooshed in the air above them.


    What the hell? Sylvia gawked at the scene in front of her in amazement.


    Out of nowhere several drops of water danced in the air above them, each sparkling mystically as the sunlight bounced off of them.


    And as soon as these water droplets materialized, several arrows simultaneously shot up in the sky as well.


    Though it was a difficult task to hit moving targets, especially something as small as little droplets of water, about half of the arrows still met their targets.


    However, these were not ordinary water droplets.


    The arrows that touched them glowed bright, indicating the sess of the person who had released them, thereby adding to their score.


    The entire sky was dazzling as if there was a fireworks show going on.


    It looked absolutely spectacr.


    Sylvia watched the sky in amazement as a small beautiful smile surfaced on her lips, though it was cut short by a certain little brat, as he stood next to her and urged her impatiently.


    "ve gal! Do it fast. I already got my first hit. He he he."

 Chapter 35 - Born Genius Part2

    "Ah¡­ Umm¡­ Yes, your highness." Sylvia hurriedly nodded and tried to lift her bow up.


    Everything around her was entirely new to her.


    She was someone who was farthest away from magic andbat.


    So all these things intimidated her, not excluding her presentpany.


    With the little devil rushing her, Sylvia haphazardly scrambled and tried to get an arrow out.


    She imitated other people around her and held her bow in a simr fashion.


    She then ced an arrow in the middle and pulled the string along with the arrow with the full strength that she could muster.


    TWANG


    A clear sound rang out as Sylvia''s eager eyes searched for her arrow in the sky.


    This was her first try and she had a good feeling about it!


    Moreover, holding a bow for some reason felt very empowering.


    Her lips curved upwards as she craned her neck and gazed above at the dancing water droplets.


    However, before she could even blink and search properly for her arrow amidst the dazzling shiny water droplets, a loud peal ofughter echoed near her.


    "Bwa Ha Ha Ha. ve gal! What are you looking at? See down, you idiot. Bwa Ha Ha Ha."


    The little devil was clutching his stomach andughing his heart out.


    Sylvia''s eyes slowly trailed down and gazed at the arrow that hadn''t gone anywhere but simply fallen t on the ground in front of her.


    Ah~~~


    The poor girl instantly reddened, embarrassment covering her entire body and soul from top to bottom.


    In her defense, she had never held a bow in her hands before!!!


    But the three people next to her didn''t seem to remember that important fact and were allughing at her openly.


    Even the usually calm andposed knight Sir Theodore was chuckling openly.


    Waaah! Sylvia wanted to bury her head somewhere.


    Bullies! Big bullies! All the three men standing around her were big bad bullies!


    Even so¡­ this small embarrassment was nothingpared to the other humiliations she had suffered through recently.


    So Sylvia quickly brushed it aside and squeezed out a weak smile in response to the little devil''s taunts.


    She absentmindedly stared at the small kid as his innocent bubblyugh was contagious, making her own smile a little bit bigger.


    But this smile abruptly paused as Sylvia suddenly felt a presence behind her.


    Was some damned lecher trying to feel her up in the crowd?


    She turned around in rm, only toe face to face with the devil himself.


    Sylvia froze and stood still without making another move as if this would make her invisible and help her magically disappear from his spotlight.


    Mikel returned the woman''s gaze, his eyes fervently imprisoning hers.


    "Why don''t I teach you?" His full lips moved, his velvety voice sounding powerful and alluring.


    "Teach me¡­ what?" Sylvia gulped, forgetting momentarily where they were.


    Only this devil had the ability to make her head dizzy and her knees weak.


    "Heh. What else?" The man was clearly amused by her reply. He wordlessly spun her around and pulled her back into his chest.


    Her body fit snugly within his embrace, her trembling back resting on his wide arrogant chest.


    The man held her closely, his hands bigger and warmer, wrapped around hers, helping her hold the wooden bow more steadily.


    A small gasp escaped Sylvia''s lips as she felt the man everywhere on her body.


    No one has ever held her so intimately, that too in front of so many people.


    Her heart rate quickened and her cheeks flushed. A vague heat spread through her limbs making her lose focus.


    She burned under the man''s touch, while he was busily whispering various instructions in her ears.


    "Hold it firm."


    "Keep it tight."


    "Straighten your back."


    Only half the words fell on Sylvia''s ears, the other half magically vanishing into nothingness.


    "And now¡­ take a deep breath¡­ aim and release."


    In the end, Mikel even finished his lesson and Sylvia had barely paid attention to any of it.


    When he released her from his touch, she gulped nervously, taking a look at the bow in her hands and the way the arrow had been ced.


    She memorized it.


    "Go on," Mikel smirked.


    "ve gal! You can do it." Even the little devil cheered for her.


    Sighing helplessly, Sylvia decided to try it one more time.


    She was already half drenched in the rain, she might as well get fully wet.


    After all, this embarrassment was nothing whenpared to the other things that the devil had done to her.


    "Damn it. Why am I getting affected by him so much? I could have at least learned to do this properly if I had paid attention."


    Shemented her stupid brain inwardly and released the arrow in one swift motion, aiming for a random water droplet dancing in the sky above them.

 Chapter 36 - Born Genius Part3

    After releasing the arrow, Sylvia''s first instinct was to look down, when Mikel lightly tapped on her jaw, making her head look up.


    This time surprisingly her shot didn''t fall t on the ground. Rather¡­


    Sylvia''s eyes went wide as they trailed the familiar arrow''s trajectory up in the air.


    It whizzed towards the dancing droplets as if it had a mind of its own, casually slicing through the air and only stopping when it met its target.


    Ah~~ Sylvia stared, her lips parting subconsciously, taking in a big breath of air.


    "ve gal! You hit it! You hit it!"


    "Umm¡­"


    "But that''s cheating!!! My uncle helped you! ve gal that doesn''t count." The small kid pouted and kicked a stone nearby.


    Sylvia''s eyes rolled inwardly all the way to the back of her head. Yes! Yes! Your uncle''s motive was to help me. Hmph.


    But she swallowed her grievances and quietly mumbled. "As you wish, your highness."


    The little boy immediately perked up. "Good ve girl."


    He shed a bright and beaming smile which in the future would surely break several hearts.


    "Ok, now we start thepetition."


    Sylvia nodded. She quickly recreated the stance she had used earlier and once again pulled out the bowstring and arrow.


    She then carefully aimed for one of the droplets in the sky and then released the arrow in one swift motion.


    Peng!


    The arrow instantly flew forward slicing through the air like a beast unleashed.


    Sylvia was already happy with this result. She never expected her aim to be perfect.


    After all, she had never touched a bow and arrow before.


    Just doing this was fun and empowering and she enjoyed the feeling of it.


    However, her eyes that had casually trailed the arrow once again bulged out like a boiled egg.


    Ssh!


    Her arrow met its target the second time in a row and that too, it was not a stationary target but a moving one.


    A small smile surfaced on Sylvia''s lips as she excitedly took out another arrow from the quiver on the ground nearby.


    She quickly aimed for a water drop and released the third arrow.


    Peng! Ssh!


    Once again, the arrow perfectly reached its target.


    Sylvia felt an exhrating joy. She had never felt like this in a long time.


    This was the small joy of satisfaction that one received from a task well done.


    Considering that her life had been absolutely horrifictely, this small joy made her very happy.


    She took out another couple of arrows and shot them out, taking her time and ying with it as if she was ying with some children''s toys.


    Her elegant and mesmerizing face shone brighter than usual painted with an unbridled glee all over it.


    "ve gal! How are you so good?" Even Cassius couldn''t believe his eyes.


    Mikel and Theodore, who were busily discussing something on the side, had seen the disy from the corner of their eyes.


    They as well turned towards her and gawked at her in surprise.


    As experienced as they were, they knew how difficult it was to master something like archery.


    Not many people can do what Sylvia had just done and those who can were all outstanding geniuses.


    Mikel''s eyes gazed at her with an unfathomable glint as the man tried to analyze her every behavior.


    Not only their group, but a few other people standing near them had also noticed Sylvia.


    Feeling the several pairs of eyes on her, Sylvia grew a bit ufortable and coughed awkwardly.


    "Just beginner''s luck, your highness." She shed a small smile at Cassius.


    She realized that she had inadvertently stood out without meaning to do so.


    So in order to quickly rectify this mistake, she raised her bow once again to shoot another arrow, but this time missing her target purposefully.


    She put on a sad face and bowed, admitting her defeat to Cassius. "Your win, your highness."


    "Tch. Tch. My skills are not that good after all."


    As she continued with the act, she felt a pair of eyes fervently gazing at her and looked up, only to see Mikel''s lopsided grin.


    Oops! Sylvia immediately looked back down.


    She could tell that the big devil had somehow managed to catch on to her small act.


    But the oblivious little devil excitedly grinned and jumped in glee.


    "Don''t worry ve gal. You are good too."


    "I will practice with you every time Ie to visit."


    He assured her as if he was a powerful guild master who had epted Sylvia under his tutge.


    Sylvia, however, was too busy to react, her mind still lingering on hisst few words¡­


    Every time he visits huh? Her years ahead suddenly felt long and tiresome¡­

 Chapter 37 - Camping With The Devil Part1

    "You can teach herter." Mikel ruffled the young boy''s head and urged him to keep walking.


    They had only barely started the day and things were dyed already.


    So Mikel held the two slowpokes firmly by their hands, one of each side, and dragged them along.


    From a distance, he looked like a family man taking good care of his wife and child, by keeping them close and not letting them get lost in the crowd.


    The three looked rather picture perfect.


    However¡­ up close¡­


    In a short while, the group finally left the border market and entered the main forest territory.


    These were right at the outskirts of the Kingdom so there was absolutely no possibility of something strong and dangerous showing up.


    Every beast that even posed the smallest threat was quickly hunted down and nullified by the Kingdom''s mages.


    "Uncle, are we hunting today?" Cassius excitedly asked. At his age, he was just about excited for anything and everything.


    "Yes, we are." Mikel smiled.


    After walking for a while, they took a slight detour from the main forest path.


    Instead of heading deeper inside into the dangerous territories, they walked over to aparably less dangerous zone.


    Here, only the asional herbivores and easily beatable small carnivores like wolves and foxes showed up.


    And this was perfect because Mikel had brought Cassius here mainly to teach him a few basic things about hunting.


    He was the boy''s legal guardian and the responsibility of teaching him adequately fell on his shoulders.


    But Mikel never thought of it as mere responsibility, he loved the kid above and beyond and treated him like his own.


    Just from the boy''s sunny and bright nature, one could tell that he had no misgivings and his parents'' absence did not cast a dark shadow on his life.


    This was all because of Mikel''s efforts.


    As the four continued walking around in the forests, three of them carefully observed their surroundings for a potential game and the fourth leisurely strolled taking in the spectacr refreshing environment of the forest.


    Today had mostly been a day of firsts for Sylvia.


    It was her first time being outwitted by a kid, first time seeing the outside of the castle, first time holding a bow and an arrow, and the first time walking on the edges of wilderness.


    She didn''t know why but there was something in the air here that made her feel alive.


    Despite her deplorable living situation with no end whatsoever in sight, a bright smile hung on her lips as she hummed quietly and walked, her eyes darting everywhere curiously.


    The gentle breeze, the melodic rustling of the leaves, the sound of a distant brook everything inspired joy within her.


    But suddenly, a voice whispered in her ears, making Sylvia jump up lightly as if a snake had slithered by her feet.


    "If I had known that this would make you so happy, I would have brought you here long back, my kitten."


    Sylvia''s smile immediately disappeared and her head once again gazed down on the lush green forest grounds, unwilling to meet the devil face to face.


    Mikel chuckled. He really did not intend to tease her like this, but he also couldn''t stop himself from doing so.


    "Uncle. Uncle. Here." Cassius turned around and tugged at Mikel''s wrist, snapping him out of his thoughts.


    Standing in front of them, just a few miles ahead was a couple of wild boars.


    They were short and fat pig-like animals that had little to no fur on their body.


    Though they were not at the top of the food chain, they possessed a mad strength and considerable speed, making them a bit dangerous.


    They also had round crimson eyes and pitch-ck fur which made them looked terrifying, coupled with the two big canines in the front.


    Sylvia instantly stopped in her tracks, her heart rate quickening noticeably.


    However, Mikel, Theodore, and even Cassius remained calm and unruffled.


    "You know what to do." Mikel chuckled and stepped back.


    Theodore as well did the same, however, his hands reached down to touch the hilt of the sword hanging on his hips.


    The knight stood in an offensive position, ready to step in and do damage control in case the situation went out of hand.


    And Cassius who was the star of this little show excitedly ced a finger on his lips, first warning Sylvia to not make a sound and then turned around to look at the boars.


    He took out the bow he had used earlier, but this time he took out a different set of arrows.


    These seemed to be made of a different metal and were sharper and fiercer.


    Cassius then quickly swung the quiver onto his small shoulders and carefully ced an arrow on the bow, and then another.


    Sylvia stared at him in astonishment.


    The little kid in front of her had actually ced two arrows simultaneously at the center of the bow.


    Was he going to fire them both at the same time?


    Was he nning to target the two big fat adult boars at the same time?


    She couldn''t help but gulp nervously.


    At the same time, she also found herself getting more and more excited.

 Chapter 38 - Camping With The Devil Part2

    Sylvia gaped in amazement as she watched the small child lift his bow and casually release the double arrow shot.


    Cassius made it seem so damned easy and effortless.


    The two arrows whirred in the air as they sliced towards the couple of big ck boars.


    Sylvia watched keenly as the arrows rapidly approached the unassuming animals.


    However, one of the boars probably sensed something wrong and turned to nce in their direction.


    The animal''s eyes widened in surprise but it was toote as both the arrows pierced directly at their respective throats.


    Blood spurted out everywhere and the two boars struggled in pain.


    It was an extremely gruesome sight!


    Before Sylvia could digest this gory image in front of her, Cassius had already picked up two more arrows and shot them out the very next second, also aimed at the two animals'' throats.


    Zing. Zing.


    These two arrows shot forward with a purpose and finished the job instantly.


    As they hit their target, the two boars did not struggle for long and fell lifelessly down on the ground with loud thuds.


    Sylvia gazed at the bloody scene and a knot formed in her throat. They were just now alive but they were already dead.


    Sometimes life was too short.


    On the other hand, standing by her side, Cassius jumped up and skipped in joy. "Uncle! I did it! I did it!"


    Mikel ruffled the young boy''s hair while his eyes lingered on the woman whose face looked pale and colorless.


    It was the typical reaction of someone who was not used to seeing blood spill and bodies rot.


    Mikel lifted his hand and snapped loudly in front of Sylvia, making her look back at him in rm.


    "What are you waiting for?" His sharp voicemanded her. "Do I need to spell everything out for you?"


    Sylvia blinked, having no idea what nonsense the viin was spouting now.


    Mikel''s straight face suddenly broke into a gentle grin as he leaned closer and grabbed the woman''s jaw.


    "Grab both those boars, skin, and clean them. Then set up a fire and cook them."


    Sylvia''s eyes widened as she stared at the man wondering how the hell was she supposed to do all of that when she had never done it before.


    "What? Do you not know how to?" Mikel asked.


    Damn it! This man can definitely read minds! Sylvia gulped nervously. She didn''t have the nerve to answer that question.


    "That''s what I thought." His grip on her jaw tightened making her cheeks puff up cutely.


    "You better pick up the pace. If I get too hungry, then¡­" He leaned in closer, "I might just eat you up."


    His cool lips brushed her ears, sending shivers down her spine.


    Eat me up? Sylvia gulped, the words of the devil reying in her head as if they were on repeat.


    She felt the man''s grasp on her loosen and she immediately turned around to run towards the dead boars.


    She would any day prefer these dead animals over the living devil.


    "Uncle, why is ve gal running?" Cassius asked curiously furrowing his brows.


    Since Mikel''s back was facing him, he could only catch a slight glimpse of the colorful expressions on Sylvia''s face and did not know what his uncle said or did.


    Mikel chuckled, revealing a gentle smile, and this time it was not fake. "She is preparing dinner for us."


    "Do you want to teach her some things?" He tapped the kid''s nose yfully with his finger.


    "Yes. Yes." Cassius beamed and jutted his chest out proudly, before running along and going over to Sylvia.


    His eyes fixed on the two figures, Mikel casually flopped down onto the soft green pasture covering the forest grounds.


    He leisurely breathed in and out, amusing himself with the theatrics unfolding in front of him.


    Theodore, however, still stood erect in a standing position, his body ready and prepared to tackle anything unexpected that came their way.


    "Your highness, maybe we should head back?" he mumbled to Mikel since they were alone.


    "Hmmm?" Mikel raised his brows.


    "That girl¡­ I have a bad feeling about her." Theodore exined.


    "Is this another direct warning from your lizard brain, Theo?" Mikel chuckled, but he did not really doubt the knight''s words.


    Theodore turned his head away, his cheeks slightly red. "Your highness¡­" He sulked.


    "Ha Ha. Ok. Ok." Mikel stopped teasing him. "When have I ever not trusted your guts? There might be trouble tonight but we are staying here nevertheless."


    "You should be prepared to handle things. You are stocked full on supplies I assume?" Mikel asked, his tone this time a lot more serious.


    "Yes, your highness." Theodore nodded.


    "Mmhm. Then tonight is going to get rowdy!" Mikel chuckled lightly, his gaze returned back to the two busybodies dragging the dead boars closer to the group.

 Chapter 39 - Camping With The Devil Part3

    "Slow down, ve gal. You are spilling blood everywhere!" Cassius tutted whilst trying to instruct Sylvia on how to handle the dead game.


    Sylvia rolled her eyes and then asked hiding a twinkle within them. "Should I just watch you do it first, your highness?"


    "I mean I don''t want to ruin the meat."


    She raised her hands nervously and then waved them, along with a bitter smile.


    The little kid looked at her, innocence brimming in his eyes, and then nodded with a sweet smile.


    "Ok, ve girl, Watch me closely."


    Sylvia chuckled inwardly, celebrating her small victory. Take that you little pest!


    She then hummed as free as a bird, walking happily while the small boy lugged around both the huge dead animals.


    She might not be able to outwit the big devil just yet but the little devil¡­ He He He¡­


    After a few minutes, Cassius finally finished dragging both the boars to the nearby brook, of course, all by himself.


    He wiped the sweat off of his small face and took a few deep breaths in. He looked slightly out of breath.


    Even though the boy was probably bathed in nutritious food for the entirety of his life, not to mention other elixirs and magic supplements, it was still a bit of a chore for him to handle this much weight.


    Sylvia would have felt bad for him but she remembered how the little devil had trapped her unfairly a while back, so she was determined to get her revenge.


    She watched the young boy ssh some water on his face when she tilted her head to the side with an innocent and gentle smile dancing on her lips.


    "You are so strong, your highness." She first praised him and then¡­ "But how do we eat this now?"


    "Aha Ha Ha Ha. ve gal, have you never eaten a wild boar before?" Cassius beamed immediately forgetting his tiredness.


    "Boar meat actually tastes very very good."


    "Especially their legs taste juicy and delicious."


    Sylvia chuckled inwardly as she patiently listened to his rant. The little brat really liked showing off!


    Of course, every now and then her gaze flitted towards the two men to make sure that they were busy talking with each other and not observing them.


    Otherwise, she would be in a world of trouble for tricking the little prince into doing her dirty work!


    After Cassius bragged a bit, he energetically started demonstrating to Sylvia and teaching her how to skin a boar.


    "ve gal, you have to be extra careful when removing the skin from a beast.


    "Because we can use them for so many things like making tough clothes, bags, and other things."


    "And then your highness?" Sylvia blinked with a small smile, ying the part of an attentive student.


    The little kid carefully ced the skin on the side, folding it neat and tidy.


    "After the skin, then we should cut out the different parts and remove the innards from the edible meat."


    "First put your hand inside like this¡­"


    Sylvia watched as the little kid pushed his hand effortlessly inside the boar''s throat.


    He then pulled out a bunch of bloody things jiggling and wiggling.


    Yuck! Sylvia cringed, the sight of the raw meat making her want to puke.


    Blood gushed out as the little kid carefully did everything from the beginning to end.


    He separated out all the fleshy and the meaty parts from the bony parts and carefully cleaned everything with the water from the brook.


    It took him an entire hour but the little kid quickly finished everything with finesse and ease as if he had done this a million times.


    Just old is he? How many boars has he killed and skinned at this young age?


    Sylvia gulped as she pondered curiously, while the boy still continued giving her pointers which might as well be falling on deaf ears because Sylvia''s thoughts were surely elsewhere.


    "The legs are the tastiest and the yummiest." The kid rambled on, literally drooling at this point.


    Sylvia on the other hand couldn''t even think about eating right now.


    She was at first enjoying herself with her little game but the sight of so much blood was slowly making her nauseous, so much so that shepletely failed to notice that a certain someone''s attention was back on her.


    "Heh. What a naughty little kitten you are¡­"


    "Behaving so cute and innocent in front of me¡­but the minute I give you a little space¡­"


    "You immediately run amok¡­ Heh"


    Mikel ran his long and lean fingers leisurely through his golden locks.


    His mesmerizing gaze lingered on the woman who was happily bullying the child to her heart''s content.

 Chapter 40 - I Am Not A Monkey! Part1

    After cleaning the meat and neatly stacking several skewers, Cassius quickly ran around and collected some firewood.


    And in the name of guarding the meat, Sylvia stayed back, leisurely ying, throwing pebbles on the brook and watching them skid along the surface of the water, making tiny little sshes.


    Her eyes twinkled as she happily enjoyed the cool breeze of the dusk and the cloud patterns of the setting sun.


    She was the perfect picture of a carefree young girl. She might have as welle out for a pic with a group of close friends.


    Of course, all of this was possible only because a certain someone was currently pretending to be asleep.


    Mikelid underneath a tree, his tall figure resting on the green pasture, and his handzily covering his eyes.


    To the distant woman, he sure looked like he was taking a small nap, and resting.


    But in reality, his eyes as always lingered on the slender woman, keenly watching her antics, observing even the smallest of her movements through the gaps in his fingers.


    How courageous! Mikel chuckled lightly in amusement.


    The girl in front of him consistently surpassed his expectations, never failing to surprise him every single day.


    He could only barely hold in hisughter as he continued eying her with a loaded grin.


    It was indeed true that human beings often revealed their one side when they were being watched while another when they think no one is watching them.


    But he didn''t mind it.


    It was after all human nature to err. Besides, if there were no crimes, then how could there be punishments?


    The man''s lips curved upwards, his smile being three parts evil and seven parts wicked.


    Soon, the colors in the sky faded and the evening darkened.


    Cassius somehow finished setting up everything, doing all the humdrum work by himself, and that too with a smile on his face.


    "ve gal! Everything is done!" He wiped the sweat off of his forehead and pped his hands.


    "Yes, your highness. It looks amazing." Sylvia licked her lips, smacking them in hunger.


    "Can you make fire, ve gal?" Cassius asked, eager to show off the next step.


    "No, your highness. I don''t have any aptitude in magic." Sylvia pursed her lips and shrugged.


    "Oh! Then you will really enjoy this. Watch me carefully. Ta Da!"


    The little kid snapped his fingers together and mumbled something.


    Immediately, bright sparks flew amidst the heap of dry wood in front of them, setting them aze.


    Sylvia couldn''t help but jerk away slightly.


    In a matter of seconds, the kid had kindled a small fire, crackling and roaring as if it was alive.


    "Perfect! Now we can start grilling!" Cassius pped his hands and began setting up the meat skewers, also by himself.


    Sylvia, however, noticed something very very important from the corner of her eyes and quickly grabbed the skewers from the little kid''s hands.


    "Let me do it, your highness." She shamelessly smiled and helped the kid.


    She diligently arranged all the meat skewers on the makeshift wooden setup, that was a height in order to protect the tender meat from direct fire.


    As soon as she was done setting it up, the meat started slowly cooking, a delicious aroma wafting out almost instantly.


    Sylvia had already forgotten all about the blood and gore, her eyes only on the prize in front of her.


    She had barely eaten anything since morning and her stomach was on the verge of a major revolt.


    It even grumbled loudly, letting everyone know about her predicament.


    "ve gal, did you just fart?" Cassius pointed his finger andughed at her.


    Sylvia was mortified, but seeing that Mikel and Theodore were walking towards them, she silently bit her lips and swallowed back her shame and embarrassment.


    "I am just hungry, your highness." She bitterly smiled.


    "Heh. What a coincidence! I am hungry too!" Mikel chuckled as he strolled over to themzily, Theodore closely following behind him.


    Sylvia immediately stood up from her squatting position and bowed, greeting the Prince and his Knight.


    Mikel did not spare her another nce as he sat down next to Cassius and started chatting with him about the academy life, asking him various things.


    The little kid who was more than fond of bragging excitedly began telling Mikel a truckload of stories, most of them being mundane and insignificant.


    He boasted about how he got the highest marks in history. He boasted about how good his physical fitness records were and the kid continued prattling on and on, almost chewing Mikel''s ears off.


    As a ve, Sylvia knew that she was supposed to be a backdrop to these people, acting as if she didn''t exist, but she couldn''t help herself and sneaked a small peak at Mikel.


    She didn''t think that the man would have so much patience as to listen to the silly child without a single grumble.


    Perhaps it was the mes of the bonfire casting a dull brightness on his perfect ethereal face, the man looked more attractive than usual, his eyes radiating warmth and affection.


    Her gaze lingered on him longer than she meant to and it didn''t escape the devil''s eyes.


    He felt her looking at him, and quickly shifted his gaze to meet hers, sending shivers down Sylvia''s spine.


    Like a thief caught in the act, she immediately bent her head back down, a bright rosy hue painting her soft cheeks.


    Mikel chuckled softly as he continued listening to the boy next to him.

 Chapter 41 - I Am Not A Monkey! Part2

    Tssss! Tssss!


    Loud sizzling noises echoed from the fat melting and falling on the fire underneath and the skewers were soon appropriately cooked.


    They were roasted to perfection with a golden crisp on the outside and juicy aromatic vor on the inside.


    Sylvia had long since stopped staring at Mikel and was now ogling at the delicious meat skewers.


    She even restlessly fidgeted with her hands behind her back, swallowing hard.


    And while she was patiently waiting on the side, the two and a half men in front of her were leisurelyughing and chatting as they wolfed down the crisp and juicy meat cubes.


    They happily helped themselves to one skewer after another and continued chatting.


    Sylvia''s mouth twitched as she kept waiting and waiting and waiting¡­ a certain fact slowly became clearer and cleared to her.


    These bastards were not nning on feeding her!!!


    Sylvia gawked at the devil as he elegantly bit into the meat, chewing it and gulping it down nonchntly.


    To make matters worse, his pitch-ck irises nced at her as he stuck his tongue out and licked the tip of his index finger slowly.


    Sylvia snapped as she blinked her eyes incredulously staring at the evil man.


    She wanted to jump on the devil right then and there and pummel him down into the ground.


    She was fine putting up with a lot of bullying up until now, but what inhumane torture was this!!!


    And she had a feeling that he was purposefully teasing her, probably for his own amusement!


    Myriad emotions crossed her face, hunger to anger to cold indifference.


    She was determined to not give the devil the satisfaction of toying with her!


    She bit her lips and shifted her gaze away, focusing on the distant twinkling stars in the sky.


    Sylvia wondered just what sort of powerful magic could possibly make them so mysterious and beautiful.


    As she looked up with the distant mncholic gaze in her soulful blue eyes, she failed to realize that a certain someone was staring at her once again.


    In fact, right at this exact moment, his thoughts were extremely simr to her own, wondering how could someone possibly be so beautiful and elegant.


    There was something about that perfection thatpelled Mikel to want to mess it up.


    The man chuckled softly and diverted his attention back to the little kid again.


    Time quickly ticked away and soon, all the roasted meat was picked clean, without even a single piece remaining.


    The jerks really did not give her anything until the end!


    Sylvia''s lips twisted as she tried her hardest to put on a brave facade despite her poor stomach.


    After a while, Theodore picked up the little kid and wandered off somewhere, leaving behind Sylvia alone with the devil.


    Nope! She immediately made a beeline following the knight and the little devil, not wanting to be alone with the big bad wolf.


    But unfortunately, a smooth velvety voice sounded behind her, making her stop right in her tracks.


    "Just where do you think you are going, my dear?"


    Sylvia cried inwardly, but turned around and obediently bowed without showing any of her inner turmoil.


    "Come here." Mikel patted on the ground, pointing next to him.


    Sylvia suddenly felt her legs misbehave, not wanting to move and follow the devil''s orders.


    But she gulped and walked closer anyways forcing herself. What fresh hell does he have for me this time? She wondered.


    "Sit here." Mikelzily mumbled as he crossed one leg over the other, leaning back, supporting himself on the ground with his elbows.


    Sylvia gulped, hesitating to go anywhere near him, lest the events in the carriage repeat themselves.


    But this time, Mikel didn''tmand her and make her obey him. Hezily stretched his limbs letting out a yawn.


    "It''s fine if you don''t feel like sitting." He shrugged. "Are you hungry?"


    Sylvia lifted her head, her gaze shifting from the ground under her feet to the suspiciously kind and gentle expression on the man''s face.


    She lightly nodded, after hesitating a bit.


    He had asked her a simple question and she was indeed hungry so she answered without thinking too much about it.


    Perhaps the man was feeling remorseful for how he had treated her, she assumed.


    Making her wait and watch them eat while she herself was starving. Guess the devil was notpletely rotten after all.


    Sylvia waited, fully expecting the man to take out something edible from his bag and hand it over to her.


    But weirdly enough, Mikel showed no signs of doing any such thing.


    He gazed at her a while, eying her figure from top to bottom, and thenzily lifted his hand pointing to a tree nearby.


    "I am hungry too! Why don''t you climb that tree and bring back some fruits for the both of us?" he smirked.


    Uh¡­ Huh? What? Did he just ask me to climb a tree? Sylvia gawked at him, utterly bewildered.


    She followed his finger and gazed at the tree he was pointing to and then back at him, shock and disbelief, written on her face.


    How the hell am I supposed to climb that tall tree??? I am not a monkey! Damn it!!!

 Chapter 42 - The Art Of Seduction

    "Hmmm? What are you looking at?" Mikel chuckled, enjoying the woman''s sullen expression.


    "That one right there. Go climb it quickly. I am hungry."


    Damned jerk! Didn''t you just eat an entire boar?! Sylvia was tempted to give the guy a piece of her mind.


    But she could only swallow her indignation and try to reason with him.


    "Your highness¡­ This¡­ There is nodder. I¡­"


    "I am not blind," Mikel interjected and cut her reply short. "Use your legs."


    I am not dumb either! I know that''s what you meant! Sylvia wanted to scream.


    She looked at him, pleading the man with her eyes but Mikel seemed to have no intentions of budging from his stance.


    He casually sat there, leaning back, resting on his elbows and humming, acting as if he couldn''t possibly understand what was stopping her from carrying out his orders.


    In front of his oblivious facade, Sylvia could only helplessly admit her defeat and clearly dered. "Your highness, I have no idea how to climb a tree."


    Hmmm? Mikel looked at her, his eyes silently observing her reactions.


    The man''s lips then curved slightly upwards as he muttered as a matter of fact. "Is that so? Then let me help you out."


    He sprang up suddenly to stand on his feet, walked closer to the tree, and leaned on the thick trunk.


    "Come here." He waved his hand, signaling Sylvia to walk over to him.


    Sylvia gulped and followed his orders, inching closer to him, bit by bit, all the more confused by this recent development.


    He is going to help me? Somehow she found it difficult to believe this statement!


    She walked over hesitantly wondering what the man was up to now.


    As she neared him, he brashly grabbed her, pulling her closer and sandwiching her in between the tree and himself.


    Sylvia gulped, her heart racing from being in such close proximity to the man.


    His shirt''s top two buttons were undone, the chiseled chest underneath partly revealed.


    The sight of his bare naked skin made Sylvia even more flustered as she tried to squirm out from under him.


    "Stop it." Mikel blocked her exit, by nting his other hand beside her as well.


    "Climbing a tree should be a very easy task for a kitten like you."


    The intimate pet name touched a nerve and Sylvia red back at him, angrily retorting.


    "Your highness, that would be the case if I was an actual cat!"


    Mikel grinned in amusement. "No, my dear. You can definitely do it." He whispered in her ears, assuring her.


    "Just think of me as a dangerous predator waiting to devour you and your only route of escape is by climbing this tree."


    He lifted his head back up from her side and leaned forward, his lips almost touching hers.


    Sylvia blinked, dazed by the man''s unique scent and his ensnaring words. He had the talent to talk in circles and somehow trap her in the end.


    Mikel drank the woman''s delicate expressions, not moving an inch from his advantageous position.


    "What? Shall we start the role-ying?" He asked, his words tickling her and at the same time making the hair on her back stand up in rm.


    "Ah¡­ I¡­ I¡­ Aha Ha Ha. I will manage it myself, your highness. I don''t want to trouble you."


    She tried to backpedal as fast as she could and go back to the beginning when the only thing he wanted was for her to climb the damned tree.


    Let''s just stick to the tree climbing and leave the role-ying for another time!


    Before the man could rebuke her words, Sylvia hurriedly ducked her head down underneath his lean muscr barricades and slithered out from his grasp.


    She then gave him a weak smile before turning her head and facing the tree which might as well be her mortal enemy right now.


    Sylvia had absolutely no experience whatsoever in climbing trees. She had never climbed a tree in her life before.


    Youngdies were trained in etiquette and manners and not in climbing trees!


    Without any other options, she had talked a big talk but now, she had no idea how to aplish the task staring down at her face.


    She gritted her teeth and waited, her hands running over the tree trunk, trying to see if there was any spot where she could get a foothold.


    "Pick up the pace, kitten. The tree is not going to bend over on its own and lift you up." Mikel tutted.


    Sylvia looked at the man onest time besieging with her eyes but the man simply stared back at her, a warm smile dancing on his lips.


    Ah! You devil! Sylvia cursed him and finally held the tree trunk.


    She prayed to the heavens above as she pushed herself with great effort, putting one leg up and then the other.


    She clung her body close to the rough coarse trunk and held on to a rotten branch on the side, sticking like gum to the tree using every which way that she could.


    Ah! I hate you, you damned devil!


    She cursed the man and his obnoxious chuckles that she could clearly hear ringing behind her back.

 Chapter 43 - The Art Of Seduction Part2

    Sylvia bit her lips and took the next step up the tree, having somewhat reached the low hanging branch that she was aiming for.


    There were three ripe looking green berries on it. Sylvia had tasted this fruit before.


    Especially considering the light yellow hue mixed with the green color, she knew that these would probably satisfy the devil''s tongue.


    Huff. Huff. She panted and tried to calm herself down.


    Prior to today, she had never ever thought that climbing a tree and pulling herself up required so much energy and effort.


    She took another deep breath and tried to reach the branch when something small and sharp poked her leg.


    Her dress was caught in one of the scabs covering the trunk, revealing her long and slender legs.


    They had small red bruises on them which seemed fresh and were probably a result of the adventure she was currently on.


    Sylvia winced in pain as blood dripped from the most recent scratch.


    But she just wanted to get done with this whole ordeal as soon as possible and tried to reach the branch on the side ignoring the pain.


    Unknowingly, she ended up putting a little too much pressure on the branch and CRACK, a loud noise sounded!


    The next instant, Sylvia found herself losing her footing.


    She hurriedly fumbled around trying to support herself, when she managed to find another nook to put her hand in.


    Huff. Sylvia sighed in relief, but unfortunately, it was too soon.


    Just beside her, another loud crack sounded and the branch above broke, falling down, taking her as well along with it.


    Arghh! Sylvia''s heart sank and she screamed in rm, overwhelmed by gravity pulling her down.


    Thud. The branch hit the ground, and Sylvia fully expected to be in a world of pain, falling down on top of it.


    However, instead of that roughnding, she fell into something warm and firm and found herself once again assaulted by a familiar scent.


    She opened her eyes to find her body snugly held by the devil, the man himself on the ground, only barely managing to break her fall.


    "Are you alright?" Mikel asked, gazing at the woman who seemed to be sniffing him openly. Do I smell bad? Her obvious actions ended up making him self-conscious.


    Sylvia gulped, staring back at his handsome features, and nodded quietly.


    Though it was him who made her do this in the ce, she was still grateful for the help.


    "Thank you." She mumbled.


    Mikel chuckled, his childlike smile appearing even more devastating at that close proximity, and then leaned forward to unexpectedly bump the girl''s forehead with his own.


    "How long are you nning to lie in myp?" He asked, his grin widening.


    "Don''t mistake me. I don''t mind you lying down like this, but my hands might not be idle while you do so." He warned her, his breath brushing her cheeks and her lips.


    Ah~ Sylvia snapped out of her trance and quickly scrambled to get up, only to fall back into hisp again.


    Her eyes fell on the devil who looked like he was about to eat her up alive and she hurriedly mumbled, getting the hell out of there. "Sorry, your highness. Sorry."


    Mikel chuckled and ruffled his hair, thenzily standing up as well. He nced at the girl nervously fidgeting with her fingers, before walking over to the brook nearby.


    The man stood next to the flickering mes of the fire they had kindled earlier and undid his shirt buttons one by one.


    Sylvia gulped as she watched his shirtepletely undone falling on the dry ground.


    Her eyes then shamelessly trailed on to look at his bare naked upper body, toned and chiseled to perfection.


    As the man casually stretched out his limbs, his muscles pulsed with vigor making Sylvia''s eyes inadvertently wander around, observing his elegant movements.


    She watched him as he moved his hands to his waist, starting to undo his pants, now that he had removed his shirt.


    The man''s belt clicked and then his pants along with that belt dropped straight down to the ground, revealing his muscr thighs, his defined calves, and¡­


    I¡­ I should turn around? Sylvia gulped.


    However, her brain was a bit slow ining to that conclusion and so were her actions, resulting in an amused voice chiming in, startling her out of her wits.


    "Like what you see?" Mikel grinned.


    Sylvia quickly closed her eyes with her hands and turned around, her face ripening like the fruits hanging on the tree.


    The man was wearing a pair of short trunks underneath his pants but still, considering that she had never seen a man naked, without a shirt on, her entire body heated up in embarrassment.


    The devil was the absolute worst but the man had a ridiculously hot body! Sylvia could only silently curse the heavens for this injustice!!!


    While she awkwardly stood like a statue, sshing noises sounded behind her.


    Her back was facing the man, but she could guess that he was probably waddling into the brook, taking a dip in the waters.


    "Wouldn''t it be cold and chilly in the evening?" Sylvia wondered, muttering under her breath, but then she twisted her lips in indignation. He is the devil! He probably likes the cold freezing waters!!!


    She stood still for a few minutes unsure of what to do now, and then slowly turned around, just a bit, enough to make small peaks.


    Mikel seemed to have forgotten all about her and was leisurely resting in the shallow waters of the brook.


    His back was facing her and he was clearly engrossed in his thoughts, looking into the distance silently.


    Sylvia also couldn''t help but notice that only his pants and his shirt were on the ground and not his short trunks.


    She patted her chest at that realization.


    It looked like her eyes were not going to lose their chastity tonight after all! Phew!


    As Sylvia sighed in relief, she remembered another important detail. She was still hungry, damn it!

 Chapter 44 - The Art Of Seduction Part3

    Sylvia paced back and forth restlessly, and with every passing minute, her stomach only grumbled louder and louder.


    She licked her lips looking once again at the many bunches of berries hanging on the tree she had tried to climb earlier.


    Maybe it was because she was hungry, but they looked extremely tasty and delicious right about now.


    "Damn it." Sylvia cursed and bit her nails. If only she could have climbed that damned tree!


    "Should I try climbing it again?"


    The question floated in her mind but she quickly shot it down, not willing to go through that ordeal again.


    After a while, she could only sigh and sit back down, at least providing her poor body with the warmth of the fire.


    Her eyes flickered ever so often to the man taking a swim in the brook and his broad shoulders but she was too hungry and didn''t look twice at him.


    As her eyes restlessly wandered here and there, she couldn''t help but notice the bow and arrow she had used earlier lying on the ground near their bags and others things.


    Sylvia''s eyes twinkled as she suddenly thought of an idea¡­


    A few minutester¡­


    Mikel ruffled his wet golden locks as he stepped out of the brook, water dripping from his perfect physique.


    He muttered a few words under his breath, all the wetness drying out instantly, including his hair and his trunks which were now bone dry.


    His ck irises then searched for the woman whom he was not yet done punishing when an unexpected scene caught his eyes.


    Sitting underneath the tree, with her long silver hair fluttering in the wind, Sylvia had her hands and her mouth filled with ripe green berries.


    There were also a dozen or more berry bunches lying on herp.


    Mikel chuckled at this ridiculous sight, unable to hold back hisughter.


    He didn''t both wearing his shirt and his pants back and walked directly over to the woman who looked smug and content as if she had achieved something.


    Mikel was in fact well aware of what she had done. It was not really a mystery to him.


    He had already seen the bow and arrow lying on the ground next to where she was sitting, leaning on the tree trunk.


    He was indeed impressed by her quick thinking and her presence of mind, but right now he was far too distracted by other things to pay attention to that.


    The woman''s mesmerizing face was smeared with berry juices all over making her look extremely funny.


    She had a green mustache, she had a green beard and she even had green cheeks. Just how hungry was she! Mikel chuckled.


    He couldn''t help but feel the urge to walk over to her.


    He stopped in front of her, gazed into her bold blue eyes which weren''t trying to disguise the smugness in them, and squatted next to her.


    Hmph! Sylvia scoffed as she gazed back at him triumphantly.


    Look here jerk! Even though you didn''t bother to feed me, I already ate my fill. How do you like that?!


    But her courage slowly started diminishing with every passing second the man spent staring at her, squatting in front of her.


    Mikel chuckled as he extended his hand, grabbing a berry that she was holding in her hand.


    "What a good little ve you are." He grinned and plopped the fruit in his mouth.


    He then leaned closer, his eyes lingering on her green lips, making Sylvia freeze, but then much to her relief, decidedly leaned back without doing anything.


    "Thanks for the hard work." Mikel chuckled and got up, but not before scooping up all the leftover berries in herp.


    He then walked over and sat beside the fire, plopping the fruits into his mouth, one by one, his gaze teasingly lingering on the sullen girl ever so often.


    Sylvia bit her lips and turned away.


    She had at least managed to fill her stomach before the man plundered her berries. So she could only console herself with that small victory.


    A few more minutes passed and Sylvia had almost dozed off leaning against the tree when a familiar voice returned to her side.


    "ve gal, I am back."


    Great! Sylvia rolled her eyes while squeezing out a weak smile.


    She shifted her eyes to see Theodore and Mikel busily talking with each other in hushed voices.


    She furrowed her brows and tried her best to listen in on their conversation but she couldn''t hear anything.


    Sylvia sighed, focusing her attention back at the little devil who was now squatting in front of her.


    "ve gal,e make the bed." He tugged at her arm with his chubby fingers and dragged her over to the firece.


    Both Mikel and Theodore stopped talking as soon as Sylvia and Cassius neared them.


    Mikel smiled at the little kid, his usual warm gentle smile, and gave him some berries.


    My berries! Sylvia pursed her lips, feeling extremely wronged.


    And as she longingly gazed at them, three loud thuds sounded near her.


    Sylvia turned around to see that Theodore had taken out and thrown onto the grassy ground, three feathered quilts.


    Ha? She blinked. She couldn''t believe that these guys actually brought over such sophisticated things.


    The differences between the lifestyles of themoners and the nobles and the royal families were staggeringly different, to say the least.


    Sylvia sighed and started arranging the things. While she tidied up the ce removing any twigs lying around and whatnot, Mikelzily yawned and the little kid munched on her berries, but weirdly Theodore made small holes in the ground burying some sort of sparkling gems.


    Sylvia nced at his actions from the corner of her eyes as she continued setting up the beds.


    There were only three beds so it was not too difficult to guess where she would be sleeping for the night, but Sylvia didn''t mind.


    Sheid on the rough forest ground, her silver hair sprawled on the green grass.

 Chapter 45 - Escape Part1

    Sylvia calmly breathed in and out, her soulful blue eyes staring at the stars twinkling in the wide open skies above her.


    The view was not too shabby.


    Even though the servant quarters back in the castle were quitefortable, Sylvia liked this refreshing environment more.


    For some reason, she felt more at ease here, as if she was home.


    As sheid there, enjoying the cool refreshing breeze, a familiar hand popped into her starry sky view and snapped loudly, breaking her thoughts.


    Sylvia sat up to see Mikel standing in front of her, with a lopsided grin on his face.


    "Your highness?" She hesitantly asked.


    She had hoped that her dues for the day had already been paid but obviously they were not.


    Sylvia watched the man as he nodded at her and then wordlessly walked over to his bedding with his hands inside his pant pockets.


    He then casuallyid on it, turned towards her, resting his head on his hand, and shed a wicked grin.


    "Come here, my kitten," Mikel whispered.


    Say, what now? Sylvia stared at him dumbfoundedly. He wants me toe and lie next to him?


    Her heart started shivering as she fidgeted with a frill on her violet dress.


    Surely, he won''t do something indecent in front of a kid, right? She tried to console herself.


    She gulped and shifted her gaze to the other twopanions hoping that one of them might prevent the devil from being so shameless.


    But Cassius had already fallen asleep and Theodore as well had his eyes closed, his hand covering his face.


    Damn it. Sylvia could tell that no one was going toe to her rescue.


    Her gaze shifted to the devil once again, staring at the man nervously.


    He was still looking at her with a weird grin on his face. "How long are you nning to take?"


    Sylvia gulped and hesitantly stood up, eying the soft feathered bed like an enemy. It might as well be a bed of thorns.


    She then walked over step by step, knowing full well that she didn''t have any other choice or say in the matter.


    The man had already made things exceedingly clear in the carriage ride.


    She found all of this unsettling but she also didn''t want to poke the devil and unnecessarily enrage him.


    So she swallowed her worries and walked over, obediently sitting down on the ground next to his bedding.


    Mikel chuckled lightly, amused at the girl''s cowardly behavior.


    "The night is cold and freezing. Don''t you want some warmth?" He patted the small space on the bedding beside him, signaling her to move over.


    Sylvia eyed him warily, trying to discern his actions. Was he really going to behave like this in the presence of two other people?


    Her heart thudded against her chest like hailstones hitting a window. "I¡­ I¡­ I am alright sleeping here, your highness." She squeezed out a weak smile.


    Hmm? Mikel''s lips coldly curved upwards, one end pulling up higher than the other.


    "Get over here." He repeated himself, this time his words no longer giving her an option.


    Sylvia gripped the edges of her dress and inched closer. She did not dare to dawdle any longer and cause more trouble.


    At the end of the day, he was the Master and she was the ve and she had no other choice but to obey.


    She inched closer and closer, trying very hard not to touch him. Almost half of her body almost ufortably hung outside the mattress.


    Mikel gazed at the girl helplessly and let out a sigh.


    His hand then abruptly shot forward, grabbing the woman by her waist and pulling her closer to him in one fell swoop.


    Sylvia gasped feeling her body suddenly so close to him, his face right next to hers.


    Her mind and body froze, both unwilling to process what was happening. Her breathing quickened and her heart was having a panic attack.


    The devil was staring right at her, holding her snugly in his arms. What the hell was she supposed to do now?


    That''s it. I am done for. He is surely going to do things to me tonight. Her brain gave up and short-circuited.


    Sylvia closed her eyes tightly shut, afraid to meet the man''s gaze.


    She tried to calm herself down by slowly breathing in and out but it was only for naught.


    How could she possibly calm down when she was well aware of the man''s voracious obsidian orbs peering into her very soul.


    She could feel his warm and firm hands on her waist, still suspiciously lingering on her body, without making any movements.


    But just their presence there, made her feel spooked, giving her small intangible bumps all over her body.


    The man was simply holding her in ce, her body close to his and gazing at her. He didn''t do anything else at least just yet.


    But just the anticipation of what he might or might not do was driving the poor girl crazy.


    Myriad emotions crossed her mesmerizing face, each a reaction to something her stupid brain was imagining.


    Her entire body heated up and her cheeks were flushed ripe.


    The man''s warm breath on her face further threw gasoline on this fire, making matters much worse.


    While she was suffering silently, the man on the other end as well weirdly found himself a little taken aback.


    A lump moved down his throat as he gazed into the woman in his arms.


    Her eyes were closed and her brows were furrowed as if she was suffering from untold pain.


    He had just lightly grabbed her and she was already a nervous wreck. He didn''t know whether tough or cry.


    He sighed silently, removing one of his arms from her waist, and raised it up to poke her forehead with his finger.


    Sylvia snapped her eyes open and looked at the man in surprise.


    Of all the ces she had expected him to touch her, he poked her forehead?

 Chapter 46 - Escape Part2

    "Why are you looking at me like that? What do you want me to do to you?" Mikel asked, his voice dripping with wickedness.


    Sylvia gulped, not daring to speak out loud the thoughts and images running in her mind.


    Mikel chuckled, teasing her with his eyes. "Stop overthinking, else your pretty little face is soon going to be overrun by ugly frown lines."


    How shameless! Sylvia red at the hateful man and bit her lips in frustration.


    If you don''t want to give me frown lines, then stop torturing me like this, damn it!


    She fumed inwardly, the anger clearly reflected in her cold blue eyes that could move anyone''s heart.


    Mikel grinned, drinking in and savoring her every precious reaction.


    He indeed had his eyes on her for apletely different reason, but the woman in his arms was a firecracker, so lively and vtile.


    He just couldn''t stop himself from toying with her and teasing her.


    Mikel softly sighed deciding to stop here for the time being. The woman truly had a knack for testing his restraint.


    Every little move of hers was enchanting and he didn''t want to lose control over his actions right here and now.


    "Take your mind off the gutter and get some sleep kitten." He whispered before turning away from her.


    He switched his position from lying on his side facing her, to lying on his back and gazed at the open sky.


    His one hand was over his head and the other was still wrapped around her waist, holding her tightly.


    Sylvia felt her nerves finally ease up a bit. Her stiffened body rxed and she was able to breathe.


    The heck? The kettle is calling the pot ck! Whose mind is in the gutter?


    She clenched her fist still feeling the man''s tight grip on her waist.


    This man was definitely going to be the death of her and he was simply going to do it by making her burst from anger!


    Sylvia cursed the devil inwardly for a few minutes venting out all her pent-up frustrations.


    It helped that he had his eyes closed and was not looking at her as if he was seeing right through her.


    Sylvia sighed, her eyes wandering to the man''s slightly open chest and the chiseled muscles underneath, partly visible.


    His chest was lightly moving up and down, his eyes closed and the man seemed to have drifted asleep.


    Sylvia didn''t know how one could sleep so peacefully in a forest, that too in the presence of wild animals, but that was not her concern.


    She was merely the help who had apanied them to do odd chores.


    Now that it was crystal clear that she was going to spend the night with his arm still around her, she tried to get used to the strange feeling and at the least get a good night''s rest.


    She tried to wiggle her body, adjusting her posture.


    But no matter what she tried, her breasts were pressed up against the man''s muscr arm and her body was glued tightly to his.


    Sylvia sighed.


    Her body ached from the shenanigans that had happened during the day and she was dead tired.


    That coupled with the gentle warmth seeping in from the devil''s body and his unique scent¡­


    Everything slowly lulled Sylvia to sleep and she drifted off within seconds whilst still trying to find afortable position.


    Mikel felt the woman''s restless movements slowing down and he turned to see her fast asleep.


    Her nose was pressed against his neck in a weird and funny manner.


    There she goes again¡­ Sniffing me like a mastiff¡­ Mikel tugged at her waist, pulling her closer and making her face crash into the nape of his neck.


    He thought that it would petrify her, but the woman nuzzled in the cozy warmthfortably and continued sleeping.


    Mikel could only helplessly chuckle and give up.


    How did she so easily let all her guards down? Is she not afraid of me anymore?


    He tucked the few strands of hair lingering on her face behind her eyes and turned slightly to look at her face.


    With the moonlight gently shimmering on her elegant features, the woman was beyond enchanting.


    Was this the natural charisma of beasts? He didn''t know.


    As his mind wandered, without realizing, he leaned closer and gently pecked the glistening cherry red lips.


    The taste of berries was still present on them.


    He wanted to kiss them again and again, his hands itching to mess up the woman in his arms, tempting his self-control.


    But he paused.


    He then chuckled and closed his eyes to sleep, hugging her closely and gently, both his hands wrapped around her as if she was a precious treasure.


    Just like Mikel and Sylvia, Cassius had also fallen asleep a while back, his snores loudly ringing in the silent night.


    Theodore was the only one who was partly awake and conscious.


    He was a trained knight. He had developed the skill to only partially fall asleep, his conscious always alert to the potential dangers around.


    And so, time ticked by quickly, with all the parties resting under the starry sky.


    Crickets chirped, branches rustled and some beasts growled in the distance, but their campsite was calm and peaceful, nothing disturbing their sleep.


    However¡­ in the middle of the night¡­ just as the moon dimmed a bit¡­


    A loud growl suddenly sounded, making Theodore jump out of his bedding, to stand in full alert. He quickly unsheathed his sword and looked around.


    Just like Theodore, Mikel had also caught the sudden change and he sat up.


    However, unlike Theodore, he yawnedzily and stretched his hand, without the slightest hint of urgency and panic.


    "Only this much, I expected a lot more?" The man chuckled.


    Sylvia had also woken up by now. She sleepily rubbed her eyes, wondering what the demon was talking about now.


    But as she blinked and her haze cleared, Sylvia instantly froze in shock and fear.


    Completely surrounding them¡­ probably dozens in number¡­ were bright red crimson feral eyes shining in the darkness of the night¡­

 Chapter 47 - Escape Part3

    Sylvia would have screamed at the top of her lungs if not for the big round ball of fear choking her throat, making her unable to even get a word out.


    So many freaking beasts!


    And she felt as if all of them were looking at her like she was a big piece of juicy delicious meat!


    Sylvia''s head spun. She was afraid to even move a muscle, worried that it might trigger the beasts into attacking them.


    "Easy there, kitten." Mikel chuckled, his words making her jump up.


    Sylvia turned around to re at him angrily! This man had absolutely no sense. Was this really a situation to joke in?


    Why the heck was he being so casual right now? Is he blind? Can''t he see that we arepletely surrounded? That too by what looked like a million forest wolves!!!


    Sylvia wanted to shake some sense into the damned devil.


    But as she red at him, Mikel simply chuckled and he looked down, making Sylvia as well follow his eye''s movements.


    Only then she realized that she had gripped his hand tightly in fear.


    Ah! Sylvia instantly withdrew her hand that was holding him back.


    "Heh. Sorry, kitten. I need my hands right now. You can hold them again when I finish dealing with these pests."


    Mikel grinned, ruffling her head and finally standing up, leaving behind a gobsmacked woman.


    This guy! Was this confidence or arrogance? Sylvia opened and closed her mouth wordlessly, as her eyes trailed the effortless elegance of the man in front of her.


    "Shall we start Theo?" He said, stretching his hands over his head, making loud cracking noises.


    "Yes, your highness." Theo nodded.


    Perhaps it was the movement of the man which triggered it, but the wolves who were simply growling and eying the group of humans just seconds ago now seemed a lot more agitated.


    They howled loudly, their crimson eyes gleaming, and a bunch of them dashed forward, clearly intending to tear the humans apart, limb by limb.


    They leaped and pounced with ferocity, rushing towards them from all directions.


    Since the night was still pitch ck, their bodies were not too visible, only their eyes were glowing vividly.


    But just the sight of these red gleaming eyes was enough to drive fear in people''s hearts.


    Ahhh! Sylvia shouted.


    Two of the wolves wereing right at her, saliva dripping from their terrifying fangs.


    She did not even have any time to react and she instinctively shrieked, turning her head and raising her hands in front of her as if those soft hands were enough to block the beast which wasing at her.


    This is it? I am going to die just like this? Tears welled in her eyes. She cursed herself for being so useless and weak.


    She hated this feeling. If I can just survive this¡­


    She clenched her fists tightly, hoping and praying for a miracle, when suddenly...


    Bang!


    Bang!


    The two wolves who were about to bit into her and feast on her tender flesh, fell down lifelessly, right at her foot.


    Sylvia opened her eyes in shock. I am saved? Her heart raced.


    Her bloodshot blue eyes jumped to look at the animals lying so close to her, their eyes still locked onto her as if they were alive.


    She gasped, quickly shuffling her feet back so that they don''t touch the bloody corpses.


    Thump. Thump. Thump.


    Sylvia''s heart shuddered as she looked up to see what was happening.


    A familiar figure stood in front of her, his broad shoulders wielding a golden bow.


    The man''s nimble hands reached behind his back to casually take out not one but five arrows.


    Sylvia gulped, as she watched in a daze, the man wielding five arrows at the same time.


    Mikel''s elegant figure effortlessly drew back the bowstring, his lips mumbling something inaudible, and the next instant, five arrows sliced through the air.


    Moreover, these five arrows did not even look ordinary.


    They seemed to have a zing me wrapped around them and whirred through the air, matching the ferocity of the beasts.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    Bang! Bang!


    The five fiery arrows without fail met their targets and five forest wolves fell down limp and lifeless at the same time.


    Sylvia''s eyes flew wide as she gawked at the devil''s unbelievable fighting prowess.


    What an insane strength!


    She watched him casually take out arrows after arrows as he swiftly dealt with the animals. In front of his abilities, they might as well be useless cannon fodder.


    Sylvia gulped. Her gaze shifted as she eyed the other man, standing on her right and taking out almost an equal number of wolves.


    Clearly, an entire pack of forest wolves had attacked them tonight but Mikel and Theodore were culling the herd, taking down dozens in the blink of an eye.


    Sylvia was wrong. The wolves were not the real beasts here. These two were! They were monsters! So strong and powerful!


    But if they were this powerful¡­


    How was she ever going to escape from the grasp of these monsters¡­ Sylvia had a petrified look on her face.


    "ve gal, don''t worry. My uncle and Theo will handle everything. Nothing can get past them." Cassius walked up to her and tried to give her some assuring words.


    "And even if something gets past them, I will protect you!" He puffed his chest out proudly and dered.


    Sylvia turned and looked at the little boy who had finally decided to wake up and join them.


    She would have rolled her eyes at the kid''s words but she had in fact witnessed him take out two adult boars just a few hours earlier, so she didn''t dare underestimate him even if he was just a kid mouthing off.


    "I am grateful for your kindness, your highness." She squeezed out a weak smile, after having somewhat calmed down. Her gaze then reverted back to the spectacr battle happening in front of her.

 Chapter 48 - Escape Part4

    Shua! Shua! Shua!


    Arrows sizzling with a fiery aura flew in the darkness of the night taking one life after another without any mercy.


    The huge intimidating pack of wolves was now almostpletely dealt with, dozens of bodies littered everywhere in front of them.


    Sylvia''s eyes darted here and there, slowly taking in the smell of blood lingering in the air around her.


    But as her eyes wandered, she couldn''t help noticing something weird.


    A few feet to her left, illuminated intermittently by the arrows whooshing in the air, was a beast that looked visibly different from a wolf.


    A goat?


    What the heck? A goat was about to attack them? Sylvia blinked at it and looked weirdly, pitying the poor animal.


    When the wolves themselves didn''t stand a chance, why did this dumb goate forward, daring to attack these two jerks?


    But then, something didn''t feel right.


    Wild animals were rarely this dumb. They had a well-toned natural instinct for survival.


    "Your highness, is that a goat?" Sylvia asked Cassius, pointing at the distance.


    However, just as she spoke, not just Cassius but even Mikel and Theodore turned around to stare in the direction she was pointing to.


    "ve gal¡­ that¡­ that is not a goat." Cassius stammered, fear apparent in his eyes.


    Even Mikel and Theodore looked stiff, the bow on their hands slightly trembling. Their faces had darkened and they looked a lot more serious now.


    "Your highness!" Theodore shouted.


    "Hmmm¡­" Mikel hummed with a solemn look on his face. "I can see it, Theo. It looks like we have underestimated her potential."


    Her potential? Who were they talking about? Were they talking about her? Sylvia was confused.


    She couldn''t understand what was going on. Why were these two obviously strong men suddenly acting so wary of a dumb goat?


    She had no idea. She tried to take another look and nced at the goat again, but this time an arrow flew by it, very close to its body, killing a wolf nearby, while simultaneously throwing some light on this so-called goat.


    Only now Sylvia was able to see the full animal and it was in no way resembling a goat!


    The beast had a pair of dull jade green eyes that looked profound and unfathomable.


    Its body might be simr to that of a goat but it had a huge ferocious lion''s head.


    This was unmistakably a Quilin!!!


    And it was no wild animal. It was a magical beast.


    In fact, it was one of the most feared magical beasts that had assaulted the Kalindor Kingdom during the great beast war.


    Five of the top tier mages of the Kingdom had tobine their strength and only then they were able to deal with it.


    Even today, that Quilin''s head was proudly hung and showcased in the long corridors of the King''s main castle.


    It was proof of the Kingdom''s strength.


    Everyone including themon folks like Sylvia knew about it.


    Most households even had fake decorative statues simr to the beast''s terrifying appearance.


    But what was such a powerful magical beast doing here? They had only barely stepped out of the border market.


    This was far too close to the Kingdom, to the mainds, for such a powerful magical beast to make an appearance.


    Even Sylvia knew that such a terrifying beast did not belong here.


    Was this the beginning of another beast onught?


    She had only just rxed seeing the wolves getting massacred by the devil, but now this magical beast was ring at them?


    Just what the heck was happening today? Fear and dread filled Sylvia''s eyes and this time rightfully so.


    Even Cassius was trembling and shaking. Mikel and Theodore had grave looks on their faces.


    They instantly tossed their bows aside and unsheathed long glittering swords with multiple gems lining the hilts.


    These gems enhanced the strength, durability, and sharpness of the sword, but how could it still be sufficient against this monstrous magical beast?


    As the two men unsheathed their swords, the Quilin calmly and casually strolled towards them.


    It did not even pay any heed to the weapons glittering in front of it.


    Unlike the wolves, this beast looked at them as if it was a majestic Emperor looking down on insects.


    And for some reason¡­ the beast''s eyes were locked onto Sylvia.


    As this sudden realization hit her, Sylvia shuddered. She could feel the killing intent emanating from the beast deep in her bones.


    "Why? Why is it looking at me?" She stammered, her words spilling out of her mouth without her permission.


    She squirmed under the direct re of the Quilin, her body burning up with a strange heat.


    But strangely enough, she was not scared.


    The magical beast in front of her could finish her off in an instant, but somehow her body was behaving differently, not realizing this fact.


    Sylvia could clearly feel her heart thump with an exciting rhythm.


    Blood speedily coursed through her veins and every inch of her muscles and bones were itching as if they wanted to fight with the beast standing in front of her.


    Her body waspelling her to get up and go attack the Quilin. A fervent desire and bloodthirst arose in her, burning brazenly.


    "I must have gone crazy!" Sylvia clutched her head in utter confusion.


    She was a weak woman, a woman who had no powers. She was someone who had just now been frozen solid at the mere sight of a pack of wolves.


    But now¡­ Why was she acting like this in front of this undeniably powerful monstrosity?


    She had definitely gone crazy. Sylvia was sure of it.


    She dug her teeth into her lips and clenched her fists tightly, trying to control her irrational impulsive urge.


    She hadn''t realized it but her breathing had turned irregr and she was panting loudly, her entire body trembling and shaking.


    "Stop it. Damn it. Stop it." Sylvia muttered under her breath, her two irises bright golden in color.

 Chapter 49 - Escape Part5

    "Stop it. Damn it. Stop it." Sylvia muttered under her breath, her two irises bright golden in color.


    She did not understand why but her body and her heart had all of a sudden started acting bat shit crazy.


    She was only barely holding on, unable to resist the urge to go up and fight against the Quilin.


    It was an instinct; a thought; an idea that gripped her entire body, apletely irrational impulse.


    She knew full well that if she went up there near the beast right now, she would be bashed into nothingness within a fraction of a second.


    But still, she felt an inexplicable urge to go head to head with that frightening beast.


    As Sylvia was struggling on the side, Mikel and Theodore had their own problems.


    They were no match for the Quilin beast strutting in front of them but all hope was not lost.


    The fact that they were so close to the main city was right now their only saving grace.


    As much as it was impossible for a high-ranking magical beast to appear here, it was also extremely convenient.


    This was because the said magical beast was isted, but they were not!


    There were plenty of strong and powerful mages, even some of the elders of the mage high council, in the royal city.


    So now all Mikel and Theodore had to do was hold on until more help and support arrives.


    And being powerful mages it would barely take them 2 seconds to get here.


    But still holding on for these 2 seconds¡­ was everything¡­


    It was the difference between life and death!!!


    "Theo, the formation! Activate it!" Mikel shouted. He did not have to tell the man twice.


    Though they did not expect this dire situation to arise, they still had prepared for it nevertheless.


    Theo quickly mumbled something and the gems they had buried in the ground a few hours earlier whirred with an iridescent light.


    The very next second a bright glow enveloped the group forming a sort of barrier around them.


    The Quilin saw the barrier but in its eyes, it was a very pitiful insignificant magic.


    It shook its head and let out a loud roar, several magical runes appearing in the air around the barrier, along with the roar.


    Light sparks crackled in the beast''s dull jade eyes and small bolts of lightning started appearing from each of the runes.


    And these directly attacked the barrier.


    With every single lightning bolt mming against the barrier, it trembled and shuddered from the impact.


    The protective shield was only barely holding on.


    Sylvia by now had somewhat managed to get her body and mind under control.


    She no longer had the suicidal urge to fight the Quilin with her bare hands and her golden irises as well had disappeared.


    But she could see that her troubles were far from over. Cassius was covering in fear, and Theodore had a solemn expression.


    And Mikel¡­ Sylvia had never seen him like this before. His face had an inexplicable sadness more than anything.


    Perhaps because she was in the same boat just a couple of seconds ago, she could tell that he was feeling very weak and helpless, just like how she had felt against the wolves.


    She now understood the head maid Jane''s words about Mikel''s magic talent.


    The man might be able to do some parlor tricks, but when it came to powerful magic spells, it looked like he was just as useless as her.


    BANG!


    Another lightning bolt crashed against their barrier, bringing Sylvia''s attention back to the Quilin beast.


    Damn it. How long is this barrier going to hold? Sylvia wondered.


    She stood up and calmly watched everything that was happening as if she was an outsider.


    Not that she was not afraid. In fact, even for the wolves, she had been shivering with fear.


    But this time, she was well aware that there was no escape.


    She was not up against some ferocious wild animal. She was up against a magical beast!


    When death was a certainty, sometimes fear disappeared. What else can one do but ept defeat and surrender in front of a natural disaster?


    So she calmly watched the fight enjoying the scene unfolding in front of her.


    While the barrier was helping them, it looked like now Mikel and Theodore were casting a spell together.


    They busily mumbled some incantations and a small fireball started materializing at the center.


    And as they continued focusing on their spell, this fireball gradually grew in size.


    Sylvia gaped at the fireball and then at the Quilin. Will this attack be effective?


    As her eyes darted here and there, waiting for the inevitable to happen, suddenly loud thuds sounded near her.


    A dozen or more men draped fully in ck robes appeared near them out of nowhere.


    Sylvia couldn''t help but be startled. Who were these new entries?


    She then noticed that Cassius, Mikel, and Theodore had more rxed expressions than what they looked like a second ago.


    Ah¡­ These men were probably the kingdom''s royal mages or high council mages. Sylvia gulped.


    For the first time in her life, she stood amidst so many important people.


    "I guess now my life is not in danger anymore." She smiled lightly. She was surprised at her own boldness and how she was not being affected by all of this.


    Though it was odd for a weakling to not have fainted unconscious by now, she was still there standing and making observations.


    At this, she could only shrug and apud her own strength.


    While these nonsensical thoughts were going on in her head, Sylvia couldn''t help but think of a certain something as well.


    Right at this moment, every single one of these men was locked onto the Quilin beast.


    A hundred percent of their focus and attention was on the beast and what it might possibly do in order to attack them.


    Even Mikel, Theodore, and Cassius as well did not dare to take their eyes off the beast.


    Then¡­ that surely meant¡­ no one was looking at her right?? Sylvia''s heart raced as she pondered about this obvious loophole in front of her.


    This was her chance!


    The young girl slowly backed away¡­ one step at a time¡­

 Chapter 50 - Escape Part6

    "Prince Mikel. How did this happen?" One of the ck-robed mages asked.


    He had already taken out a golden halberd from which sparks of lightning were sizzling.


    Clearly, this mage was also a lightning expert just like the Quilin beast.


    "I have no idea." Mikel sighed and shook his head. "I was just out here training little Cassius."


    Others might have to respect and bow to the high council mages, but he had the royal blood coursing through him, so he just answered curtly.


    "Oh! I see. In that case, we got extremely lucky."


    Another ck-robed mage nodded, agreeing with him. "If this bastard had breached the cities or the viges nearby, there would have been a massacre by now."


    "Let''s talk about itter. We still need to deal with this troublesome beast."


    The ck-robed mages quickly shuffled their feet and surrounded the Quilin forming a circle of sorts.


    The Quilin warily eyed the many powerful experts it had to deal with now. Its deep jade eyes crackled in anger and annoyance.


    The weak insects who were powerless against it individually dared to stand with so much confidence only because of their numbers.


    It let out a loud growl stomping its hooves on the moist forest ground.


    KARAKA BOOM! KARAKA BOOM!


    The air around it immediately crackled and sizzled, brimming with electricity.


    Lightning bolts started raining down on the ck-robed mages surrounding the Quilin beast.


    But the mages were no amateurs.


    They were well aware of the beast''s attack pattern and quickly started casting a multitude of spells, drowning the beast with various attacks.


    Fireballs, icences, earthen spears struck the Quilin beast from all directions.


    Dozens of runic symbols danced in the air as the battle slowly grew more and more intense.


    Handling so many mages at the same time, the Quilin''s strength was truly apudable.


    While these two sides continued shing with each other, Mikel and Theodore silently withdrew themselves from the fight and stepped back in order to avoid being injured in the crossfire.


    Cassius as well shakily followed them, clinging very close to Mikel. All of his bravado from earlier had nowpletely disappeared.


    He was just a small kid in the Kingdom''s academy, and he had never experienced something like this before.


    "It''s alright, Cass. We are fine now." Mikelforted him.


    He then turned around to check on the other troublemaker who they had brought over to the forest.


    But just as he turned, his ck irises froze, realizing something very important.


    Sylvia was not to be found anywhere near them. In fact, he couldn''t recall seeing her for a while now.


    The damned girl was missing!


    After confirming his fear by looking around thoroughly, Mikel lowered his head, his thin lips curving upwards with hints of cruelty.


    The girl who had been acting, ying the scared cat all along, had daringly taken advantage of this unexpected situation!


    She had given him the slip when he had least expected it!


    "Theo¡­" Mikel muttered, his voiceced with a freezing chill. "Find her. Now."


    "Yes, your highness."


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    Meanwhile¡­


    A few meters away from the site of the intense battle¡­


    A slender woman clutched the edges of her dress as she ran helter-skelter towards the border market.


    Sylvia''s injuries from the tree-climbing incident of the previous night had already faded.


    That coupled with the fact that her body was now coursing with adrenaline and fighting instinct, she made good distance at a good speed.


    She even felt as if she was much fasterpared to her usual capabilities but Sylvia didn''t have the time to stop and wonder why.


    She dashed forward madly without thinking about anything. This was her one and only chance.


    She shuddered to even think about what might happen if by chance she gets caught.


    After all, the man had repeatedly warned her about one thing and only one thing and that was not to run away from him!


    But she was currently doing exactly that!


    Others might not know it but Sylvia knew exactly how scary Mikel was. There was a deep darkness within him that scared the living daylights out of her.


    Just the thought of his wicked grin made the hair on her back stand up and she mustered even more of her strength to pick up the pace and run faster.


    Huff. Huff. Huff.


    Sylvia panted loudly as her thin figure ran nimbly through the woods.


    The forest was now a lot more crowded than how it was before. The word about the sighting of the Quilin beast had spread wide.


    Several warriors, hunters, and mages daringly hurriedly over to witness the ongoing battle.


    And thankfully, this worked in Sylvia''s favor.


    While everyone was running forward, heading deeper into the forests, she alone was running in the other direction.


    Normally, the sight of a woman, especially someone as beautiful as Sylvia, dashing through the forests all alone would have caught the eyes of many bystanders.


    But today, no one noticed her and paid any attention to her as she ran past them without stopping.


    No one even gave her a second nce.


    And very soon, Sylvia reached the border market without any hitch!


    She was ecstatic. She didn''t think that she coulde so far so easily. She could almost taste the sweet sweet freedom.


    Here, she paused a while and took a second to catch her breath.


    Her clear blue eyes scanned the crowded market, trying to look for carriages.


    The running part of her escape n was already over.


    She now only needed to get a carriage ride to one of the neighboring kingdoms and she would be finally free!


    The Kalindor Kingdom might have close ties and allies around it, but not all Kingdoms were atplete peace with each other.


    There was plenty of friction between some of them and Sylvia nned to use this to her advantage.


    If she could somehow get into a rival kingdom where Mikel did not have a good standing, she would bepletely free!

 Chapter 51 - Run Run Run Part1

    Sylvia didn''t have to look too far and she soon spotted a group of carriages in a corner of the border market.


    There were several people standing around them, loading and unloading cardboard packages.


    "Traveling merchants? Hmmm¡­" Sylvia hesitated a bit before quickly continuing to dash towards them.


    She was slightly concerned because the merchants association had a bad reputation in her town.


    Some of them dealt with underhanded things including human trafficking.


    Luckily, she didn''t have to encounter them earlier while she was being sold as a ve.


    She had been auctioned off in record time for a record price without having to be held as a prisoner in their camps.


    Otherwise, she shuddered to think what her plight might have been.


    Sylvia clutched her dress tightly as she hastened her steps, walking quickly towards the merchants.


    She did so because, besides their bad reputation, they were also known for smoothly finishing tasks when provided enoughpensation.


    They might be jackals in human clothing, but they were still her best bet.


    "Hello Mister, is there a carriage leaving now?" Sylvia asked politely, approaching a long-nosed man who was overseeing the grooming of the horses.


    She tried her best to look calm and steady, and not anxious and out of breath like an escaped convict.


    The violet dress she had donned was also a high-end one, and that coupled with her natural beauty and elegance effortlessly gave her the look of a young noblewoman in a hurry.


    Well actually if the long-nosed merchant had bothered to look at the bottom frills of Sylvia''s dress, he would have seen the small tears and the rough edges, but her eyes were more than captivating enough to hold the man''s gaze, not allowing him to see anywhere else.


    "Yes, mydy. We indeed have a carriage departing soon. However, unfortunately, that''s only meant for merchandise."


    Sylvia''s face immediately brightened, only to fall afterpletely hearing the man''s reply.


    But she hade so far and there was no way that she was going to admit defeat now.


    "Mister, I am sure you have heard about the Quilin beast in the woods. I am actually in a big hurry right now for a matter rted to that."


    "So could you please kindly allow me to travel along with the merchandise?"


    "I can pay you a handsome fee and I don''t upy that much space. Aha Ha Ha." Sylvia awkwardly smiled, hoping that the man bought her spontaneously made-up story.


    To further entice him more, she raised her right hand, loosening her grip on the dress.


    She then opened her palm in front of him revealing a dozen glittering gems, albeit broken and cracked.


    They shone with a splendid luster and were clearly extremely valuable materials since they had mana affinity.


    Of course, they didn''t belong to Sylvia. Someone weak and powerless like her could never possess something so valuable and rare.


    These were rather the gems Mikel and Theodore had used to set up the defensive barrier which had temporarily saved them from the Quilin beast.


    When the barrier shattered from the beast''s multiple attacks, Sylvia had luckily managed to get her hands on a few gems that had broken and scattered in her direction.


    This was in fact the main crux of her n which she hoped woulde in handy and help her escape her terrible fate.


    The long-nosed man''s gaze finally shifted from Sylvia''s mesmerizing face as he looked at the gems on her hand with visible interest.


    The man couldn''t help but let out a small gasp as he recognized some of the gems.


    Such high-quality materials!!!


    He couldn''t believe his eyes.


    Even though they were partly damaged and broken, these gems were still extremely valuable. They were very expensive items that typically cost thousands of gold.


    And to top it all, their avability was also rare which made one unable to purchase them even if they had the required number of gold coins.


    The long-nosed man immediately started sweating seeing such high-grade materials up close.


    He was after all just a manager of this set of carriages. He had nevere across so much wealth in his life.


    "Mydy, these¡­" He nervously gulped and asked Sylvia again, to make sure that she was really offering these gems to him.


    But Sylvia was not dumb enough to not notice the situation in front of her.


    She quickly folded her palm back up and took out one gem alone and passed it onto him.


    "Here. Take this. It would be best if you start the carriage immediately. I am in a big hurry." She also made sure to enunciate her words with amanding tone to match her story.


    The long-nosed man nodded gratefully and quickly epted her payment. "Please head this way, mydy."


    He brought Sylvia over to one of the carriages which were already fully prepared.


    The goods had been loaded, the horses had been tethered and Sylvia even noticed magical gems lining the carriage, which meant that its speed would be enhanced.


    Perfect! She beamed inwardly. Everything was proceeding smoothly and things couldn''t have gone any better.


    "I apologize for the poor condition of the carriage, mydy." The long-nosed man bowed.


    Nobles typically tended to travel in luxurious extravagant carriages and this was not one.


    But Sylvia couldn''t care less about that right now.


    Even if she had to stand atop a carriage and ride it continuously for days, she would have still agreed.


    Such was the situation she was in!


    "That''s quite alright. Shall we start?" She calmly asked, only barely hiding the excitement and anxiety in her voice.


    Her heart was drumming so loudly in her chest that she was finding it very difficult to keep up appearances.


    Even one slip up could cost her everything because no merchant in their right mind would help a ve escape her Master irrespective of the payment offered, especially when the said Master was a royal prince!

 Chapter 52 - Run Run Run Part2

    Seeing that Sylvia was very insistent on the time, the manager quickly whistled and called over one of the coachmen standing nearby.


    "Greg, why don''t you start your trip? It''s gettingte isn''t it?" He muttered whilst giving Sylvia a knowing nce.


    She as well nodded at the man to thank him and got onto the carriage, shuffling her feet carefully and hopping in.


    She squeezed her small figure in between two huge boxes and settled down in between.


    Her actions were definitely not befitting the status of a noblewoman whom she imed to be, but since it was Sylvia she had the natural charm and elegance to still pull it off.


    A couple of minutester, Sylvia felt a slight jerk, which indicated that the coachman had gotten on to the carriage as well.


    She wondered if it was the same man called Greg whom the manager had called for earlier.


    She could only observe his silhouette from the back, so she didn''t know for sure.


    She watched him as he lightly whipped the horses, making them neigh and the carriage soon began to move.


    Sylvia couldn''t help but let out a long sigh of relief. She felt like she could finally breathe.


    She knew that the ordeal was far from over but at least now she could see some light at the end of the dark bleak tunnel.


    Her blue eyes gazed out at the border market and the crowd which was beginning to turn blurry.


    She could only faintly make out the long-nosed manager whom she had spoken to and the man now seemed to be busily talking to someone else.


    And before long, she could no longer see anyone.


    The carriage had started off quite slowly in the beginning but now it had picked up some pace and was whooshing through the crowded paved streets.


    Sylvia felt exhrated by the cold wind caressing her face even if it was messing up her soft silky silver strands.


    The woman folded her knees, hugged them tightly with her hands and then leaned over, cing her head on her knees sideways.


    She was looking out to see the fading sceneries and had a silly little smile on her face.


    "Eterna Kingdom¡­ I wonder how it will be¡­" She chuckled, letting out a small yawn.


    She was lucky enough to get a direct carriage from the border market to one of the neighboring kingdoms.


    Though it was not her final destination, it still helped her gain a decent advantage and footing in her escape n.


    All her life Sylvia had never been a lucky person. She had lost both her parents at a very young age.


    She didn''t even have a below average mana affinity, with which she could have at least done some chore magic.


    And of course, there was the cherry on top, the incident of her own rtives selling her for a few gold coins.


    Heh. Sylvia lightly chuckled at her plight. Her mindzily recollected the weird turns that her life had taken recently.


    And the image of a certain devil and his pitch ck eyes floated casually across her brain.


    Sylvia immediately shook her head and swallowed hard.


    "Let''s not think about him." She shivered as she felt a chill running down her spine.


    "Nope. Nope. Today is my day. This is happening. I am getting out of this ridiculous situation."


    "Once I reach Eterna, I will find myself a good man and marry him and live a peaceful and respectful life."


    Sylvia muttered with resolution and wiped the sweat off of her forehead, which had somehow pooled in spite of the wind whipping her face.


    When she was younger, she had always found this kind of life to be boring and monotonous.


    She had often fantasized and wanted more from her life rather than just the same old turn of the wheel.


    Being amoner without any mana affinity, she didn''t really have any other options as well.


    At the most, she could study very hard and pass some examinations to be a court official.


    If not, she could learn a trade and be a seamstress or a chef.


    But her household did not have enough money to afford these kinds of training.


    Especially with natural charm, allure and beauty, her aunt had straight up informed that her duty to the family was to marry someone rich and influential so that she could help them out and take care of her cousins.


    Sylvia couldn''t help but wonder what made the sly woman change her mind suddenly and decide to sell her instead?


    She sighed, thinking about how things could have been different.


    She was now weirdly yearning for a simple life that she once found boring and mundane.


    Heh. It was funny how things worked. She had her ns but fate apparently had different ns for her.


    "Haaa¡­ It''s alright. Everything is back on track now." Sylvia hummed and turned her head, to sightsee on the other side.


    The carriage was now flying through the streets on the outskirts of the royal city.


    She had entered and exited the city twice now, but unfortunately she had been unconscious on both of those times.


    So considering that she would probably be never ever returning here, Sylvia eagerly drank in the snapshots of different views and architectures that caught her eye as the carriage fled past them.


    The winding streets, the colorful trees, the tall mage towers, the cluster of extravagant noble family vis, the parks, the markets, everything, literally every single sight made her ecstatic.


    She smiled and hummed as she wondered how long will it take to once and for all leave this god forsaken ce and get out of the royal city, putting this life far far behind her.


    Sylvia tilted her head and asked, her voice sweet and cheerful. "Mister, when do you think we will reach Eterna?"


    She blinked, batting her long eyeshes and waited for an answer, but the coachman seemed like he was the quiet type.


    He didn''t answer her question at all.

 Chapter 53 - This Looks Familiar?

    Sylvia gazed at the coachman''s inky ck hair and then turned to the side again, sighing.


    Since the man was tight-lipped, she could do nothing except look outside and pass time as the carriage flew by on the rickety streets.


    They had now crossed the royal city and were heading further outskirts, which was why the paved paths on the streets were not well maintained.


    Sylvia wondered what vige or town they were about to head through next.


    Her old town was quite far from the royal city and on the northern side, while the Eterna Kingdom was in the eastern region.


    So she knew that they would probably not be passing through her hometown.


    Sylvia yawnedzily and continued to look outside as she had nothing else to do.


    Her nerves had calmed down by now and she was feeling a lot more rxed.


    Since the carriage started moving and they left the border market, it had already been a couple of hours or more.


    This small detail gave her a lot of courage.


    If the devil or his knight perhaps noticed her absence and that she had fled, they would have definitely given chase by now and maybe even caught up to her, yanking her back to the devil''s castle, dead or alive.


    But here she was¡­ still alive, free and breathing.


    This could only mean that they had either noticed her absence but didn''t care about it or chased after her but missed her or ¡­ hadn''t yet realized that she was missing at all!


    After all, the Quilin was a terrifying beast and most probably a life and death battle was still continuing in the forest ground where she had run away from.


    Something terrible could have even happened to them.


    Sylvia gulped thinking about this possibility and a slightly unsettling feeling arose in her heart.


    She was a kind-natured woman by heart.


    So even though they were her enemies, people who owned her and meant harm to her, she slightly pitied them for the misfortune that had fallen upon them.


    She sighed hoping that at least the little kid would survive that cmity. The poor boy had his entire future in front of him.


    It would be a tragedy if something happened to him at this young age.


    And the devil¡­


    "What the hell am I thinking about?" Sylvia hit her forehead with her palm and reprimanded herself for being an emotional fool.


    "That man in a demon. He is a demon cockroach. He will probably survive anything and everything that falls on his head."


    "And if he survives, he wille after me for sure! I would be better off worrying about my own future!"


    "Those people don''t have anything to do with me anymore." She muttered under her breath, shaking away her unnecessary thoughts.


    She then tried to take her mind off of things and look outside the carriage windows once again, but she couldn''t focus.


    Her mind was still lingering on the issue of what could have happened back at the forests with the Quilin beast.


    She hesitated for a bit, before reluctantly asking the tight-lipped coachman another question.


    "Ummm¡­ Mister, do you know if perhaps there were any causalities back at the forest?"


    "Was the Quilin beast brought under control?" She bit her lips and asked.


    And to her surprise, the man''s movements unexpectedly paused a little, seeming a bit rigid.


    She could tell that he had clearly heard her words. Maybe he will answer me this time?


    Sylvia waited a while but this time as well, she did not get any response back, not even a small nod or greeting.


    In the end, she could only sigh, giving up once and for all trying to talk to this rude coachman.


    She gazed outside looking at the tall trees with beautiful violet flowers.


    They matched the color of the dress she was wearing and it also reminded her of the trees in the castle grounds.


    She wondered if these kinds of trees weremon in this part of the Kingdom. They were everywhere.


    As her eyes trailed on looking at the tall trees one after the other, trying to count them, before they faded from her eyes, Sylvia suddenly froze.


    She sat up straight and stiff as if she had been electrocuted.


    Her heart started drumming and her mind spun.


    "This¡­ This¡­" She stammered, shock and disbelief filling her eyes.


    As the trees swept past her vision, Sylvia could visibly see the silhouette of a familiar castle, the dark stones lining its walls, and the four tall towers in the corners.


    "No¡­ No¡­ No¡­ This is not possible." She shuddered. Just like the trees maybe, the castles in the Kingdom were also simr to one another.


    "No¡­ It can''t be¡­ This is definitely some other castle." She tried to calm herself down.


    And before she could even catch her breath, Sylvia once again caught the sight of the familiar moat near the castle entrance as the carriage pulled up to it.


    Gudang! The woman''s heart sank and her face paled. She clutched the edges of her dress so tightly that her knuckles had turned white.


    Sylvia''s eyes then trailed up fearfully to look at the coachman for the third time.


    She stared at him in a daze, refusing to ept the cold hard truth in front of her.


    If this was true¡­ then he¡­ then this man¡­


    Sylvia''s eyes widened as her body froze in realization. The coachman sitting in front of her suddenly felt so familiar and recognizable.


    The man''s inky ck hair that danced messily, the tall and strong back, and more importantly, his suspicious silence.


    Sylvia gasped lightly gawking at the man in front of her. Theodore?


    "Stop. Stop. Stop. STOP this carriage now." She screamed at the top of her lungs, hoping and praying for her fears to be wrong.


    Her reddened eyes pleaded the man''s indifferent back, but he still showed no reactions whatsoever.


    The man simply kept driving the carriage forward as if he hadn''t even heard her.

 Chapter 54 - Consequences Part1

    "Please¡­ please¡­ please¡­" Sylvia begged, the fear and panic in her voice apparent.


    Her face changed and tears threatened to fall out of her captivating blue eyes.


    But she already knew that all of her desperate cries for help were only falling on deaf ears.


    This man was never going to stop for her. He was never going to help her.


    She should have known better. How could it be so easy to escape the clutches of a man in power?


    As she watched the carriage speeding closer and closer to the castle''s gigantic main gates, she could feel a noose tightening around her throat, suffocating her and making her unable to breathe.


    The familiar guards, the same patterns on the gate¡­ everything confirmed her fears.


    This was it. This was the ce she was running away from and now somehow she was back again to the same prison!


    "No, it''s not over yet."


    As ast-ditch effort, Sylvia decided to jump out of the moving carriage and run into the woods.


    The chances were slim but she couldn''t bring herself to admit the truth and reality.


    She was so close to being free. She had thought that she had cunningly used an unexpected opportunity and escaped.


    But in the end, it turns out she was just a foolish dreamer, fighting to achieve the impossible.


    Sylvia knew that the devil was going to punish her for this, perhaps even kill her, or maybe break her legs so that she doesn''t run again.


    She had heard several gossips and tales of the numerous vicious punishments given to the ves by their Masters.


    So she knew that her fate was already sealed. How could she still not take thisst chance?


    Sylvia didn''t care about how badly she would get injured and quickly stood up, leaping to the edge of the carriage.


    "You¡­" The coachman who was silent all this time suddenly opened his mouth in rm.


    He didn''t expect the girl to be so foolish and try something like this at the entrance of the castle. Did she really think she was going to escape? That too right under their noses?


    "Don''t do it," Theodore warned her.


    Sylvia heard the knight''s familiar voice and a sad smile shed on her face for a moment.


    She was right. She had all along just been yed by the devil.


    She had thought that she was escaping but she was stupidly running back to the same man, running right back into his arms.


    Before that smile could fade from her lips, Sylvia took a deep breath and jumped out of the carriage.


    Everything felt surreal as her body flew weightlessly in the air, especially with the carriage''s fast speed.


    The next second, she hit the ground with a thud, her body flung aside several feet away.


    Her back, her stomach, her knees, her legs, almost all parts of her body ached, her skin covered with hideous injuries and bloody cuts.


    Ahhh¡­ Sylvia tried to swallow the pain and get up. She needed to run. She needed to run now and she knew it.


    She knew that she was injured but she couldn''t care less about it right now.


    She bit her lips, groaning in pain, and hurriedly tried to stand up, only to fall back again, her body feeling limp and weak.


    But this time, she didn''t fall back onto the rough ground, and instead, she fell back onto a pair of warm and familiar hands.


    "You idiot." Mikel caught her frail body, holding her carefully and delicately.


    Sylvia winced in pain but the tears streaming down her eyes were not because of that.


    Unable to bear the reality any longer, she closed her eyes and surrendered to the overwhelming pain, losing her consciousness.


    Mikel could only helplessly gaze at the woman, watching her copse in his arms.


    "I am sorry." He gently muttered as he carried her back to the carriage.


    Theodore had also jumped out by now, halting the carriage, and was standing right next to it, with his head down.


    "I am sorry, your highness." He immediately apologized. "I was too slow. I was unable to stop her from jumping."


    "It''s alright, Theo. I know you haven''t recovered yet. Thanks for bringing her back safely." Mikel nodded at the apologetic knight and continued walking in.


    He held the woman in his arms gently as he stepped into another carriage waiting inside the castle gates.


    This was the luxurious one they had used for their journey the previous day.


    With this, they were back at the castle doors in no time.


    Mikel hopped out of the carriage and personally carried the woman in his arms all the way up to his room.


    He then gently ced her on his own bed, sitting beside her, his eyes gazing at her pensively.


    "Do you hate me that much?" He rubbed her right cheek softly, the wetness from her tears still remaining on it.


    His thin lips then parted, mumbling a few words.


    Healing Rain Drizzle


    Healing Rain Drizzle


    Healing Rain Drizzle


    Mikel repeatedly cast the simple 2nd circle healing magic spell. This was the extent of his magic capabilities.


    He was unable to cast any spell beyond the 2nd circle so he could only slowly heal her, a few injuries at a time.


    Little drops of water materialized out of thin air and drizzled lightly on Sylvia''s wounds, the cuts and the scrapes magically healing as soon as the drops of water touched her skin.


    Mikel then slowly and carefully helped her undress, removing the almost torn, tattered dress which clung to her body.


    His eyes, however, didn''t linger on her seductive and alluring curves, which were naked and open for him to see, they rather lingered on the bruises on her waist and the side of her chest.


    He then once again started casting the healing spells, patiently treating one injury after another, bathing her entire body in healing waters.


    And when she waspletely cared for, he wrapped her tenderly with a soft nket and left the room, without making any noise, allowing her to rest.

 Chapter 55 - Consequences Part2

    When Sylvia finally stirred awake, it was already the next day and the noon sun was beating down on the castle, illuminating all the exquisite color patterned ss skylights.


    She rubbed her eyes, and yawned leisurely, sitting upon the bed, without fully recollecting the events of the previous day.


    But her movements abruptly froze midway as she noticed herpletely naked upper body.


    Sylvia''s eyes widened in shock and suddenly everything that had happened the day before came flooding into her brain.


    No! She snapped out of her trance in a panic, pulling the nket hurriedly to cover her tender skin and her naked body.


    She turned around to see the familiar castle wall on the right and the flower garden outside the window.


    No! No! No! Sylvia clutched her head.


    She remembered her colossal failure of an attempt to escape yesterday and it frustrated her to no end.


    It would have at least been better if she hadn''t tried to do so in the first ce.


    But now that she had done it, she had no doubt that she was neck deep in trouble.


    Her gaze then fell on her thin frail hands and her clear pale skin without a single blemish or a mark present on it, let alone a bruise.


    Sylvia gulped, a fearful thought entering her brain. Did he treat my injuries so that he could hurt me all over again?


    Knowing the man''s sadistic nature, such a thing was very much possible.


    But what could she even do now?


    She was back in this damned castle and there were no more routes of escape.


    And to make matters worse¡­ the devil was now more than aware of her intentions¡­


    "Heh. I see that you are finally awake now."


    A familiar voice echoed from a corner of the room, making Sylvia jump up in fright.


    Think of the devil and there he was!


    Had he just been sitting there quietly, enjoying her desperation and misery all the while?


    At that thought, the anxiety in her eyes disappeared, making her look cold and deste.


    She indifferently pulled the nket up, as if it was an unbreakable barrier between him and her.


    "Aha Ha Ha. I like the look in your eyes." Mikel chuckled. "But don''t worry about the nket slipping up so much."


    "After all¡­" His voice drawled on¡­ "I have seen and appreciated everything there is to see."


    "Once? Twice? Thrice? I guess it''s been too many times to keep count?"


    "Hmm¡­ Sorry about that." He paused.


    "But I assure you¡­ I have touched everything only once."


    Sylvia snapped to look at him in shock, her cold and indifferent facade shattering into a million pieces.


    The devil, however, casually grinned without showing any hints of remorse. He even raised his right hand, opening and closing his fingers vulgarly.


    The gentleness and concern he had in his gaze while Sylvia was previously unconscious were nowhere to be seen now.


    They were rather reced by a cruel glint as he lied shamelessly through his teeth.


    As his words slowly sank in, Sylvia gulped. She couldn''t meet his gaze and face him any longer.


    She buried her head and her flushed face into the gap between her folded knees.


    She knew that she was a ve.


    It was only inevitable that these things were going to happen to her, but to do them while she was still unconscious¡­


    This man was as heartless as he was two-faced. She clutched the nket so tightly, still unwilling to let it go.


    Mikel chuckled. He drank in her myriad expressions but the man was not even close to being done with her punishment.


    He stood up from the wooden chair that he was sitting on and casually walked over to Sylvia, sitting beside her on the bed.


    Sylvia immediately shuffled her feet, moving back in fright and disgust, until her body hit the head of the bed.


    Mikel chuckled and shrugged his shoulders, simply standing up and once again sitting on the bed, now even closer to her.


    It was as if he was saying¡­ if you can move, I can also move¡­


    Sylvia bit her lips in frustration at the man''s thick face. Didn''t he already have his way with her? So why was he still here?


    She hurriedly moved, intending to jump out of the bed altogether, when Mikel''s hand shot forward, clutching hers and holding her in ce.


    The man''s firm grasp prevented her from moving any further.


    "Settle down, kitten." He chuckled, his gaze shifting from the woman to look outside the window, at the blissful flower garden.


    It was the season for roses to bloom and they had bloomed quite beautifully.


    They were his mother''s favorite flowers, which was why he had had them nted a long time ago in the garden beside his bedroom window.


    As a younger boy, he had liked looking at them as he fell asleep and now it had be a habit.


    "Say¡­ May I know what happened the other night?" He asked, an unfathomable riddle in his voice.


    "Which night¡­ your highness?" Sylvia slowly muttered, a bit taken aback. She couldn''t quite ce a finger on what he was talking about.


    "The night that you impaled me with a poisoned arrow," Mikel replied, his thin lips parting indifferently and his gaze still lingering on the roses outside the window.


    Ah¡­ Sylvia gulped. She immediately understood what he was talking about.


    Even though she hated him right now with all of her heart, she still couldn''t help but admire the man''s wits.


    Of all the things that he could have questioned her, he decided to start with this specific topic? How shrewd!!!


    The devil was not only cruel, two-faced, and hateful but he was extremely calcting and cunning.


    I was a fool to underestimate him. Sylvia gulped, realizing her mistake.


    The man might not have a high mana affinity and might not be a powerful mage, but he was still just as dangerous and powerful.

 Chapter 56 - Consequences Part3

    Seeing that Sylvia was gaping at his face in astonishment, Mikel shifted his gaze to look at her and chuckled.


    "So something did happen that night¡­" His voice trailed, a grin surfacing on his devilishly handsome face.


    Sylvia''s heart sank. That was still the only upper hand she had and she didn''t want to lose it at any cost.


    So she hurriedly tried to exin and avert his attention. "Please forgive me, your highness. Please. I am so sorry."


    "I was just so scared by that big magical beast that I ran away in fear without thinking."


    "I am sorry. As your ve, I should have thrown my body in front of you and protected you, but instead, I ran away."


    "I deserve all the punishment in the world. I have let you down. I am very sorry." Sylvia started bbering, throwing out words one after the other, none of which were true.


    "Oh¡­ is that so?" Mikel grinned. He was amused at this woman ying chameleon.


    Just a second ago, she had been eying him like an enemy, waiting to tear him apart, but now all of a sudden, she acted so meekly and submissive.


    He chuckled lightly and asked. "So you didn''t try to run away from me?"


    Sylvia shook her head vigorously. "I wouldn''t dream of it, your highness."


    "Weren''t you taking a carriage to another Kingdom?"


    "No, your highness. That man tricked me. He must have plotted to sell me again or something."


    "Then why did you jump out of the carriage?"


    "Ah¡­ I am clumsy¡­"


    Sylvia quickly answered one question after another, determined to lie her way through this miserable situation.


    "Please, your highness. You have to believe me. It is my greatest pleasure to serve you until the end of my life."


    "I would never even dream of running away." She gulped hopefully, her eyes pleading with the devil.


    However, Mikel simply chuckled. How could he possibly buy what she was selling?


    "Alright then. Don''t beat yourself up so much." He casually mumbled.


    Sylvia blinked, feeling slightly relieved.


    She didn''t know if the man believed her but at the least, she had sessfully changed the topic.


    If the man ever finds out the things he had spilled to her in his intoxicated state¡­ Sylvia shuddered to think of the consequences.


    But unfortunately, she still had to suffer the consequences of this new topic.


    The man had not yet done talking and he curved his lips upwards to ask her a ridiculous question.


    "So you must be feeling very guilty for letting your master down?"


    Sylvia''s mouth twitched and she lightly nodded. "Yes, your highness."


    "You are regretful that you didn''t serve me well?"


    She again nodded.


    "You vow to make up for it for the rest of your life?"


    She gulped and again nodded, not liking where this was heading to.


    But before her brain could guess his next narcissistic question, Sylvia felt the man''s grasp on her hand tighten, and the next instant, she was pulled forward in one fell swoop.


    Sylvia felt her chest crash into the devil''s embrace, her body falling into him.


    The nket covering her body slid down, now snugly hung on her hips, revealing her bare upper half and her seductive curves.


    Everything had happened too fast for Sylvia to react and she red at the man in shock.


    She waspletely locked in ce. She couldn''t even wiggle her hands free in order to pull the nket back up and cover herself.


    She could only look away in embarrassment, feeling her naked body pressed up against his hard chest.


    Mikel tilted his head down in amusement, as he used his one hand to hold her chin and lift her gaze, forcing her to meet his eyes.


    His other hand was firmly wrapped around her slender waist, touching her warm soft skin, just above her perky behind, and holding her close to him.


    "If you are so regretful of not serving me well¡­ why don''t you serve me now?" His voice teased her, implying various hidden meanings.


    Sylvia gulped, the knot in her throat moving up and down. What a hateful man!


    He had already done plenty of things to her while she was unconscious and now he still wanted more?


    She wanted to bite into the fingers holding her chin and draw blood until the man screamed in pain.


    But unfortunately, she was not in a position to do so¡­ She had somehow managed to change the topic and she needed to keep it so.


    Only by ying by his rules, slowly plotting and scheming, could she even begin to think of a way to escape this devil''s clutches.


    So now all she could do was swallow her anger and squeeze out a weak smile.


    "How¡­ how should I serve you, Master?" Sylvia stammered, blinking her eyes innocently, her long eyshes and her enchanting blue eyes gazing at Mikel with utter obedience.


    Mikel actually hadn''t expected her to remain this calm and unfazed and found himself slightly taken aback by her bold enticing words.


    With her naked body still clinging to him, it was extremely hard for him to resist such sweet alluring words from her glistening lips.


    For a moment, he wanted to press her down and take her for himself, but he clenched his fists, restraining his desire.


    He cannot afford to give in to the temptation just yet. He reminded himself.


    He shifted his eyes, not daring to gaze into her soulful blue eyes, and muttered, looking outside. "Did you know, my dear¡­ Mages are capable of taming beasts. Even magical beasts."


    "They catch them when they are young and shower them with love and affection that a mother would."


    "This makes the beast very loyal to them."


    Huh? What is he talking about? Sylvia gulped. She couldn''t understand why he was suddenly talking about something else out of the blue.


    "But sometimes, even with all the love, affection, and delicious food, some beast cubs are still feisty and they have the bad habit of running away at every chance they get." Mikel continued, his voice reaching a dangerous pitch.


    He then turned his head to look at Sylvia again. "Do you know what they do to those mischievous cubs, my sweet kitten?"

 Chapter 57 - Consequences Part4

    "Do you know what they do to those mischievous cubs, my sweet kitten?" Mikel''s voice struck like a lightning and Sylvia couldn''t help but shudder with a bad premonition.


    Something was going to happen and she was surely not going to like it. She could tell.


    As she stared back at him in puzzlement, Mikel chuckled and leaned forward, his face brushing hers and whispered in her ears. "Close your eyes."


    Sylvia absent-mindedly obeyed him, closing her eyes, waiting and wondering what was going to happen.


    Her heart drummed anxiously and her ears heated up from the man''s warm breath.


    Sylvia bit her lips and waited for it.


    She could feel his finger tracing the edges of her neck, trailing down to her cor bone and stopping at the center.


    The knot in her throat moved up and down ufortably.


    What is he going to do? Her eyes fluttered, her brows furrowing in distress.


    She felt the devil lightly tap her on the spot in between her two cor bones and the next second a stinging pain arose from the same spot.


    The pain spread from there and a weird burning sensation covered her entire neck.


    "Ahh!" A surprised yelp slipped out of Sylvia''s mouth.


    She snapped her eyes wide open and looked down hurriedly to see what was burning her skin.


    Huh? She blinked as she noticed that her neck now had a thin silver chain around it.


    In fact, the burning sensation had entirely faded by now, leaving behind only this thin silver chain.


    What the heck? Sylvia looked up to stare at Mikel, questioning him with her eyes.


    "I am sorry about the burn." The man gently smiled at her in reply. He leaned closer, kissing her neck gently.


    His warm lips nted a dozen soft kisses trailing all around her neck, for the length of the chain, leaving behind a small trace of wetness.


    He then tugged at her chin, to once again pull her head up, but this time, he leaned forward to cover her mouth with his, kissing her tenderly and gently, sucking on each of her lips, the upper first and then the lower.


    Sylvia gawked as if someone had poured a bucket of cold water over her.


    This was the second time this man was kissing her and it still felt surreal.


    More importantly, she was expecting to be whipped or beaten up as punishment for her tant escape attempt and here he was kissing her???


    She just couldn''t understand the man''s actions.


    As she was staring at him, her widened blue eyes met the man''s seductive gaze.


    They were only a hair away, their faces so close to each other.


    Sylvia quickly shut her eyes close unable to look at him.


    Though she didn''t want to, the man''s attraction was overwhelming and his gentle kisses were driving her crazy, slowing pulling her into him.


    His hands moved, his one hand holding her waist and the other holding the back of her head. He continued kissing her taking his time.


    He licked her lips, he sucked her tongue and he kissed her so deeply that Sylvia felt as if he was trying to suck out her very soul.


    And when he finally released her, she was left gasping for air.


    Traces of the man''s wetness still lingered on her lips making her blush furtively.


    Unlike thest one, the memory of this kiss still lingered even after the man had withdrawn himself.


    Damn it. Sylvia cursed her brain for being so weak.


    This man in front of her did not care about her. He was simply toying with her and she knew it too well but yet¡­


    Without looking up, she raised her hand to feel the new silver chain on her neck.


    She tried to take her mind off of the kiss and wondered what this chain was.


    "Does it suit your taste?" Mikel chuckled. He then added, answering her unspoken question. "It''s a leash to make sure that you never run away from me again."


    The heck? Sylvia looked up in shock to find the familiar devious smile on his deceptively handsome face.


    This jerk put a cor around my neck like I am an animal? Wait, is this why he told me the damned story about beast cubs?


    She blinked her eyes unable to process the audacity of the man, but then again¡­ she was his ve after all and he could pretty much do whatever he wanted with her.


    Sylvia lowered her gaze and looked at the chain again, a bitter smile surfacing on her lips.


    "Oh. Please don''t look so glum, my kitten. You forced my hand. I did warn you specifically and asked you to behave." Mikel ruffled her head.


    Sylvia did not have the mood to entertain him any further. The chain on her neck might as well be a noose, waiting to choke and suffocate her.


    As it is, escaping from his grasp was an impossible thought, but now¡­ She didn''t want to think about it anymore and make herself more miserable.


    Seeing that she remained silent, Mikel sighed and let her go. He even looked away and did not tease her half-naked body.


    He watched her as she curled up in the bed, clinging the nket so tightly over her body. The smile on his face disappeared.


    He did not say anything more and simply walked out of the chamber.


    His voice, however, rang in the distance, reminding her, "If you are not nning to warm my bed for the night, you should leave the room soon."


    This made Sylvia finally react and she quickly scrambled out of the bed as if the mattress was on fire.


    She looked around to see where she was, only now realizing that she was in the man''s bedroom.


    Everything around her looked obscenelyvish and extravagant.


    And more importantly, her clothes were nowhere to be found!


    Sylvia gulped. What the hell am I supposed to do now? She screamed inwardly, clutching the silk nket which refused to stay stuck to her body, slipping down every chance it got.

 Chapter 58 - Guests At The Castle Part1

    Without having any other options left, Sylvia tightly wound the nket around her body and walked out of the bedroom in a cocoon.


    She then ufortably shuffled her feet, half walking and half jogging all the way to the servant''s quarters in embarrassment.


    Thankfully, unlike a regr noble household, the devil''s castle did not have that many maids and servants, so she was able to quietly slip back into her small room without anyone noticing.


    Damn it. Sylvia cursed as she shut the door behind her securely.


    As if putting a cor around her neck was not enough, this damned man had just made her walk around naked in the huge castle!


    Sometimes life was really unfair!


    It was still bright in the day, so Sylvia didn''t dawdle around much and quickly changed into a fresh set of clothes.


    She had thought that she would feel disgusting especially considering the various things that man could have done to her while she was unconscious, but for some reason, there wasn''t a single mark on her body.


    She felt rather clean and fresh as if her entire body had been squeezed out of impurities.


    Her skin was glowing and her face felt fresh. Perhaps the man had a weird fetish and had cleaned up her body after he had done things to her?


    "Let''s not think about it."


    Sylvia shook her head to stop her crazy thoughts and decided to forget the morning, though the chain on her neck was a heavy reminder of it.


    She skipped the bath and hurried out in a simple pale blue dress.


    The color blended in with the long corridor walls, but the woman within it nevertheless shone with a distinct elegance.


    Sylvia eagerly walked over to the kitchen quarters, hoping that she could see Jane and help her with some work.


    The woman''s smile was also always kind and gentle. It had a calming effect on her and made her feel more at ease.


    So Sylvia wanted to chat with her a bit.


    As she walked on over to the kitchen, the head maid, as usual, was busy handling many different things.


    "Good afternoon, Mrs. Jane. Can I help you with something?" Sylvia smiled and tip-toed over to her.


    "Oh, dearie! You couldn''t havee here at a better time." Jane weakly smiled and wiped the sweat off of her forehead.


    "We unexpectedly have some sudden guests visiting the castle today." She paused, taking a breather, and added. "For dinner."


    "And these are special guests. Aha Ha Ha." Jane awkwardly chuckled, making Sylvia wonder what she was talking about.


    The woman didn''t exin any further and simply waved her hand. "You will see for yourself when the timees."


    "Now, all we need to do is to make sure that everything is perfect." Jane chimed and handed over a bunch of stuff to Sylvia.


    "Why don''t you get started on the desserts dear? Pecan pie, bread pudding, and berry tart."


    "Here. I have jotted down the recipes, in case you had any doubts. Chop. Chop. Work fast, otherwise, we are going to be in trouble."


    Jane quickly instructed her and walked out of the kitchen in a hurry, leaving Sylvia behind in a trance.


    She smiled in amusement seeing the middle-aged woman so flustered for the first time.


    She couldn''t help but wonder who these unexpected guests were! What was so special about them that they made even Jane so anxious?


    Sylvia sighed and shrugged her shoulders. That was none of her business.


    She gazed at the recipe list on her hands and skimmed through it once. She then ced it aside and started quickly preparing the various things.


    Sylvia was not a noob when it came to cooking and baking desserts.


    So her movements were fluid and she barely needed to take a look at the recipe again.


    She kneaded the dough, prepared the jam, made the crusts, and then smoothly finished all the three desert preparations without breaking a sweat.


    She even added her own personal touches to the few dishes making them even more delicious than usual.


    "Yum!" Sylvia licked her hand in satisfaction.


    She had a sweet tooth and these couple of hours of baking was almost therapeutic for her!


    When Jane returned back to the kitchen, even she was shocked.


    She hadn''t expected the young woman to have skillfully finished all the tasks in such less time.


    All three desserts looked extremely appetizing and they were also arranged perfectly in an artful way, pleasing to the eyes.


    They did not look rushed at all.


    "Oh my gosh! These look so great!" Jane beamed and walked over to Sylvia, giving her a quick big hug.


    "How did you manage toyer these berries so neatly in the tart? They are in perfect proportions!"


    The more Jane looked at the desserts, the more she appreciated the handiwork.


    "Ha Ha, thanks, Mrs. Jane. You are praising me too much." Sylvia blushed and continued cleaning the dishes.


    "You don''t have to be so humble in front of me. You are very talented dearie." Jane patted her and started loading a trolley with the various dishes.


    Jenny and Ana, the other two maids in the castle also arrived at the kitchen to lend extra hands and help prepare for the important dinner.


    "Hello, Miss Jenny. Hello, Miss Ana." Sylvia greeted them both cheerfully, though her voice was a little awkward when she mentioned Ana''s name.


    The young woman had previously seen the devil and herself in apromising position, something which can easily lead to misconceptions.


    It was not that umon for maids and other women working in a castle to throw themselves at the Master of the castle in hopes of enjoying a better life, perhaps even as a mistress.


    So she was embarrassed a bit to keep a straight face. She hoped that Ana would have forgotten about that small incident by now, hopefully, brushing it off as something insignificant.


    And surely enough, Ana had indeed brushed off that incident, but unfortunately, it looked like she had also brushed off Sylvia and her greeting along with that incident!


    The woman barely even spared her a nce.

 Chapter 59 - Guests At The Castle Part2

    Sylvia''s bright smile slightly faded at the woman''s tant rudeness but she still tried to put on a brave face.


    Ana had obviously taken some sort of disliking to her and she tried to rack her brain and see if she had done something else wrong.


    Thankfully, the other maid, Jenny smiled and nodded back at Sylvia, reducing the general awkwardness in the kitchen. "Hello, Sylvia."


    Sylvia nodded back feeling grateful to her for not leaving her hanging.


    Even Jane couldn''t help but notice something weird in the atmosphere, but she quickly reminded the three young women that now was not a time to bicker.


    "Girls, you three best behave today evening. Sylvia is new here, but you two should know better."


    "Did I or did I not tell you who is the guest today?"


    Ana immediately bowed and murmured an apology, that was clearly half-hearted.


    "Aish." Jane sighed. She was too tired to lecture these three any longer. She decided to let them experience the terror for themselves.


    The four of them quickly got busy preparing the various things and ting the dishes artfully.


    It is said that half the tastees from appearance, so the way everything was arranged was also very important.


    Even if one pea was out of the line, this troublesome guest just might chew their head off.


    So Jane oversaw everything with extra care.


    The bunch of them took an entire hour to carefully get things done and the trolley was finally filled to the brim with multiple servings of various delicacies.


    "Alright, it''s time. Let''s get moving."


    Jane wiped the sweat off of her forehead and hurriedly tidied herself up, removing the dirtied apron covering her healthy figure.


    "Remember. Always keep your head down. Don''t speak until spoken to and try to remain as invisible as possible." She warned them one more time.


    Sylvia, Ana, and Jenny nodded, while they removed their aprons as well.


    Just like Sylvia, Ana and Jenny also had a slender figure with an ample bosom and a curvy behind.


    They were both very young and still unmarried, so they did their best to dress in a captivating manner.


    Ana had long wavy auburn hair that beautifully flowed until her back and she wore a simple knee-lengthvender dress, showcasing her long legs.


    Jenny had jet ck hair but they were curly and only shoulder length. She wore a traditional maid''s outfit with a ck petticoat and frilled white designs on top of it.


    Though it was supposed to look neutral and non-sexual, the length of the maid outfit was too short falling well above the knees and the hands were not full-length.


    The dress barely had sleeves, making her look extremely sensual and seductive.


    All the three young women were not bad looking, including Jane herself who looked rather elegant and beautiful for her age.


    But Sylvia clearly stood out without even trying or wearing anything provocative.


    Jane took a look at the girls and did not know what to say. Their outfits were fine.


    Other castles had more stringent rules and restrictions, including a fixed dress code for the servants, but since Mikel was a bit different, everyone did as they pleased.


    In fact, rather than Mikel, the two young maids were actuallypeting with each other for Theo''s affections.


    They knew very well that a Prince would probably never marry them in an official way. The difference in their status was a bit too much.


    They would only end up losing their virginity to him and getting nothing in return. So the Knight was their best option.


    Hence, these two made sure to dress provocatively whenever Theodore was around. They didn''t dare to openly flirt with him, but they still dressed in a revealing manner, and unted their assets in front of him, hoping that he would notice.


    And Mikel typically didn''t care about these things.


    He had never been interested in women like that and to Theodore''s dismay, he didn''t prevent the young women from harassing his eyes.


    However, tonight was different.


    Jane knew very well that these kinds of shenanigans would be a mistake tonight and wearing something like this, in front of the special guest, was only asking for a beating.


    "You two, go change into something more respectable." She chased them out. Jane then waved at Sylvia, signaling for her to help her with the trolley.


    The two of them started walking over to the main dining room in the big hall, pushing the trolley full of food along with them.


    The dining room was quite big and a huge crystal chandelier was hanging from the center of the room, which was the first thing to catch Sylvia''s eyes.


    It was simply marvelous and looked as if it hadyers andyers of diamonds stuck to it.


    The room itself was very elegant and regal, with the decorations sparse yet exquisite. There was a central golden and silver theme, making everything sparkle in subtle luxury.


    Toplement the decor and pull everything together, a few beautiful oil paintings hung on the wall.


    They depicted enchanting ces and natural beauty rather than portraits of boring old people.


    However, Sylvia''s eyes still caught the sight of a family portrait in a corner.


    There was a man, a woman, and two children, a boy and a girl. The man had a crown on his head, who Sylvia quickly assumed was the King.


    Then the woman and the two children were perhaps¡­ Her thoughts trailed as her eyes fell on the young boy, standing next to the slightly older girl.


    This¡­ She bit her lips lightly.


    The young boy was unmistakably the devil himself! The simrity was obvious!


    His younger self looked a lot like Cassius, extremely adorable, cute, and innocent, especially the smile that extended up to his eyes.


    Sylvia looked away, not wanting to stare at his stupid mug any longer.


    Her gaze shifted to the young girl standing next to him, clearly several years older than him.


    "Is this his sister?" She muttered under her breath, wondering if this was the little devil''s mother.

 Chapter 60 - Guests At The Castle Part3

    "Hurry up, dear." Jane''s voice sounded, breaking Sylvia''s reverie as she gawked at the picture-perfect family portrait.


    Both Mikel and the special guest had not yet arrived, but they had to start arranging the silverware and the dinner tes.


    Sylvia neatly folded the cloth napkins, while Jane went around cing the silverware and the tes.


    Even though there were only two or probably three parties dining tonight, the duo still made sure to carefully set up all the seats at the huge dining table.


    After making sure all the cutleries were lined urately, Jane then started arranging the various dishes around the table.


    She carefully took out each one and ced it near the head of the table, rather than the center so that the guests could easily reach them if they wanted to.


    Sometimes, they preferred the dishes being served to them, while at other times, they preferred some privacy.


    Hence Jane arranged extra servings on the table as well, apart from keeping some with her on the trolley, taking into ount all the possibilities.


    "Huff! Almost done!" The woman took a breath, carefully checking everything one more time.


    All of this was very new to Sylvia and she couldn''t help but wonder who this extremely special guest was.


    Just from Jane''s nervousness and anxiety, she could tell that the person was going to be somewhat nitpicky and hard to please.


    Perhaps a noblewoman? Sylvia guessed.


    And bingo¡­ she was right on the money!


    Just as she arranged thest napkin, Sylvia could hear voices outside the dining hall.


    Before she could figure out what they were talking about, Jane ushered her into a corner, she as well, standing right next to her. "Come here. Fast."


    The two then bowed their heads and waited in the background as if they didn''t exist.


    Soon, a woman''s sweet voice drifted into the hall, reaching Sylvia''s ears. "You are so kind, your highness~~"


    This was followed by a familiar chuckle, that sent shivers down Sylvia''s spine.


    However, the man who entered right after seemed entirely different than the version whom she knew of.


    Mikel was dressed in a crisp ck jacket and a neat white shirt, giving him a very formal look.


    At the same time, his top two shirt buttons were undone, revealing a part of his muscr chest, making him look more inviting and easy to approach.


    But that was not what caught Sylvia''s attention. She was rather taken aback by the man''s demeanor as she had never experienced this side of his.


    Mikel wore a charming smile on his lips, his sweet gestures gentle and honey-dripping.


    The way he moved, his smile, his eyes that obliged the woman next to him with his full attention, everything was gentlemanly.


    This coupled with his high cheekbones and his alluring features, even made Sylvia dazed for a second.


    The man was the perfect image of a handsome charming prince and he was theplete opposite of how he had always been with her.


    Sylvia rolled her eyes, with her eyeballs almost hitting the back of her head.


    The man''s cheerful and gentle smile was too irritating to see because she knew exactly how fake it was.


    As Mikel walked into the dining hall, chatting andughing with hispanion for the evening, Sylvia quickly bowed her head back, not daring to stare at him any longer.


    After all, what he did or how he behaved had nothing to do with her.


    The man had obviously noticed her gaze on him, but he didn''t spare her a single nce and continued paying attention only to the woman next to him.


    Sylvia lifted her head again out of curiosity and took a slight peak at the woman standing next to Mikel.


    She looked quite enchanting with a slender figure and attractive brown eyes.


    And judging from the dress she wore, she was definitely someone with a high status in society, probably hailing from a rich noble family or perhaps even a royal family.


    The two looked extremelypatible and well suited standing next to each other, like a golden couple made in heaven.


    As they walked over to the dining table, Mikel politely pulled the chair back for the woman to sit, with a sweet smile on his lips.


    "Mydy¡­" He lightly bowed with a yful smirk, which from the looks of it made the woman very pleased. She was visibly blushing.


    Mikel then turned around, walking over to the head of the table, his gaze lingering on the women in the background for a fraction of a second, but this was enough to churn Sylvia''s stomach.


    So creepy! She shuddered, still unable to digest the man''s fake gentlemanly mannerisms.


    She wondered how the special guest, the good-looking rich woman, was falling for such an obvious act!


    Well, it was none of her business. So she silently continued observing them from the corner of her eyes, in a not so obvious manner.


    Not long after, two other maids entered the dining hall, joining her and Jane, also bing a part of the backdrop.


    Sylvia didn''t recognize them and so she assumed that they were perhaps servants of the special guest.


    Breaking her thoughts, Mikel''s honey dripping voice, once again sounded. "Shall we begin dining, Lady Prisce?" He cocked his head to a side and hummed.


    "Yes, your highness." The woman nodded, smiling sweetly in return.


    Mikel then returned her smile and raised his hand without looking back, making Jane immediatelye forward.


    She quickly began serving the first course for the golden couple.


    "Ah¡­ It smells good as always." Lady Prisce scooped a spoonful of soup and winked at Jane in a familiar way.


    Jane didn''t dare reply to her, only silently bowing in return.


    Mikel as well nodded and started eating, his hands elegantly scooping up the soup, mouthful after mouthful.


    The two exchanged smiling nces and everything looked pleasant and peachy, making Sylvia wonder why Jane was so terrified¡­


    Thedy was clearly interested in winning Mikel''s affection and Mikel as well seemed to be entertaining her just as she pleased.


    Wasn''t everything as it should be? What could possibly go wrong? Sylvia didn''t understand.

 Chapter 61 - Lady Priscella Is Too Kind Part1

    After the soup, was the main course and Jane readily served two pipping hot tters of grilled rainbow fish and golden rice seasoned with various herbs.


    Though the dishes might seem ordinary, the rainbow fish was in fact a third-grade magical beast and the golden rice was almost equally nutritious.


    Both of them are mana-rich nutritious items that cleansed one''s body and mana core, the energy center both beasts and human beings relied on in order to cast magic spells.


    After she finished serving the dishes, Jane stepped back and awaited the verdict, and the middle-aged woman only rxed on seeing the guest smile.


    "Absolutely delicious as always!" Lady Prisce smiled and gave Jane a small nod.


    Her gaze then flitted to fall on the young woman standing next to Jane and momentarily lingered there with a subtle hesitation before returning back to the charming prince sitting in front of her.


    "Your highness, I almost forgot." She coyly chuckled. "Father sends you his thanks for your help with the Dukedom''s taxation restructuring."


    "Of course. Anything for Duke Renolds." Mikel raised his wine ss with a warm smile.


    "We have been friends for generations now. This is nothing much." He added with a twinkle in his eye.


    The two then began chatting about the various issues in the Dukedom and how Mikel''s ''small'' help had taken care of a big chunk of it.


    Sylvia had to admit, the devil sure was talented. The man could be really charming when he wanted to.


    The woman sitting in front of him was endlessly flirting and fawning over him in the name of expressing gratitude.


    She kept continuously singing praises and was no doubt smitten by Mikel from head to toe.


    Any other man would have by now epted her feelings or rejected her. Otherwise, the atmosphere would have turned very awkward.


    But Mikel somehow persevered!


    The man managed to remain patient and neutral, neither encouraging nor discouraging the smitten woman.


    He humbly epted all her adoration without giving her any sort of concrete hope.


    This devil was the King of sitting on a fence! Sylvia rolled her eyes.


    But then again perhaps all royal family members were like this, very diplomatic and polite. She sighed, continuing to observe the fake charming prince in action.


    The two carried on with their flirtatious banter and the main course was also about toe to an end, when suddenly Prisce started coughing loudly, sounding as if she was choking on the meat.


    She abruptly stood from her seat and clutched her throat. She looked extremely anxious and in a lot of pain.


    The two guards and the maids who had apanied her immediately came forward, rushing in a panic. "My Lady. My Lady. What happened?"


    Mikel as well shot up from his seat,ing to her aid.


    "Are you alright, Lady Prisce?" He asked, his voice dripping with concern that did not extend to his eyes.


    "I¡­ I¡­ can''t breathe¡­ Mikel¡­" She intimately called out his name, leaning on the man for support.


    She looked extremely shaken and frail as if she was about to copse at any given instant.


    Sylvia gawked at the scene with her mouth wide open, wondering what in the Lord''s name was going on.


    Just because of Jane''s repeated reminders, she couldn''t help but wonder if something fishy was going on.


    But thedy really seemed to be choking? At least Sylvia couldn''t tell the difference by just looking.


    She continued curiously watching as the woman held on to Mikel like a leech, her body clinging to the man.


    And Mikel as well did not push her away.


    He patiently supported her with his one hand and signaled for Jane with his other hand.


    What a casanova! Sylvia rolled her eyes.


    That small action did not escape Mikel''s attention and the man paused, his hand now obviously waving at Sylvia rather than Jane.


    "Don''t just stand there. Get over here and help Lady Prisce." His voice reprimanded her.


    Huh? Sylvia blinked and reluctantly obeyed him. She didn''t like being pulled into this weird little drama.


    She hurried over to the suffocating woman and hesitated for a couple of seconds.


    She knew how to respond if someone was really choking, but she was not sure how to treat someone who could possibly be faking it.


    "What are you looking at? Quick! Don''t you even know how to do this simple thing?" Mikel once again reprimanded her.


    The man was the perfect picture of a caring considerate suitor.


    If you so concerned, why don''t you do it yourself! Sylvia cursed the man inwardly.


    She then balled up her palms into a fist and hit the woman''s back forcefully.


    WHACK!


    WHACK!


    WHACK!


    Prisce''s eyes bulged in surprise and her face twisted in pain.


    This bitch! She cursed the damned maid who had totally ruined everything.


    She had wanted Mikel to hug her stomach and intimately help her relieve the choking but now she was being pounded by a freaking maid.


    "Cough! Ahem. Ahem. You can stop now. I am quite alright." Prisce turned around and caught Sylvia''s hand midway before she couldnd another blow to her back.


    Prisce red at the woman who had ruined her n, but she couldn''t help noticing how beautiful and elegant the maid in front of her was.


    She had already met the other two young women who worked in Mikel''s castle but she was not that threatened by their presence.


    But this maid standing in front of her was different. For some reason, she made her feel extremely nervous.


    The soulful blue eyes that stared back at her anxiously were unsettling.


    Breaking their moment, Mikel''s voice casually chimed in. "Jane. Take this away. Serve the Lady some other dish."


    "Are you feeling better, Lady Prisce?" Mikel asked, patiently waiting for the woman to release him from her grasp.


    "Ah¡­ Ah¡­ yes, your highness. I apologize for that unsightly disy." She awkwardly smiled and took a step back, leaning away from Mikel shyly.

 Chapter 62 - Lady Priscella Is Too Kind Part2

    After the incident, the golden couple once again settled down to enjoy the rest of their dinner, and Jane and Sylvia cleared everything on the table and served new tters.


    After about a minute of awkward silence, Prisce sipped a mouthful of water and gazed at Mikel to ask.


    "Your highness, our new vi in the western firefly mountains is almost nearingpletion."


    "I remember your interest in that area. Umm¡­ I was wondering if your highness would mind apanying me there sometime soon?"


    She coquettishly smiled and bent her head down.


    "Oh." Mikel raised his eyebrows. "Sure. Sure. I am indeed interested in visiting those mountains."


    "Heh. You are so kind to remember such a small detail I might have mentioned on a whim."


    He chuckled with a slight grin, which made him seem as though he was teasing thedy''s real intentions.


    Prisce immediately blushed, hiding her face in her long golden locks.


    Mikel smiled, however, his eyes did not linger on her. He snapped his fingers, gazing outside the window, looking at the crescent moon being harassed by the clouds."Get the desserts."


    Jane once again readily served the tes, each containing a sliver of the three deserts.


    She knew that Mikel was not very fond of sweet things and served him only a small portion.


    Prisce''s te on the other hand had a generous helping of the tart.


    The other two would be served as per thedy''s wishes if she pleased. This was the usual norm and Jane followed it to a T.


    Prisce had already visited the castle plenty of times for Jane to know exactly what was expected of her.


    Now that thest segment of the dinner wasing to an end, Jane felt like she could breathe again and stepped back to join Sylvia, bing a part of the backdrop.


    And luckily for her, the woman looked quite pleased and she took a small bashful bite of the dessert, looking at Mikel as if she would rather be eating him.


    She then opened her mouth to say something, when Mikel suddenlymented. "This is interesting. Who made the desserts today?"


    Both Jane and Sylvia instantly looked bewildered. They had expected Prisce to kick up some sort of fuss, but not Mikel.


    However, that only made Jane even more nervous. She fidgeted with her hands ufortably, while Sylvia started sweating.


    Mikel first nced at Jane and then at Sylvia and he could guess who had made the dessert.


    He then simply chuckled and finished his words, letting the both of them off the hook. "It really suits my taste. Keep up the good work."


    Both Jane and Sylvia nodded at the same time, relief washing over them.


    Prisce as well smiled sweetly, however, there was a small glint in the depth of her eyes.


    She couldn''t help but notice the way that Mikel had looked at the lowly maid.


    "Your highness has a very good eye for talented servants." Prisce chuckled and praised Mikel, while at the same time pointing out that the woman was only a maid.


    "Are you new here?" She then turned around and abruptly asked, her gaze directed at Sylvia.


    Huh? Sylvia gulped, not knowing what she was supposed to say, but thankfully, Mikel answered the question on her behalf.


    "Yes. Yes. She is just a ve I bought recently." He shrugged and then added. "Did your cousin get a portion of the Quilin meat?"


    "I heard that he was one of the mages who helped to put down that magical beast."


    "Oh! Yes, he did and he bragged on about it quite a bit." Prisce giggled.


    The two continued to chat for a bit more, the attention no longer on Sylvia.


    And just like that, a few minutester, the dinner came to an end.


    Jane quickly cleared all the dishes from the dinner table and Sylvia helped serve some tea to the two upants. Their ordeal was finally about to be over!


    Sylvia felt like she had been standing on pins and needles and she was sure that Jane felt the same way.


    d to have survived this night, she carefully ced a cup of tea in front of Mikel and then ced another in front of Prisce, turning around to stand in the back.


    But suddenly, she heard a yelp from behind her and then a crash.


    Ah~ Sylvia was startled and she looked back, only to see that the cup of tea which she had stably ced on the table just a second ago, was now spilled all over the woman and the cup itself lying on the ground.


    One of Prisce''s maids rushed forward to quickly help thedy deal with it, while the other reprimanded Sylvia.


    "You idiot. Look what you have done now. How dare you be so careless and cause difort to my Lady?!"


    The maid took a step forward and swung her hand, intending to p Sylvia across her face, when the other party absentmindedly caught the hand that was about to hit her.


    Sylvia stared at the maid, her brain still processing what just happened. She hadn''t intended to stop the p, it was just a reflex.


    "You! How dare you so insolently? A ve like you should be whipped!" The maid quickly took out a whip from her storage ring.


    Even a maid has a storage ring? Sylvia gawked, paying attention to the wrong thing.


    She was toote to react this time and it looked like the maid was no ordinary one either, her actions being very smooth and agile.


    She had already raised the whip for it tond on Sylvia when a hand shot out and held the woman''s whip in ce.


    Sylvia gulped, her eyes trailing to see who it was, but only to be even more shocked.


    Though she knew better she had somewhat expected Mikel to have been the one to stop the whip but unexpectedly, it was Prisce herself who had stopped the maid.

 Chapter 63 - Lady Priscella Is Too Kind Part3

    Prisce shook her head, signaling the maid to stop overreacting.


    "But¡­ But¡­" The maid stammered and acted very flustered as if she had been the one on whom the hot tea was poured.


    "Stop it, Michelle. We are guests here. Let''s not be rude to his highness. It''s just a small burn."


    Prisce smiled and asked the woman to back down, instantly calming down the situation.


    "You too kind, mydy." The maid bowed and put down the whip.


    Sylvia couldn''t understand the woman''s motives but she sighed in relief nevertheless.


    She quickly hurried to serve another cup of tea to the Lady, when the maid interjected her and served the tea herself instead.


    Sylvia did not care though. She now understood Jane''s warnings better.


    Lady Prisce was surely not as simple as she looked. The tea was warm but it was not piping hot and it couldn''t have possibly hurt her seeping through the thick dress she was wearing and the corset underneath.


    But still, it was only normal for thedy to have whipped or at least pped her. The fact that she didn''t do so made Sylvia very wary of her.


    She had a feeling that she might pay for this sin of herster on. But for now, she nervously bit her lips and stepped back hoping that this incident would be over.


    However, it looked like the devil had his own ns. Mikel cleared his throat loudly.


    "Heh¡­ Who said you can leave?" His lips curved upwards. "We can''t possibly let this slide so easily now, can we?"


    "After all, Miss Prisce is my personal guest and you have foolishly injured her. This kind of clumsy behavior should not go unpunished."


    The devil looked at Sylvia sternly and mumbled. "Kneel down for the rest of the night."


    He then casually went back to sipping his tea, once again gazing out the window, leaving behind a weird silence.


    Both Prisce and Sylvia were taken aback by the man''s severe words.


    "Aha ha ha." Prisce awkwardly chuckled, filling the silence. "You are too strict, your highness."


    "I am alright. Look at that. The poor ve girl is trembling in fear. I don''t think she deserves such a big punishment. Aha ha ha."


    What the hell? Since when did I tremble in fear? Sylvia blinked, as she quietly followed the man''s instructions, kneeling down on the marble floor in the corner of the hall where she had been standing previously.


    She didn''t care about the oue of their conversation even though she was the subject of it and simply did as she was told.


    The marble floor was smooth and clean and kneeling down on it wasn''t that ufortable. So Sylvia was more than d to ept this punishment. Maybe now the scores were settled?


    However, after the kind and gentle-natured woman finished saying her piece, Mikel lightly chuckled and opened his mouth once again.


    "You are too kind, Lady Prisce." He repeated the same words that the maid had spoken earlier, a subtle sarcasm in his voice that was not very obvious.


    "Everyone needs to know their ce. If they are not aware of exactly who they are and what they mean to me, there will only be troubleter on."


    cing the cup of tea back onto the dining table, he raised his brows, and gazed back at the woman questioningly, making her wonder if there was any deeper meaning in his sharp cutting words.


    "Today it was just a cup of tea¡­ Tomorrow¡­ Who knows¡­ ha ha ha" Mikel then added, with a soft chuckle, making Prisce rx immediately.


    For a second, she couldn''t help but doubt if the man was talking about her rather than the ve. However, in the end, it looked like he was only talking about the annoying ve.


    Her eyes flitted momentarily to the young woman who was already kneeling in the corner.


    Her silver hair beautifully cascaded down to her hips and her blue eyes were obediently looking down, with a subtle pout.


    She looked irritatingly adorable even in those unttering clothes and Prisce hated it.


    It was almost time for her to leave and how could she be at ease knowing that such an alluring woman was right next to her man all the time.


    She knew that such a thing was verymon and most men in high society had at least a couple or more mistresses on the side, but Mikel was different.


    Despite his charming nature, the man had an aloof arrogance about him.


    He was always polite and endearing but never crossed any lines. He was this same way with other women as well.


    No matter how many vultures flirted and fawned over him, he kept everyone at an arm''s length, never letting theme even an inch closer than his bottom line.


    But still¡­ it was not prudent to throw a match in a heap of dry logs unless one wanted the heat.


    So Prisce clenched her dress tightly under the table and tactfully mumbled. "Your highness¡­ in that case, it would be my pleasure to offer my help."


    "My obedient and excellently trained maid Michelle can serve you for a while."


    "I can take the lively inexperienced one off your hands and train her personally for a few weeks."


    She then turned around to even yfully wink at Sylvia. "Don''t worry. I will be much gentler than his highness." She chuckled.


    Sylvia silently gulped, her gaze still lingering on the marble floor, not in the least bothered to look up.


    Sure, the woman was spewing out a bunch of nonsense. Beneath all the fake niceness, it was not too difficult to see through her real intentions.


    If she in fact gets her way and took Sylvia with her, there was no doubt that she would probably be subjected to a lot of torture.


    But Sylvia was not scared. She already knew what was going to happen. The devil would never let her go. She was sure of it... maybe?

 Chapter 64 - Why Dont You Get A Pet Cat? Part1

    "What do you think, your highness?" Prisce smiled, shifting her gaze from the ve to the man she adored.


    Her words had a lot of confidence within them as Mikel had barely ever declined her wishes.


    Even Sylvia started to sweat a little seeing that the man was taking his sweet time answering the proposal.


    And when he finally did¡­


    "Heh¡­ That does sound like a good suggestion. It would make my life a lot easier." Mikel shrugged and casually muttered, making Sylvia shudder.


    She snapped her eyes to look up at him to see for herself if he had indeed really meant what he said.


    Her anxious gaze met the man''s gentle eyes, the amusement contained within them, a little too obvious.


    His thin lips then parted again and Mikel slowly mouthed, word for word. "However, I like training my ves, personally. No need to trouble yourself with my burden."


    Mikel lifted the teacup, taking another sip whilst returning Prisce''s disappointed expression with a gentle smile.


    "Ah. As you wish, your highness." The woman reluctantly admitted her defeat. The two then chatted for a bit, before thedy finally had to leave.


    It was improper for an unwed woman to stay with a man overnight so Prisce had no other option but to bid adieu.


    She promptly stood up and bowed, excusing herself but Mikel insisted and he walked her out all the way to her carriage.


    Prisce''s maids and guards left with her as well and finally Jane and Sylvia sighed in relief, looking at each other and bitterlyughing as they did so.


    "Mrs. Jane, I should have paid more attention to your words." Sylvia grimaced.


    Jane gave her a knowing nod and added. "A couple of months back, I was in the same boat dear."


    "I ''somehow'' gave herdyship an allergic reaction." She shook her head helplessly. "Haa¡­ I still don''t know how the peanut sauce got mixed into the steak sauce."


    "I can guess." Sylvia giggled.


    Jane giggled as well patting the young girl. "I am sorry dear." She felt sad that she was not in a position to offer her any more constion.


    "The night will pass soon. Don''t worry." She nodded at her and left the dining hall after clearing all the used dishes and cleaning the table.


    Sylvia was now all alone in the big empty dining hall, kneeling by herself in a corner. She suddenly felt that it was a bit chilly, which she hadn''t noticed when the others were present near her.


    Sighing lightly, her eyes once again wandered to the family portrait and the hateful smile on the child, who hadn''t yet be the devil.


    "Like what you see?" The man''s voice boomed in the big empty hall, breaking her thoughts.


    Sylvia quickly withdrew her gaze and kept her head down. She didn''t want to get into any more trouble tonight.


    However, adding to her dismay, she could hear a pair of footsteps slowly and leisurely approaching her.


    She saw the shiny polished boots and her heart drummed loudly in anxiousness. Wasn''t she already kneeling? Was this not enough?


    As her nerves continued twisting and turning, the man paused in front of her and then turned around to sit back down at the head of the table, where he had sat before for the dinner.


    "Stand up." He mumbled.


    Sylvia gulped and looked up, wondering what the devil was up to now.


    "Hmmm? Not obeying me instantly?" His impatient voice sounded again, making Sylvia immediately stand up.


    Her actions amused him and a soft chuckle escaped Mikel''s lips as he once again mumbled. "Get over here."


    Sylvia gulped and walked closer to him reluctantly, not dying her actions this time around.


    But the man was still not satisfied and he impatiently reached out, his hand reaching hers and he pulled her closer to him in one swift motion.


    Sylvia slightly wobbled, losing her bnce and as she tried to stabilize herself, her body was already lifted up in the air, to be unceremoniously tossed on the man''sp the next instant.


    "Ah!" A surprised yelp escaped her mouth and her gaze finally shifted from the marble floor to look at the devil directly in his eyes.


    The man''s face was so close to hers and the fact that she was sitting on hisp was slowly sinking in.


    With his hands wrapped around her waist, holding her in ce, and her body clinging so close to him, she could feel his embrace touching everywhere on her body.


    Sylvia fidgeted ufortably, when the man''s lips parted again, ordering her again, albeit in a slightly tired voice.


    "Stay still." He murmured. "Just for a minute."


    His head unexpectedly leaned towards her, resting on her shoulder and his embrace tightened.


    Sylvia stiffened, confused as to what was happening. She could hear his long deep breaths in her ear.


    Is he sleeping? She blinked and tried to steal a nce from the corner of her eyes.


    She was indeed correct. The devil had his eyes closed, his long eyshespletely still.


    The man''s handsome features and his vulnerable face made her heart tighten for a moment when suddenly the thin alluring lips parted again.


    "You smell like the desserts you baked." He muttered.


    He then lifted his head back up, his gaze meeting hers, and asked. "Have you eaten anything tonight?"


    Sylvia shook her head up and down as if she was a mute who couldn''t speak.


    "That means no?" Mikel grinned in amusement.


    "Ah¡­ No, your highness. I have already eaten." Sylvia panicked and hurriedly corrected him. She didn''t want to unnecessarily get herself in some sort of a situation by saying the wrong answer.


    "Alright then." Mikel continued grinning, a twinkle visible in his captivating eyes. "I guess I will be finishing this pie all by myself."


    His one hand slid away from Sylvia''s waist and reached for the te on the table which had a big slice of the pie she had baked.

 Chapter 65 - Why Dont You Get A Pet Cat? Part2

    Mikel took a big bite out of the pie slice and he kept chomping away, one big mouthful after another.


    Sylvia could hardly look at him with a straight face. The man was eating like an animal who had been starving for a long time.


    There was a wild and untamed aura about him that made her heart race faster.


    Didn''t he just have a full course dinner? She gawked at his appetite.


    The elegance and demeanor he had demonstrated earlier were no longer present and the devil was now eating the pie like a hungry little wolf.


    The pecan cream was smeared on his lips and his hands were dirty.


    What terribly manners! As amoner, even Sylvia had better table manners than him.


    "Eh? Why are you looking at me like that? Are you still hungry by chance?" He chuckled and mouthed the words while chewing on another big bite.


    Sylvia could swear that a small crumb flew out of his mouth and hit her right on her face. What a ruffian!


    "I apologize, your highness. Please continue eating." She bit her lips. Continue eating and choke on it! She inwardly added.


    "Heh." Mikel eyed her expression with amusement as he tossed thest bit of the huge slice into his mouth.


    "I am done." He then dered.


    "May I bring some more, your highness?" Sylvia moved ufortably, waiting for the first chance to get the hell out of hisp.


    It was a very intimate and embarrassing position and more importantly, his clover-shaped shirt button gave her an itch on the back, that had been nagging her for a while now.


    But the devil rejected her offer immediately. "No, I am good. You can start cleaning."


    And much to Sylvia''s dismay, his hand on the te returned back to her waist as he held her firmly with both his hands.


    You damned pervert! How am I supposed to clean with you clinging onto me like this? Are you a freaking Ko bear?


    She cursed him inwardly, but a different set of words came out of her mouth. "Ah~ That¡­ That¡­ your highness, may I please stand up?"


    "Hmmm?" Mikel gazed at her questioningly. "There is no need to."


    "But I¡­ I have to bring the te to the kitchen." Sylvia insisted since he was the one who had asked her to clean in the first ce.


    "I am not talking about that cleaning, my dumb kitten. Jane can take care of that." He paused, and then pulling back Sylvia who had slightly slipped away by wiggling, he added. "You should focus on taking care of me."


    Huh? Sylvia blinked. She didn''t understand what the man wanted her to do.


    But then the next second, Mikel raised his hand, to be more urate his index finger and ced it in front of her face. "Go on. Clean it." He said.


    "Ah¡­" Sylvia stammered, a bad feeling slowly creeping up in her heart.


    She gulped and reached for the napkin on the table when the man''s sharp words sounded again, making her worst fearse true.


    "Not that, my dear. Use your tongue."


    "Your¡­ Your highness?" Sylvia dumbfoundedly stared at him, hoping she hadn''t heard it correctly.


    "Lick it, my kitten. Sigh¡­ Why do make me repeat myself every single time?" The devil then leaned closer without giving any time for the words to wash over her.


    His nose grazed against her ears and he added. "Are you hard of hearing?"


    Sylvia was utterly shocked and angry at the same time. This man was pushing her buttons one after the other without even giving a small break!


    She opened and closed her mouth, unable to give the shameless man any response.


    Seeing that she was still not moving, Mikel shook his head helplessly. "Sigh¡­ Do you want me to demonstrate first how it is done?"


    Without waiting for her answer, his right hand slid away from her waist to reach out and take her hand into his.


    He then brought it up to his mouth and stuck his tongue out, making Sylvia gasp in shock. She instantly struggled, forcefully withdrawing her hand back, not giving the man a chance to finish his so-called demonstration.


    What the hell? How shameful! This devil was a real pervert! Sylvia shuddered.


    She had heard about ves licking their Master''s boots and legs as punishment and for some reason, she felt as if those were less punishing than what she was being asked to do right now.


    How the hell was she supposed to lick his finger, especially when he was staring at her like a vulture?


    She found such an act to be extremely vulgar and inappropriate.


    "Heh. My sweet kitten, you seem feisty today? So you don''t need my demonstration? Then you better get to work."


    Mikel chuckled and cocked his head to the side, resting his elbow on the table and his head on his palm.


    "Your highness¡­ please." Sylvia started, and the index finger came closer, resting on her lips.


    "Don''t make me repeat myself again, kitten. Then my mood might turn sour and I might make you lick something else." Mikel said, and as he did, his tongue stuck out once again, licking some crumbs off of his lips.


    Sylvia shuddered, the man''s actions frightening her more than his words. She furrowed her brows and clutched her dress, as she slowly stuck her tongue out.


    So embarrassing! So embarrassing! So embarrassing! Her heart was pounding crazily inside her chest.


    She had never licked anyone in her life, let alone a man. Who on their right mind would lick someone else?


    Her entire face heated up as she reluctantly touched the finger that was close to her face and licked it lightly with her tongue.


    The sweet taste of the pie and the smooth texture of his finger made her shiver.


    This was far too shameful for her to handle. She would rather prefer being kissed by him instead of doing this.


    Damn it. What the hell am I thinking? Sylvia reprimanded her idiotic brain.

 Chapter 66 - Why Dont You Get A Pet Cat? Part3

    As she reluctantly finished licking one of his fingers, Sylvia swallowed the sweetness in her mouth to begin the shameful deed all over again with the next finger.


    The devil, however, moved his thumb away from her, making her lean over in order to reach it to do her ''cleaning'' duties.


    Sylvia fumed. Wasn''t it enough to make her lick him like this? He still needed more entertainment?


    The man was clearly determined to tease her to death tonight.


    Her gaze inadvertently shifted up, wanting toin, but as she looked up, she saw the man staring at her directly.


    She had expected the familiar lopsided grin or the hateful smug smile, but unexpectedly, the devil was looking at her with a very gentle expression on his face.


    He didn''t look like he was teasing her at all. He was simply looking at her and for some reason, Sylvia couldn''t help but feel his gaze contain several emotions.


    For a second, the warm smile on his irritatingly handsome face looked like genuine affection.


    But she quickly shook her head. She knew how cunning and two-faced he was and she was determined not to fall for his tricks.


    She bent her head down again to continue savoring the small crumbs stuck to his finger which now was obvious that he had done on purpose.


    Was this why he didn''t use any silverware and devoured the pie like an animal? She frowned realizing that the entire thing was a setup for her from start to finish.


    But nevertheless, she licked his finger with her tender tongue, even plopping his finger in her mouth at times to suck on the more difficult to get at pieces.


    Wanting to get this over with soon, she did it with so much focus and attention that shepletely failed to notice the faintly startled expression on the devil''s face.


    His high cheekbones had a subtle blush which he quickly tucked away by mouthing random words.


    "I think actual cats are probably faster than you, my dear. How long are you nning to take?"


    "Don''t you want your master to go to bed early and have a good night''s sleep? Do you wish to keep me up all night?"


    Sylvia took a few deep breaths, trying to keep her boiling rage down.


    The man had beenining non-stop for the past couple of minutes, but yet he waited patiently for her to finish licking all his fingers, one by one.


    She was almost at her wit''s end! This had to be the most humiliating thing she had done in her entire life!


    And the damned pervert was enjoying the show the whole time, while alsoining about her licking skills ever so often.


    She was so angry that she was only a hair away from biting his damned finger off. She wanted to bite it and spit it on his face.


    But Sylvia knew that something like that would only mean her instant beheading, so she took a few deep breaths to calm herself down and did the shameful dead topletion.


    "Alright. Slow but good job." The pervert devil chuckled and finally took his hand away from her face.


    "Oh looks like you missed a spot here."


    He then licked his own hand, where Sylvia''s tongue had previously been, not minding her saliva still glistening on his skin.


    Sylvia''s face instantly reddened and she turned her head to look away from him. Damn it. She cursed herself for being so easily flustered.


    Did he not mind that my mouth was just on there a few seconds ago? So dirty. She cringed.


    While she was trying to silently erase the past few shameful minutes from her brain, she felt the grip on her waist tighten and the devil finally released her from his grasp, lifting her up and cing her to sit on the table.


    She blinked and looked at him, as he stood up from the chair, taking long strides away from her.


    His feet then paused, along with the cking noise of his boots, and he loudly muttered without turning back.


    "Hmmm? What are you daydreaming about? Get up and follow me."


    Fuck! This night is not over yet? Sylvia clutched her soft silver hair, wanting to pull several strands out, but she nevertheless jumped off the table quickly and chased after the pervert devil, catching up to him.


    She followed him quietly as the man walked all the way from the dining hall to one of the towers.


    The castle had four towers, one was the library and the other three Sylvia hadn''t visited yet.


    This one was probably the devil''s personalir, where he rests in the night? She pondered.


    And she was indeed correct in assuming so.


    A dozen guards were patrolling this side of the castle and Sylvia even caught a glimpse of the Knight Theodore.


    She gulped and followed the devil closely as the man climbed two flights of stairs, finally entering a room on the right.


    It had a huge tub, readily filled with water. Sylvia could clearly feel the warmthing from it.


    So this was a bathroom? She subconsciously shook her head and took a step back.


    She once again had a bad premonition and did not like at all, where this night was headed to.


    Is he perhaps going to ask me to help him bathe? Sylvia swallowed, the knot in her throat ufortably moving.


    In the few days, she had been in the castle, she had never heard Jane talking about helping the man take a bath.


    In fact, she had said that she was not even allowed in this part of the castle.


    So why was the man behaving so differently tonight? She couldn''t understand.


    "Kitten, you really need to pick up the pace. It is bing such a chore to spell out each and every single thing." Mikel sighed.


    Sylvia snapped out of her thoughts and hurriedly entered the room, walking over towards him.


    For some reason, she doubted his words as she could see that the man was clearly enjoying himself ordering her around.

 Chapter 67 - Why Dont You Get A Pet Cat? Part4

    Sylvia''s hands instinctively shot up as she neared the devil and reached for his shirt, but then she hesitated.


    Mikel noticed it and let out a soft chuckle. "I am not known for my patience, kitten. You better not make me open my mouth again."


    He then leaned closer to whisper. "I might just get annoyed enough to throw you into the tub and take you right here and now¡­" He held her hands and brought them to the buttons, adding. "¡­until you stop being so bashful."


    Sylvia shuddered at the familiar threat which still worked very well on her and she quickly started unbuttoning him.


    The man''s wide chest staring at her face, the hardness of it slightly touching her hand as she undid one button after another.


    And when she was finally done, she went around to pull his shirt off from the back, his entire upper body now naked in front of her.


    Sylvia gulped as her gaze trailed down to look at the next thing which she had to now remove.


    Her hands hesitated lightly but she was worried about the consequences and reached forward to undo his ck pants, the two buttons at the top of the pants.


    She could see the light bulge at the top of his pants and gulped, keeping her hand ufortably away from it.


    But the button was a bit too tight and as she tried to undo it, she ended up grazing against the bulge anyways.


    Sylvia instantly panicked and stepped away, only to hear the devil chuckle in amusement. "You are being too slutty, my kitten."


    "I am not in the mood right now." He further teased her, being shameless to no end.


    Sylvia wanted to bury her head somewhere. You make me do all this and call me slutty? You are the pervert! You damned devil!


    She had no idea how she was going to survive this shameless bully.


    She bit her lips, narrowing her eyes down at him, and then red at the pattern on the marble, unwilling to meet the man''s teasing gaze.


    Mikel could barely control hisughter. "Why don''t you go and get me some fresh towels? They should be in the room next door."


    He ruffled his head, watching the girl zoom out of the room like an arrow. He then flipped his head back up, gazing out the window again.


    His hands loosened the pair of ck pants and the man didn''t remove his trunks underneath and slipped into the big tub of hot water, deeply engrossed in his thoughts.


    Though his skin was milky pale white and clean without a single blemish or a speck of dust, he still rubbed himself, as the dinner had left a dirty aftertaste.


    Mikel sighed. The cool night''s breezebined with the hot water rxed him, taking his mind off of things momentarily.


    He closed his eyes, taking a few deep breaths and melting in the water. Soon it would be time and everything would change.


    And the woman he would have to thank for all of that¡­ she would probably never forgive him. A bitter smile surfaced on his lips.


    As Sylvia entered the room again, clutching a bunch of neatly folded towels in her hand, she almost dropped them on the ground out of nervousness, only barely managing to hold them in ce.


    Her eyes flitted cautiously, and not long after she noticed that the devil was already sitting in the tub, his back towards her, standing at the entrance and his gaze lingering outside the window.


    He seemed to not react to her presence but Sylvia was sure that he had noticed her arrival.


    So she simply stood, hoping and praying that he wouldn''t ask anything more of her like perhaps rubbing his back¡­ massaging his shoulders¡­


    Sylvia''s thoughts started running wild as she gazed at the devil''s broad-defined shoulders, which were fully rxed now.


    A loud crackle caught her attention as the wind outside picked up the pace, the sky roaring with thunder and lightning and the heavy downpour which followed.


    She stood there silently watching the trees in the distance dancing to the tune of the wind and the huge drops of the rain ttering on the castle windows.


    Before she realized it, several minutes had passed by and the devil stood up, the water sshing around loudly in the big oval tub from the movement of his body.


    The man''s hard chest glistened with beads of water rolling down, trailing down to his ripped abdominal muscles and disappearing into his trunks.


    Sylvia gulped seeing that the devil had covered himself. She was thankful that he did that but couldn''t help but wonder why he was being so considerate all of a sudden.


    Perhaps that was why it was pouring cats and dogs outside.


    She watched him, her lips slightly parted, her hands softly trembling, as he walked over to her silently.


    His gaze met hers and there was no emotion with them and when he was close, he ruffled his hair, drizzling droplets of water on her by doing so, and grabbed a towel from her hands.


    Wrapping it around his waist, he strode out of the room casually.


    "Are you noting?" His voice then sounded, snapping Sylvia out of her trance, reminding her to follow him.


    Sylvia hurriedly dumped the remaining towels in her hand on a table nearby and scrambled after him.


    No matter how much she tried to calm down her nerves, the man always had the ability to throw her emotions into a fritz at his will.


    She followed him, climbing another flight of stairs and into the room which he entered after that.


    The room had big open windows, just like most other rooms in the castle, and a huge square-shaped bed at the center.


    There was also a table in the corner, beside the windows, parchments messily littered over them.


    This was his bedroom? Sylvia gulped nervously, wondering what new hell was awaiting her tonight.

 Chapter 68 - I Can Also Roar Part1

    Sylvia''s brows knitted together in worry as she stood near the door, wondering what the man wanted from her now.


    He was somehow different today and it made her nervous. Though he had bullied her endlessly, right from the first day they had met, today she felt particrly nervous.


    She watched him loosen the towel from his waist, for it to fall on the ground, and quickly turned around, not wanting to see all of him.


    She could hear the ruffling of clothes and movements behind her, followed by a thud, which probably indicated that the man had flopped onto the bed.


    She became more nervous. She didn''t know how much more he expected from her tonight.


    Sylvia was not a fool. She knew and fully understood that she was a ve now due to various twists and turns of fate.


    One day or the other, she knew that she would probably have to serve this man whom she belonged to now, serve him as a woman would in his bed, giving him her everything.


    Even though he had promised her otherwise, she knew better than to trust others by now. They always tended to let her down.


    And that too¡­ considering that he had already done things to her while she was unconscious, which he said so himself.


    In reality, Sylvia hadn''t really digested that specific piece of information yet.


    Yes, she might have been vited but she didn''t feel any different and so it didn''t feel real.


    But now¡­ she was fully conscious¡­ and she couldn''t hide from what was about to happen any longer¡­


    She tried to prepare herself mentally, but her heart drummed anxiously preventing her from thinking about anything.


    She fidgeted with her fingers and closed her eyes, hoping for the night to just end, when the man''s voice loudly sounded behind her, confirming her fears. "Get over here."


    Sylvia gulped. She dazedly turned around, her heart pounding like it was having a seizure, and gazed at the man on the bed.


    Her fearful blue eyes caught the sight of the big grin on his face. He was clearly enjoying her turmoil.


    Sylvia bit her lips in frustration. She walked closer to him, one step at a time, having no other options.


    Mikel hummed and patted the space next to him. "Climb up ande here." He said.


    Sylvia froze as she no longer had to keep guessing at the man''s intentions. They were more than clear now.


    She clutched the edges of her dress and stubbornly muttered. "Your highness. This¡­ wouldn''t be right¡­"


    "Your image¡­" Her voice trailed into an awkward silence.


    "Oh? And what image do you think that I have?" Mikel chuckled, unable to control himself.


    Sylvia let out a deep shaky breath as she brazenly answered him. "A good one, your highness. Kind and gentle." She spoke as if she didn''t believe in what she was saying, making Mikel chuckle again, amused at the girl''s guts.


    "Indeed. People do think that of me. They are quite foolish, don''t you think?" He paused, his gaze lingering on her, looking at her, devouring her from head to toe. "I personally don''t think that I am gentle at all." He then added, making Sylvia shiver lightly.


    She had no words and could only gawk at him, at his reckless admission of such a viinous nature.


    She watched him as the man turned to put off the candle, lit in the corner by his side of the bed, and then his voice once again urged her.


    "How long are you going to make me wait? If you keep testing my patience, things are only going to be more difficult for you." He warned her.


    Sylvia trembled, and she unwillingly took another step, her legs now hitting the bed, as she had walked closer to it.


    Though the candle was quenched, the moonlight flitted in through the open window and shone on the man''s tall elegant figure lying casually on the bed, his one hand bending to support his head as he watched and waited for her.


    Sylvia looked at him, her body refusing to take another step forward and lose her innocence when suddenly she heard a soft sigh escape the man''s lips, and the next second, she was pulled into the bed.


    Sylvia would have screamed at the top of her lungs if not for the fact that she was too shocked to react.


    In the span of a second, she found her slender body clinging tightly to the devil''s bare naked chest.


    His arms were wrapped around her, and the two of them wereying on the bed right next to each other, with the devil spooning her as if she was a pillow.


    The man hugged her tightly, her soft silver hair sprawled all over his face and before Sylvia could react to anything, he tiredly muttered. "You still smell like dessert."


    He nuzzled his head into the nape of her neck, as Sylvia felt a dozen currents stemming from his touch, pricking her body.


    "Go to sleep, kitten. Don''t think too much and ruin your night." He added, making her shudder slightly.


    Sylviaid still, utterly shocked and bewildered. She couldn''t believe her eyes.


    She had imagined the worst and was prepared to scream and w at him, ready to defend her innocence as long as her strength permitted her, but now¡­


    The man was simply hugging her from behind? His hands were on her waist and he wasn''t even touching her inappropriately.


    She was probably a pillow to him right now, albeit a living breathing one that smelled like baked goods.


    This was all that he wanted from me? This was why he wanted me to get on the bed? She didn''t even know whether to be angry or relieved.


    Couldn''t he have just said so openly right from the beginning? Why did he have to torment me so much? And why the hell would a grown man even need to hug someone else to go to sleep???


    Sylvia was going crazy. She wanted to turn her head, pull up her face close to his, and scream into his ears until he turned deaf.

 Chapter 69 - I Can Also Roar Part2

    Sylvia had no idea when she finally fell asleep.


    With the devil''s big hands tightly wrapped around her, she could barely breathe, let alone fall asleep.


    Her heart hammered loudly without a break and she was wide awake untilte in the night, but the manying next to her didn''t move, and neither did she.


    And eventually, the man''s warmth and his smothering graspbined with her own tiredness lulled her into a deep sleep.


    After hearing her breathing be more steady and calm, Mikel grinned at the girl in his arms.


    "Weren''t you so terrified of me, just now? And now you are sleeping so peacefully?"


    "Must be nice to be you." As someone who had a hard time falling asleep, Mikel was envious of his beautiful pillow.


    He chuckled, taking another long whiff of the woman''s neck. He then pulled her even more closer, falling asleep along with her.


    When Sylvia woke up the next morning, she found herself alone on the bed. The man sleeping beside her was no longer there and a soft sigh of relief escaped her lips.


    She then quickly jumped out of the bed as if it was on fire and ran out of the room.


    She decided to get the hell out of there before the devil returned back, not that she could really get away from him in a sense that mattered.


    She dashed out hurriedly, climbing down the several flights of stairs, and then crossed the few guards standing around.


    Sylvia gulped lightly pausing her steps but she saw that none of the guards paid any attention to her. They did not spare her even a nce.


    So she took a deep breath and ignored them in return, continuing to run out of the devil''sir.


    A few secondster, she finally reached the ground floor, nowpletely out of the devil''s private section of the castle. She couldn''t help but feel more at ease.


    She then let out a long sigh and turned around the corner, when Sylvia''s slender figure unexpectedly ran right into someone else, their heads slightly knocking together.


    "Ouch." Sylvia winced.


    "What the hell?" The other party shouted.


    Sylvia looked up to see Ana staring down at her in anger and annoyance. "Can''t you even see where you are going?" The maid scolded her.


    "I am so sorry, Miss Ana," Sylvia muttered helplessly, though she was sure that this was not her fault.


    "Keep your sorries to yourself. What the hell are you doing running around like this?"


    "It''s already sote and you are still in your previous day''s clothing? Did you just now wake up?"


    "Ummm¡­" Sylvia bit her lips nervously. "That¡­ I am sorry. Yesterday, I was kneeling on the floor as punishment." She mumbled something else, unwilling to speak out loud about what actually happened.


    "Heh." Ana crossed her hands, sneering at the young girl. "It''s useless to cook up these lies. Don''t think that I didn''t see where you wereing out from just now!"


    "Kneeling? Hmph. Did you kneel down on his majesty''s bed?"


    Sylvia immediately stiffened upon hearing the maid''s cutting words. The thing that she was implying was not really that subtle.


    She being a ve and Ana being a maid, the woman probably had a better standing than her, but that didn''t mean that Sylvia was going to let her talk down to her like this.


    She gazed at Ana back and calmly muttered. "If you saw where I wasing from, then why did you walk into me? Is your eyesight failing you these days, Miss Ana?"


    Ha? The maid was surprised at her reaction. She didn''t think that the bamby-like girl would actually talk back to her.


    "Maybe I purposefully ran into you? So what? Are you too tired from bending over backward to please his highness?"


    Sylvia shook her head helplessly. She was still far from being rattled. "What a vicious tongue you have, Miss Ana? You seemed tock any manners whatsoever."


    "Are you perhaps saying that you won''t bend over backward to please his highness if he asked for it?"


    "Or are you perhaps gossiping about the Prince''s private bedroom affairs and ndering his name?"


    "How should I report this behavior of yours? Hmmm?" She raised her brows and calmly waited for the woman to respond.


    Sylvia''s every word was on point and the maid suddenly found herself cornered.


    She didn''t know what had happened the previous night but it looked like the ve was riled up like a rabid dog for some reason. So she decided to stop making things worse.


    Besides, the prince obviously seemed to have a thing for her at least right now and if the bitch decided to report her after all, then she would be the one in trouble.


    Hmph. I will wait till he uses you and then throws you out like the dirty rag you are. She cursed Sylvia inwardly and coldly snorted.


    "Shut up and stop spouting made-up nonsense. No one will believe you."


    "And unless you are bing the princess of this castle, shouldn''t you be working right now?"


    "Go and tend to the beast stable on the castle grounds and stop wasting my time." Ana angrily scoffed and walked away without waiting for Sylvia to reply.


    "Damn it. Damn it. Damn it. Just because she is a little beautiful, she dares to act so arrogantly."


    "Fucking slut. Damned ve." Ana angrily muttered curses as she headed out to tend to the gardens.


    Jenny saw hering and waved at her. "What''s gotten your panties in a bunch so early in the morning?" The young woman giggled and teased her.


    "Stop it, Jenny. I am already in a very bad mood." Ana grumbled.


    "Ha? What happened?" She asked again, in a more serious tone.


    "Didn''t our n go well yesterday? We didn''t even have to serve that Prisce bitch. So why are you still upset?"


    The duo had purposefully worn skimpy outfits yesterday so that Jane would send them away and not make them serve the dinner guest.

 Chapter 70 - I Can Also Roar Part3

    "Didn''t our n go well yesterday? We didn''t even have to serve that Prisce bitch. So why are you still upset?" Jenny asked.


    "Ughh¡­ Don''t talk to me about that rich slut. Always clinging to his highness so shamelessly."


    "Sorry, dear. I know that she whipped youst time for some stupid reason."


    "Bah! Don''t remind me about it. I am already ticked off plenty by that damned ve."


    "Who? Sylvia?" Jenny furrowed her brows. She didn''t understand why her friend would be so upset about such a sweet and gentle girl.


    "That bitch has a tongue by the way. She was talking back to me arrogantly just now."


    "I think she slept with his highness. I saw hering out of the east tower this morning."


    "She was even wearing the same clothes."


    "Ha? Really? But that doesn''t sound very believable? His highness is¡­" Jenny''s voice trailed on, unable to believe Ana''s words.


    "Heh. You are too naive, Jenny. His highness is also a man. That slut is way too talented."


    "I bet her pure and innocent appearance is all an act. She is just acting docile."


    "Do you know what most men like? A weak woman that he can protect! I bet that slut is trying to y that part."


    "Ah¡­ I guess that makes sense." Jenny absentmindedly nodded, but then she abruptly turned around to ask. "Why are you suddenly concerned about his highness?"


    "Have you finally decided to take your naughty eyes off of my Theo?" She winked.


    "Eh? Get lost. I still have dibs on Theo. Don''t you dare seduce him first!"


    "I was simply stating what happened today morning to you. How can people like us even have eyes on his highness?"


    "I would rather marry a castle guard than be a ything for a man above my status. Hmph." Ana angrily retorted.


    "Ok. Alright, Miss pretty Ana. Sorry for my eagerness. Ha Ha." Jenny giggled and winked. "Theo is all yours. Feel better now?"


    "Heh. Even if you didn''t say so, I am already feeling better. He He. I got my revenge." Ana smirked.


    "Eh? What are you talking about?" Jenny did not understand what her friend did.


    She couldn''t help but slightly worry. Her friend was not a bad person but she did have a small dark side to her.


    "I sent her to the stables. He He."


    "Now all I have to do is wait for that dainty little slut to get maimed and kicked around."


    "Or perhaps she would lose a limb or two and be an invalid."


    "Heh. Then let me see how his majesty would be still interested in her."


    Jenny almost gasped in shock after hearing this. "Ana! This is serious! You shouldn''t have done this."


    "You know how dangerous that ce is. After all, we don''t rear any regr domestic animals in there."


    "Every single one of those beasts is dangerous. Especially¡­" Jenny shook her head, not wanting to even think about it.


    "What will do if his highness finds out and decides to punish you if something goes wrong???"


    "Come quick. Maybe she hasn''t gone there yet. We can go and get her back and prevent anything from happening."


    Jenny tried to hammer some sense to the woman and dragged her, but Ana stood still like a stone.


    "Ohe on. Don''t be such a wuss. His majesty probably wouldn''t even care. He already slept with her. Why would he still care?"


    "But Ana¡­" Jenny hesitated. She had a feeling that this was not going to end well.


    "Ok. Ok. Let''s stop talking about this. There is still a lot of work." This time around Anna dragged the poor conflicted maid and the two of them went back to their chores.


    They had their hands full maintaining such a big castle with so few maids and servants.


    So they couldn''t really afford to stand around and chat all day.


    Meanwhile¡­


    Sylvia hurried over her to her room and quickly changed out of her yesterday''s dress before she could run into someone else, giving them as well a chance toment on the obvious.


    Thanks to the devil''s shenanigans, her reputation was as it is taking multiple hits today. She didn''t want to make it worse.


    As she was busily selecting what to wear today, Sylvia paused and hesitated a bit.


    "Ummm¡­ Did Ana really mean it? Should I go to the stables and take a look?"


    "Mrs. Jane has never mentioned to me such a thing before. Should I just go anyways?" She contemted her options for a few seconds before deciding to head out.


    Though she was sure that their rtionship was already ruined, she didn''t want to piss off Ana more by not doing something she had explicitly ordered her to.


    Sylvia then looked at her clothes again and picked out something which was dull and faded. She didn''t want to ruin any of the good-looking dresses by dirtying them in the stables.


    Even though she had never attended to a horse or visited a stable, she could somewhat guess the type of chores in there.


    She would have to probably clean out the dung, feeding the animals some hay, or perhaps even give the animals a bath and some grooming.


    The more Sylvia thought about it, the more she looked forward to it. She had never had such an experience before and she had always wanted to pet a horse.


    They were such majestic creatures! She thought.


    So the young woman quickly changed into her new set of clothes and hummed and walked out of her room in a cheerful mood.


    Though she had that small run-in with Ana earlier, she was still in a good mood and had a nice smile on her face.


    As long as she didn''t run into the devil himself, it was a good day, and Sylvia didn''t want to sour these rare good days with such trivial things.


    So with a small smile on her lips, she wandered out, crossing the gardens, onto the big stretch ofnd surrounding the main castle.

 Chapter 71 - I Can Also Roar Part4

    The wind ruffled Sylvia''s long silver hair as she hadn''t braided it this morning in her hurry.


    She had to keep tucking away the errant strands behind her ears as she briskly walked through the cluster of trees.


    The castle''s stable was not too far out. She had asked one of the castle guards for directions and it was pretty straightforward.


    And the walk in itself was also very peaceful.


    The huge tall trees reminded her of the forest they had recently visited and her pathetic escape attempt, wherein she had been yed by the man from the very beginning.


    Her hand subconsciously shot up to her neck and fiddled with the thin silver chain as she continued walking.


    A few more minutester, Sylvia caught the sight of a huge wooden shed, if it could even be called that.


    Sheds were normally much smaller, but this stable was quite huge. I guess this is befitting someone of a royal lineage. She shrugged.


    She quickened her pace ever so slightly as she walked towards the stable, her feet leaving behind small imprints on the muddy forest grounds, wet from the previous night''s rain.


    "Hello." Sylvia leaned over and mumbled, after reaching what she assumed to be the front entrance of the stables.


    Her eyes caught the sight of a battered wooden chair and table in a corner, with a nket sprawled messily on it, so she wondered if someone was present nearby.


    She waited for a couple of minutes and tried calling out again, but no one was responding back.


    Sylvia shrugged and decided to head in anyways. After all, she was just a maid in the castle and would only be taking care of the menial chores, so she didn''t think that anyone would mind her waltzing in.


    Sylvia took another look around just to be sure and then leisurely stepped into the stable.


    She creaked open the huge wooden doors, wondering why the animals were locked shut, and then peered inside as she opened the doors further¡­


    Ahhhh!


    A small scream escaped her trembling lips, as Sylvia fell back down the very next instant.


    She panted in utter shock, with her ass on the ground, her eyes still fixated on the inside of the stables.


    She looked bewildered as if she couldn''t believe what she saw and staring right back at her were several pairs of fluorescent eyes, some green, some blue, some yellow, and some red, clearly far too many for her to count.


    And they took the liberty of responding back to her involuntary scream.


    A series of growls, snarls, and roars echoed from within the stables, making Sylvia even more nervous than she was.


    And to make things worse, she could feel a sort of vague powerful oppressive aura flowing out of the stables, making her entire body freeze.


    This kind of aura couldn''t possibly belong to a domesticated or even a wild animal. Rather this was the violent oppressive aura of magical beasts!


    Sylvia had felt this same aura, back in the forests, when they were surrounded by the pack of wolves.


    She was helpless there and she was helpless now, shuddering in fear, but this was not her fault since anymoner without mana affinity would be intimidated by these beasts in the same manner.


    The magically gifted were higher up in the food chain because of their natural advantage and that was how this world worked.


    "Aye! Who riled up all my beasts this early in the morning?" A coarse gruff voice grumbled behind Sylvia, finally breaking her trance.


    The young woman quickly scrambled to stand up with an ashamed expression on her face.


    She could tell that this was Ana''s n all along and now her weird out of nowhere task order made sense, but still, Sylvia was ashamed of her tant weakness.


    She bit her lips in frustration seeing how easily she tended to be rattled.


    "Eh? Who the hell are you? And what are you doing here?" The gruff voice sounded again, scolding Sylvia.


    She looked up to exin herself and saw a tall dark-skinned man leisurely sitting on the chair. He had silver hair just like her and a pair of sharp scrutinizing eyes.


    "Umm¡­ I am here to tend to the stables?"


    "Why? Doesn''t the other one usually do this?" The man asked, making Sylvia wonder if he was talking about Ana.


    "I am not sure, Sir. Miss Ana asked me to take care of this today." She mumbled in response. Not that she was nning to get Ana in trouble, she just stated what had happened.


    But the person on the other end didn''t seem to care. He shifted his gaze from her, leaning back on the chairzily, and closed his eyes.


    "Oh. Alright then. Get to work." He replied while yawning. "Oh and by the way just call me Leol. I am also just a servant like you." He hummed and yawned again.


    Sylvia nodded dazedly. That was it? She needed more instructions, damn it!


    She hadn''t even tended to horses before. How was she now supposed to deal with these magical beasts all of a sudden???


    Before the man could fully drift asleep, Sylvia quickly asked him again. "Ummm, Mr. Leol, this¡­ could I please trouble you to show me once how it''s done?"


    "Umm¡­ I have never tended to any animal before. Please help me learn, Sir."


    "Ha?" The man immediately turned around, slightly startled at her request. He had a look of annoyance on his face.


    "Why did they send me this dunce today?" he muttered under his breath, but not really taking any effort to hide it from Sylvia.


    Her face flushed on hearing someone say that to her directly and when she was about to retort back, the man yawned and mumbled. "Alright. Follow me."


    Sylvia nodded, swallowing back her words.


    Though she was slightly angry and embarrassed, she couldn''t help but feel a bit of excitement mixed in with the nervousness. So she quietly followed the man to learn from him.

 Chapter 72 - I Can Also Roar Part5

    Sylvia silently followed Leol awaiting his instructions. She sped together her hands to prevent them from trembling so much.


    But how could she when she was clearly walking into a horde of magical beasts?


    Leol noticed her demeanor and asked, the woman''s reactions very obvious to him.


    "Why do you look so scared? Do you have no affinity or what?"


    Sylvia shook her head, silently answering his question, while her blue eyes darted here and there nervously.


    The stable doors were now wide open, allowing plenty of light to fall inside, for Sylvia to clearly see all the beasts around her.


    There were about three dozen beasts including wolves, panthers, tigers and grizzly bears and they looked slightly bigger and tougher than the typical wild animal equivalents of the same.


    Sylvia shuddered and her heart drummed frantically. This was a bit too much for her to take in.


    None of the animals were even tethered to anything! They were roaming freely inside the stable.


    And the stable was also quite wide and it ran long, giving the beasts plenty of freedom and space to move around.


    They were loitering here and there, not in the least concerned about the two human beings who were now standing amongst them.


    As Sylvia gazed at this nerve wrecking sight in front of her, a small gasp escaped her lips.


    She was sure that something had just brushed past her legs!!! She jumped up in fright, her eyes almost tearing.


    She might have been a bit more bolder in front of the devil but this fear was entirely something else.


    It stemmed from the primal fear of a human being to a magical beast. The two were natural enemies, one a predator and the other a prey, their roles reversing at times.


    "You don''t have to fear them so much." Leol sighed. He tried to be patient seeing that the girl was very inexperienced.


    "They might be magical beasts but they are all tamed. They are under magical contracts. They can''t hurt you without his majesty''s say so."


    Sylvia gulped hearing those important words. These animals were all at the devil''s beck and call? She subconsciously shivered.


    "Usually they roam the castle grounds and onlye back here to rest."


    "And while they are here, these guys prefer the darkness for resting and that''s why the stable doors are typically kept shut."


    "There is a sound barrier preventing the noises from inside going out and vice versa."


    Leol then extended his hand to grab a piece of meat from his spatial ring and throw it to a tiger sprawled in front of him. "See. He won''t do anything."


    "Here. Why don''t you try feeding one?" He shoved a thick b of raw meat onto Sylvia''s hand before she could refuse.


    Ah~ The young girl looked at Leol and then back at the tiger. Its white fur was glistening with golden stripes on its body.


    It came closer to her wanting what was on Sylvia''s hand. She was too shocked to move but the tiger wanted the food and it took the initiative.


    It used its canines to tug at the edge of the meat and grabbed it smoothly from Sylvia''s hand without leaving even a scratch on her.


    Leol shook his head helplessly. "Girlie. You need to be more alert."


    "Just because they don''t have the intention to harm, it doesn''t mean that you won''t be harmed."


    "Look here. The task is very simple. I usually keep a bucket of meat outside. Grab it and toss some to all the beasts."


    "Clean the water in the trough and fill it up with fresh water."


    "Add some more bedding for them and remove any feces lying around. That''s about it."


    "Do you have any questions? Oh and since you can''t conjure water, you can just use the well behind the stable. Got it?"


    "Hello? Lady? Do you any questions?"


    Leol snapped his fingers in front of Sylvia who was still very much overwhelmed by shock and nervousness.


    She dazedly looked at the man and nodded, only to watch him scoff at her and then leave out the door, once again leisurely sitting on the chair, and closing his eyes.


    Sylvia trailed his movements in silence as she suddenly found herself all alone amidst the dense oppressive aura and the numerous magical beasts.


    Fear and panic once again started gripping her body, freezing her in ce. She was not ready yet.


    She wanted to call out for Leol, as she couldn''t stand this pressure any longer, but her throat dried up and she couldn''t bring herself to speak anything.


    Her body was trembling and her knees were about to give out. Sylvia''s face paled. Tears were threatening toe out of her eyes.


    The beasts strolling around her, some evening dangerously close to her, only made this worse.


    She felt suffocated and insignificant. She couldn''t face their tant violent aura.


    She looked at the beasts circling her and her head spun.


    They were snarling and growling at her, looking down at her with their proud eyes, making her feel like a weak little girl.


    They snapped their mouths at her as if she was a piece of meat.


    Sylvia shuddered. She gripped her dress like her life depended on it and stood absolutely still and frozen. Fear choked her.


    At the same time¡­ another warm feeling slowly filled her entire being.


    Something intangible coursed through her veins along with her blood and it gave her a bit of strength.


    She could now at least breathe and once she started gasping and taking a few breaths in, a slight color returned to her cheeks.


    She was able to react and tears streamed out of her eyes. She had put up with too much for far too long. She just couldn''t take it anymore.


    The rich woman from the previous day whose name Sylvia couldn''t recollect, Ana''s condescending words, Leol''s harsh criticisms, and more importantly¡­ the hateful man''s devious ploys¡­ everything washed over Sylvia at the same time.


    She red at the beasts who were growling and snarling at her and shouted back. "Damn it. Damn it all. I can also roar. All right?"


    She clenched her fists and closed her eyes to shout back at the top of her lungs, letting out all of her frustrations at the same time.

 Chapter 73 - New Friends Part1

    Sylvia released all her bottled-up resentments at the same time letting out a loud scream, without even thinking about how the beasts around her would react.


    She didn''t care rather. She already had enough of living like this.


    She was too weak and she wanted to change badly. She felt caged and suffocated by her daily life.


    And the way that the man toyed with her¡­ day in and day out¡­


    She was just about done with everything.


    So she shouted, venting out all the grievances in her heart.


    But as she shouted¡­ instead of the girlish high-pitched scream that should have sounded¡­


    Kara Ka Roar!


    A powerful deafening roar came out instead.


    Sylvia''s blue eyes became bright golden in color and she stood there, her body trembling, only a deafening silence surrounding her.


    All the beasts had instantly shut up as if a heavenly decree was passed on them. They didn''t dare open their mouth even to breathe.


    They just stood still, silently staring at the young woman in front of them, their eyes containing a mixture of fear and reverence.


    Sylvia, on the other hand, was too disturbed to notice what had actually happened. She only thought that she had screamed out loud in a fit of anxiety and panic.


    She stood there panting and in shock from her own unexpected outburst, but she was d that it at least made the beasts surrounding her finally shut up.


    She then remembered something and looked up to see if Leol was once again staring down at her. The man had alreadybeled her dumb and now he was going tobel her crazy as well. Sylvia sighed.


    "Ah~ Wait a minute. There is that spell thing right? He couldn''t have heard me scream like a little girl?" She gulped hopefully.


    And just as she had hoped for, the man still seemed to bezily lounging on the chair with the nket over him in that same pose without any movements.


    Phew! Sylvia patted her chest.


    She then turned around to once again face the scary beasts in front of her. Sylvia looked at them, blinking a few times.


    She couldn''t exactly put her finger on it, but for some reason, the beasts seemed a bit different now¡­


    It was very bizarre and surreal.


    She had been so scared that her legs were about to give out just seconds ago but now she wasn''t afraid of them in the least?


    She no longer even felt that oppressive violent aura typically belonging to a magical beast. They might as well be dogs and kittens!!!


    That too, some of them were looking at her with adorable cute expressions.


    Sylvia gulped, having no idea of what just happened, but she loved it.


    She clenched her fists and slowly stepped closer to the white tiger which was just a few inches away from her.


    "Ah~ Good kitty. Good kitty. Don''t eat me, please. Here have some meat."


    She bent down to retrieve a piece of raw steak from the meat bucket which Leol had given her and tossed it to the tiger.


    The tiger immediately purred, trembling in fear? It chewed and swallowed the meat in a second as if someone had forcefully ordered it to.


    Sylvia gulped, whatever fear remaining in her heart also slowly fading away. She squatted next to the tiger, staring at its face closely, and tossed it another steak.


    The tiger nodded its head and quickly gobbled up this one as well, even looking up at Sylvia with expectant eyes as if it wanted her to praise its actions.


    Sylvia was dumbfounded. What the hell? She couldn''t catch it before but now she did.


    She looked around and all the ferocious beasts were giving her simr cute and adorable looks, yearning for her affection.


    "These beasts¡­ Damn it. Were they always this harmless? I guess that''s why Leol looked at me like I was an idiot. Aha Ha Ha." Sylvia wiped the sweat off of her face and giggled.


    It seemed that earlier she was too scared to notice what was obvious and in front of her eyes.


    The young woman sighed in relief and hesitantly extended her hand to pet the tiger in front of her.


    Rrrr¡­ Brrr¡­ The tiger as well contently purred.


    "Aha Ha Ha. That''s a good boy. You really aren''t that bad huh?" Sylvia shook her head helplessly.


    She petted the cute tiger for a few more minutes and then started tending to the other beasts one by one.


    Tigers, panthers, wolves, bears¡­ who knew ferocious beasts like these could be so cute!


    The more she yed with them, the more Sylvia fell in love with them.


    Bear hugs, wolf tickles, tiger kisses, panther licks¡­ things took a turn for the better excessively fast.


    "What the hell is this?" Sylvia covered her mouth and chuckled. Beasts in this castle were unmistakably better than humans!


    The weird thing was that she didn''t even have to do the chores any longer. While some of them yed with her, the others took care of everything by themselves.


    Even Leol who caught a glimpse of whatever was happening inside almost stumbled and fell out of the chair.


    "Youngdy! This¡­! How on earth did you manage this? Woah." He slowly walked in, looking around, gaping in awe.


    Every single magical beast looked domesticated.


    Unlike Sylvia, Leol was much more experienced. He knew that these hooligans were probably behaving this docile only in her presence.


    The minute she left, they would inevitably be revert back to their wild ferocious nature.


    But this was not something new. Leol had already seen this kind of phenomenon several times in his life.


    Some people have a natural bond with the beasts and more importantly, these people have an exceedingly high mana affinity.


    They are so attuned to the nature and heavens that even the beasts recognize them as their kin.


    And this feat was not simple at all. Not everyone can manage this. And those who did were exclusively extremely powerful mages.


    But to see this sort of behavior with this lowly maid??? He couldn''t be more perplexed.

 Chapter 74 - New Friends Part2

    "Are you sure that you don''t have any mana affinity??? This kind of thing¡­ I think you have some sort of a natural gift with the beasts." Leol ruffled his inky ck hair and awkwardly muttered.


    He was regretting his earlier action of calling Sylvia a dunce to her face. This damn woman was clearly more talented than he ever could dream to be!


    Sylvia paused petting the wolf in front of her and stood up. She shook her head calmly. "Ha Ha. I don''t think that I am that special, Mr. Leol. I am just amoner."


    "They are probably well behaved like this, all thanks to Mr. Leol''s training." She bowed and took leave.


    She had already stayed here much longer than she intended to. So she was worried if Jane would be looking for her and hurriedly ran away.


    Leol could only gawk at her disappearing figure wordlessly. "My talents? Is she kidding me?" He threw his head back,ughing heartily.


    "What did you do now Mikel? Just who the hell is she?" He muttered sighing lightly and closed the stable doors again, returning back to his chair and his nket.


    When Sylvia returned back to the castle, she looked around for Jane and finally found her dusting the furniture in one of the rooms.


    Unexpectedly, Ana and Jenny were also working with her and both of them instantly stiffened upon seeing Sylviae back whole and healthy.


    "What the hell? How is this bitch not even scratched?" Ana muttered, covering her mouth, her words only audible to Jenny.


    "Ya. I also can''t believe this. Perhaps she didn''t go there and disobeyed us?" She suggested.


    "No. That can''t be. Look at her shabby clothes and that scent on her. Clearly, she has been around the beasts."


    The two of them discussed quietly amongst themselves unable to believe the sight in front of their eyes.


    Jane quickly waved at Sylvia. "Ah¡­ Don''te in here. Syl, go clean yourself up first. Did you roll around in the mud?"


    "Aha Ha Ha. Sorry, Mrs. Jane."


    "I had gone to the stables and spent a while there, so I wanted to report to you first, in case you were looking for me."


    "I will leave and clean myself now." She bowed and turned to leave.


    Both Ana and Jenny immediately looked like they had just bitten into something bitter.


    Not only was the girl not harmed but she also ran over to them immediately and had told on them to Jane the first chance she got.


    How hateful!


    Jane, on the other hand, almost shrieked out. "Child, wait a second. Did you just say stables?"


    "Ahh¡­ Please tell me you didn''t go inside. There are very dangerous beasts in there."


    Sylvia paused her footsteps and squeezed out a weak smile in return. Dangerous? What was Jane talking about?


    "Aha Ha Ha. I did end up going inside, but it wasn''t too bad." She tried to exin.


    Jane couldn''t help but be shocked.


    The woman herself had never dared to go there unless she absolutely had to, so how could amoner like Sylvia be so brave in front of those ferocious demons?


    Jane gulped and then thought of something. "Oh. Was Leol there to help you out?"


    Sylvia smiled and nodded again. "Yes, yes, Mrs. Jane. He was very helpful."


    "Ah~ Now I understand," Jane mumbled.


    Both Ana and Jenny as well exchanged looks, whispering things between themselves. She must have seduced Leol!


    Both of them assumed the worst and they were not happy about it. Their faces had visibly darkened.


    Leol might act as a mere servant in the castle but the two of them and Jane as well knew that the man was close to the Prince.


    In fact, Leol, Theodore, and Prince Mikel had known each other since they were kids and had grown up together. So they were close friends irrespective of their social status.


    "This girl¡­" Ana growled. "She not only managed to get on his majesty''s good side but also Leol''s."


    "So annoying." Jenny agreed to her as well.


    She too hated the woman who unt their beauty and coasted through life casually and easily just relying on their looks.


    When they had gone over to the stables, Leol barely ever gave them a nce but now he had helped out this woman?


    At least they had the ability to do some magic, even if it was just chore magic. What was so special about Sylvia if not for her obvious beauty?


    Men were always like this and it wouldn''tst long. Jenny sneered inwardly.


    Though Sylvia hadn''t specifically mentioned their name to Jane, they still red at her with envy and hatred.


    Jane was too worried to catch the expressions of the women standing beside her. She still continued lecturing Sylvia.


    "But still¡­ child¡­ its better if you don''t go there next time. I think that his majesty won''t be pleased if he came to know about this."


    "Umm¡­ Alright, Mrs. Jane. I will do as you say." Sylvia reluctantly bowed and headed back to clean herself up.


    She wanted to argue back but Jane was literally the only person who has been good to her in the castle and she didn''t want to disappoint her.


    So she returned back to the servant''s quarters and walked over to themunity bathroom which had baths for women and men separately.


    Unlike Mikel who had the luxury of enjoying a rxing hot water bath, Sylvia ufortably bathed herself in freezing cold water, her teeth almost chattering.


    "Damn it. Damn it. Damn it." She cursed and quickly rubbed herself clean. The whole bath was over within a minute!


    She then swiftly wrapped herself up in a towel and threw on a loose-fitting dress, walking back to her room in a hurry.


    She then changed into warmer clothes and only then she felt better, sighing in tiredness. "Aish." She flopped back onto the bed and did thest of her dress buttons when her eyes finally fell on the crescent tattoo which was now visibly glowing at the center of her chest.

 Chapter 75 - New Friends Part3

    Sylvia undid the buttons which she had just now sped and pulled her dress down, loosening the corset, revealing her ample breasts.


    In between her breasts was a small yet bright crescent-shaped tattoo, half the size of her little finger.


    Sylvia gulped nervously gazing at it. She almost couldn''t believe it.


    This was her body and she had been familiar with it for about eighteen years now and yet, she had never once noticed anything like this until she met the devil.


    Sylvia had always wondered if the man had done something to her, some sort of a spell or a mark, iming her ownership and perhaps that was this tattoo?


    But that only sounded more and more improbable with every passing day.


    She gazed at the crescent which was glowing with a mix of golden and silver luster and touched it with her finger.


    "What the hell are you?" She murmured.


    The next few days were somehow unusually quiet for Sylvia, making her even hope that these couldst.


    For one, the devil was no longer to be found in the castle. She hadn''t seen him around for several days.


    And when she mustered the courage to ask Jane about it, she told her that the man was away on a trip.


    This in itself made Sylvia breathe ten times better. Not to mention, Jane had her helping out at the herb gardens in the castle.


    Sylvia had asked Jane a couple of times about revisiting the stable but Jane strictly forbade her.


    So in order to keep the young woman''s mind off the stable, while at the same time not disappoint her, Jane took some time to teach Sylvia how to tend to the different herbs in the garden.


    Sylvia was rather a very fast learner. She understood everything Jane taught her and even did some reading on her own.


    Since the devil was not around, she happily took the liberty of browsing through the several herbology books in the humongous library inside the castle.


    She absorbed all the theoretical knowledge like a dry sponge andbined with Jane''s practical teachings, she was quickly gaining a lot of experience.


    In just the span of a few days, she became even more knowledgeable than Jane in the field.


    Jane as well was nothing but full of praises for Sylvia. She had only done this on a whim and didn''t quite expect it to amount to anything.


    But in the end, Sylvia had turned out to be so talented in this aspect, that she even handed over the duty of taking care of the herb gardens of the castle to the young woman.


    And Sylvia, of course, happily epted it. She liked spending time with the nts.


    It gave her peace of mind and tranquility that was beyond reason.


    Also, there was another added benefit.


    The gardens were located on the castle grounds and the new beast friends Sylvia who had made, often strolled around to visit her of their own volition.


    Jane had caught Sylvia petting a beast or two a couple of times and she was dumbfounded initially, but then after seeing her so many times with the beasts, even she had to admit that the young woman had a way with them.


    So, she caved and let the matter go.


    She also didn''t want to restrict the poor girl''s freedom so much so that she couldn''t even pet a beast or two.


    That would be too cruel Jane thought.


    So Jane just let her be and do whatever she wanted. Without Mikel around, there really wasn''t much to do in the castle either.


    Fearing the consequences of their previous actions, even Ana and Jenny hadn''t run into Sylvia for a while and it looked as if they were purposefully avoiding her.


    So all in all, Sylvia was quite chipper these days. Things possibly couldn''t be going any better for her.


    But yet¡­ there was something weighing heavily on her mind¡­


    "Oh my gosh, dearie. You are so smart. You have a green thumb for sure. Look at how everything is growing."


    Jane chuckled, sipping her tea. The two of them were sitting at a table and taking a small break after their day''s work.


    "Even the miara weed which is not supposed to be thriving so much is now growing like an actual weed."


    "Just what magic did you do dear? Aha ha ha ha." Jane added, her words instantly making Sylvia turn and look at her dazedly as if she had just spelled out what was there on her mind.


    She immediately realized that she might have struck a chord with the young woman and Jane quickly exined.


    "Sorry. Sorry. I know you can''t do magic. I didn''t mean to point it out. I just meant that you are very very talented dearie."


    "Not many people can do what you are good at child. You should have seen Ana during her first month of helping me here."


    "The herb garden was almost ruined due to her carelessness and I had to work hard to bring the nts back from theher world. Aha ha ha ha."


    "Thanks, Mrs. Jane." Sylvia as well smiled and shyly mumbled in response. She was not used to being praised like this.


    "Why are you thanking me, dear? I can only give you these empty words. Sigh."


    "Child, if only your luck was better. With talent like yours, you could have easily gotten a job in the mage association."


    "A lot of the mages are alchemists and they depend heavily on these herbs. You could have made quite a penny."


    "But s¡­" Jane sighed, her face genuinely concerned and not showing fake empathy. "Was it your rtives dear, who sold you?"


    "Ah~ Sorry if I am being too intrusive. I still remember the very first day his highness brought you here."


    "You were shaking and shivering in fright and now things are better at least, right?"


    Sylvia smiled bitterly. What was the point of thinking about the past anymore? For better or for worse, this was her new life.

 Chapter 76 - New Friends Part4

    Sylvia chatted with Jane for a bit more but she was slightly reserved with her words today.


    Not that she didn''t want to pour her heart out to Jane about unfairly her uncle and aunt had sold her away for a paltry sum of money, but she had other things weighing heavily on her mind today.


    Just as Jane had pointed it out several times today and in these past few days, Sylvia had also been wondering about her so-called talent and skills.


    More importantly, she couldn''t forget two specific lines she had read in one of the books.


    "A gifted mage has high mana affinity, but other professions can also equally benefit from a high mana affinity."


    "Mining, gem inscription, herbalism, rearing, alchemy, almost all of the trade skills required a keen eye, solid brain, and most important of all, a high mana affinity."


    Sylvia muttered inwardly, as her thoughts swirled in a loop inside her brain.


    No matter how much she thought about it, she found herselfing to the same conclusion again and again.


    Even Leol had told her the same thing.


    Just from how the nts and animals were responding to her, it was impossible for her to not have any mana affinity.


    She should at the least be able to do weak chore magic spells.


    And then there was her glowing crescent tattoo and how Mikel was being mysteriously weird about it.


    Sylvia could never forget the day when the man had stripped her down without any cloth on her body and inspected her from head to toe, searching for this very tattoo.


    Perhaps she was simply grabbing at straws here and hoping for a miracle that could possibly help her get out of this luxurious prison, but still¡­ Sylvia wanted to give it a try.


    "Mrs. Jane, may I please excuse myself. I am feeling a bit lightheaded today." She smiled and hurriedly stood up from the chair, seeing that Jane was in a mood to chat today.


    "Oh no, is everything alright dear? Should I make you some soup?" Jane worriedly asked.


    "I am okay, Mrs. Jane. I am sure I just need some sleep to feel all better." Sylvia nodded and quickly started clearing out the teacups from the table and ced them on the tray nearby.


    Jane stopped her with her hand and generously offered. "Don''t worry about this dearie. Why don''t you head back to your room and take a rest?"


    "I can clear this and finish thest of the cleaning left by myself."


    "Thanks a lot, Mrs. Jane." Sylvia bowed and didn''t stand on ceremony, readily epting the help.


    As her long silver hair fluttered in the wind, she turned on her heels and walked briskly but not back to the servant''s quarters.


    She headed straight for the library tower which possibly contained a million books or even more.


    She didn''t know how long the devil was away from the castle, and she needed to figure things out before then and this was the perfect ce for that.


    She pushed open the gigantic metallic doors of the library and then hurriedly ran over to the isle which had basic mana maniption books.


    Sylvia had visited the library several times this past week for learning about the various herbs and nts.


    So she was somewhat familiar with the room and where certain books were. She fumbled through the several thick books and finally got the one that she was looking for.


    Huff. Huff. Huff. Sylvia panted, finally flopping onto the marble floor and taking a breather.


    "Basic Mana Maniption. This is it." She muttered and closed her eyes.


    Perhaps she was expecting a bit too much from random coincidences and wild assumptions but Sylvia''s heart was thumping wildly.


    She had a good feeling about this.


    "I can do this. I can do this." She muttered, clenching her fists subconsciously.


    She knew that the council''s mana affinity tests were wless.


    There have never been cases where someone who was tested negative in their childhood, tested once again positive in their adulthood.


    But yet, Sylvia found herself hopeful.


    "Okay. Slow and steady. Slow and steady. I can do this." She told herself and flipped open the pages.


    Her eyes hurriedly searched for the basic magic spells, the zero-circle magic spells.


    These were the basic spellsmonly known as chore magic, which anyone with even the tiniest bit of mana affinity was able to do.


    They didn''t require a mana core formation in the body. They didn''t require anyplicated mana cirction techniques.


    They also didn''t require a lot of mana.


    This set of magic spells was literally the basic maniption of the elements swirling around a living being in everyday life.


    "Okay, here it is." Sylvia''s fingers paused, trembling slightly as she flipped open to the specific page.


    "Here it is. Ignis, the fire magic spell."


    "Ignis. Ignis. Ignis." Sylvia memorized the word. This was the spell for conjuring a small spark of fire.


    Since she had seen Cassius do it once and Jane do it many many times back at the kitchen, Sylvia decided to start with this spell first.


    She closed the book, keeping it down gently by her side, on the marble floor.


    She then adjusted her position to sit in a crossed-legged meditative lotus pose and calmly inhaled and exhaled.


    "Feel the energy around and call on it,manding it with the will and spirit of the self. Ok, I can do this." Sylvia muttered.


    She inhaled and exhaled calmly trying to feel something, anything in the air around her.


    In and out¡­


    In and out¡­


    In and out¡­


    She sat there and continued to breathe calmly, huddled between two gigantic bookshelves, determined to see this through today.


    Minutes trickled by and slowly they became hours¡­


    Sylvia, however, still did not feel a thing. She couldn''t even feel the slight breeze as she was shut inside the library.


    But she was also not prepared to give up just yet and continued with her breathing exercise, slowly and steadily pacing herself.

 Chapter 77 - Have You Already Forgotten Me?

    The morning sun danced brightly outside, but within the huge library, it was still quite dark, especially with the curtains not drawn.


    A young woman was peacefully sleeping inside the library on the marble floor, which thankfully had a rug on top of it.


    Her silver hair was messily sprawled on the maroon-colored rug with small floral patterns, the rug making her look paler than she was and even some drool was leaking out of her pillowy lips.


    Sylvia was fast asleep,pletely tired and wiped out and unbeknownst to her, a shadow was currently looming on top of her.


    "Wake up, kitten."


    "You might catch a cold here. Why don''t you head back to your room and continue sleeping?"


    Mmm¡­ Sylvia hummed in annoyance, ignoring the voice that was disturbing her sleep.


    She nuzzled her head on her hand and continued happily dozing away.


    Mikel couldn''t help but chuckle, looking at the girl''s sleepy face.


    He had also returned back just this morning and had been plenty tired from his trip, but looking at this girl, he felt as if he was already recharged.


    Hezily sat down next to her, leaning his back on the bookshelf. He then lifted the girl''s head gently to ce it on hisp.


    Her warm face felt heavenly as he touched her with his cold hands.


    Sylvia winced a bit but she quickly continued sleeping just like before without noticing anything.


    In fact, she felt morefortable now and was breathing more steadily.


    Mikel gazed at her for a while and then lifted the couple of books thatid on the floor.


    As he observed the title on the books, his eyebrows knitted together and his lips curved upwards.


    "Reading about magic, are we?"


    "What a smart little kitten you are¡­ Heh." The man stroked the long silky silver strands which slipped through his fingers.


    "But what made you suddenly think?" He wondered.


    And since Sylvia hadn''t cleaned herself up yet, it didn''t take long for Mikel to catch a whiff of the slight scent of beasts still lingering on the woman.


    "Heh. It seems like a lot has happened in my absence?" The man chuckled. "I definitely can''t afford to leave you alone by yourself any longer."


    He traced the woman on hisp with his finger. He ran his index finger over her forehead, and then her nose and then her lips and then trailing down all the way to her chest, moving ever so slightly up and down as she breathed.


    She looked so delicate and defenseless but Mikel knew better. On hisp was one of the most powerful beings alive.


    She was not just any means to achieve his end. She was the only answer.


    She was his one and only chess piece, his most important weapon against the Kingdom.


    Mikel gazed at her alluring figure, her hidden curves, her slender waist, her mesmerizing face¡­


    There was no doubt that he was captivated by her beauty. Any man would. But he was not a fool to fall for her beauty.


    She might look innocent and lovable now¡­ However, that was just a facade¡­


    The beast underneath was probably savage and vicious and wouldn''t hesitate to tear him apart if she got the chance.


    Mikel sighed and then leaned forward to nt a gentle kiss on the woman''s forehead when a pair of clear blue eyes shed open and stared back at him in utter shock.


    Sylvia had finally woken up from her deep sleep and the first face she saw after waking up¡­ was the devil''s face???


    Gudang! Her heart sank as if someone had drenched her with freezing cold water.


    "Why are you so surprised? Have you already forgotten me?" Mikel chuckled.


    Ah! Sylvia gasped and quickly scrambled up, getting away from the man at lightning speed.


    Her head hit his in the process but she couldn''t care less about it. She rubbed it whilst continuing to scurry away from him until her back hit against the bookshelf.


    "Calm down, kitten. I am not nning to eat you up!" Mikel sighed, smiling bitterly.


    This girl always acted as if she was so scared of him but clearly, she had been very busy when he was not around.


    "Ummm¡­ your highness. This¡­ I didn''t mean to sleep here. I am so sorry." Sylvia mumbled as she continued inching away from the devil.


    She didn''t even remember falling asleep.


    Thest thing she remembered was being extremely frustrated the previous night because she was unable to cast any magic spells no matter how much she tried.


    She just couldn''t manipte mana at all and how could she? She after all had zero affinity.


    She was a fool to even have tried something like that in the first ce.


    How could things ever be so easy?


    Unlike some women who miraculously turned from rags into riches overnight, Sylvia was never one to be lucky.


    What was she expecting? For some reason, the crescent mark on her chest would make her some sort of a powerful mage?


    Bah! What aughable notion! Sylvia sighed, letting out a long breath of disappointment.


    She stopped scurrying away and shifted her gaze to look up at the man in front of her. This was it. He was it. He was probably her entire future.


    To live in the shadows¡­ to be his ve¡­ to please him at his beck and call¡­ this was probably her life.


    Sylvia fought holding back the tears threatening to spill out of her eyes.


    "Don''t look so glum, my kitten. Have I really treated you that bad?" Mikel cocked his head to the side, observing the woman, and all of her expressions.


    He then chuckled and leisurely stood up, dusting his back. "Get up and change into something more decent. We are leaving somewhere."


    Sylvia absentmindedly nodded.


    She was not particrly in a mood for his shenanigans, but she had no other option.


    She as well slowly stood up and followed him, walking out of the library.

 Chapter 78 - The Kings Castle Part1

    "Something more decent¡­ Something more decent¡­" Sylvia muttered as she furrowed her brows and flipped through the stacks of clothes she had.


    "Arghhh. I am upset, damn it! I am not in the mood to pick out a dress and doll myself up." She scoffed angrily pushing the stack of clothes onto the floor.


    She was back in her small room in the servant''s quarters but the resentment in her heart was still raging.


    So many coincidences! So many hopes! In the end, none of it amounted to anything. She had tried all night and she was still just a weak little ve girl.


    Sylvia flopped onto her bed, her body unwilling to move any longer.


    "Bah! Aren''t you always undressing me? Why don''t you dress me up this time by yourself, you damned devil!"


    She scolded the man and then a couple of secondster, her cheeks flushing red from the realization of what she had spoken.


    "Sigh. Where the hell is he even taking me now?" Her thoughts wandered.


    Thest time he had taken her out, it was for a hunting trip with the little devil, who was supposedly back at the academy now.


    Though the devil had endlessly bullied her all throughout the trip, making all sorts of threats, the trip in itself was not too bad.


    She ended up seeing a powerful magical beast in person and also very powerful mages in action. Not to mention her pathetic escape attempt.


    Sylvia''s dull face suddenly brightened up as she realized something important. Last time she had failed, but perhaps this time¡­


    She bounced off of the bed in high spirits and got down, picking back up all the dresses that had fallen onto the floor.


    "Let me see¡­ which one is decent?" She hummed with a light smile on her face.


    This trip, no matter where it was, she was determined to make the best use of it.


    While Sylvia busily searched through the dresses, a light knock sounded on her door.


    "Hmm¡­ who is this?" She wondered, as Jane usually knocked a bit louder and most often three times.


    Sylvia quickly opened the door, only to find a sullen-faced young woman standing at her room''s door.


    Ana looked miserable. She red at Sylvia as if she wanted to kill her with a dagger, tearing open her organs and all.


    "Umm¡­ Do you need something?" Sylvia asked, slightly confused.


    "Hmph. Here. Take this." Ana turned her head, looking away, whilst shoving something in Sylvia''s hand.


    Huh? Sylvia gazed down, her eyes instantly blinded by something sparkling and bright.


    "This¡­ This dress is for me?" She gulped, looking back up at Ana again, waiting for an exnation.


    Just from a nce, she could tell that what she was holding was an extremely expensive dress, the likes of which Sylvia had never before seen in her life.


    While these two were staring at each other, one in hate and one in surprise, Jane''s voice came screaming in through the doorway.


    "Aye. Ana, why are you still standing here? Make haste. Make haste. Was his highness not clear enough for you?" She reprimanded the maid.


    She then looked at Sylvia and waved her hand. "Dearie,e here fast. Let me prepare you for the evening."


    "Ummm¡­ What, Mrs. Jane? Prepare me?" Sylvia blinked.


    Jane didn''t bother exining it to her anymore and decided to show it to her instead.


    She dragged Sylvia out of her room and brought her to one of the guest rooms in the castle, with Ana trailing behind them sullenly.


    Inside the room, Sylvia gasped to find a huge bathtub just like the one Mikel had used.


    Moreover, the tub was seemingly filled with flower petals and various herbs floating on top of the water.


    A heavenly scent wafted from the bath, instantly rxing the young woman gawking at this setup.


    "What the¡­" Sylvia muttered.


    "Get in, dearie." Jane all but pushed her into the room and started undressing her.


    "Ah~" Sylvia quickly shrunk back, not used to undressing in front of other women.


    "Aha Ha Ha. What a shy girl you are! I also have everything you have dear. So stop being so shy and let me help you get ready." Jane shook her head helplessly. "It is our duty to prepare the guests of the castle." She further added, giggling.


    Ana, however, didn''t let that smallment pass and quickly chimed in. "Hmph. She is just a ve."


    "Eh? Ana, what happened to you today?" Jane paused, asking her in puzzlement. She didn''t know why the young woman was being so rude today.


    "Nothing. Sorry, Mrs. Jane." Ana apologized, but it was clear that she didn''t mean it.


    Jane could only sigh. She was too old to not notice the jealousy in the woman''s eyes.


    "Ana, his highness asked us to prepare her. So you better get working." She warned her onest time, before returning back to helping Sylvia get out of her dress.


    Ana gritted her teeth, silently swallowing her frustrations. She didn''t dare offend Jane, so she quietly tried to join them.


    The two of them, Jane and Sylvia were giggling together, as if they were having loads of fun which only made Ana feel even more miserable.


    And after the undressing was finished, she then had to tolerate Sylvia''s shy and innocent act.


    She watched her as the woman nervously covered her chest with her one hand and her lower waist with her other hand as if she was a precious delicate virgin.


    It drove her crazy.


    Who are you putting on this show for??? You and I both know what a slut you are and how you have been warming his majesty''s bed! So why are you acting all dainty and pure??


    Ana cursed her inwardly, aggravated just from the sight of the woman''s wless face.


    She couldn''t help but want to be in Sylvia''s ce. It was not fair that the damned ve had somehow caught his majesty''s eyes while she herself hadn''t.


    She was just as beautiful as her. She was sure of it. But yet¡­ life was unfair to her!

 Chapter 79 - The Kings Castle Part2

    Sylvia stepped into the bath, only rxing her tense muscles as the petals and the herbs floating around covered her, making it impossible for the others to see her naked body.


    The water was slightly on the warmer side and it felt like heaven as it touched her skin, perfectlyplimenting the cold and chilly mornings that followed the freezing nights.


    Especially since she had slept in the library all night, Sylvia felt a lot better in the warm bath.


    Her cheeks brightened with a natural rosy hue and the soreness in her heart and her body slowly dissipated.


    This was the first time Sylvia had taken a proper bath aftering to the castle.


    "Aha Ha Ha. Is it feeling good?" Jane chuckled seeing the intoxicated look on the young girl''s face.


    Sylvia shyly nodded, unable to refute the things that were written on her face.


    "Why don''t you enjoy for a bit more child. Let me prepare the other things." Jane chuckled and walked away but not before reminding Ana to rub Sylvia''s back.


    Ana''s face turned bitter as if she had just chewed on ginger and red at Sylvia hatefully.


    "Don''t expect me to be a freaking handmaid to a ve." She scoffed under her breath and stormed away without daring to openly shout at Sylvia, who on the other hand, couldn''t care less about it.


    She was enjoying her heavenly bath, momentarily forgetting the other things which awaited her after the bath and scrubbed herself clean.


    After a while when Sylvia almost fell asleep in the tub, Jane returned carrying tworge towels with her.


    "Hurry up, dearie. Let me get you ready." She urged her and quickly helped her get out of the tub.


    She then helped Sylvia dry herself up and rubbed her long silver strands with the towel.


    "I can do it myself, Mrs. Jane. Please don''t trouble yourself." Sylvia tried to refuse, feeling awkward to be treated like this, but Jane wouldn''t have it.


    She shooed away her pleas and quickly helped her change into a fresh set of petticoat and inner garments.


    She then helped her into a embroidered corset, pulling it extra tight in the back to make her seductive curves stand out.


    After that, Jane brought over Sylvia to the next room where there was a huge wooden dressing table, on top of whichid several gorgeous pieces of jewelery.


    Sylvia stood frozen at the doorstep itself never having seen so much wealth in front of her.


    "Mrs. Jane¡­ This¡­???" She was beyond shocked. For amoner like herself, something like this was scary more than anything else.


    "Ha Ha. Don''t worry child. His highness personally gave me these. They are all yours to wear." The woman patted Sylvia''s back.


    Sylvia gulped and dumbfoundedly stared at the dazzling gems. What the hell? Is he preparing me for some sort of human sacrifice? She was now genuinely scared.


    As if this was not enough, Jane took out the dress which she had carefully ced on the side.


    It was a gorgeous teal colored dress with a spectacr gem craftsmanship.


    The floral patterns on the dress was lined with diamonds and pearls, making the dress extremely beautiful.


    Jane helped Sylvia get into the dress first, her body snugly fitting in it and then zipped her up, tying all the knots on the back.


    The dress had a high neck and low back and its length extended all the way to her ankles.


    As Sylvia twirled around curiously looking at the patterns on the dress and the way it reflected the sunlight splendidly, Jane couldn''t help but take a step back and stare at the woman in front of her.


    The teal dress perfectlyplimented her deep blue eyes and her paleplexion, making her seem even more ethereal than usual.


    Not every woman could hold her own donned in such a fine piece of clothing.


    More often than not, the person would be lost within, making the dress the actual star.


    But in Sylvia''s case it was different.


    The dress though spectacr lost to her in the end and it only ended up being a prop to enhance her looks and features.


    "Oh my¡­" Jane giggled, satisfied with the oue and then further added, nudging Sylvia lightly. "His highness will be very pleased. I hope you have a pleasant evening dearie."


    Sylvia gasped at thepliment and quickly looked at her reflection in the mirror to check. Did she really look that good?


    The dress was heavy and she couldn''t breathe too well because of the corset tightening her waist, but she did look quite good.


    Sylvia, however, was not happy unlike Jane. She only became more nervous thinking about the devil and his devious ns for her.


    Did he decorate her so that he could¡­ Were they going to¡­


    She cracked her knuckles making Jane giggle some more. "Why are you so nervous, dear?"


    "Umm¡­" Do I really have to state the obvious. Sylvia cried inwardly.


    Jane pushed her shoulders down, making the woman sit in front of the dressing table and started adorning her with pieces of jewelery.


    A pair of diamond earrings, a choker studded with various sparkling gemstones and even anklets lined with emeralds and rubies.


    The jewelery instantly made the dress much heavier and Sylvia smiled bitterly. She saw that Jane wasn''t even done yet.


    She braided her long silver hair in some sort of a fancy pattern and pinned it with leaf and flower shaped gem studded hairpins.


    And when she was finally done, Sylvia stood up, only to almost fall back down again.


    The dress and the jewelery ended up being almost as heavy as her and maybe even more!


    "Mrs. Jane, this is too much." Sylvia protested, but only to get a excited smile in return from kind head maid.


    "Look at you! You look absolutely stunning. Mwah!"


    "This is your night child. Don''t fuss too much and try to enjoy yourself. These kind of opportunities don''te too often."


    The woman even gave her a flying kiss. Why are you more excited than me! Sylvia didn''t know whether tough or cry.

 Chapter 80 - The Kings Castle Part3

    After finishing thest touches of light make up that amplified her natural beauty, Jane brought Sylvia over to the castle''s grand hall, where Mikel was resting on a leather couch, his gaze distant and lingering somewhere else.


    "Your highness."


    "Your highness."


    The two of them bowed and announced their arrival, but Mikel did not spare them a nce, getting up and walking out of the hall in deep thought.


    Sylvia and Jane, both hurriedly followed him, awaiting further instructions.


    However, Mikel remained silent all the way. He strolled out of the castle and got into the carriage waiting outside wordlessly.


    The man was clearly troubled by something.


    Sylvia wondered what it could be when she heard his voice again. "Get in." He said.


    Sylvia gulped and got into the carriage, slightly fumbling around. The heavy attire was really making her work, her bncepletely skewed.


    And as she sat down, diagonally opposite to Mikel, still eying him warily from the corner of her eyes, the gown flowed upying almost half of the carriage.


    It even touched Mikel who was sitting in the other corner, making him turn his head and look at her questioningly.


    Sylvia shrugged lightly, letting out a sigh. She did not know what else to say. After all, he was the one who had gifted her the dress to wear.


    But under his gaze, she felt her face slowly heating up. In that small space, there was no one except the two of them, not even Theo or Cassius this time.


    She felt the man''s eyes linger on her for a second before he turned to look out the carriage window once again, still remaining silent.


    That''s it? No snarkyments? No harassing words? She was a bit taken aback.


    Sylvia didn''t know why but she felt a little disappointed. The man had clearly looked at her but it seemed as though he looked past her as if she wasn''t present there.


    She already knew that she was just a ve.


    She was not the man''s wife or mistress for him to whisper sweet nothings in her ear and sing praises of her beauty.


    So she knew better than to expect anything from him.


    Damn it. Isn''t it better this way? Sylvia shook her head lightly, putting such thoughts out of her mind.


    Perhaps Jane had praised her a bit too much and it got to her head, for her to think about such things.


    She neither wanted nor needed his acknowledgment and his attention.


    She looked at him, stealing another quick nce to notice that he was also dressed in fancier clothes just like her.


    He was wearing a sleek ck jacket with jade cuff links and a white silk shirt.


    With his golden hairbed back in ce, the devil looked particrly handsome this evening.


    But for some reason, he was also very distant. He was being unusually silent and Sylvia''s heart raced even more so because of it.


    She sighed, letting out a deep breath and then turned her head the other side, looking outside the window as well just like him.


    The carriage soon started moving and it flew through the castle grounds covering great distance in a short time.


    Within a minute, they had already reached the castle outer gates, where the guards bowed and stepped aside to let them out.


    Sylvia dazedly looked outside, wondering where they were headed to when suddenly her neck started burning all of a sudden.


    At first, she thought perhaps she was having a itch or a weird reacting to the choker on her neck, but then the burning sensation heightened and a stinging stabbing pain enveloped her entire neck.


    Ahhh. Ahhh¡­ Ah¡­.


    Sylvia screamed in agony clutching her neck. She couldn''t even get any words out and she didn''t know what the hell was happening.


    She stood up from her seat fumbling forward, now kneeling on the carriage floor in pain.


    Mikel, however, was still looking out and didn''t react at all as if he couldn''t hear her screams.


    Without any other option left, Sylvia raised her hand with great effort and clutched his hand that was resting on the seat beside him.


    Only then did the man finally snap out of his reverie and turned to look at her.


    Sylvia couldn''t even get any more words out, even to scream in pain and looked at him pleadingly.


    Mikel gazed at her writhing in agony and then casually clicked his tongue. "Oh. I forgot."


    He leaned forward to yank the thin silver chain out from under the jewelery and the heavy dress and mumbled something under his breath.


    And immediately afterward, the agonizing pain ceased to exist, disappearingpletely.


    Sylvia hurriedly gathered her strength and touched her neck to see if she was bleeding or injured but everything remained the same and the chain now emitted a cool sensation.


    She looked up to gaze at Mikel, but the man had once again turned his head away to look outside the window.


    Sylvia had no words. She opened and closed her parted lips, sitting like a statue on the carriage floor.


    She then stood up to sat back up on the seat diagonally opposite to him, an unfathomable bitterness in her eyes.


    She wiped her tears and silently looked outside, her tapered fingers clutching her dress tightly, an action that was drowned in the folds of her evening gown.


    "That''s the leash." Mikel''s voice sounded after a while. "You were bound to the castle and now you are bound to me."


    "Your neck started burning because we left the bounds of the castle. It would be best if you remembered this feeling."


    "Where we are going, you should stick close to me, else you might just get yourself burnt into a crisp." He warned her, probably so that this time she wouldn''t try and escape.


    Sylvia nodded without turning to look at him. She didn''t want to see him. She simply continued looking outside, myriad thoughts running in her mind.

 Chapter 81 - The Kings Castle Part4

    The roads of the royal city were busy with people walking and carriages rushing around here and there.


    Sylvia''s sore mood lingered, but the colorful sights took her mind off of things.


    The sky had already turned dark, and she only needed to lightly lean forward to see the several carriages headed in the same direction.


    The gems on the carriages were glittering even in the dull light of the streetmps, which made Sylvia assume that most of the crowd was from the wealthier parts of society.


    Otherwise, they wouldn''t have been able to afford these mana-rich gems just to enhance the speed of their carriages.


    Breaking her thoughts, Mikel''s voice disinterestedly drawled on. "The castle is a huge ce¡­"


    "I won''t be able to keep an eye on you at all time, but if you use that opportunity to wander around¡­"


    "You already know the consequences."


    "I understand, your highness." Sylvia nodded with a bitter smile. "I could have just stayed behind in the castle."


    "Perhaps in the confines of a locked room if it would make his highness worry less." She added, the sarcasm in her voice notpletely hidden.


    Her sharp words made Mikel turn around to look at her, perhaps for the first time this evening.


    The thoughts jumbled up in his mind instantly disappeared like sheep running out of a meadow at the sight of a wolf.


    Mikel was slightly startled to see the elegant woman sitting in front of him.


    If he hadn''t seen or known Sylvia before, he would have assumed her to be a treasured princess of some kingdom.


    He couldn''t take his eyes off of her even for a second.


    Sylvia felt the man''s gaze on her and shifted her legs ufortably, knowing that she had crossed a line.


    "Where are we headed to, your highness?" she asked, changing the subject.


    "The King''s castle," Mikel replied almost immediately, his eyes visibly filled with doubts.


    Just like Sylvia pointed out, he had already started to rethink his n of bringing her here.


    He had dressed her up in a fine gown and expensive jewelry so that she would blend in with the crowd, but it turns out that he had miscalcted.


    Someone like Sylvia could never blend in. She would most likely stand out even among the crowd of simrly dressed beautiful women.


    Mikel sighed, the tiredness visible in his deep breath.


    He knew that the day was going to be a long one, but it was crucial that things went as nned so that he didn''t arouse anyone''s suspicions.


    "What do you want from life?" He asked abruptly, almost startling Sylvia. She couldn''t understand his question, or rather the motive behind his question.


    She had been thinking about what sort of a man was Kalindor''s King and how would the King''s castle look like when Mikel had suddenly sprung this weird question on her.


    It was not that she didn''t have the answer to this question. It was just that she would probably never get it.


    "I want to be free, your highness." She replied, her blue eyes curiously gazing at the man, waiting for his response.


    In truth, it was something else that she wanted.


    Rather than simple freedom, she wanted the power and strength to be able to fight for her freedom on her own.


    While the former was never guaranteed tost, she could at least count on thetter for the rest of her life.


    But Sylvia didn''t dare to say this out loud, lest she made things more difficult for herself. So she phrased it differently to not ruffle any unnecessary feathers.


    Mikel looked at the woman, his solemn face finally breaking out into a smile for the first time this evening.


    "Just that much? Don''t you want bags of golds and gems? An estate perhaps?" He asked her, his lips curving upwards.


    Sylvia rolled her eyes at the man, who was unmistakably mocking her now. She turned her head to look outside, unwilling to continue this conversation as it was headed nowhere.


    The devil, on the other hand, was not quite finished with this conversation.


    "Alright. What if I can give you what you want?" He casucally added, making Sylvia instantly freeze and stiffen up as soon as his words fell on her ears.


    Huh? She turned to stare at him in confusion. Was he simply messing with her, or was he telling the truth?


    Either way, she knew him too well and he was not that generous to grant something so precious without terms and conditions.


    "What would you require from me in return, your highness?" She asked.


    Mikel grinned. "Kitten, you are too smart for your own good." He then paused before continuing. "I want three things from you."


    The devil leaned forward to ce three of his long tapered fingers in front of Sylvia.


    "The first one being for you to be on your best behavior tonight."


    "You are my recently acquired sex ve, and I am infatuated with you. Hence, I am parading you along for the night to show you off... as a trophy of sorts."


    "This is the story that we will stick to. Do you understand?" He asked her, his gaze and his voice as serious as they can be.


    Sylvia gulped and nodded obediently. Her heart raced, hoping that these words from the man were not some sort of trickery.


    He was honest with her for once and was talking to her openly about what he needed from her, even trading her freedom in return!


    But could she truly believe him? Sylvia didn''t know.


    He was the most untrustworthy and shrewd man whom she had evere across. However, his words tonight were different. She could feel it. He was serious this time.


    "What are the other two conditions, your highness?" She asked nervously.


    "The other two¡­" Mikel ran his long fingers through his neatlybed hair and leaned back to return to his former position.


    "I will tell you when the timees." He muttered, looking outside.

 Chapter 82 - The Kings Castle Part5

    The carriage had already neared the royal castle and so it had slowed down considerably to allow for the regtion of traffic.


    Sylvia peeked out to see that long lines of carriages were heading in and out of the castle main gate, which was somewhat simr to the devil''s castle gates.


    The inside, however, was not as rough and untamed.


    Fresh green leaves and creepers decorated the main gates and the interior was vast with huge tall trees and well-maintained lush gardens.


    Primly shaped bushes and nts with different colored flowers were tastefully arranged, making the garden entire breathtaking and a work of art.


    Crossing these gardens, the carriage finally came to a halt when their turn arrived.


    Unlike the devil''s castle, Sylvia noticed that the main royal castle didn''t have too much space between the main gates and the castle gates.


    She assumed that it was probably because of how busy the King''s castle could get.


    Guests only barely visited their castle, with Prince Nics and Lady Prisce the only two to have ever visited Mikel in her presence, but surely the King''s castle was much livelier?


    The door of the carriage was opened when Mikel abruptly took out a mask from his spatial ring and shoved it into Sylvia''s hand.


    He then stood up without any exnation to elegantly step out of the carriage, wearing some sort of a mask himself, a ck mask that didn''t cover much of his face.


    Sylvia followed his actions and quickly put on the silver mask in her hands that matched her long silver strands.


    Her mask was rather more borate than Mikel''s and it covered three-fourths of her face including her forehead, revealing only her eyes, and the lower half of her face.


    It essentially masked her identity and someone would probably not recognize her to be the same person if they saw her on the street the next day.


    Sylvia didn''t quite understand what this fuss was all about but she was determined to be on her best behavior as her freedom depended on it.


    After tightening the mask around her face, she gracefully stepped out, when a couple of handmaids standing nearby hurried forward and helped her straighten out her dress.


    Sylvia bowed, silently thanking the maids, and quickly stepped forward joining Mikel. The man smiled, his thin lips curving upwards as he extended a hand towards her.


    Sylvia gulped. She sighed remembering his words and didn''t hesitate too much.


    She raised her own hand as well and shyly looked down as the devil linked her arm within his.


    The two of them then walked forward, hand in hand, standing side by side.


    Sylvia''s face was gradually getting heated up as she felt more and more eyes starting to look towards her.


    They had only taken a few steps but there were already so many people around them, men and women of high social standing, dressed just like her in expensive clothing and jewelry.


    Everyone had donned on masks and were murmuring, standing in their small groups. They were all getting inside the castle one by one, their arrivals announced in order to the King.


    "Your highness¡­ this¡­ what is happening?" Sylvia muttered under her breath, only for Mikel to hear.


    "Eh? For a smart kitten, you are so slow in some things. It''s a masquerade ball and you are my partner for the evening." Mikel lightly pulled her, bringing her body closer to him.


    "Ball¡­?" Sylvia asked in confusion. She knew about the winter ball and the summer ball which was typically held in the castle every year.


    A chance to participate in one of these balls at least once in their lifetime used to be every young girl''s dream in her small town.


    But why a ball now, suddenly?


    "It''s for the Quilin beast. The King is celebrating the defeat of the magical beast." Mikel exined.


    "It''s mostly to raise the morals of the citizens as some of them are scared by this incident."


    Ah! Sylvia nodded in realization. She had seen the terrifying magical beast up close so she knew first hand just how scary it was.


    "Please head this way, your highness." The guard bowed when Mikel and Sylvia reached the main hall, walking past the several others who were waiting in the long corridor.


    Since Mikel was the firstborn son of the King, a royal prince, he was obviously given special treatment and he didn''t have to wait in the line like others.


    Even though he was not the Crown Prince because of his shorings, he was still favored by the King and his status in the society was no less than any of his other brothers.


    As soon as the two of them stepped into the main hall, Sylvia gulped as her gaze inevitablynded on the man sitting on the throne at the end of the giant hall.


    "His highness Prince Mikel." Another guard announced their arrival.


    Sylvia immediately looked down, not daring to see anywhere else.


    Just like when she had stepped inside the stable full of magical beasts for the first time, a frighteningly powerful aura assaulted her from the many many powerful people standing around them at the moment.


    Her grip on Mikel''s hand subconsciously tightened and the man as well wrapped his hand around hers in aforting manner as if he was assuring her that everything would be alright.


    They didn''t stand there for long.


    Mikel bowed, with Sylvia quickly following him, bowing even deeper and then the two of them quietly moved aside away from the center of the hall.


    "Stay here." Mikel leaned closer to whisper in her ears and then quickly walked up to the middle-aged man sitting on the throne, the King.


    Sylvia looked at his back, wondering if he was paying respects to his father in person, but then she quickly took her gaze back down and leaned on the pir behind her for some support.


    It had only been 2 minutes since they had arrived but she already felt tired and drained out.

 Chapter 83 - Dancing With The Devil Part1

    Standing as a part of the background, Sylvia silently watched Mikel. He had already walked up to the throne and was now exchanging a few words with the King.


    He then turned around to leave and she noticed that he didn''t greet the Queen, who was sitting right beside the King.


    Even from afar, Sylvia could tell that the Queen was a rare beautiful woman. She had a kind smile on her face and effortlessly stood out among thedies near her, her beauty not losing out to women younger than her.


    But Mikel barely acknowledged her and was already on his way back to Sylvia. She wondered if the man simply didn''t get along with the Queen or was there anything more to it.


    Not to mention, Jane had told her about the ident which had imed the life of Mikel''s mother and sister on the same day, leaving himself as well almost dead.


    But¡­ that was none of her business¡­


    She quickly adjusted her position to make sure she looked graceful and elegant just like the other women around her and gazed at Mikel as he walked back to her.


    The man shed her a warm smile, and he then extended his hand towards her bowing lightly like a true gentleman.


    Sylvia could instantly feel herself bing the center of attraction and she cursed him inwardly for making that happen.


    Nevertheless, she managed to keep her cool and bowed lightly in return, cing her hand in his, acting like how ady from a noble family was supposed to.


    Mikel then guided the two of them as they walked away from the main hall to a nearby hall that looked just as big as the main hall, but was dimly lit, allowing the people to mingle more freely.


    Musicians ying various instruments were standing in the corners and a beautiful melody drifted in the air.


    The music filled the entire ballroom, caressing every nook and corner. It was a heart-warming soulful melody with a tinge of sadness to it.


    Sylvia had never experienced such an atmosphere before. It was truly magical even though the ballroom was somewhat crowded.


    It looked like every single noble family in the kingdom had arrived at the castle today with men and women wearing masks that made it difficult to pin point their identity.


    There was an allure to this sort of mystery which sprinkled even more excitement in the air.


    This was a grand ball! Sylvia gulped, the fever of excitement and the enchanting atmosphere of the room slowly affecting her as well.


    Several couples, young and old, were dancing together. Women covered their mouths and giggled shyly while some men looked embarrassed, their feet clearly not used to dancing.


    While most people were enjoying themselves in the merriment, some of them stood in smaller groups as well and chatted and gossiped to their heart''s content since everyone who was someone was present around them.


    Sylvia could even feel some of their gazes directed at her as they threw judgmental nces at her and her attire, probably wondering who she was and how she managed to grab the prince''s attention.


    She took another deep breath and calmed herself down, not in the least affected by their envious stares.


    As Mikel and Sylvia entered the ballroom a familiar figure rushed towards them. The man did not greet Mikel but rather bowed lightly towards Sylvia first.


    His mask didn''t do much to hide his face and Sylvia could instantly tell who it was.


    Before she could greet him in return, the man had, however, lifted her hand to nt a small kiss on the back of her palm. "Greetings, Mydy. May I please have the pleasure of a dance with you?"


    Sylvia hesitantly turned to look at Mikel who had a visible frown on his face, albeit oneced with amusement and disyed rather jokingly.


    "Why are you always trying to steal my women, Nick?" Mikel chuckled.


    "Aha ha ha. That''s because you are so clearly talented in selecting fine women, my dear brother. Where are you meeting all these impably mesmerizingdies?"


    Sylvia only then realized that Nichs had clearly not recognized her and thought of her as someone else. On top of it, he was once again hitting on her.


    She swallowed the urge to chuckle at this weird situation.


    "Keep your paws off my woman, Nick. Now, if you would please excuse us¡­ we have some dancing to do." Mikel shoved his brother aside, as he dragged Sylvia with him.


    Dancing? Sylvia hadn''t thought this part through. She had taken a few dance lessons when she was younger.


    But she was sure that her skills were no match to the prettydies who were twirling and dancing so perfectly in the huge ballroom.


    The nervousness in her fluttering eyshes did not escape Mikel''s eyes and he cocked his head to the side, leaning closer to her and whispered in her ears.


    "Don''t worry. Just follow my lead"


    Sylvia gulped and tried to remain calm and unfazed.


    "I can do this. I can do this" She muttered under her breath which only made her partner''s lips curve upwards, this time his smile extending to his eyes.


    As the flow of the music changed and the next melody started to drift, Mikel abruptly grabbed the woman in front of him, without any warning, his one hand holding her waist while the other embraced her hand snugly.


    Sylvia snapped her eyes to look at him in a daze. Just sitting in the small carriage with the man had made her so nervous but now she was standing so close to him, her hips swaying to the tune of his feet.


    Thankfully the melody was a slow one so she was able to easily keep up.


    Her own hands, though nervous at first, gradually settled on his back and she gulped meeting the man''s gaze which didn''t seem to have any ns of breaking away from her.

 Chapter 84 - Dancing With The Devil Part2

    As the two of them gently moved to the rhythm of the melody, Sylvia couldn''t help but fall into a trance.


    The man''s gaze was so captivating that she found herself drowning within his ck irises.


    Soon the people around her faded, the surrounding chatter disappeared and even the melody ceased to exist.


    All she could see was the man in front of her and the warm disarming smile on his ridiculously handsome face that was only for her.


    Sylvia knew that she was dancing with the devil, behind held so close to him that his scent tickled her nose.


    He had bullied her countless times, tortured her with his words and actions, and even put a leash around her.


    The man was pure evil. She knew that, but right this second, all those bad memories had conveniently disappeared and she couldn''t fight his allure.


    It was as if she was under a spell and enjoyed his attention even though she knew that it was probably not genuine.


    Time trickled by without her noticing and when finally, the devil stopped moving, he looked at Sylvia with amusement clearly written on his face.


    "How much longer do you want to dance?" He smirked, pulling her closer to hug her tightly in his embrace.


    He then leaned to whisper in her ears. "Are you certain that the only thing you want from me is your freedom?"


    "You seem like someone who wants more. Have you changed your mind? If so, be sure to tell me¡­ I would never say no¡­ in case you want something more"


    The man''s hands dropped from her back to her waist, to hold her most closely, her face pressed against his chest.


    Sylvia shuddered at his words and quickly picked herself back up. Snapping out of her trance, she pushed him away lightly and stepped away from him.


    Mikel chuckled. "Wait for a minute." He then added and disappeared into the crowd to somewhere else.


    Sylvia touched her neck, her dress feeling tighter for some reason, and tried to take a few deep breaths, forcing herself to rx.


    She noticed that she was already standing in a corner and took one more step, leaning against the wall.


    "Argh. What is happening to my brain?" She silently bit her lips and tried to make sense of what just happened.


    "Is this the so-called bad boyplex? How could I be so smitten by that damned devil?!"


    "This ispletely uneptable." She reprimanded herself so that she wouldn''t fall into his deceptive honey trap one more time.


    The man might look like a tall drink of water but she knew better. This tall drink of water is nothing but poison!


    While Sylvia was silently swirling in her own world, she suddenly felt a piercing gaze on her and she looked up to see if Mikel had returned.


    However, there was no one standing in front of her and she still had that odd feeling, as if someone was looking at her.


    Her blue eyes darted here and there restlessly, searching the crowd for the person who was possibly staring at her, but even after a while, she couldn''t find anyone.


    "Why am I getting so worked up over this? Maybe someone is watching me, so what?"


    She calmed herself down as her eyes casually wandered to the gallery at the top where some of the guests were seated.


    Unexpectedly, her gaze met the gaze of another man who was sitting there, atop in the gallery.


    Sylvia couldn''t quite recognize him because he wore a ck mask almost covering his entire face, revealing only his inky ck hair and his crimson fiery eyes.


    For some reason, she found him vaguely familiar but when she tried to search her mind to see if she could have possibly met him before, she was only drawing a nk.


    But one thing was for certain. Just as she looked at him, he was also looking at her.


    As she wondered who it could be, Sylvia suddenly felt a light tap on her shoulder which made her almost jump up in shock.


    When Sylvia turned around, she saw Prisce standing in front of her. "Good evening, Lady¡­?" Her voice drawled on waiting for Sylvia to fill in the nks.


    "Umm¡­" Sylvia hesitated, not knowing how to answer and also unsure if Mikel wanted her to give out any details.


    She was after all determined to be on her best behavior, just like he had asked her to. Her freedom depended on it.


    However, Sylvia''s hesitation seemed only to further add fuel to the fire, as Prisce''s polite and smiling look, slowly started changing.


    "You¡­ Are you¡­" The woman began speaking when a familiar voice cut her in. "Excuse me,dies. I need to speak to my partner."


    Mikel had returned back and for once Sylvia was happy to see him.


    She responded to Prisce''s furrowed brows with a weak smile and slipped out of the corner, quickly following behind the devil, who didn''t give a chance to anyone to talk to him.


    She as well didn''t dare to look back, already feeling the woman''s gaze burning a hole on her back.


    But as she quickly hurried behind Mikel, weaving through the crowd, Sylvia couldn''t help but look up again to see if the mask with the ck mask and the dark red eyes were still looking at her.


    Weirdly, he was nowhere to be found.


    "Is something the matter?" Mikel paused his footsteps and asked her, for which Sylvia simply nodded.


    "I must just be imagining things." She shook her head and the two once again started walking out of the grand ballroom.


    Seeing their disappearing figures, the woman standing next to Prisce slightly smiled and asked, with a subtle mocking tone.


    "Lady Prisce¡­ That man looks like Prince Mikel¡­ Didn''t you say that you wereing with him to the ball?"


    Prisce''s face darkened but she somehow managed to recover. "Aha Ha Ha¡­ What are you saying! You need sses. How could that man be Mikel?"

 Chapter 85 - Dancing With The Devil Part3

    "Where are we headed to, your highness?" Sylvia asked, her eyes cautiously observing everything around her.


    The man holding her hand had his usual warm and gentle smile on his lips, however, the tension in the air around them was palpable.


    "We are done dancing. We have other ns for tonight." Mikel curtly replied to her question, without actually answering her and tip-toeing around the issue.


    But Sylvia knew that this was probably the main reason they were here tonight or rather why he had brought her along tonight.


    What else did this devil want from her other than her obedience? She gulped as her gaze wandered over the silhouette of the man.


    She watched him casually greet the passersby as they headed further deeper and deeper into the castle.


    Their hands were tightly locked together and the two of them were walking in a slurred hurry as if they have had too much to drink, giving the onlookers a different image than what they were really up to.


    Sylvia felt her heart drumming loudly.


    She wondered what secretive ce they could be visiting in the castle using the grand ball as a decoy and distraction.


    And even with this said distraction, was it really so easy to sneak around the King''s castle?


    If by chance they were to be caught, it would only be her head on the guillotine while the devil would probably go scot-free being of royal lineage.


    So with every step they took, Sylvia grew more and more nervous.


    Even though most of the castle guards and the servants were in the front part of the castle where the ball was taking ce, the other areas of the castle still had several guards patrolling.


    However, since Mikel was a royal prince, the first born son of the king, no one dared to stop him or question him.


    He strolled casually as if he had the right to go where ever he wanted and he dragged Sylvia along with him.


    The two of them had walked for a while now through long winding empty corridors, hand in hand, and they had almost reached a far corner of the castle.


    The King''s castle had six towers in total and right now the prince and his ve were standing beneath one of the towers.


    Unlike the other parts of the castle, this tower was neither guarded nor even lighted.


    In fact, it was a simple thin, and tall tower with just a spiraling staircase within the tower itself and no other structure such as a room or even a nook.


    Huh? Sylvia blinked as the man silently started climbing up and she as well followed him.


    "What are we doing here, your highness?" She asked. Shouldn''t they be sneaking around and entering something like a royal treasury perhaps???


    "Hmmm¡­" Mikel hummed lightly without answering her. The man''s pace had slowed down though he still held her quite firmly.


    "Just some star gazing." He muttered under his breath.


    The two of them climbed the many many spirals and reached the top of the tower with Sylvia panting out of breath.


    The strong wind loosened her bun and her hair fell apart, cascading down like a waterfall to reach her hips.


    Sylvia tucked away a few errant strands behind her ear and gaped at the scenery in front of her.


    She could see the beautifulnds of Kalindor and with the nket of darkness enveloping the Kingdom, the several lights dazzling within it were a spectacr sight to behold.


    Though it would have probably been better to catch a glimpse of this view during the daytime, this wasn''t too bad either.


    The cold breeze and the sparkling lights gave her a sense of calm and tranquility, but not enough to make her forget the man standing beside her or the thing that they were up to tonight.


    Sylvia stopped sightseeing and turned to see what Mikel was up to.


    He had by now loosened his grip on her lit up a torch that lighted the small terrace sort of space at the top of the tower on which they were standing right now.


    It was an open tower, but there were pirs around and a railing for protection.


    She leaned against the railing and watched the man curiously.


    Is he by chance going to push me down from the top?


    The obvious question floated on Sylvia''s mind when Mikel''s gaze momentarilynded on her and heughed at her expression.


    "I am not going to murder you." He said. "Stop worrying. This will be over soon."


    He then squatted down and traced the floor underneath them with his hand.


    Sylvia gasped as she suddenly noticed a faint circle and some weird engravings or rather symbols within the circle.


    She couldn''t recognize those symbols and did not understand what this was.


    And when she looked up, she saw that Michael already had his eyes closed muttering something under his breath, and as the seconds ticked by, the circle started glowing faintly.


    Sylvia immediately stiffened up and moved away from the circle. She could tell that something was going on and she was not keen on waiting and finding out what it was.


    She quickly ducked out of the tower''s terrace and stepped back into the spiral staircase, beginning to run down.


    "Stop, Sylvia," Mikel said, but she didn''t listen to him this time.


    However, the man muttered something inaudible, and the next instant she found her body frozen in ce, unable to climb down any longer.


    "You promised to behave." Mikel sighed, as he walked down and picked her up like a sack of vegetables.


    He then climbed back up, once again bringing her to the small terrace, with the circle and the engravings.


    He gently ced her down on the floor and then sat down beside her. "I cannot do this without your consent."


    Sylvia tried to retort back but she still couldn''t move.


    Mikel sighed and mumbled something again, the next second the restraint on her body disappearing and her voice returning.


    However, before she could say anything, he turned to look at her and asked. "Do you trust me?"

 Chapter 86 - Dancing With The Devil Part4

    "Trust you? You have got to be kidding me, your highness." Sylvia blurted out as the man''s voice had triggered her temper.


    She didn''t shy away from the ck irises gazing at her and boldly faced him.


    This time she had the upper hand. She was somehow sure of it and she was not willing to roll over just like that.


    Mikel, however unexpectedly chuckled, his lips pulling upwards. "Stop ying with me, my sweet sweet kitten. You would do well not to test my patience tonight."


    He grabbed her jaw and mouthed his words slowly so that they would be sure to sink into her, letting her go only after he was done talking.


    Sylvia coughed and swallowed to ease her parched throat, but her eyes still remained resolute.


    "I am not ying, your highness. In fact, I am done with your games." She lowered her head and muttered.


    Mikel cocked his side, and seeing her face, he could only rx a little. "I have already promised your freedom. What else do you want from me?"


    "I want to know what it is that you want from me." Sylvia shot back. She was going to make him exin things to her tonight.


    He was in some sort of a hurry and she was determined to use it.


    "Perhaps tonight this tower of the castle is deserted, who is to say that it will be the same tomorrow?" She added, clutching her dress tightly.


    She was so nervous that her heart was about to give out but she knew that she had to press on. This advantage¡­ she would probably never get it again.


    The glowing crescent¡­ why he had bought her from the auction¡­ what did he actually want with her¡­ She was going to get to the bottom of everything tonight.


    Mikel gazed into her deep blue eyes and scoffed lightly. "Aren''t you overestimating your bargaining chips a bit too much?"


    "I apologize, your highness. But tonight, without you telling me everything, I will not obey yourmands even if you kill me."


    "Heh¡­ Fine¡­ Have it your way." The man unexpectedly relented, making Sylvia look at him.


    In all honesty, she had expected a few more threats from the man, perhaps even some rough handling, but weirdly, he agreed to her just like that?


    "What do you want to know?" Mikel asked. He took her hand which was ced on the ground beside her and held it in his.


    Sylvia pulled her hand back from within his and quickly asked "What is this crescent glowing tattoo on my chest?"


    Mikel chuckled, staring at her with his narrowed eyes. He was obviously not pleased with what is going on. "That''s a seal." He said.


    "And I am giving you 5 questions. Only 5 questions. After that, if you still don''t want to cooperate, I have several other ways of making things happen." He added turning away from her.


    Sylvia nodded. I will take whatever I get. She clenched her fist.


    "Can I do magic?" She asked.


    "If you remove that seal, yes you can."


    The man lifted his hand high up, folding two of his fingers to show that she had already used up 2 of the 5 questions.


    Sylvia didn''t get fazed by his antics and quickly asked the third question. "You said you wanted three things from me. What are the other two?"


    Mikel chuckled again, but this time, he didn''t answer directly. "Are you sure you want to know everything right this second?" He asked her again in a teasing voice.


    "Your highness. Please answer." Sylvia bluntly spoke, shaking her head.


    "Alright. Here it is. I want your virtue. Only once. And then I want a drop of your blood. Give me these two things and cooperate with me tonight, I give you my word that you can have your freedom."


    Sylvia only heard the first line and didn''t quite register the next few words he had spoken.


    "Excuse me?" She asked again, her eyes widened.


    "Heh. What? You want me to repeat it again. I can but the words are not going to change."


    "Well, ultimately, the decision is up to you. Do you value your virtue or your freedom? Which is more important to you?"


    Sylvia remained silent for a while and didn''t respond to him. After everything, it turns out, this is what he wanted from her all long.


    She kept her gaze down and asked her next question. "Why do you want all these from me?"


    "You have a special body, kitten. Taking your virtue will give me the powers that I seek. It is as simple as that."


    "I am really not trying to trick you this time," Mikel exined, his voice gentle.


    Sylvia looked away from him¡­ into the distant lights. She let all the words and the new information wash over her, carefully mulling over every small detail.


    What he said¡­ did make sense¡­


    In fact, his words solved every piece of the puzzle that had been nagging her, but yet she couldn''t trust himpletely.


    How could she¡­ when he had let her down so many times in the past¡­


    She would really be a fool to take his words to heart. "How can I trust you, your highness?" She muttered, asking him thest of her questions.


    "Heh. I can''t help you with that, my dear. That one is entirely up to you."


    "You could trust me, take a leap of faith and live as a free woman or you could not trust me, live in my castle till the end of your life as my prisoner."


    "The choice is all yours."


    Was there even a choice here? Sylvia''s eyes crinkled, a bitter smile surfacing on them.


    She remained silent for a few more minutes before eventually nodding her head lightly. "I will trust you, your highness. Against my better judgment." She said, leaving out thest part.


    Mikel raised his hand to pat her head lightly.

 Chapter 87 - Strange Desires Part1

    Sylvia swatted away the man''s hand that was patting her head. "Please stop, your highness."


    "Since we are both clearly helping each other out, I would like to be treated as your partner."


    "Partner?" Mikel raised his eyebrows and smirked.


    Sylvia rolled her eyes, correcting him. "I meant as your equal, not in status may be but at least as another human being. I am not your ve anymore, your highness."


    "Heh. Alright. Alright." Mikel raised his hands and leaned back, giving her some space.


    "Now if the bargaining part of the evening is over, shall we get started kitten?"


    Sigh. Sylvia shook her head helplessly. "Yes, your highness. Tell me what I am supposed to do and please stop it with the terms of endearment. As I said, I am not your ve anymore."


    "Cats are nice? What do you have against them?" The man innocently retorted back, as if Sylvia had insulted him.


    She bit her lips, "They are nice. I am just not one of them. Now, can we please get this over with? Your highness?"


    Mikel shrugged his shoulders and stood up. "Get up and stand in the middle of the circle. It all but takes ten minutes to finish the entire process. Nothingplicated." He exined without going into the details.


    "Is this going to hurt?" Sylvia tip-toed and ced her feet hesitantly at the center of the circle.


    "You won''t even feel a prick!" Mikel said, shing his usual warm and gentlemanly smile which only made her more nervous.


    "Are you sure that no one is going toe up? What if someone caught us in the act?"


    "Eh! Rx already. We are not stealing the royal treasury and we are notmitting treason."


    "This is a simple spell enhancement circle which amplifies whatever spell is cast. That''s about it."


    "Just one of the defense mechanisms in the castle in case the Kingdom or the castle is ever under attack."


    "People doe here often but that''s for other reasons. It''s actually quite a well known make-out spot."


    "Alright. I am ready." Sylvia didn''t let him continue talking anymore and quickly nodded.


    Her heart thrummed wildly as she gazed at the devil in front of her, waiting for him to start the spell.


    His disheveled hair danced around in the howling winds, his golden locks glimmering, and he as well met her gaze, his lips starting to mumble something.


    Sylvia gulped. She still hadn''t believed everything he had said, but tonight would be proof enough.


    She was tired of being the helpless little girl who always had to look for someone else toe and rescue her.


    Without affinity to mana and without the ability to cast spells,moners like her were at the very bottom of the food chain, even beneath the wild animals.


    But now¡­ everything was going to change¡­


    She gazed down to see the flickering glow on the circle engraved on the cemented stone floor.


    A couple of secondster, the weird symbols carved inside the circle started glowing as well.


    And just like that, the entire circle was soon filled with a strange bright glow and Sylvia could no longer move as stood frozen at the center.


    She could think, she could see, she could feel but she couldn''t move. She saw the faint silver glow now bing golden and then it turned into a deep red.


    Sylvia felt a wave of energy pass through her body after which she felt weak and drained.


    She threw Michael onest look and saw that his handsome face was drenched in sweat as well and then as a slight gasp escaped her lips, she fell down.


    "Got you, my dear." The devil''s voice whispered in her ears and Sylvia lost her consciousness, wondering if she had made a terrible mistake.


    When she opened her eyes again, she found herself staring at the same face she hadst seen.


    "What happened?" Sylvia rubbed her eyes and sat up, still feeling pretty weak and drained.


    "Nothing. You just fainted after the spell. It is probably your body getting used to the normal mana flow after having been without it for so long."


    "How are you feeling now?" Mikel asked, standing up from a chair nearby and sitting beside Sylvia on the bed.


    This made her immediately shriek back, not wanting to fall into the same patterns.


    "Your highness." She looked at him icily to remind him of their conversation.


    "Ah? My bad?" Mikel chuckled and stood up. "Now that you are alright, I guess I will take my leave."


    "For the next couple of days, take it easy and take some rest. We can talk about the other thingster." He muttered while starting to leave, when Sylvia hurriedly caught the end of his shirt, tugging at it to make him stop.


    "Hmmm?" Mikel gazed at her, his lips thin and straight.


    "I don''t want to wait. Let''s get this done now itself." She swallowed her nervousness and voiced her words, even though she was dreading the next steps.


    "You mean you want me to take your blood now?" The man hummed with amusement, making Sylvia bite her lips.


    "You know what I am talking about."


    She looked down, unable to meet his eyes when the man''s finger touched her chin to lift it back up.


    "As much as I am tempted to do that right now and here, things are not that simple."


    "What we are doing here is not verymon. There is no established spells or a protocol."


    "It is all trial and error. So I would rather not rush into things without thorough preparations."


    "Do you understand?" He asked to which Sylvia lightly nodded.


    Mikel then gently removed her hand that was holding his shirt and then walked out of the room, leaving behind the wide-eyed woman sitting on the bed.


    "Just like I promised, you are no longer a ve in this castle. You are a guest. Enjoy your stay." His voice rang as the man disappeared.

 Chapter 88 - Strange Desires Part2

    Sylvia flopped back onto the bed tiredly, letting out a long sigh. She raised her hand to look at them, wondering if mana actually flowed through her veins now.


    She had already read the books, learned the basic spells and so she knew what exactly to do to test it out.


    She gulped nervously and closed her eyes. She then breathed in and out lightly, trying to sense the energy surrounding her.


    She had failed at this step many many times before and she couldn''t help but bite her lips, hoping that at least this time it would work.


    As she calmly breathed in and out, a feeling akin to a gentle summer breeze caressing her body enveloped her, making Sylvia tremble.


    Tears streamed out of her eyes as this gentle energy continuously washed over her, again and again, wave after wave.


    "Ah~~" She jolted back up, wiping the tears from her eyes.


    She hurriedly sat in a cross-legged position and took deeper breaths this time, greedily inhaling the gentle nourishing energy.


    With every gulp of mana, she felt her tiredness and her weakness slowly slip away.


    Mikel had asked her to rest for a couple of days, but in just a few minutes, Sylvia felt better than she had ever done before.


    She clutched her knees with a big wide grin on her face, traces of her tears still remaining on the salted cheeks, and hummed lightly, letting the reality slowly sink in!


    She was also a mage now! A person capable of casting spells,manding the energy of the world! She almost couldn''t believe it!


    Chuckling to herself, she even pinched her hand till it turned rosy.


    She had yearned for this on numerous days and had wished for this countless times and all it took was her uncle and her aunt selling her off to a two-faced prince!


    What a weird game fate had yed with her!


    A small smile surfaced on her cherry red lips as she reveled in the feeling.


    Sylvia had drifted asleep again without knowing and only stirred awake when she heard a knock on the door.


    She rubbed her eyes and woke up and only now she noticed that she was actually not in her old room back at the servant''s quarters.


    She looked around to see that she was in one of the guest rooms in the castle.


    It even had a door to the side, probably leading to the room next door which had the private bath and towels.


    "Come in," Sylvia muttered with a big smile on her face, only to see Ana pushing a trolley into the room.


    "I have brought your lunch, mydy." She bowed.


    Sylvia could barely hold herughter in as she saw the woman trying to squeeze out a weak smile with so much effort.


    "Mmm. It smells good. Go ahead and serve me." She crossed her hands with amusement.


    The maid must have surely thought that her one night of stardom was over, and now probably couldn''t stomach the reality.


    She got out of the bed, rearranged the petticoat she was wearing, and then sat on a nearby couch with her legs crossed, her right one over the left.


    She eyed the flustered maid with amusement who scooped up some rice and roast chicken from the tes on the trolley and served it to her, her hands shaking.


    "Hmmm¡­ Don''t you know how to serve properly?" Sylvia teased her for her own amusement and then started attacking the food on the te.


    Since she hadn''t eaten anything the previous night and today morning, she was feeling particrly ravenous.


    Or perhaps it was because of the new changes in her body. She didn''t know the reason, but the food tasted good and she gulped it down quite quickly.


    The quality of the food was definitely a notch above what she had been eating as a maid and Sylvia licked her lips before asking for another helping.


    Eat. Eat. Eat everything and be a pig! Ana cursed her inwardly, before handing her another te.


    She still hadn''t recovered from the shock the Master of the castle had given everyone this morning.


    Out of nowhere, he had issued an order that this damned ve was supposed to be treated as a guest of the castle from now on.


    She must have sessfully seduced him and coaxed him to give a Mistress title perhaps! She assumed.


    Ana wanted to badly ask the hateful woman just what tricks she had used to seduce his highness.


    She wanted to give her a piece of her mind and whip her with her tongue.


    The words were right there at the tip of the tongue, but she could only swallow them and keep her mouth shut.


    She gave out another weak smile as she handed a new te to Sylvia, cing generous helpings of all the dishes. Fatten up, you bitch!


    Sylvia couldn''t care less about the woman standing in front of her. She didn''t have time to spare to engage in such meaningless trivial fights.


    She ate quickly to her stomach full and let out a loud burp, inviting another judgmental look from Ana, before she wiped her hands in the napkin.


    "Prepare a bath for me and bring over my possessions from my previous room." She muttered and stood up, eying herself in the tall mirror in front of the dressing table.


    She didn''t know if it was a coincidence but her skin looked more tender and fresh than usual and her face had a bright glow.


    It seems someone had carefully undressed her the previous night and helped her change into the flimsy nightgown.


    Her mind slightly wandered to think about who might have done it but she shook her head and decided to not worry about that.


    She tucked the errant strands of her hair behind her ears and bunched up her long hair, tying it into a bun.


    She then took a deep breath once again, feeling theforting rush of mana spread through her body, and muttered in excitement. "Time to try casting spells!"

 Chapter 89 - Strange Desires Part3

    "Damn it! Just my bad luck! Why the heck am I serving this ve instead of my Theo?!"


    "His highness and Jane, both havepletely lost it!!! They want to adorn a good for nothing dog and put it on a pedestal! This is ridiculous."


    Ana grumbled non-stop as she carried the few things which Sylvia had in her old room. She didn''t have too many possessions so it was only a single trip for the maid.


    But just as Ana was casually strolling along the long corridor and returning back to the guest room, she couldn''t help but notice smokeing out.


    She hurriedly dropped Sylvia''s things on the ground, not that she needed an excuse to do so, and ran over to the smoking room.


    The room''s door was already ajar and when Ana reached there, she saw Sylvia leaning back on the dressing table with a dazed look on her face.


    In front of her, were several wisps of fire dancing in the air. There were also small swirls of air that were making the fire worse.


    The mattress was on fire, the pillows were on fire, the curtains were on fire, the entire room was burning brightly!


    And Sylvia was just standing there staring at the scene as if she was enjoying fireworks in the night sky.


    "This freak can do magic now!!!" Ana shouted, unable to contain her shock.


    What other possible exnation could be there for this chaotic scene in front of her?


    For someone who has tested negative in mana affinity to develop an affinityter on in their life waspletely unheard of!


    Sylvia snapped out of her trance, noticing Ana''s arrival and her littlement, and turned to look at her with an awkward smile, biting her lips. She looked like a cat who had just eaten a mouse that she wasn''t supposed to.


    Feeling bad for the maid who now had to clear up her mess, she was about to mumble an apology when her eyes shifted to look at the silhouette standing behind the maid.


    The man had his usual gentle smile on his face, which made Sylvia stiffen up and stand straight.


    "Heh. What do we have here?" Mikel leaned on the door that hadn''t caught fire yet and looked at the culprit in amusement. He was clearly not fazed by the entire room burning down.


    "Your highness." Ana immediately bowed and backed away, a part of her expecting Sylvia to be scolded and reprimanded for doing something so stupid.


    And just like she was expecting, the devil opened his mouth. "Hasn''t anyone warned you not to train your spell casting indoors?"


    He ran his long tapered fingers through his golden locks and chuckled.


    "Umm¡­ I just got carried away a bit, your highness. I apologize for this mess." Sylvia muttered, while simultaneously murmuring ''Aqua'' under her breath to conjure some water for putting out the fire she had caused.


    Mikel let her be and didn''t tease her further. He raised his hand, and the fire was entirely extinguished the next instant, making Sylvia sigh in relief.


    "Well then, Miss Sylvia. I will take my leave now. I do hope that you can join me for dinner tonight in the dining hall."


    "We have some matters to talk about." He grinned and left, after giving the girl another sharp amused look.


    Damn it. Sylvia cursed inwardly. She had tried her best and bargained a lot of things including her freedom, but the man in front of her still made her nervous.


    "It''s just dinner. It will be alright." She muttered under her breath and then looked at Ana, who had a constipated expression on her face.


    She couldn''t believe that his highness didn''t even say one word to the ve about all this mess.


    "What are you looking at? Clean up all this mess." Sylvia scoffed.


    She could read the woman''s thoughts like an open book and was not pleased with the way she kept constantly looking down at her.


    She didn''t particrly enjoy bossing others around but that didn''t mean that she would take everything in silence and not retaliate back.


    Sylvia then walked out of the charred room and entered the room next door to take a bath, as she was reeking of a smoky smell.


    There was a big tub in the center and she conjured up some water in it by herself.


    After which, she hesitated a bit before conjuring a few wisps of fire to heat up the water in the tub.


    She then stepped into it when the water was at afortable temperature.


    It was a bit too daring of her to conjure fire again, especially when she had just burned down a room, but the amazing feeling the warm water left on her body as it touched her was definitely worth the risk.


    Sylvia giggled to herself like a child who had just found something new to y with. She felt light and happy today as if a huge burden had been lifted off of her chest.


    She yed with the water, enjoying her bath.


    Though it was not the bath that Jane had prepared for her earlier with flower petals and herbs swirling around, Sylvia was still d to be able to enjoy a warm rxing soak.


    Sunlight flickered through the ss panes on the window, making the water in the tub sparkle and along with it, the woman lying inside with her eyes closed.


    Though she had been feeling energetic and fresh earlier, just after practicing a few spells, Sylvia once again felt drained and tired, so she ended up staying in the tub a lot longer than she meant to.


    She only realized that she was runningte when Jane knocked on the door.


    "My Lady, sorry for interrupting. I have brought some fresh change of clothes for you." Jane knocked and entered the room.


    Sylvia nodded and smiled at her sheepishly. "Ah¡­ Mrs. Jane. Sorry about the mess that I made. I will make sure to practice spells outdoors in the future."


    "No, no. Mydy. Please don''t worry about it. I am happy that you are able to practice spells now." Jane smiled and nodded.


    There was now a distance between them and Sylvia thought about asking the woman to drop all the honorifics, but in the end, she decided to just let things be.


    After all, she was going to leave the castle soon and would probably never see Jane again.


    "I can change by myself, Mrs. Jane. Please excuse me. I will meet his highness immediately afterward."


    Jane nodded and gave Sylvia some privacy, who quickly changed into her new set of clothes, a simple lc evening dress.


    She then walked over to the main dining hall of the castle, where they had previously served the Lady and the devil.


    Sylvia chuckled at the thought of how things had changed so suddenly and so unexpectedly. She reminded herself to be calm and steady in front of the devil and keep her cool as she opened the dining hall doors and entered.


    "Your highness." Sylvia bowed and greeted him first before walking over closer to the man.


    Mikel, sitting at the head of the dining hall raised his ss lightly, tipping it towards her and bringing it closer to his mouth, take a sip from it.


    His ck irises silently lingered on her, and a familiar trickster smile surfaced on his lips.


    Sylvia felt her heart rate quicken even though she had repeatedly asked it to remain calm in the man''s presence.


    She smiled and walked closer to the dining table, noticing that there was no one else in the big dining hall, save for him and herself.


    There was a trolley full of food near the table and the devil had probably asked Jane to take her leave after serving.


    Sylvia gulped and walked closer to the man, taking a seat at the table after hesitating for a couple of seconds.


    "You are not a ve anymore, damn it. Act like it." She muttered inwardly. She left a seat in between herself and the man and sat on the next chair near him.


    Just like she had done in front of Ana, she wanted to put on a brave face in front of the devil as well but for some reason, this was exponentially more difficult to do so.


    "Why are you sitting so far away? I am not going to eat you, you know." Mikel chuckled, not letting the small thing go unnoticed.


    "Aha ha ha. Indeed." Sylvia smiled awkwardly, still trying to hold her own, and got up to sit on the chair right next to him. "I was just giving your highness some space."


    "Hmmm? There is no need for such a thing between us. After all, aren''t we partners, kitten?"


    "Your highness¡­" Sylvia bit her lips. "Please call me Sylvia." She didn''t know how many more times she needed to remind the damned devil!

 Chapter 90 - Strange Desires Part4

    Sylvia nced at the te in front of her, rather than the man sitting beside her as she slowly chewed and gulped down the food.


    She actually didn''t know what she was eating. The meat tasted like wild chicken, but at the same time, as she swallowed the mouthful, she could feel a wave of energy spreading from her stomach to the rest of her body.


    Was this how eating a magical beast felt? She wondered.


    Apart from absorbing the mana in the air, this was also another way of nourishing the body with the world''s energy.


    So without realizing it, she ended up silently eating, gulping down mouthful after mouthful, finishing her entire te in a matter of a few minutes.


    "Shall I ask the maid to fetch you some more?" Mikel asked, making the girl finally turn and look up at him.


    "I am alright. Thanks, your highness." Sylvia raised her wine ss and tried to hide the hue in her cheek behind the aromatic red wine.


    She couldn''t help but see that the devil had barely touched the food on his te. What a wasteful fellow! She sighed.


    "Are you sure that you don''t want some more?" Mikel asked again after catching her staring at the food on his te.


    "Oh. I forgot. You women like to be coaxed into eating more rather than just taking whatever you want and eating it by yourself." He chuckled.


    "How vain and dramatic¡­ Sigh. I didn''t think you were also of that type."


    This guy! Sylvia fumed inwardly. He was purposefully taunting her and poking her.


    She let out a deep breath and looked away from his te to meet his gaze and answer his unfair usations.


    "No, thank you, your highness. I am not hungry. No. Matter. How. Many. Times. You. Ask."


    She could in fact eat a bit more but now she definitely didn''t want to and lose her face in front of this hateful bastard.


    "Can we discuss why we are having dinner tonight?" She asked, changing the subject.


    "Do I need a reason to dine with you, my dear?" Mikel chuckled, swirling the wine in his ss and sipping on it leisurely.


    "Of course, your highness." Sylvia scoffed. Under the table, her hands were clenched tightly. "The thing is I am somewhat busy today, so if you don''t mind, I would like to excuse myself."


    She stood up and bowed, preparing to leave, when the devil''s hand shot forward and stopped her.


    "Heh. Why are you in such a hurry, my sweet? Are you that eager to burn down a few more rooms of my castle?" He grinned, still sipping on the wine.


    "I did indeed call you here for a reason. So stay."


    The grip on her hand loosened and Sylvia nodded and sat back down.


    Though she was not quite fond of being in his presence, she still wanted to know why he had called her over.


    She owed him some things and he owed her the freedom that she badly craved. As long as this deal can be quickly done and over with, nothing would make her happier.


    As Sylvia sat back down at the dining table, Mikel stood up and strolled over to the huge windows overlooking the garden.


    "We need to pay a visit to Lady Prisce''s new vi." He muttered, gazing into the distance.


    Sylvia snapped at the familiar name to look up at him.


    She wanted to ask him the reason why they had to suffer through such a thing, but the words in her throat didn''t quitee out.


    Sylvia dazedly gazed at the man in front of her, her eyes for some reason appreciating the things that she had never noticed before.


    Like how the moonlight hit his golden locks so perfectly that they appeared to be sparkling.


    Like how the small blob in his throat moved up and down as he swallowed the sip of wine, his thin lips, slightly rosy, from the brush of the wine.


    Sylvia''s eyes wandered treacherously on the man''s high cheekbones, his angr jaw, making her face slightly heat up.


    She looked down to avoid his face but that only made it worse as her gaze fell on the man''s muscr chest, his arms, and his broad shoulders.


    The thin shirt he wore with the top buttons casually undone teased her, revealing only a tiny portion of the man''s defined muscles.


    His tall figure leaned against the window, with his one hand holding the wine ss and his other hand on the wall beside.


    For some reason, Sylvia found this person in front of her different, taller, more attractive, and a lot more seductive.


    She gulped, tipping the wine ss and finishing the rest of what was in it to quench her parched throat.


    Seeing him in front of her like this, so close, yet so far away, she suddenly felt a strong pang of urge for reasons that she could not fathom.


    Cut it out! She scolded herself for wanting to go over there and hug him from behind.


    She had truly gone crazy!


    She tried to reason with herself, reminding herself of all the mean and cruel things he had done to her, and yet she couldn''t manage to take her eyes off of him.


    "Hmmm?" Mikel hummed, feeling the woman''s fervent gaze on his back, and turned around to catch her looking at him as if she was starving and he was a piece of meat.


    His sudden awareness made Sylvia almost jump up in response, her gaze shifting to a ck spot on the dining table as she tried to calm herself down.


    Perhaps she had had a bit too much to drink! She ced her wine ss gently on the table, only to find that the devil had now walked back over to the dining table closer to her.


    He didn''t sit back on his seat and leaned on the table right next to where she was sitting.


    She could feel his eyes bore down on her as if his ck irises were peering through her very soul. "Your highness¡­" She muttered nervously.


    "What? I thought you might like a closer look? Still not satisfied?"


    Seeing that the man had caught her unsightly action and now was teasing her about it, Sylvia bit her lips in frustration.


    She wanted to retort him and his stupid uratement and looked up, only to meet his gaze and lose her resolve.


    Her heart skipped a beat as she eyed those evil ck irises.


    What the hell? Sylvia gripped her dress tightly. She had been fine earlier. She had even been fine during the dinner.


    The wine! Did this guy add something to the wine??? That must be it!


    "Your highness. You broke my trust." She mouthed in annoyance at how the man had broken his words and his promises so soon.


    "Huh? What are you talking about, Miss Sylvia?" Mikel asked, his tone as well a bit serious.


    "I am trying here to be patient with you as much as I can. I was talking to you about something important." He stood up and moved away from her.


    "Yet¡­ you were the one who was looking at me with that expression on your face and now you are ming me?"


    "What on earth could I have possibly done now?"


    The man''s sarcastic words did little to calm her down and even his lopsided smug grin looked devilishly handsome, making her face once again heat up.


    "You mixed something in the wine!" Sylvia controlled her urges and squeezed out the words with difficulty.


    "Eh? What a random thing to say?" She heard the man reply as if he was genuinely confused.


    There was no look of victory on his face making her wonder if he was indeed saying the truth.


    "Is this the wine in question?" Mikel furrowed his brows and lifted the jug in his hand.


    He then gazed at the woman''s reddened face, and directly gulped down the contents of the jug.


    "You see. I am also drinking from it. I have done nothing to the wine." He frowned.


    As he finished drinking, a small portion of the liquid fell on his shirt, ruining it and making the white shirt somewhat transparent.


    The shirt stuck to his chest, revealing the rest of his defined chest and a part of his abdominal muscles.


    Sylvia gulped and looked up to see the man lick his lips seductively. The fine aroma of the wine, mixed in with his masculine scent tickled her nose, driving her crazy.


    That was it. She could no longer control herself. She did not know what was happening and if he was telling the truth or not.


    She could no longer think clearly and she knew that she had to leave right now.


    "Your highness. Tomorrow."


    She incoherently mouthed something and shot up from the chair in a hurry to directly run outside the dining hall as if she was fleeing from a dangerous terrifying beast.

 Chapter 91 - Strange Desires Part5

    "You¡­"


    "Why are you standing in my room?" Sylvia ced her hand on her chest as her breath hitched in her throat.


    The man standing at her doorstep, the moonlight shimmering on his unruly golden locks, waltzed in as if he didn''t owe her any answer.


    The man''s tall stature needed only a couple of steps in order to reach her and then he leaped onto the bed as if he was a beast on the prowl.


    Sylvia sat frozen, gulping her fear and nervousness as a vague feeling of excitement rose in her body.


    She waited for him toe near her. She wanted him toe near her. And the devil did just that.


    She tried to scurry away from thest minute, her feet shuffling on the bed, but he pulled her body closer to him in a single swift motion.


    Then without any warning, he ripped the clothes off of her body, hovering on top of her, imprisoning her on both sides, his hands holding hers.


    His ck irises greedily gazed at her body, eying her curves and her bumps that were left unguarded for him to take.


    But Sylvia found herself strangely not repulsed by his attention. Her body wanted him to take her.


    Her ample breasts and her slender waist trembled, gently heaving up and down in anticipation, waiting and yearning for the man to touch her.


    And when he did, her heart shivered and her nerves sumbed to him. She closed her eyes but she could feel the man''s hands everywhere on her body.


    He squeezed her breasts, licked her nipples, sucking on them and teasing them.


    Ah. Sylvia moaned, a million nerves on her body exploding.


    Her eyes snapped open to look at him and he met her gaze, the trickster grin dancing on his lips instead of his fake gentle smile.


    Breaking their gaze, the man leaned forward and peppered kisses gently on her cheeks, on her necks, trailing down to her chest, her waist, her long smooth legs, licking her and tasting her, devouring every inch of her body bit by bit.


    He made her quiver and moan with every touch.


    And when he was done, he came up to cover her mouth with his, sucking on her lips gently and softly.


    Though the man was gentle, Sylvia wanted more and kissed him back more forcefully, fanning his desire further and tempting him into a fervor.


    He plunged his tongue into her mouth, tasting the sweetness inside. Her tongue intertwined with the devil''s and kissed him back with an equal passion.


    Sylvia found her hands tightening around his chiseled back, with her nails digging into him.


    Her legs locked behind him, crushing their bodies together, her soft and supple breast driving him crazy and making him dive deeper and deeper into her, the man''s hardness waiting to plunder and ravage her.


    "I am going to eat you up now, my sweet kitten." His voice whispered in her ears, the warmth of his breath sending shivers down her spine.


    Mmm¡­ She silently replied. Her back arched and she moaned loudly as her soul and spirit sizzled, greedily yearning for the man''s touch and his love.


    She felt a thirst for him that she had never felt before and her nerves and her skin burned in the invisible fire.


    She wanted him. She needed him and she craved for him, her body wanting all of his.


    She bit into the man''s broad shoulders and he pulled her head back, holding a handful of her soft silver hair.


    Then as he watched her face that lusted after him, burning with an insatiable desire, he thrust into her sending a sharp pain across her body.


    The pain slowly turned into waves of pleasure as he moved his hips taking her deeper and deeper, satisfying her hunger.


    As the man''s one handheld her hair and the other ravished her breast, Sylvia clutched the sheets on the bed, crumpling them as her body twitched in ecstasy.


    The big bad devil bewitched her with his body and she felt hypnotized. She whimpered under his touch, small explosions of euphoria spreading across her body.


    She bit her lips, stopping herself from crying his name out loud and moaning in pleasure, but the man didn''t show her mercy.


    He licked his lips seductively and leaned closer to whisper in her ears. "Say it. Say my name. Say that you belong to me. You are mine and you are only mine. Say it."


    Sylvia shuddered, her body shivering from head to toe under his spell. She was his alright. She knew it and her body didn''t hide it.


    And just when he was about to plunge into her deepest part, making her curl her toes in anticipation, waiting for the rhapsody which would inevitably follow, a loud thunder rumbled and Sylvia shed her eyes wide open.


    She jolted up and sat on her bed in a weird trance, her body fully drenched in sweat.


    Though her insides were burning as if they were on fire, her body and her hands felt cold and lonely.


    Sylvia blinked, touching her chest and her body in a hurry, only to find out that her nightgown was still intact and not ripped into shreds by the man who had consumed her just a few seconds ago.


    Her eyes then searched the dimly lit room, the light in thentern flickering unsteadily.


    But no matter how much she searched, there was no one in the room except for her.


    DAMN IT! Sylvia hugged herself, trying to get a handle on her thoughts. "Just a dream?" She muttered absentmindedly.


    Hermon sense had quickly caught up to her and yet, she was unable to shake the surreal dream which she had just experienced.


    Thump. She fell back onto the bed, her heart racing a million miles a minute and her breathing slow and ragged.


    Her hand slowly slid down to touch her burning core, only to find it unabashedly wet.

 Chapter 92 - Strange Desires Part6

    Sylvia immediately jumped out of the bed. She didn''t want to acknowledge anything and she wanted to wash this shame off of her body.


    "Damn it. This is all the stupid wine''s fault. I am having these crazy nightmares because of that damned fellow and the tricks he yed!" She was sure of it.


    He must have added something to the food or the wine. Otherwise, why would her sane mind suddenly go crazy!


    She had gone to bed yesterday night immediately after returning back from that unsettling dinner, only to wake up to this insane dream. What the hell was happening to her?


    She looked outside her window to see the rain pouring down with a vengeance. Tonight was colder than usual. At least, Sylvia hoped that it would be.


    She changed her mind about the bath to clean herself up and decided to head out instead. She threw on a dress and wore a pair of boots before stepping outside the castle doors.


    She had seen a couple of guards but no one cared to stop her and so she continued and strolled out to the castle grounds.


    Drops and drops of freezing cold water hit her body, drenching herpletely.


    However, she didn''t feel cold. She found it ratherforting.


    She hugged her arms tightly and let out a deep sigh before continuing to wander in the cold, alone in the darkness of the night.


    After a while, her heart and mind finally cooled down and thest memory of the man''s touches evaporated from her body, though the memory still lingered in her brain.


    Sylvia didn''t know what was happening to her. Was this really just the effect of the wine? She was no longer sure.


    As she waltzed amidst the dense canopy of trees, a couple of silhouettes perked up and quickly dashed over to her.


    A ck panther with sharp purple eyes and a crimson tiger stood in front of her, licking her hands like pet dogs.


    Sylvia giggled, her sour mood finally cheering up.


    She yed with the beasts for a bit and then ran along with them, dashing wildly in the acres of forest surrounding the castle.


    The run was freeing, the burdens of her heart and her mind a little lighter. Time quickly passed by and before she knew it, it was already dawn.


    Sylvia was soaking wet and the cold had mildly started to creep in. Not to mention she was ravenously hungry.


    So she decided to head back in, now that she had somehow managed to erase the traces of the weirdest night and the dream that she had.


    It was not that Sylvia had never had dreams like this before. It was only natural for a young woman to have these feelings and she was no exception.


    Once¡­ what felt like a lifetime ago¡­ There was a boy in her neighborhood whom she was somewhat fond of and many a time, she had dreamed about him and her holding hands and even kissing.


    But those were all fleeting chaste memories whenpared to the sinful night that she just had.


    Just the mere thought of it made her gulp.


    She couldn''t understand why her stupid and foolish heart would be attracted so intensely to that hateful brute.


    There was nothing good about him. Nothing genuine about him. The man was sly from top to bottom and everything from his mouth was a lie.


    As she was mulling over things inwardly, once again a vague pang of need arose in her body as the thought of the devil gripped her mind.


    FUCK! Sylvia shook her head vigorously. Not again!


    But to make matters worse, just as she stepped into the courtyard to return back to her room, she heard voices and she turned to see the devil and his two henchmen sitting around a table and drinking tea.


    As her blue eyes gazed at his distant figure, her skin broke into a dozen small bumps, and her heart treacherously skipped a beat.


    In that single moment, his gaze flickered to meet hers and she instantly froze, making the man''s lips curl upwards.


    "You are up early." The man''s seductive lips muttered sending a shiver down Sylvia''s spine.


    She remembered the things that those lips had done to herst night in her dream. She could still feel them raining down kisses and mischievous love bites on her tender skin and her words got stuck in her throat.


    She simply nodded in reply.


    She then nodded again, greeting the knight Theodore and the stable keeper Leol who were also sitting near him.


    Weirdly their presence or their thoughts didn''t seem to bother her at all. She hadn''t even noticed them at first.


    So was it just the devil who had this inexplicable hold over her? But why? Sylvia shuddered.


    Her thoughts started getting jumbled up and she couldn''t think clearly once again, an insatiable need slowly rising in her heart.


    She instantly turned on her heels and dashed away, once again fleeing from the beast in front of her.


    "What did you do to her, man?" Leol asked, clicking his tongue and giving Mikel a look as if he already knew the answer.


    "Your highness¡­ It''s best not to bully her anymore. It is dangerous." Theo reminded him, adding his 2 silvers.


    Though both Leol and Theodore were close to Mikel, they both had different mannerisms and preferred ways of interaction when it came to the Prince.


    While Leol didn''t bother with formalities, Theodore always conversed in a strictly professional manner even when they were alone.


    He was a more disciplined and structured man, which Mikel often made fun of.


    And as these two looked at him as if he was guilty, Mikel nkly stared back at them. He knew that these jerks wouldn''t believe him even if he exined it to them.


    In fact, he himself didn''t know what he had done to make the girl flee at the mere sight of him!

 Chapter 93 - Put A Ring On It Part1

    After closing her room''s door, Sylvia panted, her heart and her mind in disarray once again.


    The rity and the calmness that she had just now earned by running for miles, all evaporated into nothingness at the mere sight of the man and his few words that she hadn''t even heard properly.


    Sylvia stepped out of her soaking wet clothes, wondering what was happening to her.


    She couldn''t ce the me on the wine anymore because that would have definitely gotten out of her system by now.


    Was it the mana? Was this simply her body adjusting to the new influx of energy? That was the only other possibility that she could think of.


    As Sylvia tried to sort out the things in her head, she quickly took another cold water bath and stepped out bravely to meet the Prince.


    It was not like she could hide away in her room forever and there were things to be discussed about their future ns, more specifically, her freedom from the man.


    Luckily for her, she didn''t have to search for the man and he was still sitting at the table in the courtyard, reading something with a serious expression.


    He put the book down as soon as he saw Sylvia walking towards him.


    He saw the way her gaze was lingering on the ground in front of her, the subtle nervousness not escaping his eyes.


    "Are you nning to run away this time as well?" Mikel hummed, seeing her bow and greet him.


    "I am sorry, your highness. I am a bit unwell." Sylvia vaguely threw out an exnation, still not looking at the man.


    This was the only solution that she coulde up with at least until she could get used to this feeling.


    Her thoughts were simple. Don''t see him. Ignore him. Out of sight, out of mind!


    However, how could things be so simple?


    Her n of not seeing him would have worked if not for his strong alluring scent assaulting her even at the distance she was standing in.


    Why was she smelling him at this distance? Since when was her sense of smell so high? Sylvia wondered.


    "Your highness¡­ please." She clenched her fists tightly and urged him to get to the point.


    Mikel saw her slender figure and her pale face and couldn''t help but worry about her health.


    This was why he had asked her to take a rest. It takes a while for the body to adjust to the mana cirction but since she seemed very energetic he didn''t particrly see the need to enforce it on her and now he regretted it.


    "I should have tied her to the bed." He shook his head, muttering the words only to himself.


    Mikel then stood up and pulled out the chair for her like a gentleman. "Please sit, my dear. Would you like me to get you a doctor perhaps?"


    Sylvia shook her head, immediately refusing his offer, and quietly sat down. "I am alright. No need, your highness."


    Thest thing she needed was some physician figuring out the needs of her body and spilling the man her dark secrets.


    Mikel furrowed his brows in thought but he obliged her nevertheless. "Alright. Let''s talk about this. I won''t keep you here long."


    He crossed one leg over the other and continued talking, his eyes lingering on the woman and her peculiar reactions.


    "As I was trying to tell you yesterday, we need to take a trip to visit Lady Prisce."


    "The one whom you served recently in the castle." He jogged her memory but that was not required as Sylvia''s temper instantly red upon hearing the woman''s name.


    She still remembered the way that the woman had nauseatingly clung to her man. How could someone else im what was hers?


    Ah! Sylvia gasped lightly, taken aback at her own thoughts. "I am definitely going crazy." She muttered under her breath, gripping her dress tightly.


    Thankfully, giving her some time topose her thoughts, Ana walked over with a trolley to serve tea and biscuits to the two of them.


    Since Mikel was around, the maid didn''t dare act impudently and served the items with a polite smile on her face.


    Sylvia blew a puff of air and then took a sip from the teacup. "Alright, your highness. I will be prepared for the journey." She mumbled.


    Mikel nodded and then continued. "We will be leaving today evening and for the time being, it would be best if you serve me as my ve. Do you understand?"


    Sylvia snapped to look at him, surprised by his words. She was going to say that she didn''t want to go back to being his ve even if it was just for a day, but her tongue seemingly had a mind of its own.


    "I can''t do that, your highness. I don''t want to put up with her and her drama."


    What did I just do? Only realizing what she had spoken after the words had spilled out of her mouth, Sylvia''s breath hitched in her throat and she bit her lips anxiously.


    She knew that she had crossed a line that she never should have and cursed her stupidity for doing so.


    She was not an impulsive person by nature. She often remained calm and collected, but today¡­


    Even the maid standing in wait a few feet away from them had a sneer on her face.


    "He He¡­ What a good show! I didn''t expect you to fall so soon!"


    "This is what happens when you take a mile but all that was offered to you was an inch. Serves you right!" Ana chuckled inwardly.


    Her eyes widened in glee waiting for Mikel to punish the damned slut with the attitude befitting a princess. A ve should act as a ve!


    Sylvia looked up to see the devil lightly frown at her little outburst which made her gulp. Of course, what else did she expect?


    She was a nobody while the other woman was someone that could match his wealth and his social status.


    Not to mention, whom the man associates himself with was none of her damn business!!! Sylvia cursed her hormonal body, her hormonal brain, and her foolish mouth.


    "I am sorry, your highness. Please forgive me. I am feeling light-headed and unwell."


    "I will prepare myself for the visit today evening and it would be my pleasure to continue serving you." She bit her lips and squeezed out the words with great difficulty.


    "Please excuse me." She stood up to leave the table before things could be even worse.


    And she could tell that it was going to because her insides were raging with anger and hate. All of her damned emotions were unreasonably heightened!


    Mikel''s ck irises that had been eying her and her facial expressions with a keen interest paused lightly. "Stop."


    Sylvia turned to see that the frown on his face was no longer present. Instead, there was now an amused grin dancing on his lips.


    "I didn''t quite expect you to speak to me so openly." He mouthed, his seductive lips, captivating and ensnaring her.


    "This suits you." He added.


    He then quietly walked over to stand in front of her, face to face, making the woman''s heart thud with a frenzy.


    With the way that it was drumming loudly, deafening her ears, she wondered if the man could hear her plight.


    However, her worries were for naught as the devil was entirely oblivious to the turmoil in her heart.


    "She is indeed a handful." Mikel chuckled lightly. "But there is a reason why I am tolerating her."


    Sylvia gulped seeing that the man was being honest with her.


    She could feel the distance between them slowly and steadily disappearing, but that only made her more nervous.


    She didn''t know if she preferred the trickster him or this honest him. Both were equally scary.


    She watched the man with her breathing ragged as he casually slipped out a ring from his finger, one among the many that he was wearing.


    He then looked at it and muttered something that she couldn''t hear clearly, only to sh a big grin the next moment.


    The devil gazed at her with a mischievous smile and lifted her hand gently, before slipping the ring back on, but this time onto her finger.


    "I hope that this canpensate you for the inconvenience." He gazed into her eyes and then added with a smirk. "Partner."


    Sylvia''s eyes instantly flew wide and her brain cked out.


    He gave me a ring?


    He gave me a ring?


    Her head spun as the image of the man''s casual action repeated itself in her head.


    She was already at her limit and this intimate gesture was too much for her to handle.


    She didn''t even take the second to think if this was just another of the man''s twisted jokes.


    She looked at the ring and then at Mikel, her lips parted. Her gorgeous blue eyes even made the man in front of her falter for a second.

 Chapter 94 - Put A Ring On It Part2

    Mikel was just teasing her as usual but suddenly he couldn''t help but feel very aware of her piercing gaze.


    "Ummm¡­ It''s a spatial ring." Mikel raked his hand through his golden locks and exined, no longer in the mood to continue with his joke.


    "You can bind with it by dropping your blood onto it." He exined, turning his head away. A slight rosy hue swept past his facepletely unnoticed.


    Sylvia as well was equally flustered.


    Thanks to her jumpy emotions that were all over the ce, she hadpletely mistaken the situation.


    "Ah. Um. I am grateful for thepensation, your highness." Sylvia muttered, taking her hand back, away from him. She wanted to bury her head somewhere.


    Damn it. I have gone crazy. She turned around in a haste, once again fleeing away from the man, leaving him to watch her back in a trance.


    And Ana who had watched this entire scene y out dumbfoundedly stared with her jaw on the ground.


    Back in her room, Sylvia stared at the simple silver ring with an emerald at the center.


    She calmed down looking at the treasure in her hand. The man had given it to her as if it was nothing but this was the most expensive thing she had ever held in her hands.


    She removed a hairpin from her long silver locks and pricked her hand with it, flinching slightly. She then let the blood drop onto the ring, making sure it touched both the emerald and the silver band as she didn''t know which was the key to the ring.


    "Will it work now?" She mumbled, only to gasp immediately as she could sense the space inside the ring.


    Sylvia curiously tried putting inside few of her dresses, and they were instantly swallowed into the ring, disappearing in front of her.


    She chuckled lightly, amused by the space magic in the ring, and then ced it back on her index finger.


    As she gazed at it, her longshes fluttered and she thought of something else which she could take with her.


    Sylvia jumped out of the bed and headed to the castle''s herb gardens.


    She knew where every herb was and so she quickly cut a few stems of some herbs and stored them within the spatial ring as well.


    Having witnessed the woman''s scheming nature first hand, she decided that it was best to be prepared for some food poisoning and other tricks, as she would be entering the lion''s cave.


    Soon it was evening and Jane promptly knocked on Sylvia''s door to fetch her for the trip.


    She had been meditating all day in order to control her fluctuating emotions and sighed before following Jane out.


    Since Mikel had mentioned that they would be staying at the vi for a couple of days, she packed a few things in her spatial ring which was glimmering on her hand.


    When she walked over to the castle doors, she saw a carriage already waiting at the entrance.


    Jane smiled and waved at her, before heading back inside.


    The coachman stepped down to open the carriage door for her and Sylvia couldn''t help but be taken aback seeing Leol working as the coachman.


    She bowed to him as a greeting and then got onto the carriage, holding her dress up so as to not trip.


    Sylvia was apparently thest passenger of the carriage and the other two were already sitting inside.


    Theodore didn''t look at her and kept his gaze down as he usually did, while Mikel nodded at her before turning away as well.


    Sylvia felt her heart beginning to quiver at the sight of the man but she quickly calmed down and sat down in a corner, the three of them now sitting in three corners, not looking at each other.


    Not long after, the carriage started moving, rumbling on the paved street.


    It was also a misty day outside, the sky slightly cloudy with the sun''s rays unable to break through the fog.


    Sylvia stared out the window watching the scenery fade past her and the night slowly setting in, while Mikel watched her out of the corner of his eyes.


    He had been watching her for quite a while, and the more he watched her, the more he felt that there was something different about her today.


    He couldn''t exactly put a finger on it but he felt it, a strong powerful aura around her.


    The beast n members had long since been eradicated from the maind, their mere existence a taboo.


    Everything he knew about Sylvia was only an assumption, a theory at best. And soon, he would know if his theory was correct or not.


    The awkward silence inside continued until the carriage eventually came to a halt after a couple of hours.


    Sylvia had expected them to arrive at a vi as Mikel had mentioned, but weirdly the carriage stopped at what looked like a harbor.


    "We are at the harbor?" Sylvia said softly, confused, to which the man hummed lightly.


    Both the men hopped out, followed by Sylvia, who stood meekly behind them, already in her role as the maid.


    And to her amazement, she found a gigantic ship floating in the water just a few meters in front of them.


    The ship was luxurious, with all sorts of magical runes engraved on it and shining splendidly with pomp and ir.


    Sylvia couldn''t help but stare at it in awe, feeling like she was in apletely different world. The ship was huge and decorated with all sorts of luxurious items.


    The streets around her were also littered with primly dressed men and women as opposed to the crowd ofmoners which she expected to find.


    While she was busy looking around, a familiar figure flitted towards them and greeted the devil.


    "Your highness! You have arrived!" Prisce beamed, an elegant smile dancing on her lips. The woman looked stunning dressed in her regal evening gown.


    Her maroon dress clung to her body, showcasing her curves and her long wavy brown hair sparkled under the moonlight.


    Her eyes immediately fell on Sylvia standing behind the two men, but she quickly shifted her gaze to Theo and nodded at him with a smile.


    "I have been waiting for you to arrive. Please,e with me." She ushered them as the three of them climbed up a wooden staircase to enter the ship.


    Sylvia followed them, with Leol walking next to her.


    "This is the first time you are seeing a ship, right?" Leol asked her quietly, causing her to turn her gaze towards him.


    "Yes. I have never seen such a big ship." She replied, surprised that he would talk to her. Leol merely smiled in response and nodded.


    The group quickly reached the upper deck and while the Lady and her Prince waltzed off to mingle with the crowd, Sylvia found herself standing in a corner, leaning against the rails, with the vast sea spreading out all around her.


    The sea breeze felt good against her skin and she could hear the waves breaking against the ship. She closed her eyes, enjoying the sound and sight, while her hair fluttered in the wind.


    However, no matter how much she tried to calm down, her heart still thudded loudly in her chest.


    "You look nervous?" Leolmented from behind her, causing her to flinch and turn around.


    "Ah. Nothing like that, Mr. Leol. I am just not used to being in such a luxurious ce, let alone a grand ship.


    "Heh." Leol chuckled. "It''s the Lady''s birthday. We should be returning back to the vite in the night after the celebrations are over."


    Sylvia nodded at that, not knowing what else to say.


    Her gaze shifted from the vast expanse of water to look at the glittering view inside the ship.


    Men dressed in royal attire and women in sparkling gowns wereughing and chatting, while servants weaved in and out of the crowd carrying trays of drinks and hors d''oeuvres.


    "It looks like a party." She softly sighed and nced around.


    The whole ce was decorated with flowers and candles, creating a beautiful setting, very much like the masquerade ball they had attended.


    However, this time there were no masks.


    She could tell that the woman really wanted to show off her rtionship with the Prince as the two of them walked around hand in hand.


    While Prisce had a sweet and shy smile on her face, Mikel maintained his usual kind and gentle facade.


    Though her looks slightly paled whenpared to the devil''s maic features, they still looked very good together, as if they were made for each other.


    "They look so happy," Leolmented, watching them walk around and engage in small talk.


    "I am happy for them," Sylvia whispered, smiling softly, as she watched them too.


    "I am sure you are." Leol smiled back, the man grinning as if he had chanced upon something valuable unexpectedly.

 Chapter 95 - That Ugly Green-eyed Monster Part1

    Unbeknownst to the pair of eyes keenly observing her, Sylvia gazed longingly at the devil from afar.


    She didn''t know what it was about him but her feelings towards the man had changed a lot in just a few days.


    It was almost as if he had cast a spell on her, making her feel infatuated with him for no reason.


    Was it because he was the one who had removed the seal on her body and her soul?


    She wished she knew more about her own body. Who even ced such a seal on her in the first ce?


    She had been raking through her childhood memories about anything significant that could have happened, which she could associate with all these new changes, but unfortunately, she was only drawing a nk.


    She felt frustrated at theck of answers but she was also a little d that she was not as helpless as she was a few days ago.


    Now, all she needed to do was see this through and she will finally be able to step out of the trap that her own flesh and blood hadid out for her, purely out of their greed.


    Perhaps she would pay them a visit and give them a taste of their own medicine.


    She was after all a mage now and that instantly gave her a status that was above what her uncle or aunt could ever imagine.


    Sylvia knew that many would probably look down on her for readily giving up her virtue, but she knew better than anyone that without power and status for oneself in this society, virtue is nothing.


    As long as she remained weak and vulnerable, an orphan like her would never be able to hold on to her virtue.


    Only a naive fool could hold onto such a fantasy in this cruel world.


    Even if she somehow escaped from the clutches of this man, she would probably be captured by another man the very next day.


    So she didn''t think twice when the devil proposed a deal to her and she traded her virtue away in a heartbeat for a life that she could stomach. At least this way, she would be able to have some kind of life.


    Sylvia gazed absentmindedly at the lively theatrics in front of her. The ship, the party, the scenery, the people, even her own thoughts - everything seemed so distant to her.


    She was so lost in her own thoughts that she missed the few times that the devil had eyed her out of the corner of his eyes.


    Her lone silhouette looked breathtaking under the dim glow of the moonlight even if she was not decked in fine jewels and silk, like the other women.


    Sylvia snapped her eyes to look at him as if she had sensed the man gazing at her, but Mikel was quicker to react and had already looked away.


    She, however, met Prisce''s gaze and the woman didn''t forget to give her a death re, with just her eyes throwing daggers at her.


    Not long after, a maid came rushing towards her and panted out of breath.


    "Excuse me. What are you standing here for? Don''t you know that the upper deck is only reserved for mdy''s guests?"


    "Oh? Is that so? Sorry I was not aware." Sylvia nkly answered.


    It was too obvious who was behind this as the maid had only addressed her and not Leol who was standing beside her, who still continued leisurely leaning against the rails as if this had nothing to do with him.


    She didn''t bother arguing and followed the maid downstairs to the lower decks where the preparations for the party and the feast were taking ce.


    The maid walked ahead of her and left her alone amidst the chaos without saying a word. She had no idea what she was supposed to do now.


    Before long, someone else walked over to her and handed her a tray of drinks and appetizers to carry back to the party above and Sylvia nodded, going along with the flow.


    When she came back up, she saw that most of the guests had moved inside the big hall on the ship and a light melody floated across, several couples dancing.


    Sylvia didn''t have to look for long to notice the most prominent pair among the ones who were dancing.


    The devil was leading the woman in his arms on the dance floor, his eyes only for the Lady.


    Prisce as well looked like she was in a trance and in the eyes of many, she was the luckiest woman in the world.


    Her long brown locks fluttered in the gentle breeze as they caressed the man''s face.


    Her body stuck to the devil closely and her cheeks brushed his chest ever so often as if she couldn''t care about the dance and just wanted to embrace him.


    Sylvia didn''t know why but as she gazed at the couple, a strange feeling welled up inside her heart which made her stomach churn.


    She felt an inexplicable sense of anger and hatred as she continued to watch them.


    Every time she saw the woman blush, giving the man a coy smile and whispering something in his ear to make himugh and smile gently, her heart squeezed and her temper started to re up.


    She felt an urge to tear her away from him and bash her face onto the wooden floor of the ship and at this thought, her face immediately turned red.


    "What''s wrong with me?" She broke out in a cold sweat, scared by her own penchant for violence.


    She had never thought of herself as the violent type. She was failing to understand what was causing this uncontroble surge of emotions within her.


    Or perhaps some women were simply too talented in bringing out the worst in others! Sylvia huffed and quickly turned around, unable to watch the scene any longer.


    The more she looked at it, the more agitated she felt. She feared that if she stayed any longer, she would really bash that woman''s head.


    Sylvia took her ce at the side, as she prepared to serve the guests, but as she looked at the tray of appetizers, she noticed that unknowingly, she had nibbled at the entire thing all by herself.


    Cough. Cough. she pushed that shameful feeling down and quietly snuck the empty tray under the tray of drinks, which luckily she hadn''t touched yet.


    Just then, one of the men standing next to her walked up to her.


    "You look lonely standing here all alone. Not to mention hungry. Aha ha ha." He winked at her and chuckled. "Why don''t you put the tray down ande sit with me for dinner?"


    "Pardon, my Lord?" Sylvia asked, not sure if she had heard him correctly.


    She was also worried that he had seen her gulping down the appetizers like a glutton instead of serving them to the guests.


    The man standing in front of Sylvia looked very handsome and well-toned, dressed in an attire that could rival any of the guests on the ship.


    From the way he was talking to her, she could tell that he was a noble.


    He was also probably one of the most eye-catching men in the hall apart from the devil himself, whose thought made her feel queasy again.


    Sylvia couldn''t tell if the man was flirting with her or just trying to be friendly, but there was no way that she would jeopardize her arrangement with the devil.


    She bowed lightly and politely refused him. "Please forgive me, my Lord. My Master has given me strict orders."


    The man looked slightly disappointed to hear her words and was about to coax her more, when someone patted him on the back, pulling him into a conversation.


    Sylvia didn''t recognize this man as well, who seemed to be another noble but she quietly used this chance to slip away and serve the drinks on her te.


    She strolled away from the part of the huge hall where the various couples were dancing and went ahead to serve the drinks to men and women seated on tables.


    She could tell that the Lady had put a lot of thought into the decorations for this evening as the small white circr tables with gorgeous blossoms as centerpieces were very appealing.


    Something told her that the woman had her own ns for this visit just as the devil had his.


    She only hoped that she wouldn''t be caught in the middle or maybe she wanted to be caught in the middle.


    Sylvia did not know what she wanted anymore. She was going crazy from her conflicting emotions which were white one second and ck the next.


    She sighed and put on a polite smile, as she started serving drinks to the guests seated at the table, and when she was about to leave, her tray almost empty, she heard someone call out to her.


    "Miss! This ss is empty. Would you like to refill it for me?"

 Chapter 96 - That Ugly Green-eyed Monster Part2

    "Miss! This ss is empty. Would you like to refill it for me?"


    Sylvia turned around to look at the guest who had called her and saw that he was waving a ss of red wine in the air at her. The man sitting opposite him was looking at her as well.


    Both the men looked middle-aged but they were dressed in finely tailored suits and regal ties. They definitely looked like the type who were used to being served and attended to.


    Sylvia was confused. She was sure that she had already served them. She had only gone to them after she had served everyone else.


    The man who had called her, the one who was waving the ss, Gram, looked at her in anticipation. "What are you waiting for? Come here and refill it for me!" He called out to her again.


    Sylvia didn''t like their tone and especially the look in their eyes, but she also couldn''t say no to them in front of so many people as they were merely asking her to serve them which is what she was supposed to do.


    She walked over to the table and nodded. "Of course, my Lords."


    The two men smiled at her and they had a strong overwhelming alcoholic stench so she held her breath as she prepared to serve them.


    She poured the red wine into the ss and handed it to one of the men with a light bow.


    "Ah, you have a beautiful smile on your face." Gram said, looking at Sylvia from top to bottom.


    "Why don''t youe sit with us for a while? I can tell that you must be getting tired of walking around here and there. Come here and take a rest." He patted the chair next to him.


    Sylvia didn''t like the way the man was looking at her and she felt even more ufortable when she noticed the man sitting opposite him, looking at her with the same expression, as if they were trying to undress her with their eyes.


    Her intuition told her that this was not going to end well and that she had to do something to get out of this situation.


    "I''m sorry, my Lords. I am not allowed to sit with you." She said, humbly bowing. She didn''t want to create a scene and make everything worse.


    "Not allowed to sit with us? What nonsense." The man sitting opposite, Aster, angrily scoffed. It seemed like they were pretty set on not letting her go.


    "I am sorry, my Lords, I have to¡­" Sylvia didn''t get a chance to finish her sentence as Gram suddenly leaned forward to grab her by her wrist and pulled her towards him brashly.


    Crash!


    A loud noise echoed from the tray that fell down with a couple of sses still on top of it, but even this loud noise was drowned in the merriment of the evening.


    Sylvia gasped in surprise. "What are you doing, my Lord? Let me go." The man held her hand quite tightly and no matter how much she tried she couldn''t break free from his grasp.


    "Come here, girl. You look more intoxicating than the wine. Why don''t I have a taste of you?"


    "No. Let go of me!" Sylvia screamed at him, trying to twist free from his grasp but he only held onto her tighter.


    She looked around in a panic to see if someone woulde to help her but unfortunately, no one was even looking at her as the table was in a corner of the deck and the dimly lit evening also made things worse.


    She was about to scream again, this time more loudly when Aster moved and he quickly covered her mouth, forcing her to sit down on the chair in between the two of them.


    Sylvia struggled desperately, trying to kick and scream, when the one on the right side held her jaw tightly and poured a ss full of wine into her mouth, covering her nose.


    The strong wine burnt her throat as it slid inside and she coughed violently from the pain.


    Before she could recover from this shock, she suddenly felt a hand inside her dress, brushing up against her thigh.


    Sylvia''s eyes widened in shock and fear, but she was unable to do anything with the hands holding her down tightly.


    She just couldn''t believe that something like this was happening in front of so many people.


    Did no one really see her struggling or they just didn''t care because she was just a maid?


    She frantically bit the hand that was covering her mouth and shouted ''Ignis'' to fight back against the two men.


    Immediately, a few sparks of fire materialized in front of her,nding on the cuffs of one of the men, which made him flinch.


    "Ouch! You can do magic? What a feisty little treat you are! Ha Ha Ha."


    Her fighting back only made him more excited and riled up and the man eagerly pushed his hand further up, grazing her soft thigh.


    The two of them looked at each other, grinning from ear to ear, and exchanged looks. They even winked at her with a cruel expression.


    "Come on. Come on. Don''t be like this. You will have a good time. We promise."


    Then with a face full of glee, the middle-aged man leaned closer to Sylvia, about to take things further, leaving her filled with dread.


    However before things could move any further, all of a sudden, the man froze, along with his hand.


    Seeing Gram remain still, Aster was utterly taken aback and stood up in rm, releasing Sylvia from his grasp.


    "Who did this?" He shouted and now, heads turned towards them since it was a nobleman that someone had injured.


    Sylvia couldn''t care less and turned around to run away from that ce when Aster once again grabbed her hand.


    "Whoever did this needs toe forward now and apologize. Else I am slitting this wench''s throat right here and now." He shouted.


    Sylvia panicked and tried to break free from the man but she couldn''t even budge from his grasp. He held her so tightly that her wrists were red and bruised.


    "Stop it, Aster. Don''t you have any manners?" A voice sounded behind them, making both Sylvia and the man turned around.


    Sylvia gulped seeing that this was the same person who had earlier tried talking to her. She immediately got more tensed wondering if she had just fallen from the frying pan into the fire.


    But thankfully, he didn''t seem to have any wild intentions. He smiled at her gently and then mumbled something, making the guy who was holding her release her instantly.


    "Damn it," Aster shouted in pain.


    The other party had cast a lightning spell which zapped him at the spot he touched the woman so he had to let her go.


    "Rick, aren''t you going a little too far just for the sake of this bitch."


    "On the contrary, Mr. Aster. I think that I have been far too lenient." Rick who had helped Sylvia, answered bluntly.


    Sylvia quickly moved away from both of them and tried to leave the damned ce, when she abruptly halted,ing face to face with the devil and his Lady.


    "What''s all thismotion here?" Prisce asked, with a sweet smile on her face.


    Sylvia didn''t look at her. Her gaze directly met the devil who seemed indifferent to her plight. He did not even act like he knew her.


    He merely looked at her with a nk expression and then the two of them walked past her as if she was invisible.


    "Oh my gosh. What happened here?" Prisce immediately hurried and helped the noble Gram, who had fallen down unconscious.


    She did a quick healing spell and helped him sit back on the chair, giving him some water with a kind smile.


    "I am so sorry, Gram. I think there has been some misunderstanding here. Please don''t take this issue to the heart." She tried to smooth things over.


    "Hmph. What the hell? We were just having a little fun, my Lady. This lowly maid not only created a scene but also gave the wrong impression to others."


    "Why did Councilman Mr. Rick have to interfere in our affairs? Just being a member of the council gives him the right to order us around on these small things?"


    "I need his permission to even have fun with a damned maid?" Aster grumbled, rubbing his hand which was still hurting from the electric shock.


    "Ah¡­" Prisce looked a little tongue-tied, but inwardly she was celebrating. She didn''ty this trap but she was d that Sylvia was dragged into it nevertheless.


    However, Councilman Rick, who was the one who had helped Sylvia, stepped forward calmly with a smile on his face.


    "Mr. Aster, I am sure you are aware of the rules of the Kingdom."


    "Unless you can show proof that this woman here is your ve, I am afraid you cannot treat her in that manner."


    "What? Why do I need to show you proof? She might or might not be my ve. How is that any of your business?"

 Chapter 97 - That Ugly Green-eyed Monster Part3

    "What? Why do I need to show you proof? She might or might not be my ve. How is that any of your business?"


    Rick chuckled. "Now. Now. Mr. Aster, if we all take such an approach, wouldn''t everything crumble and fall into chaos? Are you perhaps secretly trying to undermine the ruling royal family?"


    This made the man immediately shut up and he was unable to say anything further. Rick was satisfied with his reaction. However, he was still not done yet.


    "Mr. Aster, you should probably apologize¡­" Before he could finish his sentence, the man who was silently observing everything until now, as if this had nothing to do with him, finally stepped forward.


    "I think that''s far enough. Hmmm?" Mikel chuckled lightly.


    "Your highness."


    "Your highness."


    "Your highness."


    Immediately, everyone stood up, including the one who had just recovered from being knocked out unconscious, and greeted Mikel.


    The man smiled gently and waved his hand, signaling everyone to sit back down and rx.


    "Let''s not take this too far. It''s a party after all. Things are bound to get heated up, hmm? Rx and have some drinks, not you two, of course."


    Mikel chuckled and chatted with the group for a bit, perfectly smoothening out the creases without leaving any mark.


    Prisce, of course, stood next to him and also smiled radiantly,ughing and chatting with her guests, her one arm locked into Mikel''s.


    She was actually somewhat relieved that things had yed out this way even though she hadn''t expected it to.


    She almost doubted that the Prince held some sort of affections for the damned ve and had expected him to take her side andfort her or reprimand the two court officials for their misbehavior.


    But seeing that Mikel was not in the least bothered by it, she had a big smile on her face and breathed in relief.


    The same could not be said for Sylvia who had paused when she had heard the man talk finally, only to wish that he hadn''t spoken at all.


    She knew that she had no right to expect anything but she couldn''t help but feel disappointed.


    A random stranger had been kinder to her than the man whom she hade to know these few days. So this was their so-called partnership huh?


    In the end, it turns out that he only cared about her to achieve his own goals, and other than that he had absolutely no regard for her whatsoever.


    Sylvia smiled bitterly at the thought of how the man would have probably treated even Jane or Ana better.


    The things that were confusing her in her heart were only her own thoughts at the end of the day. He clearly did not share any such feelings.


    Sylvia didn''t need a cold shower to wake her up this time, his words were enough to do the same.


    However, she felt a bit tipsy from the drink those men had poured down her throat and so she walked over to the edge of the ship where Leol was still standing, munching on something.


    "Done with your maid duties?" He asked, seeing her wobble and walk over towards him.


    Mmm. Sylvia nodded absentmindedly. Her heart was heavy and she didn''t feel like having a conversation with anyone.


    She gazed at the vast expanse of water in front of her, reflecting the gentle rays of moonlight, which made the water shimmer like gems.


    The cool breeze caressed her wounded wrist and licked the tear that was threatening to drop out.


    After taking a few deep breaths, the irony of the situation finally dawned on her which made her chuckle lightly even though she was at the butt end of this joke.


    The worst part was that she hadn''t even grasped yet why she suddenly felt such an explicable pull towards the man whom she knew very well was not trustworthy, but that had already be an unrequited feeling!


    It was more than clear to her now that she was simply a fool to think of such things.


    She would be better off bing stronger so that the next time something like this happened, she can protect herself instead of expecting someone else toe and save her.


    Seeing that she was deep in contemtion, Leol didn''t say anything else to her and continued staring at the sea as well.


    The rest of the night was much more tolerable for Sylvia as the woman who had had her eye on her suddenly stopped bothering with her.


    The ship had sailed quite afar from the harbor and was now turning back, as the party wasing to an end.


    Sylvia sighed in relief seeing that at least the horrible night wasing to an end.


    She wanted to return back to the castle and wash her body until she could erase the feeling of that nasty man''s hands from her mind.


    As she let out another deep breath, staring into the distance, Sylvia suddenly felt something weird, as if someone was calling out to her.


    She turned her head to stare at a random direction out of her gut feeling and she could see the silhouette of a mountain, amidst the dense fog.


    "Mr. Leol, what is that over there?" She asked.


    "Hmmm? That mountain? That part of the maind is wilderness, inhabited by the magical beasts and demonic beasts." Leol exined.


    Sylvia nodded, still looking in that direction.


    She as well knew that beyond their Kingdom, on the other side of the ocean, was only wilderness, with their Kingdom lying on the border between the small stretch ofnd collecting the two continents, but she didn''t understand why she felt such a strong urge to go there¡­


    Not that she would survive for even a minute on that continent.


    She would probably be feasted on by something powerful like the Quilin beast or perhaps even by a lesser beast like a dire wolf.


    She gazed at the cluster of tall mountains at the distance, with the center one being the most magnificent among them. She wondered just sort of beasts resided in such a dense thick forest.


    Heh. She then lightly chuckled. No matter how ferocious those beasts were, they would probably pale inparison to the humans around her, who were much worse than those beasts.


    After staring at it for a while, with a bitter smile on her lips, a small glint crossed her eyes and Sylvia lightly jolted back.


    She thought that she saw a pair of eyes directly looking back at her which made her gulp and look away.


    After a couple of seconds, she blinked and looked again, but this time nothing was out of ce. "What the hell? How could I even sense someone at this distance?" She muttered and shook her head.


    It seemed as if she was truly losing it this evening. She continued looking into the distance and the vista soon disappeared as the ship turned around and made its way back to the harbor.


    Her gaze disappointedly shifted down, when something bright red caught her eye instead. It weirdly looked like a pool of¡­


    "Huh? Blood?" Sylvia gasped and looked down in rm. However, the next second nothing was visible except for the crystal clear waters of the ocean lightly roiling about.


    "Damn it." Sylvia bit her lips and turned around, no longer trusting her own mind which was clearly deteriorating by the minute for whatever reason.


    She tucked the unruly strands of her silver hair behind her ears and left to go back down to the lower deck where the maids and the other servants stayed.


    After she left, Leol looked down in puzzlement, wondering what the girl was murmuring to herself about, only to see the same thing which Sylvia had seen.


    A pool of blood gurgled and disappeared in the waters of the ocean and also floating on top of it momentarily was a pair of heads that got smashed onto the ship''s edge and pushed down to disappear the next instant.


    Leol vaguely recognized the two floating heads as court officials of Duke Reynold but he was not too sure as he hadn''t personally interacted with them.


    The man pensively gazed at the ocean for a while before breaking out into augh. "Mikel, you have been bad, haven''t you?"


    He fished out a cigarette from his trouser pockets and ced it in between his lips and the figure now standing beside him lit it up for him.


    "Tsk. Tsk. How do you know it''s me?" Mikel grumbled, who had nowe to stand near Leol.


    He as well lit a cigarette and took a big puff, before putting it out with his feet. "I can''t even smoke a damned cigarette without you using me of things?"


    "Heh." Leol chuckled. "Don''t direct your anger at me, petty prince. Aren''t you satisfied even after killing them?"


    Hmm¡­ Mikel hummed. "They deserved worse."


    "For what?" Leol asked, making Mikel chuckle and leave wordlessly. "For touching what is mine." He muttered for no one to hear.

 Chapter 98 - Under The Full Moon Part1

    Soon the ship returned back to the harbor, and all the guests stepped down, one after the other.


    Once the guests had fully cleared out, the wait staff then started disembarking the ship. When Sylvia finally walked out, she noticed Leol waiting for her by the side. "Are you alright?" he asked.


    "I''m fine," Sylvia replied softly.


    The two of them then walked in silence towards one of the carriages. Leol opened the door for her to get in, and she as well distractedly stepped in.


    However, as soon as she looked ahead, she was frozen solid. The carriage was not as empty as she had assumed it to be.


    There were already three upants sitting inside, her eyes only lingering on the man seated by the window.


    Several feelings welled up in her heart. She didn''t want to feel like this but there was no denying it. The man''s actions had an effect on her and she felt hurt and betrayed.


    However, he was casually sitting as if nothing had happened.


    He looked as charismatic as ever, graceful, calm, and elegant. His sharp and clear eyes only nced at her fleetingly before turning back to looking outside the carriage window, gazing at the distant sea.


    That was enough for Sylvia. She closed her eyes, turned around, and sat in another corner of the carriage, refusing to look again at him.


    After her, Leol as well stepped in, making a total of five people inside the carriage.


    Prisce, who was sitting opposite Mikel looked at the ve from the corner of her eyes before loudly clearing her throat.


    "Aha ha ha. Isn''t this carriage getting a bit too stuffy, your highness?" She chuckled uneasily, not hesitating to let Mikel know about her thoughts.


    "That''s right, it is indeed a bit crowded," Mikel agreed with a slight smile. "Perhaps I should wait for the next carriage."


    Prisce''s face immediately changed a little and she hurriedly stopped him.


    "N-No, your highness, that won''t be necessary. It''s just that I thought you might feel ufortable with these many people."


    "I am alright. Thanks for your concern, mdy. And if I am not I can always gaze at the beautiful view in front of me."


    Mikel mentioned, his eyes not leaving the window, but then Prisce''s face turned red assuming a different meaning to his words altogether.


    Sylvia had her eyes tightly shut. She didn''t want to look at what was happening.


    She was afraid she would end up doing something stupid if she looked at him, something that might cost her freedom, so she did her best to avoid looking at him, but that did not mean she did not hear anything.


    With every word they spoke, she felt like such a fool. Even though she was trying her best to ignore it, she could still feel her heart aching.


    The carriage then gradually started to move, with a rosy pleasant atmosphere on one side and a sour gloomy one on the other side.


    Not able to see this with a straight face any longer, Leol sighed and opened his mouth. "Your highness, I heard that something terrible happened to two court officials on the ship this evening, Gram and Aster?"


    Hearing this, Sylvia suddenly trembled and snapped to turn and look at Leol. It couldn''t be, right?


    The two men who misbehaved with her disappearing on the same evening? How could there be such a coincidence?


    She stole a nce at Mikel who was still gazing outside, without the slightest reaction on his face.


    "Ah, you have heard about that?" Prisce replied in his stead.


    "Yes, mdy. I heard that they went missing?" Leol replied with a barely concealed smile.


    "That''s right. I don''t know what happened to them. I saw that they were missing after the ship had returned to the harbor. I was really worried about them."


    Her voice was a little shaky as she personally knew the two guests and they were close friends of her father, Duke Reynolds.


    "I see," Leol replied. "Do you think that there is any chance they could have been murdered?" He then looked at Sylvia and winked subtly, making the girl''s heart squeeze.


    A small doubt arose in her mind, making her wonder if someone had done this for her? She then shook her head casting this thought away.


    She was once again acting like a fool to think that someone like her was important enough for something like this to happen.


    In fact, it was ridiculous of her to even doubt such a thing. She was someone who if disappeared, no one would probably even notice.


    Prisce, on the other hand, turned a bit pale. "Is that possible?" Since it was her party, she would ultimately be responsible for this, if something drastic like that happened.


    "What do you think, your highness?" She asked Mikel.


    "Hmm, it''s hard to say," he replied, looking at the window as if he was pondering.


    "I am not familiar with the situation or the circumstances so it''s hard to give a clear answer. However, I did hear rumors of both of them involved in several corrupt affairs."


    "I never took these usations seriously as the Duke personally favored them but maybe someone else did?"


    Mikel shifted his gaze, his eyes momentarilynding on the woman sitting at the other end, who as well felt him and looked up to meet his obsidian orbs.


    "But this is just a wild guess, so I am not sure about it myself." Mikel turned away.


    Prisce then sighed. "I hope they are both alright."


    It didn''t take long for the carriage to reach the new vi of the Duke and soon they arrived at the destination.


    The coachman got down and opened the carriage doors, with Leol first jumping out, grinning in satisfaction, followed by Theo who had an indifferent face even though he was aware of what was going on.


    After which Prisce stepped down, gracefully and elegantly, and then Mikel, leaving behind Sylvia who was still inside the carriage as thest one, still dwelling on the things that were discussed earlier.


    "Hey, can you leave fast?" The coachman loudly knocked, snapping her out of her thoughts. "I am in a hurry, sorry!" He added, seeing her beautiful figure and immediately regretting being rude to her.


    Sylvia nodded and quickly got down. She then bowed and left, hurrying behind the four people who were walking ahead of her.

 Chapter 99 - Under The Full Moon Part2

    The vi was a beautiful ce that was built on a hill. It was surrounded by neatly trimmed trees, with arge garden that was filled with colorful flowers and nts.


    And surprisingly, there was no other vi in the vicinity. This was one of a kind and was located in the midst of the dense forest.


    The vi itself was huge, with four floors, and everything looked brand new and luxurious.


    The interior was decorated with extravagant artifacts and furniture made from the finest wood.


    There were servants standing in every corner of the ce, and also several guards patrolling.


    As soon as Mikel and Prisce stepped inside,ughing and chatting about something, a butler came forward and bowed in greeting. "Your highness. Mdy."


    "Mdy, The Duke has sent over an important message."


    Prisce nodded and then looked at Mikel with a smile on her face. "I am sorry, your highness. Please excuse me for a moment."


    "It''s alright. Take your time. It''ste in the night. So I will make myselffortable and meet you tomorrow for breakfast?" Mikel chuckled and ced his hands in his trousers, heading over to one of the guest rooms.


    Prisce eyed the man''s tight back muscles and gulped in anticipation at the things she had nned for the both of them this weekend. She then left with the butler to quickly attend to the message.


    Leol and Theo had already left somewhere and Sylvia found herself standing alone in the giantvish hall.


    A maid saw her and walked over to her, but Sylvia quickly made a decision and hurried behind Mikel instead.


    She followed him as her gentle and hesitant footsteps echoed behind his firm and loud ones in the long corridor.


    Moonlight shone through the huge colored window panes, illuminating the man''s muscr silhouette, which suddenly paused as if he sensed thepany.


    He turned around and looked right at Sylvia, walking towards her like a predator, moving in a straight line.


    Her heart shook, skipping a beat, and then began to beat faster, following every step he took.


    She felt as if she was pulled by an invisible force, which was drawing her closer to him, and she didn''t know what to do about it.


    She nervously tucked a strand of her silver hair behind her ear, gulping and looking down on the crystal clean marble floor instead.


    "You have something you want to say to me?" Mikel asked, his feet stopping in front of her.


    Sylvia knew just foolish she was about to sound. Nevertheless, she was determined to see this through no matter what.


    Her full lips parted, glistening under the glow of the night. "Those men? What happened to them?"


    Mikel raked his hand through his neatlybed golden locks, making them unruly. "What did you want to happen to them?" He replied with a sigh.


    "I¡­" Sylvia hesitated. She had never really thought about what she wanted to say.


    The truth was, she just wanted them to disappear. But now that she was put on the spot, she was not really able to say such a dark thought aloud.


    "I want to know the truth." She mumbled, to which Mikel raised a brow. "You are asking me, why?"


    "Huh?" Sylvia was flustered. The devil was too good in tip-toeing around the issue. She bit her lips and looked at him directly. "Just tell me. Did you do something or not?"


    The man met her gaze and stared at her for a minute before letting out another sigh, cursing the damned man in his mind, who brought up all of this in the first ce, things that he was not nning on telling her.


    "Yes. I did indeed do something to them. What of it?" He muttered and turned around to start walking again, leaving Sylviapletely dumbfounded.


    So it was true? Her brain froze for a second before she could think about the other things that the man''s words implied.


    But this still didn''t mean that he had done everything for her? "Wait," Sylvia shouted, watching the man enter one of the rooms and hurried after him.


    She was done guessing about things and hoping for something, standing on the sidelines. She wanted more exnation from him.


    It didn''t matter which side the scythended on. She just wanted to know his answer, one way or the other, even if she didn''t know why it mattered so much to her.


    She hurried and followed him to the room, but stood outside, gazing at his back, standing at the door.


    "Hmm? You want to help me with something?" Mikel hummed, his voice still sharp, the man still in a bad mood.


    "I... I just want to know... Why did you hurt them?" Sylvia asked, steeling her nerves. She refused to be intimidated by the man''s sharpness.


    He didn''t answer her immediately and paused for a while before muttering, "Get in and close the door behind you."


    He walked over to the big rectangr bed inside the room and sat on it, watching her and waiting for her to do what he told her.


    Sylvia nodded and closed the door behind her. Her heart was pounding crazily but she stayed her ground.


    She approached the bed slowly and stopped in front of him, looking at the man and gulping, her hands nervously clutching the skirt of her long dress.


    She looked at his handsome features, his well-defined chin, sharp nose, and cheekbones, and then down to his lips.


    "You know..." Mikel started, making her heart skip a beat.


    Sylvia''s eyes shot up and met his, and she took a step back, her heart pounding even faster and harder. "I know what?" She asked quickly, her voice shaking.


    "You know about what I did and why I did it." He stated, crossing his arms over his muscr chest.


    Sylvia''s brows knitted and her eyes widened. "No... I don''t... I don''t know anything." She denied.


    "Liar," Mikel said and his eyes held a cold and sharp look.


    Sylvia gulped, her heart beating even faster now. "I... I don''t know."

 Chapter 100 - Under The Full Moon Part3

    "Liar," Mikel said and his eyes held a cold and sharp look.


    Sylvia gulped, her heart beating even faster now. "I... I don''t know."


    "You want to know?" Mikel asked, uncrossing his arms and sitting more straight.


    Sylvia nodded. "I want to know." She whispered.


    "I hurt them because they dared to touch you," Mikel said, his voice calm, his eyes piercing into hers.


    "Huh?" Sylvia asked, her eyes widening even more.


    "You don''t believe me?" Mikel asked and stood up from the bed.


    Sylvia shook her head. "No..."


    "It doesn''t matter if you believe me or not." Mikel walked over to her and stood in front of her, his face almost touching hers.


    "Remove your dress." He whispered, his breath warm on her face.


    Sylvia''s heart skipped a beat and she felt the blood rush to her face. "What?"


    He repeated his words calmly, almost seductively. "I said remove your dress."


    Sylvia gulped and looked down on the floor, feeling her heart pounding even faster. She swallowed and tried to calm down before she looked up at him again.


    She found him watching her intently, his eyes searching hers before she slowly reached behind her back and untied the ribbon of her dress.


    She hesitated for a second and then took the straps off her shoulders, revealing the top of her breasts, her body only covered by a thin petticoat.


    Mikel walked up to her and pulled off the rest of the dress, letting it fall to the floor.


    Sylvia stood in front of him, her heart pounding violently, and covering her chest with one hand, the other clutching her petticoat.


    She was blushing furiously and looking away from him when suddenly the man stepped forward and lifted her up with his strong arms.


    "Where are we... going..." Sylvia uttered in a small voice, her face now burning up.


    The arms around her warmed up her broken feelings even though she tried to not let them affect her.


    Mikel looked at her but didn''t answer her question. He silently carried her to the next room which had a big marble bathtub.


    He only needed to mumble a couple of words and the tub was filled with warm water.


    "This..." Sylvia was blushing as she looked around and a small gasp escaped her lips. Her heart still fluttered in her chest as the devil gently lowered her into the tub.


    She sat inside the tub and tried to calm herself down while the devil just sat on the edge of the tub, watching her silently.


    "What are you going to do?" Sylvia blushed and looked at him, to which he mumbled, "You are beautiful."


    She swallowed and watched him as the man silently took a scrub ced near the bathtub and started cleaning her body gently, starting from her legs.


    "I am sorry I didn''te sooner." He muttered in a low voice that made her head dizzy. She couldn''t believe what was happening right now.


    This same man had made her feel miserable just a couple of hours ago and now he was also the one licking away all her wounds, even the ones that she didn''t tell him about.


    Though she was in an extremely vulnerable position with barely any clothes on her body and the ones that were on her body were alsopletely drenched and transparent, he did not even cast a single inappropriate nce.


    Her heart felt warm and fuzzy from his genuine and gentle touches that were nothing less than chaste.


    Sylvia had never been treated this way by anyone before and she couldn''t help but smile a little.


    "Why... are you... doing this?" she asked, her voice almost cracking from the emotions that were filling her chest.


    "I am sorry. It must have been terrifying..." Mikel muttered, his voice still calm and collected.


    He lowered his head and continued scrubbing her legs as if he was literally removing some sort of invisible filth stuck on her long slender legs.


    The water had frothed up, covering most of Sylvia''s body and she buried half of her head inside, hoping it would hide her tomato red cheeks.


    She peeked like a reptile sticking out of the water, only her head and eyes out, and looked at the man in a daze.


    Some water had sshed on him making his shirt stick to the muscles that were straining underneath.


    She gulped at the fine figure and the burning desire that she had felt for him returned again with a vengeance.


    She wanted to reach out and grab him and pull him towards her, smashing her body against his. It was a violent desire to possess him and allow no one else to ever touch him again.


    She wanted his hand, his fingers that were caressing her soft thighs to reach higher and deeper into her.


    An intense wave of fervor filled her soul and her body and she bit her lips, unable to control herself any longer.


    Her toes curled and her body burned, the man''s every single touch sending tremors across her.


    Mikel looked up and coincidentally saw the woman looking right back at him, her face and her expressions a little different from that of the soft or the angry kitten that he knew of and was used to.


    She looked different right now, her beauty dangerously alluring and tempting him.


    Her thin parted lips, lightly gasping for him, gave him the intoxication of a hundred year spirit wine.


    Seeing her wanting him so fervently made his brain freeze. He couldn''t move or think. She didn''t permit him to.


    Just her single look was enough to make him lose all of his restraint and his focus. Now fully under her spell, Mikel''s hands trembled. The scrub that he was holding fell down into the tub, and his chaste touches disappeared.


    The man was entirely lost in the moment as he clutched her with equal fervor and pulled her close to him. He couldn''t hold himself back as he leaned forward and kissed her, covering her mouth with his.

 Chapter 101 - Under The Full Moon Part4

    "Mikel..." Sylvia whispered... dizzy from the man''s kiss.


    He sucked on her as if his life depended on it and as if he was sucking out her very soul.


    There was an urge and greed in his kiss like he was afraid that he wouldn''t be able to kiss her again.


    He clutched her wet silver hair and pulled her closer, every time he tasted her lips.


    His tongue slipped into her mouth and searched for hers like a treasure, and when it found hers, he rubbed them together, sending waves of pleasure down her body.


    And as he pulled back, a string glittered under the moonlight.


    Mikel gazed at the woman panting lightly in front of him. He wondered if he had crossed a line, but the next second, he found himself being once again pulled into her...


    This time it was Sylvia who had kissed him first, with her arms tightly wrapped around his neck, more water droplets dripping down and wetting his chest and back.


    Perhaps it was because she had initiated the contact between them for the very first time, Mikel felt a knot loosen in his restraint.


    Her fever for him was infectious and it made him forget thest bit of reasoning.


    He pulled her out from the bathtub and fell back together with her on the floor, with the woman now sitting on his hips, staring at him wide-eyed.


    Sylvia panted, feeling the hardness that was touching her where she sat, making her entire body tingle with a burning desire.


    Her deep blue eyes peered into him with an intoxicated expression on her face, which made him lean forward and kiss her again.


    Sylvia moaned and something hot and sticky spilled in her lower core, but she was far too enraptured to care about that.


    Mikel pulled her up, grabbing her by her thighs, enjoying the way she straddled him.


    He groaned and kissed her harder, tearing away the thin wet petticoat on her body which was thest piece of clothing except for her underwear.


    Wanting to feel his skin as well, Sylvia repeated his actions.


    She, however, being not strong enough to rip his shirt, simply ripped the buttons, revealing his taut muscr chest.


    She continued kissing him, her tongue dancing with his as she ran her hands all over his naked upper body.


    She could feel the man''s hardness throbbing underneath, the more she touched him and hugged him, her hard nipples rubbing against his chest.


    Unable to hold it any longer, Mikel grabbed her hair and nted his head to kiss her even more deeply, as both of them moaned and panted, with their bodies pressed against each other.


    His heart pounded against his chest, something he didn''t know could happen and under her influence, he had lost all rationality bing a beast of pure desire.


    He wanted her. He wanted to take her for himself tonight. He needed to take her for himself tonight, but Mikel knew that he couldn''t and it drove him even more crazy.


    His hands slid down from her hair and her neck to her hips, pulling her to his hot throbbing manhood without taking off his pants.


    Her hot core felt his hardness, threatening to break into her and Sylvia gasped and looked at him, her lips parted and glistening.


    She felt him look back at her, his eyes filled with the same desire and lust.


    As he gazed into her, the devil''s hands slowly moved, grinding her against him.


    Sylvia couldn''t bring herself to look into his eyes anymore and buried her head in his chest, biting into his muscle.


    She didn''t know what they were doing since their clothes were intact but she didn''t care. The way their bodies rubbed together sent waves of pleasure from her core to her spine to her head to her hands, toes, everywhere.


    His masculine scent and his warm hands drove her crazy, but she muffled her moans as she bit him harder and harder.


    Mikel groaned from the pain mixed with pleasure, as his hands squeezed her soft and tender butt.


    He peppered kisses on her nape that was brushing against his neck, kissing every inch of skin that he could reach and when he felt her stiffen, he ground her even harder against him.


    Ah... Sylvia cried out in pleasure, not able to hold it any longer, as a ball of electricity spread throughout her whole body, sizzling her million nerve endings.


    Mikel held her trembling body with tenderness, waiting for her to finish as he controlled his own unsatiated desire.


    As she slumped onto his chest,pletely spent and satisfied, his brain drove him crazy, shing images of pushing her down onto the floor nearby and pounding her until she cried out in ecstasy again and again and again.


    Even though he knew that he shouldn''t, at least not yet, he wanted to take her everything tonight.


    He didn''t have much more control left in him and as he felt her hugging him tightly, her head still buried in his chest, his desire red up again.


    He moved his hand to the side and cupped her breast, touching them and feeling them for the first time, groaning as their softness melted into his hands and he then pushed her down, his body hovering over her and removing thest pieces of clothing from her body.


    He then hurriedly removed his own clothes, making the woman blush on seeing his manhood.


    Mikel grinned, pushing the errant strands of her hair off her face, wanting to see and devour all of her sweet reactions.


    He leaned forward to kiss her gently this time, but as she pulled him towards her with her hands and her legs wrapped around him, the gentleness disappeared once again.


    Her naked body slithered under him, moaning and craving for his touch, with her ethereal beautypletely dominating his thoughts and his actions.


    Mikel couldn''t bring himself to wait any longer.


    All his ns, his schemes, his carefully well-thought preparations disappeared in front of her allure and hepletely forgot himself, surrendering to her.


    With his breath hitched in his throat in anticipation, just as he was about to plunge his throbbing hardness into her, taking away her virtue and all of her, a loud knock resounded on the door.

 Chapter 102 - Broken Hearts Part1

    Knock. Knock. Knock. A series of crisp sounds echoed in the middle of the silent night.


    Both Mikel and Sylvia froze and looked at each other with widened eyes, their gaze lingering on each other''s naked bodies. They knew that things had gone too far in the heat of the moment.


    Knock. Knock. Another couple of impatient dings sounded, making Sylvia''s eyes dart towards the door subconsciously.


    Mikel sighed and slumped his head on her shoulder. The unexpected interruption cleared his head and doused his raging desire as reality started to sink in.


    He caressed the warmth of her body for a couple more seconds, before cing a kiss on her cheek and standing up.


    He turned his back towards her, his eyes looking a bit reluctant, and threw a towel. "Don''t catch a cold."


    As he picked up his clothes and started to dress, Sylvia also stood up and wrapped the towel around herself, her eyes looking down the entire time, several thoughts running in her mind.


    But before she could get her thoughts sorted out, the devil''s hand grabbed her by her waist and pushed her behind the door.


    Mikel raised his finger to his lips and nodded at her, a gesture of wanting her to stay quiet, and then opened the door with his usual smile on his attractive face.


    "Sorry to bother you sote in the night, your highness." Prisce''s voice rang, sounding coy and seductive.


    Sylvia''s heart thudded as she stood silently behind the door. She could hear everything that was happening but she knew that Prisce had no idea she was also there.


    It made her feel strangely content and happy, so much so that the woman''s obviously honeyced words didn''t affect her in the least.


    "It''s alright, mdy. What''s the matter? Do you need any help?" Mikel asked courteously.


    "Umm... Umm..." Prisce fidgeted, clutching her nightdress, which was made of a thincy material that was more than revealing, even the tips of her hardened nipples visible.


    But unfortunately for her, the man''s eyes did not waver and he didn''t spare a single nce at her seductively proportionate figure.


    "I... I am so sorry to disturb you at this hour but I... I..."


    Mikel waited patiently for her to finish, but after she kept trailing off and stammering.


    "It''s a bitte, mdy. Should we perhaps meet for breakfast tomorrow morning?" He gently smiled. His words though blunt were not rude or cutting.


    "Ah... No, I mean..." Prisce''s eyes widened but she didn''t want to be too pushy and repulse him, so she silently admitted her defeat. "I''ll be waiting for you then."


    She bowed, revealing the top of her breasts, and turned around to walk away elegantly, hoping that the man would admire her figure under the allure of the moonlight.


    But when she looked back in anticipation after walking a few paces, the man was no longer there and the room''s door was already closed.


    Damn it. Prisce bit her lips and walked away.


    Back inside the room, after closing the door, Mikel turned to once again look at the girl who had been quietly standing behind the door.


    His eyes looked at her lightly bulging chest under the thin towel which was softly rising up and down in rhythm.


    Sylvia blushed seeing where the devil''s eyes went, and she looked away.


    She didn''t mind that he hid her presence in front of the Duke''s daughter as if she was his secret. For some reason, it made her feel closer to him.


    Mikel gazed at her slender figure standing against the wall, still dripping wet. Her long silver hair was messy and her cheeks were flushed.


    It made him take a deep breath and walk towards her, standing face to face in front of her.


    Sylvia''s heart thudded loudly again, and she felt his hand touch her chin, to bring her gaze up to meet his.


    She gulped and looked at him with her eyes wide. Were they... Were they going to continue what they were doing?


    He rubbed her cheek with his finger and her body tingled.


    He silently gazed at her and tilted her head more, leaning towards her, and she closed her eyes in anticipation of what was toe.


    Her chest moved up and down just like the knot in her throat and her slender waist trembled.


    The heat of his warm breath on her lips made her shiver, and she parted them to ept his.


    However, a couple of seconds passed and her face suddenly changed as she no longer felt the man''s presence.


    Her eyes opened wide and looked around, only to find the man already resting on the bed, under the sheets, lying on his back with his eyes closed.


    She couldn''t see him properly as his one hand was ced above his forehead, covering his face.


    But he looked like he was about to fall asleep or perhaps already asleep, while she was still standing in that embarrassing position, waiting for his kiss.


    The heck? Sylvia bit her lips that were trembling in anger. Seeing that the man had snubbed her, she suddenly found herself in the same position as Prisce.


    She couldn''t help but roll her eyes at the devil, who was simply too good at ying with women''s feelings.


    But then as she looked at him, she once again felt the urge to pounce on him and devour him which only made her more infuriated.


    Damn it. Sylvia cursed under her breath and dashed away, still wrapped around in the towel.


    She just couldn''t understand why her body and her mind were craving for this damned devil so badly.


    She stomped her feet and closed the door with a bang, letting him know exactly how she felt.


    She then slipped into one of the empty guest rooms nearby as she felt too sleepy, tired, and frustrated to head to the servant''s quarters in the middle of the night.


    She knew that she would probably get into trouble for not staying where she belonged but since the man had the time to mess with her, he probably had the time and the sweet words to take care of her indiscretions as well.


    Sylvia scoffed angrily as shetched the door behind her and flopped onto the bed, with the towel still wrapped around her and the man''s musky scent all over her.


    As she tossed and turned in the bed, she found the soft bedding and the nkets smelling like him as well.


    Sylvia sighed and buried her head in the pillow, falling asleep in the sulky mood.

 Chapter 103 - Broken Hearts Part2

    A couple of rooms away from Sylvia, Mikel''s eyes were wide open after she left. He exhaled deeply, letting out a long sigh.


    He had seen her sullen pouty face and even that looked insanely adorable. It made him want to once again pull her into his arms and have his way with her.


    He noticed that a certain part of him was throbbing, ridiculously hard and rigid and he sighed in frustration, getting out of the bed.


    He walked over to the bathtub which still had the water leftover from her bath and silently got into it.


    Weirdly, he found it to smell just like her, which turned him on even more.


    Mikel helplessly raked his fingers through his golden locks surprised that a woman had such a strong effect on him.


    It must be the allure of the beast n, he concluded, though the back of his mind didn''t quite agree with him.


    He extended his hand down, intending to take care of his unfulfilled desires by himself, but then he stopped, losing interest in that as more and more thoughts of the cruel temptress filled his mind.


    "Why did she have to look at me like that?" He muttered with a sigh.


    His brain for some reason memorized her lust-filled face and her panting lips and reyed it for him to experience it over and over again.


    "Damn it." Mikel cursed.


    He then mumbled something to turn the bath water freezing cold, which finally doused his desire and he went back to the bed to rest for what remained of the night.


    He had a feeling that he needed to rest tonight to calm down his mind and heart.


    He was not blind. He could see that the girl obviously wanted him, wanted his love and his affection.


    He had felt her eyes on him the entire night, watching him as he paraded himself with another woman.


    It had made her angry and he surprisingly found himself amused with such a reaction from her. It made him want to tease her more and provoke her more.


    But then something unexpected had happened and he hadpletely lost it, even ended up killing the two men who dared to touch her.


    "Fucking Leol." Mikel sighed. That idiot was the reason he was suffering right now and why things had gone haywire tonight.


    Perhaps if he hadn''t told her¡­ Perhaps if he hadn''t spilled his secret and outed his selfish revenge on her behalf¡­


    Mikel''s lips curved upwards, a bitter mncholic smile lingering on his face.


    He didn''t know what made her suddenly change her attitude towards him.


    He didn''t wish for that to happen as he knew very well that he could never give her the things that she expected from him.


    And even if he did so against his better judgment, it would only result in both of their tragic deaths.


    "What a cruel joke¡­" Mikel chuckled.


    He had always considered himself to be a ruthless calcting person, but he unexpectedly faltered when it came to the one person whom he had always intended on using as a pawn.


    He had even told her from the beginning what they would both get out of this situation and drawn clear lines, but still... things had gone wrong nevertheless.


    He sighed tiredly, feeling the burden in his heart and mind a little heavier tonight, something that had taken root inside him since a long time ago.


    When Mikel finally fell asleep, he dreamed of the familiar warm face once again.


    Amidst the rose gardens, a woman with a kind and gentle smile squatted beside a young boy and patted him "Don''t cry, my dear. Everything will be alright."


    "Mmm." Mikel mumbled in his dream and slept soundly, his furrowed brows slightly loosening up.


    However, outside his door, unnoticed by anyone, a figure moved in the darkness of the night.


    The figure clenched her hands tightly, her nails digging into the flesh even nicking her skin to reveal some blood.


    Prisce hadn''t yet gone back to her room and was wandering in the corridor outside Mikel''s room restlessly.


    When she heard the door open, she quickly hid behind a pir, only to see Sylvia storming out of the same room, with just a towel wrapped around her naked body.


    Was she there inside when I knocked at his door? Prisce felt her stomach churn at the thought.


    The man that she loved was fucking a ve in the middle of the night, especially in her vi while she was around!!! Prisce was furious.


    She hated how a mere ve touched something of hers, but more than that, she was afraid of what this meant.


    She had known Mikel for a long time and she knew that he was not the type to lust after women and sleep around like most of the other nobles and royals.


    And yet, Sylvia had dashed out of his roompletely naked. She was not blind or dumb to not know what had happened inside.


    So why was he behaving with her and treating her differently than any other woman including herself?


    She had to know.


    Prisce was shaking with anger and jealousy as she stood behind the pir, her fists tightly clenched. She was the one who had been by his side for years.


    She was the one who should have been in his bed tonight, not some damned ve.


    But why? What was so special about her? Prisce was feeling more and more agitated with every second that passed.


    She could only think of one way to put an end to this once and for all. She had to get rid of her.


    Under no circumstance, she would let anyonee between her and him.


    She refused to live like the other women, belittled by their husbands fucking a dozen mistresses on the side. She would not let anyone steal him from her.


    Prisce took in a deep breath and walked out of her hiding ce, her hands shaking as she rushed away from the corridor.

 Chapter 104 - My Woman? Part1

    The next day morning when Sylvia woke up, she felt ravenously hungry after sleeping sote into the day.


    No one had bothered to wake her up and it was already high noon, with the sun brightly shining outside. She had overslept.


    She quickly scurried out of the bed, only to find that she was fully naked, and then turned around to see a towel that had made its way to the floor as she moved in her sleep.


    The towel made her shudder and the events of the previous night came crashing down to her brain one after the other.


    Sylvia stiffened as she remembered how the man had held her, how he had washed her feet and her legs, how he had ripped the clothes from her body, and how he had pleasured her and touched her naked body.


    Her face immediately heated up and became bright red.


    A tingling feeling swept across her body, as she clutched herself tightly with a sweet smile on her lips which were sucked dry the previous night.


    Sylvia ran her fingers over her lips reliving the memory of the man''s kiss when she suddenly remembered how the night ended as well, making the smile on her face disappear without a trace.


    In the end, even after everything she had somehow managed to get not even a single ounce of rity. Sylvia cursed herself for being so stupid and willful.


    Where did all her self-control go??? Until yesterday, she never knew that she had such a side to herself.


    The man had promised her nothing and yet she was willing to give him her everything. Not that it was a painful experience. It was in fact an intoxicating pleasure that she had never experienced before.


    But was she really such a wild, bold and daring person? Someone who doesn''t needmitment from a man to go all the way with him and enjoy herself to ecstasy?


    She had always thought of herself as a meek, docile and proper woman, someone who stayed within the lines and behaved with good manners and decency, but what if she wasn''t?


    Sylvia gulped as she absentmindedly changed into a dress and washed her mouth before stepping out of the room.


    She peered out like a cat and looked right and left to see if anyone was there.


    Luckily for her, no one seemed to be around, so she started walking along the corridor, hoping to run into a maid so that she could join them quietly without making a fuss.


    Perhaps even get something to eat from the kitchen as the grumbling sounds her stomach made were getting particrly loud.


    It was not just her sexual appetite but her physical appetite had also increasedtely, both driving her crazy in equal parts.


    Sylvia sighed. She was definitely not ady now. She was most definitely the type of woman her aunt used to hate and curse, calling names like vixen and witch.


    While she was deeply engrossed in her swirling thoughts, someone called out from behind her. "You''re upte."


    She turned around to see Theodore, dressed in his usual dull clothes and leather armor. She hadn''t seen him before which made her wonder where he hade from.


    "Good afternoon, my lord." Sylvia bowed as she stifled a big yawn back inside.


    And to make matters worse, her stomach let out another loud grumble, making her blush in embarrassment.


    Theodore, however, still had his straight face, with absolutely no sort of reaction. He simply walked up to her and nodded. "Let''s go get something to eat."


    They both walked together in an ufortable silence which made Sylvia inadvertently open her mouth and ask a question.


    "My lord, his highness..." She hesitantly started, when the man quickly cut her short. "His highness is apanying Lady Prisce for a visit around the hills. He should be back in a couple of hours."


    Sylvia didn''t know why but she could feel a somewhat hostile feeling from the knight. She didn''t know if she had done something to offend him.


    Theodore was always so calm andposed that she couldn''t get a hint of what he was thinking or feeling.


    Since he was always so quiet, she had never had the chance to talk to him. She only knew that he was always around the prince.


    The two soon entered the kitchen and Theodore asked one of the maids to serve them both food. They sat down at a table in the vi gardens and not in the main dining hall.


    Soon a maid walked over to them with a trolley and served them tters of warm grilled meat and vegetables, giving Sylvia a pointed look as she did so.


    Sylvia, however, couldn''t care less. She was deeply famished and she dug into the food without waiting for anything else.


    Even though she was eating something greasy as soon as she had woken up, the meat still dissolved in her mouth with a delicious taste and she continued gulping down.


    Even surprising herself, she had cleaned out the entire te in a couple of minutes, her attention fully on her food.


    Only when she needed more servings, she looked up to see the maid staring at her with an open mouth.


    Theodore, on the other hand, nkly looked elsewhere as he sipped his tea without any concern. His food, as well, was untouched.


    Oh? Was he just giving mepany? Sylvia pondered inwardly while shing a big shameless smile to the maid, asking for another helping.


    The old maid gnashed her teeth as she knew very well that Sylvia was a mere ve.


    Prisce had in fact made sure to called all the staff for a meeting early in the morning and informed them about some things.


    Sylvia didn''t know it yet but ever since she stepped out of her room, she had been watched like a hawk, her every small action noted in detail, to be reported to thedy of the viter.

 Chapter 105 - My Woman? Part2

    After four healthy servings, Sylvia was finally satisfied and she grinned patting her stomach.


    Watching her keep the te aside and picking up her teacup, the maid sighed and clicked her tongue as she rolled the trolly back, leaving Sylvia and Theodore by themselves.


    The knight, who had been silently staring into his cup, looked up and met Sylvia''s eyes with his usual emotionless face before he spoke. "Have you eaten?"


    "Yes, my Lord." Sylvia hurriedly nodded. She then stood up, watching Theodore stand up as well, and hurried behind the man as he strolled out into the gardens wordlessly.


    As the both of them walked amidst the bright flowers and neatly trimmed bushes, he suddenly stopped moving and handed her a scroll.


    "Ah." Sylvia looked at the thing on her hand curiously. "What is this?"


    "His highness asked me to give this to you," Theodore replied in a t voice.


    "Oh." Sylvia blinked in surprise and her eyes quickly skimmed through the words on the scroll, which was a long sheet of paper.


    It contained vague details of some sort of archaic binding, written in calligraphy that was eye-catching and elegant.


    The strokes were long and steady, which reflected the determination of the person who had written this.


    Sylvia was busy staring at the handwriting because she couldn''t properly understand the contents of the scroll.


    She could only make out a few words like full moon, yin, and yang, and ... consummation, making her blush deeply as she stared at it with her eyes wide.


    "It''s his majesty''s wishes that you stay inside the vi for the next couple of days." Theodore muttered, interrupting her thoughts.


    "Why?" Sylvia was startled as she raised her head to meet his gaze.


    Does he not trust me? Is that why he left behind his knight to guard me while he himself paraded along with that princess? She wondered, silently biting her lips.


    "Not allowed to leave the vi. And it''s best if you just stayed in the room."


    Theodore repeated in the same calm voice, his expression impossible to read. He was not too eager to exin anything.


    Sylvia didn''t see any point in arguing with him further and she turned her gaze away, looking at the scroll in her hand.


    She gripped it tightly as she thought about their deal and the things that he still needed from her.


    Was that why he was upset yesterday? Because we almost... Her thoughts trailed away seeing Theodore walk back to the huge mansion and she hurried after him.


    The knight lead her to the same room which she had slept in the previous night


    and he walked to the window and opened it, peering outside.


    Sylvia followed after him and entered the room as well, sitting down on the bed, stifling another yawn.


    She was still tired and the food had made her feel even more drowsy, so she quietly flopped down and fell asleep.


    Not that she would have been sofortable sleeping in a vulnerable position with a man nearby but Theodore was standing like a statue and she fell asleep while trying to decide if she could fall asleep or not.


    The knight''s eyes flickered in her direction only once before settling down back outside the window. The door was securelytched and he stood guard while she continued to sleep.


    When Sylvia woke up again, it was already night. She immediately sat up and nced around the room, only to meet the knight standing by the window.


    "You should eat something," Theodore said calmly.


    "Is it night already?" Sylvia was shocked, turning her head to the window. It was already dark outside. She hadn''t even realized she had slept for so long.


    "Yes." Theodore nodded. He then reached into the ring on his finger to retrieve a few roasted meat skewers, handing them to her on a te.


    "Would you like to eat something else?" He asked.


    Huh? Sylvia was surprised. Did the man think that she was a pig who only knew how to eat and sleep?


    But she epted the te from him nevertheless, seeing that her stomach had already begun to grumble again! She was starving!


    "Thank you, my Lord." She smiled politely as she took the food from him.


    The knight nodded in reply and he walked to the door and opened it. "I will be right outside." He then closed the door wordlessly.


    Sylvia stared at the closed door and shrugged. She didn''t quite mind being locked up like this as it was only for a couple of days.


    After that, she would finally be free from all of this and from him. She sighed not realizing the disappointment in her breath and then picked up a skewer to nibble on it.


    The meat was tender and juicy, and the smell of spices filled her mouth as she chewed on it. It tasted delicious!


    Sylvia''s eyes widened and she took another huge bite, chewing on it with great relish. When she was done with the first skewer, she quickly reached for another one.


    She had never tasted something so delicious. Even Jane''s cooking was not this delicious!


    She looked at the door wondering who cooked something so delicious. Was it the knight Theodore himself?


    "Ah. How could it be? It is probably someone else. He must have gotten it somewhere else."


    Sylvia stuffed her mouth and then picked up another skewer as she got up from the bed and walked over to the window, watching the moon which was almost full and perfect.


    It was inevitable that her fate would once again change in 2 days... Sylvia gripped the window grill with her hand that was not smeared in meat juices.


    She sighed and gazed at the moon when a smallmotion in the corner of the garden attracted her attention.


    Her eyes trailed down to catch theughter and the merriment that rang loudly in the air. Someone was enjoying a pleasant candlelight dinner under the moonlight.

 Chapter 106 - My Woman? Part3

    Sylvia could clearly see the couple from her window and of course, it was not too difficult to identify the said couple.


    The devil''s ridiculously handsome face stood out even from a distance, his sharp eyes lingering on the woman in front of him.


    He held a wine ss in his hand and was sipping from it, his seductive lips gliding on the rim.


    Prisce, on the other hand, was dressed in a gorgeous white gown and adorned with expensive jewels.


    Her jet-ck hair was styled in loose curls and she wore a smile on her face as she looked at the man talking to her.


    Sylvia subconsciously gripped the grill on her window tightly as she watched them both chat andugh. She then sighed and decided to not look anymore.


    As she was about to turn back, her gaze flickered to the devil onest time and coincidentally, the man''s obsidian orbs darted to the corner to meet her.


    There was a twinkle in his eyes that was hard to miss and that made her heart skip a beat.


    A small smirk formed on the corner of his lips and she immediately averted her gaze, hiding her flushed face behind the window grill.


    "This is not good." Sylvia patted her chest and calmed down. She felt like a creep ogling at the handsome prince from the shadows.


    She pulled the curtains to close the window and then went back to sit on the bed.


    She sat in a cross-legged meditative pose and calmed herself down, breathing deeply in and out and circting the mana through her body.


    Sylvia had decided to wait to train her body and her mage abilities until after she was free but considering what happened on the ship, she didn''t want to wait any longer.


    Typically, kids who exhibited an affinity to mana trained early in their childhood joining various academies but she was already past her prime growing years.


    She was also not sure just how much talent she had and how good at her affinity was.


    Being able to do chore magic was the bare minimum. Anyone with even the slightest affinity was able to do that.


    However, beyond that, the ability to cast powerful spells and runic magic relied on one''s innate talent and as well as training and practice.


    Sylvia silently pondered if it was still prudent of her to follow the same methods and techniques which small kids used.


    Her gaze then shifted to the door and she wondered if she could ask Theodore about it. The man was a trained and experienced knight after all.


    She got down and opened the door to find the man standing leaning against the huge transparent window on the corridor in front of her room.


    "My Lord, could I possibly ask you some questions?" Sylvia hesitantly asked.


    "Hmm? What is it?" Theodore tilted his head slightly, his face otherwise expressionless.


    "I was wondering what is the best way for me to be a mage?"


    The knight immediately raised a brow on hearing her question, replying with a "Hmm?" once more.


    "I have looked into some of the basic techniques by myself but since it is sote... I mean my age... I was thinking if I could do something special to ovee that disadvantage."


    "I see." Theodore nodded. His eyes that had widened subtly returned back to their sharp indifferent state. "What do you know about magic so far?" He asked.


    "The basic breathing technique...?"


    "That is only a basic technique. Most mages develop their magic based on their affinity. There are 7 different types of affinities and each one is connected to a different element."


    "The elements of Ice, Fire, Wind, Lightning, Earth, Light and Darkness." Sylvia listed out, her arms folded behind her back.


    "Mhm. You are correct." Theodore nodded. "The majority of all magic is based on these seven elements. Affinity is the most important thing, but it is not everything."


    The knight who had been silent all this time suddenly started chatting quite freely. It was clear that Theodore trained a lot and he was passionate about training as well.


    "Ah! Is that so?" Sylvia nodded and then asked, "So... how should I start my training, my lord?"


    "Hmm... I''ll tell you the best way to train based on my personal experience." Theodore''s eyes narrowed slightly and he started, "You should do your breathing technique while doing physically taxing exercises. It will help your body to incorporate the mana within it faster."


    "Oh? I see!" Sylvia pursed her lips, looking down at her frail body, and frowning. She clearly had a lot of work to do.


    "It is just as I said earlier that physical strength and mana are interconnected. If you have a strong physique, your mana capacity will also be increased." Theodore stressed his words again.


    "I understand." Sylvia nodded.


    "So, do you have any other questions?" Theodore asked.


    "No. Thank you, my lord." She shook her head and ran back into the room, closing the door.


    She then immediately started to bend her flexible body in different poses, which were taxing, and closed her eyes to concentrate.


    She tried to feel the flow of mana inside her body and circte it. She could already feel a difference.


    And thanks to her low stamina, it didn''t take long for her to be out of breath.


    In just a couple of hours, Sylvia waspletely soaked in sweat from top to bottom and was also out of breath.


    However, she had never felt better. She was able to feel the energy swirling around her and it filled her and nourished her, as she deeply inhaled.


    "Huuu... Huuu... Huu..." Sylvia panted, now twisting her body in the shape of a drawn-out bow.


    Her legs were shaking and her knees were on the verge of giving out. Her body was aching everywhere, but the girl had a content smile on her face.


    She raised her hand to tuck away the errant strands of her hair that had stuck to her face and neck, but before she could move, another hand shot forward to caress her cheeks and push away the hair that was bothering her.


    Startled by the suddenpany, Sylvia shed her eyes open, only to see the devil standing in front of her, with one end of his lips pulled upwards.

 Chapter 107 - My Woman? Part4

    "You don''t have to try so hard. In fact, it''s better for you if you didn''t try so hard," Mikel muttered, his eyes lingering on the woman''s slender body, the flexibility of which made him want to do things to her.


    Sylvia quickly bnced herself and stood up, rearranging her clothes that had gone astray. Her eyes shot daggers at the person who had disturbed her.


    "Why is that, your highness? Do you prefer your women weak?" She asked, her temper ring up at the man as she remembered where he had just been.


    Mikel chuckled at her response and leaned back casually to rest against the window. He didn''t seem bothered at all at her little outburst.


    "Since when did you be my woman?" He added, his lips quirking upwards.


    The girl''s face instantly flushed red in embarrassment and she lowered her head to hide it. Her long eyshes were fluttering furiously.


    "You''re always so cute." Mikel reached out to caress the side of her face, but she flinched and stepped back, not wanting to be touched by him, especially when he smelled like someone else.


    She might have acted on an impulse a couple of times and maybe lusted after him another couple of times, but that didn''t give him the right to treat her like this.


    "Your highness, may I please know how can I help you?" Sylvia bit her lips. "At this time in the night." She then added with a frown, crossing her arms in front of her chest.


    Mikel gazed at the woman''s slender figure which waspletely drenched, parts of her body visible through the thin clothing she had worn for training.


    He looked away and lightly chuckled. "I heard from Theo that you had asked him for some pointers. So I came to check on my hard-working kitten."


    Sylvia silently fumed, as she clenched her fists and muttered. "If that is all..." She bowed, too tired to deal with the devil and his traps.


    Mikel narrowed his eyes to look at the trembling girl in amusement, after which he silently turned and walked away.


    "Be sure to stay in the room tomorrow as well. We will be headed out tomorrow night. I will see you then." His voice faded, and he disappeared into his room that was nearby.


    Sylvia kicked the door close behind him and shouted in anger, the words that she had swallowed down in his presence. "I am not your damn kitten. Brute! Jerk! Asshole!"


    However, she didn''t know that the man had heard her nevertheless, and it made him sleep with a smile on his face.


    The next day morning, Sylvia once again overslept, too tired and worn out from the previous night''s training.


    She had gone to bed soon after Mikel left as her mind was too disturbed and she was unable to focus properly and yet she had again slept all the way until noon.


    Sylvia rubbed her eyes and stepped out of the bed groggily when she suddenly noticed something from the corner of her eyes.


    Her entire bed was filled with some sort of ck and brown gunk, not to mention her body that was also smeared in the same filth.


    The whole room smelled terrible as if a dead body was rotting, making her freeze, her face petrified in horror.


    "Ahhh!" Sylvia shrieked in a panic, unable to digest her shock.


    She was already wary of Prisce and was walking on eggshells in the vi and now after seeing this, she directly jumped to the conclusion that she was poisoned with something weird.


    Theodore was still standing guard outside her door and came rushing in the second he had heard her cry.


    However, he too was dumbfounded when he looked at the scene in front of him. "What the hell?" The knight who had always been calm and expressionless up until now suddenly had his eyes widened and his mouth open.


    Though he was also in a state of shock, unlike Sylvia, he knew exactly what was going on and he did not panic.


    He looked at the ck oily filth that covered the bed and had even leaked onto the clean marble floor and the rug on it and shook his head helplessly.


    "My Lord, what is it? Have I been poisoned?" Sylvia did not like the look on Theodore''s face and asked him again.


    Tell me something, damn it! She wanted to shake the man who seemed to be in his own world, looking at the mess in her room and taking his sweet time!


    "No. It''s not poison." Theodore finally turned to look at her and shook his head.


    "Then what happened?" Sylvia asked in confusion. "Is this a disease?" She had never had such a thing happen to her before in her entire life.


    "Umm... " The knight hesitated, as he was at a loss for words, unsure of how to exin the situation to the girl.


    "Ah. Please tell me, my Lord" Sylvia pressed him. "What''s happening to me?"


    Theodore finally noticed the concern in her voice and sighed. "Don''t worry, Miss Sylvia. This is nothing to worry about. In fact, this is a very good thing." He added thest part in a low voice.


    Sylvia was taken aback and she gulped, as she took another look at the unholy disgusting mess. She really did not understand what he meant.


    "This is filth, Miss Sylvia. This is all the filth and impurities that have been expelled from your body."


    Unable to believe what she was hearing, Sylvia opened and closed her mouth wordlessly.


    "If I am correct, you trained yesterday night? Circted mana through your body several times?" Seeing the woman nod to his question with her gaze down, he added. "This is the result of that hard work."


    "Your training helped you to expel the impurities hidden deep within your body, in your bone, blood, flesh."


    What he didn''t say was that... this was the first time he was seeing such a thing happen with just a single night''s training...


    Typically such a result took months or even a couple of years to ur after hard and strenuous training, but she had achieved it in a single night.


    Just what sort of a monstrous talent did she possess???

 Chapter 108 - Marriage Proposal Part1

    Theodore silently stepped out giving the woman some privacy to clean herself up.


    Sylvia took a look around and cringed at the sight of the putrid mess in front of her, greenish-ck liquid patches covering the entire bed.


    She couldn''t help but wonder if this much filth was really excreted from her body through her minute pores. She almost couldn''t believe her eyes.


    "Yuck!" She then quickly pinched her nose, unable to endure the stench in the room any longer, and tip-toed out through the side door leading to the adjacent bathroom.


    She once again took a look at the stinky mess and shook her head vigorously at the thought of cleaning it up.


    "Hell no!" She closed the door tightly shut behind her, with no intention of ever going back.


    Considering that it was Prisce''s vi and they were leaving tonight to go back to the castle, she did not n on dealing with cleaning up that ungodly mess.


    "Ha Ha. It''s a perfect farewell gift for that shrewd woman!" She giggled, but then she regretted it the next second as her stomach started churning because of her own stench.


    She quickly undressed and tossed her ruined clothes back into the dirty room as well and jumped into the bath filled with piping hot water.


    Pouring a generous amount of soap into the tub, she then scrubbed herself clean repeatedly until the water ran clear and her body felt fresh.


    After almost an entire hour, Sylvia felt much better and she was no longer smelling like a dump.


    "Phew!" She leaned back against the tub and sighed in relief, her eyes closed shut.


    As the weird urrence of the day had been cleared and cleaned, she couldn''t help but think of the other thing that was probably going to happen tonight.


    And if it did and the devil really let her go and set her free... she wondered if she would ever meet him again.


    Perhaps she would catch him on a public address or a special asion, the man standing beside the royal family and she standing amongst themoners where she belonged.


    She tilted her head down and looked at her naked body immersed in water.


    Could she perhaps one day be strong enough to stand alongside him or even near him?


    Sylvia chuckled at her foolish, naive, and unrealistic thoughts and got out of the tub.


    Even when the man had already told her where they stood and what this was, she still couldn''t help but fantasize about him.


    How pathetic! She reprimanded her stupid heart and brain, running wild on their own.


    Sylvia dried herself up and then took out one of the nicer looking dresses from her spatial ring on a whim.


    She didn''t know why but she felt like wearing something nice today.


    Most young girls dreamt of a perfect wedding, a perfect husband, and a dreamy wedding night, but Sylvia knew that she was probably never getting any of these.


    She was going to be losing her virtue tonight, trading it for her freedom.


    Even though she had made her peace with it easily, it still pinched her heart a little bit every time she thought about it.


    She wondered what would her mother or her father think of her if they were alive.


    "I should really stop thinking about useless things. If they were alive, I would have never been sold as a ve in the first ce." Sylvia shook her head and zipped up the back of her dress.


    She then patted down her hair and stepped outside without bothering to put on any makeup.


    Theodore who was quietly leaning against the wall and sitting outside her door nced at her casually before going back to looking at the wall.


    However, he slightly hesitated and looked at her again, giving her a second nce which was not the norm for him.


    Sylvia was no doubt a good-looking woman with beautiful features but the woman standing in front of him was a hundred times more stunning.


    She looked utterly breathtaking, her skin pure and white as freshly fallen snow, her body slender and perfectly proportionate, her hair lustrous and shimmering and her eyes the shade of gorgeous deep blue with thick longshes.


    If one looked closely, one would see the small golden ring within her dark blue orbs.


    "Is something the matter, my Lord?" Sylvia asked as she had also noticed this odd behavior from him.


    She was used to the knight not treating her like a woman. He interacted with her as if he interacted with another man or perhaps even a log of wood.


    In reality, Theodore being as dense as he was, could tell that something was different about Sylvia, but he just couldn''t ce his finger on it.


    "Ahh... That... Nothing." He furrowed his brows in confusion and went back to looking at the wall.


    "I see." Sylvia gave a small nod and sat down beside him. She as well hadn''t noticed anything new about her appearance.


    The two of them sat quietly side by side without any words exchanged, deeply engrossed in their own thoughts, and a couple of hours swiftly passed by.


    In the meantime, the quiet vi gradually started bing busier and busier as the maids and housekeepers bustled about here and there.


    Sylvia just silently watched the theatrics from the sidelines. "Is there something going on?" She asked the knight sitting beside her curiously.


    "Yes, there is a tea party today evening," Theodore answered her curtly.


    Huh? Sylvia wrinkled her nose, which made her look even more adorable. "Just how often do these people get together in the name of dinner parties and tea parties and masquerade balls?"


    "Do they even train at all?"


    As someone who had always looked in through the window as an outsider, Sylvia didn''t understand why anyone would do anything except for train and be stronger.


    What she didn''t know was that there was a ceiling to most people''s powers that cannot be easily broken down.


    So it was simply convenient to give up and ept that ceiling and enjoy the status and power they had obtained thus far.

 Chapter 109 - Marriage Proposal Part2

    "I agree with you. Time is better spent on training." Theodore sitting beside Sylvia solemnly nodded as well. The duo''s wavelengths were perfectly in sync.


    Even though she had felt a bit of hostility from the knight in the beginning, ever since they started discussing training and such, Sylvia found him to be much more delightful, easy-going, and friendly.


    Unlike Leol, who was more like Mikel, was crafty and always seemed like he had some sort of scheme cooking at the back of his head, Theodore was much more straightforward and honest, almost true to the term ''a honorable knight''.


    Sylvia felt more at ease with him.


    However, that didn''t mean that the knight would suddenly care for her or ce her as more important than the devil himself.


    The man was surely on friendly terms with her, but at the end of the day, it was abundantly clear to Sylvia where his true loyaltyid.


    She didn''t mind it too much though. She was already grateful that he treated her kindly and offered her the pointers for her training.


    She neither needed nor expected anything more from him. Theodore was after all one of the devil''s closest confidants.


    "Sir Theo, how would one go about measuring their potential? I mean mana affinity?" Sylvia asked and the knight immediately started exining things to her in a roundabout way, giving her more information than she needed.


    However, she was happy to listen to it and she did so with a bright smile.


    As the two continued chatting, a familiar voice sounded near them, almost startling both of them as they hadn''t paid attention to her presence.


    "Ah! You two are here? Theo, you must be so bored!! Come on, you both can apany me to the party." Prisce shed a big smile, which sent shivers down Sylvia''s spine as she looked at her.


    The woman had always creeped her out but for some reason, she found her mannerisms extra peculiar today.


    The malice which was typically buried deep down seemed to have found its way to the surface as even her voice was visiblyced with a tinge of it.


    Sylvia wondered if she was just imagining things.


    Theo, on the other hand, didn''t seem to feel anything out of the ordinary. "No thank you, my Lady." He politely declined her invitation.


    "Ohe on, you can''t just sit inside your room all day long! Or should I say outside your room? Why are you two sitting here on the corridor?"


    "It''s not good for your health to be cooped up in here. The party is going to be fun! You muste, Theo! I insist." Prisce whined, pouting in a sweet and gentle manner.


    She saw that the man was still hesitant and so she directly dragged Sylvia instead, gripping her a little too tighter than required.


    Sylvia couldn''t react in time as she was pulled up by the woman quite abruptly.


    "Ouch." She winced but her voice was drowned in the woman''s cheerful words. "Let''s hurry. Let''s hurry. I don''t want to keep the guests waiting."


    "If you insist." Theo relented. He had no other choice but to follow behind the two women as he had to watch over Sylvia.


    The three of them headed down the staircase and arrived at the ground floor, where Prisce led them outside to the vast gardens on the side of the vi.


    "Ahh, here we are." Prisce''s eyes sparkled with delight as she looked at the garden that had been beautifully decorated withnterns and flowers.


    The guests were all already gathered around the garden and they were all dressed in elegant clothing.


    Some were sitting and some were standing as they merrily chatted with each other.


    However, as soon as the trio arrived, everyone couldn''t help but stop what they were doing and turn around to look at them, or to be more specific at one of the two women.


    Prisce, wrongly assuming that the spotlight was on her, was quite pleased with this wee.


    Just like Sylvia and Theodore, she as well hadn''t noticed the new changed in Sylvia''s appearance. She just hated the woman vehemently and refused to see anything past it.


    As a result, she happily smiled and waved at a few who weren''t even looking at her before turning towards Theo and bowing.


    "I hope you don''t mind if I leave you to mingle with the guests for a while, Theo~" She then swiftly walked away, not exactly waiting for his answer.


    Sylvia and Theodore both unexpectedly sighed in relief watching the woman walk away.


    "What a strange woman." Sylvia simply stated while Theodore seemed to agree with her without a word.


    These three might have missed it but how could the others possibly miss it?


    Under the enchanting sky of the dusk, the woman looked like a heavenly nymph.


    The woman was d in a light blue, silky dress that matched her eyes and shimmered in the gentle glow of thenterns.


    Her long silver hair swayed in the wind and the simple dress clung to the seductive curves of her body, which made her look even more enticing, instantly captivating everyone whoid eyes on her.


    Her beauty was beyondprehension and she stood out like a moon amidst the stars scattered around, making everything around her seemingly dull and pale inparison.


    "Come on, let''s go back inside the vi," Theo suggested. He had a feeling that something was amiss after sensing the several pairs of eyes on them.


    He was, however, toote as one of the many guests who had their eye on the gorgeous breathtaking beauty made his way to the two of them.


    A tall and thin man with golden rimmed spectacles greeted Sylvia with a gentlemanly bow, taking her hand in his and cing a light kiss on the back of her hand.


    "My Lady! It is a pleasure to meet you." He had a thick tone and his voice was raspy.

 Chapter 110 - Marriage Proposal Part3

    "Oh, hello." Sylvia awkwardly smiled, not knowing what to say. The man in front of her was a typical noble man with his neatly groomed hair and expensive suit.


    She did not understand why he was paying attention to her. She also did not like the way his eyes flickered over her body ever so often.


    To make matters worse, a few others had also walked up to her and every single one of them was top eligible bachelors of the Kingdom. They were all handsome, charming and from great families.


    The men casually gathered around her, and started greeting her, making her feel pressured as she didn''t know how to respond to them all.


    "My Lady, would you care to dance with me?" One man asked.


    "What about a drink first?" another one offered.


    "My Lady, would you like to sit with me?"


    "Then, may I please have the next dance?"


    Sylvia''s head was spinning and she couldn''t even decide whom to answer. She had no idea what was going on and what she had done to attract so much attention.


    She gulped, a feeling of suffocation welling up, even when they were all standing in a pleasant and beautiful garden.


    She tried her best to smile and respond to everyone, but she couldn''t do it.


    A vague unease and panic crept up as this brought back her traumatic memories of being sold at the ve auction.


    The eyes of the men standing around her were almost simr to the ones she had experienced there.


    Though they were polite and sophisticated on the surface, Sylvia couldn''t help but feel as if she was surrounded by a pack of wolves.


    Theo, who was standing right next to her, noticed her difort and stepped forward to deal with the mess.


    However, before he could do so, another loud voice chimed in, instantly clearing the crowd that had gathered around Sylvia.


    "Eh? Aren''t you guys being a little too rude to thedy? Do you not see that she is distressed?"


    A man wearing a crisp blue jacket and ck trousers approached the group. He was tall and slender, with long ck hair tied up in a ponytail, showing off his sharp facial features.


    "My Lord." "My Lord." Everyone immediately greeted the person and some even politely left after bowing.


    His sharp eyes swept over the remaining crowd and thennded on Sylvia with a wink. "Ah, my dear apologies for not greeting you sooner."


    And even though she had never seen the man before in her life, he acted as if he knew her and slipped his arm around her shoulders whisking her away from the crowd.


    Sylvia stiffened, notfortable with the familiar way the man acted, but she saw that he was asking her to y along, by cing his finger on his lips.


    Unsure about what was happening, she gulped and decided to let it go at least for the moment as she was happy to be freed from the crowd.


    "Aha ha ha. You are not ying fair, my Lord."


    "My Lord, I was just about to ask her for the next dance."


    A few voices sounded behind them and thenughter rang out as the men slowly dispersed.


    Sylvia turned to look behind her and seeing that she was finally free, she shifted her shoulders ufortably. "My Lord..."


    "Ah... My apologies, I am sorry. I thought you looked like you wanted someone to get you away from those jackals." He immediately let her go, which made her quickly take a step away from him.


    "Thank you, my Lord." She nodded her head and replied with a smile.


    "Please. Just call me Gabriel." The man smiled and continued walking along the garden, taking the two of them away from the crowd.


    Sylvia nodded but she turned back again to look at Theo who was quite farther away from her, held back by Prisce who seemed to be talking his ear off about something.


    She frowned lightly, suddenly sensing that something was off.


    Was the devil not around? Why was she busy with the devil''s knight rather than the man himself? She couldn''t help but wonder what was going on.


    "Are you worried about something?" Seeing Sylvia''s distracted deep blue eyes, Gabriel asked her with a light chuckle.


    "Ah, no. I am fine. Thank you for getting me away from those people." Sylvia smiled as she turned around and looked at the man walking beside her once again.


    "It''s nothing. I am d that I am able to help." He smiled back at her. "So, are you enjoying yourself here? Did you take a tour around the vi yet?"


    "Yes. I did. It''s a very beautiful ce."


    "I see. That''s good." Gabriel nodded with a polite smile, behaving like a perfect gentleman.


    Though Sylvia felt very rxed and at ease with him, she couldn''t help but notice that they had wandered off a bit too far away from the other guests.


    She was not a fan of the crowd but she also didn''t want to stray too far from Theo especially since he had warned her not to.


    So she stopped her steps and politely bowed. "Thank you for apanying me, my Lord. I should head back now." She then turned to leave, when suddenly Gabriel''s hand shot forward to hold hers.


    "My Lord?" Sylvia raised her brows in rm.


    "Not so fast, my dear. The night is still young. How about we spend some more time together?"


    She looked at the man and saw that he was no longer wearing a polite smile. She knew that something was not right.


    "You know... When my dear sister asked me to taste you this evening, I didn''t think that you would look so delicious."


    "And now I want to keep you for myself."


    "What do you think?" Gabriel grinned, his grip on Sylvia tightening. "It''s not too bad being a Duke''s mistress?"


    "Duke?" Sylvia gasped.


    "Oh. Not yet but I am the eldest son and the rightful heir."

 Chapter 111 - Marriage Proposal Part4

    "What do you think? Not a bad deal right? I don''t know what you did to piss off Prisce, but it won''t matter when we are all family."


    "What do you think? I won''t treat you badly. You are a goddess who deserves to be worshipped at an altar."


    "I can even give you this beautiful vi and servants of your own. You''ll like that, won''t you?"


    "You will be much morefortable herepared to your life as a ve. I will make sure of that." He grinned and gave her a wink.


    Sylvia''s eyes widened as she red back at him and tried to pull her hand away but his grip was tight.


    "Come on, my dear. Think about it. I am very serious." Gabrielughed. "You don''t have to be scared of me. See I am letting you go."


    Huh? Sylvia was shocked to see her hand suddenly go free. The second she heard that the man was Prisce''s brother, she knew that she had been tricked.


    She didn''t want what happened at the ship to repeat itself and was fully prepared to fight, but what the hell was this sudden development?


    As he let her go, Gabriel also removed a ring from his own finger that had a royal insignia and shoved it into her hand, folding her palm over it.


    "Think it over." He said and walked away, leaving Sylvia behindpletely dumbfounded.


    What just happened? Her long eyshes fluttered in confusion. She thought that she was going to be assaulted, but it turned into a proposal?


    Was this guy an idiot? How could be so narcissistic to think that she would still ept his terms even after how he behaved?


    She then turned around to hurry back to the tea party, getting as far away as possible from the creep.


    As Sylvia walked quickly, she noticed Theo already looking in her direction, the man seemingly ready toe to her aid.


    Standing next to him, Prisce was also looking at her with an undisguised surprise on her face. She was equally taken aback at this turn of events.


    Her brother was supposed to assault her and then she woulde running and put the me on Sylvia for having thrown herself at the man so shamelessly.


    She had nned to publicly humiliate her, her friends calling the woman various names and criticizing her for behaving in such a degrading manner.


    Or at least that was the n. It was a perfect n that would allow Mikel to see her for who she truly was.


    However, what actually happened... was something that she just couldn''t digest.


    Had her stupid useless brother finally gone insane???


    She had asked him to do one thing. One simple thing. He couldn''t even do that!!!


    "God damn it!" Prisce cursed under her breath. She couldn''t understand what was so special about this woman that made all the men lose their minds.


    She had to admit that Sylvia was pretty. Her figure was definitely breathtaking, but wasn''t she also pretty?


    "Hey, what happened?" One of Prisce''s friends walked over to her and whispered. The two of them then walked away from Theo murmuring something to themselves.


    Sylvia nced at them and continued to walk until she reached Theo''s side.


    "Are you alright?" Theo asked. She looked a bit pale.


    "I''m fine." Sylvia smiled and then nced at the ring in her hand. It had a royal insignia on it. She couldn''t quite grasp what had just happened.


    She sighed and nced at Prisce who was now busily talking with her brother. Her friends stood beside her and were looking at her scornfully.


    What did I do to them? Sylvia wondered.


    As she was busily gawking at the bunch of them, a familiar voice sounded behind her, making her jump. "Are you still nning oning back with me?"


    Sylvia turned around and saw Mikel standing there. Her heart skipped a beat on seeing the ck obsidian orbs gaze at her, peering into her very soul.


    "Huh?" Mikel raised his brows. "Are you still nning oning with me or are you staying here?" He asked her again, his lips quirking upwards.


    Sylvia gulped, closing her hand that she tied behind her back, hiding the ring within it, and nodded. "Your highness. Are we leaving now?"


    "Yes." Mikel said, extending his hand for her to hold.


    Sylvia nodded and ced her hand on his, which felt warm and gentle.


    The two of them then walked in silence away from the garden towards a carriage that was waiting for them at the vi entrance.


    Though his grip was quite loose and gentle, Sylvia did not know why there was an uneasiness between them.


    He opened the carriage door for her and she quietly stepped in, the devil as well getting in after her.


    A few minutester, Theo and Leol also joined them and then the carriage started moving down the road.


    Sylvia looked out the window, watching as the vi disappeared from her view, but they were not yet heading back to the castle.


    She could tell that the carriage was headed in the other direction, deeper into the hills.


    "Your highness, where are we going?" Sylvia asked, turning to look at Mikel who still had a frown on his face and seemed to be in a bad mood.


    "Does it matter where?" He nkly replied, the words that he didn''t speak sounding louder.


    Sylvia sighed. He was indeed right. It really didn''t matter where.


    The weird things that had happened today evening had almost made her forget the thing that was yet to happen tonight.


    And now that she was reminded of it, she couldn''t help but feel nervous.


    She tried to not think about unnecessary things and tried to focus on the life and freedom which she would be getting tomorrow.


    He wouldn''t cheat me right? Sylvia thought, but it was not like she could do anything, even if he did.

 Chapter 112 - A Life With No Future Part1

    Sylvia closed her eyes, leaning back against the seat, trying to rx and distract herself from the ufortable silence that filled the carriage.


    The ride was long and the road was dark. It was a while before the carriage came to a halt and when it did Sylvia was surprised to see it standing amidst a lush thick forest.


    Both Leol and Theo did not show any signs of moving, while Mikel opened the carriage door on his side and hopped out without a word.


    Sylvia stepped down to follow him as the man carried on walking ahead of her, cutting through the trees and the thorny brambles, with his sword brandished.


    He did not even look back once to check if Sylvia was alright which made her feel a bit weird. She could tell that he was still upset, but she couldn''t quite understand why.


    She had been obedient and followed all of his instructions to the veryst detail and yet he was upset? Sylvia was not pleased and found her temper rising as well.


    She had suffered so much thanks to him and his jealous girlfriend, the least he could do was help her walk through this mess of a jungle.


    However, that didn''t happen and the two continued walking, one behind the other for a few minutes, after which Mikel came to a stop in front of a clearing.


    The forest had thinned out and the hill had suddenly be way steeper. Mikel threw a nce at the woman behind him before starting to climb the hill with his bare hands.


    Huh? Sylvia stared at him wide-eyed. Was she also supposed to climb this now? What the hell?


    She gulped and hesitated for a moment but the man kept climbing upwards without looking back. Not wanting to be left behind, she had no other option but to mimic the devil.


    She bit her lips and tried to hold the nooks and crevices on the rocks. Once she felt that her hold was certain enough, she pushed herself up slowly and steadily.


    And lo and behold, she found herself swinging back and forth and actually climbing the steep hill, following the devil''s actions.


    Ah~ Sylvia found herself surprised by her own actions. She really did not think that she could do something like this.


    Just a few days ago, she had failed in climbing a mere tree and now she was scaling a mountain?


    She felt a wave of exhration sweep past her and the wind that tousled her hair made it feel even better.


    As she climbed higher and higher, she felt more confident and scoffed smugly at having beaten the man''s scheme, that is¡­ if there was one.


    Perhaps he had intended for her to cry and beg for his help to climb this mountain, but she hadn''t given him that satisfaction and she was d for it.


    The two of them continued climbing the mountain and after a while, Sylvia could see that they were closer to a stretch of ttenednd before the steep rocks once again resumed.


    There was even a small cave ahead located on the side of the mountain.


    Sylvia followed Mikel as he climbed into the cave and paused when he did. She could see that the cave was wider inside than it looked from outside.


    She excitedly looked around, touching the cool and refreshing musty walls of the cave, and followed Mikel as he went further inside the cave.


    "Ignis." She muttered lightly, producing a few sparks of me on her hand as the path inside was quite dark.


    However, as they went deeper into the cave and took another sharp turn, Sylvia quickly put away the sparks on her hand.


    There was no more need for them as sprawled out ahead of her was a ratherrge cavern with a small pool of water at the center akin to a pond.


    Moonlight flickered into this cavern from an opening on the cave ceiling, illuminating the entire ce, dancing on the waters, and making them seem even more magical than they were.


    Sylvia stared at the sight in front of herpletely mesmerized. Not to mention the thick strands of mana swirling in the air around her.


    She could feel the mana saturating her with each breath that she took and her heart pounded faster with each beat.


    The water, the moonlight, the mana¡­ She could feel a peculiar feeling surging inside her.


    Did he bring me here because of this? Is this where... As her thoughts trailed away, she blinked and turned to look at Mikel who was looking at her.


    He still wore the same angry expression on his face. "This is it." He said, breaking the silence and startling her.


    "Strip and get into the pool." He bluntly added and turned around to start unbuttoning his shirt.


    "Ah... Umm..." Sylvia bit her lips in hesitation.


    She thought that she had already made peace with this decision, but now when she actually had to do it, she just couldn''t get to it so casually.


    Especially now... when he seemed to be so angry with her...


    While she hesitated, Mikel brashly tore away his shirt and couldn''t help but nce at the woman from the corner of his eye.


    He saw her standing still and his frown further deepened. "Hmm?" He turned around and red at her.


    "Are you suddenly unwilling now that you have a better offer?" He smirked at her with a visible hostility and a cruel glint in his eyes.


    "Better offer?" Sylvia muttered with her face pale. She knew that he was trying to provoke her.


    In fact, he had been doing that ever since they had shared that experience that night, but she didn''t understand why he was so angry today.


    She tore her eyes away from his and gazed down, wondering how she was going to appease the angry devil.


    But the man didn''t wait for her and walked closer to her, gripping her shoulders tightly.

 Chapter 113 - A Life With No Future Part2

    "Whether you are willing or not, you cannot back out of this today." Mikel angrily growled and then without any warning, he tore away the thin silky dress material from her body.


    Sylvia took a step back, utterly shocked. He had never behaved so brutishly with her.


    She looked up at him with her eyes zed and asked, her own temper threatening to burst out. "Why are you being like this?"


    Her blue eyes had a golden rim that shed with anger. She had never felt so angry in her life before.


    "Why are you treating me this way?" She pushed him back with the palm of her hands, a vague power bursting from within her.


    Mikel was caught off guard by her sudden action and found himself pushed back a few steps, but that only made him angrier.


    He stepped forward again and this time swiftly grabbed her by her waist and threw her into the pool of water as if she was a ball.


    "Ah!" Sylvia yelped, her body sshing roughly in an ufortable position. She coughed and spit out the water in her mouth as she regained her bnce and tried to float.


    The cool andforting mana swirling around her in the deep pool calmed her agitated heart and mind, but she was far from being cooled off.


    She was angry with the man and she wanted to tear him apart, limb by limb.


    Ssh! She hit the surface of the water with her hand that made a huge noise reverberating in the empty cave.


    "Damn you. Answer me. Why are you treating me like this?" Sylvia shouted at the top of her voice. "What did I do to deserve this?"


    Mikel scoffed and jumped into the pool himself, without caring about her outburst.


    He directly swam towards her, pausing in front of her, with his eyes staring down at the woman.


    He then extended his hand to tear apart whatever clothes were left on her body, but Sylvia stopped him, holding his hand in ce.


    "Just tell me why are you being like this?" She asked him again, her voice almost pleading.


    "Aren''t you just my fucking ve? How else do you want me to treat you?" He spat back, clearly out of spite, spilling out words that he did not mean.


    Unable to put up with his temper any longer, Sylvia dropped his hand, only to raise hers the next instant.


    She pped the man in front of her, with everything she got.


    And she didn''t stop there. She hit him again and again and again, pping him and punching his bare naked muscr chest.


    Tears streamed out of her eyes and Mikel silently stood there, taking everything in.


    He allowed her to hit him and vent out all her frustrations, even though he was the one who was responsible for them.


    After a while, when she stopped hitting him, her hands falling limp by her side, he asked her, his head still bent down. "Are you going to marry him?"


    "Hmm?" Sylvia was confused by his words and his voice that had suddenly turned soft and gentle.


    "I know you heard me." Mikel did not repeat his words again.


    It took her a few seconds but Sylvia finally understood what he was talking about.


    "You were angry about this?" She asked, taking a ring with a royal insignia out of her spatial ring.


    Seeing that she had still kept the ring with her, only made Mikel''s mood worse. He turned his face to the side, not wanting to look at her any longer.


    He tried his best to remain calm, but Sylviapletely lost it after realizing this was what had made the man crazy.


    "So what if I marry him? What right do you have to be jealous and to act like this?"


    "We are nothing to each other? This is a deal right? Didn''t you remind me several times?"


    "After tonight, you and I have absolutely nothing to do with each other!"


    Mikel grimaced, his sharp angr features dripping in anger and he raised his hand to cover the woman''s mouth to stop her from talking.


    "Aren''t you ashamed to sell yourself like this?" He spat out venomously.


    Sylvia removed the man''s hand from her mouth and sneered in contempt. "Am I not selling myself to you right now?"


    "What difference does it make if I sell myself to another man? And perhaps another man after that? Who are you to question my behavior?"


    Mikel gazed into her angry blue eyes that were more golden than blue right now and he stared at her dumbfoundedly.


    The woman in front of him was majestic, bold, fierce, and beautiful just like a powerful magical beast.


    "That''s right. Heh." He chuckled. "You are just something I intend to use and throw away."


    "Who you sleep with after I am done with you has absolutely nothing to do with me." He muttered bluntly and pulled her closer to cover her mouth with his.


    Sylvia wanted to push him away, but a wave of ecstasy swept her body as she began to moan, craving for him more and more.


    Mikel felt her hands wrap around his neck and her grip around him tightened. The damned woman was kissing him back just as forcefully as he was! Did she not hate him?


    This only made him angrier, but he also felt a surge of need in his body, that wanted to devour her.


    He grabbed a handful of her silver hair and pulled her head back, and as her mouth parted a bit more, he slid his tongue inside, tasting the sweetness as their tongues rubbed against each other.


    Sylvia''s legs found their way to the man''s hips as she wound herself around him, the man''s hardness throbbing against her.


    Her every single action caught the devil off guard but they did nothing to appease him. The feeling that she would never be his after this drove him crazy.


    The reality that they could never be together maddened him. He tore away whatever clothes remained on her body and hugged her soft, tender, and naked body tightly.

 Chapter 114 - A Life With No Future Part3

    Mikel tore away whatever clothes remained on her body and hugged her soft, tender and naked body tightly.


    Theo had told him about how she had expelled the impurities in her body in just a single night, making her even more radiant and beautiful than before.


    Her tantalizing curves, her perfect lips, her voluptuous chest, everything teased him and pushed him to the brink of losing his sanity.


    He hated that others had alsoid eyes on her. She was his to im and he didn''t want to share her with anyone.


    And most importantly, he knew that he didn''t have to hold himself back today.


    Everything he had nned, all the minute details he had arranged, had alle to fruition perfectly.


    All he needed to do was take her right here and now and he would be able to attain an unimaginable power.


    His body as well growled with a need to ravage her. The woman had tempted him and teased him for far too long breaking away all the restraints he had one by one.


    He didn''t even know if he cared about the power she was supposed to give him any longer. He simply just wanted to consume and devour her.


    Mikel pulled her into him even more closer, his grip on her tightening further, his lips sucking hers as hard as they could and his tongue violently thrashing against her, reflecting his insatiable need.


    He was possessed by a craze as he cupped her behind, squeezed her breast, running his one hand all over her body while the other still gripped her tightly.


    He could feel her body trembling and shuddering under his touch, the woman clinging to his hips moaning as he plundered her.


    Mikel had never felt such an attraction before. He had never lost himself like this before. She was the first woman to have pushed him to this extreme.


    And he knew that she wanted him too. He could feel the wet stickiness that pooled in between her legs, washed by the water of the pool every time they moved.


    His hand slid down to touch her there, making her tremble and cling to him even tighter. He could feel her soft folds ready and craving for him to touch.


    She was all his without any doubt and he was free to take her for himself. However¡­ the next second¡­ instead of thrusting into her, Mikel let her go, breaking their kiss.


    He just couldn''t stomach the bitter taste of the anger that was still lingering in between them.


    He couldn''t bring himself to do it like this. Not when it was her and not when he had treated her like this.


    He hated himself for behaving in such a brutish manner with her and he hated himself for ming her for the things that he couldn''t give her.


    His voice trembled and a light whisper escaped his lips which Sylvia couldn''t help but hear.


    "Not like this..." Mikel turned away unable to face her.


    His words snapped her back from her fervor and she abruptly slid down from his body, falling back into the water. Her cheeks turned bright red, but she was still upset.


    "Make up your mind, your highness." She turned around, revealing her porcin wless back to him, only half visible and the other half hid by their reflections on the water.


    They both stood in silence, neither uttering a word more, the mana that had coalesced in the pond swirling around them.


    After what felt like an eternity, a buzzing sound suddenly echoed in the silent cavern, near the ce where Mikel had shed his shirt.


    Both of them turned to look at the sound, almost at the same time, and they saw a small stone glowing brightly.


    Hmmm? Mikel raised his brows and swam towards the shore, taking the stone in his hands.


    And as soon as he did so, a telepathic message shed in his head.


    Mikel raked his fingers through his wet golden locks and sighed, the passion within him dousedpletely after hearing the man''s voice in his head.


    He silently stared at the cave''s dark gray wall covered by moss and after a minute, he climbed out of the pond.


    "Heh." He chuckled in contempt as if he was mocking himself. "Today is not the day, my dear. My father is calling for me."


    "It looks like you have to keep being my ve for a few more days." He muttered, looking at her with the same angry expression as he started buttoning his shirt back, picking it off of the ground. But for some reason, Sylvia could only see the sadness in his eyes this time around.


    She as well started to get out of the pond but then stopped after realizing that she waspletely naked.


    She looked down feeling a bit abashed, opposite to how she had behaved just a few seconds ago wrapping herself around him.


    Mikel noticed her hesitation and scoffed before silently turning his back towards her.


    Sylvia bit the side of her cheek and quickly climbed out, wearing a dress hurriedly without bothering to dry herself.


    She didn''t know what she was feeling right now as several things had happened between them so quickly.


    To her surprise, her traitorous body was even tingling with a feeling of disappointment, still wanting and craving the man''s touch.


    This made her once again furious but she could only sigh helplessly.


    She was already used to this now. She was inexplicably attracted to the man and this feeling tended to wax and wane.


    The control she had over this was next to nothing and all she could do now was wait for it to wane once again.


    The two of them then walked out of the cave in silence in the same manner that they had both walked in, myriad unsettled emotions swirling within.


    And when Mikel was just about to climb down, leaving her behind once again, Sylvia loudly pped her hands.


    "I am not climbing down on my own." She scoffed, turning her head. It was clear that this was not a request but a demand.

 Chapter 115 - A Life With No Future Part4

    Once they reached outside the cave, Sylvia saw that Mikel was about to climb down, leaving her behind once again.


    No way! She had had enough of him having his way with her today. She furrowed her brows and loudly pped her hands.


    "I am not climbing down on my own." She scoffed, turning her head. It was clear that this was not a request but a demand.


    Mikel grumbled in annoyance. "I wonder who is the Master and who is the ve."


    Nevertheless, he walked back to her and when he was standing right in front of her, he lifted her up in one fell swoop, carrying her in his arms.


    Though the man''s words wereining, his actions were extremely gentle and caring.


    Sylvia red at him, looking straight into his eyes and not turning away. He didn''t say anything more.


    He just silently met her gaze and this time, he did not climb down. He rather jumped down, from rock to rock, muttering something under his breath.


    Sylvia gasped in surprise and looked down as she felt the strong rush of blood and wind on her cheek.


    So fast! She gripped him tighter without realizing it and within a few seconds, the two of them had already reached the carriage as opposed to the several minutes that they had taken to climb upwards.


    Near the carriage, both Leol and Theodore were waiting patiently for the two of them and they turned to look at Mikel in surprise as the duo arrived.


    Theo had a questioning look on his face that clearly wondered if everything had gone alright, while Leol blurted out without thinking, "So fast?"


    The man had a mocking grin which made Mikel doubt what he was talking about and knowing his friend, he knew that he was talking about something inappropriate.


    Mikel grunted in annoyance and put down the woman in his arms abruptly, Sylvianding on the ground on her butt with an embarrassing thud.


    "No. My father summoned me." He muttered, walking into the carriage, banging the door open, hiding the fact that he had decided not to go through with it even before he received the message from the King.


    Leol and Theo, both did not understand what was going on, but they decided not to ask him for all the details right this second, as there was Sylvia and not to mention the coachman along with them.


    The both of them silently looked at Mikel who sat in the carriage, with a grumpy frown on his face, and then at Sylvia who picked herself up from the ground and dusted her back angrily.


    Suddenly, they couldn''t help but wonder if there was also something else going on here?


    When they first began this trip, the two in front of them looked quite harmonious or at least normal but now they were clearly at each other''s throats.


    Something definitely seemed off. However, since Mikel hadn''t told them anything yet, they could only sigh and get into the carriage silently.


    Sylvia was thest one to get in.


    Several leaves, mud, and dirt had stuck to the back of her dress when Mikel had dropped her as had worn the dress while she was still wet from the skinny dipping session.


    So it took her a couple of minutes to shake things off of her and she then stomped her feet and stepped into the carriage as well, sitting diagonally opposite to Mikel, as far away as possible from him.


    The carriage then started moving once again, this time headed straight back to the castle.


    The same ufortable silence filled the air as no one spoke to each other, with only the suspicious duo asionally staring daggers.


    This made the other two men in the carriage feel very awkward and also curious at the same time.


    A few more minutes passed, with only the carriage rumbling on the rickety mountain road, when suddenly the coachman made a blunder.


    The winding mountain path was too uneven with a lot of rocks, stones, and protruding tree roots, so there was a sudden jerk and the carriage jolted.


    However, it was nothing drastic and the three men sitting inside were not in the least affected by it.


    They were all able to maintain their bnce and remained seated perfectly calm as if this incident never even happened in the first ce.


    Unfortunately, the other upant of the carriage didn''t quite share their same fate. Sylvia was too agitated and upset and she hadn''t gripped anything for bnce.


    So as the carriage jolted abruptly, she swayed and her slender figure was unexpectedly directly thrown into the devil''sp, sitting diagonally opposite to her.


    Oh no! Sylvia started panicking. Just as she thought that she couldn''t be embarrassed anymore today, this had happened.


    She bit her lower lip, making it redder, and hurriedly tried to scramble out of hisp, but she felt her body being pulled back in.


    She turned to look at the man, to question his unruly behavior and when her gaze met his obsidian orbs, she found him staring rather longingly at her.


    The anger that was burning brightly and swirling within his eyes was no longer to be seen and instead she only saw something soft and gentle.


    Sylvia gulped meeting the man''s loving gaze and felt her heart flip inside. She could tell that this was not one of his two-faced acts but genuine affection.


    He looked at her as if he was begging and pleading with her and she found herself melting in the man''s gaze.


    No words were spoken, yet a knot in her heart loosened.


    Sylvia wondered if he felt the same as well and her question was answered as she felt the man bury his head in her chest.


    The devil pulled her closer into his embrace, his hands wrapping around her more tightly, yet delicately.


    "Don''t marry him." He muttered, to which she silently tousled his golden curls and leaned her head over his. "I won''t..."

 Chapter 116 - A Life With No Future Part5

    As he hugged her closely, Sylvia could feel the man''s heart beating, pounding loudly, just as fast as hers was.


    He didn''t say anything else. He didn''t make any promises. He didn''t give any apologies or exnations.


    Yet Sylvia had never felt more closer to the man as she did right now. A tear seeped out of her eye without her permission, not because she was sad but because she finally felt at peace.


    The two of them silently sat together, one on top of the other, with their bodies tightly crushed together. Neither even made the slightest move, unwilling to disturb the moment.


    Coincidentally, the two other upants of the carriage also sat still, but their mouths were wide open and their throats were parched.


    They both looked at the unbelievable scene in front of them and gulped in unison. They couldn''t believe that the man in front of them was in fact, Mikel.


    Was someone ying tricks on them by disguising as their aloof and cunning friend? How could this be Mikel?


    They knew for a fact that things that had happened in the past had changed him far too much, for him to show such a vulnerable expression, something that was filled with love and yearning.


    The Mikel they knew did not have such a weakness within him and yet here he was inexplicably worshiping a woman. They just couldn''t believe it but the truth was the truth.


    After staring at the couple for a few more minutes and making sure that they were not imagining things, Leol broke into a warm smile and turned his gaze back to look outside the carriage window.


    Theodore also averted his gaze to look at the floor, a simr smile dancing on his lips.


    They were both d that their friend who had only experienced hardships in his life had finally found someone to hold and cherish.


    After a while, the carriage finally came to a halt near the castle. Leol and Theodore got out of the carriage first, while the other two showed absolutely no signs of moving.


    "Alright, I am off." Leol left to the stables, shaking his head helplessly, and Theodore as well made a move, heading somewhere into the castle.


    Another hour went by and Leol strolledzily to the castle to get to the kitchen when he noticed that the carriage was still standing there as it was.


    "What the hell?" He walked over and opened the door to peek inside, only to see that the two were still hugging each other without a care in the world.


    Hrmm? Leol rolled his eyes and loudly cleared his throat. "Eh? You guys! Take it to your room. Why are you tormenting the poor coachman? He needs to feed the horses and let them rest."


    Mikel immediately shed his eyes open and stared at the annoying pest in front of him, who had dared to disturb them, which made Leol chuckle awkwardly and back away surprisingly fast.


    The man even disappeared from their view at lightning speed, running to the kitchen castle to which he intended to go in the first ce.


    Sylvia giggled at this funny sight but then blushed, realizing that he had been teasing her and Mikel for being so intimate in public.


    She hurriedly scrambled out of the devil''sp and out of the carriage, only to find herself being lifted in the air once again.


    "Ah! Put me down." Sylvia blushed, her finger circling the man''s broad chest.


    However, the devil obviously had no intentions of putting her down.


    He grinned at her half-hearted protest and rejected her request with a smug look. "You were the one who asked me to carry you. I am just following orders, sweetheart."


    Hearing the man''s shameless words and the sweet endearing term he used, Sylvia buried her reddened face into his chest.


    As he walked into the castle with her still in his arms, bundled like a precious treasure, she felt as if she was dreaming.


    And she was not alone.


    The few guards who were patrolling the castle all had weird surprised looks on their faces as if they couldn''t believe what was happening in front of them, but they knew better than to gossip, so they could only silently watch the unreal scene.


    So much had happened between them, things that Sylvia had never expected. And now, she was even afraid to move or breathe, wondering if this was going tost.


    She gulped, looking at the man whom she had inexplicably grown fond of and wished that this moment could continue forever.


    Seeing her brows knitted together and worry flickering in them, Mikel smiled and flicked her forehead gently.


    "What are you thinking about?" He asked as he stepped into his private quarters, with her still in his arms.


    "Umm..." Sylvia hesitated to even start the topic. "Why are you so nice to me?" She paused and then added gingerly. "Your highness."


    Mikel leaned forward and kissed her forehead, still climbing the spiraling staircase that led to his room, the biggest master bedroom in the castle.


    "You don''t have to address me in such a formal way. At least when we are in this castle." He chuckled without answering her question.


    "Just call me by my name." He opened the bedroom door with his leg and carried her inside to ce her gently on the huge bed.


    Sylvia had never been to his room and couldn''t help but look around in a daze.


    Though his room was considerably lessvish and extravagant,pared to some of the other rooms and dining halls in the castle, it still held a certain mysterious charm to it.


    "Mikel¡­" Sylvia gulped, calling out to the devil again, by this name, as her eyes took in the view of the room they were in. "Why are you being so nice to me?"


    Her words brought a smile to the man''s face, who loosened the shirt he was wearing and flopped onto the bed, right next to her.


    He then turned his head towards her,ing face to face with her, and murmured in a low alluring voice.


    "Don''t you know¡­?"

 Chapter 117 - A Life With No Future Part6

    Sylvia was suddenly too aware of how close the man was to her. They were both lying on the bed, turned towards each other, their faces only a sliver apart.


    She felt too conscious to even breathe properly. However, she could see that he had no trouble breathing as his warmth brushed her face.


    Mikel smiled, seeing the dazed reaction on the woman''s face. She was still a puzzle to him, her actions at times being innocent and pure and at times being sinfully intoxicating.


    He wondered which was the real her or perhaps they were both equal parts of her. He extended his hand forward, his fingers stroking her face gently and tracing a line up her cheek.


    "What am I doing?" Mikel sighed and turned away, pulling his hand back.


    Sylvia gulped and she found herself pulling her body closer to him as he pulled away from her. She raised her head toy on top of his chest and her one hand slithered on his waist, wrapping around him gently.


    Mikel''s body slightly trembled as he was startled by her action.


    However, he closed his eyes andid still, feeling the small weight that rested on him, his fingers casually running through her silver locks.


    It was already veryte in the night and silence covered the both of them like a nket, but Sylvia knew that he was not asleep yet.


    She could hear his rapidly thudding heart as her face was pressed against his chest and his hand was still stroking her head.


    After a while, his hand finally stopped moving. "Sylvia..." He said her name with such a soft and tender voice. He spoke it in a way that begged for an answer.


    Gently, Sylvia turned her head back to face him, her chin resting on his chest. Mikel, however, did not turn to look at her and continued talking as he gazed at the ceiling above.


    "I am no good for you." He said.


    He then paused, waiting for her to hear his words and actually let them sink in.


    "With me... you will have no life... no prospects... perhaps not even a future."


    "You were right to try and run away from me. You should run far and fast."


    His hand then unexpectedly lowered, touching her neck, and before Sylvia could realize it, he had broken the silver chain, her leash that hung on her neck.


    Sylvia''s eyes widened in shock. She hadn''t even digested the words that he had spoken. She touched her neck and saw that there was nothing on it anymore.


    "What?" She panicked and sat up. She simply couldn''t believe it. She looked at the man who still had his eyes closed.


    "You are free to go. You should go." Mikel muttered, his face looking cold, nk, and expressionless. The warm smile that was there earlier was no longer present.


    "Mikel..." Sylvia was shocked to the core, his words not fully registering in her brain. "Don''t you need me? You..."


    "I don''t need you." Came back the man''s blunt and curt reply, breaking her words. "This is what you wanted right, your freedom? Take it and leave."


    "You!!!" Sylvia angrily clenched the sheets on the bed. What he said was not wrong...


    This is what she had wanted in the beginning. She herself did not know when that changed, but now she wanted more and she was not ready to take no for an answer.


    Her hand that was grabbing the sheet suddenly shot up to grab the cor of his shirt.


    Weren''t the two of them just now sharing a wonderful moment? Why did he have to ruin it like this?


    Was he not the one who had begged her to not marry someone else? So what suddenly changed and why was he being like this again? What the hell changed between then and now?


    "I am not going anywhere," Sylvia said, but the devilid still not responding to her words.


    "I am not going anywhere," She repeated her words again, this time her voice much louder.


    However, even that didn''t make the man respond.


    "Mikel. Look at me." She climbed on top of him,pletely losing her patience. She leaned over, knocking her forehead against his, and her nose touching his.


    It was as if she was forcing him to look at her, but to her frustration, the man still didn''t move a muscle.


    He was clearly doing this on purpose! It looked like they were ying a game of statues and he was winning.


    "Why the hell are you being like this?" She lifted her face up and started pummeling his chest.


    "So childish! Jerk! Do you always have to mess with my mind before you are satisfied?" Sylvia sighed in exasperation.


    Seeing that the man was still lying down frozen, Sylviapletely lost it and leaned over again, this time her lips covering his.


    She kissed him forcefully, her tongue running over his lips and her hand clutching his golden locks and pulling at them hard.


    She then frowned, letting her other hand run all over his broad chest, and started unbuttoning his shirt, slipping her hand inside to feel his warm taut body.


    But¡­ even this didn''t get a reaction from him. However, instead of getting disappointed, Sylvia''s eyes suddenly twinkled.


    She kissed him again, but this time, she sneakily closed his nose with her hand that was clutching his hair.


    "Got you!" She giggled as she gazed at the man''s lips that instantly part and his eyes sh open.


    However, before she could celebrate her small victory, she immediately regretted her actions as she felt his obsidian orbs peering into her like a hungry animal.


    "Umm... That..." Sylvia stammered, not able to get any words out.


    The next second, she found her body being flipped down on the bed, and the devil hovered above her with an angry gaze.


    "Ah!" She let out a gasp as her cheeks flushed. "You were not even looking at me. That''s why..." She pouted, without bothering about the serious mood he was in.

 Chapter 118 - Take Responsibility Part1

    Mikel hummed, his sharp eyes prowling the woman''s gentle face and her yful expressions. His hand traveled up to clutch a handful of her silver hair, pulling her head back.


    He then bent down to capture her mouth and kissed her fiercely as if he was punishing her for teasing him and not paying attention to his serious words of warning when he was trying to talk about life and death.


    He sucked her dry, nibbled her lips until they turned red, and left her gasping for breath.


    "You don''t want your freedom anymore?" His own breathing was ragged and unsteady. "Are you willing to live and die with me?"


    Sylvia panted, trying to catch her breath to answer him, her breasts and her waist heaving up and down, grazing the man softly as she did.


    "Why..."


    "Why are you saying this?"


    "Why will you..." She huffed.


    "Because I am nning to kill. Tomit murders." Mikel answered her as a matter of fact.


    He stood up from the bed from atop her and walked away to lean against the window.


    "And not just anyone. I am nning to massacre the entire royal family including my father, the King."


    Mikel paused and turned to look at the woman, to see if his words finally got through to her.


    Someone like her didn''t belong with him. She deserved a life far better than he could ever give her.


    He would only be dragging her to hell if he let things continue between them. He thought that he had already made up his mind about this.


    He even tried putting up walls in between them, but his selfish heart just couldn''t remain resolute at the end of the day.


    He had somehow allowed his mind and his heart to waver and his emotions to control his actions.


    When it came to her, he failed again and again. He wanted to keep her at an arm''s length but she still managed to get to him.


    Mikel looked at her, staring at him utterly shocked and wide-eyed. He wondered what was going through her mind.


    She must be thinking the worst of me, a sad mncholic smile crept on his lips.


    He had told her everything. He had revealed to her his deepest darkest secret. Would she still want to stay by his side?


    Definitely not¡­ He chuckled and turned away.


    After all, they had not known each other for a long time and the strong attraction they felt for each other was just that, an attraction, an infatuation.


    How could she possibly still stand by his side?


    He was someone who was doomed to be hunted by the entire mage council as a criminal, as a viin. This was his life and there was no turning back.


    Who in their right mind could possibly stand behind someone like him? Love someone like him?


    "I told you¡­ I have nothing to offer you¡­ No life¡­ no future¡­" Mikel hummed gazing out the window, staring at the neatly trimmed garden, filled with roses.


    "You should leave¡­" His words, however, were cut short by the warm hands that wrapped around him from behind.


    "I can make my own decisions," Sylvia muttered and hugged him tightly.


    This was not an embrace that was driven by the need in her body, which she didn''t understand, but rather this was something from the bottom of her heart.


    She just couldn''t stomach seeing him so alone and lonely.


    She was not a stranger to loneliness, which was why she had put up with her distant family as much as she did, at least until they sold her.


    Her entire world had turned upside down in just a single day, but this man hade from nowhere, taking her world by a storm, and finally, things were beginning to make sense once again.


    He might need her for his own reasons but that didn''t mean that she didn''t need him as well.


    She didn''t understand why but she knew that deep down she needed him like she needed the air to breathe. Without him, she could feel that she would wither and die.


    It was an insane thought and notion which waspletely devoid of any reason, but she just knew it to be true.


    Sylvia sighed and tightened her embrace. Her lips slightly parted and she mumbled in a low voice. "If you have a n to kill someone like the King¡­ then I am sure you have to n to escape."


    Hmmm? Mikel turned around and hummed in amusement. "Stupid little kitten."


    He patted her head and when he saw that her eyes were glistening, he sighed and rubbed them gently with his thumb.


    "Of course, I do. But I am not strong enough, baby. I cannot assure that things will go as I want them to."


    "Mmmm¡­ It''s alright. I will help you." Sylvia said, making the man almost choke withughter. He wanted to say something mean in return, but he refrained from doing so.


    "I am sure you will." Mikel patted her, hugging her back tightly. "You¡­" He hesitated slightly. "Don''t you want to know why?"


    Sylvia looked up to see him, lifting her face that was buried inside him, and gave him a warm smile. "Tell me when you are ready."


    She knew that someone like him probably had his reasons, but she didn''t want to pry. She didn''t want to take advantage of the time when he was being so vulnerable with her.


    For now, she just wanted to ease the pain and suffering swirling within him, even if it was just a little bit.


    So she just silently held him without saying anything else and without badgering him with any more questions.


    Mikel pulled her closer, smelling the fragrance that wafted out of her hair, he mumbled in a low voice.


    "I am sorry for being so selfish¡­"


    "Mmm¡­ I am selfish too¡­"


    Sylvia tip-toed to quickly reach his face and kissed him, erasing thest trace of sadness that lingered on his lips.

 Chapter 119 - Take Responsibility Part2

    After holding the woman in his arms for a while, Mikel noticed that her body was slightly limp and when he peered closer, he saw that she had already fallen asleep.


    He chuckled softly and brushed the loose silver strands on her face. "How are you able to fall asleep so easily? That too while standing?"


    Sleep was something that often eluded him, so he was mesmerized by her peaceful innocent sleeping face.


    He picked her up gently and walked over to his bed to put her to sleep properly, covering her with a nket and tucking the sides in.


    He saw that her eyebrows were slightly crinkled and knitted together, which made him ce a small peck in between her eyes.


    This unexpectedly rxed her worried brows and made the woman smile a little. Mikel couldn''t help but watch her with a dazed expression.


    Being a part of the royal family, he had seen his fair share of beautiful women, but the girl in front of him was different. She had an allure and a charisma that was beyond reason and logic.


    As he stared unblinkingly at her, an orange hue crept up on her face. The early dawn orange rays of sunlight were beginning to seep in through the curtains.


    Was it already sote? Mikel shook his head helplessly. It looked like the two of them had ended up spending a sleepless night together.


    He stood up to close the curtains on the windows, once again letting darkness prevail in the room, and then silently walked out.


    He looked back at her for a few seconds before he closed the door, carefully and quietly.


    Now that he had ruined her, he didn''t know for how long she might be able to spend peaceful nights like this, so he just let her be.


    Mikel walked down the stairs with a heavy heart, unable to shake off a feeling that he had done something terribly wrong.


    He knew that it was selfish of him to drag her into his hell, but he was unable to restrain himself and now that he had gone and done it, all that he wanted to do was undo it.


    As Mikel silently walked out to the courtyard, his mind a million miles away, suddenly an amused voice sounded behind him, jolting him back to reality.


    "So... what happened? Did something change?"


    His eyes immediately turned cold and frosty, and the warmth and love within thempletely vanished as if they had never existed in the first ce.


    Mikel turned to Leol with an indifferent expression and his lips twisted. "Nothing will ever change."


    He then coldly sat down, Jane soon appearing near him and serving him some tea and breakfast.


    Leol saw his serious face and could only helplessly sigh and join him.


    He had hoped that something might change because of Sylvia but it looked like even she was not enough to erase the hatred that had seeped inside Mikel''s heart.


    The dead had already found peace. However, the living still carried the burden. Such was the unfairness of the world.


    As the two silently ate their breakfast, no one uttering a single word, Mikel finally cleared his throat and mumbled. "I told her everything."


    Huh? Leol looked up in confusion. "What did you say?"


    "I said I told her everything." Mikel finished the tea in the cup and ced it back onto the table, before pouring some more for himself.


    His hands were calm and steady unlike Leol''s which were currently shaking. "You are joking, right?"


    "..."


    "Please tell me you are joking?" Leol banged the cup and saucer on the table and stood up, the porcin breaking apart and shattering into smaller pieces, making a mess on the floor.


    However, Mikel only coldly reprimanded him. "Stop being dramatic."


    Leol''s eyes widened and the usually calm andposed man now looked like he was about to go crazy. He couldn''t even bring himself to say anything.


    Seeing the two of them locked in a weird stance, Theodore who strolled over towards them asked curiously. "What happened?"


    "WHAT HAPPENED?"


    "What more needs to happen?"


    "Ask this damned lunatic!!!" Leol shouted in exasperation. "If you find the girl pretty, just fuck her for god''s sake! What the hell are you doing messing around like this? Don''t you know what''s at stake?"


    Leol''s voice rose as he spoke,pelling Theodore to give him a hard look. "Can''t you answer properly?"


    "Damn it." Leol picked up a wooden chair and threw it, smashing it against a wall nearby. "Ask him yourself!" He shouted with a craze and sat back down, still zing hot.


    Mikel who was still calmly sitting as if nothing had happened, simply shook his head. He then slowly muttered looking at Theodore. "I told Sylvia about everything."


    Hmmm? Theodore''s eyes as well widened in surprise, his brows rising upwards. But before he could say anything, Mikel added. "I trust her."


    He then ced his teacup down and stood up. "Even if she betrays me, who is going to believe someone like her." However, his words were not fooling anyone.


    Theodore inhaled deeply and leaned back on the chair. "You really like her, don''t you?"


    "I do," Mikel replied to him as he turned around to walk away. "I intend to marry her."


    "Heh? Is that so? Then did you tell her about everything?" Leol sneered which made Mikel pause his footsteps.


    Seeing that he was standing speechless, Leol further taunted him, "Did you tell her about how she is not even a human being?"


    "What are you trying to say?" Mikel snapped to look at him, his obsidian orbs staring him down.


    "You know what I''m trying to say." Leol ran his fingers through his hair and continued, not intimidated by Mikel''s anger. "Tell her Mikel. Why don''t you truly tell her everything?"


    "She doesn''t need to know that." Mikel hummed.


    "Or... maybe you are afraid of what she is really? Heh. Are you afraid, Mikel? Afraid of the beast within her?"


    "Shut up," Mikel growled, stopping him from saying anything more.


    "Don''t yell at me. I am just making you face the reality. Don''t you know what will happen if she gets found out? And now... as if this is not enough... you even told her the things that should have remained a secret."


    "There is really no justification for what you have done. How many weeks have you even known her for? And you already trust her this much?"


    "Forget about her. Let''s say that we can indeed trust her, but what if she gets captured? Don''t you know what they do to the beast n members who get captured?"


    "They will open her brain apart, inch by inch. They will dissect her and learn everything about her including us." Leol chuckled coldly and continued.


    "So did you not think about this or is she somehow more important to you than what you are living for?"


    "Hey don''t mistake me. I don''t have a problem with either."


    "But damn it, just make a decision and let me know because what you are doing right now will only end up as another tragedy."


    Leol ced his hands inside the pockets of his trousers and walked away.


    He was far too agitated to continue this conversation any longer and decided to walk away.


    Mikel as well silently let him go and did not say anything else. He knew and understood why Leol was so furious and frustrated, so he let him vent freely.


    In all honesty, Mikel found himself agreeing with Leol on certain things and was perplexed at his own behavior.


    Until yesterday, he didn''t n on letting her so close to him, let alone revealing everything to her, but he couldn''t stop himself.


    After Leol left, Theodore walked up to the man who was still standing frozen and silently patted him. "Don''t mind him. That idiot is only worried about you."


    "I know." Mikel nodded and sighed.


    "So are we heading to the royal castle now?" Theo asked, changing the topic.


    "Yes... In a little while..." Mikel nkly replied. "She is sleeping."


    "Alright. I will get everything ready then."


    After the knight walked away, Mikel as well stepped out of the courtyard and strolled to the library tower.


    He fished out a set of keys from his spatial ring and opened a small door at the far corner of the library hall.


    Inside this small room, there were no windows or openings. There was only one table and one chair and a singlentern.


    Mikel muttered a few words to make the fire inside thentern roar back to life and then his eyes gazed at the messily sprawled parchments on the table.


    Surprisingly, there was even a book that looked simr to the Grimoire that Mikel had taken from Nics, one of his half-brothers.


    This was obviously a copy as the real one rested safe and secure within the royal pce.


    Mikel couldn''t help but remember the petrified expression on the girl''s face when he had used her as a target dummy in exchange for this same Grimoire.


    His lips curving upwards, he wondered if she still held a grudge against him for the several things he had put her through.

 Chapter 120 - Take Responsibility Part3

    When Sylvia woke up, she frantically searched the bed beside her, a part of her unable to shake off the feeling that everything was a mere dream.


    "Hey. Hey. I am right here." Sensing her uneasiness, Mikel immediately pulled her slender body into his embrace, and only then after she was wrapped in his arms, a small sigh escaped her lips.


    Mikel chuckled at the sight of her relieved face and assured her. "I am not going anywhere." He kissed her cheeks and nibbled her ears while he did so.


    This guy! Sylvia was speechless. Only he was capable of making her feel good and bad at the same time. How embarrassing!


    She didn''t intend for her feelings and insecurities to be so obvious and on disy, so her face heated up instantly.


    Besides, the man''s tongue which was busily tickling her ear, arouse strange sensations all over her body that made her crave for his touch.


    She wanted to pull away from him, at the same time she also wanted him to continue doing what he was doing, licking her and biting her.


    It was just her ear and he was only lightly running his tongue over it and yet it was extremely sensual and erotic, even a small moan escaping her lips.


    Mikel chuckled contently, drinking the various expressions on her face and he leaned closer to pepper a few kisses on her forehead. "Shall we have lunch together?"


    Sylvia nodded, enjoying the devil''s warm hug and his masculine scent that permeated her senses.


    He had only ever taunted her and bullied her, so it was not quite easy to digest this doting and loving side of his. Nevertheless, she let herself be pampered and didn''t make any effort to break free from his embrace.


    She continuedying on top of him andzily nced at the trolley full of food ced near the bed, from which a delicious aroma wafted out.


    A small smile surfaced on her lips at the thought of how the man in front of her was far more delicious than the food, but then her stomach loudly grumbled and betrayed her.


    It was a very loud noise and Mikel couldn''t stop himself from chuckling at her plight, making Sylvia give him a re.


    "I didn''t eat properly back at your girlfriend''s castle, alright?" She lied and bit the side of her cheek, indirectly using him instead of her stomach''s unruliness.


    "Oh? Is that so?" Mikel grinned at her with a smirk on his face. This kitten was being cheeky today. His grin widened and he added. "I have been a bad master then. I should have ced my ve''s needs above my girlfriend''s."


    Sylvia instantly red up and stared at his smug face as his words had managed to push her buttons sessfully.


    But Mikel was not done yet. He was having too much fun teasing her. Her sulking face was too cute for him to stop now!


    "And speaking about my girlfriend¡­ you might meet her again in the King''s castle."


    "You?!" Sylvia began to retort, after seeing that the devil did not intend to stop talking. She didn''t like the term anymore even though she was the one who had begun using it first.


    "Darling, are you jealous?" Mikel chuckled, rubbing her lips with his thumb. He covered her lips with his, preventing her from saying anything else.


    The man''s coal ck eyes were like ck holes that sucked everything in and Sylvia instantly forgot about their petty squabble.


    His coarse tongue licked her lips and rubbed against her tongue as if it was coaxing her and loving her for the sinsmitted by its master.


    He scooped her up and cupped her face, kissing her as she gasped for breath and parting reluctantly afterward.


    Not satisfied, he once again pulled her closer and kissed her, sucking on her lips and seducing her tongue, slowly savoring the sweetness, taking his time.


    Sylvia panted, her brain numb and her heart almost leaping out of her chest. His every touch and every kiss made her feel ecstatic.


    And when he let her go, she kissed him again, unwilling to be apart from him. His words about lunch that were still not spoken, drowned in her kisses.


    She crossed her leg over him, now straddling him as she sat on top of him and kissed him with everything she had.


    Mikel, who was only barely holding on, surviving on her kisses and her chaste hug, suddenly felt his restraint loosen and his body reacting to the temptress.


    His hardness throbbed with a frenzy, demanding him to take her and pound her senseless.


    His hands hastily undid the buttons on her dress and pulled it down to reveal her ample bosom and her slender waist.


    He cupped her breasts and kneaded them with a pang of hunger as she kissed him wildly.


    Finally, unable to bear it any longer, Mikel clutched her hands that were wrapped around his neck and pushed them down, her hand touching the bulging hardness.


    Without her realizing it, he had sneaked her hand into his pant, and Sylvia suddenly snapped out of her fervor as she felt the man''s pulsing member in her hand.


    With parted lips that were slightly gasping for air, she stared at him and blinked, not knowing what to do now.


    She had never seen a man naked before, let alone touch something like this. What was she supposed to do now? She didn''t know.


    However, her innocent gaze and her questioning eyes further drove Mikel crazy. He groaned in a mixture of pain and pleasure.


    "Woman you are tormenting me. Take responsibility for your actions."


    Sylvia''s face which was already reddened, heated up more after hearing him begging her. "I¡­ I¡­" She stammered, not knowing what to do.


    "Move your hands. Up and down." Mikel muttered, his eyes seductivelymanding the woman straddling him. "You can also lick it." He added.


    "Lick?" Sylvia''s eyes immediately widened. She couldn''t quite understand why someone would put their mouth in that¡­ in such a ce.


    "You are a bad kitten. Weren''t you just attacking me? Why are you hesitating now? Let me taste you first."


    Mikel pulled her off of him in one swift motion and pinned her on the bed, his hands holding her in ce.


    He then kissed her and with the string of her saliva settled on his lips, he bent down to lick her nipples and pull down the rest of her dress.


    Sylvia felt like her body was going to burst into mes. No one had ever been so intimate with her and no one had ever touched her in these ces but for some reason, she wanted more and more of it.


    It was as if there was a ferocious hungry beast inside her that reeked of lust and wanted to devour the man who was on top of her.


    Her fingernails that were slightly longer than usual dug into his chiseled back and her teeth, especially her canines bit into the nape of his neck.


    Mikel slightly paused feeling the pricking pain but the next instant, the pain turned into pleasure and desire swirled within his coal ck eyes.


    He bit her waist and then directly lowered his head to her lower abdomen, where he licked a drop of sweat that was trickling down her body.


    Nnngh. Sylvia moaned in pleasure and embarrassment and before she could regain her senses, she felt the devil''s soft tongue lick the ce in between her legs.


    Ahhh¡­ She yelped as she became self-conscious. Her eyes snapped open in shock and she stared wide at the ceiling.


    So dirty! That was the first thought that crossed her mind, but before any words coulde out of her mouth, an intense pleasure started shooting up her spine.


    She clutched his golden curls and wrapped her legs around him, digging her toenails into his back.


    Loud moans and pants echoed in the huge room, as the devil mercilessly continued licking her and tasting her, savoring the wet sticky liquid from her body as if it was honey.


    Sylvia felt her head explode, along with the million nerve endings on her body. She moaned and screamed in pleasure, the beast inside her, only somewhat satisfied.


    Mikel grinned contently, watching her twitch in ecstasy, her naked body glistening in sweat. His own body demanded the same in return.


    He came up for air and kissed her waist, his eyes drinking in the expressions on her face when unexpectedly he felt the girl pushing him down once again.


    This girl!!! Mikel was speechless. Just a second ago, she acted as if she was an innocent little kitten and now she wanted more?


    "My bad kitten needs a spanking." He chuckled, but obeyed hermand nevertheless, once again licking her and sucking her, sending shivers of ecstasy down her body.


    He made her explode again and again until the woman was finally spent and satisfied, and when she finally released him, after her inner beast was satisfied, the man came back up and kissed her with the same wet stickiness on his face, making Sylvia stiffen up and blush beyond reason.

 Chapter 121 - Debts Incurred

    "So embarrassing¡­ Mikel¡­" Sylvia moaned and whispered his name, turning her face away, unwilling to meet the man''s gaze.


    "Eh? Darling, it is a little toote for you to act all shy." Mikel chuckled at her shenanigans. He hovered over her and bit the hardened tip of her nipple. "Also¡­ you don''t have to. I quite like this feisty side of yours."


    Sylvia couldn''t take it anymore and pushed him down away from her and turned towards the other side of the bed, covering her face with her hands. "I am not acting, you jerk." Her muffled voice protested.


    However, her words didn''t register in the devil''s brain as he was busily staring at her back.


    His hands tossed her long messy silver hair that flowed like silk to the front and his eyes grazed over her wless jade-like skin.


    He extended his hand, letting the tip of his finger circle her back, making her arch from his touch, and then trailed down to cup her soft perky behind.


    Mikel''s throat turned hoarse and his hardness once again throbbed as he enjoyed the softness in his hand.


    Sylvia bit her lips, swallowing her giggles, as his hands and the things that his hands were doing were ticking her.


    She wiggled and squirmed unable to take the tickling anymore, her hands still firmly covering her face and as she did, her soft and tender butt touched the man''s hardness, his pulsing head finding the space in between her legs.


    Mikel groaned and his hands pulled the woman who was mercilessly teasing him, closer towards him. He kneaded her breasts, his breathing getting more and more ragged.


    He pried open her hands which were covering her face and grabbed her chin to turn her towards him and kissed her, his hardness now throbbing against her even more fiercely.


    Sylvia closed her eyes and sumbed to the man''s kiss,pletely losing herself once again.


    It was as if she could never have enough of this delicious devil who owned her.


    Her hands once again wrapped around him, pulling him even more closer, when Mikel suddenly stopped and pulled himself away.


    "Ah! You greedy little kitten. Stop making me crazy." He chuckled, hovering on top of her.


    Sylvia blinked, wondering why he was ming her when he was the one who had attacked her first this time.


    She watched him as he leaned closer and shamelessly licked the small bead of saliva that was trickling down her lips.


    The devil was so damned seductive when he was behaving like an improper thug.


    She parted her lips, panting and yearning for the man''s touch when Mikel shook his head helplessly and stood up, getting out of the bed as if he was scared for his life.


    This girl! He sighed, his body extremely unpleased with his behavior.


    Even though he had a lot of self-control and restraint, just how much could he resist when she looked at him with those tempting eyes¡­


    If things continued this way, then they would probably never leave this room for the next few days. She was an unforgiving quicksand, against whom he would probably lose over and over again.


    Mikel gazed at the mesmerizing naked nymph in front of him, his eyes unwilling to tear away from her alluring body.


    "My dear¡­ you are going to get me in trouble with the King." He groaned and ran his hand through his hair, his words immediately murdering the intoxicating air in the room.


    Sylvia''s face immediately paled and she sat up, covering her body with the nket which was shabbily pushed to one corner of the bed.


    As much as she hadn''t forgotten the warmth in his face when Mikel whispered sweet nothings to her, she also hadn''t forgotten the cold despair and loneliness that lingered around him when he had told her about other things. Other gravely important things that shocked her to her very core.


    The high that she was on fully faded and she looked at him with worry written over her face.


    Mikel sighed gazing at her heavy expression which left a bitter taste in his mouth. He only wanted to see her happy and not like this.


    "You... greedy little kitten." He chuckled, changing the subject. "You cheated me this time. You better not forget what you owe me." Mikel hummed as he kicked aside his old clothes that were messily thrown on the floor and took out a new set from his ring.


    "Huh? What...?" Sylvia asked, watching the man deftly buttoning a crisp egg white color shirt, that covered his broad chest and his drooling inducing abdominal muscles.


    After buttoning his shirt, Mikel loosened the towel around his waist, letting the woman see all of him, but it only ended up in failure as Sylvia quickly yelped and turned her head down.


    "10 times, my darling. You owe my General 10 sessions. Am I being clear enough or should I spell it out?" Mikel pulled his shorts up and then a pair of ck formal pants.


    "You... you what?" Sylvia sputtered, her face all red and her eyes wide, unable to believe what she was hearing.


    The damned shameless devil! And what the hell was with that round number? Surely... the number can''t be that high... right?


    "Heh. Not bad. You seemed to have guessed correctly." Mikel grinned, drinking in the view in front of him, which was even more tantalizing with the nket hiding some of her and revealing some of her.


    "10 times, sweet girl, remember. I will collect thister when we get back. You better remember this debt and start exercising your mouth."


    "You..." Sylvia choked, her breath hitched in her throat.


    "Get ready fast ande down." He leaned and kissed her forehead


    Leaving the womanpletely dumbfounded on the bed, Mikel then shoved the lunch te on her hands and walked out of the room, hisughter loudly ringing behind him.


    Sylvia looked at the lunch te, a nk look on her face. She wanted to throw it at him, but the devil had already slipped out.


    A small sigh escaped from her lips at the man''s unbelievable shamelessness, but then her eyes fell on the bed which was inplete disarray, and her lips curved upwards into a shy dreamy smile.

 Chapter 122 - Even Love Bites Can Be This Terrifying? Part1

    Sylvia quickly wolfed down the food on her te and ced it aside.


    She typically had a more voracious appetite, but for some reason, she didn''t feel as hungry today.


    She ced the empty te down beside her on the side table in deep thought, when her face heated up on thinking why she was so easily satisfied today.


    She clutched the sheets of the bed tightly and rolled around a couple of times, giggling and squealing, giddy with joy, and only then jumped out to quickly change.


    Mikel had asked her to keep her head down and remain as inconspicuous as possible in the King''s castle, so Sylvia picked out a dulled and faded light green dress.


    She then washed her mouth and face and skipped down, humming lightly.


    "Afternoon, dearie." Jane greeted her at the bottom of the steps with a bright smile on her face, making Sylvia almost stumble as she hadn''t expected to find her here.


    "Umm... Hi, Mrs. Jane." She abashedly tucked a couple of strands behind her ear and managed to squeeze out a smile.


    Standing next to Jane were Ana and Jenny, also smiling and nodding at her.


    Sylvia was taken aback to find the young maid so harmlessly greeting her when all their previous interactions had been different, but she didn''t think too much about it.


    Mikel hadn''t bothered to keep their rtionship private and secretive at least within this castle.


    He had kissed her and carried her in his arms like a princess in front of everyone, so the reason for the maid''s change in attitude was not exactly a mystery.


    Sylvia, as well, was not a petty person and didn''t hold on to any grudges. After all, things between them hadn''t soured too much.


    However, that didn''t mean that she was ready to fully trust the maid.


    After what happened with her uncle and aunt, Sylvia knew better than to quickly jump to conclusions.


    Perhaps she was being too cautious, but in her experience, it was better to rather be that than be sorry.


    "Shall we head on, dear?" Jane asked, patiently waiting for her answer. Sylvia nodded and quickly walked along with the three maids.


    The four of them walked to the castle entrance, where two carriages were waiting for them, one obviously luxurious andvish and the other a bit more in, simple, and ordinary.


    Sylvia''s gaze wandered around searching for a certain someone and finallynded on the handsome charming devil leaning against the luxurious carriage door.


    He was now wearing a military jacket that sparkled and shined in the bright sunlight, not because of the golden and silver thread embroidered on it, but because of the powdered mana gems scattered on it.


    These gems provided both a physical and a mana barrier, intending to protect the person from various types of attacks.


    Sylvia couldn''t help but gasp lightly at the scene in front of her. Mikel looked extremely charming dressed in his regal attire.


    His golden locks were pulled andbed back, forming a neat wave. The ck and red jacket and the pair of ck pants looked crisp and attractive.


    More importantly, his seductive lips... they curled upwards as if he was enjoying her admiring him, making Sylvia immediately look away.


    She gulped, unable to decide if he looked more handsome with or without clothes.


    When she looked up at him again, the devil unexpectedly was still gazing at her and he even gave her a nod, signaling for her toe to him.


    Without waiting for a response from her, he then opened the door and hopped into the carriage, holding the door open for her to get in.


    Sylvia''s entire body heated up as she slowly walked towards the open carriage door with a sheepish smile on her face.


    She could feel the several eyes looking at her and couldn''t help but imagine the various thoughts running in their mind.


    Not just the maids, but Theo, Leol, and a couple of other guards as well were standing.


    In front of everyone, she got into the carriage and Mikel closed the door behind her.


    "Umm... your highness... What?" Sylvia asked, sitting far away from the smirking devil who seemed to be hellbound on teasing her to death.


    "Heh... Your highness? I think that ship has sailed, my darling." Mikel chuckled and stood up to pull the woman sitting far away from him.


    He scooped her up and ced her on hisp, but when Sylvia shyly looked at him, his face was rather serious.


    She opened her mouth to say something when he ced his finger on her lips. "Listen to me carefully, dear. I want you to be very cautious while we are there in that ce."


    "Don''t do anything to stand out and don''t practice any magic. Do you understand?"


    Mmm. Sylvia nodded obediently. She knew that he was not joking. "Should I just stay here then and wait for you?"


    "No. I don''t want you to stay alone, especially since Leol and Theo will be with me. The King''s castle should be safer." Mikel exined, but he saw that she was deeply thinking about something, worry showing on her face.


    "What is it?" He asked.


    Sylvia looked up to meet his gaze and then muttered with a serious expression as if she was preparing to go for a war. "Umm¡­ then perhaps should we¡­ umm¡­ do that thing¡­ so that you can be more powerful?"


    Huh? Mikel blinked, her words taking a second to full fall on his ears.


    "Thing?" Mikel repeated, his lips quirking upwards, making Sylvia blush from his innocentment.


    "You know¡­ that¡­ my body¡­" She tried to exin, her face turning beet red but she stopped immediately seeing the grin on his face grow wide.


    The devil was messing with her again!


    "Don''t be in such a hurry, my dear." He chuckled, his hands wrapping around her tightly.


    "If something changed too suddenly, people will notice, which is dangerous for us. We will do that thing as soon as we return back to the castle."


    He then leaned closer to her ears and whispered, his words tingling her body. "We will do it every day and night until you are sore and satisfied."

 Chapter 123 - Even Love Bites Can Be This Terrifying? Part2

    Completely rendered speechless, Sylvia buried her head in the damned devil''s chest and cursed herself for trying to help this big bad bully.


    She wanted to protest against this unfairness, but the devil had already started to mess around with her, without even giving her some breathing space to vent out her frustration.


    She bit her lips and looked at him, her blue eyesining about how she was wronged. However, the man continued busily unzipping her dress and tugging at the ribbons.


    Revealing her milky white breasts, he then buried his head into them just like she had done just seconds before.


    How shameless! Sylvia''s face turned ripe and she was about to push him away when the man''s words held her still. "Ughh... my sweet kitten... how am I going to stay without you for the next few days."


    "I won''t be with you?" Sylvia asked, her voice hesitant as if she didn''t want to know the answer to the question. She forgot that she was angry with him just a moment ago.


    "It''s all my fault." Mikel looked up with a sad puppy dog face and he made a funny face, which made him look even more adorable.


    Sylvia was amused at such a cute expression, as she had only seen the man''s devilish and cunning side and his handsome charming side.


    She had never seen him so light and yful and couldn''t help but admire the childish sparkle in his coal ck eyes, when the pair of naughty lips parted again, breaking her trance.


    "I should have really fooled around with more women." The devil between her breasts sighed as if he was genuinely sad, making her expression change.


    "You!" Sylvia frowned, her brows knitting together. She pushed him away forcefully, tearing the man away from her breasts.


    "No, darling. I mean... If I had fooled around with a lot of women, then I could just let you stay in my room in the castle and no one would suspect a thing." He innocently replied.


    Sylvia scoffed, obviously not satisfied with his answer, which made him only grin wider.


    He straightened up and leaned forward to cover the frown on her mouth with his lips. "I can''t wait to return back. I will miss you."


    The devil''s sweet words melted her and Sylvia gave up, kissing him back, their tongues rubbing with each other passionately.


    Since they had literally just done some questionable immoral things back in his room, she didn''t think that he would attack her again in the carriage.


    Even though they were sitting inside and no one could see or hear them, she still felt a bit exposed, but the man''s hands were making her unable to focus on anything else other than him.


    Her heart raced as she felt his lips move to her neck and he whispered dangerous words into her ear. "Mmm... my sweet kitten. My tongue wants to taste you again."


    He continued as she closed her eyes and let her head fall back, hearing his voice in her ear made her feel¡­


    Her mind was a whirlpool of emotions that she had trouble sorting out. She loved it. She hated it. She craved for it. She wanted it.


    Seeing her face drip with desire once again, Mikel chuckled. "Baby, why do I feel like you are going to suck me dry... can I even keep up with you..."


    His words, however, did not reflect his actions as the man ravaged the woman on hisp, more than eagerly, pulling her dress down even further.


    She might be insatiable but she was also extremely alluring and addictive. His hands rubbed and plundered every inch of her skin making her moan loudly and repeatedly.


    And when he satisfied her breasts, his hand slipped down to the wetness in between her legs, rubbing her softly and gently down there, making her moan even louder and louder.


    Sylvia shivered and buried her head on the nape of his neck, digging into his flesh with her teeth.


    Without realizing it, her hips moved to the rhythm of his fingers and she moaned and panted as he stroked her.


    His gentle and soft strokes slowly turned faster and faster, as he loved her the way she needed him to, meticulously devouring her sweat reactions.


    In less than a minute, he skillfully pushed her to the extreme and fireworks exploded in her brain, making hernguid in his arms.


    Mikel grinned in amusement and once again started stroking her and petting her when Sylvia bit her lips and pushed his hand away.


    "Mikel..." She whispered for him to stop as she was sure that her heart couldn''t handle much more today.


    She smiled shyly and peeked at the man from the corner of her eyes, only to see him shamelessly licking his fingers that were wet and glistening, with the obsidian orbs gazing back at her with a smirk. "Not hungry anymore?"


    Sylvia quickly looked away, her heart pounding crazily. Damn it! If she was not a ve before, she was definitely one now.


    This big bad bully had herpletely wrapped around his finger, both literally and figuratively.


    Sylvia blushed seeing how he was taking his time, still shamelessly licking his fingers, one by one as if he was savoring a delicacy.


    She pushed him away and got up, only to see herselfpletely naked, all of her clothing shed and fallen haphazardly on the carriage floor in a big mess, while he, on the other hand, was fully clothed with only a couple of his shirt buttons undone.


    "When did you...!?" Sylvia was shocked and she hurriedly covered herself, one hand on her lower abdomen and the other on her chest, though nothing was sessfully hidden in the end.


    "Why even bother? I have seen everything plenty of times." Mikel chuckled, mocking her chaste actions, his eyes memorizing her body from top to bottom.


    Sylvia scoffed angrily and ignored him and got dressed again as fast as she could, while the devil in front of her, enjoyed the good show with a grin.

 Chapter 124 - Even Love Bites Can Be This Terrifying? Part3

    Sylvia scoffed angrily and ignored him and got dressed again as fast as she could, while the devil in front of her, enjoyed the good show with a grin.


    She then quickly opened the carriage door and jumped out, her face unnaturally reddened.


    "In such a hurry to leave me huh¡­ let me see how you aresting for the next few days without me."


    She ignored the man''s challenging words that were loud enough for Leol and Theodore to hear and hurried over to the other maid''s side, not daring to look up at anyone.


    So shameful! So embarrassing! Her heart was flipping back and front crazily, the eerie silence surrounding her making things even worse.


    Only Jane moved closer to her and whispered. "Dearie, your dress is a bit¡­"


    Sylvia''s face immediately petrified.


    With an ashen look, she gritted her teeth and quickly rearranged her dress which was slightly uneven and caught in the back, revealing her long legs.


    This guy didn''t even warn me! She really wanted to dig a hole in the ground and bury herself. She fumed inwardly and followed the others as everyone got into their respective carriages.


    Leol and Theodore stepped in along with Mikel, while all the maids and the two guards got into the simple and in carriage along with Sylvia.


    Not long afterward, the two carriages rumbled and started moving away from the castle and towards the center of the city where the King''s castle was located.


    Within a few minutes, they were already passing through the streets of the city and Sylvia still sat frozen, unable to meet anyone''s gaze.


    No one else opened their mouth as well and the entire carriage was stiffly silent, which made Sylvia wonder what everyone was thinking about.


    They must surely be thinking about what she and the devil had done inside the carriage! So shameless! So shameless! Jerk!


    She cursed the man inwardly, putting all the me on his shameless ways,pletely forgetting that she was the one who had seduced him in the first ce.


    She clutched her dress nervously, her heart still racing, and silently sat, hoping that everyone would forget what happened.


    Meanwhile... On the other carriage...


    Cough. Cough. Mikel ufortably cleared his throat, making Leol grin in amusement. "Looks like someone is cursing you badly." He had clearly calmed down a lot after their encounter earlier.


    Mikel didn''t react to his taunt and proudly hummed. "I don''t mind."


    Theodore, as well, turned around to look at him and say something, but he suddenly paused after noticing something else.


    A grave look unexpectedly appeared on his face and he leaned closer to Mikel, immediately making thetter lean back in response.


    "Eh? What''s wrong Theo?" Mikel asked.


    "This. Look at this." Theodore worriedly pointed to the back of Mikel''s neck. "Your neck is red and there is some sort of rash or injury? Mikel, is this a new disease?"


    Huh? Mikel was puzzled. He quickly used his fingers to feel the back of his neck, which slightly tingled as if it was bruised.


    "Let me take a look." Leol who was sitting opposite to him also stood up slightly and leaned forward, taking a closer look with a serious expression.


    However, the very next instant, his expression darkened even more and he sat back downpletely and utterly shocked.


    Both Theo and Mikel were even more perplexed after seeing the man''s face. Was something terribly wrong?


    "What happened?" Mikel frowned.


    "Yes, what''s wrong?" Theo as well nervously fidgeted.


    "This... Brother... I... I ept defeat! I have teased you many times in the past, but now..." Leol shook his head with the same grave expression. "You are the God, Mikel."


    "What the hell are you bbering?" Mikel sighed, sitting back. He loosened his shirt and took off his jacket, taking a closer look.


    Since he had known Leol for such a long time, he could already tell that the guy was going to spout something nonsensical.


    Theodore, however, was still in the dark and continued being nervous. "What happened?" He asked again, which only made Leol scoff at him. "What a prude!"


    "Dude that is not a rash! That is a bite! Sylvia did a number on him!" Leol sat back, chuckling and snorting loudly, unable to contain hisughter any longer.


    Theo''s face immediately changed and his mouth opened into an O as if he was just enlightened.


    "She bit him?" The knight muttered to himself and looked at the wounds on Mikel''s neck again.


    He could now see everything better as Mikel had unbuttoned his shirt partially, revealing his upper back.


    There were several pronounced teeth marks, especially the four canines which had made quite an impression. They must have surely drawn blood!


    Theodore shook his head solemnly as if he had discovered something terrifying and fearful about women. Even love bites can look like this? He had no idea!!!


    Mikel, on the other hand, sat back with a big smile on his face. He didn''t understand why the two guys were reacting like this when he hardly felt any pain.


    He chuckled at the thought of how the woman''s body was also probably covered in simr marks, though perhaps not as gruesome as his trophies.


    "Stop smirking like an idiot and heal it." Leol chuckled.


    "Heh. I smell jealousy."


    "You virgin boy! TALK to me after you are a man!"


    Mikel scoffed and raised his hand to touch his neck and cast a few healing spells.


    He traced the injuries lovingly and caressed each one before washing it with healing waters that he conjured.


    A couple of minutes passed...


    However, he was still busily healing the marks. Hmmm? Mikel paused, a slight frown on his face. It looked like his kitten''s marks were not that easily healed.


    He couldn''t help but wonder if it had something to do with her beast side.


    "Heh... How many surprises are you going to give me, my sweet kitten." He chuckled wryly.


    He pulled his shirt back and buttoned, also making a mental note to cover his neck for the next few days.

 Chapter 125 - Brother Vs Sister Part1

    The two carriages soon rolled into the gigantic main gates of the King''s castle.


    The guards opened the gates and Sylvia watched as the luxurious carriage in front of them continued moving on the main pathway leading to the entrance of the castle, while their in and normal carriage took a side road leading to the small entrance at the back.


    Sylvia sighed at the exceedingly clear difference in their status, but she didn''t care about it too much.


    Considering everything Mikel had told her, she already knew that their future was going to be difficult and this so-called difference in their status wouldn''t really matter much.


    Rather the thing that was weighing heavily on her mind was how she had already begun to miss the devil and his obnoxious yet captivating smile.


    She wished that the days ahead would quickly pass by and that they could return back soon.


    Once the vehicle came to a halt, the couple of guards and the maids including Sylvia, all stepped out one by one and headed inside the royal castle.


    Though the castle was already sufficiently employed with servants to attend to the royal family and their guests, it wasmon practice for some of the guests to bring their own servants and maids, especially if they are used to having them around.


    In fact, every time Mikel had visited the King''s castle, he had always brought over, Jane and the other two maids along with him, and this time he had brought over Sylvia as well.


    After going inside, Sylvia looked around in awe as she didn''t get a chance to take a good look the previous time she had visited here.


    The royal castle was much bigger whenpared to Mikel''s castle and the kitchen especially was as busy as a bustling market.


    The high ceiling, the various magic formations, the neatly dressed staff, everything was organized and eye-catching.


    While Sylvia was standing around and observing everything, Jane, Jenny and Ana had already made themselvesfortable and were even busily helping the other maids.


    "Umm... Mrs. Jane, can I help you with something?" Sylvia asked, but how could Jane dare to order her around, especially when Mikel treated her so well.


    She simply shed a kind smile and gave her a wink. "No need dear. Just do whatever you like."


    "Um. Ok." Sylvia awkwardly nodded, going along with the flow.


    She decided to sit in a corner so that she didn''t run into something and cause a mess as everyone was flitting about here and there quite busily in the crowded kitchen.


    And of course, in just barely a couple of seconds after she sat down, a hand snapped in front of her, followed by a shrill voice.


    "We are paying you to sit and rest on the sidelines?" Prisce crossed her arms in front of her chest and stared down with a sneer on her face.


    "Do you think a maid''s duty is only to sleep around? or keep your face pretty enough to trap and seduce the men of high social status?"


    She didn''t stop with that and continued loudly berating, especially after seeing Sylvia''s hands tremble. Prisce''s lips curled upwards in satisfaction only after a good few minutes.


    However, little did she know that the woman''s hands were trembling not because she was feeling overwhelmed by her harsh criticisms, but because she was trying her best to control her anger.


    Sylvia was only barely holding on, her entire body now shaking and shivering. Unsure if she could control herself any longer, she stood up and ran away, keeping her head down.


    "So damn sensitive! Must have been a princess in her previous life. Aha ha ha." Prisce''s mocking voice sounded behind her, but she ignored it and continued running away as fast as she could, heading out to the garden.


    She squatted in an isted corner and clutched herself tightly wondering what the hell was happening to her.


    The second Prisce has stood in front of her, an inexplicable pang of anger and murderous intent had welled up within her. She wanted to see blood and she wanted to tear the woman apart limb by limb.


    Sylvia shivered. She had never experienced such violent thoughts before.


    She was obviously not a fan of the woman as she was eying the man Sylvia loved but to harbor such violent thoughts...? It truly scared her.


    A few minutester, Jane walked over and gently patted her on the shoulder. "Are you alright, dear?"


    "I am fine. Thanks, Jane." Sylvia nodded and smiled back, surprising the head maid. She had expected to find Sylvia in tears, but here she was sittingpletely fine and casual.


    "Good. Good, dear. Don''t take what these people tell to your heart. But umm..."


    "I am actually here to bring you back..." Jane hesitated and then awkwardly added. "Lady Prisce wants a meeting with all the maids from our castle."


    "Huh? What does she want with us?" Sylvia furrowed her brows in confusion.


    They were only required to serve Mikel and she didn''t understand what the snotty Duke''s daughter wanted with them.


    Jane as well didn''t know what was going on and she shrugged her shoulders. The two of them then returned back inside, Sylvia now considerably more calm and collected.


    Jane took her to one of the chambers in the castle and as soon as they entered, Prisce immediately opened her mouth.


    "Eh? The princesses have arrived?" She sneered at the two maids.


    But Jane and Sylvia silently joined Ana and Jenny and stood in the back keeping their heads down.


    Along with them, some of Prisce''s personal maids were also standing and her head maid, Michelle who was capable of wielding powerful higher circle magic spells.


    Sylvia distinctly remembered her as she had escorted Prisce when she visited Mikel''s castle previously and more specifically, she was this close to whipping Sylvia for ''identally'' spilling hot tea.


    Seeing all these special people gathered around, she could already tell that this woman was up to no good, but the question was what exactly was she up to now.


    "Calm down. Calm down." She muttered under her breath and patiently waited for the theatrics to ensue.


    However, what came next was somethingpletely unexpected. Prisce handed over to everyone a few sets of new clothes that looked like maid outfits.


    "From now onwards, you will all be reporting to me and Michelle. You need to wear these and look decent at all times. You are working in a castle, not a brothel."


    "You will listen and obey the instructions given to you down to the veryst detail and carry out your work with the utmost care and dedication."


    "Unlike his highness, my temper is short. I don''t tolerate tardiness and mistakes. Are we clear?" Prisce hummed, with an arrogant and domineering look.


    "Yes, your highness." All of the maids in the room obediently nodded in unison.


    "Now go and get ready. Help the castle staff to prepare for the dinner tonight as it is a very special asion." Priscemanded and turned around to leave first.


    She didn''t spare even a single nce to Sylvia, making her feel slightly uneasy and suspicious of the woman''s behavior.


    Sylvia couldn''t shake away the feeling that there was something else brewing in the background.


    "I guess I can only wait and find out?" She muttered under her breath and turned around to leave along with the other maids who filed out.


    However, a hand shot forward and pulled Sylvia aside. "And where do you think you are going?" Michelle scowled at her, grabbing her wrist tightly.


    "Change into your clothes right here and follow me soon. You will be working with me from now on."


    There! The other shoe had dropped! Sylvia nodded and chuckled inwardly. She wanted to see just what ns this maid had for her.


    In reality, she would have been more nervous but they were in the King''s castle after all and Sylvia didn''t think even that woman would be stupid enough to create a scene here in front of the King.


    She quickly changed into the conservative set of maid clothes, which basically covered almost all of her body, and followed Michelle.


    The woman surprisingly led her outside to the castle gardens.


    "My Lady lost her ring here. It is a very expensive ring and a priceless heirloom. So sit down and go through every inch of the garden and find it."


    "If not, you will have to face the consequences. Hmph."


    Heh. Sylvia chuckled inwardly. Now everything was clear to her.


    It looked like this time Prisce had decided to be more straightforward and directly work her to death instead of concocting some twisted schemes.


    "Well... Whatever..." Sylvia squatted down and patiently ran her hand over the freshly moved grass and started searching for the possibly non-existent needle in the haystack.


    Of course, Michelle as well patiently stood on the side and oversaw her, making sure that Sylvia didn''t ck from her duties.

 Chapter 126 - Brother Vs Sister Part2

    The sun had already disappeared and moonlight gently shone over the beautiful flower gardens, making them look even more enchanting and romantic.


    However, Sylvia was still not quite done with her single chore that she had been working on all day long.


    "What the heck? How many more hours are these idiots nning to keep this charade on?" She sighed and muttered under her breath, wiping the sweat off of her forehead.


    What she didn''t notice was that... the rose bush on which her sweat drops hadnded now looked much healthier and livelier than the other nts nearby as if someone had treated it with a high-grade elixir.


    "Eh? Do I hear grumbling?" Michelle loudly harrumphed.


    She walked over to Sylvia and before she could react, the stout woman stamped her foot onto Sylvia''s right hand, mping it down tightly on the ground.


    She crushed her mercilessly with a sneer on her face until Sylvia winced in pain. "Now stop wasting time and put your back into it. You still have a lot of distance to cover."


    Sylvia nodded, keeping her head down. After Michelle walked back to stand behind her, she looked at her knuckles and her wrist that was reddened and bruised.


    A cold glint shed past her eyes but she didn''t react and continued searching the vast garden which was sprawled out like an ocean around her.


    She already knew that things like this might happen and had expected some bullying, but even for Prisce, this seemed a bit too far, especially considering that this was happening in the wide open for everyone to see.


    Something didn''t feel right and Sylvia wondered what made the woman so bold and brazen in her actions.


    As she continued searching for the probably non-existent ring for a few more minutes, loud chatter sounded near her and Sylvia looked up to see a group of three women and one man sitting around a table.


    They seemed to be having their evening tea and more importantly, Sylvia instantly recognized two out of the four people. The man and the youngest woman were Prisce and Gabriel.


    Sylvia had never met the two other older women, but they also seemed to belong to royalty judging from the dress and the weight of the jewels on them.


    The four of them were talking quite excitedly to each other and their animated chatter casually reached Sylvia''s ears.


    "When are you both nning to hold the wedding?" One of the older women asked, to which Prisce blushed like a little girl and shyly gulped. "We haven''t decided yet, mother."


    "Ha Ha Ha. Look at you turning red! Ok ok. I am not pushing anything. You both can take your time to decide but don''t take too long as well."


    "You know how important an heir is. And Mikel is the eldest Prince after all. I am sure he will also be pleased with a couple or more talented sons."


    The older woman started advising Prisce, while she shyly nodded, already dreaming about the life that awaited her in the future.


    Sylvia only looked up to steal a quick nce but that itself made her want to vomit. The woman in front of her looked like a teenager in love rather than the evil scheming snake that she really was.


    What an actress! She rolled her eyes.


    Though there was something that quite puzzled her. She didn''t understand why these people were suddenly discussing these things. What changed now to make them even more delusional than they already were...


    "What? Are you eavesdropping on her highness? Piece of trash!" Michelle spat out, almost startling Sylvia.


    She didn''t reply anything to her as it might only give her more ammunition to scold her and punish her and brought her gaze down again, to continue raking the grass and the soil with her soft hands.


    "Heh. Stupid bitch. Don''t act like a dumb duck in front of me. I already know just how devious you are. Ptui!"


    "You must be really talented in bed huh? You seemed to have even tamed his highness who used to be pure and clean."


    Sylvia''s hands trembled slightly but she continued doing what she had been asked to.


    Michelle, however, didn''t seem to have any intentions to stop her harassment. With her feet casually kicking Sylvia every now and then, she continued spouting acidic words.


    "Listen to me carefully, slut. I am a kind-hearted person, so let me give you some warning and advice."


    "These next couple of days, there is a big event happening in the pce."


    "There will be some high-level guests visiting the castle, so you should hurry up and find someone else to seduce."


    "You don''t look that bad. Just undress and slip into someone''s room. After that... He He... You know what to do right?" Michelle mocked Sylvia by making an O with her fist and moved it up and down near her mouth.


    Unfortunately, her mockery didn''t quitend on point as Sylvia had no idea what she was talking about.


    So she could stare at the woman doing weird actions in the air as if she was looking at an insane person who had lost it.


    "Bitch!" Michelle spat out andnded a loud p on Sylvia''s cheek, making it sting with pain. "What is that look you have in your eyes?"


    "Huh? What do you think of yourself? It will only take me a second to pull both your eyes out!"


    "I was trying to tell you what''s good for you, but fine. I guess your fate can''t be changed. Wait and watch how you are going to suffer."


    "Mydy will soon..."


    Before the stout head maid could finish her words, a loud p sounded and disrupted their conversation. "MICHELLE?"


    The two of them turned around to see that Prisce was calling for them or at least one of them.


    "You. Stay here and don''t go anywhere. Hmph." The maid gritted her teeth and threatened Sylvia.


    She then bowed her head, wiping the smug attitude off of her face, and quickly hurried over to the table. "Yes, My Lady?"


    Sylvia shook her head helplessly, no longer paying attention to that conversation. She was too tired and too bored from having to put up with this nonsense for almost the entire day.


    Her arms were aching, her back was sore, and her face was numb. Sylvia wanted to curl up on the grass and close her eyes until the day finally ends.


    While she continued aimlessly messing with the nts, she saw from the corner of her eyes the small table, where Michelle was now busily serving the women, some more tea and snacks.


    The group chatted for a while after which everyone stood up and left, walking back into the castle, still busilyughing and chatting.


    Sylvia watched Michelle clean up after them and scurry behind them like a rat, carrying all the leftovers in a trolley.


    She chuckled at theical sight of the woman and flopped onto the grass tiredly. It had been a long day for her.


    Since her keeper was busily upied, for now, she decided to enjoy the small break. She was not an idiot to still keep working when no one was around.


    At least if it was a legitimate chore, Sylvia would have consideredpleting it, but she knew that these women were only messing around with her for the purpose of torturing her.


    So she didn''t bother with searching for the ''ring'' and simply stared at the distant sky above her covering thend like a nket.


    Along with the gentle wind that blew through the gardens making the trees and nts slightly sway, it was really not a bad evening.


    Sylvia didn''t care that she was mistreated and stamped on and kicked. She knew that she needed to keep a low profile to help the man whom she deeply cared for.


    It wouldn''t take her 2 seconds to act out and make a scene and Mikel would probably support her, but then it would only make his life so much moreplicated.


    And she didn''t want to add any more burden to his life.


    Though she had rather been impulsive and boldtely, Sylvia was by nature a calm and cautious person who knew how to act and when to act.


    And definitely¡­ now was not the time¡­


    She lifted her hand up which was still hurting and wondered just how much that woman weighed to injure her so much with just one foot!


    She blew air at her injury like a small child and chuckled to herself. However, unexpectedly leaves rustled near her and a familiar voice sounded.


    "Does it hurt?" Sylvia quickly sat up straight and froze in confusion. What was this guy doing here?


    Her eyes darted here and there awkwardly and she muttered. "No, my Lord. I am fine. Ummm¡­ Thank you for your concern."


    Standing in front of her, Gabriel had a frown on his face as he pushed away his inky ck hair that was ruffled by the wind.

 Chapter 127 - Brother Vs Sister Part3

    Sylvia quickly stood up and bowed in front of the Lord, suddenly regretting that they were quite far from the castle where others were.


    She didn''t know if Theo was still there keeping an eye on her from somewhere in the distance, but she had a feeling that this man might do something crazy.


    He had proposed to her out of nowhere thest time they had met, so just what the hell was he nning this time???


    Sylvia sighed wondering why this demonic pair of siblings won''t just leave her be.


    Gabriel chuckled as if he could read the thoughts in Sylvia''s head. "I won''t do anything to you, I swear." He raised his hand and took a step back sitting down on the neatly trimmedwn.


    "Would you care to join me, my Lady?" came a mellow greeting. Sylvia just kept on staring at him, wondering what the hell he was getting at.


    Gabriel lifted a hand and gestured to the spot next to him. "Come on. I don''t bite."


    Sylvia hesitated for a second, but then she decided to sit down as she was helpless anyway even if he decided to do something unsavory.


    Sitting down or not sitting down wouldn''t exactly make a difference when the other party was several times more powerful than her.


    "Do you see that constetion up in the sky? The one shaped like a small worm?" He asked, cocking his head back and staring at the sky with a small smile on his lips.


    Sylvia looked up, following his hand, confused as to what he was talking about. She gazed at the group of stars that clustered together in the shape of a¡­


    "That doesn''t look like a worm to me¡­?" Sylvia muttered.


    "What does it look like?" Gabriel chuckled, seeing that he had finally managed to somewhat have a normal conversation with her.


    Sylvia, however, had already forgotten about the man sitting next to her. She didn''t know why but she felt vague energy filling her body as she gazed at the constetion of stars.


    "Heh. You seem to be extremely captivated by them?" Gabriel pulled his lips upwards in amusement.


    The man had sharp features which made him look quite handsome. That coupled with the fact that he was the Duke''s son with an extremely high magic talent, made him stand out.


    Save for Crown Prince Denault, the man was even as popr as the other young men of the main royal family.


    However, all that seemed to be a waste right now as the woman sitting next to him did not even spare him a nce.


    "Do you want to know something interesting about the stars?" Gabriel probed. "Some of us, powerful magicians, we are able to absorb the energy of the stars."


    He shifted his gaze to see if the woman was impressed by his words but unfortunately, she was still simply staring at the stars.


    Sylvia was in her own world and she absentmindedly muttered. "The stars¡­ I don''t think it''s a worm¡­"


    "Then, what do you think they represent?" Gabriel chuckled in amusement.


    Stars and constetions were not cloud patterns. They did not take different shapes ording to the imagination of the beholder.


    So he was curious to hear what the beautiful tinum blond sitting next to him thought of it.


    He had never seen a woman as beautiful and as pure as her, a purity that had nothing to do with her body and everything to do with her soul.


    It was as if even the depth of hell couldn''t taint someone like her.


    Gabriel raised his hand to caress her soft and slightly pink cheeks that glittered under the moonlight when he suddenly stopped seeing Sylvia''s lips part.


    "They look like a snake¡­ or maybe a dragon." She mumbled. Sylvia felt something stir within her as she continued gazing at the stars.


    She could almost sense millions and millions of tiny white energy dots swirling around her, sinking into her body like a ck hole and filling her with energy.


    This was a different kind of energy than just the mana swirling in the air around her. If those were blue energy dots, these were white energy dots.


    The two were different, both in quality and in power. Before today, Sylvia had never paid any attention to it, but now that she had she couldn''t help but notice the difference.


    Lost in the warmth andfort that the pure intoxicating energy showered on her, she continued slowly breathing in and breathing out, absorbing everything that she could feel.


    She did not even realize that the wound, the slight bruise on her hand had already healed without leaving behind any scar.


    Gabriel stared at her as if he was seeing a ghost,pletely unable to believe what was happening right in front of him.


    Even he was not as attuned to the ster energy like Sylvia was and he could only vaguely sense her drinking in everything around them.


    "You¡­" Gabriel stammered. He suddenly realized just how wrong he had been. The woman was indeed special but not because of her beauty.


    This girl sitting next to him like a random nobody was not in the least ordinary!


    His assumptions might be a little far-fetched but on the off chance that he was indeed correct¡­ this woman¡­ she could have a body constitution that might even make the Mage High Council chairman drool.


    "Did she never get tested for magic aptitude?" Gabriel pondered. "And if she didn''t¡­ then perhaps¡­" His thoughts trailed off as he suddenly heard footsteps walking towards them.


    Not wanting to share his unexpected discovery with anyone else, Gabriel quickly patted Sylvia on the shoulder, making her snap out of her trance.


    "Ah¡­ I am sorry, my Lord." Sylvia muttered wiping her mouth as she felt as if she had drooled.


    Did I just sleep with my eyes open, that too next to a stranger? Sylvia was amazed at her own carelessness.


    "I should be going now, my Lord." She quickly stood up and bowed, only to see Prisce standing a few feet away from them.

 Chapter 128 - Brother Vs Sister Part4

    Sylvia''s eyes immediately widened like a deer caught in front of a carriage. Just facing one of them took a lot out of her, Sylvia didn''t want to deal with both the brother and the sister pair at the same time.


    Before anyone could say anything, she ran away from that spot at the top of her speed, which was surprisingly faster than she had expected.


    Only after reaching the castle''s kitchen quarters, she even stopped to take a breather. "That was super close." Sylvia panted.


    The kitchen seemed to be more crowded than usual but she was happy to blend in.


    "Hey, can you carry this to the dining hall?" Someone handed her a tter of fruit. Sylvia nodded and quickly joined the others in doing some random work.


    Just like this, she was determined to hide away from Michelle and Prisce for the rest of her stay in the castle.


    If they couldn''t see her, then they wouldn''t be able to bully her. So she decided to make it her top priority.


    Meanwhile¡­ back on the castle gardens¡­


    Prisce walked over to Gabriel who was still sitting on thewn and grinning widely.


    "Wipe that smirk off your face, brother. What do you find so fascinating about that damned ve?" She asked, furrowing her brows.


    "What is it to you? You got what you wanted right?" Gabriel chuckled, as he looked up again to gaze at the various constetions spread across the vast sky.


    Unlike Sylvia he was unable to sense the individual particles of energy, he was only able to roughly sense a vague aura and that itself made him much powerful than the other mages, giving him a higher status.


    Prisce scowled at her brother''s casual attitude. "Are you not interested in my friend anymore? Weren''t you justst week singing praises of her?"


    "Which friend?" Gabriel asked, without turning his head.


    "I am talking about Isabe, brother. Do you really think a Duke''s daughter would ept official mistresses living in the castle with her?"


    "If you know what''s good for you, you wille to your senses and take that family ring back from that ve?"


    "Heh. You even know about that?" Gabriel chuckled. "Tell me, sister. Why do you concern yourself with who I marry and who I am not? What does that have to do with you?"


    "I¡­ I don''t¡­" Prisce stammered.


    "Oh¡­ I see¡­ It''s not even about me, right? Is it about that girl? Do you hate her so much that you wouldn''t let her have any sort of life?" Gabriel did not stop and continued poking her further.


    "Are you perhaps jealous of her, my dear sister?" He grinned.


    "Eh? Nonsense! Absolute nonsense. Why should I be jealous of that plebeian? She is trash. She is a nobody."


    "Then I think you will be really pleased to hear my ns for her¡­ Aha Ha Ha." Laughing like a maniac, Gabriel stood up and patted his back leaving the garden.


    "What the¡­ " Prisce red at the man''s disappearing figure. "All men are the same hmph. How disgusting¡­"


    "I can''t believe that this asshole and that slut managed to ruin my mood today evening¡­ of all the days¡­ damn it." She gritted her teeth and muttered under her breath as she quickly walked back to the castle as well.


    Prisce rushed back to her room and changed into the dazzling evening gown that she had prepared beforehand.


    Her personal maids flocked over to her and helped her prepare from top to bottom using the best of the best materials and priceless jewelry.


    When everything was finished, Prisce lookedpletely different, her entire figure transformed into a beautiful heavenly swan.


    She then walked out of her chamber in the castle and headed down to join the other esteemed guests in the castle''s humongous dining hall.


    This was the one and only royal dining hall in the castle and it was a sign of respect when guests were invited in to dine along with the King or even just the other members of the royal family.


    Prisce gracefully nodded and smiled at everyone who greeted her. She waltzed over to her mother and father, the Duke and duchess, and silently stood near them.


    No one had yet begun to get seated as the King hadn''t arrived yet.


    "You look beautiful, darling." Prisce''s mother pulled her towards her and beamed proudly, giving her daughter an air kiss. Duke Reynolds as well smiled and nodded in approval.


    "Is it old age, mother? Have your eyes gone dim?" Gabriel chuckled, giving the nauseating mother and daughter pair a sideways nce.


    "You¡­" Prisce immediately red up. However, her mother tugged at her dress, signaling her to be quiet and remain calm. "Stop making a scene, Gabriel."


    "Eh? Whatever. Congrattions and good luck, my dear sister." He wished Prisce and left their small group to mingle with other people.


    "Mother! Why won''t you ever reprimand him?!! It''s bad luck to wish someone before their engagement."


    "He is intentionally doing this to get a rise out of me. I don''t think brother wishes me well at all." Sheined to her mother half-heartedly knowing that no one would ever say anything to Gabriel as he was their proud son.


    And just like she had expected, her mother repeated her words which she had used so many times in the past. "Women have to be more understanding and forgiving, darling. I am sure he didn''t mean anything by that. He just simply wished you."


    Prisce sighed and shook her head helplessly knowing that it was only a waste of time to argue with her mother.


    Her eyes instead silently darted around searching the room for a certain handsome and charming Prince.


    And not long before, she spotted the man standing leisurely and chatting with a few nobles as he raked his long slender fingers through his golden locks which looked slightly messy, just enough to add more wildness to his domineering features.

 Chapter 129 - The Strange White Wolf Part1

    "Greetings, your highness." Prisce walked over to Mikel and bowed slightly. She tucked the couple of strands behind her ear and shyly smiled, giving a nod to the others standing near Mikel as well.


    "Ooooh. Sister-inw looks so pretty." Nics beamed and winked at her, making her blush even more after hearing the endearing term he had used.


    That''s right she was going to be a royal princess! She was going to marry the eldest son of the King! Prisce was over the moon and couldn''t stop blushing.


    The well dressed woman standing next to Prince Nics also chimed in. "Greetings Lady Prisce. You look absolutely gorgeous today."


    A couple of other men and women standing near them added in theirpliments as well, all singing praises of the special guest for the evening.


    Mikel, however, remained silent and simply returned the greeting with a polite smile. He didn''t talk much or join in on their conversations except for the asional polite nod.


    If it was any other day, perhaps Prisce would have noticed his behavior which was a little off, but now she was too preupied to observe these small details.


    The guests mingled for a while before the royal guards finally showed up.


    They entered in a single file and marched into the huge dining room, silently taking their respective ces, standing like statues against the wall.


    Their presence had thenpletely disappeared and if one didn''t closely look for them, they probably would not even be noticed.


    They blended into the background like the several exquisite artworks that hung on the walls.


    However, unlike the artwork, these were strong and powerful mages, belonging to one of the most elite armies of the Kingdom.


    They were the King''s personal guards and they were with him at all times.


    Shortly after the guards took their ce, the King arrived, followed by the Queen and then a couple of concubines.


    Everyone immediately bowed and greeted his majesty, a respectful silence enveloping the room.


    "Alright. Sit down and make yourselffortable." The King Lucious Zaharia cleared his throat loudly and sat down at the head of the table, the seat of honor.


    He looked like a respectable man, a strong domineering air of authority around him. Even though he looked middle-aged, he was extremely energetic and gave out a powerful vibe.


    After he waved his hand, the frozen crowd once again moved and the guests quickly and respectfully bowed before the King one by one before taking their seats.


    A soothing melody wafted across the dining hall, musicians standing in every corner and entertaining the dinner guests in synchrony.


    Maids and servants flitted around here and there and served the guests and a heavenly aroma lingered in the air from the supreme quality meat dishes on the table.


    And at the center of the table,id the head of the Quilin beast which was recently defeated and ughtered. It was a symbol of the current King''s power, so of course, it was proudly disyed.


    Several people gawked at it with surprise and reverence, it looked like the beast''s head indeed made a wonderful centerpiece.


    And as everyone spoke to their neighbors in hushed voices and exchanged greetings, in just a few minutes, dinner was quickly served and everyone''s wine sses were filled to the brim.


    The King then once again waved his hand, immediately bringing the low chatter in the room to a standstill.


    "Oh! What a wonderful night to dine amidst friends and family!" Lucious chuckled and raised his wine ss, rubbing his clean shaven chin with his other hand.


    "Before we dig into this wonderful dinner that is making me salivate, I would like to first share the good news with everyone."


    "I am hereby announcing the engagement of my first son Mikel Zaharia to Prisce Durazzo, daughter of Duke Reynolds Durazzo."


    "I am very happy to wee such a beautiful daughter to the house. Please join me in celebrating this happy asion."


    Mikel and Prisce, both then stood up and politely bowed once to the King and then once facing the other guests.


    The King then lifted his wine ss and clinked it with the Duke who was sitting two seats away from him on his right and Mikel who was sitting two seats away from him on his left.


    "Salute!" "Salute!" "Salute!" "Salute!"


    "Salute!" "Salute!" "Salute!" "Salute!"


    Everyone cheered for the announcement and the dining hall immediately turned into a boisterous environment with everyoneughing and drinking.


    The huge multyer chandelier which hung at the center of the dining hall brilliantly sparkled and its reflection fell on the several wine sses that were clinking with each other and cheering for the young couple.


    After the main announcement, the music then turned louder and the formal atmosphere changed into a very informal one with everyone freely chatting with each other.


    Prisce couldn''t stop smiling. She was getting wishes from left and right and she beamed like a young girl in love.


    The day she had been dreaming for a long time had finallye to fruition and the thing that she yearned for had finally happened. She couldn''t be anymore happier even if she tried.


    She put on a shy smile and chatted with everyone, as well as stealing a couple of quick nces at Mikel whenever she got a chance.


    He as well seemed just as happy as her and that made her feel very relieved. Whatever small doubt she still harbored prior to tonight had nowpletely disappeared.


    This man in front of her was hers and hers alone and now that the King himself had dered it, nothing and no one could change it.


    Even when she was sitting amongst the entire royal family, she still couldn''t help but lose focus and daydream about the future that awaited her with the man of her dreams.


    "What are you thinking about, my dear?" A voice suddenly sounded, snapping Prisce out of her thoughts.


    Oh my gosh! Prisce immediately panicked. It was the Queen herself talking to her!


    "Your highness." She smiled sweetly and shook her head as if she was too embarrassed to answer her.


    "Ha Ha Ha." The Queen, Lady Eleanor chuckled teasingly. "I already like you, my dear. Such an honest and refreshing young girl!"


    "Ahh¡­" Prisce smiled, inwardly enjoying thepliment. "Your highness, I have prepared a gift for you."


    "Oh! Thank you so much, dear. You didn''t have to go through so much trouble."


    "It is not a trouble at all, your highness. It is my honor."


    While the Queen and the soon bride to be Princess continued chatting, the other women sitting around the table looked at Prisce enviously.


    King Luscious had five sons including Mikel and six daughters, and Prisce had sessfully snatched one of the five golden princes.


    What a jackpot! Not many people could grab the good luck of marrying into the royal family!


    After all, there wasn''t an endless supply of Princes avable and there could be only one official wife.


    Of course, the Prince could take several mistresses as he sees fit, but no one wanted to be the unrecognized concubine. It was barely a constion prizepared to the seat of the official wife.


    However, now that the King had made his official announcement, nothing could be done anymore and the women could only continue watching on enviously as Prisce freely mingled with the Queen and the other daughters of the King.


    While everyone''s eyes were either on Prisce or on Mikel or the King or thest daughter of the King who was dressed a bit too provocatively for the evening, Mikel''s eyes alone roamed amidst the flock of maids, who kept flitting about every now and then, refilling the wine sses and serving everyone.


    But unfortunately, the person he was so desperately looking for did not even show up once.


    And of course, she didn''t show up because Sylvia was intentionally hiding. She didn''t want to fall on anyone else''s eyes and was determined to keep a low profile for the rest of the night.


    Back inside the kitchen, the group of maids giggled and chatted happily in a hushed voice.


    "Did you see that? Prince Nics grabbed my behind when I walked away from him. I think he might like me?" A young maid coyly eximed.


    "Are you an idiot? Prince Nics is a womanizer. He flirts with everyone. If you are not careful, you will end up losing your virginity to him." Another maid muttered in annoyance, breaking the young girl''s bubble.


    Ahh¡­ the first girl''s face immediately turned sour and she realized how naive she had been.


    "Girl. Are you new to the work or what? These men from the noble families and royal families will always flirt and try to bed you, but don''t start dreaming."


    "They will never ever marry someone from a lower social standing. They care about the dowry and the estates that came along with the marriage."


    "Why else do you think they are getting married in the first ce?"

 Chapter 130 - The Strange White Wolf Part2

    Sylvia, standing near the maids, listened to their gossip silently.


    She didn''t quite agree with their views as she knew that Mikel was different but she didn''t bother to join in on their conversation and express her opinion. She knew it and that was all that mattered.


    "Eh! Alright. Let''s not talk about depressing things." Another maid chimed in.


    "Did you see how charming Prince Mikel looked?"


    "I know! How can a man look so good! He is so charming and dreamy."


    "Ahhhh! Even though I know I can never be with him, it still hurts!!!"


    "Lady Prisce is very lucky. I heard that the third Duke''s daughter was also eying Prince Mikel."


    "Oh. You mean Lady Raphel?"


    "Yes! Apparently, she is extremely depressed right now."


    Sylvia suddenly found herself a little bit more interested in their conversation now and couldn''t help but intrude.


    "Umm¡­ Did something special happen tonight?" She hesitantly asked as she found the direction of the gossip a bit odd.


    "Ah? Om my gosh! You nearly gave me a heart attack! I didn''t even see you standing there!"


    Sylvia bitterly smiled and mumbled a weak apology, still waiting to hear the woman''s reply.


    However, the next instant her smilepletely disappeared hearing the woman''s few words.


    "Prince Mikel got engaged to Lady Prisce. Don''t you know? Everybody knows. The King himself personally made the announcement." The maid replied and then continued chatting with the others about thetest fashion and the dress which Prisce wore for the special asion tonight.


    Sylvia, on the other hand, silently walked out of the castle. She was no longer in a mood to listen to their pointless chatter.


    She went back to the vast gardens where she had spent most part of the day and sat down in a secluded corner where she was sure that no one would be able to see her or spot her easily.


    She then silentlyid on the fresh-smelling grass looking up at the moon and the stars.


    "Damn it." She bit her lips, her eyes almost glistening. She knew that everything that was happening was probably a farce.


    He must surely have his reasons or perhaps he was scheming something. After all, how could killing the entire royal family of a Kingdom be achieved so easily?


    So she didn''t exactly doubt him. However¡­ it still hurt¡­ just a little¡­


    "Arghhh. I should be more supportive damn it. Why am I crying out here like a helpless little girl?" Sylvia shook her head and rubbed her eyes.


    Even against all her logic and reasoning, she couldn''t help but feel a bit lonely as if she was all on her own.


    She let out a deep sigh and opened her eyes again to stare at the stars when suddenly a low growl sounded beside her.


    Sylvia instantly jolted, sitting up straight and as she turned around, she somehow found herself face to face with a huge snow white wolf with blue runes covering its entire body.


    The beast was almost as big as a human being and was definitely bigger than Sylvia who weighed next to nothing.


    Its piercing blue eyes were locked onto her body and it red at her as if it was trying to peer into her very soul.


    Sylvia waspletely paralyzed, unable to take even another breath. It was like without the permission of the beast in front of her, she would never be able to move again. She was frozen still!


    Saliva dripped from the huge domineering canines and the wolf took another step still ring at Sylvia.


    A powerful ancient and violet aura rippled from the beast sending shivers down her spine. Her entire body trembled.


    "Ig¡­ Ignis." She weakly muttered, clutching the grass with her hand, digging into the soil with her nails.


    However, the wolf merely snapped its jaws at her, and the small sparks of fire that had materializedpletely disappeared.


    It let out another low growl and took another step forward, now standing right in front of her, its nostrils ring and a thick bloody stench wafting from its mouth.


    Sylvia was shocked to her very core. She wanted to scream and she wanted to run, get the hell out of there, but weirdly, she was unable to even move an inch.


    Is this wolf even a normal beast? She shuddered.


    I should have nevere out of the castle. I should have nevere here all alone to cry about something so stupid and insignificant. She whimpered, her mind and heart filled with regrets.


    But it was already toote. This was probably her end.


    Her life was at the palm of the beast in front of her and it would only take 2 seconds for it to end her, erasing her entire existence off of this world.


    Why was I so stupid¡­ Sylvia cursed herself and tears started streaming out, but weirdly enough, she was not even sure why she was crying anymore.


    She felt alone. She felt weak and more importantly, she felt as if a big chunk of herself had been missingtely¡­


    Even when she was with Mikel, even when everything made sense, there was still something that wascking and she didn''t know why but in the presence of this wolf, that feeling became exceedingly clear.


    Sylvia clutched the patch of grass with her hands clenched tightly and sobbed uncontrobly,pletely breaking apart.


    She did not even care about the fierce beast in front of her anymore. She was sad and she wanted to cry and let it out.


    And just as she sobbed desperately, all of a sudden, the wolf which was standing still until now, moved. Its big animal head leaned towards her and licked the tears falling from her cheeks.


    "Ahh¡­" Sylvia gasped in shock and moved away as she felt a bolt of electricity course through her body as soon as the wet sticky tongue of the animal licked her cheeks, coating her with its saliva.

 Chapter 131 - The Strange White Wolf Part3

    Huh? Sylvia scurried away in shock wondering why the savage beast was suddenly acting like a domesticated pet.


    But then she remembered how the other magical beasts back at the castle stables had acted and assumed that this was probably the same thing.


    A small sigh escaped her lips as she hesitantly moved closer to the beast again, this time taking the initiative to extend her hand and pet the humongous wolf.


    She pulled the beast closer and nuzzled her head with its and the next second before she realized it, she was already hugging it and sobbing into its pure snow-white fur, both her hands wrapped around its head.


    She hadpletely forgotten that it was a strange beast that she had met only seconds ago and was even terrified of in the beginning.


    She was now treating it like a stuffed toy and hugged it tightly, the presence of the beast strangelyforting her.


    Even the wolf itself waspletely gobsmacked and unable to shake off the woman who was casually dirtying its elegant invaluable fur.


    Its eyes stared into the distance as if it was trying to figure out some sort of mystery that evaded it. Nevertheless, it didn''t move and allowed the young girl to vent out all her frustrations.


    A few minutes passed in this awkward ufortable silence when suddenly a twig snapped in the distance and rustling sounds echoed.


    Both the wolf and Sylvia snapped out of their trance and broke apart to turn around and see who wasing near them.


    But when Sylvia blinked and turned towards the wolf again, it had already disappeared just as silently as it had sprung in front of her.


    Her eyes darted in the darkness of the night, searching for the beast but it was nowhere to be seen and strangely the unsettling feeling returned to her heart.


    "Are you alright?" A voice sounded near her and Sylvia snapped to turn and look at Mikel.


    "What are you doing here?" She blurted out and then gingerly added. "Your highness."


    Mikel sighed, tiredly slumping onto the grassy ground, right next to her. "I deserve that and then some more¡­"


    He cocked his head to the side and caressed her cheeks that were clearly drenched. "I am sorry. I didn''t know. Otherwise, I would have at least warned you."


    "It''s fine. I understand." Sylvia tried her best to keep a brave face but her voice cracked despite that.


    "Please trust me." Mikel pulled her closer and tightly hugged her, making Sylvia let out a deep sigh.


    It was not that she didn''t trust him. It was just that¡­ it still made her a bit sad¡­ to share the person she loved with someone else even if it was just for namesake.


    "Please trust me, my dear," Mikel muttered again, his obsidian orbs begging her for forgiveness.


    "Mmm¡­" Sylvia nodded without saying anything else. As it is, the man''s life was hard, she didn''t want to make things more difficult for him.


    The two of them quietly sat with each other for a while, when Sylvia finally broke the silence and asked. "Why the engagement suddenly¡­ I mean you don''t have to tell me if you¡­"


    "I was strong-armed into epting it," Mikel replied before she finished her sentence.


    "This evening when we arrived at the castle, we have a small meeting with the King prior to the dinner."


    "For certain reasons, the Duke and the King both pushed for this alliance and I had to oblige."


    "Otherwise, it would have brought too much unwanted attention on me and worse, on you."


    Sylvia nodded, listening to his words intently. She had also guessed that it was probably something like this. "Are we¡­ is there a war brewing?" She hesitantly asked.


    "No. Nothing like that, as far as I know. Don''t worry. If ites down to it, I will always be at your side."


    "This engagement will never have any real meaning. It''s a lie. You know that right?"


    "Mmm¡­" Sylvia nodded. However, Mikel could see that she was clearly hurt and was not her usual joyful self.


    "When we return back to the castle, Leol volunteered to personally train you in magic." He added, in an attempt to cheer her up even though he hadn''t yet spoken to Leol about it.


    And just as he expected, Sylvia''s face slightly brightened upon hearing this, but still, there was a bit of sadness lingering as she nodded in response without saying anything.


    It pained him to see the girl like this and his hand that was caressing her cheek stopped.


    Mikel suddenly knelt on the ground on his knees and bowed, lowering his head in front of Sylvia.


    "Ahhh¡­ Mikel¡­ What are you doing?" Sylvia waspletely flustered to see a grown man kneeling down and apologizing as a child does to a teacher.


    "Please forgive me, my dear. I will ept any punishment that may seem fit. I am willing to lick you all night long if that will appease your anger."


    Sylvia''s eyes widened even more and she was shocked to hear the filthy wordsing out of the man''s mouth, especially when he was kneeling down so sincerely and obediently.


    However, to her dismay, the devil did not stop there. "I have sinned far too much, my dear."


    "I will atone for this sin by serving you every night until the rest of our lives, my dear. I will lick your ears, neck, nipples, belly button, toes¡­"


    Sylviapletely reddened and did not let the shameless man finish his words as she pushed him away with all the force that she could muster.


    Mikel tumbled like a jar and as he fell on the side, he pulled the woman with him as well, tickling her as she fell on top of him.


    "Ah¡­ Ouch¡­ stop it¡­ you jerk¡­ stop it¡­ stop it¡­" Sylvia giggled, squirming and wiggling as the man continued to mercilessly tickle her and torture her until thest bit of sadness in her eyes disappeared.

 Chapter 132 - A Secret Rendezvous Part1

    "Ummm¡­ Mikel¡­" Sylvia hesitantly muttered, running her fingers through the golden locks of the man lying on herp, who was quick to respond to her, albeit with his eyes still closed.


    "Yes, dear?"


    "Won''t you get in trouble for being here with me¡­ like this¡­ when so many people are there in the castle¡­?"


    "Hmmm?"


    "Someone might see us¡­ Maybe Prisce or one of her maids?"


    "Let them see?"


    "Hey. I am being serious here." Sylvia pinched the nonchnt smug face of the devil on herp. "I am alright. You don''t have to stay here and risk everything for me."


    "Huh? Quite self-centered, are we? I am staying here for me. Not for you. It sucks for me when I am away from you."


    He then pulled the woman down to capture her mouth with his, kissing her softly and gently. "See¡­ I can''t do this whenever I want if I am away from you." Mikel sighed.


    "Sometimes¡­ I think¡­ Life would be simpler if we could just go away somewhere." He added in a low voice which Sylvia couldn''t quite catch.


    "Did you say something?" She asked, to which Mikel simply nodded. Though the man was joking around, she could see that there were lines of tiredness all over his face.


    "Say¡­ what did you do all evening?" Mikel asked changing the subject.


    Sylvia immediately became tense as she didn''t want to tell him about Michelle.


    After what happened on the yacht, she was worried that her adorable devil might do something drastic if he came to know everything that happened.


    "I was just searching for a lost ring in the garden." She vaguely replied and then added with a frown. "Under your fiance''s instructions, of course."


    "Sorry, sweet girl. Please bear with it for a couple more days and then you will never have to see her again." Mikel sat up and peppered kisses, trying his best to make the frown disappear.


    "You should head to the castle library and pass your time there. If anyone asks, just tell them that I instructed you to dust the bookshelves."


    "That''s a good ce to hide for someone who loves to read." He rubbed her lips with his thumb, gently coaxing her.


    "Mmm¡­ Thanks for the tip." Sylvia smiled, turning her face away, hoping that the man''s question stopped here.


    But how could that happen?


    "So what else happened?" Mikel asked, to which she smiled gingerly and shrugged. "Nothing worth mentioning¡­?"


    "No." Sylvia nodded.


    "Are you sure?" Mikel chuckled, his eyes concealing a glint.


    Unable to meet the man''s gaze, Sylvia hurriedly blurted out. "Ummm¡­ There was a wolf in the garden earlier. I yed with it for a bit."


    "Wolf?" Mikel raised his brows slightly. "Hmmm¡­ Probably someone''s tamed beast. You didn''t get hurt right?"


    "Of course, not." Sylvia shook her head with conviction.


    "Alright then. If there is nothing else¡­ then I should probably leave¡­" Mikel chuckled and stood up, his eyes fixated on the small knot moving down the woman''s throat as she gulped nervously.


    In reality, he already knew everything that had happened since like always he had asked Theo to look after her from a distance.


    He also could guess why she was not telling him the full truth.


    "On second thought¡­ You should leave first." Sylvia nodded and quickly scurried away as if she was running away from danger, making the grin on Mikel''s face widen even further.


    Did she really think that I have such little self-control? He shook his head, amused by her concern and worry for him.


    After Sylvia left, Mikel leisurely strolled in the garden for a few more minutes when Theodore walked towards him from somewhere in the darkness and joined him.


    "What happened? Why the rushed engagement?" He asked worriedly, even though it was not his usual nature to be nosy and ask about things before Mikel told him on his own ord.


    "Theo¡­" Mikel turned around to look at him. There was chilling despair on his face. "Can you believe it¡­ even fate is working against me¡­"


    "What happened Mikel?"


    "A beast n member¡­ A young boy has been captured and is currently being held in the prison below the castle."


    "What¡­?" Theodore was utterly shocked unable to believe the timing of this urrence. "So this is why¡­"


    "Yes. This is why my father had urgently called everyone together. He suspects that several beast n members might have infiltrated our Kingdom."


    The graveness in his voice and the gravity of the situation did not escape the knight who only knew too well what this really meant.


    "Sylvia is in danger." Theodore blurted out the inevitable. "Especially if you¡­"


    "Mhm¡­ She is indeed in a very dangerous situation." Mikel hummed. "Especially if I do something to trigger her dormant side."


    "But if you don''t¡­"


    "Yes¡­ If I don''t, then I would never be able to get the power that I need to take down my dastardly father." Mikel''s lips curved upwards, though it was a smile filled with sadness.


    "Mikel¡­ listen¡­ it''s not toote¡­ you can still¡­"


    "I can still¡­ what? Run away and live a happy and blissful life with her?" He chuckled. Theodore sighed, knowing that such a thing was probably never going to happen.


    "Wipe that look off your face, Theo." Mikel patted him. "I won''t do anything rashly. Let''s first get back to the castle and figure out a new n."


    "We will figure something out. Perhaps it is time for you and Sylvia to leave the Kingdom first."


    "I can''t change what I want now, but I am also not giving up on my future with her. Don''t worry."


    Theodore nodded silently listening to Mikel. He knew that everything was going to be so much moreplicated now.


    After these many years¡­ for a beast n member to have been captured now¡­ was indeed truly unfortunate.


    "Alright. I will take my leave then." Theodore bowed and turned to leave when suddenly Mikel waved at him again.


    "Oh and Theo, send the maid named Michelle to my room."


    Mikel strolled in the garden for a few more minutes when he spotted a few people at the distance and walked over to them, joining their conversation with a smile as if nothing had happened.


    Meanwhile¡­ Sylvia had already joined the other maids in the castle and was eating dinner with everyone.


    The entire kitchen was very lively as there was a lot of high-grade meat and fine dishes left unfinished. So it was a feast for the kitchen staff as well.


    "Eh? There you are! I was looking all over for you but you are sitting here and eating like a pig." Michelle frowned, as soon as she walked in and caught sight of the silver-haired woman in a corner, sitting next to Jane and Ana.


    "Get up ande here." She shouted, grabbing the te of food from Sylvia''s hand and tossing it into the sink with food still left on the te.


    "How dare you sit here and stuff yourself when my Lady''s precious ring is still missing! Who gave you this much courage?"


    "Do you want to be whipped? If you don''t find the ring by tomorrow morning, I will whip you myself until you know your ce, slut."


    Sylvia sighed and quietly followed the woman, once again resuming her aimless search for a ring in the garden sprawled across hundreds of acres.


    This was all because of her damned stomach! She cursed herself for not listening to Mikel and heading down to the library immediately.


    She had met Jane on the way who invited her for dinner and tempted by the delicious food, she was once again caught by the bully.


    And now she could only wait for another chance!


    "Damn it. This time I will quickly go to the library. Surely, she will nod off soon, right?"


    However, to Sylvia''s dismay, Michelle remained very alert and sharp and did not look like she was going to doze off any time soon.


    The woman was even picking her teeth happily, after letting out some burps. Unlike Sylvia who did not get much to eat, this woman had clearly eaten her fill of the fancy dinner.


    So unfair! Sylviamented her plight and continued searching through the nts and bushes.


    This went on a for while, when suddenly close to midnight, Sylvia noticed a familiar figure approaching them.


    Theodore walked over to Michelle and nodded at both Sylvia and Michelle like the gentleman that he was.


    "Miss Michelle. Pleasee with me." He politely muttered with a straight face.


    But Michelle, on the other hand, had apletely different expression on her face.


    She was blushing from top to bottom and her face was bright red from the various thoughts running in her brain.


    Why would a mane and talk to a maid personally in the middle of the night..? Even asking her to go along with him¡­ and that too alone¡­

 Chapter 133 - A Secret Rendezvous Part2

    Michelle grinned from ear to ear as she quietly followed the knight. She was so nervous as she had never spoken to the man before and didn''t know what could have possibly led this to happen.


    But then¡­ she suddenly thought of something. What if this was all her Lady''s n?


    Michelle still clearly remembered Lady Prisce mentioning to her something about a handsome reward.


    But she never once thought the reward could literally be a handsome man.


    "Did Young Miss actually arrange for this to happen?" She giddily muttered to herself, unable to hold her happiness.


    Theodore was a knight, not to mention very good lookingpared to most other men.


    His presence was usually overshadowed by Mikel, but seeing him alone like this, under the moonlight, in the middle of the night, her heart was racing a mile a minute.


    Michelle couldn''t believe that a man like him could be interested in her. "Ummm¡­ Sir Theo¡­" She bashfully muttered, pushing her chest out.


    Theodore paused and looked around to see what she wanted when suddenly he saw the woman moving closer to him, her face dangerously next to his.


    Perhaps it was because of his instinct which had been honed like a sharp knife after all these years, he instantly sidestepped, making Michelle stumble and fall down.


    "Ahh!" She gasped in shock as she hadn''t expected the man to react in such a manner. Her face turned bright red and she quickly picked herself up, dusting her back.


    "Are you alright, Miss Michelle?" Theodore askedpletely puzzled, taking a step back and maintaining a safe distance.


    "Ah¡­ Ummm¡­ I am sorry, my Lord. That¡­ I was feeling very faint." The woman quickly bbered something, covering up her embarrassing kissing attempt.


    It was a p on the face and it sucked. "Umm¡­ May I know where we are going, my Lord?" Michelle asked, her delusions now somewhat settling down.


    However, Theo''s next reply once again sent her back reeling into the world of fantasy.


    "His highness has requested your presence in his room." Theo bluntly replied, without caring about the double meaning his words implied.


    If earlier she was surprised and excited, Michelle was now utterly shocked. "His¡­ his highness¡­ called me for me? To his room?" She was dumbfounded.


    She absentmindedly continued following Theodore as they both exited the garden and walked onto the corridors of the castle.


    Her mind waspletely nk and only one thought was running in her head in a loop.


    "To his room?"


    "To his room?"


    "To his room?"


    She muttered under her breath as if she was in a trance.


    Lady Prisce was going to kill her!!!


    Since she attended the Lady''s needs for most parts of the day, Michelle knew a lot about Prisce, more than she even wasfortable knowing.


    And if something were to happen between her and the Prince, Michelle knew that it would surely be the death of her.


    After all, she knew first hand just how badly the ve was being tortured since her Lady had caught the ve in the Prince''s room in the middle of the night.


    And now it was her turn? Did Prince Mikel had some sort of weird fetish that made maids and ves attractive to him?


    Michelle''s cheeks burned as her thoughts became more and more jumbled up. On one hand, she was deathly pale, scared from what the consequences of this rendezvous could be.


    On the other hand¡­ she just couldn''t stop herself from thinking about the perfect and handsome man, especially without his clothes on.


    She gulped as her face turned redder and redder by the second.


    Perhaps if she managed to impress the Prince tonight, there was a chance for her to be one of his mistresses?


    Even though it sounded ridiculous, it was still not entirely impossible, right?


    Michelle''s heart pounded loudly as the both of them neared one of the guest rooms in the southern part of the castle.


    Even though Mikel had another bigger room in the main part of the castle, he did not prefer staying there and always used one of the guest rooms when he visited the castle.


    Pausing in front of the door, Theodore first knocked a couple of times. "Come in." Mikel''s deep velvety voice sounded from within, which made the woman''s body stiffen.


    Theodore opened the door and Michelle followed him, her facepletely flushed and her gaze shyly lingering on the ground.


    The knight then bowed and left the room, leaving the maid alone with the man inside.


    "Your highness¡­ " Michelle softly muttered, licking her lips. "I am here to serve you as you please."


    Hmmm? Mikel raised his brows. "Is that so? Come here and give me your hand."


    Blushing nervously, she walked forward, stepping closer to Mikel. The man was resting on the bed, leaning back against a pillow at the headboard.


    His shirt was unbuttoned revealing his chiseled chest and his sensual body, which made Michelle swallow hard.


    Suddenly, she found herself not very afraid of Prisce and very empathetic towards Sylvia.


    Her job was to serve the royal family. If she was asked to, then she could onlyply. This was not really her fault.


    Michelle gulped and nervously extended her hand, waiting for the man to take her hand in his hand and kiss her tenderly.


    A million butterflies somersaulted in her stomach and she closed her eyes unable to bear the anticipation. Now that she was here, she was really ready to go all out.


    However¡­ weirdly¡­ 1 second passed. 2 seconds passed. Nothing seemed to have happened.


    But suddenly, she felt a light brush on her hand and a soft sigh escaped her lips.


    Thank god! Michelle felt relieved. It looked like this time she had not mistaken things. She had clearly felt the man''s lips brush against her hand.


    She opened her eyes wanting to see the gorgeous creature kissing and sucking her fingers when suddenly her entire body froze.


    What she had expected¡­ and the sight that awaited her¡­ were light years apart¡­


    Michelle trembled at the sight of her hand that was now bald? Her fingers were no longer there!


    Blood dripped from her hand without stopping, falling on the fingers which messilyid on the floor. Her eyes widened in shock, unable to believe what had just happened.


    Did the Prince who always looked so kind and caring do this to her? She just couldn''t ept it.


    Pain seared through her body as she copsed on the ground and started wailing.


    "Your highness. Please forgive me. Please forgive me." She sobbed, picking up the cut down pieces of flesh from the dirtied marble floor.


    Mikel, however, remained calm and unfazed. He stood up and silently walked out of the room, entering the guest room next to him, leaving the woman all alone in her misery.


    Michelle quickly tried to reattach her fingers but she saw her skin already turning purple which meant that the sword that had cut down her fingers was doused in poison.


    Since poison was involved, it was not really that easy to reattach the cleanly cut flesh.


    But unfortunately for her, her misery did not end there. After Mikel had walked out, someone else knocked on the door again, and when no one answered, the door creaked open.


    Prisce stood at the door, her eyes searching for Mikel but she froze on seeing the empty bed and the bloody mess next to it, not to mention the woman wailing on the ground in pain.


    "You! What the hell are you doing here??" Prisce shouted in anger.


    "My Lady. Please. Please. Save me. My Lady." Michelle immediately crawled on the floor and knelt in front of Prisce.


    "Please help me, My Lady. Please heal my hand. I will be ruined if the flesh rotspletely." She begged her.


    She had served the Lady for a long time, ever since she was a young girl. She knew that even though sometimes she was a bit aggressive, she was also kind at times.


    So Michelle cried and begged for help as Prisce was the only one who could help her now.


    However, what awaited her was only a cold and cruel question. "What are you doing in this room?" Prisce asked, her voicecking even an ounce of sympathy.


    Michelle blinked and immediately understood that she was being mistaken here. "Mydy. My Lady. Please believe me. I didn''t do anything."


    "His highness called me here and then cut off all my fingers. My Lady, please save me. I don''t know what I did wrong. Please My Lady."


    She hurriedly exined the situation, feeling a lot better after she had rified things.


    However, unfortunately for her, the woman in front of her coldly stared down at her, still not convinced by her words.


    "My fiance called you to his room in the middle of the night? And you expect me to believe this? Just how foolish do you think I am?"

 Chapter 134 - A Secret Rendezvous Part3

    Prisce sneered letting out a cold and mockingugh. "I was not born yesterday, stupid bitch. You came here to seduce him right?"


    "I gave you one job, but instead, you came here to seduce my man. Who gave you such courage? Have you ever looked at yourself in the mirror before?"


    "Did you think just because that damned ve somehow trapped him, you can also do the same?"


    "How dare you bite the hand that feeds you?"


    Prisce clutched the woman who was groveling at her feet and pulled her up by the hair, only tond a loud p on her face.


    Michelle screamed in pain as the woman she had served for such a long time tortured her without any rhyme or reason.


    In reality, Prisce had a reason but Michelle simply was not aware of it.


    After the pleasant dinner, where everyone congratted her for the engagement, the guests dispersed from the dining hall once the King, the Queen, and his concubines left the dining hall.


    But some of them were still chatting with each other in smaller groups and Prisce couldn''t help but overhear the things that they whispered.


    She didn''t know who leaked it or how this rumor started but she was furious.


    Almost everyone seemed to know about how Mikel entertained a ve on the side who he was most certainly nning to give a Mistress title.


    Some evenmented saying that Prisce was infertile and hence the Prince had to rely on other women to make sure that the royal lineage is carried on.


    Though they were just gossiping and amusing themselves with nonsense, it was still a p on the face for Prisce and her reputation was being tarnished.


    A husband having a mistress was one thing but to take a mere ve as a mistress and confer her a title was literally a humiliation to her status as the Duke''s daughter.


    Prisce had in fact hurried over to Mikel''s room to confront him about this and make him change his mind, only to find Michelle in his room instead.


    The sight of her very own maid in her fiance''s room in the middle of the night triggered all her pent-up frustrations and she ended up taking out all her anger on the poor maid who was at the wrong ce at the wrong time.


    Meanwhile¡­


    As soon as Michelle and Theodore had left, Sylvia quickly scrambled out of the garden and headed to the huge library inside the castle.


    Just like Mikel had told her, the entire ce was deserted except for a couple of guards who saw her wearing a maid uniform and didn''t question her.


    Sylvia sighed in relief and went to a corner of the library, hidden amidst the bookshelves, and picked a random book, and sat down to read.


    "I should have just done this in the first ce." She shook her head helplessly.


    The book was coincidentally about herbs and it captured her interest quickly, helping her forget the other unpleasant memories of the day.


    Sylvia was immersed in reading and she didn''t realize how many hours had passed until she suddenly felt a breeze across her face.


    Since the library windows were closed, this caught her attention and she looked up to see the same white wolf standing in front of her again, its body covered by blue runes.


    Huh? Sylvia was perplexed. She had no idea what was going on. Was this wolf really just someone''s pet?


    The wolf gazed at her with its piercing blue eyes and after a while started walking away, but then it turned around and looked at Sylvia as if it wanted her to follow it.


    Sylvia slightly hesitated. However, she then nodded and ced the book on her hand down to follow the wolf. She didn''t know why but she felt that she could trust this beast.


    She followed the beast quickly and didn''t realize there was now a faint shimmering light surrounding her, simr to the light that enveloped the beast.


    The two of them walked past guards, walked past other people but weirdly no one seemed to notice them.


    Sylvia gasped in shock wondering if there was a spell of invisibility or something like that at work, but how this wolf be so powerful to cast a spell like this?


    Even the royal guards were unable to notice their presence!!!


    Sylvia immediately started regretting her actions and having followed this seemingly innocent looking wolf in the first ce. The beast was most definitely up to no good.


    But the worst part was, she couldn''t afford to stop following it anymore! She would surely be in trouble!


    Before she realized it, they were already in the private quarters of the King, where all the maids were instructed not to enter.


    If she got found out now, it would be the death of her and even Mikel would not be able to save her.


    Sylvia panted seeing how things had progressed so quickly so fast.


    She was too busy worrying about how others were not seeing them and when she finally realized where they had walked into, it was already toote.


    She also didn''t know if she could call out to the beast as that might make their invisibility spell shatter.


    So without having any other option, she silently followed the wolf, deciding to see this through to the end, wondering just what the hell the wolf was up to.


    She followed the beast as it entered through a door and then through the winding tunnels which seemed to lead to somewhere underneath the huge castle.


    The walls of the tunnel had torches that lit their path and the fresh smell of mud and earth swirled in the air.


    On a couple of asions, Sylvia even had to squeeze herself against the wall so as to not directly touch the guards who walked past them.


    But the wolf didn''t seem to care and it continued walking along the downward spiral like a King its body passing right through solid objects.


    Sylvia was utterly dumbfounded. She had never heard or seen anything like this before. But she knew one thing for sure, she was in deep trouble.


    "Damn it. Damn it. Damn it." A cold sweat breaking on her back, she couldn''t help but wonder what made her follow this beast in the first ce.


    Was she really just that stupid? Ahhhhhh! Sylvia wanted to scream.


    She had just now escaped from Prisce and her maids, but she had already gotten into another trouble? What was happening?


    Everything had happened way too quickly that she didn''t even know what to think of now.


    While she was engrossed in her thoughts, the wolf suddenly stopped, making her stop in her tracks as well.


    "Where the hell are we?" Sylvia muttered inwardly, gulping. Standing a few feet away from her was the King himself!


    Sylvia felt like a bolt of lightning had struck her body. Fcckkkkk! She held her breath afraid that the invisibility spell might break at any moment.


    There were a couple of guards standing near the King and there were also some other men who were dressed like they were important.


    Sylvia couldn''t recognize them. She had only seen the King before when they hade to the castle for the Masquerade ball.


    A couple of minutes passed and Sylvia''spletely rattled nerves finally calmed down. The men near her werepletely oblivious of her presence and this gave her a little hope.


    She took a look around and saw that she and the wolf were standing in some sort of underground prison.


    In front of them, stretched until the end of the long corridor were several prison cells, some upied and some empty.


    Sylvia sucked in a deep breath of cold air as her eyes wandered to the particr prison cell the King and his men were standing in front of.


    The wolf walked closer to the cell and so did she. Now that she was already here and somehow invisible, she wanted to see for herself who was inside.


    Did the wolf bring her here to show her this? Sylvia slowly tip-toed walking forward and took a peek inside, when suddenly her face paled and she gasped.


    Inside the cell was a small child, a young boy who was shivering in fright.


    The boy had several cuts, scrapes, and bruises on his body and he was chained to the wall as if he was some sort of hardened criminal.


    His head hung low and his eyes were closed, his little child-like facepletely devoid of any emotions.


    Sylvia gasped in shock. Just how much did this child have to suffer for him to show a pitiful expression like this? Did the King do this to him? How cruel!


    She felt a surge of anger that she had never experienced before and in her deep contemtion, she forgot where she was and took a step forward, entering the prison itself.

 Chapter 135 - A Secret Rendezvous Part4

    Not knowing what came over her, Sylvia stepped into the prison cell, walking directly right through the solid bars.


    She would have been surprised that she was actually able to do something like this, but she was far too rattled right now to notice it.


    Covering her mouth with her hands, she extended her hand to touch the small helpless child. He seemed to be only a few years old.


    What possible crime could this boy have evenmitted? Even the innocence and purity in his childlike face hadn''t yetpletely disappeared.


    Tears streamed down Sylvia''s cheeks as she caressed the young boy''s cheeks.


    There was a bloody wound shed across his tender cheeks that would most definitely leave a scar for the rest of his life, that is if he were to ever make it out of this prison alive.


    "How could these people be so cruel?" Sylvia shuddered, her gorgeous blue eyes turning the shade of dark amber gold.


    Without thinking about anything, she reached for the chains that tied the child to the wall. She wanted to break them open.


    However, unexpectedly, her hands only passed right through the chains. She noticed that she actually couldn''t touch anything, not even herself.


    Sylvia started panicking as her gaze hurriedly shifted to the big snow white wolf, pleading it for help but the beast simply stared back at her, peering into her bright golden eyes, seemingly almost as confused as she was.


    This only made Sylvia panic more and suddenly she had shes of images passing through her brain, finding herself in the ce of the child, locked and chained to the wall just like him.


    "No. No. No. Let me go. No." Sylvia shouted,pletely losing track of reality, her mind spiraling into an utter chaotic mess.


    She clutched her head, no longer understanding what was going on, her entire world turning dark but just when she was about topletely lose herself in the nightmare, a familiar voice sounded near her.


    "Hey. Hey. Hey. What happened? Calm down. I am right here. What happened?"


    Sylvia snapped her eyes open only to find Mikel kneeling next to her and patting her head gently, his eyes betraying the worry and concern he had.


    She looked around to see that she was still in the library. Even the book she was reading was still in her hand.


    "I¡­ I¡­ Was that just a dream?" Sylvia stammered and the next second she fainted in Mikel''s arms.


    Mikel looked at the girl''s troubled expression and wondered what had happened. He had just seen her earlier that night and everything was fine?


    His brows knitted together in worry as he carefully picked her up and walked out of the library carrying her in his arms.


    "I already made all the preparations, but it seems like I was stillte in the end. I am sorry, my dear."


    He leaned forward to ce a gentle kiss on her forehead as he walked all the way to the guest rooms of the castle, even passing by a few people.


    In fact, this was the reason why he had gone to the library to find the girl. All the rumors about him having a mistress didn''t quite spread themselves on their own.


    It was him who had done it in the background to ensure that no one would dare to take advantage of Sylvia and mistreat her like what had happened earlier today.


    Of course, doing this brought a few risks to the table but he would rather take those risks than allow the woman to be continuously bullied and mistreated, especially when he was the one who had asked her to keep her head down.


    So after much thinking, he decided to nip this problem in its bud. He carried the woman in his arms all the way to his room, not in the least bothering to hide it.


    And as he neared his room, just as he had expected, Prisce was still lingering around, the gloves on her hand stained red here and there.


    "Your highness!" Prisce''s eyes flew wide in disbelief. She couldn''t believe what she was seeing.


    The man she was just engaged to that evening was carrying another woman to his room the same night?


    Wouldn''t she be aughing stock of the entire kingdom if someone else saw his?


    Prisce was insanely enraged! She clutched the edges of her robe and red at Mikel, her eyes demanding him for an exnation.


    Mikel, however, nonchntly continued walking, only stopping as he stood in front of his room.


    "We are not yet married, my Lady." He mouthed, his lips curving upwards into a sneer.


    "It would only tarnish my reputation if my fiance is found loitering the corridor like this at a questionable hour."


    "What is your exnation for such unsightly behavior? Or perhaps the Duke was lenient in teaching you manners?"


    "But¡­ I¡­" Prisce muttered,pletely shaken. Her insides were boiling with rage.


    How dare he question my behavior when he is with another woman right in front of my eyes??? She was livid with anger.


    However, Mikel was not done talking yet.


    "My mistress is currently asleep. I do not want to disturb her rest. How about I introduce you both to each other over tea tomorrow?" He muttered as a matter of fact after shing a kind and gentle smile.


    And before Prisce could evenprehend the meaning of his words, let alone ept his invitation, the room''s door banged close right on her face, leaving her behind in aplete mess.


    For a second, she couldn''t help but doubt who was the mistress and who was the wife in this scenario¡­


    With an ashen look on her face, she turned around and walked back to her room in a daze as if she had seen a ghost.


    Her worst nightmare had juste true and she had no idea what she was supposed to do now.


    Meanwhile, back in the room, Mikel gently ced the woman in his arms down on the bed. He tucked the errant strands of her hair behind her ear and then covered her with a nket.


    Sighing, he checked the girl''s pulse, temperature, and heart rate one more time before silently sitting on a chair beside her.


    He watched over her for the entire night, only rxing when the girl lightly stirred awake at the brink of dawn.


    Sylvia jolted up from the bed, sitting erect as her eyes searched the room in a panic.


    "I am here. I am here. Everything is alright."


    Mikel shuffled closer to her and pulled her into his embrace. He still couldn''t understand what might have happened in that short period of time.


    "Mikel¡­ I saw a child¡­ He was locked in the prison underground. I¡­ There was the King... They locked me as well. I couldn''t get out. There was a wolf."


    Sylvia''s entire body was trembling as she hurriedly tried to exin or rather make sense out of her nightmare.


    She sobbed into the man''s chest, her words, half-drowned in her sobs.


    "It''s fine. You are fine now. You must have just had a bad dream." Mikel smiled and gently patted her, kissing her silver locks. "Did you read something weird in the library?"


    "I DID NOT!" Sylvia immediately retorted, looking up to see the familiar teasing smile on the man''s face.


    Was everything really just a dream? That child... was he okay? She sighed, letting out a deep breath, and clung on to him tighter, burying her body into his.


    She only rxed after a few minutes passed and she was stillfortably nuzzled in the man''s warmth and embrace.


    But then she suddenly realized something and looked up frantically. "I am here? Won''t you get in trouble?" Sylvia asked, her eyes widened. She was sure that Prisce was a woman who had a million eyes even on the nk castle walls.


    "Heh. I didn''t have a chance to tell you the good news yet. You are officially my mistress from today, my dear." Mikel proudly informed her.


    He gazed into her eyes and leaned in closer for a kiss as if he was waiting to be appreciated for the good deed he had done.


    However, Sylvia ced her hand on his mouth and leaned away from him. "Mistress?" She asked, her brows knitting together.


    Ah~~~ Mikel suddenly found himself at a loss for words. He gulped as he nervously looked at the woman in his arms.


    "I am a mistress?" Sylvia asked again, this time louder, as she stepped out of his embrace and out of the bed, her eyes ring at the man as if he had terribly wronged her.


    "But dear¡­" Mikel tried to exin, but he was stumped by her unforgiving eyes.


    "Your highness, did I ever ask you for such a thing?" Sylviapletely forgot about her strange nightmare and crossed her arms in front of her chest, her voluptuous breasts heaving up and down.

 Chapter 136 - Overnight Cinderella Part1

    "Your highness, did I ever ask you for such a thing?" Sylviapletely forgot about her strange nightmare and crossed her arms in front of her chest, her voluptuous breasts heaving up and down in anger.


    "This¡­ Umm¡­" Mikel stammered for the first time in his life.


    His cute and innocent kitten suddenly looked like a fiery tigress who was ready to pounce on him and not in the good way which he liked.


    He thought that she would be happy, but she was clearly not. Mikel had no idea where he went wrong.


    "Baby this is better. This way no one would question your presence near me and you don''t have to act like a maid or ve ever again." He hurriedly exined.


    Sylvia, however, did not look pleased. "Your highness, do you know that being a maid or ve is better than being a mistress?"


    She was far too outraged to spell things out for him and dashed into the bathroom to cool herself down but not before mming the door shut on his face.


    Mikel couldn''t help but silently gaze at the closed door with a perplexed expression. He still did not understand!


    Not long after, Theodore and another maid walked in with a trolley full of freshly prepared food from the kitchen.


    "Theo¡­" Mikel looked up at his friend helplessly. Seeing the grave look on his face, the knight tensed up. "Did something happen, your highness?"


    Mikel waved his hand to dismiss the maid first and then stood up, standing face to face with the knight, his hand on the man''s shoulder.


    He seemed as if he was going to break terribly bad news and Theo started fretting. However, the next few words which came out of Mikel''s mouth¡­


    "Theo¡­ She is angry with me¡­ What should I do?"


    Theodore blinked, Mikel''s words not even registering in his mind. "Hmmm? Pardon?" He asked again.


    "Sylvia. She is angry with me man. What am I supposed to do now?" Mikel sighed hopelessly, his face grave as if someone had died.


    Oh. Theo mumbled, finally grasping what his friend was talking about.


    A serious expression appeared on his face as well, his fingers rubbing his chin as he pondered about Mikel''s predicament.


    After a long minute or so of silence, Theodore suddenly looked like he had realized something important and moved his lips. "Hmm¡­ Did you tell her about the mistress title? That should make her happy?"


    "You!!! Why do you think she is upset with me in the first ce?" Mikel shook his head helplessly, making Theodore just as confused as him.


    "Shouldn''t she be happy?" The knight furrowed his brows and seriously pondered, making Mikel even more depressed.


    He had asked the wrong question to the wrong person! If there was someone denser than him, it was Theodore!


    Mikel sat back down, clutching his head in his hands when a few minutester, Theodore once again started to say something, only to be stopped by Mikel beforehand. "Please. Don''t make me more depressed. Where is Leol?" He sighed.


    Theo shrugged his shoulders, not in the least bothered. "I can go get him for you?"


    "Thanks, brother," Mikel replied without looking up. Grey clouds hovered above his head.


    "Alright." Theodore nodded and walked out of the room, but just before closing the door, he paused and muttered. "I think she likes food."


    The knight then closed the door and was already off on his way to bring the more experienced person to Mikel.


    However, his words resonated with Mikel as he had noticed something simr as well.


    The man''s eyes brightened up as he left the trolley full of food in the room itself and waltzed off to the kitchen in a hurry.


    When Sylvia returned back after the bath, she had calmed down somewhat as she didn''t mean to lose her temper like that.


    Even she understood why he had done what he had done. Nevertheless, it hurt her pride, and so she ended up being unintentionally rude to the man.


    However, as she searched for the devil and his adorable face, he was nowhere to be seen, and instead, a couple of maids hovered in front of her.


    "My Lady, his highness has requested that you join him for breakfast in the garden." One maid bowed and muttered. "Please allow us to help you get ready." Another one added.


    Sylvia blinked a couple of times, but then after realizing what was going on, she chuckled lightly.


    The man was clearly trying to bribe her with food! But she didn''t mind it, as that was her favorite method of bribery!


    Sylvia let the two maids do their work as they helped her into another dress, a much elegant and beautiful one than she was currently wearing.


    They also helped her braid her long silver hair, making fancy knots and twists on it, which amused her.


    If it was any other day, she might have felt a bit uneasy about being pampered like this.


    But after the night she had and the weird nightmare which she just couldn''t shake off, Sylvia let herself rx a little.


    And moreover, the two maids seemed very experienced. She wondered if they usually served the Queen or perhaps one of the King''s concubines as they were extremely professional and talented.


    A few minutester, they were finally done and Sylvia curiously checked her reflection in the mirror, only to end up smiling in embarrassment.


    If someone looked at her right now, they would probably never guess that she was a mere ve.


    "Your highness, which jewelry would you prefer?" One of the maids asked, opening a box and showing Sylvia a whole assortment of jewelry.


    For a second, she couldn''t even look at the bunch of jewels studded heavily with gems. The entire box was blinding as if it was a treasure chest.


    Sylvia immediately shook her head. "No, thank you." She was not fond of wearing such heavy ufortable jewelry.


    Women typically wore such clunky items just for the purpose of showcasing their status and wealth and she neither had nor cared about any of that. So she promptly refused.


    Besides¡­ she already had a chain and that was more than enough for her¡­ the chain which Mikel had tied around her calling it a leash.


    Since then they hade a long way. A warm smile danced on her lips as she gently fiddled with the thin silver chain.


    Sylvia stood up and walked out of the guest room, apanied by the two maids. They led her to the garden, where she saw the devil sitting with an anxious smile on his face.


    He stood up abruptly as soon as he saw her and walked over to her, taking her hand gently into his and cing a kiss at the back of her palm. "Good morning, my dear."


    Sylvia had originally nned to apologize to him for getting so angry over nothing, but when she saw him, she had the urge to tease his anxious face.


    For once, their roles had reversed and she was not the one who was flustered and nervous to the point of losing it.


    It also made her very warm and happy to see that the devil cared so much about her, even her impulsive little tantrum.


    Sylvia scoffed and wiped the smile which was threatening to show on her face. "Good morning, your highness." She replied back, cold and distant, making Mikel even more flustered.


    He waved for the maids to leave them alone and personally pulled a chair forward for Sylvia to sit.


    "I hope you are hungry, my darling?" He leaned forward to kiss the woman''s cheeks but Sylvia mercilessly leaned away, not giving him the opportunity.


    A small sigh escaped his lips as Mikel silently pulled another chair beside her. He was not giving up just yet.


    He quickly took out a te of sizzling hot aromatic steak and ced it in front of Sylvia.


    "I had this prepared specially for you." He began exining with excitement, but his new mistress cut him short. "How am I supposed to eat something heavy and greasy first thing in the morning?"


    "But dear¡­ the other day¡­ " Mikel found himself once again speechless.


    Of course, he knew that no one would prefer eating something heavy early in the morning, but he also knew that Sylvia liked it as she had especially eaten all the meat dishes when they had had breakfast together previously.


    However, he didn''t dwell on the small setback as he had smartly prepared some backups. "Would you like some fresh tea and pastries, dear?" He asked.


    "There is also warm milk and spirit honey. This honey is from one of the magical beast hives and it is very nutritious. Here taste it."


    Mikel held a spoon up, after scooping some very expensive honey and held it close to Sylvia''s mouth.


    However, unfortunately, his woman was still not pleased. "I am not a child, your highness." Sylvia grabbed the spoon from his hands but licked the honey nevertheless.

 Chapter 137 - Overnight Cinderella Part2

    "I am not a child, your highness." Sylvia grabbed the spoon from Mikel''s hands but licked the honey nevertheless.


    The small drop of honey melted into her tongue and tasted so good that Sylvia felt small bumps arise all over her body.


    "So amazing!" She clicked her tongue, but then quickly changed her expression to keep up with her act.


    "Cough¡­ Cough¡­ Ahem. I mean it''s alright." Sylvia swallowed back the smile that was threatening toe out.


    However, how could this small detail miss the devil''s eyes?


    "Here¡­ Try it with the pastry, my dear." Mikel passed her a small te, a subtle smirk lingering on his lips.


    "Hmph. Alright." Sylvia scoffed. She was not done teasing the man and she was quite determined to see her act through.


    So as the devil handed her all the dishes, exining to her their special ingredients in detail, in sweet loving words, Sylvia happily continued gobbling down everything without leaving a single dish behind.


    Of course, from the beginning till the end, her attitude remained the same, with absolutely no improvement.


    He must be sweating right about now! Sylvia grinned inwardly, very satisfied with her performance.


    However, as she looked up to meet the coal-ck eyes gazing at her as if she was the only one who existed in the entire world, she found herself wavering.


    Why was the devil in a good mood? She pondered, but now that she had eaten a lot and her tummy was more than satisfied, she was no longer inclined to continue harassing the man and decided to let him off the hook.


    "All done?" Mikel asked, arrogantly cocking his head to the side, resting the side of his face on his knuckles, his elbow on the armrest of the chair.


    "Ummm¡­" Sylvia hesitated, eying the roasted meat still left on the trolley, but she couldn''t possibly eat them after refusing them very bluntly so she could only nod her head.


    The two of them then stood up, Sylvia even smiling a little to indicate that she had forgiven Mikel for making her a mistress.


    However, the next second, she felt her body go up in the air, the devil lifting her and tossing her on his shoulder like a sack of vegetables.


    "Mikel! What are you doing??? People might see!!!" Sylvia panicked and started kicking her legs, to which Mikel simply smiled. "Anything wrong with me carrying my mistress?"


    "Ahhh! Put me down. Put me down. Put me down!" She tried reasoning with him again, and when it didn''t work, she punched him in the back with her small fists.


    Mikel shook his head and chuckled. "Stop tickling me. Otherwise, I might really put you down."


    She was punching him! Not tickling him! Damn it!


    He carried her stubbornly, all the way back to the guest room they were staying in, making a few maids blush on his way there.


    He then threw her on the bed which had only been just redone, with the sheets neatly spread out and the nkets folded.


    Hovering on top of her, Mikel gazed at the woman beneath him, the grin on his face, wide and wicked. "Teasing me, huh? My kitten is pretty courageous these days?"


    His fingers ran across Sylvia''s cheeks making her entire face heat up.


    She couldn''t move or retaliate as the devil held both her hands down, so she could only turn her face to the side to hide her embarrassment.


    "No, I was not." She muttered and then she added. "I am not a kitten."


    "Is that so? Shall I prove you wrong by making you purr?" Mikel chuckled. He grabbed the sulking woman''s chin, turning her face to look directly at him.


    He licked his lips seductively, making Sylvia swallow hard. She couldn''t deny the damning attraction and the irresistible pull she harbored for the man.


    Watching him lean forward towards her, her lips parted on their own and her heart pounded against her chest as if it wanted to break out of her ribcage and go to him.


    She closed her eyes in anticipation and her tongue peeked out to taste the devil as she had done so many times now, but¡­


    Sylvia snapped her eyes open, only to see Mikel softly chuckling. This guy!! He was teasing her again!


    "I am sorry. I couldn''t help myself." Mikel grinned and lowered his face again, this time close enough for his warm breath to caress her.


    But at thest minute, he left her hanging once again, pulling his head back as she craned her neck towards him like a junkie who is lusting after her fix.


    He grinned and let his finger move down her body, his single finger tracing a line in between her cleavage, down to her trembling waist, covered in the exquisite expensive dress, which was one of a kind.


    However, he didn''t care about that and ripped it like he was ripping off just another piece of cloth.


    He caressed her soft skin and her warm flesh and circled his fingertip on her hardened nipple, not removing his gaze from her deep blue eyes.


    Every single action of his, every flick of his finger, set her aze and Sylvia twitched under the man''s sweet torture.


    Her lips wanted to savor his badly and as she tried to kiss him, the jerk still taunted her by moving away just as she neared him.


    Unable to handle it any longer, Sylvia growled in displeasure. She had meant to tease him but now she was the one who was being yed with.


    "Easy there, darling." Mikel grinned. "I guess you aren''t my kitten after all. I should call you a tigress instead."


    He loosened thest bit of clothing from her body and captured her lips that were yearning for his affection.


    Sylvia''s protests were muffled as they drowned in his fiery passionate kiss and her body wrapped around him, her hands freeing themselves from his grasp.


    She pulled him and prisoned him closer to her, his body pressed against hers. They dug deeper and deeper into each other and only parted when the two of them were breathless.


    Sylvia smiled in content as she went in for another kiss when the man covered her lips with his hand.


    "Honey¡­ Your punishment is not done yet¡­" He grinned, his pitch-ck eyes smirking at her.


    "You also owe me some debts. I hope you didn''t forget?" He raised his brows a few times, lifting his body up, to unbutton and loosen his shirt.


    Huh? Sylvia blinked in confusion when she suddenly realized what he was talking about. She couldn''t meet his gaze any longer and turned around burying her head in the pillow.


    Her plump and smooth butt glistened under the rays of the sunlight that escaped through the curtains, making them look even more tantalizing, seducing the man to lean down on bite her.


    "Baby, time to do your mistress duty¡­" Mikel''s alluring voice drawled on as heid next to her and ran his hand over her sinfully seductive curves.


    This guy! Sylvia wanted to retort back but she shook her head, still unwilling to meet his gaze, provoking the devil to tease her more and more.


    He leaned into her and nibbled her ears, licking her ear lobes ever so often, making her tingle in pleasure.


    Nngh. Sylvia moaned, turning towards him helplessly and kissing him once again. The devil kissed her back as his hand sneakily led her hand to his hardness.


    "Baby, show some mercy to your ve¡­" He whispered in her ears, making her moan and blush.


    "Umm¡­ What should I do?" Sylvia asked, licking her lips, her voice small and hesitant, and her eyes dazedly looking back at him.


    Mikel groaned in pain and pleasure as her sweetness further drove him crazy. "Move your hand up and down." He whispered, his words barely audible, his voice raspy.


    "Umm¡­ Mikel¡­ close your eyes first." She shyly replied, to which the man immediately obliged, as he was at a stage where he was ready to agree to just about anything.


    As heid on his back, closing his eyes, Sylvia propped herself up andid on his chest, her eyes peeking at the man''s lower half, little by little as if she was looking at a scary ghost for the first time.


    Blood rushed up to her cheeks and her forehead as she saw the man''s hard and thick flesh twitch in anticipation.


    Sylvia gulped and neared it hesitantly, her entire body burning up. "It''s not going to eat you up." He growled in pain.


    Mikel could feel her moving on top of him, her presence near his throbbing manhood and he was about topletely lose it.


    He clenched his fists tightly, crumpling the sheet on the bed as he patiently waited for her to touch him.


    And when she finally did, his entire body submitted to her, craving for her more and more.


    Sylvia gently stroked him as he had taught her and seeing the waves of pleasure crossing his face and how he had his eyes obediently closed, she felt warm inside.

 Chapter 138 - Overnight Cinderella Part3

    Sylvia gently stroked him as he had taught her and seeing the waves of pleasure crossing his face and how he had his eyes obediently closed, she felt warm inside.


    This was the first time she had ever seen a manpletely naked, let alone touch him so intimately. Not that she was regretting her decision.


    Even though seeing his private part was a bit awkward, the devil''s lean and muscr body was like a work of art from which she couldn''t take her eyes off.


    As her one hand stroked him gently and lovingly, her other hand lingered on the man''s body, touching him and caressing all his defined muscles.


    Mikel groaned with her every touch, his eyes closed and his lips trembling. His little brother was pulsating in her hand as if it had be her pet.


    Sylvia had never seen such vulnerable expressions on the devil''s face and her eyes were locked onto him with her lips lightly parted.


    She didn''t think that she could feel like this before but watching the man submit and surrender to her, it felt vaguely empowering. She knew that he was hers and it made her smile.


    She kept petting him faster and faster, eying his expressions with amusement. His breathing had be shallow and his hands grabbed the bedpost, creaking it a little.


    The next second Sylvia felt his body twitch and stiffen and something warm and sticky exploded on her hand.


    Huh? She brought her hand closer to take a look and yed with the sticky substance on her fingers like she was fiddling with gum.


    Mikel who had juste down from his climax saw the naked girl and her hands toying with his juices and he felt himself getting rock hard once again.


    He pulled her closed, ramming her seductive figure into him, and groaned with an urge. "Honey¡­ see what you did¡­" He whispered to her, his eyes half-closed and half-open, and pushed her hands down to his throbbing rod once again.


    Sylvia was surprised to find the man pulsating once again as she had just now satisfied him. This horny devil!


    "My hands are sore¡­" She pouted, but the devil did not show mercy as he smirked with a twinkle in his alluring obsidian orbs. "Use your tongue baby."


    Ah! Sylvia was out of words. Though he had done it¡­ she couldn''t possibly imagine herself doing such a shameful thing¡­


    "Umm¡­ My hands are alright now." She gulped and sheepishly replied.


    "That was indeed a fast recovery." Mikel teased her with a wicked lopsided grin, which made her flustered, but Sylvia had had enough being yed with today.


    She grinned back in response, her hands once again going down and holding him. However, unlike before, she didn''t do it fast.


    She took her time and slowly teased him and stroked him until the grin on the devil''s face disappeared.


    Mikel closed his eyes as the woman''s actions sent tremors across his body.


    She thought that she was exacting her revenge but she didn''t know that her actions this time around were more intoxicating for the man.


    Seeing his groan and twitch, Sylvia leaned closer to whisper in his ears. "You ought to be nicer to me, my dear." She mimicked his words and his style of taunting her and blew a puff of warm air on his ear.


    She thought that the devil would beg her for more, for faster strokes, however, she only felt the man once again climaxing in her hand.


    As she looked down and looked up again with a confused expression, she met the man''s gaze as he stared at her like a predator.


    Before Sylvia could gulp, the devil scooped her up underneath him and hovered on top of her, attacking and ravaging her soft lips, sucking them with an urge.


    His one hand cupped her breast and kneaded the softness and his other hand gripped her behind, the man''s hard member throbbing and touching her wet pink folds.


    He was only a thrust away from taking the woman who was all his and Mikel could barely control himself.


    However, in the end, he dropped onto the bed, next to Sylvia, letting out a deep sigh.


    After all, this matter concerned both of their safety, so he couldn''t possibly lose control no matter how much he wanted to.


    "Arghh¡­ We need to stop doing this. It''s far too dangerous." Mikel muttered, closing his eyes, not looking at the temptress staring at him.


    Sylvia didn''t tease him anymore and silently rested on his chest, the devil''s fingers running through her hair and caressing her.


    The two of themid silent beside each other for a while when Mikel moved his lips slowly. "I am sorry about that mistress title." He said.


    Sylvia nodded. "I understand but it is very demeaning."


    "What else am I supposed to do, my sweet girl? Watch from the sidelines while they bully you?"


    "I don''t mind the bullying." She sighed in response, making Mikel pull her and hug her closely, his both hands wrapping around her. "But I do" He muttered.


    "It''s just for a few days. We won''t be staying here long."


    "Mmm¡­" Sylvia nodded, not saying anything more.


    She remained silent for a while, staring out the window, nuzzledfortably in the man''s warm embrace when her eyes suddenly widened as she spotted something familiar.


    For a split second, a huge white wolf, its big body covered by blue runes appeared outside the window, which Sylvia knew was impossible as the room was on the first floor.


    So unless the wolf could somehow fly, how could this be possible?


    She got up hurriedly from Mikel''s chest and stared outside the window again, but this time, she couldn''t find anything.


    Am I just imagining things? Sylvia blinked.


    Noticing her restlessness, Mikel opened his eyes and gazed at her. "What happened, dear?"


    "Umm¡­ Mikel¡­ I think I saw a wolf outside." Sylvia dazedly responded to him, her eyes still searching outside in the gardens for the white wolf.


    "Wolf?" Mikel sat up straight as well. "Is this the same wolf, you told me about yesterday?" He asked, knitting his brows together.


    He was not concerned with this so-called wolf the first time, but now that she had repeatedly said the same thing, how could he still not be concerned?


    He peered out the window as well but couldn''t spot any such beast. There were only the castle soldiers scattered around the garden who were patrolling here and there.


    Mikel was about to ask her for more details when Sylvia abruptly turned towards him and asked. "Mikel, is there¡­ maybe a young boy imprisoned in the castle?"


    Almost immediately, a look of shock swept across Mikel''s face, but he quickly hid it and responded to her with a calm expression. "Hmmm? How could that be? Did you hear someone talking about such a thing?"


    Sylvia shook her head. "No. I¡­ that was just the weird dream I had¡­ in the library yesterday."


    "You dreamed about such a thing?" He asked her again, unwilling to believe such a ridiculous thing.


    "Hmmm¡­ Now that I think about it I might have dreamt about both the wolf and the young child."


    "Yes. That must be it. Why would a child be imprisoned?" Mikel patted her.


    "Umm¡­ Is there a prison under the¡­ under the King''s private quarters?" Sylvia wanted to check if at least this part of the dream had some meaning to it.


    "I mean there are cers under the castle and some of them hold prisoners, yes, but there is nothing specifically under the King''s quarters." He replied with a frown, a subtle glint shing past his eyes.


    Sylvia sighed, letting out a deep breath. She decided to no longer bother herself with the weird wolf and the weirder dream.


    She leaned forward to peck the man''s cheek and muttered,pletely engrossed in her thoughts. "I will be in the bathroom. I am feeling wet and sticky. I need to clean myself."


    Mikel nodded, as he watched the woman get out of the bed, wrapping her naked body in a towel. She then tip-toed to the bathroom, walking around the clothes that were messily scattered on the floor.


    Her actions were seductive and amusing as her hips swayed here and there, the towel ever so often revealing the curves of her naked body, but Mikel was in no mood to admire her aesthetics.


    As soon as she closed the bathroom door behind her, a grave expression appeared on his face and he quickly changed into a new set of clothes and walked out, heading towards where Theo and Leol were standing.


    "What happened now?" Theo shook his head and asked. "He must still be in the dog house," Leol added. However, seeing his somber face, the two stopped teasing him.


    "What happened?" Leol again asked.


    Mikel sucked in a deep breath of air and muttered. "We need to move faster."

 Chapter 139 - Overnight Cinderella Part4

    Mikel sucked in a deep breath and muttered. "We need to move faster."


    "I am not sure why but the beast being held in the prison right now is somehow affecting Sylvia."


    "Affecting?" Leol asked, not understanding how these two could possibly be connected.


    "She knew. She knew that there was a young beast being held downstairs."


    "What? How could that be possible? Isn''t that information only avable to the King and your brothers? How could she know?"


    Mikel could only shrug at Leol''s question as he himself did not understand. "She said something about a dream and a wolf."


    Leol paused, thinking about the situation. Theodore as well had nothing to say as none of them had expected something like this.


    This matter was something that was extremely dangerous and kept as a closely guarded secret. So it was almost near impossible for it to have spread through rumors or gossips.


    Even they themselves wouldn''t possibly know if Mikel hadn''t told them. So how could Sylvia know such sensitive information?


    After a while, Mikel was the one who finally spoke. "I have a bad feeling. We need to leave soon. At least she needs to leave soon."


    "I agree." Theodore shook his head.


    "Alright then. I will make all the necessary preparations." Leol nodded, before heading out of the corridor, climbing down the stairs, and directly walking out of the castle to one of the carriages on the side.


    Mikel and Theodore, then walked to the royal courtroom as they continued discussing the things that needed to be carefully and meticulously nned.


    Even if one thread came off, their entire n could unravel. So everything had to be done with the utmost precision.


    Meanwhile¡­


    A maid ran over to the chamber where Prisce was currently resting. She wasying on the bed with her head being massaged by another personal maid.


    "My Lady. My Lady. His highness has left the room." She hurriedly notified Prisce.


    Ever since Michelle was punished severely and banished from the Kingdom, all the maids were walking on eggshells around the woman.


    "Hmmm¡­ You can go now." Prisce sat up straight and snapped her fingers,manding another maid to hurry up and dress her.


    "Get the finest jewelry and the most expensive dress. This slut needs to know the difference between a real Queen and a fucking mistress."


    The maids obediently nodded and scurried along, diligently dressing thedy from top to bottom. Not even a single strand of hair appeared amiss.


    After almost an hour when everything had been finished to perfection and final touch-ups had beenpleted, Prisce checked her reflection in the mirror and nodded satisfactorily.


    She then tossed her bouncy fresh auburn curls to the back and waltzed out of the chamber with an elegant smile on her face.


    She greeted the few people whom she passed by gently and then arrived at Sylvia''s room or rather the room which was previously Mikel''s.


    "Where did you¡­" Sylvia opened the door with a cheerful smile expecting the devil, but her words and her smile froze as soon as she saw the unexpected guest standing at her doorstep.


    "Greetings, Miss Sylvia," Prisce muttered with a gentle and kind smile on her face.


    She couldn''t help but notice the messy sheets and the strewn around clothes and her heart sank. However, she didn''t let it appear on her face.


    "Would you please apany me for some tea?" She asked, her smile still lingering on her lips.


    "Ummm¡­ Maybe some other time? I have some things that I need to take care of." Sylvia gulped and answered vaguely, not wanting to spend any time with the woman who was clearly never going to be her friend.


    "Ah¡­ Is that so? That''s too bad." Prisce tutted.


    "His majesty himself suggested that I meed with you and we introduce ourselves to each other. But if you are too busy then¡­" She paused, trailing her words.


    "Then?" Sylvia asked, raising her brows. She could tell what the other party was trying to do. How could she allow herself to be so easily intimidated?


    "Oh! I apologize." Prisce awkwardly cleared her throat and continued.


    "I might be overstepping my bounds here, but I think we should try to get along at least for his majesty''s sake."


    "It would only embarrass him if the concubines in his harem did not follow rules and listen to his Queen."


    "You are the only concubine for now, but soon, there might be a few others. I am sure you know what I am trying to tell, right?"


    Sylvia softly chuckled, the smile not reaching her eyes which were instead cold and freezing. "Even a child can understand what you are trying to imply, my Lady."


    "But please rest assured. I will be sure to inform his highness when he visits meter in the evening." She paused and then added, licking her lips seductively. "and appease him for my wrongdoing by using every inch of my body."


    Prisce''s face instantly darkened and she lost her cool and collectedposure.


    She hade here to demean Sylvia and rub the fact that she was a mere mistress, but now she felt as if she had been pped on the face with the same fact.


    She wondered if Mikel would ever be interested in her as he was interested in Sylvia. Was it just her face and her slutty figure? Is that why the man was madly indulging a ve like her?


    Even though she had tagged along with the man and paraded with him for several asions, they had never spent any sort of personal time together, let alone share a bed.


    If not for the other men trying to woo her and coax her, Prisce would have really started to doubt her own appearance and aesthetics.


    So it pissed her off when Sylvia poked the same wound, twisting the knife while it was still within her.


    "Mmm. I am d to hear that." Prisce muttered, her voice barely hiding the anger bubbling within her.


    She didn''t want to lose face in front of a mere ve, so she added with a smile. "Please be sure to take good care of his highness."


    "I have been feeling unwelltely, so that''s why his highness is visiting you these days. He worries over me and fusses over me for no reason. Aha ha ha."


    However, contrary to the reaction she expected, Sylvia simply smirked. "Heh. Is that so? Shall I tell his highness that you said this?"


    "When he spoons me throughout the night, he keeps begging me to tell him things, things that bother me. Perhaps I should tell him this tonight."


    Her words made Prisce immediately panic and she gritted her teeth in anger. "Do as you please, Miss Sylvia. I will take my leave now." She turned around and left with her two maids, without saying another word.


    Watching the woman storm away, Sylvia smiled and then mmed the door shut behind her.


    She knew that things were going to get more troublesome, but she didn''t care. If Mikel needed her to be his mistress, then she was going to ept that role fully without any reservations.


    Prisce, on the other hand, was not in the least calm. She wanted to humiliate the slut and put her in her ce, but instead, she was the one who had suffered.


    Just why the hell did he have to favor her so much? Prisce bit her lips and chewed her nails out in annoyance.


    "Ummm¡­ My Lady¡­" One of the maids standing near her spoke up, to which Prisce immediately turned around and pped her, a loud resounding noise echoing in the room.


    "Mydy, please forgive me. I only wanted to suggest inviting the Queen or the Crown princess for tea." The maid started crying. She had only wanted to say something to help thedy but she got unjustly punished.


    Prisce''s hand that was ready tond another p on the maid''s other cheek immediately paused midway.


    "That''s not a bad idea." She muttered to herself. Of course, if she wasn''t this agitated, she would have thought of it herself.


    However, she also didn''t want to look too petty in front of the maids. She removed the pair of ruby earrings she was wearing and handed it over to the maid.


    "Here. The reward for your loyalty." She patted the confused maid and then stepped out after wearing a new set of earrings.


    The other two maids looked at the one who had received the p and also the pair of expensive earrings and sighed in jealousy.


    But what could they do? They threw another nce at the lucky girl, before quickly running after Prisce and following her as she strolled over to the inner quarters of the castle.


    "The Queen¡­ yes¡­ I need the favor of the Queen." Prisce muttered under her breath as she hurried with a big grin on her face.

 Chapter 140 - Who Is Cruel And Who Is Kind? Part1

    After dealing with Prisce, Sylvia was much more rxed for the rest of the day as she didn''t have to do any of her maid duties and she also didn''t have to hide and flee from anyone in particr.


    She buried her head in a couple of books she had borrowed from the library in the castle and busied herself studying herbology. Though alchemy was very lucrative, the field itself was extremely dry and boring.


    Even academy students only tackled the subject like a bitter pill. However, Sylvia found herself drawn to the subject so much so that she could easily spend hours immersed in the topic.


    While she was busily reading through the different books, suddenly a loud knock sounded at the door and Sylvia furrowed her brows, before getting out of the bed and opening the door reluctantly.


    She was silently praying and hoping that it was not Prisce again, who decided to pay her another visit, but luckily, only a maid was standing at the door.


    "Please forgive me for disturbing your rest, my Lady. Her highness has invited you for tea in the Queen''s courtyard." The maid bowed after informing Sylvia and then quietly left the room.


    "The Queen?" Sylvia was perplexed, especially so since Mikel hadn''t mentioned anything about this to her, and meeting the Queen was not something casual and definitely not an everyday urrence.


    Until yesterday, someone like the Queen and herself lived in two different worlds where one had no interaction with the other, and now suddenly she was invited to have tea with the Queen? Was this because of the mistress title?


    Sylvia slightly grew nervous as she couldn''t help but think that there was something more to this. Could Prisce have something to do with this? She pondered.


    However, irrespective of whether this was a scheme or a genuine invitation, Sylvia knew that she had no other option but to oblige for now.


    After all, even Mikel was probably helpless when it came to the Queen. If she didn''t go she might bring unwanted attention and troubles for both Mikel and herself.


    Sylvia lightly touched up her appearance and then prepared to leave. She had no idea where the Queen''s courtyard was so she asked the two new maids to lead the way.


    However, when they arrived at the eastern part of the castle, another maid stood outside the Queen''s quarters and informed Sylvia that the tea had now been moved to the riding fields.


    "Okay." Sylvia nodded and looked at her maids. "Lead the way to the riding fields."


    Though it was extremely rude to treat one''s guest in this manner, by changing the location of the meeting at thest minute, she didn''t think about it too much.


    She could roughly guess the kind of evening that awaited her and she could only shake her head helplessly. Her devil had inadvertently tossed her from the frying pan into the fire thinking that he was doing her a favor.


    Sylvia had a feeling that Michelle''s bullying would be nothing whenpared to what the Queen could do to her if she decided to do so.


    Things were most definitely heading in the wrong direction and this small act, though irrelevant, only cemented her feeling of unease.


    Sylvia paused her movements and stopped one of the two maids walking in front of her.


    "I need to send a message to his highness. Inform him that I am presently drinking tea with the Queen and tell him toe find me at the riding fields if he needs to see me."


    Sylvia sent the maid away with a cryptic message. She couldn''t outrightly say that she was visiting the scary queen and that she might need his help, so she sent a message in this manner, just casually informing her whereabouts.


    She then took a deep breath before following the other maid, the two of them walking towards the riding field.


    Sylvia stepped out of the castle to see that the entire eastern part of the castle grounds were mostly stables and riding fields, surrounded by neatly mowed bright greenwns.


    She didn''t know if this was typically a lively ce but it was surely lively this evening, with severaldies gathered behind the rails of the riding field.


    In the midst of this small gathering of noblewomen, there was a slightly taller woman who looked more elegant whenpared to the others crowding around her. The Queen!


    Anastasia Zaharia was a beautiful woman whose elegance and charm outshone the other women standing around her.


    However, unfortunately, her mana affinity was not as high as the King so consequently she was not able to keep up with him and now even looked slightly older than him.


    Sylvia wondered if that woman would eventually lose her position as the Queen one day when she became too old to stand beside the younger and energetic King.


    "Hmm? What am I thinking about?" Sylvia shook her head. She repeatedly reminded herself that she needed to keep her wits about her this time around as she was about to go swimming with the sharks.


    As she walked towards the group ofdies, the Queen''s gaze fell on her and Sylvia immediately bowed in response.


    "Ah! There you are!" Queen Anastasia waved at Sylvia. "Let her throughdies."


    Sylvia smiled politely and weaved through the group to stand next to the Queen. She bowed one more time to greet the woman.


    "Sorry, dear. I decided to change the venue at thest moment. I hope you didn''t mind the trouble."


    "Not at all, your highness." Sylvia nodded. She spotted Prisce also standing beside the Queen on the other side, the woman smiling at her as if they were the best of friends.


    "Ha ha. Ok, dear. Now that the two importantdies in my son''s life have arrived, let''s begin the event."


    "Oh! I forgot to ask. You are familiar with riding?" The Queen gazed at Sylvia and asked her with an earnest expression, though there were traces of ridicule in the corner of her eyes.


    "Umm¡­ Your highness. Miss Sylvia, I am sorry. Lady Sylvia was only a ve until yesterday when she was promoted to the position of mistress. So you have to forgive her for herck of manners." Prisce smiled and answered on behalf of Sylvia.


    "Oh¡­ is that so¡­" Queen Anastasia absentmindedly replied and then turned to look at Sylvia again, this time the expression in her eyes very different.


    Not just the Queen but the other noblewomen also had weird expressions on their faces.


    All of them were of noble lineage and the type of women they detested the most was a maid or a ve climbing into the bed of the master and bing a mistress by seducing the man.


    Sylvia could feel the hate and disgust in their eyes as they looked at her as if she was a cheap woman, but she tried not to feel bothered by it.


    "That is sad indeed. Commoners education needs to be improved in our Kingdom." The Queen added, clicking her tongue in disapproval.


    "Then, just wait for us here. We were all nning to engage ourselves in a small riding contest."


    "It would be my honor to contest against you, your highness." Prisce immediately giggled, brown-nosing the Queen.


    "Aha ha ha. I am too old for that dear. How about youdies ride a little and I will be the judge. Hmmm¡­ Maybe I will even gift the winner with something nice." The Queen chuckled, already forgetting about Sylvia.


    The group of women then chatted amongst themselves,pletely ignoring Sylvia and asionally even throwing scornful nces at her.


    Sylvia sighed in relief. She was more than happy to be left alone. She couldn''t care less if these women looked down on her or not.


    Soon the women finished their chatting and giggling and walked towards the course, when Prisce loudlymented to another woman, standing beside Sylvia.


    "Do you know Isabelle? I heard that these days in severalmoners household mothers were rigorously training their daughters in different methods to spread their legs and seduce men."


    "He He. I have heard that too. Some mothers actually send their daughters to even whore houses to get them trained by servicing grown men." Isabe sneered.


    "Oh? Were you also sent to whore house perhaps Sylvia?" Prisce sneered, looking at Sylvia. Her voice was a whisper only barely audible but Sylvia clearly heard it.


    "Did she just send you or perhaps she apanied you as well? Did you both pleasure the same man perhaps?"


    "Heh. I am sure she is very experienced. Otherwise, how could she have ensnared someone like Prince Mikel."


    "Shameless slut. I heard your mother passed away at a young age. Did she die of a disease she caught in the whore house?"


    "I will skin you alive if you dared to spread any diseases here in the castle. Don''t think that I don''t know how you are trying to seduce my brother behind Mikel''s back."

 Chapter 141 - Who Is Cruel And Who Is Kind? Part2

    Prisce softly chuckled as she leaned closer to Sylvia and whispered in her ears. To others, it would probably look like the two of them were old friends chatting with each other.


    Even Isabe had a kind smile on her face which didn''t reflect the disgusting wordsing out of her mouth.


    They continued wagging their tongues at Sylvia fully expecting her tosh out in return. However, to their dismay, the woman was not easy to rattle and from the beginning to the end, her expression did not waver even once.


    Isabe crossed her arms and muttered in annoyance. "You know it bes troublesome when sluts try to act smart."


    "I guess your skin is pretty thick huh? Did you think you could get out of this just because of your thick skin?" Prisce sneered.


    "Mmm? I am not sure about the thickness of my skin, but I don''t wish to waste my time barking back at rabid dogs." Sylvia smiled and answered the two women who seemed to be hell bent on provoking her.


    "Heh. Don''t worry. We will soon see who is the dog and who is the one Mikel truly loves." Prisce whispered and then almost immediately she started chuckling loudly attracting the attention of the women nearby. "Alright. Alright. If that''s what you want, it can surely be arranged."


    "What happened Lady Prisce?" One of the women asked.


    "Yes. Yes. You must share the joke with us as well!" Another one chimed in.


    Noticing the ruckus, the Queen as well walked towards them. "What are you all giggling about,dies?" Anastasia smiled and asked with amusement.


    Prisce immediately blushed and answered back in a hurry. "I apologize, your highness. Miss Sylvia here and I got into a small tiff. Ha ha."


    "It seems that I was wrong earlier about Miss Sylvia''s riding abilities. Aha ha ha. So she has challenged me to a riding contest."


    "I apologize your highness. It looks like I had misspoken quite a bit." Prisce awkwardly smiled and bowed her head to the Queen.


    And not so surprisingly, the Queen softly chuckled. "Oh! Not bad! A mistress with guts! My son has a good taste it seems."


    "Ha ha. How about we make this a little more interesting? Does Lady Sylvia want apetition? She should get one."


    "And to make it extra special, I will specifically order my son to honor the victor by granting three wishes."


    "You can wish for anythingdies. So you better put your best foot forward in thispetition." The Queen grinned, her eyes sparkling with amusement.


    She then pped her hands and muttered. "Prepare two horses for thedies."


    Prisce nodded and smiled brightly. "Ahh. I am so excited. Thank you, your highness." She then quickly ran away towards her horse.


    Her eyes, however,nded on the maid bringing along the other horse for a split second before turning away which no one else noticed.


    Sylvia sighed, seeing how everything had turned out. This oue was not really a surprise to her.


    She tried her best to avoid this situation, but now that it happened anyway, she decided to y along and see what the woman wanted.


    "Does she simply want to humiliate me for not knowing how to ride properly? Or perhaps¡­" Sylvia silently pondered.


    She even considered back out of this so-calledpetition by feigning an illness, but she had a feeling that if she did something like that then Prisce would probably immediately call the courtroom physician and break her lie apart in front of everyone.


    Something like lying was probably not a punishable offense but still, she didn''t want to take any chances and willingly walk into a trap set by the woman.


    So Sylvia decided to go through with this and see what happens. At the most, she would have to ept a loss and a few more degrading words? That didn''t seem too bad?


    After lightly bowing to the Queen, she followed the maid who led her way and walked over to the horse, specifically prepared for her.


    The other reason Sylvia was able to do this confidently even though she has never ridden a horse in her life before was because of her general affinity to all sorts of beasts.


    She just needed to dy things as much as possible and buy some time, somehow managing until Mikel was able to get to the riding fields.


    This was all that she could do. After all, she was not just facing Prisce this time around, she was also facing the Queen herself, one of the most powerful women in the entire Kingdom.


    Sylvia patted the majestic ck horse that was waiting for her and rubbed his mane, as the animal neighed loudly.


    It looked like it was enjoying her touch and it shook its head, making the bitter taste in Sylvia''s mouth dissipate a little.


    Sometimes she couldn''t help but feel that spending time with the beasts was much more rewarding and enjoyablepared to spending time with human beings.


    After she soothed the animal a bit, she heard the referee, one of the stable workers walk up andmence the start of the race.


    "It''s all in your hands dear. Please help me out just this once." Sylvia ran her fingers through the mane and then climbed atop the horse, holding the reign.


    At first, it was difficult to maintain her bnce, but feeling her uneasiness, the horse trotted slowly and it helped Sylvia get used to the feeling.


    It took her all of one second and her entire posture, demeanor, everything quickly adapted to the horse and she elegantly controlled it as if she had been taking riding lessons all her life.


    Sylvia herself was surprised and the other women couldn''t help but notice her natural elegance as well. Even the Queen nodded her head in approval giving her a small smile.


    "Easy boy. Easy." She patted the horse and then threw a nce at the woman next to her who had cooked up this whole scheme, wondering how she felt about this, but weirdly Prisce was not in the least disheartened.


    Hmmm¡­ Sylvia furrowed her brows. Something didn''t seem right. Maybe it was her gut feeling but she felt as if she had overlooked something.


    Deciding to trust her intuition, Sylvia quickly jumped off the horse and bowed to the Queen. "Please forgive me, your highness. My horse looks a bit thirsty. Please allow me a few minutes to tend to the beast."


    The Queen waved her hand, and Sylvia again bowed, after which she pulled the animal slowly back to the stables.


    The maid standing near her, who had initially brought the horse over hurried over to Sylvia''s side.


    "My Lady. The horse has already been fed and watered." She started exining without even Sylvia saying a word about it.


    For some reason, the maid looked a little frantic and this small detail did not miss Sylvia''s eyes.


    She smiled, things bing clearer and clearer by the second, and calmly muttered. "It''s alright. There is no harm in giving the animal some more water right? After all, it''s a bit sunny today."


    "What is his name by the way?"


    Ah¡­ The maid stammered a little and then promptly answered. "My Lady, his name is ck arrow. He is one of the Queen''s personal thorough breeds."


    Sylvia nodded. "How about you fetch me also some water to drink?" She waved her hand and quickly dismissed the maid, now only she and the horse remaining alone in the small stable.


    Unlike the way Mikel handled the beasts in the castle, in the King''s castle every beast had its own stable, which made it more convenient for Sylvia.


    She stood in front of the horse and bent over, leaning closer to the beast to inspect it more thoroughly. "Tell me, my dear. Are you alright?"


    Sylvia rubbed its neck, the horse gently cooing to her touch. She looked at its majestic body and its shiny fur from top to bottom, observing it as closely as she could.


    After a few minutes, the maid returned back with a ss of water for Sylvia. "My Lady." She bowed down and offered the tray with the ss of water on top of it, gritting her teeth, her hand almost trembling.


    Sylvia smiled and epted the water. She then drank it slowly whilst looking at the maid, who appeared more relieved now for some reason.


    Sylvia then ced the empty ss back on the tray and walked out with the horse, heading back to the riding field.


    The maid sighed loudly, letting out a deep breath. "Thank the heavens. It looks like nothing happened." She patted her chest and quietly stayed behind, disappearing amidst the other stable workers.


    Sylvia, on the other hand, joined Prisce and once again stood next to her, jumping atop the ck-maned horse.


    The referee saw that both the parties were ready and quickly cast a spell to conjure a loud shy bolt of lightning. "Start!"

 Chapter 142 - Who Is Cruel And Who Is Kind? Part3

    As soon as the sh of lightning descended, Prisce instantly acted and her horse shook his head, neighing with power and strength. The animal sted off with an incredible speed, leaving behind huge dust clouds.


    Sylvia on the other hand took her own sweet time and slowly and steadily patted the animal. Her horse was busily munching something in its mouth while it happily trotted taking its own sweet time.


    After a few seconds, it gradually increased its pace making sure Sylvia wasfortable first.


    If a stranger witnessed this scene, they would think that the horse belonged to Sylvia and she had tended the beast personally all its life.


    The two of them, thoughgging behind, slowly increased their pace and without caring about the race, Sylvia thoroughly enjoyed herself.


    She leaned forward, holding the reins tightly and she could almost feel all the movements of the animal.


    Her long silver hair whipped in the wind and there was a calm and serenity on her face as if she was one with the beast that was galloping.


    Others probably were unable to see her expression up close, because of the cloud of dust hovering in the dry racing ground, but Sylvia''s eyes were tightly shut, a warmth seeping from her hands to the horse.


    As more time went by, the beast felt invigorated and its pace as well increased ordingly, the gap between Sylvia and Prisce, gradually closing.


    Almost everyone gasped in surprise because the capabilities of horses usually never varied this much. It was almost impossible for one beast to be faster than the other by such a big margin.


    From the start to the finish line, if the animals were not close, to begin with, it was inevitable that one would be a winner and the other would be a loser. Overtaking after such a slow start was rarely seen if ever.


    Only beast tamers and people with an extraordinary affinity to mana and beasts were capable of achieving such a feat. And those kinds of talents were rare and most of them had important positions in the mage high council.


    "Hmmm¡­ It looks like my son indeed has a good eye. He didn''t just pick anyone to be his mistress. Ha Ha." The Queen chuckled as she chatted with the otherdies.


    Everyone was excitedly discussing the race, with only Isabe''s face awkwardly contorted. It was tough enough topete with just her looks but she was also this skilled.


    She could now see why Prisce''s brother Gabriel was very interested in the damned ve, but now she was no longer her problem. She was Prisce''s problem and that made her subconsciously sigh in relief.


    It only took a couple of minutes and before anyone could realize what was happening, Sylvia had already caught up to Prisce, the two of them now riding side by side.


    It was a full course ride and the castle grounds were huge, so the racested for quite a few minutes. However, no one doubted the oue any longer as it was ringly obvious.


    As soon as Sylvia had caught up to Prisce, she almost immediately overtook her and swept past her at an incredible speed, making everyone wonder if perhaps the horse she was riding on was in fact a special breed.


    Only when the Queen personally confirmed that there were no real differences between the two breeds, the other women epted the result, most of them casting sympathetic looks toward Prisce.


    Bang! Soon another bolt of lightning shed as Sylvia cruised through the rest of the course and reached the endpoint of the race track, clinching first ce in a domineering manner.


    Sylvia came to her senses only after hearing the referee announce the results and she lovingly patted the horse. "Are you alright?"


    Nyahaha¡­ The horse cooed and responded to her shaking its head, revealing its big white teethically.


    Sylvia chuckled as she slowly got down. She didn''t think that she would enjoy riding so much, let alone win this race.


    She was only trying to feel the beast''s movements and somehow she had already reached the ending point. Time had flown by so fast.


    "Congrats, Lady Sylvia." The Queen smiled and waved at her from a distance. Sylvia smiled and then bowed in response.


    She handed the reins of the horse to the maid after patting the cute beast one more time and walked over to the Queen.


    She was d that this day was almost over, but she also knew that she was not going to go back just yet.


    Unlike others, Sylvia knew something which she probably was not expected to know and all she had to do now was wait for the show to unravel.


    "Miss Sylvia, that was simply superb."


    "Wow! You put my riding skills to shame dear."


    "Who was your personal trainer? I am searching for a tutor for my daughter at the moment."


    As soon as she walked over, the women started showering praises on Sylvia one by one. The Queen as well smiled and nodded at her approvingly.


    Sylvia was surprised at this change in the woman''s behavior as she fully expected to be treated with prejudice irrespective of the results of the race, but perhaps she hadn''t given enough credits to one of the most powerful women in the entire Kingdom.


    Perhaps not everyone was as petty and scheming as Prisce. Sylvia pondered inwardly as she maintained a calm expression and politely responded to everyone.


    She didn''t put on any air or act arrogantly just because she had beaten her opponent in the race.


    Meanwhile, her opponent was still at the three-fourth mark. Prisce slowly galloped towards the endpoint, taking her sweet time.


    From afar, she watched the ve enjoy the des and praises showered on her, but her eyes didn''t waver in the least. Rather, she seemed extremely happy as if only what she had expected had happened.


    In reality, Prisce did not expect Sylvia to win. Nevertheless, it mattered little to her as the real race was starting now.


    After crossing the end mark, she hopped off her horse as well and walked over to the gathering with a smile on her face.


    "Aha ha ha. That was an embarrassingugh." Prisce smiled, her face blushing red.


    "Ha ha. Please don''t joke, Lady Prisce, your riding skills are excellent."


    "You are being too humble, dear."


    "We all know that you were not being serious, my Lady."


    Everyone cheered her up, making her feel better instantly. Prisce as well smiled and sat down, sipping the cup of tea in front of her leisurely.


    She did not look like someone who hadpletely lost their face. Rather she was happily chatting andughing with the others.


    Sylvia saw the harmonious scene and chuckled inwardly. She knew that the other shoe was about to drop any second now and just as she expected¡­


    A couple of minutester, a maid came rushing towards the group ofdies, especially towards the Queen.


    "Your highness. Your highness. Something terrible has happened." The maid blurted out in panic. "Your ck arrow is coughing up blood without stopping. His eyes are turning milky and even his urine has blood.


    "What? What are you talking about?" The Queen stood up in shock. "Call for the royal physician immediately!" Shemanded.


    Though she had allowed other strangers to ride her horses on many asions, these were still her prized possessions and she had taken very good care of them, spending a lot of gold and resources, sometimes even medicinal herbs. So she was not in the least pleased that this had happened.


    "Bring the horse over here. Let me also take a look." Queen Anastasia sighed and sat down, her brows furrowed together.


    There was pin-drop silence and no one dared to say anything else. The maid left in a hurry and slowly helped the horse walk towards the Queen. She didn''t bring the animal too close to her and stood at a distance, holding the reins.


    "Ah¡­ The animal indeed looks ill." Someonemented.


    The Queen squinted her eyes and looked at the beast, the frown on her face showing that she was clearly not happy. She sat silently, while the others made their own observations.


    "How could this be? Wasn''t the beast fine just now?"


    "Yes. Yes. Indeed. Miss Sylvia had ridden it very well and the beast looked fine. So what happened?"


    Every one started murmuring and discussing and amidst this low murmur, someone suddenlymented. "I think perhaps the horse had been sick and its condition worsened because of the race?"


    "Oh. You might be right. I have heard that sick beasts need a lot of rest and should not be stressed with riding at least for a month."


    "Ah¡­ but Miss Sylvia¡­"


    Suddenly, everyone became quiet as things were nowpletely obvious to them.


    The Queen turned to look at Sylvia sternly. "Did you perhaps notice that my horse was sick and still decided to continue riding it anyways?"

 Chapter 143 - Who Is Cruel And Who Is Kind? Part4

    The Queen turned to look at Sylvia sternly. "Did you perhaps notice that my horse was sick and decided to still continue riding it anyways?"


    "Ah¡­ I¡­" Sylvia stammered, though inwardly she was calm and steady.


    She didn''t want to answer the Queen just yet. Otherwise, the snakes hiding in the dark wouldn''t have a chance toe out and dance.


    And just like she had expected¡­ before she could even gather her answer¡­


    Ah! Prisce gasped, suddenly standing up and apologizing to the Queen out of nowhere. "Your highness. Please. You have to forgive me and please forgive Miss Sylvia. This is all my fault."


    Anastasia turned to look at the woman in surprise. "What do you mean, Lady Prisce?" She asked, her voice still stern, but also softer as she was addressing the Duke''s daughter.


    "This¡­ perhaps if I hadn''t been sopetitive¡­" Prisce stammered.


    "Hmmm?" The Queen raised her brow. She was not satisfied with her apology or her answer.


    Fidgeting with her fingers, Prisce nervously continued. "Ummm¡­ Your highness¡­ Miss Sylvia is really not used to handling beasts. She couldn''t have possibly known even if there was something wrong with the horse."


    "Please forgive us. We really shouldn''t have inconvenienced your highness today."


    "Hmmm¡­ How about you stop making excuses for her, Lady Prisce?"


    "It doesn''t take an experienced tamer to know that an animal is weak. So how could she possibly not even have noticed it?"


    Just when the Queen was talking and everybody was discussing, footsteps sounded and Mikel arrived along with a couple of guards.


    He saw the crowd that had gathered and immediately had a bad feeling. He tried to get here as soon as possible and it looked like he was alreadyte.


    "Ah¡­ Your highness¡­" Prisce immediately bowed as soon as she saw Mikel and hurried over to stand beside him, her head bent down as if she was an obedient wife.


    Mikel couldn''t be bothered with her acting right now and directly stepped towards the Queen. "Greetings, your highness." He bowed respectfully.


    Unlike how the Queen had addressed him as her son, Mikel never addressed her as his mother. This usually made things a bit awkward, but everyone was already used to it.


    "Hmmm¡­ You are here." Queen Anastasia nodded.


    Mikel looked at Sylvia, worry written all over his face but she nodded at him back, a quick, unnoticeable assuring nod that made him wonder what was going on.


    "Your highness, it looks like I have arrived toote. Did I miss something interesting?" Mikel smiled and asked calmly, not showing his nervousness.


    The Queen on the other hand didn''t look as amused as him. "Your two women have kicked up quite a bit of fuss, son." She shook her head with a sigh.


    "Your highness¡­" Prisce looked up helplessly and then leaned closer to whisper in Mikel''s ears, behaving very intimately in front of everyone.


    Even though a horse was currently bleeding and neighing in pain in front of their eyes, the women gathered couldn''t help but ooh and aah at this interaction which looked very heartwarming.


    "Young love." The Queen herself chuckled and shook her head again, which made Prisce blush even more. She gulped and stepped back after exining everything to Mikel, of course, her version of what happened.


    Though she had spun quite a tale, Mikel was able to quickly see through what actually happened.


    "Your highness. I personally apologize for everything that has transpired. Please allow me to take care of this and if needed rece the beast with a stallion."


    "Hmm¡­ That is not needed, Mikel. We have the best physicians in the court, I am sure they are more than capable of nursing ck arrow back."


    "What concerns me is the behavior of your new mistress¡­" Anastasia hummed in deep contemtion.


    She was already not very fond of Sylvia, considering that she was a ve and now seeing how cut throat the woman had behaved, she hated her even more.


    "It''s alright to take as many mistresses as you please. After all, the more children you have, the happier I will be."


    "However, it is not prudent of you to select women whock manners and more importantly kindness."


    "Title and status can be gifted and a maid can be a mistress overnight, but that won''t help with their upbringing. No matter what, amoner will be amoner and try to get ahead using cheap tactics."


    "Do you understand what I am trying to tell?" The Queen lifted her tea cup and took a sip from it.


    Mikel immediately looked at Sylvia with a stern disapproving look. "I understand, your highness. I will keep that in mind and make some changes."


    Prisce had a big smile on her face, as she wasn''t able to contain her joy. However, it was hidden as she kept her gaze down.


    Everything was going ording to her n and she couldn''t have expected better results.


    "What are you going to do now, slut? He will never look at you the same ever again. Hmph." She clenched her hands in excitement.


    She could clearly see that Mikel was angry. The man who was always calm and gentle was now visibly angry.


    "I will see to it that she is punished ordingly." He nodded with a sigh and bowed. "Go back to the room and kneel on the floor until I get back."


    "Please excuse us, your highness. I will sort this out immediately." Mikel grabbed Sylvia by hand and pulled her away roughly.


    Prisce who had been grinning happily this whole time, suddenly, an uneasiness in her heart. She didn''t like how Mikel was still treating her very intimately.


    Even though he was brashly shoving her, in her eyes, something looked off.


    "Not so fast, son." Anastasia hummed. The person who had created all this mess had not in the least opened her mouth and said anything.


    So she wasn''t nning to let this matter go just yet.

 Chapter 144 - Who Is Cruel And Who Is Kind? Part5

    "Do you have anything to say for yourself?" Anastasia asked, looking at Sylvia with her eyes full of disdain.


    The slender woman had fresh and clear skin that was almost shimmering with elegance. Her long silver hair loosely danced in the wind and her blue eyes were mesmerizing.


    The sight of such beauty and youth even made Anastasia clear her throat as she addressed her again. "Don''t you have anything to say to me?"


    "Your highness¡­" Sylvia acted like she was wincing in pain from Mikel''s tight grip and then paused. "I only¡­ I didn''t¡­"


    The Queen''s frown deepened and she scoffed in annoyance. "Are you still trying to make excuses?"


    "I think it''s very clear what happened here today. You wanted to preserve your dignity and show off your skills even at the cost of an animal''s health."


    "Am I right or are you still trying to deny this? What exnation do you have for being so cruel to a helpless beast?"


    "I do not permit you to leave until you can give me a proper exnation." Anastasia loudly harrumphed.


    Sylvia nodded and bowed, quickly beginning to exin things. She was satisfied with just this much and she didn''t want to let things get much further. Everything was only good in moderation.


    "Your highness. Please forgive me. I didn''t get a chance to exin my actions." She muttered, keeping her voice down.


    Mikel tugged at her, but she continued nevertheless. "I did know that ck arrow was feeling a bit down while I was riding him."


    "What?!" The Queen clenched her fist tightly, breaking the tea cup in her hands. How dare a mere ve behave so boldly in front of her? If she was unhappy before, now she was livid with anger.


    Everyone else as well gasped. What a fool! She should have never opened her mouth. She could have simply epted whatever punishment. Now, she was surely going to be beheaded or imprisoned!


    Prisce couldn''t be happier. This was her intention all along. She never cared about the race in the first ce.


    Of course, if she had managed to beat Sylvia in the race as well, it would have been better, but ultimately, this was the end game and the thing that concerned her the most.


    Just when it looked like the slut was going to get away with only a minor p on her wrist, to Prisce''s delight, for some reason she dug herself a deeper hole. She chuckled inwardly waiting for the good show.


    In the midst of thismotion, the court physician finally arrived and he greeted the Queen. "Your highness, you called for me?"


    "Den! You have arrived. Please take a look at ck arrow. He is bleeding. I am not sure what happened?" Anastasia sighed, her attention now back on the poor animal which everyone had conveniently ignored until now.


    The physician squatted down and started checking the horse from top to bottom. He had a serious expression on his face as he observed everything.


    He then silently took a step back and conjured drops of water that drizzled on the horse, drenching the beastpletely. But surprisingly, he was not using the spell ''Healing Rain''.


    "Is everything alright, Den?" The Queen worriedly asked him.


    "Your highness¡­ this¡­" The physician stepped back, not sure how to exin his observation.


    Behind him, the horse was standing,pletely calm and healthy. All the blood and gunk had been washed away cleanly and in fact, its fur now looked very healthy and young.


    Its eyes were also full of health and there was no discoloration or lethargy visible. No matter how anyone looked at it, the animal was not sick in the least.


    "It''s exactly as you see, your highness. There is nothing wrong with ck arrow." Den smiled and bowed, hearing which the Queen looked more confused than ever.


    "Is this the young woman who rode the horsest?" Den asked, turning towards Sylvia.


    Sylvia calmly smiled and nodded at him, unlike the others who all had confused expressions on their faces.


    Prisce in particr had a weird taste in her mouth as she gulped. How could the animal bepletely healthy? Did the maid not do the job?


    She cast a nce at the maid who had been silently standing on the side all this time, who met her gaze but quickly looked away in fear.


    Biting her lips, Prisce as well turned to look at Sylvia and Den to see what they were talking about.


    "Miss Sylvia, did you perhaps feed some herbs to the animal? Could you please tell me everything that happened in detail?" Den was an old man who had a lot of experience in treating humans and beasts alike.


    More importantly, unlike others, he wasn''t yet prejudiced as he had no idea who was who. He was merely attending to the sick beast and doing his job.


    Sylvia nodded and first bowed to the Queen and then bowed to Den. "Please forgive me, your highness and Lord Den. I wasn''t able to exin things before."


    "When I first observed ck arrow, I noticed that he was a bit tired and his eyes looked ssy."


    "Since I am familiar with this sort of extreme fatigue, and most probably, indigestion from having consumed something questionable, I decided to give him some first aid treatment."


    "I am sorry if I had overstepped my boundaries. His condition didn''t look severe and hence, I didn''t raise any red gs." Sylvia exined calmly.


    She even detailed the mixture of herbs and flowers she had used to treat the beast.


    "That''s indeed an astute observation and an interesting treatment n, Miss Sylvia." Lord Den muttered, looking extremely pleased.


    Even the Queen nodded in agreement, her expression had softened a bit, turning from anger to puzzlement.


    Not only was Sylvia talented in riding, but she also seemed to be quite talented in herbology. No one had expected the first Prince''s new mistress to be such an outstanding character.

 Chapter 145 - Leaving So Soon? Part1

    Prisce gritted her teeth in frustration. She couldn''t believe what was happening.


    What the hell were they talking about? How could a mere ve possibly know about herbs? Did someone help her?


    She turned to look at the maid again whom she had colluded with and the woman looked pale and shaky.


    Prisce couldn''t help but doubt the woman''s actions. Did that useless thing have second thoughts about this and backed out at thest minute by giving the horse some sort of herbs as an antidote?


    If that was indeed the case, then everything which was currently happening made sense.


    Sylvia probably just made use of the situation and simply took the credits for something which she never did in the first ce! But then how could she know about all the details of the herb?


    Nothing was adding up. Prisce felt as if her head was going to burst from the anger coursing through her veins.


    She had never been so angry in her life before. She just wanted to reach out and rip the woman apart and feed her to the wolves.


    As she was imagining various ways in which she wanted to kill Sylvia, a thought suddenly entered Prisce''s mind.


    She immediately stepped forward and asked, her eyes and tone very hesitant. "Ummm¡­ Lady Sylvia¡­ pardon my ignorance¡­ but wouldn''t it have been better to feed the poor sick horse these herbs and let him rest? He could have recovered better¡­"


    Her words were very rational and logical and since everyone already had trouble believing that someone like Sylvia was in fact so talented, they quickly changed their opinion and once again became suspicious.


    Even the Queen returned back to frowning and looked at Sylvia questioningly. "How do you exin this, Lady Sylvia?" She asked, furrowing her brows.


    Sylvia was not in the least flustered. She calmly smiled once at Prisce and then at the Queen, bowing again respectfully.


    "This kind of medicine, your highness¡­" She started to exin when the physician interrupted her and exined in her stead with a smile on his face.


    "Your highness, if I may. What Miss Sylvia here is trying to tell¡­ Ha Ha¡­ Some medicines require that the beast exercise well in order to digest and absorb the full effects of the herbs."


    "Oh? Is that so?" Anastasia nodded in deep thinking, standing up to examine the horse herself.


    Den then turned towards Mikel and added. "You have a very talented mistress, your highness."


    "Thank you, Den." Mikel nodded with a small smile, though his mood still seemed far from his normal sunny temperament.


    "Alright then, if there is nothing else, please allow me to take my leave, your highness." Den walked over to the Queen and bowed in front of her before quickly returning back to more important affairs.


    The next second, Mikel as well hurriedly walked over to the Queen, still grabbing Sylvia by her hand and forcibly pulling her along with him.


    "Your highness. I apologize for the inconvenience my mistress has caused you today. I will see to it that she is punished ordingly."


    Anastasia nodded, her eyes still lingering on the horse. "It''s quite alright, Mikel. You don''t have to punish her terribly. After all, no harm was done."


    She then turned to look at Sylvia and muttered with a cold gaze. "The next time it is better that you leave suchplicated affairs to the court physician."


    Sylvia nodded. She threw a sideways nce at the woman who was responsible for everything and was quite content with the terror on her face.


    And thankfully, because Mikel was there, she didn''t have to linger around the tea party from hell any longer.


    The two of them paid respects to the Queen once again and then promptly left the riding field, returning back to the castle.


    Watching Sylvia and Mikel leave together, hand in hand, Prisce could only stare at them from behind, her insides burning from rage.


    She was his fiance and his soon to bewfully wedded wife, but right now, the man did not even acknowledge her, let alone talk to her.


    She felt like aplete outsider as if she had no connection with the Prince at all.


    Prisce clutched the edges of her dress, her nails tearing through the fabric.


    What had she done to deserve this kind of life? Would she always only be second fiddle to that hateful woman?


    Wouldn''t such a life be torturous? She couldn''t help but rethink her entire decision, but the thought of Mikel made her push all the other thoughts away.


    "It will be fine." She silently muttered to herself. "Sooner orter, there will be a chance. I will wait patiently for that day to arrive."


    Prisce clenched her fists tightly before rxing them and joining the others again with an elegant smile on her face as if nothing had happened at all.


    Away from the gathering of women, Mikel grabbed Sylvia and walked back to his room as fast as he could. It was as if they were running out of the Queen''s quarters holding their life in their hands.


    "Mikel, slow down. What¡­ happened?" Sylvia asked, worried about the expression the man was currently making.


    She knew that she had acted daringly, maybe even a bit rashly, but if she didn''t do anything, she would have definitely gotten framed for a crime she didn''tmit, and then things would have ended up even worse.


    Mikel, however, did not pause to answer her. He kept walking, pulling her along, still holding her hands with a tight grip. "Let''s go back first. We can talk then."


    The two of them rushed back into the guest quarters, and to the room where they had been staying, Mikel closing the door behind him.


    "What happened? Can you tell me at least now?" Sylvia asked, cupping his face with her hands. "The Queen didn''t seem angry Mikel. Why are you so worried? Wasn''t everything settled back there?"


    She didn''t understand why he looked so troubled and felt a bit guilty for causing him this unnecessary headache.

 Chapter 146 - Leaving So Soon? Part2

    Mikel sighed and lifted his hands to cover her hands that caressed his cheeks and cupped his face.


    "No matter what happens, don''t ever trust that woman." He muttered, his eyes seriously staring into hers, desperation swirling in the depth of his gaze.


    Was he talking about the Queen? Sylvia remained silent for a while and then slowly softly replied. "Alright. I will do as you say. I won''t be so careless next time."


    Though she was feeling triumphant inside for handling Prisce today evening on her own and not falling for her tricks, she couldn''t care less about it after seeing the pained expression on the devil''s face.


    This kind of sadness did not suit him. "I will be more careful next time." She repeated her words, standing up on the tip of her toes to reach his forehead, cing a gentle kiss.


    Mikel flinched. For some reason, he didn''t meet her eyes and turned his head. "It''s okay. There won''t be a next time."


    He removed her hands from his face and walked over to sit back on the wooden chair near the table in the corner of the room.


    "What do you mean?" Sylvia asked, perplexed by his vague reply. "Are we leaving? Can we leave already?"


    Mikel shook his head. "You are leaving." His words held a sort of finality that made Sylvia nervous.


    "What are you talking about? I am not leaving anywhere without you!" She hurriedly walked over to Mikel and knelt in front of him, looking up at him.


    There was a sadness etched on his face that worried her. Even though they were both in the same room at the time being, she felt as if they were a million miles away.


    "No. You are leaving tomorrow." Mikel did not look at her and nkly replied, his face cold and distant.


    Sylvia shook her head. It didn''t matter what he said. There was no way she was leaving anywhere without him. "Why can''t you leave with me?" She asked again, unwilling to give up.


    "You don''t need to worry about that. Leol and Theo will be with you. You should rest early tonight. You will be leaving tomorrow first thing in the morning."


    Sylvia looked stunned. She didn''t understand why Mikel was being so stubborn and brash like this.


    He didn''t leave any space for negotiations. He was not even listening to her.


    "Why can''t youe with me?" Sylvia asked, standing up.


    "I already told you." Mikel replied, still nkly staring ahead at the window and the vista outside, not ncing at Sylvia even once.


    Sylvia could only now see just how upset he was. Earlier since they were around others, she as well only saw the man''s typical calm and smiling face.


    She thought that he had simply acted as if he was angry at her, but maybe he was really angry at her?


    "Did I cause a very big scene and make trouble for you?" Feeling very guilty, Sylvia inched closer to him and sat down on hisp of her own ord, even though the man''s arms did not wee her.


    She wrapped her hands around his neck and peppered kisses on his cheek. "Please don''t be mad at me."


    Not able to refuse her warm affection, Mikel''s face changed and he couldn''t maintain his distant demeanor any longer.


    He sighed and looked at her, his eyes full of sadness. "Please baby, listen to me. You leave first. I will¡­ I will join youter." He added.


    "I.." Sylvia did not allow him to say anything further and kissed him. Her lips caressed his tenderly and her tears made the taste salty for both of them.


    "I am not leaving you." She shook her head, meeting his gaze.


    "You have to. It''s already too dangerous for you to be here."


    "No." Sylvia refused to budge, even though she could see traces of anger on the man''s face.


    "Just listen to me. How many times do I have to repeat myself? What part of what I am saying do you not understand? It''s too dangerous for you to be here." Mikel pushed her away from him and stood up.


    "NO. I am not leaving anywhere before you tell me what is happening." Sylvia was not in the least intimidated by him. She knew that something was off and she wanted to know what was happening.


    However, her stubbornness only made Mikel even more furious. "Damn it! Why are you making this so difficult for me?" He growled at her, mming his fist on the wall, his knuckles bruised and reddened.


    "I am not leaving anywhere without you." Sylvia also shouted back. What did he think? Just because he raised his voice she would be afraid?


    Mikel was livid with anger. He turned around and opened his mouth, only to close it back wordlessly after meeting the woman''s eyes that were staring at him.


    He sighed and pulled her closer, embracing her. "I need one more week. I will join you then."


    Sylvia shook her head. She pushed him away, revealing a bitter smile on her face. She could tell that he was lying. "Then I will leave with you after a week."


    "YOU! Why are you torturing me like this?" Mikel shouted, his hands holding her shoulder and shaking her. "Don''t you understand? If you stay here¡­ especially now that you have met with that woman¡­ It''s dangerous."


    Sylvia took his hands from her shoulders and again cupped his face in her hands. "Please listen to me. I understand what you are saying, but I am staying here with you alright? I am not leaving."


    "If you want me to leave, let''s leave together. But if you are staying back, then I am also staying back with you."


    "Tell them that you have punished me and taken away my title. I will be a maid again. I promise I will be invisible."


    The more Sylvia tried to convince him, the more Mikel looked dejected. "No, you don''t understand. Please¡­ just leave already. If you are here, you will only be a burden to me."

 Chapter 147 - Leaving So Soon? Part3

    "Is that so?" Sylvia asked, raising her brows. "Hmmm¡­ You are right. I am a burden and I don''t want to be a burden to someone else."


    "I will leave. But I am leaving by myself. I have been alone all my life and I can take care of myself. I don''t need Leol and Theo to apany me."??


    Sylvia turned around and stood, not wanting to face the man any longer.


    One second he was giving her a name and a title to stay beside him, while the next second he was parceling her off to somece else.


    Mikel sighed helplessly. He waspletely torn and he didn''t how to exin it to her. Answering her right now was the same as giving up on everything he had worked for.


    "Please baby, don''t do this to me. Can you please do this one thing for me?"


    "Mikel¡­ We haven''t even¡­ You said you needed me for bing stronger? What about that? How would that be possible if I leave?" Sylvia bit her lips and asked.


    "It''s alright. I will think of some other way." Mikel muttered.


    "At least tell me what happened?" Sylvia could see that the man was begging her, but how could she leave him like this?


    After all, just like he loved her, she loved him too. How could she bear to leave him all alone on his own? Even taking away his two trusted allies?


    Just as they were arguing with each other without any end in sight, Mikel suddenly froze and his expression changed.


    This time he was no longer simply sad, rather he looked as if he was terrified. "YOU NEED TO LEAVE NOW!"


    "YOU NEED TO LEAVE NOW!" Mikel clutched her, no longer bothering to discuss anything with her, and dragged her out of the room.


    "Hey slow down. What is going on?" Sylvia panicked. Before she could even understand what was going on, Mikel had already dragged her halfway out of the castle.


    Leol and Theo had also joined them and they as well had grave expressions on their face.


    "Let''s use the servant''s exit," Mikel growled and when Sylvia was not able to keep up with their pace, he threw her on his shoulders and kept walking ahead without stopping.


    It was the middle of the night, so everyone in the castle looked at the group, casting curious nces at them. But since Mikel was there, their gazes did not linger.


    Mikel as well slowed down their pace tremendously once they were in themon area and a lot more guards were around them.


    His entire body was sweating profusely but he maintained a calm expression on his face as he strolled through the kitchen quarters.


    "Your highness."


    "Your highness."


    "Your highness."


    Some of the servants who were still busily working greeted him and Mikel simply nodded, waving at them dismissively. "As you were. As you were. Don''t mind me."


    His legs, however, kept moving as fast as they could.


    In the matter of a few minutes, they had almost covered the entire width of the castle, moving all the way from the guest quarters on the south wing, reaching the kitchen quarters on the north wing.


    "Leol. Get the carriage around." Mikelmanded while Theodore stayed back with him. "It will be fine. Everything is going to be fine."


    Sylvia was absolutely shaken. Being left like this in the dark, she didn''t know what to make of anything.


    She hated being treated like a weak helpless little girl even though that''s exactly who she was. It left a bitter and unsettling feeling in her heart.


    She wanted to be stronger, strong enough to help the man whom she loved dearly. But unfortunately, the reality was different. He was right. She was indeed a burden.


    Sylvia closed her eyes tightly shut and forced the tears back into her eyes. She didn''t want to let him see her cry. She knew that that would only make him feel even worse.


    A few more seconds passed when Mikel and Theo finally exited the kitchen and reached the castle garden. A couple of guards standing around bowed and greeted them. Mikel as well nodded in response.


    "Are you alright?" He gently helped Sylvia back down and asked. "Please don''t ask me for anything now. Just go with them. I¡­" Before he could finish his sentence, Mikel froze abruptly and his face paled.


    He had held onto a tiny bit of hope but now everything was crushed. "What?" Sylvia was just about to speak when a loud voice sounded from behind them.


    "Leaving so soon? Aha ha ha. Where are you all headed to in the middle of the night?" An old man walked towards them, his hair and his beard graying.


    However, unlike the other nobles or the men of royal lineage, he was not shy. He only wore a simple ck robe with a sash running in between.


    Just as she was looking at the old man, wondering who he was, Sylvia suddenly felt her body float up in the air, as if someone was lifting her up by clutching her neck. She choked and her eyes widened from not even being able to breathe.


    She immediately looked at Mikel for help. She saw him standing there, staring at her figure, myriad emotions crossing his face.


    "I¡­ I¡­ can''t breathe. Help¡­" She stuttered, wheezing and twitching, as she hung afloat mid-air.


    Her eyes begged and pleaded with the man she loved for help, but¡­


    "Ah¡­ Master Eric! What a pleasant surprise!" Mikel turned around, not sparing her a single nce, and greeted the old man with a smile on his face.


    "Indeed. Indeed. Mikel! I haven''t seen you in a while. How have you been? How is little Cassius doing?" The man smiled as he walked closer, calmly and leisurely.


    "Ah! Don''t remind me of that naughty little twerp. I had to talk to the headmistress twice and convince them not to expel him." Mikel softly chuckled and shook his head helplessly. "Heh. By the way, what are you doing to my maid?"

 Chapter 148 - Imprisoned Part1

    "Master Eric. Aha ha ha ha. Why don''t we talk about things first? Don''t kill her. I spent a lot of gold buying her. Isn''t she a beauty?" Mikel chuckled.


    "Oh, is that so? Interesting. Interesting. Where did you buy her?" The old man smiled, grooming his beard.??


    "Hmmm¡­ Can''t say I remember¡­ In one of the ve markets¡­? I saw her and had to have her. Ha Ha Ha. Women are alluring creatures aren''t they?" Mikelzily leaned on a pir.


    Meanwhile, Sylvia was struggling like a fish out of water.


    She kicked her legs, she swung her hands madly, holding her throat, trying to free herself but she was not even able to move an inch from where she floated. All she could do was struggle in vain.


    "Master Eric. Seriously, put her down. I don''t want her to die." Mikel reminded him as the old man squinted his eyes and continued looking at Sylvia as if he was enjoying her suffering.


    "You seem to be a little too interested in thedy, Mikel?" Eric smiled, the ends of his lips curling upwards and the man''s expression saying a thousand words.


    "Of course. I am interested. I haven''t fucked her enough. I was going to make her my mistress, but the little bitch showed attitude and talked back to the Queen."


    "So I am sending her back to my castle. I intend to punish her as I please when I return back." Mikel shrugged. "Please don''t ruin my entertainment."


    The man''s eyes held no pity or mercy as he leisurely continued chatting with the elder.


    Eric was one of the high council mages, someone who held the foremost authority in the entire maind, not to mention in the Kingdom.


    Mikel had never once expected such an important figure to show up here. If only he had known about this¡­


    His entire insides twisted and turned as the woman he loved dearly suffocated right in front of his eyes.


    However, all he did was simply stand around, smile, and chat as if he couldn''t care less about her. This was it. This was his only card. Otherwise¡­


    Heh. The elder chuckled and looked at Mikel for a minute, his cunning eyes scrutinizing every small reaction on the man''s body.


    Even then he appeared unconvinced¡­


    He looked at Sylvia and then at Mikel again, before finally sighing and walking towards Mikel, wrapping an arm around him to pat his back. "Let''s go inside and talk."


    "Oh? Did something happen?" Mikel murmured. "Is this concerning our prisoner?"


    Eric looked at him and calmly smiled before answering his question. "In a way¡­ yes¡­"


    "Alright. Let''s head inside and discuss." The corner of his eyesnded on Sylvia only for an instant as he noticed that she had lost her consciousness.


    Mikel''s heart sank but he continued walking in with the elder. "Oh and bted congrattions. I heard you got engaged." The elder looked at Mikel again, as if he was watching and waiting for him to slip up.


    "Thanks, Master Eric. But let''se to the point. You have made me very curious. What''s happening here? Is there anything wrong?" Mikel asked, to which the old man smiled and nodded.


    "Aha ha ha ha. Alright. Alright. I won''t hold back from you anymore. After all, this is joyous news. That girl you have got there is one of them." Eric muttered, his words shattering every little bit of hope that Mikel had left.


    "One of them?" Mikel asked, barely able to control his emotions any longer. They knew.


    They somehow knew¡­ which means¡­ Sylvia was good as dead already¡­


    Despite his best efforts, he couldn''t help but tremble slightly which didn''t escape the old man''s eyes. "It seems that you have already guessed," Eric muttered, patting Mikel on the back.


    "You have good eyes, boy. I had to go far and wide to hunt for one, that too a half-ling, but here you are¡­ in possession of a ripe young spirit beast. Aha ha ha. This is such good news!!!"


    "If we fuck her and absorb her essence every day, there would be no limit to how much we can grow."


    "I am not sure what your father has gifted you so far, but just for this contribution alone, you deserve to be the next King." He chuckled loudly and patted Mikel on his back.


    The old man was already nning the future in his mind and didn''t notice the vicious glint that flitted across Mikel''s eyes.


    As they continued walking back to the castle, Sylvia''s unconscious body roughly dragged on the floor behind them, the previously dimly lit corridors were now as bright as day.


    And once they crossed the kitchen quarters, Mikel saw his father and his four brothers all standing, fully awake and excitement etched on their faces.


    Next to them, Gabriel was also standing, making Mikel wonder how he was allowed to remain here.


    And then suddenly everything was clear to him.


    This person¡­ probably this person was the one who had noticed something different about Sylvia and triggered everything, not to mention the woman who was his sister.


    I should have strangled him when I had the chance. Mikel raged inside but he knew that things had now gone far beyond his control.


    For the first time in his life, he regretted everything.


    "My son! You have made me proud!!" The King, Lucious Zaharia walked forward and patted Mikel, his face full of joy.


    Because of this unexpected living and breathing treasure amidst them, they were only going to be rewarded wildly.


    It was inevitable that the mage high council shower riches and wealth onto their Kingdom.


    "Congrattions are in order, brother." The Crown Prince, Denault Zaharia also walked over to Mikel and shook his hand.


    All though they were all one by one congratting him, there was no doubt that every single one of them had their eye on the girl, lying defenselessly unconscious on the ground behind him.

 Chapter 149 - Imprisoned Part2

    Inside a dark and dingy cell far under the ground, Sylvia''s long eyshes fluttered as she stirred awake.


    Pain ripped through her as every inch of her body hurt like hell. ??


    Sylvia snapped her eyes open, fully realizing that the nightmare that she was stuck in was in fact very real.


    Biting her lips to withstand the pain that was deafening, she slightly craned her neck and looked around.


    It took a while for her eyes to clear up and adjust but to her dismay, that didn''t do her any good.


    She was stunned to find herself in a familiar ce. The underground prison!


    Antern was lit in the corner of the room and a guard was sitting in front of the prison cell.


    Ah¡­ Sylvia groaned as she tried to talk to him. "I¡­ Why am I?" The pain was too much for her to speak and she felt as if her head was about to split open.


    She tried to rub her temples to ease the pain when she found both of her hands chained to the wall.


    Sylvia''s face paled as she looked down to see her legs chained to the wall as well.


    The expensive dress that she had worn for the tea party, studded with pearls and emeralds was still wrapped around her body, but her arms and feet were bound by shackles, not even giving her an inch of breathing room.


    Sylvia immediately panicked and started shouting. "What? Let me go. Let me go." She thrashed around with whatever strength that she could muster and wildly shook her body.


    However, except for the loud nking noises from the chain hitting the wall, nothing really happened.


    The guard did not even move a muscle as he continued staring at her with a cold expressionless face.


    Sylvia was utterly petrified. She struggled for a few more minutes before finally losing her consciousness again.


    Gudang!


    Not long after a loud metallic sound echoed in the cold and earthy prison cell, which woke Sylvia up again.


    Her eyes immediately darted here and there, in a panic, but unfortunately, she was still stuck in the same nightmarish world.


    Her body was chained to the wall like she was an animal.


    Tears spilled out of Sylvia''s eyes as an unbearable pain surged through her body.


    Her gorgeous blue eyes looked dull and lifeless and her alluring body looked like a sack of bones that was going to break anytime.


    She felt as if all the energy had been drained out of her.


    She tried to break her shackles once again, but only to experience another soul-crushing stabbing pain from her arms.


    "If I were you¡­ I wouldn''t do that." A voice sounded in front of her, humming leisurely.


    Sylvia snapped to look at the old man in the austere robe standing in a corner of the prison cell.


    This man was the reason for everything!


    A wave of rage washed past her as she thrashed against the wall, her shackles trembling and making loud metallic noises.


    "What did you do to me? Why am I here?" She shouted.


    "Woah. You seem to be a strong one. Even with the blockers on, you can still talk?" Master Eric rubbed his chin thoughtfully.


    The blockers that he was talking about were the chains and shackles binding Sylvia to the wall, which not only imprisoned her but also drained every bit of magical energy from her body and then some more.


    If someone were to wear these blockers for a long time, even their very soul would be corroded.


    "What beast are you?" Master Eric asked, his eyes scanning Sylvia from top to bottom.


    "Be¡­ beast?" Sylvia muttered weakly, not understanding his words.


    "Eh? The jig is up darling. Why are you still putting on an act?" The old man clicked his tongue and shook his head.


    "This is the wrong attitude girl. You should start talking. We are not enemies here you know¡­" The man''s voice trailed on.


    "Not enemies?" If she had more strength, Sylvia would haveughed at those ridiculous words. If they were not enemies, why was she being chained to the wall like this?


    "What? You don''t believe me?" Eric chuckled. "You should. I am the only one stopping some people from simply killing you."


    "I am the one who convinced them you are more useful to us alive rather than dead. Aha ha ha."


    Sylvia trembled. She had no idea just what the hell was happening. Where was Mikel? He wasing for her right? He would be able to get her out of here?


    Her mind wandered as she thought about the fight they were having yesterday night.


    Was this why he was so worried all of a sudden? Did he know this was going to happen?


    Sylvia could only bitterly smile at the cruel twist of fate. Even though he had forced her to leave, it was still toote in the end.


    But what she didn''t understand was that why these people were after her so much. Her tired eyes closed as she didn''t have the energy to even think anymore.


    However, not allowing her to rest, the old nasally voice continued prattling on. "Not talking still?"


    "Heh. You can''t even tell me what beast you are?"


    "Such strong resolve huh?"


    "Let me see how long you aresting¡­ Aha ha ha."


    The hateful voice rang loudly in the empty prison cell sending shivers down her tired and battered body.


    She watched weakly as the old man pped his hands and the guard sitting in front of the prison cell finally moved.


    However, he returned back in a few minutes with what looked like a tray of ss conicals containing colorful liquid and a pot.


    Eric nodded and took the tray in his hands while the guard set up a simple table and chair for him inside the prison cell.


    He then neatly arranged all the ss conicals and the pot on the table.


    "If you won''t tell me what beast you are, then I have no option but to find it out for myself. Aha ha ha."

 Chapter 150 - Imprisoned Part3

    Sylvia felt as if her eyes were burning from the tiredness. They demanded her to shut them close, blood almost seeping from her eyes.


    However, with great difficulty she propped them wide open, trying her best to watch the old man in front of her.??


    Why does he keep calling me a beast? Her mind wandered, too fatigued to even finish the thought. The insides of her brain were just as blurry as her vision.


    She saw the wrinkled face which had an obscene smile on it and weakly blinked as the face came closer and closer to her, walking towards her.


    But just when he was near her, she saw the face suddenly move to her right and a pair of wrinkly old hands reach forward to grab something.


    Was he grabbing me? Sylvia did not even have any feeling in her body, other than the soul-crushing pain from the shackles which was ripping her apart.


    She saw the man''s handse back again and as her face subconsciously frowned she saw a thick blond lock of hair.


    Someone else was there in the prison with her?


    Sylvia instantly sobered up and the fog in her mind cleared even though she was still under torturous pain.


    "Mi¡­ Mikel¡­" Her voice cracked as a few sybles escaped her parched throat and dried-up lips.


    No, it can''t be. Please let it not me¡­


    With whatever energy she had left, she craned her head to the side. Please let it not be him.


    Tears streamed from her eyes as she weakly tried to gaze at the figure who was beside her.


    There was only one thing that could make her nightmarish reality even worse and that was finding him¡­ chained to the wall next to her¡­


    Sylvia didn''t know if she had the strength to live through that. She struggled and she craned her neck even more, which right now felt like an impossible thing to do.


    But she did it anyway because she had to know¡­ She couldn''t bear to breathe without knowing¡­


    And when she finally got a good look, holding her heart in the palm of her hand, a soft sigh escaped her lips.


    It was not him¡­


    Her dry and reddened eyes teared up once again both from relief that it was not him and also from recognizing the figure next to her.


    It was that small child whom she had seen in the dream earlier. Was it even a dream?


    Sylvia shuddered to think of the possibility that the child beside her was right now undergoing the same mind-shattering pain which she was enduring.


    And as she looked at the small innocent lifeless face, she watched the pair of wrinkly old hands reach forward again to roughly swat his face to the side and clip another big lock of blond hair.


    "S¡­ Stop." Sylvia moved her lips. Don''t touch him. She raged inside but her body was not capable of uttering those words.


    "You want me to stop?" Eric chuckled casually. "Rx I am just taking hair, aren''t I?"


    "Besides¡­ Ha ha ha¡­ Are you really in a position to be thinking about others?"


    The old man walked towards Sylvia, his condescending shriveled pair of eyes ring down at her.


    "Honey¡­ you need to worry more about what is going to happen to you." He hummed. However, he was displeased to not find the fear and the terror that his words were supposed to evoke on his captive''s face.


    Eric leaned closer, grabbing Sylvia''s scraped chin with his hand and forcing her to look at him. "That boy next to you is going to be caged and experimented on for the rest of his life."


    "But you, my dear¡­ You¡­ Tut¡­ Tut¡­ Tut¡­" He clicked his tongue. "You are going to be a fuck buddy for every single man in the mage council, though I don''t think any of them is going to make it pleasurable for you. Ha Ha Ha."


    Sylvia shuddered. Her stomach churned and bile rose up to her throat but she didn''t even have enough strength in her body to vomit.


    Eric chuckled, finally satisfied with the look on her face, and then let go of her chin, turning around and walking back to the table.


    "Now, let''s see, shall we? Just what beast are you? So beautiful and so alluring? A wolf perhaps?"


    "They are elegant creatures, aren''t they? I wonder how you will taste in bed. HeH."


    The old mage rubbed his hands together and started mumbling to himself as he prepared the set of potions on the table.


    He no longer paid attention to Sylvia who was looking at him with her bloodshot eyes, observing every single movement of his hand.


    Wolf? Beast? Why does he keep repeating this same thing again? She couldn''t remain awake for long and soon lost her consciousness again.


    Eric, however, was still busy with the potions in his hand.


    After fiddling with the various conicals and mixing several bright colored liquids, he finally sat back down letting out a long sigh and wiping the sweat off his face.


    Even though he was so experienced and powerful when it came to the field of magic, he found it amusing that a simple potion can still make him sweat.


    Alchemy was a tricky field but nevertheless, the old mage was more than capable and achieved what he wanted in the end.


    He looked at the clear liquid swirling in the ss conical and a vicious glint crossed his eyes. "Now¡­ it''s time to find out more about you!"


    But he didn''t start with Sylvia just yet. He threw the blond locks of the small boy into the conical first to make sure that his potion worked.


    As soon as the lock of hair touched the clear liquid, a hissing sound emerged and the potion immediately changed into a dull brown color.


    "Alright. Lesser beast confirmed."


    "Now, it''s your turn." He stood up from the chair and approached Sylvia, taking a few strands of her long silky silver hair.

 Chapter 151 - Wheels Of Fate Part1

    Eric stood up from his chair and approached Sylvia, taking a few strands of her long silky silver hair, which currently looked as lifeless as the rest of her body.


    The old mage clutched her hair in his hands, his lips curling upwards at the sight of the unconscious woman, and went back to the table full of potions.??


    He then sat back down, his gaze once again returning to linger on her body. "Heh¡­ What an alluring woman! I would be hard-pressed to find any human so beautiful¡­"


    He ran his fingers through his beard and absentmindedly muttered as his other hand busily added the few strands of Sylvia''s hair to the clear liquid for the test.


    He sighed lightly with a yearning that he didn''t know he had and tilted his head down to take a look at the results, when suddenly¡­


    BOOM!


    Eric was sted off his chair and since he waspletely caught off guard, he fell down,nding on his behind.


    The table, the chair, the several potions on the table, the ss conicals, everything was blown into shreds, scattering all over the prison cell.


    Some of the ss shards evennded on Sylvia and fresh blood seeped out of the cuts on her body.


    The old mage himself was not doing that much better as his face was ckened with soot from the explosion and his long hair stood up in spikes.


    Eric hurriedly stood up, turning around and looking in all directions. "Intruders?" He coughed.


    The guard who was standing outside also rushed inside to take a look and help the old man. However, nothing was out of ce and everything returned back to normal.


    "What the hell caused the explosion?" Eric pondered, as his eyes casually flitted over to look at the liquid spilled on the floor of the prison cell.


    And to his surprise, the entire floor looked as if it was covered by burning molten hotva.


    The spilled liquid was a rich red color with a golden aura shrouding it.


    Just what type of result was this?


    He had caught several beast n members in his lifetime but not one of them had shown such a powerful aura.


    Eric gasped in shock but then immediately rxed after realizing what might have potentially happened.


    He must have broken something or his elbow might have pushed something down by ident. After all, the table was pretty crowded and messy.


    And this had probably caused the explosion and all the liquids to mix together giving such a result.


    "Go and get me another set of ingredients right now." He dusted his back and angrily shouted at the guard, whose eyes were on his spiky hair that emitted a burnt smell.


    The guard quickly shrank back and ran away to do as he was told. Eric then grunted in annoyance and went out to clean himself up, locking the prison cell behind him.


    He didn''t want others to see him in such a state. For an old and experienced mage like him, this was humiliating.


    As the two of them left her unguarded, Sylvia slowly opened her eyes. On her hand, hidden in the back of her palm, just supported slightly by two fingers was a big ss piece.


    She twisted and stretched her hand, pain once again ripping through her body, and tried to angle the ss shard inside the shackle that was binding her wrist.


    She gritted her teeth and used everyst bit of her strength to try and break the shackle¡­


    But how could a magically enhanced cuff be so easy to break apart? Especially when all her strength was constantly being drained by the same cuff¡­


    Sylvia, however, didn''t give up. She tried and tried and tried as tears streamed down from her eyes.


    Nothing was even moving an inch. All she got in return for her efforts were more searing pain.


    "No¡­ No¡­ No¡­" She whimpered.


    She still couldn''t process how everything turned out this way. She hadn''t even done anything wrong so why were they punishing her so cruelly.


    How was she a beast? Wasn''t she just a human like the rest of them? Just because she was poor and had no one, they can do whatever they want with her?


    Tears dripped down from Sylvia''s tired eyes, everyst bit of her hope falling down along with them.


    She trembled as she recollected the old man''s disgusting words and her fingers tightened around the ss shard she was holding with great difficulty.


    Sylvia''s pale eyes shone with determination as she gritted her teeth and mustered her strength onest time.


    They might have imprisoned her¡­ but her life was still in her hands¡­


    Sylvia gripped the ss shard and angled it again, but this time she didn''t bother trying to break the shackle.


    She directly pierced the shard onto her wrist, the stinging pain disappearing like a drop of water in a desert.


    Fresh blood spilled from her wrist and a bittersweet smile danced on her lips. "I might be powerless and weak¡­ but I can still do this much¡­"


    Sylvia closed her eyes, tears still dripping from them.


    She knew that she was probably betraying Mikel by doing this, but it was now clear to her that even he might not be capable of undoing all of this.


    She knew that he would try and perhaps even die along with her while doing so. She didn''t want him to have that kind of ending.


    Instead of being a burden to him and dragging him down along with her, it was better that she died like this.


    The smile on her lips widened as she fondly recollected the precious memories they had shared thesest few days.


    These were probably the happiest days of her life.


    Even though everything had ended like this¡­ she was still happy that she was able to meet him and live at least for a fraction of a second with him.


    Sylvia''s lips trembled and the tears from her eyes stopped as her consciousness slowly faded once again, perhaps this time never to return. Or at least she hoped so.


    But before she could drift off into nothingness¡­ a familiar voice sounded beside her.


    "EH?? Not so fast, my dear."

 Chapter 152 - Wheels Of Fate Part2

    Sylvia snapped to look up at the voice that had called her. It was a familiar voice that had the power to pull her out of even void.


    It was a voice that she had longed to hear, and yet at the same time, hot tears welled up in her eyes. ??


    Her body trembled as her gaze moved up to see the owner of the voice.


    Mikel stood in front of her, staring down at her coldly. There wasn''t even a trace of kindness in his eyes.


    Thank the heavens, he is safe. Sylvia let out a soft sigh which disappeared as another bout of pain engulfed her. Her teeth dug into her lips, trying to withstand the pain.


    It hurt. It really hurt.


    It was almost as if the shackles that bound her knew whenever she managed to muster a small amount of strength. It immediately drained it.


    Sylvia looked up to see him again, hoping that the sight of his loving face could ease the misery she was going through.


    She wanted to see if his face would give her any sort of hints, anything that could say¡­ I will get you out of here soon¡­


    But all that she saw was cold indifference.


    A tremor swept past her body, his gaze chilling her more than the cold prison cell.


    Was this real or was this another act of his?


    Did he also mistake her for some sort of beast?


    No, that was not possible. He was trying to save me by urging me to leave the pce.


    Sylvia tried to reason with her tired brain, but it was bing more and more difficult for her to even think anything.


    She watched him as he watched her, no one saying anything.


    Was it only for a fraction of a second or had it already been an hour? Sylvia could no longer sense time.


    And when he finally moved his lips, it was to address the person standing next to him. "Heal her." He said, his wordscking any emotion just like his face.


    Sylvia''s eyes traced his gaze and she shuddered again as she caught the sight of her least favorite person.


    It could have been anyone but it had to be her.


    Prisce nodded obediently and stepped forward to mutter something under her breath, her face wearing a gentle smile.


    Almost immediately, warmth spread from the painful bleeding wrist, giving Sylvia a rare moment of relief, but only for a second.


    The next second, the soul-splitting pain once again seared through her body, the magic in her shackles acting up.


    Sylvia winced, closing her eyes but not before catching the subtle sneer on the despicable woman''s face.


    She must be really enjoying this, thought Sylvia.


    She couldn''t help but smile bitterly at the thought of how perfect the two of them looked standing next to each other, acting in such coordination.


    He ordered. Sheplied. Perfect. Just what I needed. Sylvia sighed, too tired to think about anything.


    She could understand the man acting so coldly in front of her. Perhaps he was putting on a show so that he could somehow rescue her from this prison.


    But did he really have to bring the dreadful woman along with him? Wasn''t she suffering enough already?


    And then¡­ suddenly¡­ a frightening thought entered her mind. What if he was not acting?


    No. No. No. Not trusting him right now would be the same as betraying him. I should trust him. Sylvia told herself.


    She even felt guilty for trying to take her own life. She had acted too selfishly, only thinking of her own pain. But then again, her pain was¡­ unbearable¡­


    Either way¡­ it really didn''t matter¡­ because once again she had somehow walked into a situation where her life was not really hers.


    Her fate and her future were at the mercy of someone else, her weak helpless little self cuffed and cored, unable to do anything about it.


    She was once again back where it had all begun. Except now she was captured by some of the most powerful mages in the entire maind.


    Sylvia chuckled wryly. She was at a point where the drilling pain wasical. Perhaps she had lost her sanity. She didn''t care anymore.


    The man in front of her was her only sce, only light at the end of a dark and dreadful tunnel, but now it was clear to her that the tunnel probably was never-ending.


    Why am I so useless? Sylvia struggled, the chains binding her nking as they shook and hit the stone wall she was hanging on.


    "Easy there, darling," Mikel said. "It''s useless to struggle. You need to ept your fate."


    His words were like a hammer that hit the painful reality, shoving it into her brain. It was useless to search for kindness in them.


    Sylvia didn''t want to look at him. She didn''t want to listen to his stabbing words. She wanted to trust him.


    She really did but maybe because everyst bit of her sanity was being sucked out by these shackles, she didn''t know what to believe anymore.


    "I still can''t believe that she managed to fool almost all of us." Prisce sighed.


    "Your highness is extremely astute to catch her act." She smiled coyly, even adding a shameless praise in there.


    "Hmmm¡­ Nothing like that. I am sure anyone would have noticed it." Mikel replied.


    "Filthy creatures have started infiltrating our maind once again. We need every bit of advantage we can find to permanently deal with them this time around."


    Prisce nodded. The two of them discussed war strategies and ughtering the said filthy creatures as if they were merely discussing the weather.


    Sylvia closed her eyes without looking up again and a few minutester, she heard shuffling sounds and then her prison cell door being once again tightly banged shut.


    She had many questions but there it was. There was the answer to her biggest question.


    She was never ever going to get out of this hellhole¡­

 Chapter 153 - Wheels Of Fate Part3

    "Do you know what day it is?" Sylvia stirred awake at the sound of the familiar voice. The woman had been visiting her religiously, in fact, even more than Mikel did.


    She opened her eyes and looked at Prisce who was dressed in a red gown with golden embroidery. There was a big smile on her face.??


    Was something happening in the castle?


    But then again, the woman just got everything that she wanted. So she might just be dressing up for the heck of it.


    Sylvia weakly chuckled and closed her eyes, no longer interested in looking at the obscene smile on Prisce''s face. She did nothing to hide her happiness.


    "Oh! My bad! Of course, you wouldn''t know! Let me fill you in, you filthy mongrel." She sneered.


    She was not pleased that Sylvia wasn''t paying attention to her. Nevertheless, she continued mouthing her words.


    "Today is the day you will be shipped off to be a prostitute. Ha Ha Ha."


    Sylvia immediately shed her eyes open, shock and fear still lingering within them. She was going to be transferred to some other ce?


    "He He. Got your attention right? How about it? Are you excited?" Prisce chuckled.


    "You should be you know. You will no longer be chained to the wall. Of course, you will be chained to a bed."


    "I hope those men treat you well. I heard most of them have deep rooted hatred towards mongrels like you."


    "I am looking forward to seeing what happened to you. We have bets going on to see how long you willst."


    Prisce then moved closer and ran her fingers across Sylvia''s cheeks. "You should try your best tost in that hell. I have bet a lot of money. Make me rich slut."


    "You Should entertain those men just like how you entertained my husband. Got it?"


    "By the way, I am curious. How is he in bed? Well, our wedding is approaching soon. So I just want to be prepared."


    "What does he like? Does he like it when you bend over?"


    Sylvia closed her eyes and tried to not listen to the spiteful wordsing out of the woman''s mouth.


    She couldn''t care less about what she was bbering, though the news that she was going to be transported to some other ce made her nervous.


    Even if he hadn''t yet done anything to help her or even acknowledge her presence, Sylvia knew that Mikel still held some pull in the King''s castle.


    But if she really was transferred to some other ce like the Mage council, then¡­ she shuddered to think about the consequences.


    As Prisce continued rambling on and on in the background, Sylvia pursed her lips thinking about this so-called transfer.


    She tortured herself thinking about all the possibilities but in the end, she also couldn''t help but think of an obvious oue.


    Was Mikel perhaps nning to rescue her somehow during this transfer?


    Sylvia shuddered. If that was the case¡­ then everything would make sense, right?


    He was probably not visiting her because he didn''t want anyone to be suspicious.


    He acted like he doesn''t care so that the rescue operation could go smoothly.


    Foolish girl¡­ Have you still not learned your lesson? A voice sounded from somewhere deep within her.


    Sylvia shook her head. A small smile appeared on her lips, and this time it was not drenched in sadness.


    "The hell?" Prisce who was still reveling in joy paused and clenched her fists after seeing the peaceful look on her face.


    "Bitch, have youpletely lost it?" She covered her mouth and chuckled.


    However, there was no change in Sylvia''s expression and she was clearly in her own world.


    Prisce gritted her teeth and stood silently for a couple of minutes before leaving.


    The prison cell door banged loudly and Sylvia looked up.


    A few more hours¡­ Perhaps a few more hours and she could be free once again¡­


    For the rest of the day, Sylvia forced herself to stay awake even though she felt very tired.


    Just in case Mikel had nned to rescue her, she didn''t want to screw everything up by losing her consciousness.


    Every time her eyes darkened, she pulled the chain to evoke another bolt of mind numbing pain and kept herself awake.


    Damn it. Sylvia gritted her teeth.


    Time slowly ticked by, even slower than usual because of the torturous pain.


    She waited every second and every minute holding her breath, hoping for a miracle to happen.


    She even began to doubt if Prisce had lied to her just to get a rise out of her, but soon¡­


    Several footsteps echoed in the dark silent underground prison.


    Sylvia trembled and closed her eyes, but remained extremely alert. This was it. This was probably her only chance.


    Even if Mikel did not¡­ Sylvia shook her head, forcing herself to not think negatively.


    Today was going to be a good day. She needed to believe it.


    She had to make her escape while she was being taken somewhere else in a carriage. There definitely wouldn''t be another opportunity like this.


    Sylvia strengthened her resolve and waited¡­ silently waited for everything to unfold.


    Soon she heard voices that went along with the footsteps.


    "You bunch of senile fools better not be kidding me. If I don''t see a beast girl in there, I am going to fuck your girl tonight."


    "Who? My wife? Ba ha ha ha. Sure go ahead. You are only doing me a favor."


    "Fuck. Who wants to touch that old hag? I am talking about your new mistress. He He."


    "Damn you. Keep your wrinkly hands off of her. He he he. Besides I have a feeling that you will be busy with the beast all day. She is a real looker."


    "Eh? I don''t trust your shitty taste."


    A burst of loudughter rang out and a group of old men all dressed in simr austere robes walked towards the prison cell.

 Chapter 154 - A Wolf...? Part1

    Sylvia trembled. They were really here. She looked up through her longshes, only opening her eye like a slit.


    She could see the old men looking at her as if she was a thing of marvel. One checked her pulse. One checked her hair. They were obsessed with her.??


    Standing behind them was the King and to Sylvia''s disappointment, Mikel was nowhere to be seen.


    It''s fine. Everything is fine. It will be fine. She told herself and waited.


    After they superficially inspected her a bit, they nodded at each other. The prison cell was eerily silent and no one spoke anything.


    One of the old men then raised his hand and muttered something, Sylvia''s cuffs instantly shattering.


    Her body fell down on the ground with a thud, more pain screaming through her nerves.


    But she didn''t care. This was in fact a pain that she weed. They had freed her! That could only mean she was going to be rescued soon!


    Her heart pounded loudly and though her body was a husk, she was alive and alert inside.


    Images of her carriage being stopped on the way and an intense battle scene swept across her brain.


    She could see Mikel carrying her away and thenter kissing her and apologizing to her.


    Of course, she was nning on forgiving him. It was not his fault that things hade to this.


    Engrossed in her own world, Sylvia waited. She waited and waited and watched the old men but no one seemed to be moving.


    They whispered something to each other that she was not able to hear and finally after a few minutes, one started covering the prison floor or at least a part of it with some sort of white powder.


    Huh? What are they doing? Sylvia wondered. She was nervous. She knew that she had to be absolutely alert and ready today.


    As she was watching¡­


    "Should we do a ve bond before the teleportation circle?" Someone elsemented, breaking the silence and also along with it¡­ shattering all of Sylvia''s hope.


    "Tele¡­ Teleportation circle? Not ca¡­ carriage?" Her eyes widened as the words slowly sunk into her brain.


    No¡­ If there was no carriage¡­ then how could she escape¡­


    Her heart crumbled instantly and the new seedling of hope that had just grown was squashed.


    But swirling in her misery, she didn''t realize that she had mouthed the words out loud instead of just thinking it.


    "What did you say, honey?" One of the old men squatted on the floor, lifting her chin with his finger.


    "Carriage?" he narrowed his eyes, looking at her with clear and distinct disdain.


    He saw the despair on her face and immediately read her like an open notebook. "Oh! Baha ha ha ha! Were you nning to escape during the carriage ride?"


    Everyone else joined in and the bunch of eldersughed at her, their ringingughter stabbing her like cold steel.


    "Oh. Ha ha. No. No. No, my dear. It is not going to be that simple. Let me tell you what is going to happen."


    "You will be teleported out of here. Right here from this prison. You will be sealed in another cell, except this one will be morefortable and better."


    "You will have food everyday. You will get to sleep. But the rest of your life will be in a room."


    "We will even help you be stronger. You will live a long and healthy life, perhaps a longer life than Lucious here."


    He pointed at the King who was simply standing in a corner, his head bowed down as if he was a security guard.


    "But honey¡­ You now belong to the Mage Council and there is no escape. The sooner you learn to ept this, the better things will be for you."


    The man''s words were like venom that spread through Sylvia''s body. She shuddered and her brain turned nk.


    That''s it. It was all over and she knew it. It was really all over.


    Hmmm¡­ One of the other elders looked at her, observing her reactions. "I think its better we do a ve bond first." He muttered.


    "I agree." Someone else said.


    She watched as one of the elders stepped forward and started muttering something. She watched him being enveloped by a strong aura.


    A ve contract huh? She smiled, a bitter smile dancing on her lips. For some reason, this time she knew that it was going to be a permanent one.


    But she no longer cared¡­ She was done.


    The aura around the man became stronger and stronger and as he approached her to touch her hand toplete the bond, suddenly the bright luminous aurapletely disappeared.


    Sylvia did not react as she had no idea what was happening. The others, however, had weird expressions on their faces.


    "What happened?"


    "The spell failed?"


    "How could it be?"


    Did something not work? Sylvia''s eyes tiredly flitted around the room, observing the look on their faces.


    Her vision was blurry and her throat was parched. She didn''t even know if she was imagining things.


    But one thing was certain. The atmosphere in the prison had suddenly changed and there was fear and panic, and not just her own.


    All the elders were standing on their feet, their eyes alertly flickering. "What is happening?"


    "Marlow, finish the teleportation circle quickly. Let''s first take her out of here."


    Sylvia felt someone drag her body and she didn''t even struggle. She didn''t see a point in it anymore.


    However, as she was shoved aside to the center of the circle, she suddenly saw a familiar silhouette.


    Not that of Prisce¡­ Not that of Theo¡­ Not that of Leol¡­ and not even that of Mikel...


    Standing in front of her was a big snow white wolf with mysterious blue runes covering its body.


    Sylvia raised her hand to fondly touch the wolf. "Are you here to send me off, darling?" She muttered, half-conscious and half-not.


    But unexpectedly¡­ the wolf answered her back¡­


    "NO. I am here to take you with me."

 Chapter 155 - A Wolf...? Part2

    Sylvia raised her hand to fondly touch the wolf. "Are you here to send me off, darling?" She muttered, half-conscious and half-not.


    But unexpectedly¡­ the wolf answered her back¡­??


    "NO. I am here to take you with me." The animal''s deep husky voice sounded, gruff and unmistakably male.


    "Did he just talk to me?" Sylvia blinked, wondering if she was imagining things.


    She looked at the wolf, peering into its deep blue eyes that were simr to her own.


    In her current state, she wouldn''t be too surprised if she was delirious and was just seeing things that didn''t exist.


    But the wolf surprised her once again and it grinned like a human being. "When you can talk why can''t I?"


    "Umm¡­ I am a human being? And you are a beast?"


    The wolf shook its head, letting out a soft chuckle. "Oh, you poor thing. You don''t even know who you are."


    "What¡­ what did you just say?" Sylvia trembled.


    "Sigh¡­ Just go to sleep now. We will have plenty of time to talkter."


    The wolf took another step forward and snapped its mouth and Sylvia felt a wave of tiredness taking over her.


    She tried her best to remain alert and conscious. She knew that she needed to escape now somehow, but it was beyond her strength.


    Her head dropped on the floor, everything else a blur. She had no idea what happened next.


    She only heard bits and pieces. Glimpses shed past her eyes that were barely open.


    The snow white wolf morphed into a man with silver hair, who muttered something.


    Sylvia felt her body being lifted up.


    "Thanks for the teleportation circle geezers." Someone said, his voice was also a deep husky one like the wolf.


    "Attack his barrier."


    "How did he get in here?"


    "Such a strong barrier."


    The old men scrambled on their feet, trying to muster up every bit of their power but their eyes showed fear.


    Loud thundering noises rumbled and blinding lights shed.


    Sylvia felt her headache and she finally let go,pletely losing consciousness.


    In her dream, she felt as if she was being submerged in something warm and nourishing. All her wounds were slowly getting healed.


    The pain that had been guing her for days disappeared, reced by afortable feeling.


    She could finally breathe. She was flying like a bird in the sky, free and unfettered.


    Ughh¡­ Sylvia stirred awake slowly.


    She almost didn''t want to wake up from that pleasant dream which felt like heaven.


    But unfortunately¡­ it was time to face the cruel reality again¡­ the prison and her dark and bleak future.


    She woke up, and she rubbed her eyes as they tingled from the bright sunlight.


    Sylvia shuddered, suddenly realizing that something was amiss. She jolted up and shed her eyes open in a panic.


    Bright light flooded into her eyes but she didn''t care because this meant that she was alive and more importantly, she was outside.


    But what was the point of it all¡­ if she was just still with them¡­ to be held as a captive for life?


    She clutched her chest and rubbed her eyes vigorously, cursing them to clear up. She needed to see where she was.


    Tears pooled in her eyes as she felt the weight of that small hope in her chest. She knew that there was no way it could be true but still¡­


    "Slow down. Slow down. Are you alright? You are safe now. Slow down."


    Sylvia trembled as she once again heard the familiar deep husky voice which she thought only existed in her dreams.


    And when she opened her eyes, she could now see¡­


    The shackles on her wrists and the cuffs around her legs were no longer there.


    The smell of the damp and the dingy prison was reced by fresh cool air. Her mind was clear and her heart felt light.


    The abyss of pain she was drowning in, her energy and life slowly being sucked dry had disappeared altogether.


    A gorgeous gurgling brook ran beside her and she seemed to be sitting on top of its grassy shore.


    Andstly¡­


    Standing in front of her was the familiar snow white wolf, or rather it was a silver wolf.


    Its body was covered in blue runes, its fur sparkling splendidly under the bright sunlight.


    "What happened?" Sylvia asked, touching everything, including the grass, the mud, the dirt, the small rocks.


    She touched them slowly, and carefully, her hand gently grazing over them as if she was hesitantly trying to ascertain if this was indeed reality.


    "I saved you from those geezers. You should first say thank you." The wolf licked its mouthzily, revealing a cocky grin.


    Sylvia giggled even though several thoughts swirled in her mind. Without the pain that gued her very soul, she felt light and free.


    "Alright. Let me thank you first." She shuffled herself closer to the animal that wasying beside her, half its paw in the cool waters of the brook.


    She hugged it tightly and nted a light kiss on its neck, not noticing the surprised expression on the wolf''s face.


    "Thank you. I owe you my life. Thank you." She smiled and whispered.


    She had only meant to thank the beast, but in the end, her voice croaked and without her permission tears dripped from her eyes.


    She silently cried, relieving the grievances of her heart. She had suffered too much these past few days, beyond what she was capable of withstanding.


    She hugged the wolf tightly and cried to her heart''s content.


    The wolf or rather Roman sighed.


    The damn girl was ruining his fur. Nevertheless, he didn''t move and he allowed her to settle down a little.


    He had actually expected a volley of questions to be thrown at him but it looked like the girl was not herself just yet.


    So he sighed and patiently stared at the brook, ying with his paw in the waters. Has shepletely forgotten that I am a grown ass man?

 Chapter 156 - I Wont Leave Without Him Part1

    After a few minutes, Sylvia lifted her head out of the wolf''s soft fur, finally somewhat lucid.


    "Ah. I am sorry." She muttered, seeing that the pristine silver fur was now covered by the filth and grime on her face, the reminders of her time in the prison.??


    "That''s alright." The wolf grunted and then leaped into the nearby brook.


    It only took the animal an instant, as his silver fur sparkled once again in the sunlight, clean and soft.


    The wolf walked out of the brook and shook his body, drizzling beads of water everywhere.


    "Sorry about that." Sylvia smiled at the beast. "By the way, where is Mikel?" She absentmindedly asked, looking at the brook and thinking if she should take a bath herself.


    "Hmm... Mikel?"


    Sylvia snapped to look at the wolf, but there was no longer a beast in front of her.


    Standing casually and buttoning the cuffs of his shirt was a lean human being. His hair was bright silver in color and his eyes were deep dark blue, just like hers.


    "Who¡­ Who are you?" Sylvia stammered and fell back in shock.


    The knowledge about beast ns was not reallymonce. Only council mages and royal families were privy to such information.


    So it was not really a surprise to Roman that Sylvia had no idea about it. After all, she didn''t even know she herself was one.


    Roman dragged his gaze on the girl who was staring at him in shock. He hated talking in volumes and lengthy exnations even more so.


    Sighing, he decided to speed up things a little.


    He unbuttoned his shirt that he had just now buttoned up, revealing his lean and muscr chest.


    The next instant a blinding sh of light covered his body.


    His shirt, his pants, and himself disappeared and instead stood a big snow white wolf covered by blue runes.


    "Do you get it now?" He asked, his wolf walking towards Sylvia, who looked stupefied.


    She couldn''t understand how a beast could be a human being, but when the truth in front of her slowly sunk in, everything connected.


    This was why they had been calling her a beast. This was why they had captured her. This was why she had undergone all that torture.


    "Am I also?" Sylvia asked, her voice a whisper.


    "Yup." Roman turned around and once again reverted back to his human form, wearing his clothes back.


    Sylvia looked down.


    Several thoughts swirled in her mind, but most of all, her heart ached as she wondered if Mikel knew about this.


    Maybe he also did not know. She told herself.


    Maybe he knew and he was waiting for the right time to tell me and not freak me out. There could be several exnations.


    "You really don''t know Mikel?" She looked up and asked the man again in puzzlement.


    She understood why they captured her but why did this person save her?


    "Mikel? Is that the guy who was hanging around you the other day?"


    Sylvia nodded. "Listen, we need to leave soon." He said and added with a frown. "We can talkter about everything in detail."


    "Why? Are there people still chasing us?" Sylvia panicked and stood up.


    "Not right now, but there soon will be."


    Seeing the man answer her so bluntly with a straight face, Sylvia was at a loss for words. She opened and closed her mouth not knowing what to say.


    "So... shall we?" Roman urged her again.


    "But where are we leaving to? Nazom Empire?" Sylvia asked, suggesting one of the Empires which was at constant odds with the Kalindor Kingdom.


    "Eh? That''s a desert, isn''t it? Are you fond of deserts or what?" He paused and then added. "We are leaving to our Kingdom, of course."


    Roman looked at her face and he could see that the questions were only going to increase.


    He sighed and decided to get it over with. "Look here, Miss." Roman muttered.


    "Sylvia"


    He nodded. "Miss Sylvia. I am Roman."


    "I know I am blindly asking you to trust me here, but I did just save you from a bunch of old geezers. So obviously I mean no harm to you."


    "You are free now. We can part ways right here and right now, if you wish to and refuse my help."


    "But I strongly rmend you to not do that."


    "Have you heard about the horrendous wilderness? The wilnds thaty beyond the ocean? The ce where humans do not dare step in?"


    Sylvia nodded.


    "Heh. That''s where our Kingdom is and that''s where you belong. Come with me and I will take you there." Roman arrogantly answered. His words had pride in them.


    "You will be safe there. No one will hunt you down and no one will harm you."


    "But¡­ " Sylvia muttered hesitantly, tracing her finger on the nearby tree.


    As a sudden thought shed in her mind, she looked up at the man with the silver hair again and expectantly asked.


    "Are all those old men dead? I mean when you saved me from that ce?"


    Eh? Roman raised his brow and then chuckled lightly. "If I was that strong, I would have already rained hell on the humannds for all the atrocities they havemitted."


    Ah¡­ Sylvia gulped, feeling disappointed. If only they were all dead then¡­


    "So are youing?" He asked again, breaking her thought.


    Sylvia shook her head. "I am sorry, Lord Roman. Please forgive me. I am extremely grateful for your help, but I cannot leave with you."


    Huh? Roman narrowed his eyes. "May I ask, why?"


    "That¡­ I¡­ " Sylvia hesitated and did not answer him honestly.


    She could tell that the man held some sort of deep hatred towards human beings, so she didn''t want to risk things by exposing Mikel.


    She still had no idea what this stranger was capable of or even what his true intentions were.


    Even after all this, if she still trusted someone blindly, there would be a no bigger fool than her.

 Chapter 157 - I Wont Leave Without Him Part2

    Roman looked at the girl. Her thoughts and her hesitation were more than obvious to him.


    After all, unlike her who was young and naive, he was more than a hundred years old.??


    "Listen to what I am saying." He muttered snapping his fingers in front of Sylvia, trying to get her to look at him.


    He needed to convey the gravity of the situation, but if she didn''t want to see what was right in front of her, then what he says probably wouldn''t matter.


    "Before that boyfriend of yours can track you, the geezers would be on top of you like ants on sugar."


    "You won''t survive even a single hour, let alone a day and I am not joking." Roman sighed.


    "If you don''te with me right now, it is the same asmitting suicide. Same as dying? Or probably worse. I don''t have to tell you right?"


    "And this time, they will be prepared for me. Even I wouldn''t be able to save you. Well probably."


    Sylvia clenched her fists. She was not stupid. Everything he said, she already knew it¡­


    "And besides¡­" Roman continued.


    He didn''t want to tell this to her just yet but the girl looked like she was not ready to listen to him.


    And in all honesty, the faith and trust she had in this person did not sit well with him.


    Humans should never be trusted. This was something Roman knew only too well.


    "The day I saw you, I went back and did some digging. Your parents died young, am I correct?" He asked her.


    Sylvia trembled. "Why¡­ Why are you¡­ " She had a bad feeling.


    "They died to some sort of beast attack?"


    She nodded.


    "Hmmm¡­ I was not able to confirm anything because the person responsible has covered his tracks quite well."


    "But in my opinion, someone found out about you, killed your parents, and sealed your beast."


    "That same person should have removed that seal as well."


    "Did Mikel remove some sort of seal from your body?"


    Sylvia looked terrified. "He did¡­ but no¡­ he would never"


    "Let me ask you this¡­ Did you feel this way about him before or after he broke your seal?" Roman asked interrupting her.


    "What are you saying?" Her voice cracked.


    "From what I can see¡­ your boyfriend knew about you¡­ used you and would have probably thrown you out when he was done with you."


    "These feelings that you have for him are because of your beast that has been subdued and sealed within your body for years together."


    "You are just confused. You are mistaking this man to be your mate. Your feelings for him, this blind trust you have in him are not real."


    Sylvia looked petrified. "No, it''s not like that. It''s not like that." She muttered under her breath, shaking her head.


    Roman gave her some time. She needed it for everything to sink in. He sighed looking into the distance as she sat like a statue, not moving even an inch.


    But not long after, leaves rustled and a strong gust of wind whooshed past them.


    Roman instantly stood up and muttered a spell, setting up a barrier. However, he didn''t finish the spell and stopped mid-way.


    "Good. You are here. This makes things a lot easier."


    Sylvia turned her head and gazed at Roman in confusion. Her eyes then trailed to the side where he was looking and she shuddered.


    "Mikel." Sylvia shouted and ran into the man''s arms. "You are okay. You are alright." Tears streamed out of her eyes as she hugged him tightly.


    The other party, however, stood frozen. His gaze was on Roman.


    "How did you get here so fast? Hmmm?" His brow cocked, Roman, breaking the silence first. "Let me guess. Some sort of ve bond?" He added, answering his own question.


    Mikel remained silent. His coal-ck eyes simmered as he steadily gazed ahead. However, Sylvia defended him, on his behalf.


    "I knew about it. He told me and only then did that. He even offered to remove it."


    Roman chuckled and then he threw his head back andughed. "Sure he did. Did he also get what he wanted from you?"


    Sylvia bit her lips, knowing what Roman was talking about. "That''s none of your business."


    Roman chuckled. "There is no point in talking to you." His gazended on Mikel as he arrogantly added. "You. I am asking you. Did you get what you want from her?"


    A strong and domineering aura surged from his body, emanating a violent blood thirty pressure. The sheer power of it made Mikel crumble and fall on his knees.


    But not stopping there, Roman materialized a ball of condensed swirling energy in the palm of his hand. His eyes were cold and frozen like a sharp unsheathed sword.


    Mikel still remained silent. He didn''t utter one word. He kept his gaze steady at the beast in front of him.


    Sylvia, however, couldn''t remain calm. She couldn''t understand why these two were fighting.


    "What are you doing? Please. Please. Just stop." She screamed at the top of her lungs, kneeling in front of Mikel, but no one was listening to her.


    "You said I was free now. I was free to choose what I wanted to do. This is what I want to do."


    "Please. I want to be with him. Please just leave us." She begged, but it looked like her words were only falling on deaf ears.


    Roman did not even spare her a nce. His gaze was fixated on Mikel like a beast that was stalking his prey.


    An ominous aura of death hung in the air, and the both of them did not make a move.


    Seconds slowly ticked by, as Sylvia continued to beg and plead.


    Her eyes went back and forth between the two as she panicked, tears streaming from them.


    Again and again and again, all she could do was just cry and beg. She clenched her fists, hating herself for being this weak.


    She started hitting the rough ground, unable to bear it any longer, punching it until her knuckles bled.


    Both Roman and Mikel turned to look at her at the same time, one in surprise while the other in agony.


    And in the end, Mikel was the first to relent. He clutched the woman in his arms tightly and pushed her away.


    "Go with him." He said, leaving Sylviapletely speechless.

 Chapter 158 - Never Again

    Sylvia looked at the manpletely stupefied. "No no no. Don''t say that please. Don''t be like this."


    She rubbed her eyes clearing the tears that were dripping down uncontrobly, smearing some of the blood from her hands on her face.??


    "Please Mikel. Don''t be like this. She wrapped her hands around his neck and kissed him.


    However, his lips were frozen still like a stone. She sobbed and kissed him, her kisses trailing to his cheeks, eventually, her head slumping on his shoulder.


    Her face was buried in his body so she couldn''t see the expression that he was making but if she had seen, it would have only hurt her more.


    "How many times do I have to tell to make myself clear?" Mikel coldly pushed her fragile body away from him, her head about to hit a nearby rock on the ground.


    But before it could, another pair of hands quickly caught her.


    "Take that bitch with you. I don''t care about her. That bitch in exchange for my life. How about it?" Mikel smiled.


    "You!" Roman let Sylvia down gently and pulled his hand back to punch the filthy disgusting human, but she caught his leg before he could step forward. "No, please don''t hurt him."


    He stopped in his tracks, sighing. This was bing too troublesome. He looked at the girl clinging to his feet and crying. "Are you stupid?"


    "Did you just not hear what he said? And you will want to trust him?"


    "No. No. He is just lying. I know him. He is just lying for my sake." Sylvia sobbed. Others might doubt him, but she would never.


    She looked up at the stranger with the white hair who now held all the power and asked. "Can he alsoe with us, please?"


    He had helped her once so she threw all caution to the wind and decided to beg him to help her once again.


    This was all that she could do no¡­ Forcing down the self-contempt and disgust that rose up like bile, she asked him again. "Please, I wille with you if he can alsoe. It''s not safe for the both of us here. Please show mercy."


    Roman sighed. There she goes again! Asking for the impossible!


    "No human has ever stepped foot into thend of beasts. I am sorry. Even I don''t have the authority to do such a thing."


    "Please, Lord Roman. Please. I will be eternally grateful." Sylvia pleaded. It was clear that she was not going to ept any other answer.


    This time, it was Roman who relented and after a couple of minutes, he helplessly shook his head.


    "Alright. Let''s just talk about the other thingster. Let''s get out of here first."


    Sylvia smiled, her face suddenly beaming like a bright full moon. "Thanks, Lord Roman. I will never forget this kindness."


    Unable to look into her eyes any longer, which strangely had a pull on him and made him want to obey everything she willed, Roman turned away.


    "As I said, we need to leave." His eyes gazed into the distance and he remained silent for a while, after which he once again muttered, this time with urgency. "NOW!"


    Sylvia wiped the tears off of her cheeks and shuffled her feet as fast as she could falling near Mikel. "Let''s go. Please. Please. Do this for me."


    She could see the look on his face as he stared straight ahead and it terrified her. "Please Mikel¡­"


    Roman grit his teeth, a growl almost slipping out. The sight of one of them begging to a mere human infuriated him.


    "Are you stupid?"


    "Why do you trust someone like him?"


    "He did not even tell you who you were. Tell me this. If he truly loved you and trusted you, why were you in the prison in the first ce?"


    "How could he let you experience that terrible torture?"


    "Who knew what you were from the beginning?"


    "Who sealed your beast?"


    "Who killed your parents? And yet you love someone like him? Can''t you see how broken that is?"


    Roman was really at his limits. Sylvia barely even heard him as she continued pleading with Mikel, which only infuriated him further.


    "By the way, they are just your adoptive parents."


    "Your real parents are still alive and well. Just leave all of this here ande with me. I will take you to them if youe with me."


    Sylvia paused. She didn''t say anything to Roman and instead, her gaze was still fixated on the man whom she loved.


    She looked at Mikel with a finality in her eyes and asked. "Are you noting with me because of your stupid revenge?"


    "What is it? Your mother and your sister were killed?" She screamed at him.


    Before this, she had never once forced him to talk about this, but she just couldn''t keep her thoughts to herself any longer.


    "Answer me, Mikel. Were they killed? Is that why you are trying so hard? Did the King kill them himself?"


    Mikel did not move and made no efforts to reply to her, but the look on his face told her everything.


    She clutched his shoulders and shook him furiously. "Idiot. It doesn''t matter. It really doesn''t matter. No mother would want this for her child."


    "Do you think that this will make her happy? You¡­ suffering like this? You... sacrificing your life like this? She would only feel sad."


    Sylvia hugged him and sobbed, trying to melt his frozen frigid heart.


    "She would want you to live a happy life, Mikel. Pleasee with me."


    "Please. You don''t even have to¡­ we cane back here again" Before she could finish her sentence, Mikel finally moved, his gaze as cold as theher world staring down at her, making her mute.


    He pushed her and this time Sylvia could tell that he really meant it. "Get away from me. You and I are over."


    Sylvia stared at him, utterly shocked. He was no longer lying. He was no longer trying to protect her. Whatever she heard was the truth and she knew it.


    Behind her, Roman growled as they did not have the luxury to wait around any longer.


    "Come with me." He leaned forward, cing his hand in front of her. "Come with me and you will live."


    Sylvia looked at Mikel onest time, everything she felt for him crumbling in an instant, her gaze turning as cold as his, her eyes bright golden.


    "I am done." She muttered, epting Roman''s hand.


    "Never again¡­"

 Chapter 159 - Land Beyond The Ocean

    Across the brilliant violet horizon, a giant bird flew high in the sky, its wings outstretched, gliding gracefully.


    Sitting atop the bird were two figures, one morefortable and casual, while the other frozen still without any movement.??


    Roman subtly looked over at the young girl sitting near him.


    Her silver hair fluttered in the wind and her eyes stared ahead coldly, not betraying the thoughts inside her head.


    The two of them were currently riding his mount, a golden brown griffon.


    He could tell that this was probably her first time riding a beast, especially at such an altitude but yet she did not show any signs of fear.


    She simply stared at the endless oceanic waters as they continued flying across the ocean.


    He didn''t know why but he could also feel her gaze getting colder and colder by the minute.


    Was she upset? Was she angry? Am I supposed to say something? Roman ruffled his hair awkwardly. He was not good at dealing with women, let aloneforting them.


    He was more than a hundred years old but the number of women he had interacted with could be counted using fingers.


    "Ahem¡­ So¡­ Do you see the tall structure over there? That''s our sacred temple. One can even see it all the way from the humannds." Roman muttered randomly, trying to break the awkward silence.


    Sylvia gazed in the direction the man was pointing to but then froze. This was the same tower that she had seen not too long ago when she was in the yacht.


    Her mind was about to wander into the part of her life that she had forcibly pushed down and buried, but thankfully the tower''s golden silver sheen held her attention and she felt an invisible pull from within it.


    The exact same feeling that she had felt back on the yacht as well. "That''s a temple?" She asked, the coldness in her voice startling Roman for a second.


    His gaze had a subtle twinkle in them as he observed the girl who was so meek and pitiful just hours ago, but it seemed as if almost everything about her had changed now.


    "Yes. It is." He answered her and then remembering how Sylvia had grown up in the human world, he reminded her further. "Nothing too religious like how the humans worship their god. Our temple is simply a ce to honor our ancestors."


    "It is also a grave for our n elders and every lunar cycle, all the tribes meet there to discuss various things."


    Sylvia nodded. She then went back to staring at a distance.


    This girl! Roman sighed. Isn''t she even a little bit curious about who her parents are?


    Or any of the million things about the beastnds?


    Whatever. She is not my responsibility. I just need to hand her over. He turned around and gazed into the distance, the same ufortable silence wrapping them both once again.


    Only the griffon''s squawks sounded every now and then, amidst the pping sounds of its huge wings. The bird looked like an eagle but its features were far sharper and its talons longer.


    A few more hours passed when Roman finally gave in. "Don''t you want to know about your parents?" He asked her.


    Mmm¡­ Sylvia nodded. She looked like she couldn''t care less.


    "Your father is the King of our Kingdom, Miss Sylvia. Your family has been ruling the beast ns for centuries."


    Roman''s lips curled upwards, confident that this time he was going to get a reaction out of her, but¡­


    Sylvia simply nodded.


    What!!! He shook his head helplessly in defeat.


    He thought that the news about belonging to royalty might elicit some sort of response, considering themoner''s life she had led so far, but he was mistaken.


    It seemed like she didn''t care about that as well.


    "Your father is a good man, Miss Sylvia." Roman continued, though he was not quite sure why he was talking so much, considering that he hated talking to others.


    "You also have a grandfather, who¡­ hmm¡­ I guess is also not too bad, but your brother though¡­ he is a hateful maniac."


    "He gets on my nerves every single time. I swear that bastard enjoys tormenting me. You should be very wary of him. He is an evil asshole. He is¡­ "


    Forgetting what he was doing in the first ce, Roman started rambling, bing engrossed in his own thoughts, and calling the supposed elder brother of Sylvia several impolite names.


    Sylvia, however, had no emotions on her face whatever.


    She listened to everything the man said but she looked ahead, the only thought in her mind was not to look back.


    The sun soon drowned into the ocean and pitch-ck darkness nketed the waters when finally the first signs of shore started appearing.


    It had taken them an entire day to cross the vast ocean even with the bird, whose speed was top tier.


    "We are here," Roman muttered, and he patted the belly of the bird. Understanding his silentmand, it doubled its speed, shooting through the final stretch like an arrow.


    Sylvia''s body slightly jolted but she held the harness tightly, not losing her bnce. Wind rippled through her body and the force was tremendous, but she held on.


    "Impressive." Roman nodded. "As expected of an Akhekh¡­" He didn''t say thest part out loud.


    Before long, bright lights appeared on thend beneath, interspersed with thick clusters of forests and mountains. Unlike the humannds, the wilderness was mostly wild and untamed.


    The griffon gracefully and swiftly glided down towards one of the huge clearings andnded on the ground.


    "Good girl. Good girl." Roman hopped down and threw a huge b of meat into the air. The bird''s eyes shone as it quickly raised its head and snapped the chunk of meat with pinpoint uracy.


    "Do you need help getting down?" He then turned around to ask Sylvia but she was already standing on the ground beside the bird.


    "Alright then." Roman cleared his throat. "Let''s go. It''s time to meet your family."

 Chapter 160 - Arrival At The Palace

    Sylvia walked into a pce that was several times bigger and majestic than the King''s castle back in Kalindor.


    And unlike that castle, this one barely had any guards. Only a grand and ornate empty entrance weed the two of them.??


    Sylvia looked around, her cold eyes wandering the empty hallways, the marble floors, and the golden pirs which were studded with strange amber gems.


    "There are no guards here." Roman muttered as if he read her thoughts.


    "We are not like those vain humans. Our royal family needs no guards. There is simply no one strong enough to overthrow them."


    "I mean we do have an army, but they are scattered throughout the wilderness, rather than hanging around the pce like decorative sculptures."


    His boots clicked on the floor next to Sylvia, making loud noises, unlike her bare legs that softly padded along.


    As they walked further in, they halted in front of a huge hall.


    There was a single throne at the far center of the room, a brilliant gold structure that looked as if it was on fire.


    Two guards standing at the entrance of the hall rushed towards Roman as soon as they saw him and bowed. "Greetings, Lord Roman."


    Sylvia''s calm and steeled eyes flitted over to nce at the men when she noticed the pair of strange horns on their heads. Her eyes slightly widened but then returned back to their sharp coldness.


    "I seek an audience with his highness. It''s an important matter of the highest priority." Roman muttered, waving his hands at the two guards, who then bowed once again to him and scurried away quickly.


    "Don''t mistake your family. They are not here to wee you because they don''t know about you yet." Roman chuckled, turning around and exining to Sylvia.


    He didn''t notice that he was being more talkative than usual. The other party''s demeanor made him feel as if he needed to fill the silence.


    However, it didn''t do much good as Sylvia only nodded without saying anything else. It seemed as if she had no expectations.


    Roman sighed and shook his head.


    A few secondster, another pair of footsteps echoed in the distance and suddenly, a suffocatingly powerful aura filled the entire throne room.


    "Why do you insist on seeing me in the middle of the night, Roman Boris?" A voice thundered in.


    Sylvia, who was silent and distant up until now, suddenly froze. The familiarity of the voice made her tremble, evoking vague memories which she couldn''t recollect.


    She looked up and saw a tall and lean figure walking in, his eyes and mane, bright golden.


    Just as her eyes gazed into his, the man as well looked at her, and his movements paused. The intimidating domineering aura disappeared the next instant.


    "Who do we have here, Roman?" He asked, his golden irises fixated on Sylvia.


    Roman bowed slightly and then answered. "I think you already know, your highness."


    He clearly had a much more personal rtionship with the King as his mannerisms were more informal rather than formal.


    "Don''t talk to me in circles, boy." Frederick Akhekh grimaced. He looked like he wanted to strangle Roman.


    "Ha ha. As you wish, your highness." Roman chuckled.


    He then made an exaggerated gesture to the woman standing next to him and muttered. "I present you, your daughter Sylvia."


    The King stilled. Though he already had an inkling of who the person standing in front of him might be, he didn''t want to believe it.


    "How do you know that?" He asked Roman, who was taken aback by the King''s words.


    "Huh? Her aura is bright red with a golden tinge, your highness." He paused and then added. "And she is a spitting image of your¡­ "


    "Hmph. Looks can be deceiving." Came the unexpected reply, which made the Lycan n Lord even more surprised.


    Sylvia shifted her gaze away from the stern and cold look of the King, her supposed father.


    He didn''t want to ept her? It was fine. Somehow his words that should have been cutting and cruel had very little effect on her.


    An awkward silence filled in the giant hall as no one muttered anything else. The King''s behavior waspletely unexpected that even Roman was speechless.


    The silence continued to prolong like thest breath of a sickly woman when Sylvia finally put an end to it. "I will be taking my leave then, your highness."


    She bowed once towards the King and once towards Roman and did not wait for anyone to respond as she turned around and started walking out.


    "Miss Sylvia." Roman called after her, but she kept walking, not intending to stay in a ce where she clearly did not belong.


    She had already done that enough and she did not want to live like that any longer.


    The King''s golden irises trailed her figure and just as she was about to step out of the pce, his voice thundered. "Stay the night and then leave."


    Sylvia paused and turned around. Her eyes stared at the man''s back who was now retreating to his chambers.


    Only Roman walked towards her, feeling a bit apologetic. "He just needs some time." He said and Sylvia nodded.


    "Why don''t youe and stay in my castle in the meantime?" He asked and then added. "I insist."


    Sylvia once again silently nodded. All she needed was a ce to sleep. It didn''t matter where.


    She followed him as Roman walked towards the giant griffon bird.


    "The Lycan territory is just a few hundred miles away. We should be there in a few minutes."


    The two of them climbed on top of the bird and then the bird alighted, soaring high up into the sky.


    The wind whipped her face and her hair and the cool refreshing wind felt exhrating.


    This time they flew at a lower altitude and Sylvia could clearly see the lush forests and the tall trees underneath.


    Soon they arrived at another huge clearing and the bird once againnded in front of a majestic castle.

 Chapter 161 - Grandpa Cadmus

    Sylvia brought both her legs to one side and then slid down the soft golden brown feathers to get off the huge bird. She was now more used to the deceptively fierce looking yet gentle beast.


    She then looked towards the side to see Roman already busy with a bunch of guards who hade running to him.??


    They were all talking to him in low voices and their postures were humble and respectful.


    Not wanting to intrude on their private conversations, Sylvia walked forward to look around the castle.


    She ran her fingers along the smooth turquoise pirs that stood erect at the entrance.


    Unlike the previous one which had a golden silver architectural theme, this one had a mysterious silver and blue undertone, matching the color of her eyes.


    "Make yourself at home." Roman''s voice came from behind her and Sylvia nodded.


    No one said anything else and after a moment of silence, Roman ruffled his hair and strolled into the castle.


    In his time as the Lord of the Lycan n, he had entertained a lot of guests at the castle but this particr guest was proving to be unusually troublesome.


    He had no idea how to deal with this special guest.


    After Roman left, disappearing somewhere inside the castle, a couple of maids rushed out, immediately attending to Sylvia.


    They lead her to one of the rooms in the castle which had afortable bed and a set of pillows.


    There was also a bath, a dressing table, and several options for a change of clothes.


    It was a huge and luxurious room that looked like a royal dwelling rather than a guest room.


    "My Lady, may we please help you freshen up?" One of the maids bowed and asked, but Sylvia raised her hand to dismiss her.


    She was not in the mood for anything and simply wanted to rest for the night.


    Despite having no shackles or cuffs binding her, she still felt quite drained both mentally and physically.


    If she had more energy, perhaps she would have been wary of the new ce and the strange Lord who had out of nowhere rescued her.


    But she was far too tired and every thought in her head was a jumbled mess like a ball of yarn tossed around by a cat.


    Besides, she nned to leave first thing in the morning. So Sylvia walked over andid on the bed, not even bothering to change her clothes.


    And she fell into a deep slumber as soon as her head hit the pillow.


    That night Sylvia had a long peaceful dreamless sleep, but before she could wake up on her own, loud banging noises sounded on her door.


    "Mikel¡­" Sylvia muttered half-asleep, touching the empty space on the bed near her, but soon reality came crashing down on her.


    That''s right. She was no longer in Kalindor. She was in a strangend in the midst of strange people.


    A freezing chill mixed with sadness crept into her enchanting blue eyes and she indifferently pulled the nket covering her body aside.


    She then took a couple of seconds to rearrange her clothes that were disheveled and only then walked over to meet the guest at the door.


    But before she could get the door, another series of loud knocks echoed.


    Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang.


    Who was this impatient to meet with her so early in the morning? Sylvia paused for a second.


    It looked like the door was going to tear away from its hinges from the sheer force the other party was using.


    Was this an enemy? Did someone invade the castle? Several thoughts entered her mind. Nevertheless, she sighed and then proceeded to unbolt thetch on the door.


    But when she did¡­ Sylvia speechlessly stared ahead.


    Standing in front of her was an old man with a stout build which probably looked worse because of his short stature.


    Even Sylvia who was only of an average height had to look down in order to meet the old man''s gaze.


    His eyes were golden in color and his long white beard had a golden sheen to them.


    But what caught her eye and threw her off bnce was the look the old man was currently disying.


    His entire body was trembling and he had a pitiful expression as if he was about to cry.


    Sylvia looked up and down at him, her eyes still cold and distant.


    Before she could figure anything out, the old man suddenly moved and the next instant, two chubby arms wrapped her into a bear hug.


    Without any warning, the old man who had only looked like he was going to cry anytime, actually burst into tears, wailing loudly.


    "Oh, my baby. Did you suffer a lot? Grandpa missed you so much. I am so sorry I was useless."


    "I should have taken care of you better. I should have never let you out of my sight. This grandpa has let you down. I am so sorry. Boo Hoo."


    Grandpa¡­? Sylvia was stunned speechless.


    Standing on the corridor, outside the room, Roman almost stumbled and fell down.


    He had toe down from his chamber as the old patriarch had entered the castle unannounced, but without even greeting him first, the old man directly dashed over to Sylvia''s room first.


    Never in his life had Roman seen the proud and mighty Cadmus Akhekh behave like this.


    The man had literally melted into a puddle of tears as if he was a weak old man living in the vige.


    "He won''t kill me because I saw this, right?" Roman gulped and took a step back.


    He even considered silently returning back to his chamber. Unfortunately, it was toote for that. He was sure that the old man would have already noticed his presence even though he didn''t act like it.


    So all he could do was continue to stare at the ''heartwarming'' reunion between the old man and his granddaughter.


    Except all the emotions were onlying from the grandfather''s side, while the said granddaughter stood unmoved.

 Chapter 162 - Not A Doting Grandpa

    Sylvia stood utterly speechless as the old man continuedmenting for a few good minutes before settling down.


    "Wee back child. This grandpa will take better care of you this time around." He cleared his throat and finally released her from his tight grasp.??


    He then turned and shot a murderous nce towards Roman, who took another step back.


    But when his gaze returned to Sylvia, it was gentle and loving once again."Why are you staying here, pumpkin? Did this stinky brat do something funny to you?"


    Roman almost choked on air after hearing this unfair usation, especially seeing that Sylvia was taking her sweet time to respond.


    "Your highness." He gnashed his teeth and muttered. "It was me who rescued your precious granddaughter from the humans."


    What an ungrateful grandfather and granddaughter pair!!!


    But sadly, that did not earn him any brownie points as the old man immediately shot back.


    "Hmph. Why are you bringing up the past? Can''t you see that it would be unpleasant for my pumpkin to hear such traumatizing things?"


    So shameless! What the heck do you mean by the past??? It just happened yesterday night!!!


    Roman shook his head helplessly and decided to keep his mouth shut even though the other party was not making it easy for him to do so.


    Scoffing at him, Cadmus once again asked Sylvia. "Did that brat do anything funny to you, dear?"


    And this time, Sylvia shook her head.


    "Hmmm¡­ That''s good. At least he hasmon sense." The old man ran his fingers through his beard.


    "Alright. Let''s go back to our pce. I will not allow you to live in squalor like this even for a second longer."


    I am standing right here, damn it. Living in my castle is living in squalor? Roman sighed, wondering what the limit to the old man''s shamelessness.


    Sylvia nodded and then looked back at the empty room. There was nothing there that belonged to her.


    "It''s fine, child. I will send someone elseter to collect your things." Not waiting for her to exin, Grandpa Cadmus hurriedly dragged her along with him.


    Sylvia only barely had a chance to nce at the man with the white hair to thank him for everything, but Roman did not mind.


    Right now he just wanted to stay away from the troublesome grandfather and granddaughter pair.


    No one had exasperated him like this in decades!


    He watched the duo walk out of the castle in a hurry but then they seemed to have paused.


    What now? Roman furrowed his brows and walked out.


    "Brat. Lend me your bird. In my hurry, I forgot to bring my mount."


    Roman sighed and didn''t bother arguing with him. He lifted his hand and ced his index and thumb finger in his mouth to let out a low whistle.


    Almost immediately, a pair of wings pped in the distance and within seconds elegantly glided tond in front of the castle.


    "You need my help to climb up, dear?" Cadmus asked Sylvia while sending another deathly re towards Roman''s side who seemed to be amused at his question.


    Sylvia shook her head silently and then as the bird leaned towards her, she got on top of it in a single try.


    "Bravo! Bravo! As expected of my granddaughter." Cadmus chuckled and quickly apuded, which only made Roman sigh again.


    Isn''t this a bit too much for simply climbing on top of something? His eyes rolled all the way to the back of his head.


    After Sylvia sat downfortably, the old man as well jumped onto the bird and sat behind her, making sure that he would be able to protect her in case she lost her bnce.


    He then gave a slight nod towards Roman before the bird alighted, once again spreading its wings in the sky.


    It didn''t take too long and Sylvia could already see the silhouette of the castle in the distance which splendidly shone in the early morning sunlight.


    The bird dropped them off at the castle entrance and without anyone reminding it to, it immediately pped its wings again, flying back in the direction where they had juste from.


    Sylvia''s eyes trailed behind its elegant figure, gracefully gliding up and down in the sky.


    "Are you nervous child?" Cadmus asked, breaking her thoughts. "Don''t mind that brute."


    "I can''t believe that he actually sent you away in the middle of the night. I haven''t raised him well." Cadmus continued to rant and dragged her inside the castle.


    Sylvia saw the set of golden pirs and the ornate engravings at the castle entrance. They looked even more exquisite in the light of the day.


    She watched herself being dragged inside. However, her heart remained calm and steady.


    Perhaps if it was someone else they would have been more excited to meet their estranged family, but these people were mere strangers to her.


    Her eyes flitted over to look at the old man next to her who was deliriously happy. Unfortunately, she did not feel the same way.


    It was not her intention but even without her realizing, the broken pieces of her heart had slowly turned to ice.


    Cadmus brought Sylvia over to the same throne room she hade to yesterday night and then loudly pped.


    "Summon everyone here. I don''t care what they are doing, they better arrive in five minutes."


    His powerful voice boomed in the empty hall, almost frightening the servants bowing in front of him.


    They immediately scurried away and scattered in all directions in order to obey hismand.


    This was the patriarch of the entire beast Kingdom that had issued themand. So they didn''t dare take it lightly.


    Within seconds, several figures started slowly appearing in the throne room one by one.


    They all bowed in front of Cadmus and then stood on the side, wondering what was going on.


    Sylvia did not recognize any of them and the man she recognized slowly walked in at the end.

 Chapter 163 - A Part Of The Family

    Frederick Akhekh casually strolled into the huge throne room with a frown on his face. It had been a long time since his father summoned him like this at the break of dawn.


    He coldly looked around the room, before his gaze settled on the young woman standing next to his vibrating father. The man had far too much energy for his age.??


    "There you are!" Cadmus bellowed as soon as he caught sight of the tall and elegant man with his typical nonchnt expression.


    "What is the meaning of this, son?" The old man crossed his arms and gave the man a stern look, while the other party sighed and walked over to the throne to casually sit on it, even letting out a yawn.


    "It''s too early in the morning for this, father." Frederick pped his hands and when a guard rushed to him, he whispered something in his ears.


    "You!" Cadmus bellowed and walked closer to the throne, dragging Sylvia along with him as he went.


    "What possessed you to turn your back on your own child? You even dared to send her away in the middle of the night? Did I raise you to be such a heartless monster?"


    "Heh¡­" Frederick chuckled coldly. "The pot is calling the kettle ck now? Since when am I the monster, dearest father?"


    Sylvia was not sure what the two were talking about but she could see that the King''s words really affected the old man.


    Cadmus closed his mouth and red at his son casually sitting on the throne with a threatening gaze.


    "Besides¡­ " Frederick poured himself a cup of wine from a tray nearby. "I asked her to stay the night and then leave in the morning."


    "Her choosing not to do so doesn''t make me ountable for the end result."


    Cadmus shook his head. "You are being juvenile, Frederick. As a King how about you start acting your age?"


    "Haaa?! You are one to talk, old man. Don''t bring some random woman into my pce and parade her around, wasting my time."


    Not letting the old man''s words slip by this time around, the King shot up from the throne, as if he was ready for a brawl.


    The heated conversation between the father and son pair made everyone ufortable. They fidgeted with their fingers while looking down, not daring to intrude.


    However, the duo took no notice of it and continued with their private yet public fight.


    "What do you mean random woman? She is your daughter. Stop spouting nonsense." Cadmus chastised him.


    "Hrmmm? How are you so sure of that father? Her mother ran away. For all I know, this girl might not even be my child." Frederick shrugged.


    His words made Sylvia slightly tremble. However, it was only for a brief moment and her face once again became expressionless.


    A mother who ran away and a father who doesn''t want her, huh?


    Then the others standing around were either her siblings or half-siblings? They did not even nce at her,pletely ignoring her presence in the hall.


    Sylvia smiled bitterly. It did sound like a family that she deserved.


    The only thing that was out of ce was the old man who was arguing so much on her behalf.


    Cadmus Akhekh showed no signs of slowing down or epting defeat. He faced the King with an almost equal arrogance.


    The two of them silently red at each other, sparks of lightning simmering in their eyes.


    Seeing that the old man was hellbent on disagreeing with him, Frederick turned his gaze towards Sylvia.


    "Fine. If you are indeed my daughter, then how about you shift to your beast form and show me."


    Sylvia snapped to return his gaze. Her beast form¡­


    Bile and bitterness rose up to her chest as a flood of memories washed over her. She stood still,pletely frozen.


    A few seconds of ufortable silence passed when Cadmus couldn''t help but notice the look on her face.


    He instantly did not let this charade continue and raised his voice.


    "She is not one of your men. She doesn''t have to dance at yourmand. And she doesn''t have to prove anything to you!"


    "From today onward, this child will be acknowledged as a daughter of the Akhekh family."


    "She will be given the same respect and privileges which all of you are enjoying."


    "She is my granddaughter and one of the heirs to this glorious family."


    "There will be no further discussion on this matter. My word will be thest and final."


    The old man loudly harrumphed and flicked his sleeve before turning away to leave.


    Unlike the gentle and loving expression he had shown to Sylvia, his face right now wasced with rage and anger.


    No one, not even King Frederick Akhekh dared to say a word.


    He silently watched his father drag the young girl away, stomping his feet on the otherwise silent marble floor as the two of them left.


    And once they were out of the big hall, Cadmus didn''t stop and he continued walking, still holding Sylvia''s hand.


    The two of them walked along the long empty corridors in silence and only after a few twists and turns, he paused, stopping his footsteps.


    "Don''t mind that idiot. He just needs some time to ept the reality." The old man turned towards Sylvia and patted her shoulder.


    "Give me a second." He jiggled his long loose robe and retrieved a set of keys from within. "This was your mother''s quarters and now it''s yours."


    Sylvia looked at the huge area sprawled in front of her, along with a big courtyard and garden.


    "I really don''t need all this." She muttered, her gaze resting on the flowers in the distance. She wondered if it was her mother who had nted these.


    "Nonsense. You will be staying here from now on and don''t let anyone bully you around. You are my granddaughter."


    "So act like you own this ce pumpkin." Cadmus chuckled as he groomed his beard again.

 Chapter 164 - She Has Your Eyes Part1

    Grandpa Cadmus did not linger around and left shortly after handling Sylvia the keys. She was thankful for that.


    Just like how she was thankful when he was quick toe to her rescue back at the throne room when the King had demanded her to shift.


    The past few days had changed her life a lot for better or for worse. While she didn''t want to think about any of that, she also couldn''t refrain from thinking about them.


    It was suffocating and she couldn''t breathe.


    Sylvia silently watched the old man walk away and then turned around to insert one of the bigger keys into the keyhole on the giant door.


    Just like everything else in the pce, this door as well looked like an ancient gate to some sort of temple.


    It seemed to be made of pure gold and had exquisite carvings on it, depicting some sort of creature that she had never seen before.


    It looked like a snake but it also had weird horns and terrifying eyes that almost looked alive.


    Sylvia pushed open the giant doors and entered the huge open hall.


    The hall was connected to an open courtyard that led to the gardens and several rooms were littered around it, with the courtyard as the central structure.


    It was fully furnished with luxurious andfortable looking items. There were big velvet cushioned chaise lounges and settees.


    There were also pieces of leather furniture, a huge crackling firece, and an aristocratic dining hall just like the one she had seen in the King''s castle back in Kalindor.


    Elegant oil paintings and other sculptures decorated the wall. A huge chandelier with aplex and delicate pattern hung on the ceiling.


    Sylvia looked around patiently, not because she was impressed by thevish riches vomited all over the ce but because this was where her mother had lived, at least from what she had heard so far.


    Her eyes roamed, walking all over the castle chambers, searching for anything rted to her mother but she couldn''t find even a single portrait of her.


    Considering everything else that was happening in her life, Sylvia was not too disappointed. She let out a soft sigh and then walked out into the garden.


    A gentle breeze grazed her body, caressing her tired soul. Her long silver locks swayed in the wind just as the trees around her did.


    Surprisingly, the nts and shrubs in the garden were not neatly trimmed and pruned. Thewn was mowed, but everything else was allowed to grow as they naturally did.


    Wildflowersid scattered here and there. They were small and vibrant colored and glistened in the sunlight, with morning dew drops still clung to the petals.


    They looked beautiful and smelled divine, gently easing the soreness in her heart.


    These were the most prevalent nts in the garden, making Sylvia wonder if her mother was particrly fond of these.


    She bent down and leaned to smell the flowers without plucking them, but ended upying on the wet grass.


    The fresh earthy smell mixed in with the scent of the flowers was heavenly.


    She took long deep breaths and stared at the clear blue sky up above. It calmed her heart and mind like a soothing balm.


    Sylviaid still, closing her eyes and drowning her senses in the warm embrace of the air around her.


    And before long, the wounds still fresh and bleeding reminded her of their presence and tears spilled out of her eyes.


    Sylvia immediately jolted up and sat straight. She wiped the tears off of her eyes, recing the hurt and pain with freezing coldness.


    She did not want to cry ever again.


    She stood up and walked along the rest of the garden,ing to a stop in front of a small pond.


    Big lotus flowers floated atop the pond, their petals shimmering in the sunlight. Golden lotuses? Sylvia was stunned by their enchanting beauty and walked closer.


    And as soon as she neared them, energy coursed in her veins, and her tired and weak body suddenly felt extremely energetic.


    She inhaled and a thick surge of mana entered her body. "Hmmm¡­ Are these lotuses medicinal?"


    Her eyes gazed at them in awe, her body hungrily absorbing the small pockets of energy effervescing from the flowers.


    As she absent-mindedly continued admiring the lotuses, a group of hurried footsteps sounded behind her.


    "Your highness."


    "Your highness."


    "Your highness."


    Sylvia turned around to see three young women standing in front of her with their heads bowed.


    "Your highness, Patriarch Akhekh sent us. If it pleases your highness, it would be our honor to serve you from this day forth."


    Sylvia was startled for a moment and then nodded indifferently.


    Though she didn''t care much for all of this extravagance, she also didn''t want to unnecessarily refuse the old man''s kindness and attract more attention in doing so.


    She liked this peace and quiet and for now, she desperately needed it tost, at least until she figured certain things for herself.


    "Your highness, would you prefer your breakfast served in the dining hall, or shall we prepare for it here in the garden?" One of the maids smiled and asked.


    "What is your name?" Sylvia looked at the young woman who wore a bright and bubbly smile that seemed foreign to her.


    "I am Evie, your highness." The maid blushed and answered.


    The other two maids as well promptly stepped forward and introduced themselves without Sylvia having to individually ask them.


    "Evie, Coral, and L," Sylvia repeated their names. "Thanks. I appreciate your hard work. I would like to have my breakfast here in the garden."


    All three maids smiled and bowed again, before rushing away to prepare everything and Sylvia returned back to gazing at the pretty mysterious lotuses.


    Meanwhile¡­


    Inside the grand hall of the Lycan castle, a guard rushed over, sprinting on all four limbs, his hands, and legs hairy like that of a beast.


    The fact that he had to revert to his beast form partially in order to hurry along and convey the message, showed the seriousness of the situation.


    "What happened?" Roman asked, raising his brow.

 Chapter 165 - She Has Your Eyes Part2

    "What happened? Is it the humans?" Roman impatiently asked, his eyes coldly gazing at the creature in front of him, half-human and half-beast.


    The guard bowed and without bothering to shiftpletely, he quickly started rying the message.


    "My Lord. Patriarch Cadmus Akhekh has ordered you to visit him urgently." He panted.


    "Huh? What did you say?" Roman froze. His lips twitched as a bad feeling crept up at the back of his mind.


    The guard bowed and once again started to repeat his words. "My Lord. Patriarch Cadmus Akhekh has¡­"


    "Ya Ya. I heard it the first time." Roman snapped, not letting the man finish his sentence.


    "What does he want with me now?" He muttered rubbing his temples. He didn''t have a headache but he was most definitely expecting one shortly.


    Roman might be the Lord of the Lycan n but when it came to the Akhekhs¡­


    He let out a long deep sigh and then stood up from the throne to walk out of the castle. Unlike what the message said, there was no urgency in his footsteps.


    He leisurely walked out and was about to whistle, but he paused and started unbuttoning his shirt instead.


    The weather was nice and warm. So he decided to run all the way by himself.


    Well, more honestly, he wanted to run and tire his limbs out in order to relieve some of the frustrations beforehand. After all, prevention is better than cure.


    Roman''s lean and muscr body glistened in the sunlight as he removed all the clothing covering him.


    A couple of maids walking past him blushed, their faces turning bright red.


    However, they didn''t dare to linger, not to mention ogle at the Lord, and quickly walked away, whispering in hushed voices.


    Roman ignored the eyes on him and brazenly stood naked in front of the castle.


    He stretched his limbs before shifting into the elegant and mysterious snow-white wolf, body covered with blue runes.


    Letting out a loud howl, he kicked his hind legs, and sped forward, leaving behind only a huge dust cloud.


    His body shed and disappeared, crossing forests and viges, leaving after images as he ran free and wild with terrifying agility and power.


    Roman reached the royal castle in the span of a few seconds when it had even taken his bird several minutes to cover the same distance.


    In fact, the huge fierce griffon was no match to him. They were in two different leagues altogether.


    Roman did not stop at the entrance of the castle and ran through, only slowing down at the southern part of the castle where the old man typically resided.


    Though the castle was split into different sections, the garden still ran continuously, only slightly separated by a thin fence made of various creepers and brambles that added a wild charm to the otherwise neatly mowedwn.


    But just as he was about to jump over the fence into the old man''s private residence, he froze, momentarily pausing in front of a pond on the adjacent quarters.


    His deep blue eyes stared at the beautiful figureying peacefully on the ground. Her chest heaved up and down as she calmly breathed in the fresh air.


    She looked so thin and fragile as if she was going to turn into a puddle of water any second and seep into the ground without leaving a trace behind.


    His mind wavered for a moment, as he lifted his leg, starting to walk in her direction, but the next second he snorted and jumped over the fence instead, reaching the Patriarch''s residence.


    Roman thenzily took out his clothes from the silver pendant on his neck, which was his spatial storage armament.


    He only wore a loose robe as he nned to once again shed everything when returning back, but while doing so, he kept gazing at the pond and the figure who rested beside the pond.


    "What took you so long, brat? Didn''t I say that the matter was urgent?!" A grumpy voice sounded from inside breaking his thoughts.


    Roman instantly whipped his head away, as if he was caught doing something inappropriate.


    He walked away from the spot in a haste, heading inside, even though the old man was already on his way out.


    Not that he was covering his tracks. He was merely taking a look. There was nothing wrong with that.


    It was just that the old man seemed to favor the girl a lot and he didn''t want to get mixed up in somethingplicated, especially when it involved him, the troublesome man known for his temper.


    "Brat. Stop dawdling and get in fast." Cadmus muttered and walked back inside.


    Roman sighed and shook his head helplessly before following him inside.


    A pair of guards even closed the chamber doors behind them and stood outside making sure that no one else was privy to their conversation.


    Roman gazed at the old man''s odd behavior in puzzlement and sat down. "What happened, your highness?"


    "Brat. Start from the beginning and tell me everything. Leave no detail behind. Tell me everything you know about my granddaughter."


    Oh¡­ Roman nodded in realization. It made sense that this was why he had been summoned so urgently.


    On one hand, it tickled his arrogance for being summoned like this as if he was an errand boy but on the other hand¡­


    A pair of gorgeous blue eyes not unlike his, but seeped with sadness entered his mind and he cleared his throat awkwardly.


    "Your highness." Roman let out a deep sigh and started sharing with the old man everything, not leaving out any detail, even the most insignificant one.


    He started from the masquerade ball where he had seen her first and how he had researched everything about her.


    He told Cadmus about the Prince who had bought her as a ve and unsealed her beast.


    He told everything including his own theories and how Sylvia had been imprisoned.


    The old man trembled and his sharp eyes grew darker and darker as he silently continued listening to everything.

 Chapter 166 - She Has Your Eyes Part3

    Gazing at the distant tree gently swaying in the wind, Sylvia wiped her mouth after finishing breakfast.


    She gently ced the napkin down on the table and asked one of the maids standing near her. "Is there a library in the castle?"


    "Yes, your highness." Evie bowed and was quick to answer.


    Her mother had lectured her a lot about the old patriarch and how every order that he issued was to be taken extremely seriously.


    And right now, his orders were for her to serve the young princess to the best of her abilities.


    So the maid was very eager and enthusiastic. "Would you like to visit the library, your highness?" She added.


    Sylvia nodded after a pause and then stood up from the table.


    Evie immediately bowed and brought her over to the library which was actually located not that far from Sylvia''s new quarters.


    Once they reached the huge hall, the maid halted at the entrance. "Your highness. I will wait for you here. I am not allowed to enter inside."


    "It''s quite alright. You may leave." Sylvia dismissed the maid as she nned to spend the entire day here.


    Too many things had happenedtely and a lot weighed heavily in her mind and her heart.


    She wasn''t sure about any of that and she didn''t want to think about any of that. There was only one thought and one goal currently in her mind.


    She simply didn''t want to be weak anymore.


    She didn''t want to depend on anyone and she didn''t want to be at anyone''s mercy.


    Sylvia stepped into the library and looked around. It was even more spectacr than anything she had ever seen or expected.


    The huge grand hall extended for several acres, with stacks and stacks of bookshelves, filled with various books and scrolls.


    But that was not the end of it.


    As she walked further inside, she saw staircases spiraling down several meters underground and eachyer held countless books.


    Sylvia walked back over to the shelves in the front, where she assumed more general books would be found, and took some time looking around.


    Her eyes curiously darted here and there and her hands grazed on the spines of the various books as she walked along.


    She noticed a couple of books that talked about the history of beast ns and picked them up curiously.


    The first thing she wanted or rather she needed to know was about herself and it looked like everyone knew more about her than her at this point.


    Sylvia walked over to the back of the library where a long and lengthy table like that of a dining hall was situated.


    She assumed that this was perhaps a seating area intended for people to peruse through the books without actually taking them out.


    She sat down on one of the chairs and propped open the big dusty book on one of the small wooden stands that were ced on the table.


    Breathing calmly and steadily, she started flipping the pages one by one. Her eyes gazed at the words on the paper with an intense concentration.


    "Spirit beasts¡­ ancient beast ns¡­ " Sylvia''s lips moved and she mouthed absentmindedly as it was her habit to say a few words out loud when engrossed in reading.


    The more she read, the more her eyes widened and her heart pounded as the book spoke about mysterious things which she had no idea of, even in the slightest.


    Perhaps this sort of information was purposefully hidden frommoners, but still¡­ it was all just a bit too shocking for her.


    The world she lived in was divided. She had always thought that the humans were the most powerful beings on thend, save for the myriad beasts in the wilderness.


    But it turns out that there were several other mysterious creatures, some more evil and dark than she could have ever imagined.


    Apart from the humans, there were the spirit beasts who can take a human form, a beast form, and a form that was half-human and half-beast.


    But there were also other creatures roaming in the world, the night creatures, demonic beasts,her touched humans, astral fairies, nymph spirits, and the list went on.


    Sylvia couldn''t help but gasp as she continued to patiently read every single detail about each one of them.


    The great wilderness was a much biggernd than the human continent and the different races and creatures living in the wilderness were constantly at war.


    Some of them shared peace treaties but even those were flimsy fickle.


    As Sylvia continued to read,pletely immersed in the age-old historical records, she didn''t notice the presence of a second person in the grand hall.


    Frederick Akhekh casually leaned on one of the bookshelves in the corner, observing the young girl from a distance.


    Surprisingly, the anger and pride he had exhibited back in the throne room were no longer present on his face.


    Instead, there was a hint of gentleness etched on his features. "She has your eyes." He silently muttered.


    His golden eyes that were usually arrogant and domineering had an unfathomable sadness swirling within them.


    He gazed at the young girl unblinkingly for several minutes as she continued to read, after which she finally moved, heading back into the thick of the shelves.


    She was still not aware of his presence.


    He as well moved as soon as she did, but when Sylvia returned back, he was no longer there in the library.


    Instead, there were a couple of books ced on the side of the table where Sylvia had been previously sitting.


    "Huh? Did I bring these over?" Sylvia looked at them in confusion.


    But as she gazed at the title of the books, she soon forgot about how they came to the table and became more curious about their content.


    "Beast magic¡­ Hmmm¡­ This is what I need¡­ This should be able to tell me everything about my body."


    Sylvia ignored the set of books which she had searched and brought over and instead pulled those two books in front of her and busied herself.

 Chapter 167 - Injured Beast Part1

    Frederick Akhekh strolled out of the library engrossed deeply in his thoughts. However, his expression suddenly stiffened and his pace quickened.


    Not long after, an old man''s booming voice sounded in the empty corridor. "Did you go see my granddaughter?"


    The King''s footsteps paused and when he turned around, he was back to his arrogant and domineering self.


    "Hmmm? Do I look like her handmaid? Why are you asking me?" He scoffed twisting his lips.


    "Brat. You should treat that child better. What do you think she did first aftering to the castle?"


    "Again¡­ why do I care?"


    "She is studying! She is studying, you unfilial brat! Such a good child. You should treat such a precious child better, damned brat." The old man harrumphed.


    "Heh, really now?" He cocked his head to the side and mockingly chuckled. "I wouldn''t be so quick to jump to conclusions. Maybe she is putting on a show just for you. Her mother was good at that after all."


    Grandpa Cadmus did not respond to his taunt and stared at him squinting his eyes, his arms crossed.


    Frederick stared back at him with equal intensity, the father and son duo once again at odds with each other.


    After a couple of seconds, neither of them said anything and the King was the first to make a move, muttering something inaudible under his breath.


    The loud cking sounds of his boots echoed in the silent hall as he briskly walked away without turning back.


    "Sigh... What an arrogant prick! I should have disciplined him more." Watching the tall figure storming away, the old man shook his head helplessly.


    However, he suddenly paused, running his fingers through his beard. "Hmmm¡­ Wasn''t he walking in that direction? Now he is leaving in the opposite way?"


    Cadmus looked at his son''s figure which soon disappeared somewhere inside the castle. It almost looked as if he was running away. "Where is he heading to in such a hurry?"


    "Well¡­ whatever¡­" He shook his head and walked into the library, looking for Sylvia.


    He saw her slender figure sitting in a corner and peering into the books in front of her obliviously.


    His heart ached.


    "Sigh¡­ Wish I had found you sooner, my dear." The old man reced the sadness on his face with a bright smile and walked towards Sylvia.


    "Pumpkin, what are you studying with such an interest?" He patted her on her back and leaned over her shoulders.


    Ah¡­ Sylvia turned abruptly as the elder''s sudden appearance startled her.


    Maybe because she was reading things that seemed as if they were ancient secrets, her heart was racing and she was already at the edge of her seat.


    "Umm. I¡­ Nothing. I was just¡­ "


    Cadmus chuckled at the flustered sight of the girl and quickly helped her out. "Oh¡­ I see¡­ You must be curious about ournd and ways, right?"


    Sylvia nodded.


    "What a coincidence! Aha ha ha. I was justing over to talk to you about this exact same matter."


    The old man pulled up a chair next to Sylvia and sat down. "You don''t have to stand for this grandpa. Sit, child."


    Sylvia nodded and sat down.


    Cadmus flipped through the books on the table, his eyesing to rest on two specific books.


    "Ha ha ha. You have good eyes, pumpkin. In this big library, you have astutely picked the books that could be the most helpful to you."


    "Good. Good. Young women should be bright like you." He patted her, while Sylvia shifted ufortably in her seat.


    She didn''t really pick out those two books but it felt petty to correct him on such a small thing. So she continued to silently listen to him.


    "Let me get straight to the point. As a princess of our family, there are a lot of things you need to know and should be aware of."


    "Some of it for your own safety and some of it because¡­ well its good to know about our history."


    "So what do you think about a tutor, pumpkin?"


    "Your sisters and brothers also learned from capable tutors when they were young. Would you like someone to tutor you in the same manner?"


    Sylvia gazed at the loving smile on the old man''s face, her frozen heart slightly moved.


    This was something she really needed right now and he offered her exactly that.


    He could have simply given her a few more maids or more books or talked about otherforts and riches, but he genuinely thought about her needs.


    "I would immensely appreciate that, your highness." Sylvia bowed and muttered.


    "Ah! You are still not calling me Grandpa??? You are even treating me so formally? You must really hate this old man." He frowned sadly and turned his head to the side.


    Seeing such a powerful patriarch pout like a young girl, Sylvia awkwardly opened and closed her mouth.


    She then hesitantly called out to him. "Thank you, Grand¡­ Grandfather."


    Cadmus immediately whipped his head back to look at her, the bright smile again returning to his face.


    "Ah ha ha ha. See, doesn''t that sound better?" He chuckled.


    "After having traveled so much, you must still be tired. Why don''t you go back to your room and rest for a while?"


    "Your tutor will be here in the evening and then you can start learning? Does that sound to your liking, pumpkin?"


    Sylvia nodded. "Yes, grandfather." The words sounded so alien and strange,ing from her mouth, but she didn''t hate it.


    "Alright then, Grandpa will stop nagging you. Make sure to rest well, child, and don''t force yourself."


    "It doesn''t matter even if you don''t want to learn anything. All I want for you is to be happy and cheerful. Don''t push yourself." He patted her and then got up to leave.


    Sylvia watched the old man''s back that was slightly hunched. The image of a white wolf floated into her mind and she wondered just sort of a beast her new grandfather was.


    Her gaze then shifted, falling on her own slender hands and long fingers.


    "What am I¡­ "

 Chapter 168 - Injured Beast Part2

    After Grandpa Cadmus left, Sylvia returned back to her quarters and rested for a while. Despite having eaten her fill and a good night''s sleep, she was still tired, so she fell asleep quickly.


    Only when the maid nudged her in the evening, she stirred awake. "Your highness, the instructor has arrived." L hesitantly muttered.


    Sylvia nodded and calmly got out of the bed. "Bring her to the garden." She then took a few seconds to freshen up and walked over to the garden as well.


    A middle-aged woman was sitting there waiting for her. She had a distinct pair of gold-rimmed sses that sat on the bridge of her pointy nose, giving her a stern tutor-like look.


    As soon as Sylvia walked out, she stood up from the table and bowed.


    "Good evening, your highness. I am Mrs. Gruger. If it pleases your highness, I will be handling your training and basic education."


    Sylvia bowed as well and paid respects to her. "I am grateful for your help, Mrs. Gruger."


    The instructor smiled after seeing Sylvia''s polite mannerisms and humble attitude. Though she gave off a reserved vibe, she already had a very good impression of her.


    "Please, take a seat. I first wanted to discuss with you a few things before starting." Gruger pulled a chair for the princess and then sat down herself.


    She was someone who usually dealt with kids and royal family kids were a lot less intimidating than the adults.


    "Ummm¡­ Your highness¡­ So patriarch Cadmus has briefly filled me in about your special circumstances."


    "He told me that only recently you became aware of your beast side."


    "Yes, Mrs. Gruger." Sylvia answered.


    It seemed like her grandfather had taken care of everything, even making sure she didn''t have to exin anything to anyone.


    "May I please know if you have ever shifted?" The instructor probed further, for which Sylvia could only shake her head helplessly.


    She did not even know what that meant.


    "Ah. I see. I see. That is indeed a pity." Being a member of the beast n herself, Gruger could sympathize with her plight.


    For people like them, not being connected with their beast was like losing half their limbs and being paralyzed.


    "No need to worry, your highness. We will get started with that as soon as possible." Gruger paused for a moment and then continued. "Then¡­ I think we should first start with a brief introduction."


    "We beast n members are blessed naturally. Our bloodline is special and we are able to shift to our ancestral beast God."


    "For instance, your highness, I am from the serpentine n. I am able to shift into a venomous snake. Would it please your highness to witness my transformation?"


    Sylvia listened intently and nodded. Her eyes never left the middle-aged woman as she curiously watched her stand up and walk to the side.


    The next instant, without any warning, the tall lean figure of Gruger disappeared and her clothes fell down into a loose puddle.


    But amidst this puddle, something moved. Shiny ck scales shimmered under the glow of the moonlight as a long coiled snake slowly slithered out.


    Sylvia gasped. Even though she had already seen Roman doing the same thing, she was still unable to get used to this sort of mysterious magic.


    "This is my beast body, your highness." The snake hissed, but instead of mere hissing sounds, Sylvia could hear Mrs. Gruger converse with her.


    She dazedly stood up, and walked over to the snake coiled on thewn and knelt beside it.


    She raised her hands and without any apprehension to the snake''s venom, she caressed the beast, running her fingers on its coarse scales.


    Mrs. Gruger waspletely taken aback. For someone, not used to being around beasts, Sylvia was very quick to adapt.


    Moreover, touching another beast like this was something very intimate and generally not condoned, except for their immediate family members or partners.


    But Sylvia was doing it so innocently that Gruger couldn''t bring herself to get offended. She only coughed awkwardly.


    "Your highness. Please wait a moment while I change back." L hurried behind Gruger carrying the woman''s clothes and both of them went back inside the castle.


    After a few seconds, they once again returned. "Ahem. Ahem. Did you have any questions about the demonstration, your highness?" Gruger asked, changing the topic.


    She decided to instruct Sylviater about the etiquettes and customs as she didn''t want to embarrass her by bringing it up immediately.


    Sylvia''s sharp and cold eyes were widened like a dove''s and she looked like she had a million questions.


    "Mrs. Gruger, how¡­ how did you just do that? I mean is there a magic spell? How can the body change like that?"


    The instructor chuckled. "No, your highness. There is no particr spell. Just like we are able to breathe, this is also an instinctive ability."


    Sylvia''s lips curved into an O and she nodded. "Then how is it possible for me to¡­"


    "The patriarch mentioned something about a seal ced on your soul. That could have prevented you from sensing your beast."


    "A seal ced on my soul," Sylvia repeated her words as her mind wandered to a ce she didn''t want to visit.


    "Then, your highness. Would you like to try and shift now?" Snapping her out of her thoughts, Gruger''s words pulled her back into reality.


    Sylvia nodded and stood up. She bit her lips and stood still for a moment or so. She fidgeted with her fingers and looked at her hands and legs.


    However, nothing changed and she still remained human. How the hell was she supposed to shift?


    Mrs. Gruger who observed Sylvia''s actions had to stifle herughter back.


    Since she didn''t know what Sylvia had gone through, all she could see was a grown woman with almost a constipated look on her face. It was quite hrious.


    But she was a trained tutor after all. So she managed to keep a straight face and gave the princess some time and privacy to fully understand her body.

 Chapter 169 - Injured Beast Part3

    Sylvia stretched her body, twisted and turned. She took deep breaths, clenching her fists.


    She also tried breathing and circting the mana in and out through her body.


    But weirdly, no matter what she did, she couldn''t feel anything at all.


    A few more minutes passed when Mrs. Gruger finally spoke up and decided to intervene.


    "Your highness. We can try again tomorrow. No need to rush things."


    Sylvia nodded and sat down. There was a bit of disappointment on her face, but she still remained calm and collected.


    "Then shall I take my leave and we can meet again tomorrow at this same time?" Mrs. Gruger suggested.


    Sylvia nodded. The middle-aged woman prepared to leave when she looked up and muttered. "Mrs. Gruger, what beast do you think I am?"


    Ah¡­ The woman stopped. She couldn''t help but gaze at the young girl with pity. She sat back down and exined.


    "Your highness, it is not possible for others to know what bloodline you possess. Only when you shift your beast will be revealed."


    "However, different bloodlines have different biases. For example, almost all my family members are serpentine n members."


    "And¡­" Gruger paused. "Since you are a daughter of the Akhekh family, your beast will most likely be a draconic descendant."


    "You mean dragon?" Sylvia asked again.


    "Yes, your highness. But there are different beasts with the draconic bloodline."


    "While all of them are more powerful whenpared to the majority of other beast ns, they need not essentially be dragons."


    Sylvia nodded.


    Gruger had expected some sort of reaction from her for at least this information but she was surprised to see the princess still remain indifferent.


    She assumed that she probably knew about it beforehand, at least some of it, so she didn''t think too much of it.


    Shortly afterward, Mrs. Gruger left and Sylvia was by herself in the garden. She stared at her hand and tried to imagine ws instead of her slender hands.


    "Why won''t youe out¡­?" She muttered.


    The evening sky slowly turned dark and Sylvia sat alone in the garden, still gazing at her hand.


    However, unbeknownst to her, in the other corner of the garden, an old man groomed his beard in deep thought and walked back in.


    He sat down in his armchair, knitting his fingers together and three men stood in front of him.


    "Uske. If someone is not able to shift easily, do you think that the person''s soul is damaged?"


    The man named Uske bowed and answered. "Your highness, that need not necessarily be the case. Sometimes the bloodline could just be too insignificant and the person could be more human than spirit beast."


    Hmmm¡­ Cadmus nodded, though his eyes were quite unfocused as if he was still thinking about something.


    After a while, he looked up and asked again. "That brat, Roman¡­ Didn''t he have some difficulty shifting too?"


    A few minutester¡­


    Inside the Lycan Lord''s castle, Roman was sitting with a few of the Lycan n elders and having dinner.


    He had a cold and aloof expression as he was discussing with the group of men and one woman about harvest moon hunting which was a long-standing tradition.


    However, suddenly, the doors opened and a tall and lean man barged inside.


    Roman''s face instantly changed and his previous lofty and cold demeanor was nowhere to be seen.


    He recognized the man standing in front of him to be one of the royal family''sckeys. He had a bad feeling. Even his eye twitched.


    "What now?" He muttered, his voice almost a growl.


    The person who barged in, Uske, bowed. "Patriarch Cadmus has summoned your highness. This matter is of utmost importance."


    Roman''s lips twitched. "I am sure it is." He ced his fork down on the table. "But as you can see, I am already in the middle of something important."


    "So please inform the patriarch that I will be paying him a visit first thing tomorrow morning."


    Ah¡­ Uske smiled awkwardly. "That¡­ That¡­ " He wanted to say that that was not really an option but he hesitated a little to give the young Lycan Lord some face.


    One of the elders as well chimed in to advise Roman. "My Lord, please rest assured."


    "We can finish the rest of the preparations and I can personally report to you tomorrow with the full details."


    Roman almost growled at the man who was taking away his only excuse.


    He sighed helplessly and then paused. A couple of secondster, he once again sighed and stood up.


    "Alright. I am heading to the royal pce." He moved the dining table chair with a thud, which it only barely survived.


    He then shifted and sted out of the castle without waiting for Uske to follow him.


    Awooo! An angry howl echoed through the otherwise quietly rustling forests.


    It didn''t take long for Roman to reach the royal pce especially considering that he was raging on the inside.


    "This better be a damned emergency." He gnashed his canines and leaped through the gardens, reaching patriarch Cadmus''s private quarters.


    "Your highness, you had summoned me?" Roman muttered through his teeth, his silver hair messily sprawled like a bird''s nest. "May I know what was so urgent?"


    The old man nced at him and then with a serious expression he answered. "I need you to teach my granddaughter how to shift."


    Huh? Roman blinked.


    He had assumed that it was probably something rted to her but he still did not expect this. He furrowed his brows and probed.


    "Your highness, may I ask why you requested me specifically for this? Your highness is probably the best person to learn from."


    "Hmmm¡­ That might be true but I think you can help her more. Didn''t you also have a simr experience when you were younger?"


    The old man''s words reminded Roman of some unpleasant things and his jaw clenched tightly.


    But he did understand why he had been called over and he let out a deep breath, simmering down, as this was notpletely ridiculous.


    The old man did not go overboard this time. It was somewhat reasonable to have called him over.


    He need not havebeled it as urgent, but still... this was something Roman could live with.


    He cleared his throat and just as he was about to agree to the patriarch''s request, the old man opened his mouth again.


    "Besides, how can I ever yell at my dearest granddaughter? She is such a sweet and kind girl. You do it. She won''t feel bad if a ruffian like you treats her strictly."


    There it was! Roman smiled bitterly. I should have never rescued that damned girl!

 Chapter 170 - Letting Go Part1

    Rubbing his temples, Roman walked out of the patriarch''s quarters, and it didn''t take long for him to find Sylvia.


    She was sitting beside the small pond that had beautiful golden lotuses floating around.


    It looked like she was meditating. He saw her calmly breathe in and out, circting the mana through her body.


    The thick mana in the air, the nourishing energy from the lotuses, and the ethereal glow from the stars and the moon in the vast night sky, all together enveloped her, swirling and dancing around her.


    She looked like a celestial maiden who had descended onto the mortal realm.


    Roman froze, slightly caught off guard.


    Even though he already knew that she was quite a beautiful woman, seeing her like this, he couldn''t help but take a second to admire her appearance.


    The scene in front of him was breathtaking but at the same time, there was something unsettling about it.


    Roman frowned. For some reason, he felt as if this didn''t suit her at all.


    He knew her before this. Maybe not much but he had observed her at least for a little while.


    This was not her.


    She was not the cold blizzard that cruelly froze everything in sight. She was the warm kind fire thatforted the weak and weary.


    He could see that she was hurting and she was only barely hiding it by being so silent and still.


    "Why the hell am I babysitting her?" He sighed and then walked over to her side, knowing full well that the old man was probably standing somewhere and watching each and every single one of his moves.


    What a troublesome girl! He again sighed.


    "Not feeling sleepy huh?"


    Sylvia opened her eyes and looked at the familiar figure standing in front of her. She steadied herself and then stood up.


    "Greetings, Lord Roman." She gave him a small curt bow.


    Roman nodded. "How do you like the ce so far?"


    "Everything is to my liking," Sylvia answered him.


    He realized that the question was for naught considering that it had barely been a day since she got here.


    But weirdly¡­ they had already met more than twice. What the hell?!


    Roman was neither a fan of the small talk nor was he any good at it. So he didn''t beat around the bushes and directly got to the point.


    "You are having some trouble with your shifting?"


    Sylvia nodded. That was why she had been meditating instead.


    She had not been able to shift into her beast form, so she decided to focus on the other thing that she knew.


    She was not upset. She was not disappointed. She simply chose to do whatever she could at the moment.


    "I see. You don''t have to worry about that too much. It is very normal taking into ount your history."


    Sylvia flinched but nodded nevertheless.


    "Would you like me to give you some pointers?" Roman asked, cocking his head to the side. He half-expected her to act stubborn and proud, not willing to take his help.


    And if the other party was not interested, there was no point in him trying to help.


    But unexpectedly, Sylvia bowed and replied. "I would really appreciate that, Lord Roman."


    His blue eyes stared intently at her, unable to read her thoughts.


    But one thing was for sure. If he indeed decides to help her, it wouldn''t be right under the nose of that annoying old man.


    He could almost feel his burning judgmental gaze on his back, making him sweat. It was not like he was going to eat her alive.


    Are you going to trust me with your granddaughter or not? Make up your mind, you old bastard. He wanted to snap back.


    But unfortunately, he can''t¡­


    Swallowing his grievances, Roman muttered. "Let''s go for a walk."


    He led Sylvia out of the royal pce and the two of them walked over to a forest nearby.


    There were acres and acres of wilderness surrounding the pce, so they didn''t have to walk for long.


    But neither spoke to the other, making it seem very long nevertheless.


    "So why do you want to shift into your beast?" Roman was the first to break the silence and he stopped in the midst of tall lush trees.


    Sylvia looked up, meeting the man''s piercing gaze, and slightly faltered.


    She paused for a moment and then slowly moved her lips."It''s because I am a beast."


    "Heh. Is that so?" Roman did not hold back and sneered at her half-hearted reply.


    "Let me stop you right there. If you are not honest with me, this is a waste of both of our time."


    Sylvia flinched at his bluntness.


    She met his unforgiving gaze again and saw that he was patiently waiting for her to make up her mind.


    She paused for a while and let out a deep breath. "I want to be stronger." She muttered, her voice barely audible.


    Roman nodded. This time he didn''tugh at her face. "Alright. That wasn''t too difficult now, was it?"


    "See. Shifting is going to be difficult for someone like you." Roman walked up to a tree and leaned on it.


    "I mean you are already what 20 something? And you haven''t shifted even once."


    "But at the same time, it should also be extremely easy for you. Do you know why?"


    Sylvia felt his cold gaze linger on her as if he was seeing right through everything that she had locked away.


    "Close your eyes," Roman muttered. "Trust me and close your eyes. Just listen to my words and words alone."


    She nodded and did as she was told. There was a sharpness in his voice that made her trust him and listen to him.


    A minute of silence passed by and she heard him speak again.


    "You are back in that prison cell¡­ " His voice drawled on.


    "Your hands and your legs are bound and you are unable to move¡­"


    Sylvia knew that she was not really there and he was simply saying these things to her.


    She understood what he was trying to do. She imagined herself being back in that hopeless deste ce... and suddenly...


    She felt pressure on her legs and her wrist that made her body shudder.

 Chapter 171 - Letting Go Part2

    Sylvia knew that she was not really there and he was simply saying these things to her.


    She understood what he was trying to do. She imagined herself being back in that hopeless deste ce... but suddenly...


    She felt pressure on her legs and her wrist that made her body shudder.


    She was only trying to imagine things but she felt as if something was really weighing her down, her wrists and legs cuffed.


    She could feel the old high council mage gazing at her, touching her hair and feeling her skin.


    Sylvia screamed. All herposure was in a second shattered.


    She screamed loudly at the top of her lungs and she opened her eyes, no longer wanting to go through with the n.


    She tried to open her eyes but she couldn''t see. Everything around her was dark.


    "NO. No. No. Stop this." She shouted, begging Roman to stop whatever he was doing, but the man''s voice only unapologetically answered her pleas.


    "Not going to. I will do whatever I want. Do you know why? Because you are weak and I am strong."


    Sylvia clenched her fists.


    Everything that she was trying to forget and erase from her mind, all came flooding back at the same time.


    She was once again back to that weak little helpless girl who couldn''t even save herself.


    If a random stranger had not been kind to her, she would probably be suffering a fate far worse than death right now.


    Tears streamed out of her eyes and she shook her hands and legs, trying to break free.


    "Sylvia," Roman said, his voice cutting through the messy emotions which she was drowning in.


    "The beast is your strength. Call it. Summon it. Make ite out and obey you. Channel your anger."


    "Fight through whatever is holding you back. There is no use burying these painful memories."


    "You need to face them head-on. You need to really let go."


    "Don''t you want to tear those humans apart? Don''t you want to rip them to shreds?"


    "Or are you just going to keep being so weak and defenseless?"


    "Sure. You can do that as well."


    "Your grandfather, your father, and your brothers will probably protect you all your life."


    "You don''t even have to lift a finger."


    "Even now, just shout a bit louder. I am sure your grandfather is somewhere around here."


    "Call for his help. He wille and save you in an instant. You are just weak and pathetic, right?"


    Roman continued talking, each of his words more cruel and cutting than the previous one.


    She didn''t know but he was observing each and every single thought that flitted past her face.


    She sobbed. She struggled. She bit her lips.


    The woman in front of him was really weak. Roman sighed. Perhaps this was not the best way to help her.


    He could see that she was suffering and he decided to stop the illusion magic spell he had cast.


    He walked forward to help her steady herself when suddenly a loud growl sounded and before he could blink, a massive force pushed him down.


    Looming on top of him, ready to rip and gnarl his throat was the same woman he had doomed to be too weak just seconds ago.


    She was still¡­


    The woman on top of him was still very much human, except her eyes were sharp and bright golden in color, and a pair of curved silver horns jutted from her long lustrous silver hair.


    She stared at him unblinkingly with a wave of savage anger in her eyes, ready topletely devour him.


    Her long hard nails dug into his flesh and her hands held him down with monstrous strength, mostly because he allowed her to.


    He didn''t want to intrude on her transformation, so he didn''t even flinch as blood dripped from his chest and shoulder, where she mercilessly dug her fingers in.


    Roman gulped. He couldn''t withstand the overwhelming pressure exuding from her, but at the same time, he couldn''t take his eyes away from her.


    Beautiful.


    That was the only word that came to his mind.


    A pair of silver wings stuck out from her back and that had left her clothes in tatters.


    There were shimmering silver scales here and there, covering most of her upper body, but it did so in a way that tested him.


    Her ample breasts, partially revealed, partially covered, heaved up and down, as she growled in anger, her warm breath washing over him.


    She smelled like lotuses and vani.


    He stayed still, holding her gaze.


    He knew how to tame an angry beast that wanted to rip him apart but for some reason, in front of this particr beast, his body refused to move or even think.


    He stayed still, feeling an irresistible urge to raise his hand and run his fingers through her long silver hair.


    Damn it. Roman cursed himself. He was here to help this woman but his mind was wandering elsewhere.


    He forced himself to snap out of his trance, but before he could pull her away from him, he felt an even more powerful and intimidating aura that sent chills down his spine.


    Ah, fuck! That old man!


    A pair of big hands, dark brown and covered in golden scales lifted Sylvia up, separating her from him instantly.


    She tried to growl and fight back, but she fainted the very next second.


    Cough¡­ Cough¡­ Roman ruffled his hair awkwardly and picked himself up from the ground as well.


    He only touched the wounds that were bleeding and they magically healed without him having to do anything else.


    His blue eyes then darted to the short and chubby old man, the patriarch of the draconian n, Cadmus Akhekh.


    He was standing in front of him, holding the slender girl in his arms and staring down at him as if he wanted to kill him.


    No, there was no doubt in his mind. This old man really wanted to kill him!

 Chapter 172 - Letting Go Part3

    Roman cringed, looking at the old man whose chest was heaving up and down.


    It messed with the other image that was stuck in his mind, the image of the girl who was ready to devour him, her chest also heaving up and down.


    Roman shook his head. "Ahem. I was just helping her, your highness." He cleared his throat again and tried to exin, lest he was afraid, he might just be murdered on the spot.


    Hmmm¡­ Cadmus hummed, his eyes scrutinizing the man in front of him, standing awkwardly with his shirt ripped off.


    "Don''t talk about what happened with anyone." Holding Sylvia gently in his arms, the old man then disappeared back into the royal pce.


    Roman blinked, wondering why he had received such a strange warning.


    He had expected something more along the lines of ''Stay away from my granddaughter'' or ''I will kill you brat''.


    He stood for a while, staring in the direction where the two of them had disappeared.


    He hade here to help her and that didn''t go too bad.


    He let out a deep sigh, turning around to leave.


    He tried to shift and move, but he could still feel a dull ache in his bones. Fuck. Just how strong is she¡­


    The next morning¡­


    Sylvia woke up, her head feeling very groggy, but that was not the only thing that was different about her.


    As soon as she took the first breath, she could tell that something was weird. Weird good.


    She could feel it.


    She could sense it in the air that she breathed.


    For some reason, she felt so much moreplete. Not that there was a piece of her missing before.


    It was just different.


    She felt more like herself, more stable, more grounded, and less restless.


    She stood up and drank some water, but her head was still throbbing with a vague pain.


    How could one feel so good and terrible at the same time? She was left puzzled.


    "What happened yesterday? Did I drink too much wine?"


    She only remembered being angry, angry about something. She had never felt angrier in her life.


    But after a couple of seconds passed¡­ The tutor¡­ the snake¡­ the wolf¡­ and herself¡­


    Everything came crashing down all at once.


    Sylvia shuddered, holding onto the wooden edges of her bed. She now remembered everything.


    Roman''s words were still fresh in her mind, his voice ringing loud and clear. He had called her a pathetic weakling and a coward.


    Just thinking about it again arose a pang of fury within her. Her emotions were all over the ce.


    Sylvia closed her eyes and took a couple of deep breaths.


    "Focus." She muttered under her breath and tried to really concentrate on the only part of the evening that mattered.


    She raised her hands that were gripping the wood firmly and looked at them.


    They were lean, pale, and soft with long fingers.


    But that was not what they looked like yesterday night. She remembered them being sharp and steel-like.


    She felt as if she could tear through anything. In fact, she remembered digging into Roman''s body¡­ pushing him down¡­


    Sylvia sighed. "I will apologize to him in person." She felt guilty, but she was not really sorry about it.


    He had provoked her and she actually transformed.


    She didn''t think that something like this could actually work and so easily, but apparently, it did.


    It was just that easy.


    All she needed to do was get angry and the beast within her was ready toe out and wreak havoc.


    And anger was something that she didn''tck.


    Still gazing at her hands, Sylvia walked to stand in front of a tall full-size mirror.


    She looked at her reflection, at her slender body, her blue eyes and her silver hair, and then back at her hands.


    She closed her eyes and took a couple of breaths. She once again tried going to that dark and desperate ce.


    She thought about how weak and pathetic she was and how she had begged him¡­ No that''s not what she wanted to think about.


    She tried to think about the prison cell, the pain, the cuffs and shackles that bound her but once again a familiar face flitted across her mind, a face that she did not want to ever think about.


    Sylvia bit her lips in frustration. This was not working.


    She gulped down another ss of water and tried again, but this time really focusing on just one particr thing, on a particr person, the high council mage Eric.


    Sylvia instantly felt her heart and mind bing turbulent and her body boiling with rage.


    Her breathing turned ragged and strained and everything heated up.


    She felt a strange strength coursing in her veins, but at the same time, her knees wobbled as if they were about to give away at any second.


    Holding on to that feeling tightly, she looked up to see herself in the mirror again.


    Instead of her clear blue eyes, now a pair of golden eyes stared back at her.


    Sylvia took a step back in shock.


    She had read about it. Other people had told her things, but this was the first time she was seeing for herself.


    She was herself, but she was someone else. Her eyes were bright golden. A pair of curved silver horns popped out of her head.


    And¡­


    She looked at her hands again, this time she saw the same sharp metallic ws, most of her hand covered in shimmering silver scales.


    But that was not all of it.


    Her body was still changing, albeit more slowly than Mrs. Gruger''s or Roman''s.


    When they had shifted it was instantaneous, but for her, it was more slow and gradual.


    As she touched the scales and felt their soft and sharp steel-like nature, suddenly her back itched and a searing pain shot through her spine.


    RIP!


    The robe she was wearing gave away and two small wings popped out.


    Thud.


    Sylvia stumbled and fell back, her knees finally giving away and her face etched in utter shock.


    "W¡­ Wings?"

 Chapter 173 - Testing Affinity Part1

    Hearing the loud sounds inside the chamber, one of the maids rushed over to see if Sylvia needed any help.


    But as soon as she stepped in, Evie stopped in her tracks,pletely frozen.


    She had not seen the princess shift even once after she arrived at the castle, and now that she had seen her, she couldn''t turn her eyes away or even blink.


    The princess looked absolutely stunning! Rather than a fierce beast, she looked like a goddess.


    She had the golden eyes which every member of the royal family had and a pair of sleek silver wings jutted out of her back.


    That too they were not the ordinary wings covered by feathers like that of a bird. They looked smooth and thin, covered by small shimmering silver scales.


    Ah¡­ She stood dumbfounded. The princess looked so beautiful and elegant that it brought tears to her eyes.


    Sylvia did not expect the maid to rush in and stood up from the floor, awkwardly clearing her throat.


    "I am good, Evie. I don''t need anything. You can return back to your work."


    Hearing her words, the maid finally snapped out of her trance.


    "Ah¡­ Ah¡­ Please forgive me, your highness. I heard a loud noise and I barged in fearing if you had gotten hurt."


    "I appreciate your concern." Sylvia nodded.


    "Ah¡­ Umm¡­ " Evie stood staring as if she had forgotten what to do next.


    "Do you need anything else?" Sylvia asked, puzzled by the maid''s behavior, which made the young woman blush and she quickly shook her head, running out of the chamber the next instant.


    "What happened to her?" Sylvia shrugged and turned to the mirror to examine herself again.


    Perhaps because the maid had gotten more shocked than her, she had somewhat recovered and looked closely at everything.


    Her horns were strong and sturdy and they were attached to her head like her arms were attached to her body.


    She craned her neck to look at her back, and her wings were also attached to her body in a simr fashion.


    These were now parts of her body just like her arms and legs.


    After taking a long look, Sylvia covered her face with her palms and rubbed her eyes. Her life had really taken the strangest of turns ever since she had turned eighteen.


    She had actual wings now? Does this mean she could fly?


    Sylvia closed her eyes trying to feel the new parts of her body. She tried to be more aware of the muscles and move them.


    Twitch!


    One of her wings actually twitched!


    For the first time in thest few days, Sylviapletely forgot about everything else that had been weighing heavily in her heart.


    A small silly smile formed on her lips as she ran her fingers over her wings.


    It worked out perfectly that both her hands and her wings were covered in scales as she had a feeling that by now she would have cut herself if that was not the case.


    Though sleek and flexible, her wings were actually quite sturdy. They were not flimsy at all. At the same time, they also didn''t weigh her down.


    "Can I really fly with this thing?"


    She stared at her reflection, her lips parted when a loud knock sounded.


    "Come in," Sylvia muttered.


    It was Evie again, and she stood at the chamber door with her head bowed and face still reddened.


    "Your highness, Patriarch Cadmus has invited you for breakfast this morning. Please forgive me for not mentioning this earlier."


    Seeing that the maid was nervous, Sylvia walked over to her, but this only made the situation worse, as Evie looked up at her in fear, her body visibly shaking.


    "It''s alright," Sylvia muttered. "You don''t have to be so nervous".


    She was about to pat her but considering her hands looked more like ws, she stopped herself from doing so.


    Evie quickly nodded her head up and down a dozen times, still looking nervous.


    Sylvia shook her head helplessly.


    It seemed as if she was only making things worse, so she turned and walked back to the mirror, going back to what she was doing.


    "Your highness, may I please assist you in getting ready?" Evie asked again, this time a bit more rxed.


    Huh?


    Only now Sylvia paid attention to her clothes that were fully ripped, leaving only bits and pieces here and there. Everything was in tatters.


    And this was going to happen every time she shifts?


    Sylvia twirled around, wondering how to make sure that this doesn''t happen again.


    "Evie, can you make me some new clothes?"


    "Yes, your highness. Anything you need." Evie bowed.


    "Make me some clothes that have a long open back." Since the wings were the main issue, Sylvia wondered if this could solve the problem.


    Evie nodded quickly and then bowed once again before leaving.


    Hmmm¡­ Sylvia looked at the timid maid flee from her room again.


    She was not sure if she even understood what she had in mind, but she was not exactly in a hurry so she decided to leave it aside forter.


    Turning around to face the mirror, Sylvia tried to move her wings once again, when suddenly a bolt of agonizing pain shot through her spine.


    She trembled and bit her lips, trying to bear with it, but her head started clouding and she felt weak as if her body was drainedpletely of energy.


    Her golden irises paled and her eyes turned to their normal azure hue. Her horns and wings disappeared and the scales covering her body as well vanished.


    She copsed on the carpeted floor, falling down unconscious, her body fully human.


    "Your highness!" This time hearing themotion all three maids rushed over and panicked on seeing the princess on the floor.


    "Someone call for the patriarch."


    Two of the maids carefully lifted Sylvia up to ce her on the bed and one ran out to inform the old patriarch.

 Chapter 174 - Testing Affinity Part2

    When Sylvia stirred awake, her eyes shed open with the remnant panic and pain still visible in them.


    "Easy there, pumpkin. Everything is alright. Calm down." A familiar voiceforted her, someone stroking her head.


    Grandpa Cadmus was sitting beside her, his kind and warm gaze lingering on her in concern.


    "Your highness¡­" Sylvia tried to sit up, but her body was still considerably weak and she slipped, her head falling back on the pillow.


    "Wait. Don''t strain yourself, pumpkin." Cadmus smiled. "And you forgot to call me Grandpa."


    "Did you try to shift again? Aha ha ha. This is Grandpa''s fault." He stroked her head again lovingly.


    "I was nning to tell you this over breakfast and I didn''t think you would try to shift before that."


    "What happened¡­ grandfather?" Sylvia asked, too tired to even speak properly.


    "Nothing to worry child. Don''t strain yourself. The thing is¡­ as draconian descendants, we have strong bloodlines."


    "Sometimes, the purer the bloodline the more toll it takes on the body."


    "Especially in your case because you haven''t shifted even once since your birth."


    "Am I¡­ weak?" Sylvia asked, closing her eyes, rather dreading to hear his reply.


    "No, pumpkin." The old man leaned forward and kissed her forehead. "It is, in fact, the opposite. You are too strong for your body."


    Hearing his words, Sylvia could only smile bitterly. It looked as if he was just softening the blow so that she wouldn''t feel bad.


    She hadn''t even been able to transform fully into aplete beast up until now. She had only partially shifted and just for that, she had already copsed.


    At this rate¡­


    "Eh? You don''t believe this old man, pumpkin?"


    Sylvia didn''t say anything.


    "This is not at all a big deal, pumpkin. Don''t worry about this." Cadmus coaxed her gently like she was a small child.


    The four personal guards standing beside him were absolutely dumbstruck.


    They had never seen the old man be so lenient or loving with any of the other royal descendants.


    Right in front of their eyes, one of the strong and majestic figures of the beast Kingdom was turning into a mushy puddle.


    "Have you ever heard of beast cores?" Cadmus muttered, tucking away some of her errant silver strands.


    "We beasts are naturally strong, but more importantly we are also able to absorb and channel mana through our body."


    "We can condense this mana, the condensed energy assuming the form of a solid crystal called beast core."


    "This is the main pir and center of our power and magic."


    "This helps us excel in magic both when we are in our human form and beast form, and it also helps us temper our body."


    "If you are able to do this, then no matter how powerful your bloodline is your body will still be strong enough to handle it."


    "I know you want to be strong, pumpkin. This Grandpa will teach you everything. Rest assured."


    Seeing that the old man was patiently exining everything to her, even things which others probably knew at the back of their hand, Sylvia was touched.


    "Thank you, grandfather." She nodded.


    "For now, just take some rest and eat well. We canter on test your affinity, talk about everything in detail."


    "Gruger will also be here today evening and she can teach you how to form your beast core."


    "Everything will happen in its own time. Don''t rush things, pumpkin."


    "Take rest now. Grandpa wille back again in a bit and visit you."


    Cadmus Akhekh adjusted the nket covering Sylvia and stood up from the bed to leave.


    Her eyes trailed behind the old man, silently grateful for his kindness and support.


    At the thought of mana affinity, Sylvia honestly did not have many expectations.


    She had only ever been able to perform chore magic that was nothing but parlor tricks.


    Could she actually use that sort of weak affinity to form something like a mana core? It seemed improbable.


    However, Sylvia didn''t care. She clenched her fists and tried to sit up again, this time seeding.


    It didn''t matter how long and arduous her path ahead was. She was done being weak. Even if she had to w her way up, she would do exactly that.


    Seeing her sit up, the maids immediately rushed over to her, buzzing around her like bees.


    Evie ran to the kitchen and brought over some food for her, while Coral and L helped her drink some water.


    "Your highness, Patriarch has given this herbal tea for your health. Would you like to have some?"


    Sylvia nodded. She took the teacup from the maid and sipped on the warm liquid.


    Instantly a wave of energy swept through her body and nourished her, relieving some of the tiredness and weakness.


    Her heart as well felt warm.


    Evie soon came back with piping hot food and beingpletely starved, Sylvia gorged on those, feeling more stronger by the minute.


    The meat was extremely nutritious and within an hour, color returned to her cheeks and she was able to stand up.


    "Your highness. Would you like something else?" Coral asked.


    Sylvia shook her head. She was not interested in resting any more than she needed.


    "Lead me to the patriarch''s quarters." She muttered.


    Two maids apanied her to the adjacent quarters where Grandpa Cadmus resided.


    He was in the middle of a meeting when Sylvia''s presence was announced by a guard.


    The old man waved his hand, wondering if something had happened, but as soon as Sylvia walked in, he knew that that was not the case.


    The girl had clearly recovered and was even up and about!


    He gazed at her curiously for a moment, then breaking into a loud burst ofughter, his long beard and potbelly shaking.


    One look at her face was enough for him to understand why she hade here.


    "What a good child! What a good child!" He muttered and stood up. The young girl continued to amaze him every single day.

 Chapter 175 - Testing Affintiy Part3

    The other men standing around Cadmus Akhekh also looked at Sylvia in puzzlement.


    They had never seen her before today and had no idea who she was and how she had the authority to announce her arrival in the presence of the patriarch instead of simply waiting like everybody else.


    "You have to excuse me, gentlemen. My granddaughter has requested mypany."


    Granddaughter???


    Throwing a grenade and leaving the other guests in his chamber with their mouths wide agape, Cadmus Akhekh chuckled.


    He locked his chubby arm with Sylvia''s slender arm and walked away hand in hand with her.


    "The royal family has another daughter?"


    "Wasn''t E the youngest daughter?"


    "The King perhaps had a child out of wedlock?"


    Murmurs and whispers slowly spread in the chamber and the group of men soon dispersed.


    Not bothering about this, Grandpa Cadmus was happily chatting with Sylvia.


    "That brat Roman told me about the results of your mana affinity testing the first time around child."


    "You ought to not worry about that."


    "Since your bloodline was sealed, I am sure it affected your affinity as well. Especially for us beasts, our strength stems from our bloodline."


    Sylvia nodded. Irrespective of whatever affinity she was naturally born with, there was little that she could do about it.


    And there was no point in worrying about things beyond her control.


    The two of them walked through the long and twisting corridors of the royal pce for a while.


    The old man kept chattering the entire time, saying sweet, encouraging, and positive words, even though Sylvia remained calm and quiet.


    They finally came to a stop in front of a small chamber on one corner.


    "We are here! Aha ha ha ha. It''s been a while since we have used this room." Cadmus chuckled.


    Typically, the affinity of a person was measured when they were young. So the room in front of them had not really been used in thest decade.


    The room was also nothing special.


    It looked just as exorbitant as the rest of the pce with mysterious engravings on the wall and a resplendent ceiling.


    However, there were no furnishings or any other objects in the room except for a small stand at the center like an alter and a crystal ball atop it.


    Grandpa Cadmus first entered the room and briskly walked over to stand in front of the crystal.


    He shed a beaming smile towards Sylvia and signaled for her toe in as well. "ce your hand on the crystal, pumpkin."


    Sylvia walked in and did the same. She lifted her hand and ced it on the translucent crystal.


    "Are you nervous, kiddo?" Cadmus chuckled, intending to tease the girl, but she didn''t give him the chance.


    "No, grandfather." She answered with a straight face.


    Ah ha ha¡­ The old man chuckled wryly while shaking his head.


    He was worried that the young girl was far too serious for her age, but considering everything that she had gone through, this wasn''t too surprising for him.


    He hummed lightly and turned his attention back to the small translucent ball. This ball had the property to change colors based on a person''s affinity.


    Different colors symbolized different affinities, starting with ck being the weakest and red being the strongest.


    Cadmus himself was one of the powerful beasts in the Kingdom and he had a dark maroon affinity, one of the best results to be ever recorded in the n.


    Just like him, the current King, Sylvia''s father also had a deep blood red affinity.


    As a matter of fact, almost all the royal beasts were born with an above average affinity. That was one of the strengths of the draconian bloodline.


    This was why he wasn''t nervous in the least about Sylvia''s affinity results or the fact that she needs more help in order to fully shift into her beast form.


    A couple of seconds passed and the crystal slowly started changing colors. It was ck at first, but it then slowly turned green, orange, and yellow.


    The old man''s gaze widened and he waited for the ball to further change in color. However, it seemed to be settling on yellow.


    Yellow wasn''t that bad of an affinity. It was an average result.


    He frowned lightly, not because of the result but because he didn''t want her to feel disappointed.


    However, unfortunately, some things just cannot be changed.


    The affinity that a person was born with or the beast bloodline a person was born with belonged to this category.


    Sometimes a person''s fate is just like that decided at their birth.


    People seldom ovee this fate, but those who manage to challenge it and conquer it inevitably be extraordinarily powerful.


    Knowing Sylvia even for this short period of time, the old man had a feeling that she would choose this difficult, long, and treacherous path and he did not want this life for her.


    He sighed and was just about to tell Sylvia when the color once again started changing.


    The old man''s eyes shone as he watched the small ball with puzzlement.


    "This is odd," Cadmus muttered.


    "Should I take my hand off?" Sylvia asked, furrowing her brows.


    "No¡­ " Cadmus paused "Keep still, pumpkin." He mumbled absentmindedly.


    Was this because she was sealed until recently? But this shouldn''t affect the affinity so drastically?


    He could understand her not having mana affinity when there was a seal on her bloodline, but now that the seal was removed, even if she was still struggling to shift, there shouldn''t be any effect on her affinity.


    He had a bad feeling as he continued watching the ball, with the colors still changing from one hue to another like fireworks in the sky.


    A couple more seconds passed and finally, the color of the ball stopped changing again.


    This time, just to be safe, he waited for a few more seconds and when nothing happened, Cadmus let out a long sigh.


    The small ball in front of them was shimmering white, with not even a hint of any other color.

 Chapter 176 - Runt Of The Family Part1

    The old man looked up, gazing at Sylvia, his eyes filled with sympathy and worry.


    "This¡­ Take your hand away, child. Let''s see what happens the second time." He said though he already knew nothing was going to change the second time around.


    Sylvia nodded and removed her hand.


    She waited for a good minute, before cing her hand again, but unfortunately, the same thing repeated one more time.


    Several hues shed on and off and at the end, the small ball settled into a rich creamy white color.


    Cadmus Akhekh waspletely left speechless. In the entire history of their n, no one had ever tested with such an affinity.


    Sylvia was not dumb. She saw what was going on and understood that something wasn''t right.


    "What does this mean, grandfather?" She asked in her formal tone that she usually used with him.


    Cadmus Akhekh shook his head. "It''s alright, pumpkin. This might have to do something with your irregr body condition."


    "Don''t worry about this result just yet."


    Sylvia nodded.


    "I understand, but I would still like to know what this result means?" She asked, pointing to the solid white ball in front of them.


    The ball had changed back and forth into an array of numerous colors before settling down on the pure milky white color.


    This didn''t happen just once or twice but several times continuously. So they couldn''t really chalk this up to some sort of anomaly.


    Judging from the old man''s reaction, Sylvia could tell that white was bad, but she probed him further to see exactly just how bad it was.


    Cadmus sighed. He could see that the young girl was quite stubborn and wouldn''t let this go that easily.


    He took her hand which was still on the crystal and held it gently before saying. "Pumpkin, white means you have a very bad affinity. Almost no affinity at all."


    Huh? Sylvia''s eyes widened as she opened and closed her mouth wordlessly.


    It was not that she was disappointed, rather she was surprised to observe something like this.


    "But¡­ But¡­ I have performed chore magic before?" She muttered in confusion, unable to understand this result.


    Cadmus sighed again. "Yes, pumpkin. That''s what I mean. You will be able to do chore magic but anything above that¡­" He shook his head.


    Sylvia still looked as if she was unwilling to believe it, so he exined further.


    "People who arepletely oblivious to mana do not elicit any response from the affinity crystal."


    "Those who have the least possible affinity test with the milky white color, dear."


    "To form a mana core or cast any significant magic spell, one needs at least a ck affinity."


    His words were like sharp knives that cut through the illusion and brought her worst nightmare to reality.


    Sylvia stood still,pletely frozen for a moment before finally nodding.


    Her pained expression made the old man''s worry lines deepen.


    He had never expected this to happen. Otherwise, he wouldn''t have brought her here.


    "Don''t worry child. There are many ways to strengthen your body. I only mentioned forming beast core because it was the mostmon method."


    "There are all sorts of treasures to make your body and soul stronger."


    "No matter what it takes, this grandpa will help you shiftpletely if that is what you want."


    Cadmus sighed. All he could do was console her. What else could he do?


    He was not even sure that the girl was actually paying attention to his words. She seemed to be engrossed in her own thoughts.


    So he decided to give her some time and silently walked her back to her quarters.


    He only spoke to her when they reached the chamber doors. "Join me for dinnerter, child?" Cadmus patted her and asked.


    Sylvia nodded, but she looked like she had a question to ask, so the old man waited for her patiently.


    "Grandfather¡­ " She spoke, her voice calm as ever. "I am still not able to shiftpletely into a beast. Is there anything I can do?"


    Hmmm¡­ Cadmus paused, looking at the girl for a minute.


    All he saw in her was determination and stubbornness. Such a devastating result didn''t seem to affect her in the least.


    He felt bad for her but at the same time, he was also proud of her. Someone else might have been devastated getting such bad news.


    "Yes, you can pumpkin. I will tell Mrs. Gruger to instruct you on physical training. You can use this method to slowly strengthen your body."


    "In the meantime, this grandpa will hunt for some treasures for you. They can strengthen your body and in no time you will be able to shiftpletely."


    "Mana and magic is one thing, but physical strength is different. You can still be a strong and proud beast. Don''t worry, alright?"


    Sylvia bowed and nodded. "Thank you, grandfather."


    The old man smiled and then prepared to leave, when he suddenly stopped, turning back to look at her.


    "I was therest night when that brat Roman was harassing you." He hesitantly spoke. "It seems to me that you are still holding some things from the past."


    "You need to let go, pumpkin."


    "Whatever it is that is holding you back, leave it be."


    "You need topletely give yourself the freedom to do whatever you want, even rampage if needed."


    "We Draconians are strong, proud, and egotistical beasts. You need to let your beast roam proud and free. Maybe that might help you shift fully."


    Sylvia nodded. These were the same words she had heard yesterday also. Roman had told her the same things.


    He had asked her to let go of everything that was holding her back, everything that she is trying her very best to keep buried within her.


    Sylvia sighed. Could she really let go? Maybe she could, but did she really want to¡­?


    She watched the old man''s back disappearing into the corridors and closed the chamber doors behind her.


    She felt a sting of tears in her eyes but she pushed them back forcefully. "I will not falter now."

 Chapter 177 - Runt Of The Family Part2

    Cadmus Akhekh walked along the corridor with a heavy heart. Was this all his fault? If only he had protected the mother and the child better, would everything perhaps be different?


    "No! It doesn''t matter. I will scour thends for treasures and help her change her fate." The old man grunted with resolution.


    When a small girl is so strong and determined, how could he the patriarch of the Akhekh n lose hope so easily!


    As he was muttering and mulling over various courses of action, partly in his mind and partly out loud, a tall figure blocked his path.


    His unruly golden locks were just as arrogant as his burning golden eyes.


    "Have you finally gone senile?" Frederick Akhekh let out a cold mocking chuckle.


    The old man stopped, pausing his footsteps, his gaze furiously falling on the arrogant man in front of him.


    "You would do better not to run your mouth today, son."


    There was a seriousness in his voice that gave off a chilling domineering aura, one that even the King didn''t dare cross.


    "Heh. That''s funny considering you are the one who is running his mouth."


    Cadmus Akhekh took a step forward, his gaze not wavering. "I will not warn you twice." He red, a low growl reverberating in the corridor.


    The other guards immediately backed away.


    This was not the first time the father and son pair had gone at it, heated words turning into a crazy full scale destructive fight and they knew better than to get in the way of two of the most powerful beasts of the Kingdom.


    "You are one to talk old man. You question my authority at every step of the way. How dare you announce her presence without my approval?" Frederick roared back.


    Huh? Cadmus was taken aback. He had almost forgotten that he actually did that, but nevertheless, he regained hisposure quite fast.


    "So what? The truth had toe out one day or the other. Were you nning to keep her hidden? She is my goddamn granddaughter!"


    "No. I was not nning to keep her hidden, but I would have liked some time to make arrangements." Frederick sneered and added. "After all, wouldn''t introducing a weak pathetic trash as a part of our esteemed family, bring shame to us?"


    "YOU!!!" The old man trembled, his body oozing violent killing intent top to bottom. "Who are you calling trash?"


    He dashed forward, throwing his fist forward which was now fully covered in dark brown scales that had a golden tinge.


    Frederick, however, was quick to react and had already moved away from the spot, the fistnding on the empty wall behind him.


    BOOM!


    The sturdy wall cracked and shattered from the impact of the single punch, bricks and golden chunks flying everywhere.


    The entire wall had crumbled with cracks extending to other sections of the pce.


    Cadmus panted, his whole body fuming with rage.


    "Do you want me to kill you, son?" He roared, thick dark scales beginning to cover the entirety of his hands and legs, even his chest and back.


    But it didn''t look like the other party was taking his warning seriously. Or perhaps he did, and still continued to provoke the old man purposefully.


    "Why? Did I say anything wrong? Doesn''t she have a pathetic white affinity?" Frederick chuckled, golden scales beginning to cover his body as well.


    The air around him was beginning to heat up, creating a visible blur around his tall and lean figure. "Heh. I guess I can''t really me you. Even if she is the runt of our family, it''s not like I can disown her."


    "Perhaps she would be of some use as a pawn. Do you think one of the n Lords will be interested in marrying that weak little thing?" He sneered, staring daggers at the old man.


    There was a lopsided cruel grin on his face despite the warning signs that things were going to get heated up.


    Rather than making any effort in diffusing the situation, he provoked the old man further, while shifting his legs, and preparing himself to dodge the next punch.


    Even the guards shuddered, retreating back even further.


    Just when all hell was about to break loose, weirdly, the old man stopped moving.


    He didn''t seem interested in fighting anymore and the anger reverberating from him had disappeared.


    The aura around him also dampened and his scales quickly vanished.


    Cadmus Akhekh stared at his son for a moment, a pensive look appearing on his face.


    Hmmm? Frederick furrowed his brows, his eyes staring down at his father. He couldn''t understand the old man''s mood swings.


    The next second, unexpectedly, his annoying father had a smug smile on his face for some reason.


    "For someone who clearly doesn''t care, you seem to be at the top of things?" Cadmus wiggled his eyebrows and walked past his son with a smile on his face.


    "Why son? Are you so angry and upset that your daughter drew the short straw? You must be really distressed about it to have rushed over to me immediately!


    "You even picked a fight with me?! Aha ha ha."


    Frederick clenched his fists, his teeth gnashing together. "Shut up, old man. As I said, you are going senile."


    Cadmus loudly chuckled, stepping inside his resting chamber.


    "Sure. Tell me something. Did youe here to pick a fight with me or did youe here to make sure that I was going to help her? What an immature brat! Aha ha ha."


    But he didn''t wait for his son''s reply, already closing the chamber doors on his face.


    "Damn it." Frederick Akhekh cursed his father under his breath and turned around to leave.


    The other guards immediately moved aside, giving him space, not daring to look at the King directly.


    Many of them have been serving the royal family for decades and this fight was not something new.


    The King and the old patriarch had never gotten along as far as they could remember.

 Chapter 178 - Grand Ball Part1

    Unaware of the words exchanged between her father and grandfather just a short distance away from her, Sylvia closed her chamber doors and strolled outside to the garden.


    Her mind was still and empty. She walked over to the small pond with lotus flowers.


    She leaned forward and lifted her hand to touch one of the flowers. Almost instantly, a wave of energy coursed through her body, nourishing her.


    Sylvia looked at the flower in puzzlement and could only smile bitterly. All this time she had thought that this meant something, but apparently, it did not.


    Sheid back on the freshly cut grass staring at the wide open sky, her mind still empty and frozen.


    Enveloped in the warm energy floating from the lotuses, Sylvia drifted off, falling asleep.


    The morning gentle sunlight turned into the fiery scorching mid day sun and she still continued sleeping peacefully.


    She only woke up when Evie nudged her in thete evening. "Your highness, please forgive me." The girl trembled, making Sylvia smile.


    She was probably weaker than the maid and yet the girl was trembling in front of her.


    "What is it?" Sylvia asked her calmly.


    "Your highness, Mrs. Gruger is here."


    Sylvia looked up and saw that the sky had already darkened. "Thank you for waking me up." She muttered and sat up.


    She was feeling much more energetic now under the soft glow of the moonlight.


    "Ummm¡­ Your highness. Also¡­ There is a grand ball being held in two days in honor of your return." Evie blurted out.


    Huh? Sylvia narrowed her eyes looking at the nervous maid.


    Ever since she had arrived here, except for the old man, no one had bothered to even visit her or introduce themselves to her.


    Not to mention, Sylvia had already been burned several times by people who were supposed to be her family.


    So she couldn''t help but question this sudden development.


    In reality, she still hadn''t even processed everything that had happenedtely. Or rather she didn''t want to.


    Putting her owns issues aside, she was not sure how she felt about her new family if she could even call them that.


    Just like how she was not sure what they felt about her, she was also not sure what she felt about them.


    She hadn''t yet thought about staying here long-term, but she knew that she didn''t want to.


    She didn''t want to be a princess, and force herself in a family that had no ce for her.


    All she wanted now was a little peace and quiet.


    If she could just live somewhere¡­ alone and isted¡­ at least until she had the chance to¡­


    Sylvia''s thoughts trailed away and she sighed returning back to reality.


    "Grand ball huh?" She also didn''t care too much about it.


    If it was something that she had to attend, even if it was merely a formality and probably just for namesake, there was no harm in doing so.


    Others might or might not ept her, but the old man who keeps insisting on being her grandfather had done plenty enough for her.


    This was the least she could do in return for all the kindness that the old man was showering on her.


    Sylvia walked over to the table where the middle-aged woman was sitting upright. "Good evening, Mrs. Gruger." She greeted her, her voice duller than usual.


    "Your highness." She stood up and bowed to Sylvia and then the two of them sat back down.


    "Your highness, we will be working on physical conditioning starting from today." She directly came to the point.


    Sylvia nodded. She could tell that her grandfather had probably already filled the woman in on her affinity test results.


    He was always very thorough, even taking into ount the smallest of the details. It made Sylvia smile a little.


    "Your highness, please observe and memorize my movements."


    "To start with, you will be doing these set of exercises for three hours in the morning and three hours in the evening."


    The middle-aged woman then stood up and started demonstrating Sylvia a series of exercises.


    Her body flexibility contorted in various shapes and patterns. It was somewhat simr to the moves Theodore had shown.


    Sylvia froze as the familiar name, wandered into her mind and along with it... memories of the other person whom she did not want to think about.


    She shook her head and forced her brain to only think about what was in front of her.


    Mrs. Gruger patiently repeated the set of movements three times and then she gave a chance for Sylvia to try doing the same.


    Sylvia quickly changed into a set of morefortable clothes, a pair of long loose pants and a loose in shirt.


    She then repeated whatever she had observed, following every small thing the tutor had demonstrated for her.


    Mrs. Gruger hadn''t expected Sylvia to grasp it so soon and was shocked to see her already being able to perform each and every stance to perfection.


    Her body was naturally flexible and not to mention her praise worthyprehension abilities.


    But unfortunately, she was not born with a blessed affinity. She sighed inwardly but smiled and pped for the young girl to encourage her.


    Gruger continued observing the young girl''s movements for a while before finally bowing and leaving for the night.


    Sylvia, on the other hand, continued the set of exercises well into the night.


    Her body was entirely soaked in sweat from top to bottom even with the freezing cold winds.


    She thought that she would feel tired and drained but as soon as tiredness settled in and her body ached, a wave of energy swept through her, nourishing herpletely.


    Sylvia only decided to stop after several hours when her stomach made loud grumbling noises.


    Evie and Coral immediately brought dinner for her and she then continued exercising once again, as she had slept plenty during the day time.


    Her slender figure twisted and turned underneath the moonlight all alone.

 Chapter 179 - Grand Ball Part2

    The two days passed by very quickly and it was already the night before the g.


    The entire pce was in a hubbub. More beast nsmen flitted in and out of the pce.


    There were suddenly more guards, more maids and even though the ball was held at very short notice, it looked like the preparations were still thorough and extravagant.


    Sylvia, however, continued doing her own routine. She meticulously repeated the set of movements Gruger had taught her both in the morning and in the evening.


    She was only able to do them once in the morning before tiredness overtook her but she was able to repeat them several times and hold the poses a lot longer during the night.


    This seemed a bit weird and unusual to her so she decided to ask the tutor about it during their next lesson.


    Another surprising development was the missing grandfather. Sylvia hadn''t seen the old man for the past couple of days, ever since their affinity testing.


    She didn''t know if this had anything to do with her almost abysmal potential. After all, it was too coincidental, but she didn''t mind it.


    That was the way the world worked. If something was useless, it was typically ignored and cast aside.


    Besides, as the patriarch of the n, she assumed that the man would probably have so much more responsibilities than coddling her every day.


    "You two can go ahead and rest. I won''t be needing anything for the rest of the night."


    Sylvia dismissed the two maids who were watching her from a distance and then continued training under the moonlight for almost the entire night.


    Only at the brink of dawn, she finally felt tired and fell asleep.


    While she was sleeping peacefully within her quarters, several families of the Kingdom started arriving at the royal pce one by one, including the various n elders, n Lords, and temple guardians.


    Even though the grand ball was in the evening, this was a rare opportunity for them to meet with the King. So several guests arrived well beforehand.


    The main star of the party, however, slowly woke up in the afternoon.


    She was about to retreat back to the garden and train, when all the three maids, Evie, Coral, and L blocked her path.


    "Your highness, please allow us to help you prepare for the evening."


    The three of them looked very nervous and seemed to be awaiting Sylvia''s response as if their life depended on it.


    "His highness¡­ He¡­" L began to exin when Evie quickly gave her a sharp nce, the three of them looking at each other with guilty expressions.


    "What happened?" Sylvia asked, her brows knitted together, a frown on her face. "If you can''t tell me then don''t bother returning back here."


    "Your highness!" All three of them eximed in fright.


    But Sylvia did not budge and continued to stare at them firmly. Seeing her stern expression, they couldn''t help but start shaking.


    They couldn''t refuse themanding aura that was seeping out of Sylvia even without her knowing.


    Evie was the first one to break and she started talking.


    "Your highness, his majesty, the King had visited you while you were sleeping and he asked us not to disturb your slumber. Ummm... so we did not wake you up sooner."


    "His highness also gifted you a dress for the ball and particrly insisted that you were it for the ball."


    "He also instructed us to make sure that your highness was presentable. Please forgive us."


    "We were not sure if we were allowed to reveal this to you because his majesty had asked us not to bother you with the details."


    Evie found herself unable to stop talking and blurted out everything from start to finish.


    Only after spilling all the information, she finally took a couple of breaths and then made an O with her mouth as if she couldn''t believe that she had just told Sylvia everything.


    "Hmm¡­ So that''s what this is¡­ interesting." Sylvia nodded, gazing at the maid who had now covered her mouth with her hand.


    She pensively looked at the distance for a while before finally relenting. "I understand. You can start with the preparations."


    Once Sylvia gave the go signal, the three maids immediately buzzed around like bees and started doing everything, attending to her from head to toe.


    They prepared a scented bath for Sylvia. They helped her get into a gorgeous dress that looked proportionately heavy.


    Once that was done, Sylvia sat in front of the mirror, while Coral brushed andbed her long silver hair.


    Sylvia did not bother herself with these small details and basically allowed the maids to do whatever they want.


    She sat patiently while the maids took their time with her. They even ended up trying three different hairstyles on her before they finalized one.


    "Your highness, which jewelry do you prefer?" Evie asked and Sylvia shrugged once again letting them decide whatever they pleased.


    All of this was very new for her, and she neither liked nor cared for such extravagance.


    The three young maids, however, excitedly fuzzed over her and attended to each and every detail.


    Sylvia was naturally beautiful, so they only put on light make-up on her face and even then it almost took all of the afternoon until they were fully satisfied.


    And when the preparations were finally done, the three maids had dazed looks on their faces. "Your highness¡­"


    "Hmm? Are we done here?" Sylvia asked and the three of them quickly nodded.


    It was not that they had done a lot of work on her and it was difficult to put a finger on exactly what it was, but something made the woman in front of them look like an ethereal goddess.


    There was an air of elegance and nobility about her that was unmistakable... as if it was her birthright.


    Not long after, a guard promptly knocked on the chamber doors.


    "Your highness, the guests have all arrived.. His majesty, the King, has requested your presence at the main hall."

 Chapter 180 - Grand Ball Part3

    "Your highness, the guests have all arrived. His majesty, the King, has requested your presence at the main hall."


    "Okay. I will be there shortly." Sylvia nodded.


    She took another look at herself in the mirror and saw a reflection that was both familiar and at the same time unfamiliar.


    Her lips curved upward into a small smile that only showed the sadness in her eyes and she gracefully stood up, walking out of her chamber into the long corridor.


    Her high heels cked on the marble floor and though it was her first time wearing such an ufortably foot ware, her steps were steady and bnced.


    She walked casually as if there wasn''t an entire swarm of beast men and women waiting to see her and judge her for everything that she was and she was not.


    She walked to the end of the corridor and she could already hear the chatter and the excitement in the air. Though she doubted it had anything to do with her.


    Sylvia turned the corner. She was now standing in a hallway, at the center of which there were two sets of stairs unfolding symmetrically, leading down to the main hall of the pce.


    She paused a moment as she saw a familiar figure there, her father, the King. His back was facing towards her, but yet she knew that it was him.


    He was tall and lean. His golden hair shone brilliantly under the splendor of the decorations and he wore a ck bedazzled military jacket, with a golden coat, white fur lining the cor.


    And when she looked closely, he had golden scales covering part of his neck and hands, or at least the small amount of skin that was exposed.


    The man was literally covered in something gold and he was glittering from top to bottom, right from his hair.


    Not to mention the royal pce in itself was structured around a golden theme. Sylvia furrowed her brows, wondering about their entric obsession with the golden color.


    For some reason, these people were fascinated by that hue. It was almostical and if she wasn''t too preupied she would have definitelyughed.


    She took another step, walking towards the man and he turned around as if he had sensed her presence.


    For a second, it looked like he was stunned, but Sylvia knew that that was not possible.


    He had been straightforward with her since the day they had met and did not make any attempts to hide the fact that he was repulsed by her.


    "Your majesty." Sylvia bowed, greeting him. She held her dress with her hands, bending her head in a small courtesy.


    The king nodded. She could feel his eyes bore into her, making her ufortable, making her wonder just how much he hated her.


    Nevertheless, he dismissed the two men who were standing beside him and stepped forward to meet her, his gaze now lingering on her indifferently.


    Sylvia couldn''t help but wonder what she preferred, the indifference or the hatred.


    "Let''s not keep the guests waiting." Frederick Akhekh coldly muttered, extending his hand towards her.


    She bowed again and gently ced her hand in his hand, his cold gaze washing over her one more time.


    He then started walking over to the set of stairs on the right side, leading Sylvia as he did.


    The entire hall turned silent immediately, almost everyone freezing on the spot and stopping what they were doing.


    Only the gentle flowing music sounded in the background, a beautiful note ying, as everyone turned to look up in awe and surprise.


    "King Frederick Akhekh, ruler of the beasts and his daughter, fourth princess, Sylvia Akhekh." A loud voice announced their arrival, booming and echoing amidst the silence.


    Following this, the King began to descend the stairs, still leading Sylvia along with him.


    Sylvia could feel her skin tingling perhaps because of the man''s domineering presence near her or perhaps because of the million eyes trying to gauge her.


    Holding the edges of her long flowing maroon dress, that shimmered as if diamonds and rubies were studded within it, Sylvia slowly and gracefully walked down the stairs.


    Her long silver hair cascaded and danced behind her as she took one step after another.


    Her eyes, her hair and her dress were three different colors and yet somehow she looked ethereal, even pulling off that bizarrebination.


    She couldn''t hear the murmurs and chatters of the crowd anymore and when she looked around she saw several strange faces staring back at her.


    Some had horns, some had scales, some even had spikesing out of their body, but most of the guests seemed to be in their human form, neatly dressed in luxurious clothing.


    However, every single pair of eyes within the huge grand hall gazed at her unblinkingly. Some had looks of awe and wonderment, while some had looks of disgust and jealously.


    Strangely, Sylvia was already used to such treatment. So it didn''t bother her and she calmly walked down.


    The two of them stopped after they reached the end of stairs and once again an announcement was made, this time Frederick Akhekh personally making the announcement.


    "My fourth daughter, Sylvia Akhekh."


    His voice was sharp and domineering and his words were short, yet the effect it had was shocking.


    The entire crowd immediately broke into a loud apuse after hearing his statement and cheers were heard from all corners of the big hall.


    Several people came forward and greeted the King and also greeted Sylvia who was standing next to him.


    She politely nodded, not feeling overwhelmed. Since she was the star of the evening, it was only normal for people to swarm towards her and crowd around her.


    They smiled and greeted her and Sylvia as well returned their greeting. Her beautiful face shone in the dazzling lights inside the hall and she had a pleasant expression.


    However... strangely¡­


    Despite the sea of people around her¡­ and all the attention that she was receiving¡­ Sylvia couldn''t help but shudder as a desperate loneliness slowly crawled into her heart.

 Chapter 181 - Weak And Useless Part1

    After a few introductions, the music and the boisterous atmosphere returned to the hall and Sylvia also found herself a bit less confined.


    Though this was probably because the King had walked away from her in the midst of his conversation with a bunch of people, taking along with him half the crowd.


    Sylvia sighed softly and decided to use this chance to slip to a corner of the hall.


    She walked gracefully, gently nodding to whoever greeted her on the way and her eyes scanned the crowd searching for the patriarch.


    Surprisingly, she still was not able to see him, making her wonder if he was not actually ignoring her on purpose and if he had gone somewhere on a trip or to somece away from the pce.


    A thought came to her mind as she remembered him telling her about how he would search for treasures for her, but she quickly brushed away that thought.


    Expectations only led to disappointment and she didn''t want to expect anything from anyone, especially from these new strangers that surrounded her.


    She silently watched the few people dancing at the center, women twirling and men swaying, dancing together in harmony..


    They seemed happy.


    Sylvia sped her hands behind her back and leaned on the wall for support as a painful memory flitted past her mind...


    She could still feel the man''s touch lingering on her body, the memory of them dancing together as fresh as ever.


    She thought that she should perhaps stay here at least for a while. After all, this party was being held for her and she didn''t want to purposefully disrespect anyone.


    But as more memories flooded in... that suddenly felt like an impossible task.


    She couldn''t bring herself to stand here in this suffocating atmosphere even for one more minute than what was necessary.


    She took a few more deep breaths and seeing that no one was paying attention to her, she decided to slip out to the garden and then to return back to her quarters.


    But just as she turned to leave, a throaty voice sounded from behind her. "Your highness, please wait."


    A tall man with a tanned skin tone smiled at Sylvia gently. His eyes in particr stood out. They shone like dazzling rubies that matched the splendor of her dress.


    "Greetings, your highness. I am Emilio from the panthera n."


    He politely extended his hand forward and Sylvia nodded, cing her hand in his, allowing him to kiss her at the back of her palm.


    "I hope I am notte, your highness. Would you please do me honor of apanying me for a dance?"


    Sylvia froze for a moment. That was thest thing she wanted to do.


    She didn''t want to insult someone and create a scene, thereby making everything even moreplicated, but she also didn''t want to keep being a pushover.


    Perhaps if she had not been so timid and weak¡­ back then...


    Sylvia snapped out of that thought, steadied herself, and answered with a small smile that was neither rude nor too familiar.


    "I am d to make your acquaintance, Lord Emilio. Unfortunately, this evening, I am not feeling particrly up for joining the merriment."


    Emilio looked disappointed, but he quickly covered it up with a polite smile. "Ah. That''s indeed unfortunate."


    "Perhaps your highness would like to apany me for a stroll outside? Hmm? Away from the merriment?"


    The man''s face revealed a pair of sweet dimples as he added with a sly smile.


    Sylvia was a little bothered by his persistence, but she didn''t mind it too much as this was a good excuse for her to leave the hall as well.


    She nodded and followed him as the two of them walked out together.


    However, before they could leave two young women walked towards them. Both of them had long auburn hair and bright golden eyes.


    Just like the King, they were also dressed in a predominantly golden attire with their gowns dazzling under the lights of the chandeliers.


    "Your highness." "Your highness." Emilio immediately greeted the two women, making Sylvia wonder who they were.


    The two women gave him a quick curt bow but their eyes still lingered on her.


    "Leaving already?" One of the two women smiled at Sylvia, blocking her way.


    Despite the politeness in her tone, her golden eyes looked cold and distant just like the King''s.


    "Yes. I am just feeling a bit unwell." She smiled, unsure of whom she was addressing.


    The other woman standing near her whose bright red curls were a little wild around her face, an innocent smile on her lips, quickly replied.


    "Oh that must be tough. Too bad everything was arranged on such short notice. I am Kel Akhekh. Nice to meet you sister."


    Oh. Sylvia''s eyes widened. "I am d to meet you too, sister." She muttered, her voiceced with a hint of surprise.


    She saw the girl smile sweetly at her, but the other one standing beside her immediately shot a look of disapproval which made the sweet one stiffen up.


    "Ah¡­ Cough. Cough. I mean its quite disrespectful to leave the ball this early." Kel quickly adjusted her stance.


    The other one as well added. "You should stay longer and be polite to others."


    And before Sylvia could refuse her, she added her name as if she was cementing her authority. "I am Melissa Akhekh, the second daughter of the King."


    The way she introduced herself made them seem very distant and not like actual sisters or even half-sisters. Moreover, the small exchange between them also did not escape Sylvia''s eyes.


    Her brows knitted together and she indifferently replied back. "If your highness insists."


    She turned around and started walking away, not wanting to linger there any longer.


    But it looked like the second princess was not ready to let go of Sylvia that easily.


    "How rude! First, you humiliate all of us by wearing a dress that is not golden in color and now you are again trying to humiliate me by walking away when I am still trying to have a conversation with you."


    Melissa had her arms crossed in front of her chest and she didn''t even bother lowering her voice. In fact, it was a tad bit louder than before.

 Chapter 182 - Weak And Useless Part2

    After hearing Melissa''s loudments, other people as well started whispering and murmuring amongst themselves.


    "Oh my. How could this be?"


    "This princess is trying to get too much attention. Isn''t this her party to begin with?"


    "How shameless. I heard that she is a bastard child."


    "Yes. Yes. I heard that too. Her mother somehow tricked the King and seduced him, so she was executed."


    "Our King is so kind.. If it was my father he would have executed both the mother and the child for such a cheap ploy."


    Sylvia narrowed her eyes and stopped walking away. If this woman had a problem with her, she wanted to know what it was.


    She could clearly hear other people talking about her as they were not even bothering to lower their voices.


    And she already had an inkling as to why they were behaving so brazenly.


    Had the news spread so fast?


    "Hmm? Golden dress? I did not know that there was a dress code for the royal family." She coldly shot back, a hint of mockery in her tone that was hard to miss.


    "Besides, his majesty sent me this dress to wear."


    Melissa became even angrier after hearing the blunt disrespect in the way she talked about the royal family.


    "What? Are you spewing nonsense because father is no longer around?"


    "How could you not know? Is Mrs. Gruger noting in every day to tutor you? Or is your brain that small that you need a year to grasp even basicmon sense?"


    "You neither have our bloodline nor have a brain. I wonder how is it that you are my sister?"


    Sylvia chuckled coldly. "Princess Melissa. I have no reason to lie. And it''s entirely up to you whether you want to believe my words or not."


    "But I am not particrly in a mood to stand here and argue with you."


    "I think you are the one who is humiliating yourself and the family by standing here and creating a scene."


    The princess red back at Sylvia but she couldn''t say anything because that would make her seem very petty.


    In the end, she silently fumed and turned around to leave. The other sister, Kel, looked more nervous and troubled rather than angry.


    She batted her long eyshes at Sylvia apologetically, looking like a deer caught in trouble, and then quickly ran after Melissa, following her out of the room.


    Sylvia sighed and she as well turned to leave as she was now only surrounded by random people who were hovering near her, ncing at her often but no one walked over to her to start a conversation or even to exchange greetings.


    Even the tall and dark man she had been talking to earlier was nowhere to be seen.


    Sylvia shook her head tiredly. If they did not want to ept her in the first ce, then why go through all this trouble and purposefully humiliate her.


    She neither nned on staying here nor nned on bing a part of their family. If only they could have asked her beforehand, then all of this could have been avoided.


    Sylvia didn''t feel like staying in the grand hall any longer.


    She could already hear people whispering things behind her back and it looked like most of them knew about her white mana affinity. They hadbeled her weak and useless.


    Sylvia smiled bitterly and since this time no one was particrly blocking her path, she strolled out of the hall without turning back.


    She walked along the long empty corridors and quickly snuck out to the gardens when she heard some voices in the distance.


    There was a path through the garden as well that she could take to reach her quarters and she decided to do that.


    The inside of the pce was too heavy and suffocating for her to even breathe that as soon as she stepped out, she let out a deep breath.


    As she strolled through the garden, the cool embrace of the moonforted her and she felt as if she was full of energy again, even though only seconds ago she had feltpletely drained.


    It couldn''t ease the pain in her heart but it surely eased the tiredness in her body.


    Soon she reached the small pond that she loved with the enchanting golden lotuses. She softly sighed andid next to the pond which was her favorite thing to do in this pce.


    She looked up at the sky, gazing at the bright crescent moon and the numerous stars scattered across.


    Why did it feel like they were all gazing at her back? Sylvia couldn''t help but chuckle at the weird silly notion.


    As she nkly continued looking at the distance¡­ all the confusing thoughts flitted across her mind.


    The father who didn''t want her¡­ the kind grand father¡­ the invitation to stay at the pce¡­ her dress¡­ this party¡­ her new ability to shift into a beast¡­ her abysmal mana affinity and the very fact that she was a princess!!!


    Everything seemed so surreal.


    She felt like a stranger in her own life.


    And to make things worse¡­ the one person whom she truly cared for was no longer with her.


    He had taken her heart, crushed it into a million pieces, and thrown back at her.


    Sylvia smiled, a single tear drop managing to escape her mesmerizing eyes.


    "You seem to like this ce a lot."


    A familiar face with a strong jawline, deep blue eyes, and dancing wild silver locks came into her view.


    Sylvia blinked, snapping out of her trance and she slowly sat up.


    "Not a fan of the party?" Roman asked, raising a brow.


    She shook her head and was about to stand up when the man flopped onto the grassywn next to her.


    He passed something to her that looked like a bundle of cloth napkins, cing it on herp.


    "This is indeed a good spot to spend a quite evening." He gazed at the lotus flowers and muttered.

 Chapter 183 - Astral Affinity Part1

    "Hmmm? What is this, Lord Roman?" Sylvia asked, hesitantly unfolding the bundle of cloth napkins on herp.


    She wanted to apologize first for the other day. She had almost wed him and had even drawn out blood when he was only trying to help her.


    But before she could do so, the man''s unexpected actions diverted her attention.


    She carefully unfolded the napkins to find a slice of cake inside. She looked up at Roman in confusion..


    "Go ahead. Taste it." He said while continuing to gaze at the lotus flowers. They really looked spectacr under the moonlight.


    Sylvia furrowed her brows as she was not in the particr mood to eat anything. Nevertheless, she took a small bite, a soft and sweet taste immediately filling her mouth.


    The pastry was so soft, creamy, and sweet with just the right amount of tartness. She smiled and silently ate the rest of the cake.


    "So that''s all it takes to get you to smile huh?" Roman smirked, his deep blue eyes staring at her in amusement.


    Hearing hisment, Sylvia almost choked on thest bite and coughed ufortably, smearing some cream on her face as she covered her mouth.


    The dark red-colored cream glistening on her pale cheeks made Roman further chuckle and he casually lifted his hand to wipe it off of her face.


    But then he suddenly realized what he was about to do and his hand abruptly froze and his smile faded away.


    He awkwardly turned to look at the golden lotuses again and changed the topic.


    "Your family is reallyvish! Priceless golden lotuses are casually floating on the pond." Roman peeked at the girl from the corner of his eyes, watching her wipe her face.


    "Priceless? Are these lotuses some sort of treasure?" Sylvia curiously asked.


    Roman sighed in relief. He had sessfully changed the topic. He didn''t know why but he always lost his cool around this woman.


    "I guess they are treasures in a way at least for me. These flowers can absorb astral energy and aid in astral magic."


    "Not many can use astral magic, but it is quite powerful and talking about magic..."


    His voice trailed on as he absentmindedly answered her and then moved on to the thing that he had wanted to talk about in the first ce.


    "About your affinity¡­ what happened?"


    He had heard weird rumors and gossip floating around in the crowd, and he saw her walking out, so his curiosity got the better of him and he ended up following her all the way here to ask her about this.


    Affinity was after all important and not just to humans but also beasts.


    Though beasts were naturally strong, without magic their strength would still be weakpared to human mages.


    And typically beasts from a very weak bloodline and that too only rarely possessed such a low non-existent affinity.


    So it was really surprising to Roman when he had heard this news floating around.


    He already knew that Sylvia was hurting and on top of this, it would be a bit too much for her to handle such a huge blow.


    "Did the patriarch test your affinity himself?" He asked, probing further to know what happened.


    However¡­ she kept staring ahead at the lotuses.


    He continued to gaze at the woman, a small worried expression flickering on his face, subtly disappearing before anyone could notice,


    "Miss Sylvia?" Roman called her again, but she still seemed too engrossed in her own thoughts.


    Hmm? He raised a brow and followed her eyes to look at the flowers to see what was see looking at her so intently.


    His eyes darted here and there but he couldn''t find anything interesting. The flowers were indeed stunning but in the end, they were still just flowers.


    Nevertheless, he did not disturb her and patiently sat beside her, enjoying the cool night breeze and the refreshing lotus scent.


    He wondered if this was why the girl next to him had smelled like lotuses the other day when she had¡­


    He could distinctly remember the weight of her body on top of him.


    He stole another nce at her, captivated by her silver locks that were wildly swaying in the wind and her dress that revealed her pale shoulders and a bit of her cleavage.


    Roman gulped. That dress was a bit too revealing. He frowned for some reason, though he still continued to admire her figure.


    Startling him, Sylvia suddenly turned around and looked at him, staring directly at his face. "Lord Roman, please excuse me."


    "Ahh¡­ Ummm¡­ Ok?" Roman did not know what was happening. He could feel his heart drumming, nervousness and guilt written all over his face. Was I staring at her a bit too much?


    He watched the girl quickly scramble and stand up, the cloth napkins on herp messily falling on thewn.


    She then bowed to him in a haste and fled from the garden as if she was running away for her life.


    Huh? Roman could only watch her disappearing figure with his mouth slightly open, wondering what just happened.


    "Heh. What a pity! The most sought after bachelor in the beast n rejected so mercilessly!" A figure slowly walked over to him from behind.


    Roman already knew who this annoying voice belonged to so he didn''t bother looking back.


    "What are you doing here, Isaac?"


    A tall and muscr man with inky ck hair flopped onto the ground next to Roman where Sylvia had been sitting previously.


    E~! Roman flinched and scooted back.


    The woman''s delicate fragrance was suddenly reced by the raging pheromones seeping out of the brute.


    "Get away from me, you mutt." Roman scowled.


    "That''s no way to talk to the only person who can apparently tolerate you. Ha ha ha ha!" Isaac chuckled loudly, snorting in between.


    He didn''t even bother hiding his glee. "Just what did you do to her to make her go running like this? Bwa ha ha ha!"

 Chapter 184 - Astral Affinity Part2

    "What the hell are you talking about?" Roman muttered, barely hiding the growl in his voice.


    But the wolf sitting next to him did not even bother hearing his reply. He was in his own world, still reeling from theughter.


    "So that''s your type huh? Silver hair and blue eyes and big breasted?" He waggled his eyebrows.


    "Wait a minute. If you take those breasts out of the equation, then the other things are just a bit too simr to you."


    "Is this your narcissism acting up again? Oh my God, this is just too good. Ba ha ha ha!"


    He wasughing so hard that he had to clutch his stomach. Even his eyes glistened with tears..


    "Shut up, you bastard. Stop spouting nonsense."


    Roman shook his head in annoyance. He was furious but he didn''t have any words to refute the idiotic person''s observations.


    Not wanting to encourage this any longer, his elegant figure shifted into a white lycan silhouette the next instant.


    He gazed in the direction where Sylvia had run away and then let out a low growl before disappearing, dashing into the thickets.


    Isaac smirked and following Roman''s actions, he also shifted into a dark maned grey wolf and disappeared, hisughter still ringing loudly amidst the silence of the night.


    Finally, the small lotus pond returned back to its former peace and tranquility.


    Meanwhile¡­ Inside the pce¡­


    Sylvia panted as she ran, going as fast as she possibly could.


    She clutched the edges of her flowing maroon evening gown in her hands and dashed ahead without caring about anything else.


    She was headed straight towards the huge library in the castle.


    And by the time she reached it, her thin silky silver hair was in a mess. It had be all sorts of tangled, getting caught in the sharp protrusions on her jewelry.


    But Sylvia looked like she couldn''t care less about it.


    She paused at the entrance of the library, catching her breath for a second, and then walked into the vast chamber, her steps surprisingly not as urgent as before.


    There was a subtle hesitation in them.


    Her long eyshes fluttered and her fingers wrestled with each other as if she was too nervous to continue.


    Nevertheless, Sylvia wandered into the huge library, towards the bookshelf in the right corner.


    She paused every now and then as if she was deeply thinking about something, dreading to step forward, but ultimately she knew that she had no other choice.


    Tonight she had to confirm it one way or the other.


    Even a small flickering me of hope could be dangerous and cause soul-crushing pain when it eventually burns out.


    So she was not going to nurture it. She was going to see whether it was true or not and face the reality head-on.


    Even though one option meant that she had a chance while the other meant that she was only forever doomed to be weak and useless.


    Sylvia shuddered. To remain weak and useless all her life¡­ that was her worst nightmare.


    She braced herself and stopped in front of the bookshelf.


    Her fingers hurriedly ran across the spines of several books, searching through them for the one book which she had spotted previously.


    She only vaguely recollected it but she was sure that it was here.


    "Affinities¡­ Affinities¡­ Astral affinity¡­ Here it is."


    She quickly took her hand back as if the book was a snake that was about to strike her.


    Sylvia gulped. She let out a deep sigh and then once again reached forward to grab the book in her hands.


    Her body slid against the shelf behind her, flopping down onto the marble floor and she propped the book open in herp, not bothering to take it to the table beside her.


    She brought her knees close to her chest and her silver hair spilled on the pages as she quickly started turning them one by one.


    "Astral affinity¡­ a rare affinity¡­" Her lips parted, her eyes widened and her heart was pounding deafeningly in her chest.


    "There are several different methods to efficiently absorb astral energy and the affinity requirement is not high."


    "One can consume nts and beast meat¡­ " Sylvia skipped over the lines and turned to the next page.


    They were first talking about people with low astral affinity and that was not what she was here for.


    Her eyes scanned the next couple of pages quickly, before finally stopping and lingering on a few lines.


    "High astral affinity¡­ extremely rare¡­ able to absorb astral energy directly from the stars."


    "When pure astral energy floods the body, it cleanses all other impurities and even mana.


    Sylvia''s breath quickened and she closed her eyes trying to calm herself down.


    She then opened her eyes and read the same few lines again and again.


    It was just as she had thought! She almost couldn''t believe it!


    Ever since she had visited the affinity testing room with the patriarch, she had a feeling that something was amiss.


    She knew what it was to bepletely oblivious to the mana in the air. She had already experienced that feeling all her life.


    But what she felt now was definitely not the same.


    She might have gotten the white color as her affinity test result, but there was no way that she didn''t feel the presence of the thick mana swirling in the air.


    No matter how much she tried to understand the affinity results and ept the reality, there was a nagging feeling at the back of her head that she was missing something, something very important.


    Things were definitely not as simple as they looked. She was sure of it.


    Sylvia closed the book and ced it down on her side.


    The lines in the book had been vague and there wasn''t much information avable about astral affinity.


    But it was enough.


    She finally had something to hold on to and to start from.


    And all she needed was that¡­ just that small ray of light¡­ just that one single way out of her pathetic miserable life.


    *******************


    Please check out my new book for the werewolf contest and let me know what you think about it.


    Marked By The Alpha King

 Chapter 185 - It Is Not Good To Daydream Part1

    Sylvia stood up, still carrying the book within her arms. She was unable to find any more answers that she needed.


    She absentmindedly looked at the vast library, the gigantic collection of books around her, craning her neck from left to right.


    "Surely there must be something here that can help me figure this out¡­"


    She walked around, looking at the various books. This time there was more confidence and purpose in her steps.


    But unfortunately, even after spending an hour, she was still unable to find something that gave her concrete answers.


    Was this because a pure astral affinity was extremely rare? Sylvia softly sighed and then decided to head back.


    There was no point in searching for more proof. After all, the best proof would lie in her actions.


    The book she had right now already talked about how to channel astral energy and cast astral spells.


    It was mentioned that these spells were even more powerful than normal magic spells.


    If she could cast even one of these spells¡­ then she didn''t have to doubt herself ever again.


    No one would be able to look down on her. They would have no other choice but to acknowledge her.


    Sylvia clenched her fists tightly. She did not want to get her hopes up too high.


    Sometimes life had the cruel tendency to beat one into submission, again and again,pletely making them unable to stand up.


    But still, she couldn''t stop her blood from boiling.


    Even though the chances were slim, she was hell-bent on somehow crawling up from her personal pit of misery.


    With everything that she had gone through¡­ she hated being so weak and vulnerable from the bottom of her heart. She would do anything to be more than what she was right now.


    Sylvia hastened her steps, running out of the library to her personal chambers.


    Once she was there, she didn''t even bother changing her clothes and quickly strolled out to the gardens.


    She looked up at the stars, at the weird shapes and patterns they formed in the sky. She didn''t know where to begin.


    How was one supposed to absorb astral energy? Those stars must be at least millions and millions of miles away from her.


    Was it even possible to absorb astral energy in the first ce? Was that why the books did not exin anything clearly?


    Sylvia sighed, beginning to doubt everything all over again. Her mind was running wild, cooking up all the worst-case scenarios.


    However, just as she took another breath¡­ a familiar sensation warped her body.


    She could sense millions of tiny white energy dots swirling around her, sinking into her body like a ck hole and filling her with energy.


    It was as if she had been stuck in a dark deste room and someone suddenly lit a candle, flooding her with bright light, filling her with warmth and energy.


    Sylvia gasped lightly. It felt so weird and surreal.


    How was it possible that she hadn''t noticed such a significant thing before? It was not like she had to do anything special now in order to feel this.


    All she had done was simply suck in a breath and everything changed.


    What she yearned for all her life was right in front of her all along? Was it just her who had never paid attention to it?


    She took a deep breath as she sucked in more of the energy radiating from the heavens above.


    This was a different kind of energy than just the mana swirling in the air around her.


    If those were blue energy dots, these were white energy dots. The two were different, both in quality and in power.


    And surprisingly, the white dots overpowered the blue dots. They seemed to chase out all the blue dots from her body, now only the white dots filling her from top to bottom.


    Sylvia sat down on thewn mesmerized by the wonderful feeling that was cradling her like a mother''s womb. She didn''t think too much about what was happening and simply enjoyed the feeling.


    It was as if her body had been starved for decades and she was finally feeding it.


    She closed her eyes and tried circting this energy through her body just like how she had previously channeled mana through her veins.


    Almost immediately, a wave swept across her, rxing her body and her mind. Sylvia felt as light as a feather. She hadn''t felt this good in a while.


    She felt as if she had ess to infinite energy and right at this moment she could do anything that she wanted.


    She took another deep breath and without any hesitation, she allowed herself to feel the overpowering rage that constantly simmered underneath her skin.


    She wanted to shift and this was the only trigger she knew so she didn''t think twice before using it.


    She imagined herself back in the prison cell and her fickle life being in the palm of a sweaty old man.


    Ba thump. Ba thump. Ba thump.


    Her heart hammered against her chest and the energy swirling within her turned chaotic as if it was resembling her own mood.


    Rip. Thevish extravagant dress she was wearing tore apart the next instant and two silvery metallic wings popped out.


    Sylvia shed her eyes open and they were bright golden in color.


    An intoxicating power filled her from within and in a single swift motion, she moved her wings.


    She knew that her body wanted to do that. The muscles on her back were aching with a need.


    So she let go of all her inhibitions and self-doubt and gave in.


    She did exactly what she felt like doing without thinking about anything else and without any concrete method to the madness.


    Zwing. Her metallic wings pped. Her body shot up like an arrow, her slender figure now floating several feet above the ground.


    Her heart was thumping wildly, blood rushing to her cheeks. The cool night air swirled around her body.


    And for the first time in her life¡­ Sylvia felt free like she had never felt before.

 Chapter 186 - It Is Not Good To Daydream Part2

    Sylvia covered her mouth with her hand. She would have shouted and screamed if not for the fact that she was too shocked to do either of those things right now.


    She was flying! She was actually floating in the air!


    Her long silver hair fluttered in the cold wind along with her gorgeous evening gown that was in tatters.


    But Sylvia was far too ted to care about that right now. She was literally floating on cloud nine.


    Her bright golden eyes twinkled as she curiously looked around at the expanse of the forest surrounding the pce.


    The royal pce was like a block of gold chiseled into an exquisite masterpiece.


    She hadn''t observed everything thoroughly the first time she arrived here sitting on the back of the griffon.


    But now that she was less preupied or rather was too shocked to think about anything else, her brain automatically admired the beauty that sprawled underneath her.


    The view was absolutely breathtaking.


    Acres and acres of forests spread around the pce and she could clearly see the decorativemps that lit the main garden where the g was perhaps still going on.


    But Sylvia doubted it as it was already well past midnight.


    Before she could take another look, suddenly a chill swept her body and she couldn''t help but feel as if someone was looking at her.


    She could feel their gaze drag over her body as if they were locked on to her, fixated on her, observing each and every inch of her in detail.


    "Ah¡­" Sylvia yelped and stumbled a little.


    This sudden unexpected development caught her off guard, and she lost the grasp and control she had on her movement, slightly falling down.


    But before she could plummet all the way to the ground and fall st, probably cracking her head, she somehow managed to regain some sort of stability.


    This small mishap had inadvertently snapped her out of her trance and she could now feel the stress of her body''s transformation, the aches in her new muscles.


    Though the light from the stars and the moon was still nourishing her, tiredness slowly sneaked across her.


    She could intuitively feel that she wouldn''t be able to maintain the shift for much longer.


    So she hurriedly tried to move her wings again, this time the single p abruptly sending her down to the ground.


    Sylvianded with a loud thud, her body then rolling over and crashing into a nearby tree from the impact.


    Sheid still next to the tree, her dress now fully ripped, her body smeared in mud and leaves.


    Her entire body ached and within a few seconds, her horns and her wingspletely disappeared, leaving behind only the searing pain and the chill of the night that peeked in through her ripped dress.


    Ahh¡­ She loudly groaned, unable to withstand the pain and swallow it silently.


    There were probably a million bones broken in her body right this second or perhaps even more! She was sure of it.


    But instead of ache or misery, all that shone on her face was a small smile.


    A couple of tears even leaked out of her eyes but they were not the sad kind.


    Every inch of her body was wailing in agony but Sylvia found that her heart was strangely at peace.


    Sheughed like a lunatic, tears streaming down her cheeks.


    After everything that happened, this was the first time she actually felt something and was not numb.


    The pain that coursed through her body was rather strangelyforting.


    She winced as she slightly adjusted her position to a morefortable one.


    The gentle moonlight shone through the canopy of trees, sneaking in between the dense leaves and creaking branches and it caressed her slender body.


    It licked her wounds and healed her scraped skin and her broken bones.


    More astral energy flooded into her and she could feel her body already healing.


    Lost in the warmth andfort that the pure intoxicating energy showered on her, she continued slowly breathing in and breathing out, absorbing everything that she could feel.


    Slowly her pain eased a little and she fell asleep right then and there,pletely exhausted.


    As the silent night slowly faded and the first rays of the sunlight hit the ground, a maid loudly shrieked and ran over to Sylvia.


    Evie had no idea what was happening. She couldn''t understand the heads or tails of the sight in front of her.


    "Coral! L! Quicke here! Her highness is injured!!!" She shouted in a panic and hurriedly ran over to Sylvia.


    "Someone inform the King! Guards! Guards! Call the royal physician!!"


    She gripped her dress and dashed towards Sylvia as fast as she could.


    But when she neared the princess, she saw that she was not actually hurt and was just covered in mud and soundly sleeping.


    Evie let out a sigh of relief and quickly carried Sylvia inside, taking the help of Coral and L as well.


    Even though she was bodily not harmed and her pulse seemed to be steady and normal, the three maids were still nervous and exchanged awkward looks.


    The way her clothes were torn and tattered and how her hair and everything was roughed up, they felt as if something was not right.


    Moreover, she also seemed to be in a deep slumber as if she had been fed some sort of a powerful drug.


    Not to mention, Sylvia was a woman and a very beautiful one at that, with a particrly blessed and treasured bloodline.


    So they couldn''t help but jump to the obvious conclusion.


    "Do you think that something terrible could have happened?" L worriedly asked as they ced Sylvia gently on the bed, tucking her under the sheets.


    "Shhh! Are you stupid! Don''t talk about things like that!!!" Coral shook her head hurriedly.


    "Yes, do not talk about this matter again. Don''t you know how serious this is??" Evie as well scolded her.


    "It''s not our ce to talk about these things. Don''t be an idiot and bber this anywhere, lest we might lose our heads!"

 Chapter 187 - It Is Not Good To Daydream Part3

    "Her highness ispletely fine. She just needs to rest awhile." A young man, slightly chubby on the sides muttered in deep contemtion.


    But as opposed to hisposed and calm words, the man himself looked as if he was in difort and was fidgeting awkwardly.


    His cheeks were flushed and his eyes were not willing to leave the beautiful damsel lying on the bed.


    "Lord Meja¡­?" Evie once again asked in concern. "Is there anything else?"


    The man was clearly ogling the princess but to others, it looked like the physician was thinking about some deepplicated condition.


    "Ah, nothing. Nothing. Like I said she ispletely fine." The physician scratched his head and reluctantly turned around to leave.


    After he left, all three maids dismissed the other guards and made sure that Sylvia wasfortable, leaving her to properly rest.


    Once everyone had cleared out, another figure flickered at the entrance of her chamber but no one else noticed his presence.


    His golden eyes gazed at the sleeping figure in a mixture of relief and worry but it somehow turned into a frown after a few seconds.


    "Hmph. You are good at creating scenes just like your mother!" Frederick Akhekh silently left the room, returning back to his court.


    His court was bigger than usual today, as thest of the stragglers from the g were still hanging around.


    As soon as he returned, one of the guards quickly stepped forward and informed him. "Your majesty, Princess Sylvia has¡­"


    The guard whispered the news in his ears but Frederick harrumphed loudly in response. "I can''t be bothered to care about such trivial things."


    Ahh? The confused guard quickly stepped back and returned to his position.


    He was just delivering the news like he was supposed to but he didn''t know why the King was in such a bad mood. Even his response seemed very defensive.


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    Sylvia woke up only in thete evening, finding herself in the soft bed instead of the tangled tree roots.


    But she was not in the least surprised by that as she could guess what might have happened.


    Mmm¡­ She hummed as she pulled away from her nket and got out of bed, stretching her arms and her legs.


    She leaned towards her right and then her left, a few cracks sounding as she tensed and rxed herteral and back muscles.


    If she was not mistaken, it looked like her body had healedpletely.


    She even checked her elbows and knees for bruises but her skin was once again milky white, soft, and free of any blemishes.


    She was now dressed in a set of fresh robes and her silver hair was neatly brushed. It was clear that her maids had taken care of her well while she was asleep.


    Just as she was thinking about them, L quickly rushed forward and bowed. "Your highness, may I call for the royal physician?"


    "Huh?" Sylvia quickly waved her hand to dismiss her question. "No need. No need. I ampletely fine. Bring me something to eat."


    "As you please, your highness." L bowed and turned around to leave when Sylvia stopped her again.


    "Was the physician called while I was asleep?"


    After hearing Sylvia''s question, L was now more than sure that something had happened. She immediately panicked, afraid that they had done something wrong.


    "Ahh¡­ Umm¡­ Please forgive us, your highness. We were worried and concerned about your health, so we had no other choice but to call for the physician."


    Sigh. Sylvia shook her head. "It''s alright. Just bring me some food."


    She already had a pretty good idea about her new family members. They were probablyughing about this andbeling her once again a weakling, but she didn''t care.


    Especially after yesterday''s discovery, Sylvia knew that she was not going to stay here for long.


    She looked at her hands again and silently mumbled¡­ "As soon as I am strong enough¡­"


    In just a few minutes, the maids quickly rushed over and served the evening dinner for Sylvia.


    Everyone knew about the monstrous appetite of the royal family, but the maids couldn''t help but gasp inwardly seeing the amount of meat Sylvia was putting away.


    In all honesty, Sylvia did not bother herself with anything and ate as much as she wanted without holding back.


    It wasn''t her fault. Her stomach was acting more and more like a ck hole with each passing day.


    She had no other choice but toply with that ravenous hunger and since she was in a good mood, she even enjoyed the process.


    Wiping her mouth after the feast, Sylvia hummed in satisfaction.


    "The cake that was served in the g yesterday, prepare it for me. I have a feeling that I might need a midnight snack."


    A smile formed on her lips as she remembered the ridiculously delicious pastry she had tasted yesterday.


    She stood up to walk to the gardens as it was almost time for Mrs. Gruger''s tutoring session, but she paused seeing that all the three maids stood still, utterly shocked.


    "Huh? What happened?"


    The three of them shook their heads hurriedly and then scattered in different directions.


    They didn''t dare answer Sylvia as it would have been extremely embarrassing, if not punishable.


    This was the first time they had seen her smile and her smile was so mesmerizing that they couldn''t stop themselves from getting caught up in it.


    Sylvia herself hadn''t realized it yet. The frigid and cold aura that swirled around her had already cracked.


    Along with her body that felt light and free, her heart was also free and she wore a smile on her lips without meaning to.


    She strolled in the garden for a couple of minutes but Mrs. Gruger sharply arrived at her usual time.


    "Greetings, your highness."


    "Greetings, Mrs. Gruger." Sylvia nodded at the stern-looking middle-aged woman and sat down on the chair opposite to her.


    There were a lot of things that she needed to ask this woman today evening.

 Chapter 188 - It Is Not Good To Daydream Part4

    After exchanging pleasantries, Sylvia stood up to do their usual routine, wherein she did a set of moves and the tutor observed her to check if she had developed any ws or if her posture was improper.


    But today, unexpectedly, the woman interrupted her. "Your highness, there is no need for you to be concerned with these exercises any longer."


    Huh? Sylvia turned to look at her in surprise. "Aren''t these exercises for my physical conditioning? So that I can shift?"


    Mrs. Gruger nodded. "His majesty, the King, feels that it is more important for you to focus on other things right now."


    "We can return back to your physical conditioning at ater time."


    "Heh. Is that so?" Sylvia smiled with a knowing look. "And what does his majesty think is more important than conditioning my weak physical body?"


    "Your highness!" Mrs. Gruger immediately stood up and eximed as if someone had insulted nine generations of her family members.


    How loyal! Sylvia chuckled inwardly, still remaining seated as if the woman''s little outburst had nothing to do with her.


    She was not a fool to openly oppose the royal family, the most powerful beasts in the continent.


    "What happened, Mrs. Gruger? Aren''t I simply asking you a question?" Sylvia acted like she was confused.


    "Pray do tell. What does his highness think is appropriate for me to learn? What should I give more importance to?" She cocked her head to a side and asked again.


    The woman narrowed her eyes and looked at Sylvia. She suddenly found herself unable to decipher the attitude of the princess.


    She cleared her throat and sat back down awkwardly. "His majesty has instructed me to tutor you about the royal heritage, etiquette, and customs."


    Her stern eyes dragged over Sylvia as if they were scrutinizing her but Sylvia simply smiled and nodded her head in response.


    So he wants me to learn history and etiquette instead of battle magic?


    "Mhm. That is indeed a wise decision. Sure, let''s begin then."


    She sat back casually and listened to the tutor with patience, who talked about various things continuously for almost an entire hour.


    Not that it was boring. On the contrary, the tutor''s history lesson was extremely informative.


    The beast kingdom apparently was not always this weak and secluded in the wilderness.


    There was a time when the Kingdom had prevailed throughout the entire world and humans and beasts had lived together for millenniums in harmony.


    A circle of ten divine Emperors and Empresses ruled the world and it was a period of peace and prosperity.


    But slowly the divine bloodlines started fading and no one was able to find out why. Corruption and ill intent took root amidst the innocent and untainted and eventually war broke out.


    The first Great War divided the beasts and the other creatures, with the six Divine beasts now ruling the beast kingdom and the rest of the Divine creatures ruling their respective ns.


    The second Great War further divided everyone and threw even more chaos amongst the living. This time another great Empire emerged, the Devil''s Empire.


    And thest Great War, the third war caused the most damage because with it all the divine beings with the divine bloodlinespletely vanished.


    Sylvia nodded attentively. She now understood why the royal family was so obsessed with the golden color.


    From what the tutor mentioned, thest true descendant of the Draconian divine bloodline had ming golden eyes and golden hair.


    It was a symbol of power, strength, and pride that belonged to a divine beast n.


    Their bloodline was ancient and the blood of a divine beast flowed in their veins. They considered that to be a great honor.


    The image of the proud and the arrogant King, her father, floated across Sylvia''s mind.


    He had bright golden hair and ming golden eyes and she wondered just what sort of a beast was he.


    As Sylvia continued patiently listening, Mrs. Gruger exined the history in more detail for another hour when she finally stopped.


    "Your highness, this concludes our lesson for the evening. If there is nothing else, please allow me to excuse myself."


    Being always prim and prompt in everything she did, Gruger quickly collected her belongings and prepared to leave.


    Sylvia watched her in amusement and then calmly muttered. "Not so soon, Mrs. Gruger."


    Umm¡­? The woman looked back at her in hesitation. "But¡­ your highness¡­"


    "Sit with me a while."


    Sylvia didn''t actually n to but as soon as she used her authoritative voice, her eyes turned bright golden in color.


    She sped her hands together, not to pay respects, but to stretch out her fingers, producing loud cracking noises.


    A domineering aura seeped out of her making the woman extremely ufortable.


    Mrs. Gruger sat back down without another word in protest.


    "Tell me a bit about astral affinity," Sylvia muttered.


    Her wordspletely startled the middle-aged woman who was already on the edge of her chair.


    "Your highness¡­ That¡­ Astral affinity¡­ That is not something you have to concern yourself with."


    "Hmm? I think I can decide that for myself?" Sylvia frowned.


    Gruger once again stood up and gathered all her things in a hurry.


    "Your highness, astral affinity allows one to absorb astral energy and channel it for casting spells. There is nothing more to it."


    "May I please be excused, your highness."


    "Heh. You really seem to be in a hurry today." Sylvia smiled sweetly and waved her hand. "Sure, go ahead. You are excused."


    Her deep blue eyes watched the woman as she bowed a few times and scurried out of the pce quarters as if her life depended on it.


    She was acting more normal just a couple of days ago, but now there was a visible change in her attitude.


    It was not one of disrespect but rather her behavior was like that of a person who was under someone''s threat.


    Sylvia wondered what could have suddenly changed in such a short time and who might have intimidated her so much.

 Chapter 189 - It Is Not Good To Daydream Part5

    After the tutor left, Sylvia stood up to meticulously work on her physical conditioning.


    She might not have Mrs. Gruger looking over her movements, but she had already practiced it several times and was quite confident with it.


    She didn''t need anyone to oversee her training.


    She repeated the same set of exercises a dozen times until it was time for her dinner.


    She then once again sat in the garden by herself and ate the food.


    A lonely silence filled the air, with only the distant rustling of the leaves and the light melody of the cool night breeze but Sylvia didn''t care.


    There were a lot of thoughts in her mind to keep herpany.


    Mrs. Gruger might have brushed her off by saying that there was no need for her to worry about things like astral affinity and such, but Sylvia was now more sure of it.


    She had a feeling that if she just tried hard enough that she might be able to achieve the core formation which the old man was talking to her about.


    That seemed to be the foundation of everything, her magic, and her shifting.


    However, her issue now was¡­ she had absolutely no idea about how to form a mana core.


    If only it was as intuitive as the shifting process¡­ things would have been much simpler.


    Nibbling on a piece of meat stuck in her fork, Sylvia pondered how to solve this issue.


    Not long after, a set of footsteps coincidentally sounded near her.


    She looked up to see the two princesses Melissa and Kel stalking towards her, their auburn hair swaying in the wind and their long gowns gliding on the fresh green grass.


    "Oh? We didn''t know that you were having your dinner by yourself, sister." Melissa smiled with a sympathetic expression on her face that bordered on derision.


    "Ahh¡­ What a pity. You could have joined us. We as well just finished eating." Kel added, her smile a bit more genuine and kind.


    "It''s alright. I am used to eating alone." Sylvia stood up from the table, wiping her mouth with napkins.


    She didn''t know why these two princesses had walked over to her out of nowhere, but she could tell that they were up to no good.


    And she was not in the mood right now to get into any sort of argument.


    "Have a pleasant evening. I think I will head inside and rest now." Sylvia ced the napkins down and prepared to leave.


    "Oh, that''s right. You are so weak. You must need plenty of rest." Melissa chuckled mockingly, while Kel looked away as if she was embarrassed.


    Sylvia halted her steps and rubbed her temples. These two are somehow supposed to be older than her?


    Maybe the pampered and sheltered life did something to their brain! Yes. That must be it.


    She sighed and immediately agreed with her. "Yes. Yes. You are absolutely correct. I am weak so I am heading inside to rest."


    She then tilted her head to the side, giving them an even wider smile, and proceeded to head inside.


    "Wait a second, sister. We brought you a gift. Don''t you want it?" Melissa hurriedly stopped her again.


    She ced a book on the edges of the crowded table that was still filled with the leftovers from the dinner.


    "We heard that you were asking Mrs. Gruger about astral affinity. So we decided to bring you a special book on it."


    Oh! Sylvia immediately turned around, her eyes widening in surprise.


    She was not surprised because they knew about her conversation with the tutor, rather she was surprised to see that they were being helpful and even went to the trouble of getting a book specifically for her.


    She took the book in her hands and nced over it quickly expecting some sort of dirty trick but the book looked genuine enough.


    "This¡­ I am really grateful for this." She replied, her mind still lingering in confusion.


    "Ha Ha Ha. No need to thank us. This is what we sisters are there for. We should help each other out when we can."


    "You see¡­ I also happen to have very high astral affinity. So I had taken out a few books from our library in that field."


    Melissa smiled again, while the other one still kept looking around here and there restlessly.


    "Oh and before I forget¡­"


    She then took out another item from a bracelet on her hand and ced it on the same table, instead of directly handing it over to Sylvia.


    "The Lycan n''s harvest moon festival is about to begin. I heard that Lord Roman was the one to rescue you from a brothel?"


    Her words made Sylvia freeze for a moment and she noticed it, her lips curling upwards into a smirk. "Perhaps you would like to attend the festival and meet with him again?"


    Sylvia looked at her, her eyes turning bright golden and almost immediately Melissa''s ck eyes turned bright golden as well, as if she was challenging her.


    The two continued staring daggers at each other, and unable to bear it any longer, Kel worriedly interrupted. "Ummm¡­ Sisters?"


    Her words broke the tension, Sylvia being the one to relent first. "Sure. That''s very thoughtful of you."


    She took the invitation in her hands along with the book.


    Seeing her tongue-tied, Melissa chuckled contently and waved her hand. "Then, I will be leaving first. Good luck sister."


    "Just another small advice¡­ it is not good to day dream alright?"


    "Ha ha. Astral affinity. What a joke¡­ Come on Kel, we need to meet with father tonight."


    Melissa dragged the other girl and the two of them walked away, talking andughing amongst themselves about something.


    Sylvia could hear theirughter even at a distance.


    "I am day dreaming huh?" She smiled, watching them disappear. She turned around and left the garden as well, falling tiredly on her bed.


    She looked at the invitation in her hand and then at the book. Both looked suspicious, but she was more wary of the book than the invitation.


    Nevertheless, she decided to take a look at it anyways.

 Chapter 190 - Harvest Moon Festival Part1

    Sylvia read the book and reread it multiple times, over and over again.


    For some reason, her mind was very sharp and clear, and she was able to read everything at an incredible pace. But it didn''t matter because she had no idea whether the information she was going through was false or true.


    She waited patiently until Mrs. Gruger came back for the daily evening ss.


    After they exchanged the usual greetings, Sylvia promptly took out the book from behind her and ced it on the table with a thud.


    "Your highness?" Gruger stood up, taken aback by Sylvia''s actions.


    After getting over her initial shock, she muttered awkwardly, "Your highness¡­ Umm¡­ we are supposed to cover etiquette first. We can discuss these thingster. It is his majesty''s..."


    But before she could say any more, Sylvia cut her short. "No, Mrs. Gruger Ipletely understand. I don''t want to discuss anything with you."


    "What I want to know is¡­" Sylvia drawled ying with her fingers and gazing at the woman coldly. "Is the information in this book correct? Surely, you can do that much? Or are you too busy to spare some time for my request?"


    Mrs. Gruger looked down awkwardly, neither able to ept nor deny her request.


    Sylvia could see that someone had clearly interfered in this matter and it was not her intention to make the life of this middle-aged womanplicated but still she needed to find the truth somehow.


    After a long pause, and without any other means of escape, Gruger half-heartedly ended up epting the request.


    "Please give me a day''s time, your highness. I will go through this book from cover to cover and report it to you." She bowed and replied.


    Sylvia did not ask the woman anything else the rest of the evening and patiently listened to her lectures about table manners and speech etiquettes.


    What the tutor didn''t know was that, she was also absorbing astral energy at the same time.


    Not many had the affinity to be able to interact with astral energy and Mrs. Gruger, though adept at other things,cked this particr affinity like many others.


    So throughout the entire evening, she had no idea that Sylvia was actually multitasking.


    The irony being if she had known about this small little titbit, she would have immediately bowed to Sylvia and be loyal to her in a heartbeat.


    Astral magic was one of the most powerful forms of magic, and beasts who had even a little bit of astral affinity were able to be extremely powerful beasts.


    However, Sylvia was in apletely different zone.


    She had such a high astral affinity that she was able to interact with the energy even while listening to something else as if she was eating or breathing in the background.


    Even the king would have been stunned silly if he came to know this!


    But Sylvia was not nning on revealing this information to anyone just yet.


    It was not that she waspletely oblivious to just how important this specific detail was. Rather she knew it, and still did not n to tell anyone.


    Partly because she was not fully sure of it, and partly because she worried she would fall deeper into their hands if they found out about her.


    She didn''t know if these people had her best interest at their hearts. Maybe they will also use her just like how the humans tried to use her.


    The old man who had been constantly encouraging her and the only one speaking terms with her was also missing.


    So she decided to keep things to herself. She had already been burnt one too many times... this little secret was going to be all hers.


    The next couple of hours slowly passed and the evening''s lesson gradually came to an end.


    Gruger as well graciously bowed and left the table, reluctantly taking the book along with her, without Sylvia even having to remind her once.


    Sylvia was confident in the beginning that the woman wouldn''t dare lie to her, but now she was not too sure anymore.


    ''Who else can I talk to¡­?'' She absent-mindedly pondered when her eyes fell on the invitation slip on her dressing table. "Hmm¡­ Looks like I have to ask him after all."


    The next few days quietly passed and soon it was the time for the harvest moon festival of the Lycan n.


    The maids hovered around Sylvia trying to get her hair and dressing done, but Sylvia waved them away, wearing only simple clothes that were morefortable and light.


    She had other ns than to just simply enjoy the festival, so she knew that she needed them.


    After she was done getting ready, she walked over to the imposing and magnificent entrance of the pce and pped her hands to call one of the guards standing nearby.


    He was actually just a servant passing by as there were not many guards in the pce.


    "Fetch me a carriage." Sylvia curtly requested.


    "As you wish...Your highness." The servant bowed and scurried away. The young man''s cheeks flushed at the sudden appearance of the new princess.


    All the descendants of the royal n were naturally looked elegant and noble but for reasons he couldn''t understand, the new princess was a cut above the rest of the royal family.


    The carriage arrived not long after and the coachman opened the door for Sylvia. She pulled her dress up slightly and then stepped into it.


    She didn''t think about anything else at first, her mind only pondering how to improve her strength but as soon as she stepped into the carriage, a wave of nausea assaulted her.


    She couldn''t help but remember the touches and the whispers she had shared with the man who had crushed her.


    Her heart rate quickened and she gripped the edges of the seat to calm herself down.


    She would not look back.. She would only look ahead. This was the promise she made to herself, but how could it be that easy to keep?

 Chapter 191 - Harvest Moon Festival Part2

    The harvest moon festival of the Lycan n was an borate affair. The streets werevishly decorated. Viges and towns were fully crowded and this was the first time Sylvia was seeing a beast vige.


    Surprisingly not much was different than the human viges. Her own town was very simr to the one her carriage was currently passing through.


    When Sylvia had traveled with Roman on the griffon bird it had barely taken her an hour to reach the pce. But now on the carriage, it was taking a lot longer.


    She had already been traveling for a few hours when they finally reached the lycan n outskirts. From there, the pce was a couple more hours away and the carriage rattled on tirelessly.


    Sylvia however did not feel the time passing by as she was looking at the new ces. It was interesting to peer out the window and observe everything on the outside.


    She doubted that the royal carriage was this slow and could onlye to the conclusion that the coachman was purposefully lowering the speed for her convenience and entertainment.


    Soon the light blue shimmering silhoutte of the familiar structure appeared in the distance and Sylvia knew that they had arrived at the Lycan pce.


    A couple of elders whom she did not recognize immediately came to wee her and she bowed and greeted them in return.


    "Umm.. May I meet with the Lycan Lord, please." Sylvia then asked them, to which they exchanged surprised nces with each other as if they had not expected her to say so.


    "Yes, your highness, right this way." The two elders led Sylvia inside the pce which was once again extravagantly decorated.


    As soon as Sylvia walked inside, the elders led her to a huge hall, and surprisingly a couple of familiar faces greeted her inside the hall.


    "Greetings, younger sister."


    "Greetings, younger sister."


    Roman was standing in between Melissa and Kel and the three of them had been busily discussing something when Sylvia stepped in.


    "Huh?" Roman looked up dumbfounded. "Greetings, your highness?"


    All the other Lycan n elders weirdly looked at him as well. This was the first time not one but three Draconian princesses had shown up in a Lycan n''s harvest moon festival.


    Since when did the Lycan n''s simple festival be such a huge deal?


    Before Roman could even say anything, Melissa responded first with a bright smile. "Ha ha! Sister, you really ended uping! This full moon the hunt is going to be amazing now that you are also here!"


    Sylvia sighed and nodded. She didn''t know what the princess, her so-called sister was up to now. She didnt want to ept her as her sister? That was fine. The feeling was mutual.


    Roman looked at Melissa and then at Kel and then at Sylvia. Comepletely rendered speechless, he nodded and smiled awkwardly.


    The elders also had weird expressions on their faces and kept ncing at each other and exchanging mischevious smiles.


    "It looks like everyone is here. Cough. Cough." Isaac stepped forward, grinning cheek to cheek. "Then shall we leave, Lord Roman?" he waggled his eyebrows, making roman stiffen up further.


    The two princesses smiled graciously and started walking followed by Isaac and Roman and then some of the elders.


    Sylvia as well walked in the general direction, wondering what was happening now.


    She had been so preupied with astral affinity and forming a mana core that she hadpletely forgotten to ask about the Harvest Moon festival that was in the process of attending right now.


    She turned around the corridor, still following the crowd when suddenly the person in front of her stopped and she bumped into his tall figure.


    Ughh. Sylvia rubbed her head and looked up, slightly startled to find that it was the Lycan lord himself.


    "Are you alright, Princess Sylvia?" Roman asked.


    "Yes. Yes. I am quite alright, Lord Roman." Sylvia nodded with a small smile.


    Her eye longshes fluttered and her gorgeous blue eyes sparkled from underneath looking at him directly.


    Roman didn''t know why but the woman he saw today looked several times more enchanting and mesmerizing than the person he had seen just a few days back.


    If she looked any more different, he wouldn''t even know it was the same person any longer.


    "Is there something on my face?" Sylvia asked earnestly.


    The lord seemed to be looking at her as if she had food stuck in her teeth. "Ah. Umm. Nothing." Roman stuttered, which was very odd for him.


    To make matters worse, Isaac rushed the others forward as if he was purposefully giving them some space. He quickly changed the topic, thanking the book which was coincidentally on Sylvia''s hands. "Are you studying astral affinity?"


    Sylvia smiled and nodded. "Yes, Lord Roman. I am actually here to.."


    "Hey what are yuou two talking about?" Melissa popped in out of nowhere. Behind her, Kel was standing at an elbow''s length away.


    Sylvia turned to smile at her and lightly chuckled. "Just wondering what the harvest moon festival is about, sister."


    "Oh, that''s right! You have never attended one right. I almost forgot! Say, sister. Shall we have a smallpetition?" Melissa winked and smiled teasingly.


    Sylvia chuckled lightly and again nodded. So she wants to humiliate me one more time, is that it? "Sure. Why not?" she shrugged.


    At this point, she really didn''t care. She even decided to let her have her day so that she wouldn''t bug her again for a while.


    Roman, who observed both the princess and lifted the end of his lips upwards. "Heh. Apetition huh?" His eyes lingered over Sylvia.


    He knew something was off but he wanted to see how she was going to handle it. He had heard things, of course, but she was an Akhekh after all. He wondered if everything was truly as it seemed or...


    "So Lord Roman I heard..." Melissa muttered something and the two of them walked ahead leaving behind Kel to walk with Sylvia.


    Sylvia looked at the young woman, who nced back at her shyly every now and then.. "Do you both usually attend these Lycan festivals?" She probed her.

 Chapter 192 - Harvest Moon Festival Part3

    Sylvia looked at the young woman, Kel, who nced back at her shyly every now and then. "Do you both usually attend these Lycan festivals?" She probed her.


    "Ah¡­ Ah¡­ We don''t. Umm¡­ I mean we do but¡­ Ah... Sorry. I need to go somewhere now. Aha ha ha." As her golden eyes glowed brightly, Kel turned around and ran away.


    She was so flustered that she almost bumped into a pir on her way. She even turned back to check if Sylvia saw that and Sylvia did, which made her more flustered.


    Even from the distance, her entire face had turned beet red as she speedily shuffled her feet and ran away in the opposite direction.


    Huh? Sylvia gaped at the young woman with her mouth wide open.


    She didn''t think she would ever meet someone more clumsy and awkward than her own self but that myth was busted today.


    She didn''t know what else to do but smile at what just happened.


    It seemed like the two sisters were quite different from each other. She shrugged and continued following the group of people as they walked out of the pce.


    This time they didn''t exit through the entrance, rather this seemed to be diagonally opposite to the entrance, so probably a back exit.


    The Lycan pce was much simpler in design than the Draconian pce which was why Sylvia was able to decipher even if this piece of information.


    And to her surprise, she found herself unusually calm as she looked around, observing and appreciating the artworks and the magnificence of the pce around her.


    She still had no idea what was about to happen but just how bad could it be?


    Sylvia calmed strolled out of the pce and stopped when the Lycan elders in front of her stopped and Roman and Melissa also stopped.


    It looked like they were standing on a vast ground with lush trees and nts.


    She didn''t get a good look yet because of the crowd in front of her but soon the crowd dispersed and everybody quickly assembled in what looked like a predetermined order.


    And just as they did¡­


    Sylvia almost gasped. Currently, only Roman, Melissa, and herself were standing at the head of the gathering, if that was even an apt description of the affair.


    Spread out in front of her without any end in sight was a huge crowd. Hundreds? Probably thousands?


    And they all seemed to have coarse hair on most of their hands and legs, wearing only minimal clothing. Just the mere sight was a huge culture shock to Sylvia as she had never ever seen anything like that.


    Just what did I get myself into? She gulped.


    She had never seen so many bare-chested men in her life, and the women¡­ most of them were very fit and their bodies very proportional and aesthetically pleasing.


    For a second, she couldn''t help but wonder if the night was going to take a really weird turn. She had heard rumors in her town about certain immoral adult gatherings.


    This harvest moon festival couldn''t be something like that right? She gulped awkwardly, her cheeks blushing.


    With these thoughts in her head, she couldn''t even look straight at anyone and kept her gaze down, already nning her escape route in her mind.


    If she shifts, she would most definitely faint and that should be her fastest get away from this bizarre festival?


    Sylvia silently let out a deep breath and calmed herself down. She gave Melissa a sideways nce, cursing her inwardly for putting them both in this situation.


    Well, it didn''t matter. I can deal with Melissater.


    Sylvia was about to initiate her crazy escape/faint n when luckily before things could get out of control, Roman''s deep voice interrupted her thoughts.


    "Greetings, Lycan n members. The Moon Goddess has blessed us today with her tender love and care and also her strength and power." His voice reverberated as he addressed the huge gathering.


    "With the immense greatness she has bestowed upon us, it is our duty to maintain the peace and bnce in these blessednds. I wish you all good luck in your hunt today."


    "Go forth and be kind and merciful to our friends and ruthless and unyielding to our enemies. May the Goddess watch over us tonight."


    Ahh¡­ Sylvia was now more calm as she heard the Lord''s speech. Cough. Cough. She quickly forgot about the weird conclusions she had jumped to.


    So this was a literal hunt? She nodded in understanding and watched Roman as he finished saying his few words.


    However, the very next instant, without any warning, he stretched his back and his entire body shifted into a huge snow-white wolf, blue runes covering him from top to bottom.


    His clothes dropped down on the ground and he snapped his canines, meeting Sylvia''s gaze. She quickly turned away and looked up ahead, but that only startled her even more.


    Simr cracking noises echoed from the crowd as the Lycan n people shifted onto their all fours one by one. It was truly a sight to see as their figure disappeared like dominoes in order.


    In just a few seconds, an army of wolves was standing majestically in front of her and their Lord, the snow-white wolf howled in vigor.


    The other wolves immediately responded to this by howling in return. The entire forest was filled with their battle cries.


    The air thrummed with a strange energy and Sylvia felt it resonate with her. She could feel it in her blood, in her bones. Her own beast was craving attention.


    Her body started prickling ufortably. Even though right now, she was simply standing she felt as if she was being heavily weighed down by an anchor, as if she was shackled.


    Her very soul begged her to set the beast free. Sylvia hugged her body tightly, trying to calm herself down but the beast howls were not making it any easier.


    Standing next to her, Melissa nced at her with a hidden glint in her eyes. The next second....

 Chapter 193 Hunting Part1

    193 Hunting Part1


    Standing next to Sylvia, Melissa nced at her with a hidden glint in her eyes.


    The next second¡­ a golden glow enveloped her body and her slender lithe figure transformed into something long and serpentine.


    The entire length of her body was covered by golden scales that shimmered in the moonlight and a row of sharp thorny spikes ran from her head to her tail.


    This was her beast?


    Sylvia could feel a powerful aura seeping from the beast.


    She was definitely bigger than the Lycan n wolves and her mere presence made the other wolves ufortable.


    As soon as Melissa shifted, the howls ceased and amanding silence filled the air. This was the power and majesty of someone from the draconian lineage.


    And Melissa was a draconian wyrm!


    Sylvia recognized the beast instantly. She had seen a simr portrait on one of the pce walls.


    She gazed at the majestic beast floating in front of her. She was actually floating mid-air and it was so effortless and casual. She did not have wings like her which made her wonder how she was able to stay afloat.


    As Sylvia observed the beast, admiring its beauty and its magnificence, the beast''s golden slit-like eyes also stared back at her.


    And unlike her gaze, the gaze of the beast was predatory, hostile, and arrogant.


    Melissa grinned. She could see the woman watching her dumbstruck, but she didn''t restrain her aura even one bit.


    She intended to go all out today. She wanted to make her kneel on the ground and wet herself in fear. She wanted topletely humiliate her and put her in her ce.


    So she did not hold back anything at all.


    The golden wyrm moved, slowly floating towards the pale woman who looked as if she was trembling in fear.


    It opened its mouth and a long forked tongue flickered in and out, a tongue simr to one that belonged to a venomous serpent.


    HISSSS¡­


    It slithered mid-air and whispered in between the long silky silver strands.


    A deathly silence filled the air and no one even dared to breathe loud. Sylvia was trembling from head to toe. Her knees were on the verge of copsing. Everyone could see that.


    But still, Melissa kept going. She coiled herself around the woman as a predator would around the prey seconds before killing it.


    The aura and pressure she was emanating had also be exponentially higher.


    Everyone assembled in the gathering were matured strong beasts so even though they felt ufortable, they could still bear with it.


    However, Sylvia was nothing more than a human being at this point. Before anyone realized it, blood started trickling down her ears, eyes, and nose.


    Her body swayed as if it was going to fall any moment and the wyrm did not look like it was going to back down at all. instead, its coils tightened around her.


    Melissa''s golden eyes glinted cruelly as her tongue flickered in and out one more time. Her sharp golden scales were about to scratch and draw blood from Sylvia''s body when suddenly a loud voice broke the silence.


    "Isn''t that enough, your highness?" Roman snarled and stepped forward.


    He wanted to shift back and support Sylvia but the truth was even he was powerless in the presence of a draconian beast.


    The royal family was the only remaining beast n with a divine bloodline and everyone else had no other choice but to kneel to them.


    Even speaking in the presence of a draconian beast when its aura and its power were unleashed without any restraint, took a great deal of strength.


    bowing humbly.


    He took one look at the woman who was covered in thick blood and instantly knew what was going It would be suffocating to do so. However, Roman was much stronger than Melissa, so he was able to somewhat maintain hisposure in her presence.


    He walked over to the dazzling golden wyrm, his own body a bit different than usual. The more he walked closer to wyrm, the more the blue runes on his body glowed.


    His gaze bore into the slit-like orbs of the wyrm and he once again muttered. "My n members are notfortable. Please watch your aura, your highness."


    His words though seemingly calm and casual, sent a tremor across the golden wyrm and Melissa snapped out of her thoughts.


    She quickly shifted back to her slender human figure. Not fully as her golden scales still covering most parts of her body and her eyes were still bright golden.


    But this in itself, instantly relieved everyone and the other wolves were able to breathe. Roman as well shifted to his human form and quickly stepped forward to hold Sylvia.


    She looked like she was about to copse and faint any instant. Blood was still dripping from her orifices. "Call for the physician," Roman shouted immediately.


    "Is she alright? I am such a klutz. I am so used to ying around with Kel and Ipletely got carried away." Melissa worriedly added.


    "Ughh¡­ What should I do now¡­ I shouldn''t have forgotten that she was so weak¡­ ahh¡­ I am so sorry, Lord Roman. We sisters ended up interrupting your harvest festival for no reason."


    "Why don''t you let me take her to the royal physician? We will get out of your hair. I don''t want to cause any more inconvenience."


    "I can get her there in a couple of minutes."


    Roman looked at the woman, who was smiling nervously. She even seemed genuinely worried. However...


    "It''s quite alright, your highness. The physician is almost here. We can send her back to the pce once he takes a look." He rejected her suggestion.


    "No, Lord Roman. I insist. His majesty might prefer it this way." Melissa also did not look like she was going to give up.


    While the two of them argued, the physician had already arrived and he walked over to them, bowing humbly.


    He took one look at the woman who was covered in thick blood and instantly knew what was going on. So he hesitatingly interrupted the conversation, by greeting both the figures in order.


    "Your highness."


    "My Lord."


    "Please forgive me for interrupting, but Princess Sylvia is not ill."

 Chapter 194 Hunting Part2

    194 Hunting Part2


    "Please forgive me for interrupting, but Princess Sylvia is not ill." The physician hesitantly muttered, his voice barely audible in the midst of the conversation between the two heavyweights.


    He walked forward and supported Sylvia and Roman reluctantly allowed him to do so.


    The physician then muttered a few words under his breath, checked her pulse and the inside of her eyelids. "I was correct, my Lord. Her highness ispletely alright. She just needs a couple more seconds of rest."


    "This blood which seeped out is the blood containing impurities and contaminants from the depths of her body."


    "Hmm¡­ Hmm¡­ This is truly amazing. Her highness hasn''t formed a mana core yet but her body has almost no remaining impurities." The physician who was at first exining now started to talk to himself, observing Sylvia''s condition.


    Roman didn''t want to further make a spectacle out of this. So he pped his hands and issued orders for the others to leave, starting the hunt rather abruptly.


    A few wolves, however, remained as they traveled with the Lycan Lord every hunt. The grand gathering in front of the pce just like that disappeared in a mere couple of seconds.


    No more howling sounds echoed, not even footsteps made any noise. The entire bunch of wolves silently disappeared as if they were stalking their prey in stealth.


    "I apologize, Lord Roman. My sister is too weak to travel anywhere. I really shouldn''t have pushed her toe here. We have even ended up disrupting your harvest hunt."


    "You don''t have to wait here with us any longer. I can wait for my sister to regain her consciousness and then bring her back to the royal pce."


    Melissa smiled and sped her hands behind her back. Her golden eyes shone with mesmerizing mirth.


    Roman gazed at her for a moment, several emotions flickering in his deep blue orbs and then curtly answered. "It''s no trouble at all, your highness. I am happy to wait and keep youpany."


    The physician, however, waspletely perplexed listening to their conversation. Are they talking about this girl? From what angle is she weak? He couldn''t understand but he didn''t raise any questions unnecessarily.


    A couple of secondster, just like he expected, Sylvia stirred awake and looked around in confusion.


    "Your highness. How are you feeling?"


    Seeing all the new faces around her, Sylvia jolted and sat up, moving back a little defensively. She then realized where she was right now and looked around.


    "Everything is alright. I am still here." Roman muttered, trying to ease her restlessness.


    Sylvia softly sighed and then another voice sounded. "I am also here, dear sister. Are you feeling better? You seem to be very fond of fainting. Ah ha ha."


    Melissa greeted her with a smiling face.


    "Hmm¡­ Indeed." Sylvia did not look at her and coldly answered. She remembered the wyrm''s body coiling around her and crushing her.


    Instantly, a low anger surged, and her heart thrummed wildly, making her rub her chest. Her emotions were very chaotic and her mind was a mess.


    Her body as well was beginning to be more and more restless. She felt as if she wanted to run a hundred miles to ease the million nerves in her body.


    Melissa observed her and her lips curled upwards. "Aha ha ha. Sister, you seem to be doing really well. Don''t tell me, you still want to participate in the hunt?"


    "Your highness, I don''t think that would be appropriate." Roman calmly interrupted.


    He had no intentions of getting in between the royal family politics, but at the same time, he didn''t want to be held responsible if something happened to either of the princesses.


    Sylvia clutched the edges of her dress. She looked at the both of them and then calmly stood up, dusting her dress.


    "Actually, I would still like to stay, if that is okay with you, Lord Roman." She smiled.


    Roman was taken aback at this odd request. He met her gaze and could see that she was not going to budge.


    He looked at both the princesses back and forth and then sighed, shaking his head. "Whatever pleases your highnesses."


    "Then let''s get started. What are we waiting for?" Melissa giggled and shifted once again, as if nothing at all had happened just now.


    Her powerful aura made everyone take a step back. "I heard that the Lord personally throws a feast for the victor?"


    The golden wyrm floated away, with a wide grin that revealed her sharp fangs. "I am sure you are interested in that, aren''t you sister?"


    Melissa disappeared in a sh, her words still ringing loudly.


    Sylvia, however, was no longer paying attention to her. She stared into the distance in deep thought. She didn''t think that anyone from the royal family would openly try to harm her.


    And now she was no longer sure.


    But this time, she was not nning to run away from it. It was clear that her so-called sister wanted her to participate in this game. So she decided to y along and find out her true intentions.


    Did she just want to humiliate her or was there something more?


    "Your highness, are you even aware of what the hunt is about?" Roman softly chuckled, breaking her thoughts.


    "We are essentially hunting for our food for the next few months, but not just wild game. There are all kinds of powerful beasts in the forest."


    "Sometimes we have evene across demonic beasts and magical beasts who are several times more powerful than the normal wild beasts and savage beasts."


    "You shouldn''t take this too lightly¡­ especially when¡­" Roman''s silky voice dragged.


    "Especially when?" Sylvia turned to look at him and asked. There was a hint of faint anger in her voice.


    Her pale blue eyes stared into the Lycan Lord''s dark blue eyes and he couldn''t help but look away, under the weight of her gaze.


    "You don''t have to participate in this. It is just a small tradition. Please allow me to send you back to the royal pce." He repeated his words.

 Chapter 195 Hunting Part3

    Chapter 195 Hunting Part3


    A few moments and conversationster¡­


    Sylvia and two members of the Lycan n were speeding through the forests. Well, Sylvia was moving as fast as she could while the other two slowed down for her.


    And a few feet behind her¡­ two other Lycan n members were leisurely walking. However, their speed was still enough to keep up with the three in the front.


    "Man, that has to be the fastest I have ever seen anyone give up on any argument. Aha ha ha ha." Isaac whistled, enjoying the pleasant stroll in the night.


    "Are you nning on shutting up or should I pay a visit to Noele soon?" Roman sighed. His gaze was fixated on the trio in front of them.


    "Damn, brother. Why do you have to bring her into this?"


    "Your father fixed a mating date yet?"


    "Hell no. I have been running every time he picks up that topic. This is not happening."


    "Heh. We will see about that." Roman smirked seeing that the other party had finally lost his cheerful mood.


    If he was going to be miserable tonight, he wanted the annoying guy near him also to be miserable.


    Unlike the two who now walked in silence, the trio in front of them was having a much better time.


    "Your highness, I am M."


    "I am Bloom, princess."


    The lycan girls smiled and introduced themselves.


    "Nice to meet you, M and Bloom." Sylvia nodded. "Do you guys usually hunt on the harvest moon festival in groups or individually?"


    "Aha ha ha. Your highness, we wolves always hunt in packs."


    Sylvia softly chuckled. "I am sorry. I am not very familiar with the lycan customs."


    "It''s quite alright, your highness. This festival is really not big a deal. We just hunt some food for the winter."


    "If I may please ask, which weapon does your highness prefer to use. I noticed that you don''t have one. I was wondering if your highness wanted anything from me?"


    "No, I am alright. Thank you." Sylvia politely refused. Though she had allowed Melissa to goad her into joining this hunt, she hadn''t done so without any preparations.


    They walked through the forests for a few more minutes when suddenly Bloom and M stopped in their tracks.


    Sylvia as well noticed their behavior and stopped.


    A few secondster, a tall and huge deer strutted out in front of them. "Your highness, shall we?" M quickly whispered.


    Sylvia nodded. The three of them took a few steps back so as to not alert the animal to their presence.


    "Your highness, should we?" Bloom asked again.


    This was not the first time Sylvia had been on a hunting mission, but thest time she was merely a spectator, and this time¡­ everything was different.


    She took a deep breath and cleared her mind. She had already practiced it enough so she wasn''t too nervous.


    She took out a bow from the storage ring on her finger and a sheath of arrows which she then slung on her shoulders.


    Behind them, Isaac gasped in surprise. "Oooh! Your beast likes to use a bow and arrow?"


    Roman as well was shocked. He didn''t think that Sylvia had any sort of weapon training or any training of any sort for that matter.


    The two of them continued to watch on, not expecting much. It was just a wild beast, so they also weren''t too concerned about her safety.


    They also did not expect much from her. By now almost everyone knew about the fourth princess affinity and weirdly several other rumors along with it.


    Just in case, Bloom and M readied themselves to intervene.


    As everyone continued to curiously look, the slender figure pulled her arm and a loud twang resounded in the air.


    An arrow sliced through the silence of the night andnded right in the middle of the deer''s eyes.


    BLLLEEAAAT


    The deer shrieked in rm and before the animal could suffer, Sylvia quickly killed him off with two other consecutive arrows one after the other, all hitting the same spot.


    Mmm¡­ Sylvia nodded in satisfaction. She turned to look at the two wolf girls but they were looking back at her weirdly.


    "She can''t even transform fully." His blue eyes shed with anger.


    Isaac''s face changed and he as well turned solemn. He knew that this was a sour spot for Roman so "Did I do something wrong?"


    "Ah¡­"


    "Umm¡­"


    Sylvia narrowed her eyes in amusement and then walked away to collect the meat before the blood attracted stronger beasts.


    Watching her meticulously do the grunt work, the two wolf girls snapped out of their trance and quickly ran towards her to help.


    "Your highness, we can handle this." M grabbed the deer''s body from her.


    "Please, forgive our tardiness." Bloom wiped the blood from her hands.


    "I don''t mind at all." Sylvia smiled. It felt good to talk to other people who were not so timid and nervous around her.


    After clearing the deer, the three of them again started moving. They came across a couple of smaller beasts and just like before, Sylvia took care of them swiftly and mercifully.


    "Damn! Your girl would have made a fine human marksman." Isaac chuckled and when he turned to see, Roman was notughing at his joke.


    "What happened, dude? Isn''t she doing great?"


    "Hmm¡­ Great huh?" Roman finally chuckled, but there was only coldness in his voice. "Is this how a beast is supposed to fight? With weapons?" He muttered under his breath.


    "She can''t even transform fully." His blue eyes shed with anger.


    Isaac''s face changed and he as well turned solemn. He knew that this was a sour spot for Roman so he didn''t say anything after that.


    The two of them followed the three women in silence when Isaac stopped and turned to ask something seriously.


    "Brother, so is there also any specific reason why only female members of your personal pack is apanying the princess?" He waggled his eyebrows.


    The serious atmospherepletely evaporated and Roman shook his head helplessly, chuckling. "You are a hopeless, idiot. I am going to personally talk to Noel after we return."


    "Brother, please."


    "I apologize."


    "I will ept any other punishment."


    "Please."


    "Please."


    "..."

 Chapter 196 Hunting Part4

    Chapter 196 Hunting Part4


    Sylvia and the two wolves, followed by the other two wolves continued walking through the forest. It was a beautiful night and the stars were shining brightly.


    She wasn''t aware but they mainly stuck to the outer perimeter of the forest as Roman had instructed them beforehand.


    So they only came across weaker wild beasts and chatted with each other as if this was merely a stroll in the forest and not the serious hunt which took ce every lunar cycle.


    "Your highness, is it alright if I ask you something?" M smiled.


    "Sure."


    "Why did you choose to join our hunt on the harvest moon festival?"


    Ahem. Sylvia coughed awkwardly. She didn''t know how to answer this valid question. "Umm... I just... I just wanted to experience this once?" She answered something vaguely.


    In truth, perhaps she should have ignored Melissa''s taunts and returned back to the pce but instead, she took this risk and decided to see just how far her sister had nned things.


    Sylvia knew that there was no point in trying to ce hide and seek with this new and powerful family of hers. If they wanted to kill her or harm her, then she would be dead. There was simply just no doubt about this.


    She had only one option left and that was to simply face the music.


    Sylvia looked at the two women walking beside her. She hadn''t thought about this before, but now that she did, she realized that she had also inadvertently ended up risking other''s lives.


    She couldn''t help but feel a little guilty.


    While she was in deep thought, M suddenly jumped in front of her and smiled as if she had some exciting news. "Princess Sylvia, we are almost there. There is a beautiful waterfall just behind"


    M''s eyes widened and she stopped speaking abruptly. However, something told Sylvia that it was not out of excitement.


    "What happened?" She hurriedly asked and both the wolves stood frozen as if they couldn''t even begin toprehend how to process what was happening.


    Roman and Isaac were quicker to react and their figures blurred before standing in front of Sylvia, M, and Bloom.


    "Stand back. Now." Roman shouted.


    And just as his voice sounded, a majestic silhouette walked out from within the shadows.


    covered by fur like a beast, and yet they retained their human features.


    They muttered something inaudible and before Sylvia could move an energy barrier surrounded the It was a huge panther with eyes red and ming, but more importantly, there was a faint ominous aura seeping out of it and violet haze enshrouded it.


    The Lord was here all along? Sylvia was startled. She gazed at the tall and the powerful Lycan lord and then at the beast.


    Sylvia had no doubt what this beast was. A magic beast and it was looking straight at her!


    This was the second time she was seeing one in person and that too up close.


    "Stay near me." Roman shouted again.


    He and Isaac assumed some sort of half-human and half-beast form, most parts of their body covered by fur like a beast, and yet they retained their human features.


    They muttered something inaudible and before Sylvia could move an energy barrier surrounded the five of them.


    The panther roared in anger and then shed its paws at the thick barrier.


    Bang! Everything trembled.


    Violet strands of energy peeled from the barrier and it grew visibly weaker. "Damn it. What the hell is a rare magical beast doing here near the settlement?"


    "Isaac, did you signal for the reinforcements yet?"


    "Yes, my Lord." The previous yfulness in the wolf''s voice was long gone and he replied with a serious and formal tone.


    "M and Bloom, escort the princess to safety. Protect her at all costs. We will keep the beast upied here in the meantime."


    "Reinforcements should be here soon. Do not break formation. Move now."


    M and Bloom bowed and nodded. They understood very well what their Lord meant. The princess needed to be protected at all costs even if that meant them losing their own lives.


    The two muttered something together and a thick fog swirled around, blurring everything. The fog didn''t just blur the vision but it blurred every single sense including smell, masking the presence of everyonepletely.


    After that, they quickly prepared to leave the barrier, but when they turned around, they saw that Sylvia was not moving.


    "Princess?"


    "Your highness!"


    The two of them gasped in shock. However, Sylvia did not look like she was prepared to leave any time soon.


    Roman obviously noticed this and turned around. "Your highness, you need to leave now. You don''t have to worry. We will hold back the beast." He growled, barely hiding his anger, enunciating each and every single word he spoke.


    Sylvia shook her head.


    "Your highness. This is not the time to take a stand or be brave. Listen to me now and leave."


    "I am sorry, Lord Roman." Sylvia''s face had an unusual calm and there was a resoluteness in her voice.


    Roman gnashed his teeth in anger. They were all facing a life and death situation and he didn''t have the time right now to pander to the spoilt royal princesses.


    "Sylvia. LEAVE NOW." He howled.


    Just as he did, thestyer of the barrier crumbled like a sheet of ss and his powerful voice reverberated through the silent forests.


    Every single wolf in the vicinity heard him and howled back in response.


    They all could recognize that their Lord was calling for them and began dashing towards the source of his call.


    "NOW. GET THE HELL OUT NOW." Roman shouted at her again, but Sylvia stood still like a stone.


    Her eyes were bright golden in color and her body was shimmering like the stars in the sky. "I am not leaving anywhere." She calmly muttered.


    Roman shook his head furiously.


    This was all the attention that he could spare her. Now that the barrier was down, he need to deal with the magic beast in front of him.


    Swish. Swish. Swish. Three wind des flew out of his hand, striking the panther. The beast moved several paces, dodging the attack.

 Chapter 197 Ignis

    Chapter 197 Ignis


    Sylvia calmly breathed in and out. She tried not to panic.


    She knew that Roman was growling at her for her safety but she was just sick and tired of always being the useless one, the damsel in distress, the one who needs to be saved.


    This time she was determined to not simply run away. She wanted to stay back and fight. Sylvia did the thing that she had practiced all week.


    Her bright golden eyes shimmered as she let out a low growl. Immediately, a pair of horns jutted out of her head.


    She flicked her hands and scales started appearing with her fingers turned into sharp ws.


    However¡­


    Her transformation stopped there.


    Apart from absorbing or rather swirling the astral energy within her body, this was the other thing she had been practicing.


    Sylvia noticed that her body was able to handle her transformation much better if she simply focused on not bringing out her wings. That was the part that ced the maximum stress on her body and drained all her energy.


    Of course, she would love to be able to fly but for now, she was satisfied as long as she was able to maintain some sort of transformation just like how the other beasts were so easily able to do.


    More importantly, the transformation was not just about the change in appearance. It was so much more.


    In her partially shifted form, she had almost twice or thrice her natural strength and speed. She had heightened senses and faster reflex reactions.


    Not that any of this could make even a cut on the powerful magical beast''s hide, but she didn''t care about that.


    Sylvia''s intention was never to take on the whole fight and try to defeat a creature that could end her life in a second?


    She just didn''t want to run and hide anymore. Even if it was just a minuscule amount of support, she wanted to stay back and help.


    Sylvia tried to first observe the things happening around her.


    Calm down. Calm down. What can I do now? She gritted her teeth and waited patiently for a chance that she could utilize.


    Growl! The panther roared and swiftly moved, still continuing to dodge all of Roman''s attacks. Sylvia could see that the Lycan Lord was holding back a lot.


    It almost seemed as if his main intention was to keep the beast away from her rather than fighting it head-on.


    Also¡­ for some reason¡­ the panther''s gaze was lingering on her figure rather than its current formidable opponent.


    It moved with such agility and uracy that his attacks did not even graze the beast. Both of them were clearly at a standstill as if they went any further then both sides would suffer losses.


    Hmm?


    Sylvia gritted her teeth and red back at the panther which swiftly moved, evading all of Roman''s wind magic attacks.


    It moved with such agility and uracy that his attacks did not even graze the beast. Both of them were clearly at a standstill as if they went any further then both sides would suffer losses.


    Sylvia silently observed the situation and suddenly she thought of something.


    A distraction! What Roman needed most right now was the beast to be distracted so that his attacks cannd!


    She sucked in a big mouthful of air and tried to gather every bit of energy in her body. All Sylvia knew and had ever done was just chore magic.


    So her n was simple and she relied on just this, only the simple chore magic. Yet, she was confident that it would work because their battleground was in the middle of a forest.


    Ignis¡­


    Sylvia muttered, with herplete mental focus on the tree that was right next to the panther. There was a dried-up mess of brambles next to it and she aimed for that.


    If she could just set this on fire somehow, then the panther should be distracted? At least that was what Sylvia was aiming for.


    Even with her pathetic magic affinity, she should be able to do this much?


    After all, she had already done this several times before.


    However¡­


    Sylvia had only barely uttered the words and closed her mouth when¡­


    CRACKLE! CRACKLE! ROAR!


    What small sparks? What heap of bramble? As soon as the spell was cast, the entire tree was aze in crackling and roaring mes!!!


    Sylvia had only intended to distract the panther but in the end, she ended up distracting and shocking everyone, including herself.


    The slender woman gasped and stepped back gazing at her fingers in a daze. "What¡­ what just happened¡­ "


    More than her, Roman was shocked and he stared at her with his mouth open. Sylvia met his eyes and tried to exin as if she was also trying to exin it to herself at the same time.


    "I¡­ I just¡­ sparks." She didn''t know what else to say.


    Roman chuckled. Hisughter rang loudly in the night that had suddenly be silent. He threw his head back up and howled again.


    "Since you can do this¡­ how about you start pulling your weight in this fight, princess." He growled and once again sent a volley of attacks at the panther, his lips curled into a wide grin.


    Sylvia stood frozen for a moment but the man''s maniacalughter snapped her out of her trance.


    She gulped and slowly raised her hand to cast the same spell again and this time at the ck ferocious panther that was snarling and rearing right next to the burning tree.


    Ignis!


    Sylvia huffed.


    Ignis!


    Ignis!


    Ignis!


    She had observed the panther''s movement pattern all this while and quickly cast a series of me spells wherever she anticipated the beast to move next.


    Instantly, five bursts of hissing me materialized like geysers of water spurting out of the ground!


    Roarrrr!!!


    The panther inevitably stood on top of one and the hot mes burned its shiny ck coat. However, it wasn''t damaged beyond that as a magical beast''s hide was not something a novice mage could touch.


    The only purpose the attack served was to infuriate the beast even more.


    Roaarrr! Roaarrr! Roooarrrr!


    The panther growled thunderously and stretched its lithe body, aiming to pounce and maul the woman who had dared tond an attack on its body.

 Chapter 198 Magnet for trouble Part1

    Chapter 198 Ma for trouble Part1


    Roaarrr! Roaarrr! Roooarrrr!


    The panther growled thunderously and stretched its lithe body, aiming to pounce and maul the woman who had dared tond an attack on its body.


    But as soon as it moved, several wind des struck its body, drawing blood from where the attacks touched the beast.


    The panther let out an enraged growl and a powerful magic aura started seeping out of the beast.


    However, before it could make a move, numerous thudding noises echoed in the burning forest and a dozen lycan warriors materialized around the magical beast.


    The beast waspletely surrounded in all directions and trapped by the Lord''s personal warriors. "Do not let it escape." Roman''s voice thundered.


    He sent out another wind element attack and this time the power packed in the single attack waspletely different from all the previous attacks that he had sent.


    The other lycan warriors as well silently cooperated as if they had all fought together all their lives. They moved in synchrony and their attacks were bnced.


    Sylvia took a step back and gazed at the ensuing fight in awe.


    Thest time she hadn''t witnessed the fight up close because she was busy running away at that time, ironically back to her prison.


    But this time was different. She wasn''t running away from anyone and she had nowhere to be. So she watched the fight in a daze, and without realizing it, she even ended up admiring it.


    It was as if she was looking at the spectacle of beautiful fireworks.


    The fire she had set to the trees was still roaring alive and the other lycan warriors used the power oozing from those mes and further strengthened their own fire element magic.


    All sorts of spells dazzled in front of her and weapons glittered under the moonlight. In just a couple of minutes, the majestic predator of the forest was brought down to its knees.


    And in one single swift motion, Roman dealt the beast its final blow, cleanly severing its head from the rest of its body.


    Sylvia took another step back looking at the corpse of the animal. She could see the soot marks on its blood-stained fur that she had personally inflicted.


    This was the first time she had participated in something like this and her heart was hammering against her chest so hard that she could hear the pounding noises.


    It was not fear¡­ It was not some sort of pity towards the dead animal that had been so majestically alive just a few seconds ago¡­ It was rather a unique feeling.


    To fight with her own hands and her own strength was empowering. She was the predator. The beast had wanted to kill them all, but it was them who had emerged victorious.


    For the first time ever, Sylvia felt strong and confident, and she had only just begun.


    She clenched her fists, silently resolving never to return back to the weak little helpless girl she was in the past.


    Snap!


    "Princess?" Roman waved his hand in front of the woman who stood silently staring at nothing in particr.


    Huh? Sylvia blinked.


    "I asked, are you fine?"


    The lycan lord''s warm smile caught Sylvia slightly off guard. Why was he smiling? What was he so happy about?


    "Is this a rare valuable beast?" She asked in puzzlement.


    "Hmm? I guess so?" Roman hummed. "All magical beasts are valuable resources for several purposes but those are mainly for the humans.


    "We don''t need to depend on cheap chatan''s tricks like alchemy. We mainly hunt the beasts for our food and survival."


    Sylvia nodded silently as she listened. The two of them watched as the other members of the lycan n cleaned up the area, gathered the meat from the beast, and put out the fires.


    Everything was swiftly taken care of and soon the forest returned to its former calm and tranquil silence as if a fierce battle hadn''t taken ce here just a few seconds ago.


    "So shall we leave, your highness?" Roman chuckled, helplessly shaking his head.


    "I hope you have had your fun for the night." The man raked his long slender fingers through his silver hair that was sprawled messily because of the fight.


    Sylvia felt a bit embarrassed at the man''s remarks. She somehow felt responsible for causing this mess and nodded. "I am sorry. I will return to the pce."


    "Phew! That''s good then. Let me get Bloom and M to escort you to the royal pce and this time please take my griffon bird." Roman quickly started packing up her as well.


    Sylvia nodded and obediently listened to the Lord''s words. She didn''t want to make more trouble for these people.


    The man whispered something to the two wolves and then let out a low deep howl. Sylvia knew what this was as she had already seen him do this once or twice. This was the call for his bird.


    In a few seconds, as she expected, a huge bird floated down with elegance tond on the ground.


    Sylvia didn''t linger anymore and bowed to everyone, including the Lycan Lord and the other n members to thank them for their help. She then jumped onto the back of the griffon with familiarity.


    The bird purred on her touch and took off after she settled. It flew close to the ground and below them, two wolves agilely sprinted keeping up with the sharp pace of the griffon.


    "M¡­ Bloom¡­" Sylvia muttered under her breath with a bitter smile. Apparently, Roman had taken the liberty of assuming that she wasn''t even fit to survive a short trip to the royal pce.


    And he was not wrong.


    Sylvia shook her head. It was fine. Everything was going to change. And if it didn''t she would make it change.


    She gazed again at the elegant feral silhouettes running wild and free below the griffon. They were barely visible amidst the tall grass covering the forest grounds.


    She also wanted it badly, this kind of freedom. She silently continued gazing at them with envy.

 Chapter 199 Magnet for trouble Part2

    Chapter 199 Ma for trouble Part2


    After reaching the royal pce, Sylvia directly walked to her quarters. Her mind was still stuck in the events of the evening so she dismissed her maids early and spent the night in silence.


    She couldn''t forget the feeling of casting such powerful spells. But why were they even powerful in the first ce? She had just cast simple chore magic.


    Sylvia bit her lips pondering about this conundrum. She was too tired to cast any more spells and test her strength tonight, so she continued meditating for the rest of the night.


    As her slender figure sat alone in the darkness of the night, pure thick astral energy swirling around her body, the night lightened up quickly and morning arrived sooner than she realized.


    Sylvia shed her eyes open with a yawn, but unexpectedly as soon as she did so, she froze and fell backward in shock.


    In front of her on the dew coveredwn of the pce gardens, a huge white wolf was sitting, its body covered in mystic blue runes.


    The wolf looked like he was sleeping, his bodyzily sprawled on the grass. However, as if he had sensed that the other party was awake, the wolf as wellzily yawned and blinked his eyes.


    Sylvia gazed into the clear blue eyes of the wolf. Roman? When did hee? She absolutely had no idea whatsoever.


    Roman immediately shifted to his human form, and Sylvia looked away to give the man some privacy.


    Apparently, in the world of beasts people were veryfortable running around half-naked all the time and she was just not there yet.


    Her behavior was very amusing and it made the Lycan Lord smile. He had already invaded her privacy so he decided not to tease her further. "You are quite hardworking," He muttered, changing the subject.


    "Huh?" Sylvia was confused. "Did something happen?"


    "No. Nothing in particr." Roman shook his head which made her all the more puzzled. Then why was he here?


    "Rx, your highness. I simply came here to talk to you about something. As you were in the middle of something, I patiently waited and ended up sleeping here in your garden."


    "I hope your highness would not mind my intrusion."


    Sylvia nodded. "No, it''s fine. Did something happen?" She was not convinced and she asked again.


    "It''s really nothing, but there are some things you need to know now that you are here." Roman smiled, though his demeanor was rather quite serious.


    "As you know, you are of the draconian heritage and anyone from your family is a higher order beast."


    "You guys are feared and respected by the other beast n members and also certain other savage and magical beasts, but there is also something else."


    "When you step out into the wild terrain, these beings that fear and respect you from the sidelines might not necessarily remain in the sidelines."


    "You are a walking treasure trove and every part of your body is a treasure." Roman''s eyes wandered on their own to take a peek at the woman sitting in front of him.


    The thin robe she was wearing clung tightly to her body as she was fully drenched in sweat, and it entuated her slender figure in all the right ces.


    "You mean they will specificallye in search of my presence?" Sylvia now understood several things.


    The fact that a strong and powerful magical beast hade their way despite the area they were in. This had not happened once but twice.


    The magical beast outside of Kalindor Kingdom that no one could exin was also probably because of her!


    Her words snapped the Lycan Lord and his eyes that had strayed away returned to meet the questioning gaze of the woman in front of him.


    "Cough. Cough." He cleared his throat awkwardly and hurriedly replied. "Yes, that''s exactly what I am trying to say."


    "You might be a higher order beast but currently, you are not that different from a helpless pup."


    "Your brothers and sisters might wander thesends and forests freely. However, if you do so, you would only meet your death or worse."


    "I suggest that you not stray far away from the royal pce. At least until you are stronger?"


    "I am sure that your grandfather would eventually arrange something for you, but if not, I can personally take you to tame a flying beastpanion."


    "So even if you wanted to travel somewhere, you can rely on your pet to take you there. Though the skies also could be equally dangerous, for a short period of time, it is definitely safer than thends."


    "Or if you felt that this kind of arrangement was suffocating or confining, you can always request the King for personal guards. Considering your special circumstance, I don''t think he would reject."


    Special circumstance huh? Sylvia chuckled wryly.


    That''s right she was the runt of the family without any magic talent, probably the only weakling from the royal family who would ever need personal guards.


    But yesterday''s night was different. Her thoughts went back to the powerful magic spells she had cast yesterday. Nevertheless, she looked at the Lycan Lord in front of her and thanked him sincerely.


    "I am grateful for your warning and your counsel."


    Faced with her undivided attention, Roman became ufortable and turned away. He could only imagine the stories his annoying friend might cook up if the word about this got out.


    So he quickly spouted something to cover his tracks. "It''s nothing. I guess in one way or the other, I am responsible for whatever happens to you here."


    "After all, I was the one who brought you here in the first ce. That''s all."


    "Take care. Perhaps not all members of your family are weing towards your presence. So it would be best if you¡­ maybe talking with your grandfather and learn a few things first?"


    "Mmm. I will keep that in mind." Sylvia might be clueless about other things, but thisst part was something that she was well aware of.


    "Alright. I will be taking my leave then." Roman ruffled his silver hair and stood up, turning to leave, but his feet paused and he suddenly started rummaging the insides of his robe.

 Chapter 200 You are a monster Part1

    Chapter 200 You are a monster Part1


    "Here. Take this." A book fell on Sylvia''sp and the Lycan Lord''s figure disappeared.


    Huh? She stared at the book wondering what it could be when she saw the familiar words written on the book. ''Astral Energy Maniption''


    Sylvia sighed and looked in the direction where the man''s figure had disappeared. She ended up not talking about this yesterday and hadn''t asked him for his help, but he still remembered and helped her anyway.


    Not to mention, he shadowed her along with his n members, endangering both their lives, just to satisfy a selfish request of hers.


    Sylvia smiled gently feeling the warmth in her heart, but the next second, a thought entered her mind. Did he also want something from her? Did he also n to use her?


    She couldn''t help but chuckle softly at her conflicting emotions.


    She didn''t know when she be this cynical. Perhaps in her lifetime, she would never be able to fully trust another person.


    She closed her eyes and let out a deep breath before getting up from thewn and opening the book in her hands.


    "Evie. Prepare my bath and bring my breakfast." The maids were by now used to Sylvia''s usual routine and they didn''t find it odd that she was up all night and rested during the day. This kind of thing was verymon.


    Sylvia freshened herself up a bit as her body was still covered by wet sticky sweat from having trained all night.


    She dipped her slender body into the big tub of water filled with flower petals, various medicinal herbs, and nourishing essences.


    She then propped the book open in her hands, allowing her to have the luxury of soaking her tired body for a while in the nourishing bath.


    Mmm¡­ Sylvia hummed silently as she felt the knots in her body loosen up.


    Amidst the rxing silence, her eyes darted from word to word and ever so often her eyes widened in surprise.


    Unlike the book which her so-called sister had given her, this one wasn''t as old. It in fact did not even look like an original book. However, it was definitely better than that.


    Someone else had personally hand transcribed the words onto this book, adding their own notes at various ces. They provided additional help and aided Sylvia in understanding some things.


    She couldn''t help but be moved by the thoughtfulness of the Lycan Lord. "I will remember this, Lord Roman." She thanked him silently.


    Her eyes devoured every piece of knowledge inscribed onto the book and she also noticed how it was simr to the other one Melissa had gifted her.


    It turned out that her sister hadn''t sabotaged the book after all. However, there was one additional piece of information in Lord Roman''s book that hadn''t been present in Melissa''s version.


    A warning! A warning that those who pursued to tame astral energy might suffer severe consequences if their body wasn''t attuned to the energy thoroughly.


    This was the only difference between both the books. Sylvia chuckled. She now understood her sister''s intentions. It looked like she had indeed wanted her to seed in her endeavors.


    Perhaps she counted on Sylvia harming herself in the long run?


    "Well. It doesn''t matter. No matter how risky it is, I will be doing it anyway." She softly smiled and stood up from the tub.


    Hot nutritious breakfast was readily served and there were also two extra food trolleys near the table. Sylvia, as well, felt ravenously hungry and she finished all the food, continued to again peruse the book, end to end.


    Since she would be attempting the next step on her own and considering that this step was very vital in every spirit beast''s life, she wanted to be extra thorough. She even ate more than usual to make sure that her energy levels were fully replenished.


    Sylvia then rested for a while and the evening arrived sooner than expected. The tutor Mrs. Gruger promptly walked in and she once again began the lessons about etiquette and customs.


    The two of them spent a couple of hours, one very verbose and the other very quiet.


    After the allotted time came to an end, the middle-aged woman quickly prepared to leave as if the entire ce was about to go up in mes and Sylvia watched her scurry away in amusement.


    She shook her head helplessly and then finally began her actual training by settlingfortably on thewn. She picked a spot where the gentle light of the moon and the stars unobstructedly fell on her and then closed her eyes.


    She calmed her mind and heart and started focusing on the energy thrumming in the air around her.


    "I need to focus, center myself, and bring everything together," Sylvia muttered under her breath. She was currently trying to consolidate her beast mana core and this was the instruction given in the written notes.


    Everything was detailed from top to bottom and Sylvia knew exactly what she needed to do. So she didn''t hesitate and dived right in.


    However, if anyone else including Roman had heard about this, he would have surely stopped her. Mana core formation was the foundation of every single beast.


    It was the seed from which their strength stemmed. Their future development relied on it. If someone''s mana core was formed improperly, then they would be weak for the rest of their lives.


    On the other hand, if the resulted mana core was of a higher tier one, then their future prospects would truly be limitless. These things were clearly written in several books and also on the written notes which Roman had gifted Sylvia.


    However, despite this Sylvia still attempted the crucial step all on her own. Not that she was too stubborn to take somebody else''s help or blindly arrogant to underestimate such an important process.


    Her thinking was rather simple. She only did this because she was not just forming a mana core. Rather she was forming an astral mana core.

 Chapter 201 You are a monster Part2

    Chapter 201 You are a monster Part2


    Forming an astral mana core was something that waspletely unheard of.


    Most beasts did not even possess an affinity to the said astral energy, let alone an affinity high enough to form a mana core.


    And on top of it, it was warned repeatedly in several books that there would be severe consequences if she failed.


    Because of this Sylvia decided to take the help of neither her friends nor her foes.


    While the former would simply worry about her, or prevent her from doing what she wanted to do and thetter wouldn''t be of any help.


    Sylvia took a deep breath and focused on the job at hand.


    For the next several days, she was aplete shut-in and did not even bother entertaining her tutor, Mrs. Gruger.


    However, her progress wasn''t too great either. She didn''t feel any difference as she silently continued absorbing astral energy day in and day out.


    A couple of weeks passed and one day, Sylvia heard a smallmotion outside her chamber.


    She opened her chamber doors and walked outside to see the entire pce corridor in a chaotic rush.


    There were more guards than usual and they seemed to be walking around here and there doing various things.


    Sylvia caught one of them and asked him what was going on.


    "Your highness, the patriarch¡­ Ummm¡­" The guard was hesitant. The old patriarch had instructed everyone to keep things confidential. So he was not allowed to say anything.


    "Your highness the patriarch has issued us some orders. So we are busy." He hurriedly exined and ran away.


    Sylvia frowned. "The old man has returned huh?" She silently went back to the chamber as she didn''t want to disturb anyone.


    But as one of the guards opened the chamber doors to the patriarch''s quarters, a loud painful roar resounded.


    Sylvia was shocked. She stood frozen in her tracks unable to move. She had never heard such a cry before in her life. She could tell that the beast was in pain, an unbearable pain.


    Sylvia clenched her fists. An empathetic feeling overwhelmed her, moving her heart. Something inside her made her want to help the beast. It was an explicable impulsive thought.


    But what use could someone like her possibly be? After all, there were others like the King, and the other members of the royal family.


    She gulped hesitantly and opened the doors to the patriarch''s quarters. She thought that she would at least take a look inside.


    She only barely took a step and two guards hurried over to stop her. "Your highness please forgive us. You are not able to enter the quarters. The patriarch prefers not to be disturbed."


    "Oh, is that so?" Sylvia narrowed her eyes. She suddenly had a thought and looked at the guards questioningly. "Is that his highness roaring?"


    The two lizard beast men nced at each other as if they didn''t know what to tell her. Sylvia didn''t pressure them as these men had their orders as well.


    After all, it need not necessarily be what she was thinking. There could be several other reasons. Perhaps they were interrogating a criminal?


    Either way, she didn''t want to poke her nose in someone else''s business. So she simply nodded and turned around to leave.


    "Is that really how much you care?" A voice called after her and Sylvia saw Melissa walking out of the patriarch''s quarters. "You are so busy that you can''t even pay a visit to the old man who got hurt on your behalf?"


    "What are you talking about?"


    "What else would I be talking about? To correct your weak body and useless talent, grandpa Cadmus shed with a demon n and got severely injured."


    "And here you are, walking away without even bothering to pay him a single visit."


    "Grandpa is very injured?"


    Melissa scoffed and walked away, not bothering to talk to her any longer. Sylvia could only look at the two guards who looked equally helpless.


    They were under strict orders not to tell the little princess about anything. However, right in front of them, princess Melissa had spilled all the beans.


    So they had no idea which orders to follow now. Nevertheless, they stuck to their original orders and looked away from the princess, closing the main doors of the quarters.


    Sylvia stared at the blocked corridor in a daze. "He went to search for something for me and got injured?" She absentmindedly muttered under her breath.


    All these days she had assumed that the old man had ignored her because of her weak affinity. She had thought that his affections had changed since she turned out to be a disappointment, unlike the other royal princes and princesses.


    However, all this while he had been silently working hard for her?


    She leaned on the huge doors of the quarters, cing her ear on the golden structure. She could still clearly hear the howl of a beast in pain.


    Was this her grandfather''s voice? Was he in so much pain because of her? Sylvia''s clear blue eyes reddened and thest parts of herpletely frozen heart warmed up.


    She couldn''t help but think about their every single interaction and how the old man had constantly been fawning over her as if she was something precious.


    She had never taken those words to her heart and now she regretted it all. "I need to help him." Sylvia clenched her fists and stood rooted outside the entrance.


    She paced back and forth in the long corridor, pondering what she could do to help with the situation. If he was injured, there should be a way to treat his wounds or injuries.


    To begin with, she didn''t even know how badly he was injured. Who could she even ask? The guards? Her father? Roman? Mrs. Gruger?


    She shook her head. No, these people probably do not know what was going on or they wouldn''t tell her even if they knew.


    The only person who would tell her everything was probably¡­


    ****


    Please try my other novel "CEO''s Loser Wife: Rebirth of the Viinous Queen of Alchemy"

 Chapter 202 You are a monster Part3

    Chapter 202 You are a monster Part3


    Sylvia stood in front of Melissa''s quarters as if she was standing in front of a lion''s den.


    "Damn it." She fidgeted with her fingers. She was getting a headache, just thinking about the drama this was going to stir up but she knew that she needed to do this.


    She knocked on the huge golden doors and waited for the guards to show up. A few secondster, a maid showed up instead.


    Was this because all the guards were currently busy dealing with the patriarch? Sylvia''s brows knitted together in worry. Nevertheless, she calmly enquired the maid about her so-called sister.


    "I need to speak with her highness. Is she avable to see me?"


    The maid nodded and bowed politely, before walking back into the huge doors. After a couple more seconds, she once again came out and gracefully opened the door for Sylvia.


    "Pleasee in, your highness. Her highness is avable to see you and is waiting for you."


    The maid showed Sylvia to a waiting room as if she was an outsider and a few minutester, Melissa walked out leisurely. "You are here?" The woman asked, without as much as a greeting.


    However, Sylvia did not care about these things right now. She just needed a few answers and she wasn''t looking for anything else.


    "What did you mean by it was my fault that grandfather¡­ I mean the patriarch is in this state?"


    "Heh. That''s why you came to pay me a visit, my dear sister?"


    Sylvia nodded.


    She had already framed her words in a way that would be pleasant to the woman who was obviously out for her blood, so she didn''t know what else she could do at this point?


    She could only hope that the woman would just give up the details on her own.


    And of course, just like she had expected, the woman was more than willing to tell her everything. She did all but draw a map out for Sylvia.


    "There is a ce far north, deep into the demonic kingdoms, that is rumored to house a treasure. No one knows what it is but a diviner divined its presence and pinpointed the location."


    "Grandfather went there to get the treasure for you and was ambushed by a demonic n army."


    "You know about the demonic ns right? Humans are not our only enemies."


    "If it wasn''t for the fact that grandpa was urgently looking for the treasure for your sake, he would have never gone there alone."


    "And now he is in this condition. Perhaps only that treasure can save him now?"


    "Hmmm¡­ Truly such a pity."


    "He risked his life for someone like you¡­"


    "Hmmm¡­ You don''t even care, right? I am sure you would never do something like visiting the ce yourself and getting that treasure!"


    "But still he risked his life for someone like you¡­"


    "Hmm¡­ truly a pity¡­"


    Melissa sighed a few more times, after which Sylvia decided to get up and leave.


    It looked like she had gotten all the details that she was going to get out of her and staying here any longer was simply pointless.


    "Alright, I will take my leave now, your highness." She smiled and left the quarters.


    Melissa as well smiled back, though she continued smiling all the way until she saw Sylvia''s figure disappear into the long corridor. "Heh. Are you going to take the bait or not?"


    Sylvia could almost hear her thoughts as the woman didn''t exactly hide her motive but unfortunately, she knew that this time she was going to give her the satisfaction of sessfully trapping her.


    Even though she knew that it was dangerous, she was already resolved to go there. However, she wasn''t foolish enough to do so without the proper preparations.


    She knew that she first needed to verify this information, along with the patriarch''s health. She didn''t want to go deep into the enemy''s territory if the old patriarch wasn''t hurt badly.


    There was a possibility that Melissa was exaggerating, but she had a feeling that that was not the case.


    Sylvia returned back to the pce and pped her hands. "Evie, can you bring me one of the royal physicians?"


    "Ah, your highness, everyone seems to be a bit busy right now." Evie apologetically answered.


    "That''s fine. Just see if anyone is avable. If not, do not bother others." Sylvia nodded.


    The maid quickly ran out and unexpectedly she returned back with a chubby young man. "Your highness, Lord Meja is here."


    "Huh? So soon?" Sylvia raised her brows in surprise. She, in fact, hadn''t expected to see anyone at least for a couple of days.


    "Your highness." The young man bowed and greeted Sylvia and when she nodded, he sat down in front of her. "You wanted to see me?"


    Sylvia didn''t know why but the physician seemed to be a bit flushed as if he was bothered. She didn''t think too much about it and just chalked it up to the man being extremely busy.


    "Can you tell me about the old patriarch''s injuries? Is there really no cure avable?"


    Meja looked surprised. He was specifically told that the Princess was not to be informed about this particr matter, but she already knew everything and was even questioning him?


    He paused for a moment and was about to answer her, when another figure walked into Sylvia''s chamber, casually strolling in from the garden.


    "Am I interrupting something?" Roman''s cold voice sounded.


    Sylvia frowned as she had not expected him here. Not that she wasn''t happy to see a friend, but she had a feeling that the man might not let her get her way, especially in this situation.


    "You seem to be always strolling in my garden, my Lord." She answered curtly. "Please forgive me, but I am not able to receive you at this moment."


    She directly started to pack him up and send him out immediately. However, the lycan lord didn''t seem to have heard her and simply stared at her in shock.


    "You are a monster¡­" He muttered, with an astonished expression on his face.

 Chapter 203 I can guide you

    Chapter 203 I can guide you


    "What do you mean by that, Lord Roman?" Sylvia''s face reddened and she immediately became defensive as she was already overwhelmed by feelings of guilt on the inside.


    Perhaps if she hade clean to the old patriarch sooner about her astral affinity he would have never risked his life for her sake.


    She didn''t even think that someone could love her so much to do that, especially since she barely knew these people.


    But now everything had already happened and there was nothing she could do.


    Even if she wanted to go to that dangerous ce by herself and grab the treasure out of the demonic n people, how could she possibly aplish that when the powerful patriarch had failed?


    Moreover, if he hadn''t left in a hurry and if he had left after thorough preparations, he wouldn''t have failed.


    Sylvia couldn''t help but feel responsible for everything that had happened.


    Her clear blue eyes red at the man in front of her, using her of being a monster and they turned golden in color.


    Roman, however, seemed to be still lost and continued gazing at her with his mouth slightly agape. He then gulped and repeated again. "You are a monster¡­"


    Sylvia became furious. She was about to ask him to leave when the man cut her short and muttered again.


    "How? How did you form a mana core already? Did I not just see you the other day? How can this be possible?" At this point, he was talking more to himself than to her.


    Huh? Sylvia blinked in puzzlement. "Mana core? What are you talking about, Lord Roman?"


    This was something that had been on her mind for a while, so she wanted to know what he was talking about.


    She anxiously moved closer to him and as Roman snapped out of his trance, he found himself face to face with a woman as beautiful and elegant as freshly fallen snowkes.


    He felt as if he could stare at her for all eternity and still not want to blink. He sucked in a big breath of cold air and lifted his hand absentmindedly to tuck a few errant strands of her hair.


    Sylvia''s eyes widened, surprised by his actions and she quickly moved away. As a result, the lycan lord''s hand ended up handing awkwardly mid-air.


    At this moment, the other party in the room finally couldn''t stand it any longer and coughed loudly to interrupt.


    "Lord Roman, could you please give us a MINUTE! We were talking about important things when you interrupted!" Meja had no idea what was happening but he didn''t like it.


    For the past few days, he had been wanting to introduce himself to the princess several times. However, this was the only opportunity he got, but now this mutt was interrupting his golden chance!


    He repeatedly looked at the youngest princess and then at the lycan lord. Was there something happening here that he wasn''t aware of?


    "Lord Roman" Meja opened his mouth again, but the pair of cold sword-like eyes nced at him and he immediately stopped whatever he was about to say.


    "Sylvia¡­ I mean princess, I am sorry. I did not intend to offend you." Roman bowed and prepared to leave without exining anything.


    What the¡­ She hurried behind his figure that had already turned around and started walking away, leaving Meja behind all alone in the room.


    Both of them had actually left him alone even though he was the one with the invitation.


    Meja silently stared at the chamber with a solemn expression. He didn''t think that he would have topete with the lycan lord.


    A frown formed on his face and seeing that Sylvia was noting back any time soon, he then turned around to leave as well in a few seconds.


    Meanwhile¡­


    Outside the royal pce, Sylvia ran after the lycan lord.


    "Lord¡­ Lord Roman!" She caught up to him in an instant and stopped him by literally standing in front of him and blocking his path.


    Hmmm? Roman raised his brows.


    "Lord Roman, please wait a moment. What did you mean by your words? Do I possess a mana core?" Sylvia asked.


    "Princess, did I offend you in some way?"


    "Huh?" Sylvia shook her head.


    "Then why are you mocking me?"


    Sigh. This guy! Sylvia didn''t know why this man was talking to her in riddles. She had had enough of it.


    "Lord Roman, surely you must be aware of the fact that I am aplete novice in matters regarding magic and even our own innate beastial nature."


    "I assure you that my words are sincere and do not possess any sort of malice."


    Roman narrowed his eyes and stared into her clear blue eyes. She indeed seemed to be telling him the truth and yet, it was impossible for him to believe her words.


    After a couple of seconds, he couldn''t help but give in. He couldn''t bring himself to doubt the woman in front of him. "Did you really form a mana core without realizing that you have formed one?"


    The mere ridiculousness of the wordsing out of his mouth made him grin wildly. Sylvia was taken aback and she bit her lips. "Is there something wrong?" She hated feeling clueless like this.


    "Oh heavens! My dear, you need some guidance." Unable to resist the innocent look on her face, he raised his hand and patted her head lightly.


    However, he realized that he had once again behaved in a manner that he did not intend to and he quickly exined himself. "I meant to say. Cough Cough. If you don''t mind, I can personally guide you."


    "That is¡­ if you trust me."


    He particrly emphasized thest few words as he knew about her background, a bit. Was she still hurting? He wondered.


    The woman whom he had seen that day and the woman standing in front of him werepletely two different people.


    One was a weak helpless little girl while the other was a strong and powerful draconian princess.


    And yet, the sadness in her eyes was still the same.

 Chapter 204 Did I pass?

    Chapter 204 Did I pass?


    "So has she permanently moved here now?" Isaac grinned wildly.


    "Shut up. Why do you have too much time on your hands anyway? Do I need to make a visit to a certain someone?" Roman rubbed his temples.


    It has been two weeks since Sylvia agreed to train with him and ever since then he has not been able to shake off this persistent pest.


    The worst part was that he didn''t even have a valid reason to drive him away as he was only barely involved with the girl''s training.


    She was a natural at everything and the most he needed to do was maybe say a few things or point her to the right resources.


    And with just that, she had already improved by leaps and bounds.


    Sylvia sensed the presence of the two figures lingering near her and her eyes shed open, her elegant and mesmerizing face revealing a brilliant smile like the bright sky after the parting of the rain clouds.


    "Good morning, Lord Roman." She stood up. She was drenched from head to toe and the sweat was making her clothes stick to her slender figure, revealing all her curves.


    Roman gulped and the next instant he turned to look at Isaac. "I think the council called you."


    Huh? Isaac was confused but then he understood what was going on. He could barely hold hisughter in.


    "I didn''t hear anyone call me? And since when did your hearing be better than mine?" The man mercilessly chuckled.


    Sylvia, however, had no idea what was going on but she was amused by the duo''s bickering which happened almost all the time.


    When she looked at them, she couldn''t help but feel a bit lonely.


    "How is the training going, princess?" Isaac bowed and asked.


    "Lord Roman is a good teacher." Sylvia smiled. Her eyes flickered, changing from a luminescent silver to a bright golden, finally settling into their typical clear blue ocean color.


    This time even Isaac couldn''t help and the knot in his throat moved up and down. He had to physically shake himself out of the trance and move away.


    "I think the council is calling me after all. Aha ha ha." He muttered something awkwardly and ran away.


    "Hah?. Lord Roman, did something happen to Lord Isaac?" Sylvia chuckled softly. The man seemed to be very intent on bolting away from them as fast as possible.


    "No. Nothing like that. He is just an idiot." Roman as well looked away and mumbled.


    "Ha Ha. You both are very close."


    "Ahem. I guess so? Cough. Cough. Shall we talk about your progress?"


    "Yes!" Sylvia replied, barely containing her excitement. She had been waiting to show this to Roman as well.


    She turned around to face the huge fountain beside which she had been meditating and then as her eyes flickered, she muttered a spell under her breath and the next second the entire fountain froze.


    Water droplets that had been splendidly reflecting the light of the sun suddenly turned rock solid and dropped down as hailstones.


    "So? So? Did I pass?"


    "Umm¡­" Roman was speechless.


    The truth was that she had passed in the first couple of days and her mana core had already achieved absolute saturation, pushing her to the peak of her strength.


    She was now almost as strong as him in terms of raw strength and power. However, her magical knowledge wascking and her physicalbat needed to be honed.


    And this had to be done whilst engaging in actualbat. Otherwise, she would never improve. The issue was that Roman was slightly hesitant to take this step.


    He felt as if he was overstepping and doubted if his strength was sufficient in case something prowled into their path.


    More importantly, the old man who was unwell right now might juste out of his dormancy and kill him in one hit.


    But how much longer could he possibly hold back the draconian princess? Besides, she had taken a leap and trusted him and he didn''t want to betray that trust at any cost.


    "Yes, princess¡­ but¡­" He racked his brain toe up with something more difficult for her to aplish.


    He paused for a moment as he didn''t want to touch this particr topic, but it looked like he had no other option.


    "Are you able to shiftpletely yet?"


    Sylvia''s bright face instantly wilted as this was the one thing that she hadn''t been able to make any headway in. She didn''t know why but her body was just not able to handle her shifting.


    "No." Sylvia frowned and let out a small sigh. "Is it possible for me to learn stronger spells instead? I wouldn''t need to shift anyways when I am using powerful spells."


    "That is indeed correct, but princess, you are forgetting about your physical defense and your physical strength. Unless you shift, it would still be dangerous for you to head out."


    Hearing Roman''s exnation, Sylvia did not stress the topic any further. She went back to her secluded ce to once again train and strengthen herself.


    "Arise¡­" She muttered and her slender figure lifted up the ground, as the wind obeyed hermand and swirled around her.


    She then cast another spell, the fountain un-froze, and once again gushed like before, alive and radiant.


    "Just a little while longer grandpa." Sylvia took a few deep breaths and this time she sat down in a cross-legged pose. However, she still remained afloat.


    Massive amounts of mana swirled around her body and her mana affinity was no longer the same. Sylvia then silently continued training for the rest of the day as she had been doing for the past few days.


    The process was somewhat dull and monotonous. Nevertheless, she wasn''t bored for even a single second. She had yearned for this kind of strength and power for far too long to think of training as a mere burden.


    Roman lingered around, watching her progress for a second and he then turned to walk away. He knew that it was time to have a conversation with the King himself.

 Chapter 205 Back to the royal palace

    Chapter 205 Back to the royal pce


    As Slyvia opened her eyes after her usual morning training session, a certain sh of light appeared in them, quickly reced by a satisfied smile on her face.


    She hadpleted her first round of mana training.


    And just like she had been used to for the past few days, her clear blue eyes wandered here and there searching for her new teacher, but today, he was nowhere to be seen.


    "Hmm¡­ I wonder if he is busy." Slyvia muttered to herself as she floated back to the ground. She had a question that she wanted to ask him.


    Since it was quite important, she decided to take a small break and headed back to the castle to search for the Lycan Lord.


    She looked for him in the usual ces where Roman typically spent his time, including the main hall, the library, the magic research building, and weirdly, he was missing from all these ces, not to be found anywhere in the entire castle.


    After a few minutes, she finally caught hold of one of the Lycan n elders and Sylvia quickly walked over to the elder before he could run away from her.


    "Do you know where your Lord is?"


    "Umm¡­" The elder hesitated a bit and looked around here and there as if he had done something wrong and got caught.


    "Is there something that you can''t tell me?" Sylvia narrowed her eyes, which instantly made the elder falter.


    "Your highness, please pardon my tardiness." He bowed respectfully and quickly blurted out. "Lord Roman has headed to the royal pce. The Lord has a meeting with his majesty this morning."


    "Huh?" Slyvia''s brows creased in concern as the elder quickly scurried away to resume his work, running away from her even. "Okay, thank you¡­"


    Why did Roman suddenly leave the castle to meet the King without even telling her a word about it? She couldn''t help but feel a little odd.


    Not that the grown man needed to inform her of his whereabouts, but since he was visiting the royal pce, she thought that something might have happened.


    "He didn''t go there because of grandpa Cadmus, did he? Did grandfather''s condition worsen?" Her mind started to make assumptions and her heart pounded in worry.


    Even though she was trying her very best to train and be stronger so that she would be able to help him, was she already toote?


    The mere thought of it made her heart tremble and she visibly paled. She owed that man a lot and most of all, it was because of her that he was in this condition.


    "No, I am not ready to lose someone again. This cannot happen." Slyvia rushed back into the garden and muttered the spells under her breath, preparing to leave.


    Instantly wisps of wind gathered around her feet and she floated up in the air as if she weighed nothing.


    "Princess, are you nning to fly somewhere?" A familiar voice sounded near her, breaking her from her thoughts.


    "Lord Isaac?" She did not expect to meet someone this early in the day.


    "Princess?" Isaac nced at her worriedly. "Is there something wrong?" He had no idea what was going on.


    Because his house had uninvited guests who were hell-bent on annoying him, he dropped by here to do the same to Roman.


    At the least, he knew that he would be able to peacefully spend the rest of his day. Of course, the added bonus was to irritate and tease Roman.


    However, unexpectedly things here didn''t look as simple. There was also an aura around the princess that was a bit overpowering at the moment.


    It could only mean that she was agitated and was unable to restrain her emotions right now. "Did something happen?" He asked her again.


    As he nced at her, casually floating in the air, he still couldn''t fullyprehend the speed at which she was improving her strength.


    Sylvia shook her head, apologizing to him quickly. "Excuse me, Lord Isaac. I am just leaving for a short while to visit the royal pce."


    She didn''t know more to exin her actions to him further, so she immediately gathered the mana around her and summoned the wind elemental swirls.


    Several wisps of wind once again enveloped her and without wasting another minute, she propelled herself into the air and headed out from the Lycan Lord''s castle.


    Her slender and graceful figure soared in the vast blue sky like a small swallow but her speed was nothing like a bird''s. Isaac could only sigh in envy at the sight of her tremendous agility.


    "I should follow her?" She might be amazing but she was still not experienced enough.


    So Isaac was ufortable letting her leave the confines of the city by herself, especially considering Roman wasn''t around.


    He hesitantly shifted and ran across the forests following the bird in the sky.


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    Za Za Za Za Za


    The wind ruffled Sylvia''s long silver locks that were sparkling in the sunlight.


    Even though she couldn''t shift yet and actually use her draconian bloodline to the full extent, she was still capable of flying back to the royal pce without any exhaustion.


    This kind of constant use of mana required a great deal of concentration, mental ability, mana maniption, and mana capacity!


    To achieve such a feat, a mage needed to train from a young age. However, Sylvia was able to do the same with just a few weeks of training.


    She flew past several forests in between the territories and kept her distance from the trees to avoid any encounters.


    A small bead of perspiration formed on her forehead, but it quickly disappeared as she continued flying with ease.


    The difference between the Lord''s castle and the royal pce wasn''t too much, but her speed was still lesser than the griffon bird she had ridden all the previous times.


    She had a few more minutes of travel left, even though everything appeared calm and uneventful.


    Still, she kept her guard up and her eyes darted cautiously to ensure that nothing else was on her trail.


    Just like her, Isaac who was running on the ground, only barely keeping up with her also cautiously observed everything.


    However, the man''s appearance waspletely different from Sylvia''s casual appearance. He was drenched from top to bottom in sweat.


    "Praise the heavens, everything is going smoothly." He gulped, panting for breath. Unfortunately for him, his words might as well have been a jinx!


    The next second, a loud horrendous roar resounded through the forest.


    Ki Ki Ki Ki Ki!

 Chapter 206 Battle Goddess

    Chapter 206 Battle Goddess


    Sylvia felt her body frozen mid-air, as she realized that the horrendous howl of the beast contained another attack. It was kind of a sonar attack that distracted her and disrupted her spell.


    She quickly reacted and dodged the st of sound and airbination, but then before she knew it, something leaped out from the forests below her.


    "Kikiki!" Arge ape with reddish fur swung itself into the air and then dove at Sylvia.


    She quickly cast another spell and maneuvered mid-air to dodge the beast. She found herself surprisingly calm even though she hadn''t expected such a beast in these parts of the forest.


    Everything seemed as if it was happening in slow motion.


    Sylvia casually leaned and dodged its attack, but as she did her flying spell slightly faltered and the beast''s vicious eyes did not miss this small opportunity.


    The ape swung its gigantic furry reddish hands again. As someone who wasn''t experienced in any sort ofbat, she didn''t anticipate this attack.


    The beast''srge fist and even nails hit Slyvia across the stomach, creating arge gash through her dress and also sending her down at the same time.


    Her figure plummeted like a meteor and crashed down into the ground as a crater formed all around her. She felt her entire body ache at the sudden impact with solid ground.


    And yet the injuries on her body weren''t much.


    Sylvia looked at both her hands and her body, turning around and observing herself in shock. Silver scales were visible here and there.


    She gulped at the realization of just how strong she was. A small smile formed on her lips and she quickly forced herself to her feet without any hesitation.


    She was no longer a frail and weak helpless little girl. She turned to face the ape thatnded behind her.


    And the next instant, two other apes suddenly appeared from within the trees. All three apes had thick ck wisps of energy vaporizing from them.


    "Demonic beast apes..." Slyvia muttered to herself. The ck energy seeping out of their bodies was a dead giveaway.


    The three apes lunged at her at the same time as Slyvia jumped back to dodge their attacks.


    She quickly gathered mana around her fingertips and created an electric charge. She threw the bolts of lightning at the apes.


    Kaboom! Kaboom! Kaboom!


    Pieces of sand, dust, and rocks flew everywhere as her seemingly normal attacks were rather precise and powerful because of her raw strength.


    However, the apes were quite agile and fast and they skillfully leaped back to hide in the groove of trees.


    Gritting her teeth, Slyvia looked around her and only saw the trees. The entire forest around her was dark and the apes were smart enough to remain silent while hiding.


    But they hadn''t run away just yet. Suddenly, a huge rock flew right at her from the depths of the trees.


    Sylvia, however, had already recovered and calmly lifted her hand to send out a powerful slice of wind. She didn''t notice it, but this time she hadn''t even muttered the spell out loud. She simply willed the element to respond to her.


    The powerful slice of wind shot out of her hand and tore the huge rock into chunks.


    The apes didn''t stop there and started throwing out more rocks at her, each one being huge and heavy, but for the humongous apes, these might as well be coconuts and threw them at her continuously.


    Sylvia smirked. She felt her heart thumping loudly as she sent out more wind slices, sting each and every single bouldering for her.


    The apes were smart. They were clearly trying to wear her down while hiding and forcing her to use up her mana. Their n was probably to attack her face to face once she was weak and drained?


    But they had clearly failed to take into ount the type of beast she was. How could a beast with a draconian bloodline be drainedpletely?!


    Tough luck.


    Slyvia didn''t want to spend too much time here as she was still worried about the old patriarch, her grandfather. She decided to end this quickly.


    She slumped onto the ground and sat there motionless. She pretended that she was exhausted from blocking all the attacks while actually concentrating her mana inside of her.


    It only took a couple of moments before she heard them again. The apes stomped out of the forests, banging their huge fists on their chests.


    "Impatient little apes," Slyvia smirked as the two apes leaped out of the trees to attack her.


    "Die." She sent a volley of more lightning bolts towards the apes. This time the intensity of the attacks was a lot higher and even the sturdy demonic beasts were charred and burnt to a crisp!


    And just like that, she had protected herself. For the first time, she didn''t have to rely on anyone else.


    Slyvia''s chest heaved up and down as she stared at the three huge beasts, all lying down lifeless in front of her.


    They had wanted to kill her, but this time, she was the one who was stronger and killed them instead. Her eyes were calm and clear just like the blue sky above.


    She looked around at the scene of the fight one more time and then leaped back into the air and once again resumed her flight to the royal pce.


    Perhaps the bloody battle and the strong enemy should have made her more nervous but she had faced a lot more vicious beasts before.


    They might not have looked ferocious like the beasts but they were definitely a lot crueler than these animals. This was the world they lived in. Kill or be killed.


    Sylvia sighed and shot forward towards the royal pce. She crossed the remaining stretch of distance in the blink of an eye and she reached the huge dazzling golden structure.


    Her stomach was still injured but she covered the wound with a new robe and quickly hurried to the chambers of the old patriarch.

 Chapter 207 She is hopeless

    Chapter 207 She is hopeless


    Outside the patriarch''s chambers, Sylvia narrowed her eyes and stared down at the couple of guards blocking her.


    "I need to see my grandfather," She insisted. "Has something happened to him?"


    "Your highness, visitation is still not allowed." One of the guards said. He looked a little flustered as this was his first time talking to the fourth princess.


    "Hmmm." Sylvia frowned. "Are you lying to me? I know for a fact that it is not true. Isn''t Lord Roman here right now? I already know that he is visiting my grandfather!"


    "Ah. Please forgive me, your highness." The guard shook his head. "The lycan lord did note here at all and the patriarch condition¡­ umm¡­ it has not worsened?"


    "Huh?" Slyvia felt relief flood in her chest but she was still confused. "Then where did he go?" She was asking herself a rhetorical question, but the guard heard her, so he respectfully answered.


    "I think the Lycan Lord Roman actually came here to visit his majesty, your highness. Please forgive me if I am mistaken, but the Lord should still be in his majesty''s presence."


    "I see¡­ thank you." Sylvia tilted her head and nodded. She then made her way to the main throne room of the pce.


    Even though she had just visited the royal pce after two weeks of long grueling practice, she didn''t bother returning to her chambers and directly walked over to the throne room.


    She didn''t know why but the fact that Roman came here without as much as giving her a word didn''t sit well with her. She felt as if there was something going on behind her back.


    Perhaps it was because adrenaline was still coursing through her body from the recent fight, she wanted to confront him and address this doubt right away without letting it fester inside her.


    Some things needed to be settled without further dy. She didn''t want to be mousy and timid. If it concerned her, she wanted to know about it. She had already lost too much by being a coward.


    Sylvia stopped in her tracks and shook her head vigorously as the image of a person casually floated in her mind. "No." She muttered under her breath and kept walking ahead.


    However, just as she reached the throne room chamber doors, she snapped out of her thoughts as she heard loud voices.


    She didn''t mean to overhear but the two voices were raised, so she happened to hear them. Moreover, the two people who were talking were none other than the Lycan Lord and the King himself.


    "Your Majesty, the princess cannot be allowed to leave," Lord Roman said bluntly.


    "Why is that?" The arrogant and haughty voice of the King responded.


    "The answer is obvious, your majesty," He answered. "Even though the princess has stayed with me for two weeks, there is no improvement whatsoever."


    "She is still weak and helpless and I cannot guarantee her survival at all."


    "Are you sure?"


    "Yes. She is terrible. She even wanted to see if she could go out while not even being capable of shifting!" Lord Roman snorted.


    "Forgive me for speaking rudely, your majesty but the princess is very vain and naive. Shecks the patience and talent for learning magic and is simply not capable at all."


    "Well¡­ I expect that you should still have been able to instruct her properly. At least to some extent?"


    "Unfortunately, your Majesty, there is nothing I can teach her," Roman replied. Inparison to Princess Melissa, she appears to be hopeless. She is not fit forbat at all."


    The entire throne room fell silent and the woman standing outside was equally stunned.


    His every word sounded like a p on her face and Sylvia clenched her fists. Her blue eyes turned bright golden and then into a shade of mysterious silver.


    After a few seconds, Sylvia again heard the Lycan Lord speak. The man let out a long sigh and continued. "Your majesty, the princess is now of age and still has not yet shifted."


    "The problem lies with her and not my instructions. There is nothing I can do for her, so you must make sure that she remains in the pce. It is even better if she is married off."


    "At least that way she won''t be a burden to you or me."


    Slyvia shuddered and her gaze turned cold. "I...I should have never approached him."


    She clutched the edges of her dress and started walking away. She had heard enough and she didn''t want to hear anything more. There was a painful and dull ache in her chest.


    The past two weeks now seemed like a terrible joke.


    A cruel way of making her think that he was actually her friend and interested in helping her get stronger, but in the end, it turned out that she was just a burden?


    "He is right¡­" Slyvia muttered to herself. "I am indeed naive, but only because I, again and again, choose to put my trust in people whom I shouldn''t."


    Even though his words hurt, they were still true. She was not able to shift yet. And as for her spell casting abilities, perhaps they were weak too.


    Slyvia closed her eyes as her mind was in aplete mess. She felt as if she needed to see the truth for herself. She then remembered something.


    "Ha¡­ the map that Melissa gave me..."


    She knew that her sister was up to no good and there must be something dangerous there if she was willing to part with the map and the exact location of the treasure.


    But right now¡­ she wanted to do it. She wanted to push herself and break out of everything that is constantly trying to keep her down.


    "Between staying here and going there¡­ I''d rather take my chances there."


    Sylvia retreated her steps and this time she headed over to her chambers. Evie, Coral, and L immediately rushed over to her and greeted her.


    "Bring me these things." Her cold voice made the maids shiver and they quickly scurried away to prepare everything that she listed.

 Chapter 208 Scent of her blood

    Chapter 208 Scent of her blood


    "I see. I understand your words. She is indeed weak. After all, she was raised as a human, not knowing her powers." King Frederick gruffly muttered and shook his head. "I am sure that destroyed any chance of growth she might have had."


    It was not like he had high hopes about this daughter''spetency in the first ce, but now it was worse than he had imagined. She definitely needed someone strong to be by her side.


    "Yes,pared to the other royal descendants, her time in the human kingdom hindered princess Sylvia from progressing as a draconian." Roman agreed.


    "Hmmm¡­ Now that you reminded me, I should also assign some royal guards to be by her side at all times." He seemed to be mulling over things on his own, no longer continuing the conversation with Roman.


    "I should also send out word for suitable alliances. The girl is not capable of finding her own mate. I should make sure that she is protected and well-guarded by a dependable man."


    "However, even that is still a long process. Hmmm¡­ Are there any other options?"


    Roman smiled. He felt as if he had aplished what he wanted.


    He didn''t particrly care about the marriage part. He had wanted to get a decent-sized personal army for her and that part went smoothly.


    After hearing all the rumors, he had always thought that the King was not particrly fond of Sylvia. Perhaps it had something to do with her mother or perhaps it was because of something else.


    But looking at his behavior right now, Roman couldn''t help but doubt that rumor. He silently observed everything and nodded along as the King continued rambling.


    Compared with the other princesses and princes of the draconian kingdom, the fourth princess was in a very precarious state.


    When Patriarch Cadmus fell ill, it made Sylvia that much more susceptible to outward influence because there was no one backing her in the kingdom.


    This was why Roman wanted to make sure that the king would do something in order to raise Sylvia''s chances of survival here in the kingdom.


    Seeing her working very hard day in and day out, he thought that this was the least that he could do.


    After a while, King Frederick suddenly paused and then loudly eximed. "It''s settled then."


    Lord Roman blinked and raised his head. "What is it, Your Majesty?"


    "I think it will take time to find Sylvia a suitable match, and I can''t think of anyone who would be the perfect partner for her... I believe assigning royal guards will suffice for now."


    Lord Roman sighed inwardly in relief.


    He didn''t actually want Sylvia to get married this soon and knew that she would probably bite his head off if she came to know that he was the one who had insisted on this.


    But he couldn''t directlymand the Draconian King to assign her royal guards. That was not how things worked. So in the end, he was happy that the man came to this conclusion.


    Lord Roman bowed. "I think that is a very wise decision, your majesty."


    "Alright, you may leave now." King Frederick nodded dismissively. He wasn''t the type to linger on unproductive chatter. "Bring back my daughter once she finishes her training with you."


    "Of course, Your Majesty."


    The Lycan Lord then walked out of the throne room.


    He loosened the top of his robes to give him some more room to breathe. He was feeling constricted and suffocated after the conversation with the king because of what he said.


    All those words that he had spoken to the King were lies.


    But it was something he did out of necessity because even though the woman was astoundingly strong he did not believe that it was good for her to not have any personal troops.


    It was unfair that she wasn''t given a lot of opportunities, while the other royal descendants enjoyed a different status. Unlike Sylvia, at the snap of their fingers, they can gather an army.


    While it was good to be powerful and strong, as the Lord of the Lycan n, Roman knew how important it was to have trusted allies and confidantes that were there to support Sylvia.


    Even though the Draconians preferred to work alone, having people around and the strength of a pack was a valuable thing that the Lycan kingdom knew and took advantage of.


    It pained him to say all of those terrible words about her to the king, but it was because he knew that it was the only way to help her gather more resources under her disposal.


    As Roman stepped outside of the throne room, he took in a deep breath and felt a gentle breeze blow past him in the pce''s hallways.


    He felt light at heart and mind as if a load was lifted away from his shoulders. He had after all pried resources away from the Draconian King which was not an easy feat.


    However, just as he took a deep breath, he suddenly froze. His eyes widened as he inhaled a familiar and intoxicating scent.


    "This¡­" Roman stuttered. He moved, his figure visibly blurring. This scent was unmistakably Sylvia''s!


    It was a mesmerizing unique fragrance that stood out but that was not important right now. There was something else about that scent that drove him crazy, something very specific.


    His heart started pounding crazily as his eyes fervently searched for that something and the next instant, he shuddered in shock.


    A few feet away from him, there were a couple of drops of ck blood on the otherwise pristine marble floor with golden edges.


    The sight of this made his heart stop. It confirmed everything. This was the scent of her blood in the air. What he feared the most had happened so soon?!


    But how was this possible?


    "Is this really Sylvia''s?" Lord Roman questioned himself because she was supposed to be in his castle, not here. However, it was impossible for his senses to mislead him.

 Chapter 209 Injured

    Chapter 209 Injured


    Roman''s face paled as he quickly bent down and touched the blood with his finger. He rubbed it between his fingers, sniffing the scent again.


    There was an overwhelming draconian scent wafting out of the blood, the bloodline roaring proudly, but besides that, there was also another faint scent, a sweet alluring scent mixed with the smell of blood.


    His nose was not lying to him. She had indeed been here and she was also hurt.


    His gaze instantly darkened and he nced up and down the long corridor. A couple more drops of ck blood were visible across the pristine floor of the pce.


    Was she hurt? What happened for Sylvia toe all this way?


    He didn''t realize it but a slight panic spread across his limbs and his mind began jumping to conclusions. More importantly, a certain realization came over him which made him freeze.


    Did she overhear everything that was happening in the throne room? Is that why she is already gone?


    He looked around frantically and saw a nearby guard. "Come here. Quick. Tell me. Was the fourth princess here? How long was she standing here?"


    The guard first bowed to the Lycan Lord and then nodded briskly. "Yes, my Lord. The princess was waiting right here. She was standing here for a few minutes, before walking to her quarters."


    Because she was a royal princess, the guards generally had a vague idea about where she was at all times, unless there were further specific instructions. So he told the Lord everything he knew.


    "Damn it!" Roman growled, his voice reverberating in the empty pce hallways. He ran his hand through his hair and snarled in frustration, revealing his canines.


    "She must have definitelye to the wrong conclusion. She would have thought that I too had betrayed her. Damn it." Roman clenched his fists.


    She had definitely mistaken him. He was sure of it. But he didn''t worry too much about that. Misunderstanding could always be cleared. All he needed to do was talk to her.


    But the fact that she had run away without even asking him for an exnation scared him more? Did she perhaps¡­ His mind wandered. She was also hurt which was also concerning.


    "Where did the Princess go next?" Roman growled.


    "I believe that her highness is still in her chambers, my Lord." He the guard bowed and replied.


    He was a bit shaken by just how angry and agitated the Lycan Lord sounded. So he answered everything quickly, to the best that he could. However, before he finished speaking, the man''s silhouette was already on the move.


    Roman dashed towards the fourth princess'' quarters, an unfathomable ominous feeling lingering at the back of his mind.


    He ran through the corridors, his speed and agility fully boosted, but his figure abruptly came to a halt right in front of the chamber doors.


    Surprisingly, Isaac was also standing there. What the hell?


    "What are you doing here?" Roman snapped at him. He didn''t have time for his shenanigans today and he was in no mood for it. Sylvia was hurt and possibly hated him with all of her guts because of the cruel words he had spoken.


    "I¡­" Isaac had no idea where to begin. He was afraid that he was going to get scolded and hesitated. Just as these two were talking another guard stepped out.


    "Where is the Princess? She needs to be treated!" Roman snarled.


    "Huh? How did you know?" Isaac who was quiet quickly muttered, looking at Roman in confusion.


    Roman''s mood further worsened. What exactly happened? He gritted his teeth and grabbed the man''s cor. "Exin everything."


    "Ok. Ok. Rx." Isaac started sweating. "I didn''t do anything. Geez."


    "When I came over to your castle earlier to invite the two of you for tea, I only coincidentally met with the princess."


    "She was about to leave and she said that she needed to go to the castle urgently. I just assumed that it was something rted to you as you hade here as well."


    "Either way I decided to follow her here."


    Roman tried to listen to him patiently but the man was taking his time exining and his patience was wearing thin.


    "Hurry up, what happened to her? How did she be injured when you were following her, Isaac? You should have protected her!"


    Isaac winced at the man''s terrible temper. He knew that logically he should have been able to protect her, but he only barely managed to keep up even with her speed.


    "On the way to the draconian royal pce, I sensed a disturbance. I was sure that there was a demonic beast, well one or more. I raced ahead as fast as I could, but when I arrived there the princess had already finished fighting."


    "I saw three ape corpses very badly burned and charred, but I also smelled a different type of blood spilled on the ground. I think she won the fight and was wounded in the process."


    "And thus I am here to check on her and see if she is injured. This is the whole story, my Lord." Isaac let out a long breath, after having blurted out everything he knew.


    "That woman!" Roman growled.


    "She doesn''t even know that demonic attacks need a proper spell to heal them and not just a simple healing spell?"


    "The ck blood on the floor already shows that infection is already spreading!"


    "What?" Isaac asked. "That soon? Was it exacerbated because she healed herself?"


    However, Roman was clearly not listening to him. He directly barged into the quarters, pushing the huge doors open.


    Inside, the maids were still around and they all stared dumbfoundedly at this unexpected intruder.


    "You three!" Lord Roman''s voice boomed.


    "Lord?" The maids trembled. He was so angry that they were scared of his mere presence and shook because of the overwhelming pressure his domineering aura was releasing.


    Roman did not bother holding anything back. "Where is she?" His voice thundered, as he turned to face one of the maids.

 Chapter 210 Ran away

    Chapter 210 Ran away


    "Lord..." The maid stuttered.


    "Don''t hide anything. Tell me where is she?" Roman demanded. He could sense that something was wrong and more importantly, Sylvia''s presence was nowhere in the vicinity.


    And confirming his fears, the maid timidly replied. "Princess Sylvia is already gone, my Lord."


    "She requested us to bring her several things. It looked like her highness was leaving for a trip."


    "We''re so sorry, we don''t know the exact location because her highness didn''t inform us about anything¡­ I..."


    "AH DAMN IT!" Roman growled in anger. "Why did she have to act so rashly?" He felt a great disappointment in his chest and howled it out in frustration.


    All three of the maids stopped and quickly ced their hands over their ears. They didn''t want their ears to bleed.


    The man''s entire body changed in the next second right in front of the maids and they watched him dumbfoundedly as he transformed from his human form into arge white wolf.


    The fur covered in blue runes shone splendidly and the majestic elegant creature then rushed out without another word.


    Isaac as well shook his head helplessly. "All I wanted was a peaceful morning¡­" He sighed and transformed as well, running behind the Lycan Lord.


    He could already tell that their day was going to be a long one¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    Meanwhile, the reason for all of thismotion...


    Once Sylvia left the draconian royal pce with her pack of supplies, she flew as fast as she could and never looked back. She only stopped when she was far enough and made a quick stop in one of the trees.


    Her slender figure rested on one of the tall trees and she gazed calmly at the vast expansive visage in front of her, full of lush greenery.


    A cold breeze swept her face and the anger and frustration bubbling inside her calmed down a bit. It made her realize a few things.


    "I need to erase my trace..." She muttered under her breath.


    Sylvia gathered the mana swirling in the air around her and spun everything together. A bright light dispersed from her hands and covered her entire body to remove all traces of her presence as she moved.


    Even the faintest traces of her scent were gone from the surroundings.


    She flew around here and there and checked the effect of the spell again. Only then was she sure that not even those of the Lycan n with good noses would be able to find her.


    She nodded contently and opened her bag, drinking some water from a waterskin. When she looked up at the darkening sky, she realized that she had already flown for quite a few hours.


    It was close to nighttime. Most of the travelers would search for inns, make campfires and settle down for the night¡­ but it was different for her.


    Unlike others, she didn''t feel any need to lie down or get some rest. Instead, as the moonlight shone down on her skin, energy coursed through her veins and she felt invigorated.


    Sylvia quickly stood atop the tree branch and stretched for a moment.


    She took out the map she received from Melissa to check on her direction and was reassured that she was going the right way.


    After a couple of seconds, she gathered magic once again and flew above the trees and towards her destination.


    With this, she had actually stepped out of both the lycan and the draconian territories and finally entered a new area in this world.


    "Hah, I''m free now, aren''t I?" She muttered absentmindedly.


    Apart from her small town back in the human settlement and now the royal pce and the lycan castle, she had barely gone anywhere else.


    This was the first time she was outside on her own, not having to cover in fear or hide, worried about bandits or plunderers or wild beasts.


    As she flew by looking around in amazement, she came across a huge majestic waterfall. The water sparkled like gems under the moonlight and it gushed thunderously.


    Just to look at it was enticing and she couldn''t resist taking a dip. She also felt very parched even though she had just drunk a lot of water.


    "The water looks so pure, it''s really pristine and I can feel that it''s dense with mana too," Sylvia thought quietly to herself with a smile.


    Perhaps she could rest here for a bit? She knew that she had to stop.


    After flying all this while, she enjoyed the cool mist on her skin. It felt like she was being cleansed just by being around the area.


    With her magic, she sent her supplies to be stored in a dry ce and then gently stepped forward on the pale white rocks leading to the waterfalls.


    She sped up her pace and then directly dived into the clear waters. It was incredibly serene and tranquil under the water and when she resurfaced back, a small smile danced on her lips.


    She was drenched all over and the water was freezing cold but there were no goosebumps across her skin and instead, her cheeks only had a warm and rosy glow.


    Sylvia loved the water and sshed around, ying by herself, forgetting everything that burdened her at least at the moment.


    "It would be so nice toe here with¡­" Sylvia halted her words and then sighed... she didn''t have a single person to share anything with.


    After she was done taking a bath, she dried herself up and created a small fire using a couple of wooden sticks, to heat up some food.


    There were a few edible berries nearby which looked juicy and delicious, so Sylvia stood up to pluck some of those as well.


    But as she neared the bushes, a low whimpering sound came from within. This was definitely the sound of a beast.


    However, unlike before, this beast wasn''t prowling in the shadows to attack her. Rather it sounded like it was in a lot of pain.

 Chapter 211 Ruff! Ruff!

    <hr>


    Chapter 211 Ruff! Ruff!


    Sylvia paused for a moment and hesitated. The next second another cry sounded. This time she couldn''t help but soften up a bit. It looked like the animal was really in a lot of pain.


    Perhaps it was all alone just like her. She sighed and cautiously cleared the brambles to step in. She decided to take a look at the thing.


    If it was in so much pain, it couldn''t possibly be strong enough to hurt her. Nevertheless, she materialized a ball of mes in her hand just in case it was a trap.


    She ducked under the branches and peered in slowly and right in front of her was the source of the noise!


    A small ck wolf pup was entangled in a bunch of messy thorny vines. These also did not look like normal vines as one of them unwound itself from the pup and slithered towards Sylvia.


    It snapped at her as if it wanted to devour her too.


    Sylvia''s eyes widened in surprise and she immediately stepped back. This was a carnivorous nt. There were not many of these around and this was her first time seeing one.


    She lifted up the ball of mes to see the vines extending all the way over to the top of the tall humungous tree. It had rampantly grown twining around the tree.


    No wonder the small wolf pup got caught in its trap. As she took another step back, marveling at the massive vinework, the wolf cub purred again.


    It lifted its tired eyelids and gazed expectantly at Sylvia with its big sad eyes and then made a whining pleading sound as if it was asking for her help.


    Sylvia''s heart softened at the pitiful sight of the beast and with a quick spell that gathered wind around her, she cut through the vine nt and instantly freed the little ck cub.


    Ruff!


    The small pup looked utterly shocked.


    It had been struggling for hours, its blood being continuously drained away by the vine but now it was suddenly free!


    Ruff! Ruff!


    It quickly jumped out of the trap before more vines could take over and keep it ensnared again. However, instead of simply running away, it jumped onto Sylvia.


    "Ah?" She caught it in her hands. "You are not running away? Are you hurt too much?"


    She could feel that the beast in her hand was extremely light in weight. It had definitely lost a lot of blood. Before she could examine it fully, rustling sounds started echoing from the nt.


    It looked like the nt had finally realized that it had lost its prey.


    Because of its massive borate vines, this information was a bit dyed but at the same time, now that it knew, everything started moving.


    Sylvia saw that the vines had spread not only on this tree but many of the surrounding trees as well.


    The thing was massive and gigantic and several vines unfurled and swayed in the wind, wanting to catch the both of them.


    "Not good! Let''s get out of here first." Sylvia held her hand steadymanding the wind to gather around her legs and her speed instantly quadrupled.


    Her slender figure hugged the pup closely as the both of them lifted up in the air and shot across like an arrow.


    The nt might be enormous and agile with numerous deadly vines but it was no match for her speed and magic.


    It only took her a moment to get out of its grasp. She then turned around to face it, materializing a huge ball of mes, wanting to burn it to crisp.


    However, after a moment of hesitation, she paused.


    Even if it was deadly and carnivorous, the nt was simply no match for her. There wasn''t any need for her to destroy it. After all, it was also trying to survive.


    She didn''t know why she felt a bit of pity for it even. She dispersed the mes in her hands andnded back on a white rock near the waterfall.


    She took a handful of water and fed it to the pup. It looked like it was doing a bit better now that it was not in the grasp of the vines.


    The pup drank a bit and then tried to move but it looked like it was severely hurt. It was limping and teared up as soon as it tried to move.


    "Where are your parents?" Sylvia asked the pup. She had no idea if it would be able to understand her.


    Even if it did, it seemed too weak to answer. "Alright. Let me heal you first."


    She whispered the healing spell and patted the small pup soothingly. A warm light enveloped the small thing and the next second, its dull and weary eyes brightened up immediately.


    It looked like it had almost recovered to full health!


    This was the first time she had used a healing spell so she was just as surprised as the small animal. The wolf pup jolted up and stood on its four paws, barking excitedly.


    It then jumped onto Sylvia once again and licked her across her face, almost giving her a facial in its eagerness.


    "Ok. Ok. Stop." Sylvia chuckled and grabbed it by its scruff, cing it back on the ground. "Hah, you''re wee." She smiled, wiping away some of the slobber.


    The small pup kept running around her in circles and trying to put on a show for her. Sylvia had no idea what it was up to. She just watched it with a smile.


    It was being so awfully silly, that she couldn''t help but y with it. Several minutes passed quickly and the first rays of the morning sun started appearing.


    Sylvia reluctantly ced the wolf pup down on the ground, petting it a few more times, lovingly rubbing its head. She then gave it a serious look and sighed.


    "I think it''s time for me to leave. Thanks a lot for keeping mepany. You made me feel a lot better, little guy. I will go now. You should also find your pack."


    The little pup''s eyes widened and its face immediately drooped like a wilted flower as if it understood what she was saying. It was unwilling to part with her.

 Chapter 212 I know where she is!

    Chapter 212 I know where she is!


    "Eh? What happened?" Sylvia chuckled and petted the wolf. She picked up the small animal in her hands and hugged it close to her chest.


    "You don''t want me to leave?"


    The little pup''s face immediately lit up and it shook its head vigorously. Sylvia''s heart ached but where she was going was very dangerous.


    Her life itself was riddled with one disaster after another. She didn''t want to subject a helpless pup to her miseries.


    "It''s for your own good. Stay here, okay." She reluctantly ced the pup down and started walking away.


    The wolf whined at her as if it knew what Sylvia was trying to say. But when she tried to walk away from it, it ran behind her, following her, and then bit into her clothes.


    She tried to leave again but it repeatedly did the same, not letting her go. The little guy was even panting,pletely out of breath from chasing behind her relentlessly.


    Sylvia was touched by how sweet and innocent the small beast looked.


    Besides, she was too worried about it to leave the beast all alone without its pack or anyone else around.


    After a while, she softened and gave in to its request.


    "Okay, you win. I''ve decided. I am taking you with me." The pup yelped in happiness and licked her face.


    "Ha Ha¡­" Sylvia rubbed its head and smiled dotingly at the ck wolf. She hadn''t experienced such unconditional love in her life.


    She suddenly felt heat building up in her eyes and tears fell down.


    She ced the wolf on the ground and touched its head gently. She concentrated and pulled the mana in the air around her.


    When it came to taming beasts, she only needed to insert some of her own mana into the wolf in order to form a pact between them and then let the animal swallow a drop of her blood.


    Sylvia followed the technique and pricked her finger to let a drop of blood roll into the pup''s mouth.


    The small ck pup immediately let out a loud howl.


    "Are you in pain?" Sylvia started panicking, but the wolf shook its head. Something else was happening. She squatted down next to it and carefully observed the beast.


    Right in front of her eyes, the small pup suddenly started growing bigger and bigger. Its small figure started elongating and bing more lean and muscr.


    Even its dull eyes glowed with beautiful silver light.


    "Is anything hurting?" Sylvia asked again, worriedly. She had never tamed any beast before and had only read about it.


    Some changes were normal but this¡­ what was happening?


    Her gaze dragged on the pup who was no longer small.


    The creature winced and unexpectedly, something started appearing on its back.


    Sylvia gasped in shock as she saw gorgeous pitch ck wings sprout on the wolf''s back as it Crack. Crack. Crack.


    The creature winced and unexpectedly, something started appearing on its back.


    Sylvia gasped in shock as she saw gorgeous pitch ck wings sprout on the wolf''s back as it transformed into an evolved form.


    "Wow, I didn''t expect you to evolve¡­"


    Her fingers traced the thin silver veins on the pitch ck wings. The wolf was now almost as big as her, bigger in fact.


    She walked around the beast in circles, curiously observing and taking in all that had changed.


    She saw that the wolf was also looking at her anxiously as if it was wondering whether she would like its new form or not.


    "Good job! You look so cool." Sylvia smiled, encouraging it.


    The ck wolf let out a triumphant howl and immediately nudged her hand with its head. It pped its wings and wagged its tail at her.


    Sylvia got the message and smiled a little. "You know, I can also fly?"


    The wolf shook its head. It was adamant.


    "Alright." Sylvia muttered and chuckled.


    The wolf stretched its body and leaned forward, making it convenient for her and then the next second, Sylvia hopped on its back.


    "Are you happy now?" She giggled, hugging the wolf.


    The wolf let out a happy howl and then it pped its wings, its body along with Sylvia atop it rose into the air.


    It first slowly flew around, making sure that it was able to bnce everything and when things proceeded smoothly, it shot up and circled like an arrow.


    The wolf''s agility and strength were no doubt tremendously superior to amon dire wolf''s capabilities.


    Sylvia chuckled and let the beast fully let itself lose. She was even a little envious of it as unlike her it instinctively knew how to fly.


    "Ah, good boy. Let''s go to our next destination, shall we?"


    Meanwhile¡­ in other parts of the beast kingdom¡­


    Two wolves were running at full speed. Their figures blurred and appeared in various ces in different parts of the forest surrounding the draconian settlement.


    However, they seemed to have failed.


    The two wolves stopped at the border of the Kingdom.


    One of the wolves then shifted into a tall and lean muscr young man. Isaac shook his head, drizzling the water drops from his wet hair everywhere.


    He had inadvertently fallen into a freezing river during the search.


    "What now, Roman?"


    Ignoring him, the other wolf also shifted. His eyes stared ahead at the vast horizon that was sprawled in front of him.


    "Where the hell did you go?"


    The two stood in silence for a while when Roman suddenly thought of something.


    The map!


    "She had the map that Melissa¡­ " He turned around and muttered in haste. "She showed it to me."


    "Eh? What are you talking about?" Isaac scratched his head.


    Roman didn''t say anything for a while, once again bing silent. He was engrossed in deep thought and a couple of minutester, he finally moved.


    His lips curled into a big grin and he chuckled, running his hand through his silver hair. "I know where she is."


    "What? How?" Isaac was more confused than ever, but before he could ask further the man had once again shifted into his beast form and zoomed away into the distance.


    "Fuck. I aming alright. Wait for me!" He could only shout and quickly shift as well, chasing behind his Lord.

 Chapter 213 The path is full of dangers

    213 The path is full of dangers


    "What are you saying, Roman?" Isaac shook his head. "It is impossible for her to travel to that ce all on her own!"


    "First of all, she needs to know how to, the direction-"


    Roman interrupted him, "She has the map."


    "What? Who the heck gave her a map!" Isaac snarled.


    "Alright, even if she has the map, it is not easy to reach that ce. The path is full of dangers. She would be forced to stop long before she even reached there."


    Growl. Roman turned to look at him in anger when Isaac realized what he had spoken wrong.


    "Of course, we wouldn''t want that also. We want her to be safe without facing any hardships. I get it. I get it." He raised his hands with a sigh.


    "I agree with everything you are saying, but please tell me you are not nning to follow her just like this?"


    Without answering him, Roman stared ahead with a determined expression.


    "Come on! Lord Roman, you cannot do this! Even the old patriarch returned from the trip with injuries! Grave injuries that are still threatening his very life! How could you possibly go there?"


    "Even if I am with you, our strength is not nearly enough." He tried talking sense into the man.


    But the other party did not look like he was going to budge any time soon.


    Without continuing the argument, Roman resumed his movements, the elegant slender body of the feral wolf shing forward.


    "I took her back once before from those human filth. I will once again bring her back safely." He growled and sped into the thick forests.


    Meanwhile¡­ in other parts of the same forest¡­


    BANG! BANG! BANG!


    Several balls of fire flew forward, targeting a group of rabid rock vultures.


    These birds had appeared out of nowhere, and before Sylvia could react, they started attacking her and the wolf from all directions.


    However, all they got was that first minute of head start. After that, once Sylvia regained her bnce they were no longer able to keep their upper hand.


    She elegantly spun the mana in the air and sent out dazzling balls of me that made the birds scatter.


    Sylvia originally nned to leave at that, but the rock vultures seemed relentless. They kepting back again and again and attacked both her and the wolf in a frenzy.


    It was clear that only one of them could get out of this alive.


    Sylvia did not hold back after that and scorched the entire flock. The fourteen birds dropped to the ground one after the other, dead and lifeless.


    "Do you want to stop for a quick break, wolfie?"


    Growl! The ck wolf snarled and then elegantly glided down tond on the forest grounds.


    Sylvia hopped off the beast and walked over to one of the big vultures. "This should work, right?" She flipped the bird to see if there was something that was salvageable.


    She had never hunted in the wild like this, but she did not have anything else to eat at the moment.


    She quickly broke off a cleanly charred piece from the breast. The insides were still juicy and looked edible, and since the outside was charred, it looked somewhat clean.


    She did not want to spend much time doing this so she found a couple more pieces like this and bleeding from those ces and clearly in pain.


    tossed a couple to the wolf. "We have to make do with this wolfie."


    She then roasted her portion, further bringing the rest of the meat to a cooked consistency. She then tore into the piece hurriedly as her stomach was growling in hunger.


    They had traveled for six hours now and throughout the entire time, they had been constantly attacked by one beast or the other.


    Even though they were flying to the destination, there still seemed to be nock of flying beasts or birds.


    Thankfully Sylvia had her magic. Otherwise, it would have been impossible for her to make this trip in the first ce.


    After facing the diverse opponents and fighting with magic so many times, she could even feel herself improving as she was now doing everything more fluently.


    However, despite that, using so much magic still made her a little tired and a lot hungry. It also clearly had a mental toll on her.


    Sylvia closed her eyes and tried to savor the delicious meat while resting against the ck wolf''s soft fur.


    She had barely had two moments of peace and shut-eye when the next unwee creature greeted her.


    A loud hissing sound sneaked from behind her, and when she quickly turned around, she saw a giant python towering over her.


    "Get BACK!" Sylvia shouted, her slender figurending in front of the wolf to protect the beast. This python in front of them was unlike anything else they had faced until now.


    Her instincts screamed at her that she was in real danger this time around, and she listened to them.


    BANG. BANG. BANG. BANG.


    Sylvia used the same fireballs that she used previously as both she and the wolf moved several paces back.


    She thought that this could buy them enough time to shoot up and get to the sky where the python couldn''t follow them.


    Because they were in a hurry, instead of the wolf carrying her. She grabbed the wolf and sliced through the air until they were at a safe distance.


    However, when she looked down, the giant green python was once again right in front of her. On its back were two spectral wings that seemingly gave it the ability to fly.


    On top of that, the python was now injured in the few ces where the fireballs had struck it. It was bleeding from those ces and clearly in pain.


    Its yellow evil eyes red at her in anger and hatred, and without giving Sylvia a chance to attack again, it opened its mouth.


    HISSSS!


    A burst of poisonous toxic purple air erupted forming a huge death cloud around the three of them.

 Chapter 214 A gateway?

    Chapter 214 A gateway?


    Sylvia was immediately rmed. She hurriedly used a st of wind on herself and the wolf to push


    themselves off the danger bubble.


    She didn''t breathe for that second, so she wasn''t too affected, but the wolf wasn''t too quick to react.


    The beast started coughing up violently.


    On top of that, the python relentlessly chased them, once again appearing in front of them again.


    Unlike before, this battle was different. Sylvia understood this very well.


    As the huge python raised its head, she did not hold back and quickly used all the mana that she


    couldmand to send out several shes of fire.


    The des of fire spun around, dazzling brilliantly and several shesnded on the length of the


    python.


    Perhaps because the intensity of the spell was higher this time, the huge beast did not get any


    chance to recover.


    It was now the beast''s turn to feel fear. Its yellow slitted orbs widened in shock and it quickly tried


    to turn tails and run away.


    But Sylvia did not n to let it go that easily. She stepped forward and once again sent out another


    attack finishing the python.


    Its entire body was riddled with crisscross cuts, and the python dropped down as cut sashimi on the


    ground.


    Sylvia then flew down to inspect the corpse of the beast. In one of the books, she had read that a


    poisonous beast''s gall dder contained the antidote to its venom.


    So she quickly grabbed the small organ and cringed as she squeezed the blood-mixed juice into the


    wolf''s mouth.


    "Is it hurting?" This is why she did not want to take the beast with her in the first ce. Seeing its


    weakened poisoned state, she let out a small sigh.


    She even had half a heart to leave it here ande back for it some other time, maybe on her way


    back. Even though it was cruel to do that, it was the best thing for the wolf.


    The forest was already starting to be very dangerous and she was also not that experienced.


    She did not have the confidence to protect both the beast and herself.


    After drinking the anti-dote, the wolf''s eyes closed tiredly. It looked like the medicine also had some


    sort of sleep-inducingponent.


    Sylvia lovingly patted the wolf''s head and whispered. "Go back to the waterfalls where I found you. I


    wille to find you in some time."


    Woooo! The wolf unwillingly whined, but it was too tired to stop or follow her. It tried to get up, but


    it couldn''t. Tears dripped out of its eyes.


    "I wille to find you. Trust me." Sylvia reassured again.


    But just as she said that, she suddenly remembered something and shivered. Not long ago, she was


    also abandoned by someone just like this.


    "Did he leave me because I was weak and useless?" She couldn''t help but wonder. She then shook


    her head firmly. "I will not think about that person."


    Without looking back, she shot forward deeper into the forests. In just a few minutes, once again


    another python blocked her path.


    However, this time her eyes shone with strange anger. She only used two attacks to ughter the


    huge python and continued moving forward.


    It looked like she was in the middle of a python territory as several of those beasts confronted her,


    but none of them were able to touch her.


    Sylvia killed a few and then sted past the rest, the pythons no longer able to keep up with her


    speed.


    After getting out of that territory, the disturbance was exponentially lesser.


    Since she was traveling by air, the dense forests underneath, chalked full of all sorts of dangerous


    beasts, couldn''t do anything to her.


    They could only look and roar, with their feeble attempt to threaten her as she passed them by.


    Sylvia indifferently ignored them and continued going faster, deeper, and deeper into the wilnds.


    And before long¡­ she arrived at the territory that was star marked on the map.


    Sylvia rested on a tree branch as she took out the map and looked at it again. "I am here." Her gaze


    sharpened.


    She clenched her fists, mentally preparing herself for whatever that awaited her beyond this point.


    She was not a fool. Just like Roman and Isaac, she also knew the difficulty and the danger of what she


    had chosen to do.


    After all, the patriarch himself was wounded in attempting to get this for her. He was an


    experienced, hardened warrior while she was still a no one.


    So she did note here expecting to seed on her first try or to seed at all.


    But even so¡­ she wanted to try.


    She wanted to know what was her strength.


    Sylvia cast a spell of invisibility on herself and cautiously proceeded further inside.


    In this ce, the dense forests that were clustered tightly up until now suddenly started clearing up.


    "Hmmm¡­" Sylvia waited and looked around and then continued moving. The forests eventually


    opened up into a huge clearing.


    She paused and observed the space in front of her. There was fresh green grass on the ground and


    on top of this, there were several huge rocks.


    When she looked closely, these rocks seemed to be arranged in some sort of fashion. There was a


    pattern.


    Her gaze fixated on this, she took one step forward and, suddenly something flickered.


    Sylvia gasped lightly in shock and froze on the spot. "What was that?"


    The rocks were like a gate and she saw something swirling in the gate. She was sure of it. However,


    it was only one second. After that, it disappeared.


    She had an urge to find out what it was and she hurriedly flew forward but before she could take


    another step, another of gleaming yellow eyes greeted her.


    This time, it was not a python. It was a bat, its size was almost twice her size.


    And there wasn''t just one¡­

 Chapter 215 The gate resonates

    Chapter 215 The gate resonates


    Sylvia''s eyes widened in shock and she quickly started sending out several balls of fire, trying to carve a way out for herself.


    The bats were strong and sturdy, unlike the beasts she encountered before. They did not take too much damage from the fire attacks and chased after her.


    Sylvia tried her best to send out several more attacks, and finally wounded one of the bat''s wings. The creature wailed and dropped dead.


    But there were more bats still after her. As she was trying to evade them and attack them, suddenly her gaze fell on the stone gate which was now mysteriously glowing.


    There was a bright swirl of multicolored light in the middle of the gate.


    Sylvia had no idea what this was. What was happening here?


    She unleashed a few more attacks and injured another bat which dropped t on the ground and died.


    But with that, her mana was running low.


    Or rather all the mana in the air seemed to be flowing towards the mysteriously glowing gate and none was left for her.


    Unable to recover her mana reserves, Sylvia had no other choice. She needed tond on the ground.


    However, the second she did that she would immediately be a sitting duck for the bats.


    Sylvia clenched her fists and dived down onto the ground. She had no other choice. She somehow needed to fight with these bats¡­ without magic this time.


    She had a small dagger that she used to attack one of the bats but just after the first attack, the weapon got stuck in the bat''s sturdy hide.


    She couldn''t take it out. The others as well swooped down, all the batsing towards her and now she waspletely defenseless.


    She did not have mana and also she did not have weapons.


    To make matters worse, the gate that was glowing brightly, suddenly started emitting shrill screeching noises.


    Something like a vibration came out from the gate.


    The next instant, loud noises of beasts in the distance echoed. It was as if every beast in the vicinity was responding to this loud vibration from the glowing gate.


    Sylvia was at her wit''s end. She knew that things were doing to be difficult but what was this. She couldn''t even understand what was going on.


    The batsnded on the ground one after the other and surrounded her and because of the vibrations from the gate, more beasts also starteding towards their location.


    Everything happened in a second.


    One moment she was in a clearing with only a deserted stone gate but the next moment, the entire ce was crawling with beasts.


    At least if she had mana she could have escaped, but now she had nothing. How was she supposed to run away in the midst of this beast horde?


    All sorts of beasts in various shapes and sizes wereing from the shadows. They were all clearly attracted to the gate.


    But they had a weird madness and frenzy in their eyes as if they were determined to destroy everything in their path.


    Sylvia waspletely surrounded and this time it was not by a handful of bats. She was surrounded by countless beasts, all growling and roaring in madness.


    There was no way she could escape from this. She needed to fight her way out or she needed to¡­ fly.


    "Please. Come out. Come out." She gritted her teeth and tried to transform. Her body had failed her so many times before, but now¡­ she needed it to work.


    If it fails her this time too¡­ she would only die.


    "Please. Please. Just this once." She shouted at the top of her lungs, but nothing was happening.


    The bat arrived in front of her and the creature swung its ws, wanting to rip her apart into shreds.


    This was it. Sylvia closed her eyes tightly shut, and raised her thin tender hands to block the attack.


    She fully expected to be mangled, preparing herself for the pain that was about toe.


    And the next second¡­


    CLANG!


    A loud metallic noise resounded amidst the cacophony of beastial growls and roars.


    Sylvia shed her eyes open in shock, only to see that her arms were covered in dazzling silver scales. Her arms, her body, everything from her neck down was covered in scales.


    She was still human but she looked like she wore some sort of silver body armor. She even had huge ws that the bat could notpare to.


    Sylvia did not know how she managed to do this or what was happening but it was clear to her that this was her only lifeline at the moment.


    She did not think about anything and started fighting back. She had never done hand to handbat before and she did not care.


    It was simply an instinctive fight for survival. She needed to fight right here and right now to live or else she was dead. It was as simple as that.


    She madly swung her ws around, attacking the bat in front of her, and moved her body to evade when the beast attacked her back.


    She was not sure how this was going to go and what the end result was going to be. She did not know if she was going to leave here alive.


    But once she started moving, she did not care about these things. For some reason, moving her body and fighting with these beasts felt easy.


    It was as easy as taking in a breath of air. It was as if she had been doing this for her whole life.


    She could see every blow that was aimed at her in slow motion. She could easily evade them.


    And when she fought back, her speed and agility were far superior to the other beasts. They were not able to block her attack.


    Surprisingly, just like her, the other beasts were also not able to use magic. It looked like the mysterious glowing gate was absorbing every wisp of mana in the air.


    So because of this, the battle turned into a bloody rumble.

 Chapter 216 Is she even alive?

    Chapter 216 Is she even alive?


    In the middle of a dense forest, two slender elegant wolves were running at top speed. It looked as if one wolf was chasing the other.


    "Calm down, Roman!" Isaac shouted as he took a deep breath and leaped forward with all of his might. The other party was far stronger than him so he knew that he couldn''t catch up.


    The only thing that he could do now was shout and hope that the bullheaded stubborn person listens to his words, but¡­


    That did not seem like it was going to happen!


    Roman acted like he did not hear him and kept running forward. Perhaps he really did not hear him.


    Issac sighed at the thought of how much the woman had an effect on him. Roman had changed so much in just a few weeks.


    Ever since she arrived on thisnd, everything about him had changedpletely. The ruthless and cold lycan king who ruled with an iron fist was now reced by this new person.


    "Please listen, Roman. I can smell a lot of beasts up ahead. The scent of blood is thick. This entire ce is putrid and reeks of death. We cannot go there. At least wait for our n to arrive."


    "You cannot fight all of them alone, ROMAN! Do not throw away your life!"


    Isaac clenched his fist, trying his best to increase his speed even more. No matter how much he tried this person was not listening to him.


    It looked like the only way to stop him would be to literally knock some sense into him but he did not have the strength to do so.


    "ROMAN! Please stop! You will die! If Sylvia is there, she is already dead. Please stop and think rationally. Don''t rush like this."


    "ROMAN! Your entire n is dependent on you!"


    "You cannot throw your life away for one girl!"


    "COME ON! Please listen to me. Stop and think for a second."


    Isaac stopped. All his efforts seemed to be in vain, but he needed to do something. Otherwise¡­ the wolf''s eyes shone with anger as he lifted his head and let out a loud howl.


    AWOOOOOOO!


    This was it. This was the only thing that he could do for his friend. Call him!


    "Please stop. Please stop. Please stop." Isaac prayed in his heart as he continued howling loudly.


    AWOOOOOOO! AWOOOOOOO! AWOOOOOOO!


    No wolf should be able to resist his pack''s call.


    Though shouting like this when a group of dangerous beasts was ahead was extremely foolish, he did not know what else to do!


    He had tried everything and now he only had thisst resort left.


    "ROMAN STOP!" Isaac howled loudly at the top of his lungs, his eyes fixated on the figure that was quickly disappearing away from him.


    As the sound of his agonized loud howls resounded in the huge forest, the man''s figure slightly paused and shuddered, but the next second he kept on running.


    Isaac''s eyes widened in surprise. His next howl got stuck in his throat from the shock of what he saw. The lycan king had ignored the call of his pack?!


    He cared about that woman so much that he ignored the call of his own pack?


    Isaac no longer knew what to do. He dazedly resumed his chase, not even bothering to call after the man any longer. Clearly, Roman was already long gone.


    The two of them rushed towards the source of the disturbance at full speed and Sylvia''s scent was also growing stronger.


    The closer they went her scent was more vivid and not just that, her scent was mixed with blood as well.


    Isaac knew that this was what was probably driving Roman crazy. That girl was definitely bleeding and hurt. Chances were that she was already dead.


    The two wolves dashed ahead as fast as possible. Their expressions turned even more solemn and grave as they neared the area.


    Now they could clearly sense the powerful and strong beasts and there was also¡­ the unmistakable aura of the draconic presence.


    "She is still alive?" Isaac was dumbfounded.


    Roman staggered a little and let out a small breath as if he was sighing in relief. He then sprang forward, closing thest mile of distance in just a few leaps.


    However, just as he reached the final destination and looked at the sight in front of him, Roman waspletely frozen still.


    "What happened?" Isaac as well shortly arrived after him. He could feel that something was amiss. He quickly arrived to stand next to Roman and when he did, his face also changed.


    The two wolves were utterly shocked to their core and simply stared ahead without moving a muscle.


    And surprisingly, they were not alone!


    Roman gulped as he sensed someone on his right and turned around to see another familiar figure standing next to him.


    It was none other than Frederick Akhekh, the current draconian Emperor of the beast kingdom and also Sylvia''s father.


    But how was he here?


    Roman''s lips curled upwards. It seems that though the man acted outwardly as if he hated Sylvia, he was still very worried for her.


    He probably did not have all the details that Roman had and yet he had managed to reach here before Roman did.


    But this was not the thing that shocked him the most.


    The two men looked at each other, silently exchanging words and their gazes turned back to the star of the show, the silver draconian princess standing in front of them!


    To be more urate, she was not simply standing.


    She was ruthlessly massacring the countless beasts that surrounded her.


    ROAR! Sylvia growled as she moved her ws around, skillfully taking care of the few beasts that were still left standing.


    Not one animal was able tond a hit on her.


    Her entire body remained pure and clean, even the blood drops not falling on her. Nothing could touch her and she was absolutely dominating the battlefield.


    The group of royals had rushed here to save the damsel in distress but it turns out that she did not need any help after all.

 Chapter 217 The new princess is impressive

    Chapter 217 The new princess is impressive


    Several expressions passed through Frederick Akhekh''s face. Some were of pain and concern, but there was also an unmistakable look of pride.


    Roman couldn''t believe it. Was this the same person who hated his daughter? It really did not seem like it.


    Irrespectively, other things needed to be taken care of at the moment. "Your highness, should I stop her?" Roman enquired.


    His voice snapped the King from his trance, and he turned to Roman to nod. "I will take care of it."


    The next second he quickly rushed ahead, like a hurricane. A powerful aura seeped out of his body which made the beasts in the vicinity tremble.


    The minute he stepped into the circle of beasts, thest ones remaining alive were sted away. However, not even realizing this, Sylvia still kept fighting.


    She was right now just mindlessly hitting the air. Tears dripped from her eyes, and her body shuddered.


    It pained the man to see his daughter in such a state. "That''s enough, dear. I am here now." He muttered gently.


    However, his voice still did not reach the girl. Frederick Akhekh sighed softly and took another step forward to hug the slender figure directly.


    He received a couple of punches, but unlike the beasts, those did not do any harm to him. It was more like a small kitten scratching him.


    "It''s alright. I am here. It''s alright. You are safe now." Frederick patted Sylvia, and the girl''s body trembled before finally losing consciousness.


    Isaac, who had just now arrived at the scene, saw this and gulped at the gory sight in front of him.


    More importantly, he saw the King lifting up his daughter and carrying her close to his chest like a small child.


    He immediately turned to look at Roman and snickered. "Serves you right, bastard. Looks like the King stole your moment."


    Roman red back at him silently. "She is safe. That''s all that matters."


    "Sure." Isaac snickered some more and then quickly shut up, feeling the King''s gaze on him.


    Aha ha¡­ Did he hear me? He gulped awkwardly. These dragons have an unfairly good hearing¡­ Sigh.


    Luckily for him, it looked like the King was not in a mood to deal with these things. He sternly looked at the two of them and nodded.


    "You both have my gratitude foring here to find my daughter. Let''s leave now."


    Roman bowed, and Isaac as well followed him and did the same. Soon the group prepared to leave the area.


    While the King, Roman, and Isaac stood on the side, the few royal guards who were also present stepped forward to take care of the other things.


    They had to clear the numerous beast corpses littered around the area. Since they hunted beasts for their food, they did not want all of these killings to go to waste.


    It was amon practice of the beast kingdom to only hunt for food and survival. They never mindlessly ughtered any living creature.


    Since ancient times this was their first and foremostw. So the group waited for a while and then prepared to leave together.


    However, before they could do so, suddenly another set of footsteps echoed in the area.


    "Everyone be on alert. We have somepany." Frederick immediately stood in a defensive pose on high alert. The others as well nodded and did the same.


    But surprisingly, a loud voice rang out the next second. "No need to be so cautious, my King." Following this voice, a group of men walked into the clearing.


    Some of them were old, and some of them were middle-aged, but almost all of them possessed an aura that could rival even the King.


    "The different n leaders." Isaac gasped.


    Roman nodded. However, he had a grave expression on his face. For some reason, he felt uneasy. As far as his experience went, these old codgers were always trouble.


    They included not only other n leaders but also the different branch family elders and other key figures.


    Basically, this group of old men together made up the core strength of the beast kingdom, and they had alle here together. It cannot be good.


    "Your highness." One of the old guys smiled, "We just came here to check the disturbance, but it looks like we missed all the fun."


    Frederick Akhekh nodded. "That''s alright. We have dealt with it. Everyone can leave now." He was not talkative and bluntly replied.


    Seeing that he was also about to leave, the same old man chuckled again. "Not so fast, your highness. At least let us take a quick look at your new daughter. Hmmm?"


    "Maybe she could attend the next n meeting?"


    The King''s face immediately changed.


    The old man, however, did not look like he cared about that. "Well, I mean¡­ it a custom after all¡­ that every royal princess needs to follow. Especially one so strong and powerful."


    Roman clenched his fist. These men were talking as if they had arrived much sooner and took a look at everything while hiding on the sidelines.


    He also never liked this bunch of old men. They were power-hungry and hypocritical and, in the name of their ns, usually spoke a lot of nonsense.


    He did not like it one bit that their attention was now on Sylvia.


    The old man might have called her strong and powerful, but Roman knew that in his eyes, Sylvia was the weak link to the royal family.


    Some might even plot something to bring down the royal family using her as a chess piece. This was going to be a headache.


    He would have given anything to hide her from the eyes of these power-hungry thugs.


    Roman gnashed his teeth subconsciously, and the guy abruptly turned to look at him. "What are you thinking, Lord Roman? Perhaps you are scolding this old man?"


    How did he tell correctly! Isaac shivered as a creepy feeling swept past him, but Roman still continued ring back.


    "That''s enough. Let''s all head back now. I will bring my daughter to the next n meeting." This time the King did not wait, and his figure immediately blurred to disappear.


    "He He He. The King ran away? This is interesting." The n elder chuckled, watching the distant sky. "A dragon''s speed is truly admirable."


    Jealous fuckers. Roman spat out, and then he as well turned to leave. Isaac smiled awkwardly and followed him immediately.


    "Young ones these days have no respect."


    "Mmmmm."


    "Everything will soon change."


    "Arrange for the next n meeting to happen in three days. That girl is not so simple."


    The group of n elders discussed amongst themselves, and soon they as well left the spot.


    However, no one realized that the stone gate a few feet away from them was still silently glowing. It was not that they overlooked it, but for them, it was just a stone structure and nothing more.

 Chapter 218 First Clan Meeting

    218 First n Meeting


    A weekter, after everyone returned to the royal pce and Sylvia was resting peacefully in thefort of her chamber and servants, the King received a letter from the elders.


    "Damn it. This is exactly what I did not want to happen." Frederick Akhekh crumpled the neatly beautiful crafted handwritten letter and tossed it onto the face of the messenger lizardmen, who trembled in fear.


    In fact, everyone in the courtroom trembled in fear because it had been a while since they had seen their King so angry.


    Without any other exnation, Frederick Akhekh stood up from the throne and abruptly stormed toward one corner of the pce, the chamber of the newly arrived fourth princess.


    News started spreading that something huge was going down, putting Melissa in a particrly good mood. "Serves her right." Melissa sneered.


    After hearing that her newest sister was not as powerless as she would like her to be, this was good news for Melissa.


    "Keep me informed." She told her servants, but the King closed the chamber doors after entering, so no one knew what was happening.


    And if they knew... they would have been utterly shocked.


    Inside the chamber... the angry Draconian King was no longer to be seen. There was only a father who sighed after seeing Sylvia sleeping on the bed even without realizing that someone had waltzed in.


    "She must still be feeling very weak." The King gently lifted his hand and patted her soft, luscious silver curls. None of his movements disturbed her sleep.


    He just stood there by the bed and continued to silently stare at the sleeping princess, who was the spitting image of her mother. He then left after a while.


    When Sylvia woke upter in the evening, he was nowhere to be seen. However, she was immediately briefed by the maids and asked to meet the King in the courtroom.


    That too, all the three maids looked stressed when they informed her about this. Something big had happened when she was sleeping? Sylvia was confused.


    But unlike the others, she was not afraid. She calmly had a huge dinner, wolfing down several helpings of meat, and then washed up before heading to the courtroom nonchntly.


    "Your highness." She bowed a little with a small polite smile.


    "You are finally up? How are you feeling?" Frederick Akhekh''s stern gaze met hers, and she couldn''t tell if the man was asking about her well-being or scolding her for it.


    "I am feeling fine, your highness." Sylvia curtly replied.


    "Hmmm. That''s good to hear, but do you know what your little joy ride had now led to?"


    "I didn''t-"


    "I am not done talking yet. Because of your actions, you are now required to attend the n meeting."


    "n meeting?" Sylvia blinked in surprise. This... wasn''t this a good thing? In all honesty, she really wanted to attend something like this to know more about the workings of her n. Otherwise, she would forever be stuck as an outsider.


    "Yes. n Meeting. Now there is nothing that can be done. You have to attend this even if you are tired." The King was once again not done talking yet when Sylvia happily nodded her head.


    "Yes, your highness. I will definitely attend this meeting." She smiled.


    Frederick Akhekh''s big forehead vein throbbed looking at the overly eager girl, and he sighed. Here he was trying to protect her from the wolves, but this girl was ready to jump into the fire once again!


    But the truth was that there was nothing that could be done. They had seen her in person. Now there was no escape. She had to attend it at least once. This was what Frederick Akhekh also aimed for.


    As long as he could somehow make them lose interest in her, then everything could go back to normal.


    The next day, one hour before the time of the meeting, the King and Sylvia started from the royal pce.


    Roman was also there, and he lent his mount to Sylvia for the ride when she promptly refused him, showing her own personal ride.


    The wolf had somehow sniffed her all the way back to the pce and found her all on his own. So now she was traveling on top of the wolf.


    Between the majestic Draconian King and the Lycan King, the young wolf pped its wings sloppily, with Sylvia looking a little embarrassed.


    At first, she had been stubborn about not relying on anyone and showing off her mount, but how could the wolf puppare to a dragon and the lycan lord? Nevertheless, she held her ground, and the group traveled at her pace, finally reaching the site of the n meeting.


    "Wait, Sylvia. Stop here for one second." Frederick Akhekh pulled her at thest minute, leaving Roman and the wolf to stare at each other.


    "Listen, I am warning you right here and now. In the n meeting, you are ought to keep your mouth shut. You shouldn''t speak under any circumstances. Just nod if needed."


    "But-"


    "Even after that, if someone forces you to talk, I will take care of that." Frederick Akhekh cut her off. He looked extra stern and angry, as if someone had killed his favorite pet. So Sylvia did not speak anything back. For now.


    If she said the wrong thing, the man looked like he was going to parcel her and send her back to the pce. He really meant business, so this was for the best.


    Sylvia also just wanted to observe everything. She didn''t have any intentions of disobeying him.


    Nevertheless, the King ended up warning her a few more times before finally walking up to the small group gathered near something that looked like a temple. Roman followed him, and Sylvia was at the end.


    "Hmmm. I am here. Let''s start. Who wanted to summon a meeting so urgently?" Frederick Akhekhmanded, his voice resounding in the forest.


    All the elders gathered gulped a little under the dominating domineering aura of the draconian king, but one particr elder smiled casually and cleared his throat.


    "That would be me, your highness."

 Chapter 219 Do you want to go back?

    219 Do you want to go back?


    Sylvia looked around the temple grounds of the forest in awe. She had never been to this ce before, and the way the entire structure was decked in gold gave a vibe that the ce was an extremely importantndmark.


    "This is the resting ce of your ancestors and some of the other powerful beasts," Roman whispered in her ear.


    "Ah, thank you," Sylvia whispered back, but her lips brushed against the wolf''s ear, making him instantly blush a little. Roman''s awkwardly cleared his throat and moved a little to stand away from her.


    Sylvia noticed this odd reaction, but she quickly turned to pay attention to the council. She didn''t want to miss anything happening here.


    There were representatives from all the different ns, making the meeting considerably big. There were about a hundred beast folks in attendance.


    This was nothing whenpared to the party at the royal pce, but everyone here was far more important. Every single big shot of the beast n and their father and grandfather seemed to be present at the meeting.


    Weirdly, there weren''t too many women around. So there was a lot of testosterone at the meeting, with Sylvia''s own father, Frederick Akhekh, leading these ranks.


    He was visibly displeased that this meeting was summoned, and he made sure to show it. However, the other main party did not seem to take the hint.


    Another beast n elder was going head to head with him. Sylvia couldn''t quite recognize what beast n this old man belonged to.


    She stared at him, trying to figure this out, and was to ask Roman when suddenly the person turned to look right at her.


    "Your highness, you are being a little too humble. I personally witnessed Princess Sylvia''s battle prowess. One more warrior has joined our ranks, so how could I not call for the meeting?" He chuckled, tossing around ttery very generously.


    But the King was not pleased.


    Sylvia gulped. What was going on? She suddenly had a feeling that she was being used like a chess piece by these people, but she was already warned, and she stayed quiet.


    Though, unbeknownst to her, her eyes turned a shade of silver as inwardly she also wasn''t pleased. If it was one thing she hated, it was being used and treated like a pawn.


    She and her father might be at odds, but she agreed with him on this. She did not like this old elder. What was he up to?


    And Frederick Akhekh asked the same question next.


    "What is it, Bruman? Why did you gather this meeting? I do not have a lot of time, and I don''t think any of the other council members would want to waste their time with these trivial exchanges. Let''s get this over with." The King ordered with a wisp of his power behind his voice.


    Immediately everyone trembled. Even Sylvia felt the oppressive power, but the elder in question still stood nonchntly. "Your highness, please don''t misunderstand me. I did not call this meeting on a whim."


    The old man looked serious as he spoke, but Sylvia could swear that he was grinning smugly inside. There was something about him that just pissed her off.


    However, the next instant, the old guy once more turned to look at her. "Princess, this piece of information especially concerns you."


    "Huh?" Sylvia was confused. Concerned her how? Before she could say anything, Frederick Akhekh once again threatened using hismanding tone. "I will decide what concerns her and doesn''t concern her."


    "I see." Bruman nodded respectfully. However, his subtle smile still hadn''t disappeared. "In that case..." The man bowed and continued, "I will let the appropriate person take the stage."


    Bruman suddenly moved back, and another person stepped out of the crowd. Shockingly, this person looked very much like the King himself!


    Sylvia gasped.


    "This is your brother, Ezra." Frederick indifferently answered her. Before Sylvia could digest this new turn of events, the person opened his mouth, and a familiar name appeared.


    "Your highness, I will be crossing the sea and leaving for the Kalindor Kingdom soon." Ezra''s slit-like eyes fleetingly gazed at Sylvia as he said this.


    This was because the Kalindor Kingdom was none other than the human Kingdom which Sylvia had run away from, only narrowly escaping with her life.


    A fresh flood of memories assaulted Sylvia as she silently trembled.


    Everything she had tried to forget instantly came back up again, reminding her of how she had been cowering in fear in the prison cell, left to die.


    Without realizing it, Sylvia growled, and her aura shot up without restraint.


    "Ha Ha HA! I see that the young princess is already prepared. This is why I called the meeting, your highness. I thought that the princess might want to apany Ezra in this mission." Brumanughed and added.


    The other elders also exchanged knowing looks. However, Frederick Akhekh''s face was now unsightly. This was exactly what he did not want to see, and everything was happening.


    "No. The princess will not be apanying you, Ezra. You can leave on your own." He immediately put an end to this but the next second.


    "I am going," Sylvia growled. She waspletely furious and beside herself. On top of her already tired stature, she almost looked like she was talking unconsciously.


    The beast inside her was out for everyone to see, and she was not there to control it.


    All the elders standing around were extremely experienced, so they only needed one nce to see this and understand her situation.


    An emotional person like her was easy to handle and manipte, and this was what the King did not want to show.


    But now it was toote. The cat was out of the bag, and along with it, a million problems were going to crop up.


    At the same time, to see Sylvia like this, his heart ached. She indeed needed to visit her past. There


    was a small chance that this might heal and give her the thing that she wascking the most right now.


    Looking at her again, Frederick Akhekh suddenly said. "Ok. You may go."

 Chapter 220 Back to where it all began

    220 Back to where it all began


    The next morning Sylvia found herself flying in the air next to the brother she recently gotten acquainted with and Roman who tagged along without asking anyone. There were also a few other nsmen whom she was not familiar with.


    Overall, the journey was quite ufortable as no one said anything but Sylvia did not care. She was also in no mood to talk. She was going back to face her past, the ce that isted her, betrayed her, humiliated her, and caged her.


    The face of a familiar figure shed past her mind as it did often even though she didn''t want to allow it. Would he also still be here? Where was he right now? What was he doing? Her heart pounded silently.


    It wasn''t out of love but out of anger. She silently simmered in her thoughts and memories as the group swiftly traveled over the massive ocean.


    After a while, Roman couldn''t take it any longer and inched next to her. "What are you thinking about? Are you okay?"


    Sylvia immediately snapped out of it and smiled, making the wolf falter a little. Her smile was quite dangerous. "Yes, I am fine. I was wondering how it is that we are able to cross the ocean so easily while the humans rarely do so."


    "Oh that. Ha Ha Ha. It''s because those humans are worthless idiots. This barrier was actually set up by our ancestors. Not because we are afraid of them, mind you. It''s like having a mosquito to prevent those pests from bothering us."


    Despite Roman''s best efforts to make the conversation lively, all he got in return was a nod from Slyvia. Only the other beasts turned to look at the rare scene in puzzlement.


    The wolf n Lord who rarely spoke was chatting away like there was no tomorrow. But everyone quickly turned back as Roman gave them a hard stare. Only Ezra had the guts to smirk back at him.


    "I guess my little sister is quite famous." He mumbled under his breath as the group continued moving. Soon the vast ocean that sprawled endlessly underneath them came to an end and the lively shores of the ocean were visible.


    However, the moment they entered thendmass, the entire group came to a screeching halt. Roman who was about to cast an invisibility spell over the whole group also stopped halfway. It looked like something like that was no longer necessary.


    Everyone gaped at the unbelievable scene in front of them. Sylvia silently shivered. Thend that she had once known to e so green, lush and vibrant was now nothing but a scorched wastnd.


    The Kingdom, the Magic HighCouncil, the Noble cities, the towns, the viges, the markets, the forests, everything was gone. There was a deste aura enveloping the whole ce. everything reeked of death. It was all gone. The entire kingdom was destroyed.


    "Let''s go closer and take a look." Ezra and the others dove down tond on the scorchednd. The group split up and searched everywhere but there wasn''t a single soul alive. There were no signs of any settlements in the vicinity.


    "Everything is gone. The demons havepletely cleaned up. Let''s leave. Otherwise, others might sniff us out." Ezra was the leader of the group and this mission so everyone nodded in agreement.


    Without anything else left to do, the group that came to the other side of the ocean once again silently left the area, back through the barrier into the beastnds. Before the end of the day, they even reached the royal pce and everyone reported to the King.


    Sylvia excused herself first and returned back to her chambers rather quickly. She still did not feel like talking to anyone. The whole day today she had raged inside, wanting to tear apart everyone who had wronged her.


    But what she saw there... affected her.


    Everything she knew waspletely destroyed. Her home, her town, everything. Even the royal castle that she had so many memories of was nowhere to be seen. And that person... was he also dead?


    Tears leaked out of her eyes as she thought about the person she missed the most at the moment. Eventually, she fell asleep just like that as she was mentally and physically exhausted from using magic throughout the day.


    However, in her sleep, she saw the same ocean again. Only now it was filled with blood instead of crystal-clear sparkling water. Countless corpses floated on this ocean. People whom she knew, people whom she had lived with, everyone all dead and floating on the ocean.


    And among them was the man she loved. His corpse stared her in the face.


    Sylvia immediately woke up with a scream that reverberated through the entire royal pce. In a moment, both the leaders of the draconian family were standing in front of her. Frederick Akhekh and Cadmus Akhekh both looked at her in worry.


    "Is anything wrong, pumpkin?" Grandpa Cadmus was the first to react as he sat beside the woman soaked full of sweat and patted her lovingly.


    Sylvia shivered. The nightmare was too horrible. She let go of everything and hugged her Grandpa tightly. Just for once, she did not want to feel alone. "I had a bad dream." She mumbled.


    "Ah, silly child." Cadmus chuckled and gently patted her. King Frederick also sighed in relief. The two of them lovingly looked at the girl. The King shortly left after that and Grandpa Cadmus also left a whileter giving Sylvia some privacy.


    "I am fine now." She awkwardly convinced them.


    However, Sylvia did not go back to sleep. She walked over to the garden and sat under the moonlight, thinking about something that had disturbed her deeply. The unnecessary bloodshed and war, she wanted to stop this.


    She shuddered at the thought of any race being massacred like that. Up until now, she did not have any foothold in her life, nothing that she wanted to live for and nothing that she wanted to fight for.


    And for the first time today, she wanted this. She wanted this mindless war to stop. Wasn''t she the daughter of the beast kingdom''s strongest n? "I can do this," Sylvia mumbled under her breath. She was more sure of this than anything else in her entire life.


    Perhaps this was why she was separated from her family. This was why she had to suffer so much. She understood the pain and joy of both sides and at the core, they were not that different. So why can''t there be peace?


    The idea took root strongly in her mind and she was determined to give it her all.

 Chapter 221 Naive

    Chapter 221 Naive


    For the next few days, Sylvia spent her entire time stuck in her chamber, thinking about the various events that had happened in her life recently.


    She also thought about the destruction of the human kingdom and what it meant for the future of both the human and beast worlds. She felt a mix of emotions, including anger, sadness, and confusion.


    Though she wanted someone to pay for what happened to her and the way she was treated, she couldn''t make herself feel at peace with all of the destruction and death.


    Even after a few days, this thought did not change. In fact, she only felt her conviction grow stronger. Because in the middle of all of this war and destruction, the people who were inevitably affected the most were not those who tortured her, but the innocent and the weak.


    Sylvia still had no idea who exactly was to me for the destruction of the human kingdom, but she knew that there were many factors at y, including political conflicts, power struggles, and perhaps even demons.


    No matter who it was, she did not care too much about it. Seeking revenge would probably not bring back the lives that were lost or restore thend to its former state.


    Instead, Sylvia wanted to focus on rebuilding and finding a way to prevent future destruction. She knew that it would not be easy, but she was determined to do whatever she could to help.


    Just like how Roman had helped her while she was at the lowest point in her life, she wanted to do something for someone else in return. She wanted to use the gifts she had for something good.


    After about ten days, Sylvia finally stood up and left her chamber. She had thought about this long enough. Now she wanted to do something about it and the first thing that she needed to do was to meet her father, the King.


    Sylvia made her way to the throne room, where she knew her father would be. She was nervous, but also determined to speak her mind and share her ideas for rebuilding and preventing future destruction.


    When she entered the throne room, she saw her father sitting on his throne, surrounded by his advisors and other members of the court. Sylvia walked up to him and knelt down before him, showing her respect and loyalty.


    "Your highness, I have been thinking about the situation in the human kingdom and what we can do to help. I have some ideas that I would like to share with you, if I may." Sylvia said, her voice steady but her heart pounding with nervousness.


    Her father looked at her with surprise and curiosity. He had not seen his daughter in many days and was curious to see her taking an interest in the welfare of their kingdom.


    "Hmm¡­ You may speak." Frederick Akhekh said, gesturing for Sylvia to stand and speak. His gaze lingered on her, wondering why she was suddenly here.


    Sylvia stood up and began to speak. She knew this was probably not going to go well, but she wanted to see just what would happen if she directly said what was in her mind.


    "Your highness, I have been thinking about the situation in the human kingdom and the destruction that has been wrought there. I believe that we, as beasts, are partly to me for what happened."


    "We have been living in istion, separated from the humans and ignoring their struggles. We have not done enough to help them or prevent this disaster from happening. We cannot continue to turn a blind eye to the suffering of others." Sylvia said, her voice firm but respectful.


    Her father and the other members of the court looked at her with shock and some disapproval. They were not used to hearing such words from a member of the beast n, especially one from the royal family.


    "Sylvia, you must understand that the human kingdom has always been a vtile and unstable ce. It was only a matter of time before something like this happened."


    "We cannot be held responsible for their actions or their fate. Our priority is to protect our own kingdom and our own people." The King said, his voice stern.


    "I understand that, your highness, but we cannot continue to ignore the suffering of others. We have the power and the resources to help them."


    "We cannot simply stand by and watch as they are destroyed. We must do something to help them rebuild and prevent this from happening again. It is not only the right thing to do, but it is also in our own best interests." Sylvia said, her voice unwavering.


    However, unlike the confidence and conviction in her words, the others only looked at her with pity as if she was a fool who had lost her way.


    "Your thinking is neither practical nor feasible. Human beings are a traitorous bunch. If we trust them and cooperate with them to help in their fight against the demons, do you know what will happen?"


    Sylvia gulped.


    "Betrayal." Frederick Akhekh scoffed at her naivety.


    Sylvia listened to her father''s words and understood his concerns. She knew that it would not be easy to convince him and the other members of the court to take action and help the humans, but she was determined to try.


    "I understand, your highness, but¡­ perhaps they think the same of us. Someone has to take the first step. Since we are powerful, then shouldn''t it be us?"


    "That''s enough. What do you know about the human kingdom? You cannot evenplete your transformation, and yet you are here, talking about what is good for the future of the Kingdom."


    "Do you really think that humans are so weak? Think again. If an entire Kingdom had beenid to waste, it was because someone allowed it to happen. This will be the end of this discussion. You will not speak of this again. You may leave now."


    Sylvia felt a surge of anger and frustration as she listened to her father''s words. She knew that she was probably not as powerful as him or had as much experience as him, but he could at least listen to her and have a conversation with her.


    "Your highness" Sylvia opened her mouth again when a tremendous amount of pressure descended on her. "I said that''s enough." Frederick Akhekh''s voice thundered.


    Sylvia bit her lips. Every single pair of eyes in the courtroom were on her. She knew that she had to leave now, but she was definitely not done yet.

 Chapter 222 I will not back down

    Chapter 222 I will not back down


    After that disastrous meeting with her father, Sylvia pretty much stayed inside her chamber for the next few weeks. She hardly came out, and she didn''t speak much either.


    Though she had lost in that courtroom, and the King had even asked her never to bring up this topic again, she still was not close to giving up on the idea. Not a chance.


    The incident left Sylvia feeling deted. She had been so sure that her father would see the logic in her argument and support her in her cause, but he had shut her downpletely.


    Despite this, Sylvia remained determined to pursue her goal. She knew that her father was set in his ways and unlikely to change his mind, but that didn''t mean she was going to give up without a fight.


    Over the course of the next few weeks, she spent countless hours researching, strategizing, and nning her next move.


    Even Grandpa Akhekh visited her a couple of times about this matter. The old dragon seemed very skeptical in the beginning, but after talking to her, he quickly changed sides. Was this because he really believed in the idea, or was it because he simply wanted to appease his granddaughter, no one knew.


    However, Sylvia knew that her grandfather''s words wouldn''t mean much, especially in this issue. It would be the word of her father, Frederick Akhekh, that would hold the final say.


    But that didn''t mean that all was lost. Sylvia already had a n. She knew exactly where and when to ask him about this again.


    A few more weeks passed by, and the opportunistic day arrived. In the same spot, in the ancestral temple, many n elders of the various beast ns arrived promptly for the next meeting.


    Sylvia had spent hours preparing for this moment. She had carefully selected her outfit, choosing a deep crimson dress that entuated her curves andplemented her silver hair. She had practiced her speech countless times, perfecting every inflection and gesture until it felt natural.


    And finally, on the day of the n meeting, standing among the n elders was the newly epted dragon princess, Sylvia. As she entered the temple, she held her head high and walked with purpose, radiating confidence and determination.


    Her presence sent a quiet uproar, but no one dared to say anything as the King had already arrived. Everyone politely greeted the King and the princess, and the meeting finally began.


    The meeting at first started smoothly, and various elders brought up some issues, which were quickly addressed. Most of these were already brought to the attention of King Frederick, so he had already started working on them. Things went on without a single hitch.


    But this was only until a certain someone opened her mouth. Sylvia suddenly stepped forward as her turn arrived. Everyone looked at the mesmerizing woman in shock, as they had not expected the daughter of the ruling King to talk about something in the n meeting.


    Isaac, one of the younger wolves, leaned over to Roman, the wolf n leader, and whispered, "What is she doing? Doesn''t she know anything about our ns?" Roman grimaced. He could see the determination in her eyes and knew that she had a n.


    For someone who was so silent all the time and mostly kept to herself without participating in any of the Kingdom''s festivities, the princess was surprisingly headstrong when she needed to be.


    Just like Roman, several others also looked at the young dragon princess curiously, wondering what she was going to talk about. Every single person''s attention at the moment was on her, and that included the King.


    Sylvia could feel the burning gaze of her father locked onto her. But she did not waver in the slightest.


    "Speak up." Frederick Akhekh curtly spoke as his face twitched. He already had a bad feeling about this.


    And just like he was afraid, his silver-haired daughter, who could drive countless men crazy, opened her mouth with a small polite smile.


    "I would like to talk about establishing a peace treaty with the humans."


    Frederick Akhekh narrowed his eyes and looked at the girl coldly. She had done it. She had actually dared to raise this damned topic one more time and too in front of the entire n!


    And just like he feared¡­ Her words instantly sent the whole group into chaos andmotion. Everyone started busily discussing amongst themselves in hushed voices.


    Their gazes ever so often flickered toward Sylvia and then looked away. This was a taboo topic, and the princess herself had raised it! So the whole ce burst into discussions!


    Sylvia remained calm despite the chaos that erupted around her. She stood tall andposed, her gaze unwavering as she waited for her father''s response.


    Frederick Akhekh was fuming inside. He had expressly forbidden Sylvia from bringing up the idea of a peace treaty with the humans ever again. And yet here she was, defying his authority and bringing it up in front of the entire n.


    He red at her, his lips pressed into a thin line. "I thought I made myself clear thest time, Sylvia. We will not entertain the idea of a peace treaty with humans. They are our enemies, and we will treat them as such."


    Sylvia''s expression did not falter. "With all due respect, father, I disagree. Humans are not our enemies. They are simply another species like us. And I believe that we can coexist peacefully with them."


    The gathered elders fell silent as everyone waited for Frederick''s response. The tension was palpable, and everyone could sense the anger emanating from the king.


    "You are naive, Sylvia," he finally spat out. "The humans have always been our enemies. They have killed our kind and destroyed our homes. And yet you still believe that we can coexist with them? It is nothing but a foolish dream."


    Sylvia''s face remained calm, but her eyes shone with determination. "I understand that there has been conflict between our two species in the past, but that doesn''t mean we should give up hope for peace. We are stronger when we work together, and I believe that a peace treaty is the first step towards a brighter future."


    The elders erupted into discussion once again, with some agreeing with Sylvia''s words and others vehemently opposing them. The tension in the air was thick, and it was clear that this was a topic that would not be easily resolved.


    Sylvia stood her ground, her eyes fixed on her father. She knew that this was only the beginning of a long and difficult journey, but she was determined to see it through. She would do whatever it took to bring about peace between their two species, even if it meant going against her own family.


    Frederick Akhekh looked at his daughter with a mix of anger and disappointment. Why was she being so stubborn? He knew that the result of this could be disastrous, so he was also not ready to budge.


    The father and daughter pair red at each other, neither side willing to give up. Roman saw this, and he had a strange feeling. For some reason, he was extremely uneasy. This was simply a recipe for disaster, a situation that one of the old foxes could take advantage of!


    And just like he was afraid, one of the elders suddenly stepped forward and loudly spoke up.

 Chapter 223 A wedding?

    Chapter 223 A wedding?


    A calcted smile slid across Elder Calypso''s scaly face as he turned to the king. "Might I suggest apromise?"


    "Why not allow Princess Sylvia to prove her point? If she''s so convinced that peace can be achieved, then let her demonstrate it in a manner that is undeniable. I happen to know a human king who is also willing to establish a peace treaty with us."


    Calypso then turned to Sylvia and continued, "If the princess is willing, we can travel together to the humannds and negotiate a peace treaty."


    Frederick''s eyes narrowed, but before he could respond, Sylvia spoke. "I ept this proposal. But I have a condition: if I seed, not only shall we consider a peace treaty, but I would also like the freedom to establish diplomatic rtionships with human nations."


    Frederick weighed his options. He was visibly tense, caught between the snare of public expectation and his own reservations. Yet, faced with the determination in Sylvia''s eyes, and the newfound support she had from Elder Calypso¡ªa figure of significant influence¡ªhe gave a reluctant nod.


    "Very well. If you are sessful in this endeavor, you will have my blessing to pursue diplomatic rtionships with the human realms. But let me make one thing clear: the second you sense treachery, or if the mission jeopardizes our n in any way, you will withdraw and return immediately. Is that understood?"


    Sylvia bowed her head slightly. "Perfectly, Father."


    Calypso''s forked tongue darted out momentarily as if tasting the air. "Excellent! It seems we have an ord. I shall make the necessary preparations for our journey."


    Soon after that the gathering dispersed with the atmosphere still tense.


    As they walked down the stone-lined corridors of the temple, Calypso caught up to Sylvia and spoke, "You have a fiery spirit, young princess. Yet, fire can be both a life-giver and a destroyer. I wonder, which will you be?"


    Sylvia looked at him. "I intend to illuminate, Elder Calypso, not incinerate."


    The elder serpent chuckled. "Well said. But know this, the path ahead is fraught with uncertainty. You''ll be challenging age-old beliefs, and breaking barriers that have existed for centuries. Are you prepared for the consequences?"


    Sylvia nodded. "Change is never easy, and often it''s ufortable. But stagnation is a slow poison, Elder. We risk more by doing nothing." n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Calypso observed Sylvia, his eyes flickering with what could be best described as respect. "Then let us prepare for the journey. We have a world to change."


    ***


    A few dayster the emissary from the beast Empire arrived at thends beyond the ocean, the same part from which Sylvia had once run away. This time, however, her arrival was met with pomp and show.


    Gands of intertwining flora and fauna draped across the city''s gates, a tapestry of the natural world crafted in delicate harmony. Trumpets heralded their approach, filling the air with the buoyant music of impending change.


    As they rode through the streets, Sylvia caught glimpses of curious faces, eyes widened in disbelief and wonder. Many still saw her kind as monsters, the embodiment of fear itself. Today, she had a chance to begin rewriting that narrative.


    King Alistair stood at the steps of his pce, nked by advisors and guards. He extended his arm in a formal yet warm greeting. "Wee, Princess Sylvia, Elder Calypso. We have been expecting you."


    "Thank you, King Alistair. Wee bearing hopes of peace and the promise of a united future," Sylvia replied, stepping forward and offering a small case to Alistair. He opened it to find a crystal carved in the shape of a dragon and a human hand sped together¡ªa symbol of unity.


    Alistair looked at the crystal, visibly moved. "A beautiful symbol, indeed. Come, let us discuss the possibilities over a banquet."


    The emissary moved in and walking at the end of the group, Roman sighed a little.


    Reading his mind, Isaac also shook his head. "I have a strange feeling, Rome. I don''t know why. A strange unsettling feeling."


    "Hmmm... Me too." The lycan lord replied.


    Isaac immediately sighed in exasperation. "Well, you have one because your dearest princess is meeting another man and is going to spend time with him. But I am talking about my actual danger senses."


    Roman rolled his eyes and did not say anything. Even though his friend was bbering some nonsense, there was some truth to what he said. Roman also felt it. Something was amiss.


    Contemting various things, his gaze fell on the sparkling figure at the center of the parade. Sylvia''s face was beaming with happiness. "Would she even listen to me?" Roman shook his head.


    He had seen countless schemes unravel and diplomatic endeavors copse; his faith in idealistic pursuits like Sylvia''s was little more than a flicker in a hurricane.


    So as he moved through the opulent corridors of King Alistair''s pce, he did not let his guard down and vigntly watched for signs of deception or subterfuge.


    His heightened senses were on high alert, parsing through the ambiance and bodynguage of every person he encountered. It was not distrust in Sylvia''s judgment that drove him; it was his innate caution, refined over years of dealing with cunning adversaries and betrayals.


    Isaac nudged him. "Our senses rarely lie, Rome. Be prepared for anything."


    "I always am," Roman replied, his blue eyes never leaving Sylvia as she entered the banquet hall, surrounded by a mixture of human and beast nobility. Their gazes met for a split second, but Sylvia broke and turned away, continuing her conversation with Alistair.


    The human king, King Alistair, was a pragmatic man in histe forties with a very charming and handsome visage. He weed them in a grand hall adorned with artifacts of human history. "It''s an honor to host members of the dragon n." He spoke with a smile.


    The banquet began with the customary exchanges, toasts, and polite conversations that barely scratched the surface of the issues at hand.


    The banquet hall was an extravagant spectacle, bathed in the glow of enchanted chandeliers that mimicked a twilight sky.


    As discussions flowed like the fine wines being served, Roman caught snatches of conversations¡ªmilitary alliances, cultural exchanges, joint endeavors againstmon enemies.


    Finally, dessert was served¡ªa fantastical creation made of ethereal sugar webs, capturing droplets of nectar, embodying the art of human culinary expertise. Calypso, never one to miss a dramatic moment, chose this time to unveil another proposal.


    "While our military alliance is a practical first step," Calypso began, raising a scaly hand to quiet the room, "we must also consider the soul of our nations. We should form deeper bonds."


    Roman immediately had a bad feeling and the next second...


    Calypso dered, "We should unite our twonds with the holy bond of matrimonial union!"

 Chapter 224 I have to refuse

    Chapter 224 I have to refuse


    Immediately, the room fell into a hushed silence, punctuated only by the clinking of silverware set down in surprise.


    King Alistair looked thoughtfully at Calypso, then to Sylvia, and finally towards his own advisors. "Elder Calypso, that is quite the significant proposal. One that should not be considered lightly."


    Elder Calypso chuckled softly, his scaly face alight with hidden machinations. "I agree, King Alistair. But what better way to bind the fates of our two realms? This union would not just be of two people, but of two nations¡ªa unity that can lead us to an age of unprecedented cooperation."


    Sylvia''s heart rate sped up. What was this? What was this elder suggesting? Marriage? So her only worth was through marriage?


    Did these people n all of this beforehand? Did they think that she would be easy to manipte and overwhelm if they cornered her alone without her family?


    She felt anger bubbling up inside her as the situation was getting out of her hands very fast.


    The finely crafted wine ss in her hands shattered as the vein on her forehead throbbed. She was about to burst out in anger when suddenly the King spoke in an unexpected tone.


    King Alistair, whom Sylvia currently had a very low opinion of, gave a rueful smile. He directly looked at Sylvia, straight into her eyes and broke into an apologetic smile.


    "Ahem. My princess, I am sure you have your reasons for suggesting this proposal. However, I must decline."


    Hmmm? Sylvia raised a brow.


    Elder Calypso also looked taken aback.


    "Please don''t misunderstand, Elder Calypso," King Alistair continued, his voice firm yet respectful. "Your proposal, while indeed grand and symbolic, overlooks one crucial factor ¨C the personal choice and happiness of those involved."


    "A union, especially one of such significance, cannot be based solely on political convenience. It must be rooted in genuine affection and mutual respect."


    Sylvia''s anger subsided, reced by a flicker of respect for King Alistair. His response was unexpected, considering the weight of political gains at stake.


    Roman''s face turned unsightly. He did not even react to the marriage proposal. However, now his face became grave. His instincts told him that something was amiss.


    And then the King continued...


    King Alistair turned to Sylvia, his expression earnest. "Princess Sylvia, you are a leader in your own right, with visions for your realm that extend beyond the confines of a marriage alliance."


    "Your role in forging peace and cooperation between our realms should not be overshadowed by a hastily arranged union."


    Sylvia nodded, feeling a weight lift off her shoulders. "Thank you, King Alistair. I appreciate your understanding." Her anger alsopletely melted.


    "Would it be possible for the Princess and the emissary to stay for a few days so that we could get to know each other better?" King Alistair continued, his tone suggesting genuine interest in building rapport.


    "It''s important for us to understand each other''s cultures and values if we are to forge asting alliance."


    Sylvia hesitated. At first, she wanted to openly turn down and reject the idea but doing so might result in more harm than good. It would be better to spend some days and then politely refuse this whole alliance and continue with the peace talks.


    It was normal for people to suggest something like this when talking about alliances between two Kingdoms so she did not want to overreact.


    With her simmering down the rest of the dinner went smoothly. King Alistair arranged for everything and took care of every small detail rolling out the red carpet for Sylvia and all of the members of the emissary, treating them only to the finest amodation and cuisine.


    The next few days went by smoothly. Sylvia met with various court members of the Kingdom and talked about their issues and how the beast kingdom could help them out with some of their problems. They were making very good progress.


    Soon it was thest day of their stay. Sylvia felt a little restless and she couldn''t sleep at night. She chalked it to having a big confrontation the next day. She got out of her room to take a stroll outside when she noticed a familiar face.


    Roman was once again standing outside her chamber, silently guarding her. He had done this every night for the past few days they had stayed here. Sylvia couldn''t help but smile warmly at the man. What a stubborn person!


    "You still think that something is off?" Slyvia walked over to the man, whose lithe and slender figure was illuminated by the moonlight. He looked like he was not even real, just like how she had seen him for the very first time.


    For some reason, the past churned in her memories as she started remembering bitter things. She did not want to remember those things. She snapped out of it to make small talk with Roman.


    Roman ruffled his hair awkwardly, not expecting to talk to Sylvia at this hour, that too one-on-one. He was not much of a talker so he did not have anything to discuss with her.


    "Are you satisfied now?" He asked.


    Sylviaughed lightly. "A little, maybe?" n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Heh. You fought with your father a lot for this and you are only satisfied a little?"


    Seeing Roman tease her, Sylvia gently shook her head. "You wouldn''t understand."


    Roman turned serious for a moment. "You are right. I wouldn''t understand. I have grown up with blood and carnage so I don''t understand these peace talks. I still don''t think they work. That''s why I am standing here."


    "Thank you." Sylvia smiled.


    She was about to head back in but Roman suddenly tugged at her hand. Holding her slender hand in his hand, he looked into her eyes. "Tomorrow... I have something I need to discuss with you." He started.


    Sylvia''s eyes widened. "What-" She responded when suddenly the two of them snapped to turn their heads towards East at the same time. Both their expressions turned grave immediately.


    "Roman!" Sylvia gasped and the wolf''s eyes narrowed with palpable killing intent.


    Demons!


    And there were so many of them!

 Chapter 225 Demons

    Chapter 225 Demons


    The air turned thick with the scent of brimstone and ash, a sure sign that the demonic presence was not just a small raiding party but an organized assault.


    The demons, with their twisted forms and malevolent auras, seemed to emerge from the shadows themselves, flooding into the pce grounds with terrifying speed and coordination.


    Roman''s grip on Sylvia''s hand tightened for a moment before he released her, stepping forward to ce himself between the princess and the oing horde. "Get back to your room and bar the door. Use your magic if you need to. I''ll hold them off here."


    Sylvia shook her head, her expression determined. "I will not leave you to face them alone." Her hands began to glow with potent energy, ready to unleash her own formidable powers against the invaders.


    Roman wanted to argue, to demand that she seek safety, but he knew it was futile. Sylvia was not one to flee from a fight, especially when their lives and the peace she had worked so hard to achieve were threatened.


    Together, they faced the onught, Roman''s sword shing in the moonlight as Sylvia''s spells arced through the air, striking demons with deadly precision. Despite their efforts, the demons kepting, a seemingly endless tide of darkness.


    After a while Roman couldn''t hold on anymore and became extremely tired. He did note here prepared for a war of this proportions. However, the woman standing next to him was still going strong.


    True to her draconian name, Sylvia was single-handedly putting all the demons to shame. She was like a shining star in the darkness, ughtering demons in droves. The more she fought, the more powerful she became.


    The might of a proud dragon was put on disy for everyone to see. But all of a sudden Roman''s eyes widened. His gut feeling was warning him of something. Something big was going to happen.


    He immediately got back on his feet ending his temporary recuperation. He had enough juice in him now and he was more than ready for whatever was about toe.


    Barely 2 seconds passed by after he stood up when a vile aura spread across the space. The aura was so powerful and suffocating that even he found it difficult to breathe.


    Sylvia also snapped her head to look in that direction as she too sensed the aura. "What the..." Before she could finish her words, a tear appeared in the space in front of them and something ck and slimy slipped out.


    "That''s a..." Roman stood frozen. "That''s not a demon."


    Demons he knew. Demons he understood. They were horned beings who held cursed power. The lycan lord had been fighting demons all his life. But this creature...


    It was a being of pure darkness and malice as if it was born from the very essence of the abyss. Unlike the demons they had been fighting, this entity was an amalgamation of all that was foul and corrupt.


    Sylvia''s eyes narrowed. The creature oozed closer, its form constantly shifting and pulsing with dark energy. Sylvia and Roman braced themselves, knowing that this would be a battle unlike any they had faced.


    With a roar that echoed like thunder, the creature attacked, unleashing waves of dark, corrupt, and vile energy that threatened to overwhelm them and corrode their souls.


    Sylvia countered with her most powerful spells, beams of pure, radiant energy that pierced the darkness. Roman charged, his sword glowing with an ethereal light, every strike aimed with precision to weaken the creature.


    Despite their efforts, the void spawn seemed nearly invulnerable, regenerating from every wound inflicted upon it.


    "Sylvia,bine your magic with my strike!" Roman shouted over the din of battle.


    Understanding his n, Sylvia nodded. They had to synchronize their attacks, blending the raw power of her draconian magic with that of the Lycan powers.


    Timing their moves with perfect precision, Romanunched himself at the creature, his sword trailing a blinding light, while Sylvia unleashed a torrent of dragon fire, infused with her strongest spells.


    The two forces collided with the creature in a cataclysmic explosion of light and shadow.


    The ground trembled under their feet, the air crackled with unleashed power, and for a moment, the night turned to day. But when the light faded...


    Slither. Slither.


    The creature was still there.


    Panting, Sylvia looked at Roman. The color drained from her face since she had used a lot of her power. This was the first time she had pushed herself this far and it was not enough. She really did not have the strength for another attack.


    What the hell was happening?


    Ambushed by demons she could understand but what was this creature?


    "Can you give me two minutes?" She panted as she started preparing something. This was a spell she had read about in one of the magic tomes back in the draconian pce.


    It was dangerous, it had a bacsh effect that could leave a person crippled but it would give her enough power to scorch an entire continent. If anything was going to work, it was that.


    Roman gritted his teeth. He too had no idea what the hell was happening. He was usually calm and collected but everything had happened too suddenly and he had no control over it all.


    He looked at the woman standing beside him. So frail and feeble and yet there was a magnificence about her. He felt a pang of guilt pinch him in his core as he was the one who was supposed to protect her and not the other way around.


    In a decisive motion, he bit his lips and drew some blood to enter a berserk state. This would leave him severely weakened and vulnerable but it would definitely buy the time she needed.


    Thankfully, Sylvia did not need long. The next second she started to glow with an ethereal light. Something about her radiated an ancient power but she did not look good.


    Her face was pale and her lips and eyes were bleeding. She swayed like a flickering me about to go out at any time now.


    Only now Roman realized that he had been wrong. He was wrong to trust her words and buy time. He was wrong to even stay back and fight in the first ce. They should have run away the minute things turned south.


    This was the enemy''s domain and it was clear they had already made ample preparations. He even felt weaker than his normal self. This was all a big mistake.


    "Sylvia. Stop." He reached out to grab her but it was already toote. Fear gripped Roman''s heart. No. He did not want to lose her and yet he was helpless when something terrible was going to happen to her.


    Right at this time when everything was about tobust into one big supernova, a light chuckle sounded, followed by a strange voice. "My dear. You can stop now. I have taken care of everything."


    More shocking was the fact that Sylvia seemed to have somehow responded to the voice and stopped in her tracks, now staring dumbfoundedly into the darkness. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

 Chapter 226 The demon you know

    Chapter 226 The demon you know


    Right at this time when everything was about tobust into one big supernova, a light chuckle sounded, followed by a strange voice. "My dear. You can stop now. I have taken care of everything."


    More shocking was the fact that Sylvia seemed to have somehow responded to the voice and stopped in her tracks, now staring dumbfoundedly into the darkness.


    Sylvia stood frozen. She couldn''t believe it. She did not want to believe it.


    And yet... the voice was unmistakably his.


    For a moment, the blood spilled around her, the smell of the gruesome war, everything was forgotten. All she could see was that familiar outline and all she could think about was that voice. Her mind became nk and her body was not responding.


    "I am sorry. I got here a littlete." The figure stepped out of the darkness with a sheepish smile and an awkward demeanor. He ruffled his long unkempt yet gorgeous hair as if he was ufortable but he did not break his eye contact even once.


    But when Sylvia continued to stare mutely, he lost a little bit of his cool.


    "Damn it. You didn''t forget me, did you? You are not even wearing my ring any longer." The person frowned.


    "Mikel!" Roman''s voice broke the silence. "What are you doing here? Why is there a demonic aura around you?" The Lycan Lord had already sniffed the unmistakable scent of demonic madness on the human. "Where were you all this time? Are you working with them?"


    But wait. This was not the important point at the moment. The thing was they were all in danger right now.


    Grave danger from a creature they did not recognize. The barrier Sylvia had erected was already cracking and now there was nothing in between the three of them and the weird creature.


    "MOVE!" Roman shouted but Mikel unexpectedly waved him away with a casual gesture.


    "What? You are scared of this cute thing here. No big deal. Here. I can take care of it for you." In a flick of his hand, Mikel tossed something at the creature right in front of their eyes and the next second, the horrific creature started spasming uncontrobly.


    The creature, which moments before exuded an aura of unbridled malevolence, now writhed in agony. Its form began to dissolve, melting away into nothingness, leaving no trace behind except for a lingering sense of unease in the air. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    The abrupt resolution left Sylvia, Roman, and even the creature itself, in itsst moments,pletely dumbfounded.


    Sylvia''s gaze shifted from where the creature had been back to Mikel, her mind racing to piece together the puzzle of his sudden appearance and his inexplicable power.


    "Mikel... how?" Sylvia finally found her voice, though it was barely above a whisper. Her eyes searched his for answers, for any hint of the man she once knew. The man who had disappeared without a trace, leaving her world darker in his absence.


    Mikel''s eyes softened as he looked at Sylvia, his earlier bravado fading into a more sincere expression of remorse. "There''s a lot I have to exin, Sylvia. About where I''ve been, what I''ve be," he admitted, his gaze shifting away momentarily before returning to meet hers.


    "But I promise you, I''m not your enemy. Nor am I an ally to those creatures."


    Roman, still on high alert, remained skeptical. "Exnations can wait. Right now, we need to secure the area and ensure there are no more threats lurking. Mikel, if you truly are on our side, help us with that."


    Mikel nodded. "Of course. I am here to help you. And then, we talk."


    The man then tossed a ring at Roman and then another one at Sylvia. It only took a moment for Roman to inspect it and find that the ring was a spatial item and within it, there were a lot of small shiny gems, on each of which some sort of intricate symbol was carved.


    "These are runes. You can craft runes?"


    Mikel winked. "Later."


    "Oh. By the way, there are some healing runes and there are also empowering runes. Feel free to use everything." He was about to say something else when he noticed that Sylvia was oddly still standing at the same spot. Tears were dripping from her eyes.


    The cheeky grin immediately faded from Mikel''s face as he rushed to her side the next instant, much faster than Roman could react. The moment he reached her side, Sylvia closed her eyes and fainted, falling into his arms.


    "I am here. I am here. I am not going anywhere this time." Mikel whispered softly in her ears and she drifted into a deep sleep, restingfortably in his arms.


    Roman watched the scene unfold with a mix of confusion, concern, and a hint of suspicion. Mikel''s sudden appearance, his mysterious powers, and now this intimate moment with Sylvia¡ªit all painted aplex picture that Roman couldn''t quite decipher.


    However, the immediate threat had been neutralized, and Sylvia was safe, at least for the moment. Those were the only things that mattered to him right now.


    "Mikel," Roman began, his tone firm yet carrying an undercurrent of curiosity, "you''ve got a lot of exining to do. Starting with where you''ve been all this time, what happened to you, and how you just... did what you did."


    Mikel nodded, holding Sylvia close to his chest. "I know, Roman. And I will exin everything. Sylvia, more than anyone, deserves that. But right now, let''s make sure we''re safe here. I''ll stand watch; you should rest too. We''ll talk as soon as Sylvia wakes up."


    Making it abundantly clear that he was not going to part with the woman in his arms, he tossed a few more rings at Roman. "Supplies for your men. You can ask for more if you need it."


    Roman stared at the man for a moment and then at Sylvia. He then clutched the rings in his hand and turned to walk away. There were many conflicting emotions in his heart at the moment but he had a duty to his people above all.

 Chapter 227 Meeting the father

    227 Meeting the father


    Roman quietly departed from the spot and went to the other ces where the beastmen were struggling to deal with the weird creatures that had popped out of seemingly nowhere.


    With the help of Mikel''s resources, the beastmen once again gained the upper hand and quickly overpowered the demons. Many of the demon generals had ashen looks on their faces as they couldn''t understand why their side was suddenly falling apart.


    This was not a n the demons had concocted overnight. It was a carefully strategized, thoroughly prepared action that had consumed a lot of their resources and even involved sacrificing many of their men.


    And yet today, they stood on the losing side.


    The demon generals sighed in defeat as they couldn''t bear the cost of this loss. If it was just simple resources perhaps they wouldn''t have cared. However, things were a lot moreplicated.


    They were demons but there was evil out there which was worse than them. They had made a pact with this evil to secure their victory today. They had sacrificed a great deal to this evil.


    And just like that, all of that was for nothing. How the heavens did this happen? Neither the humans nor the beasts should even know about this being, then how did they manage to defeat this thing?


    The demon generals did not know and they did not care for staying back to figure it out and fight it till the end. Most of the demon army saw that their side was on the verge of losing and started covertly retreating.


    They were demons. They did not care about fighting with honor. They had no ns to continue struggling against a losing battle. It was time to run. They would lie in wait and n for their revengeter.


    As a big chunk of the army turned tail and ran as fast as they could away from the site of the battle so that they could teleport and get the heck out of there, suddenly something was amiss.


    The demons noticed that they couldn''t activate their teleportation tokens or scrolls or for that matter any of their other artifacts no matter what they did. The space around them waspletely locked.


    Perhaps they had to run further?


    As the fleeing demon army once again started to well... flee... out of nowhere meteors started falling from the sky. It rained fire and lightning bolts pelted non-stop.


    No! Instantly everyone felt fear run down their spine as they sensed the presence of something far more powerful than even the fearsome demon generals.


    "A dragon!!!!!" One of the demons shrieked. However, no one looked down on the demon for shrieking in fear because the others had also seen the majestic beast fly over them and stood absolutely frozen.


    The dragon''s massive form blotted out the sun as it soared above the battlefield, its scales glimmering with an ethereal light that seemed to dance in the air around it.


    Its eyes, glowing with an ancient and otherworldly power, scanned the retreating demon forces with a gaze that promised retribution.


    The demons found themselves cowering under the weight of a presence that dwarfed their own dark powers.


    They had heard tales of dragons, of their might and majesty, but to witness such a being in the flesh was to understand the true disparity between themselves and the lords of the sky.


    Below, the beastmen and thebined forces of humans and other allies watched in awe as the dragon unleashed its fury upon the demons.


    With every beat of its powerful wings, it sent gusts of wind strong enough to knock the lesser demons off their feet, while its breath, a searing torrent of me mixed with crackling bolts of lightning, incinerated those caught in its path.


    Roman looked up at the dragon with a mixture of respect and understanding. "It''s the King and the Patriarch," he said, his voice barely audible over the roar of the dragon''s onught. "They''vee to ensure our victory."


    If Mikel''s resources sealed most of the victory, then the King''s intervention made sure that absolutely no demons escaped the battleground that day.


    With this, everything was quickly wrapped up and the battleground was cleared of the demonic presence.


    The surviving demons, unable to flee due to the locked space and overwhelmed by the dragon''s might, met their end on the battlefield. It was a decisive victory, one that would be remembered in the annals of both beastmen and human kingdoms.


    In the aftermath, as the dust settled and the sounds of battle faded into silence, the soldiers and warriors gathered around the dragon, now returned to its human form. The King, alongside the Patriarch, stood before theirbined forces, a sense of solemn pride emanating from them.


    "We have won a great victory today. We have shown that even if the enemy uses underhanded methods they still cannot shake us," the King began his rousing speech but Frederick Akhekh suddenly stopped as his gazended on his daughter.


    More specifically, on the man who was currently holding his unconscious daughter.


    No, on the man who was currently holding his unconscious daughter and also had a demonic aura around him which made him unmistakably a demon. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The sudden shift in the atmosphere was palpable. The warriors and soldiers, moments before basking in the glory of their victory, now tensed, their eyes drawn to the scene that the King''s gaze had highlighted. Whispers began to ripple through the ranks, a mixture of confusion and suspicion brewing among the troops.


    Frederick Akhekh''s expression darkened, his eyes narrowing as he took in the sight of a demon cradling his daughter.


    "You!" Frederick''s voice boomed across the clearing,manding the attention of all present. His tone was a mix of authority and a dangerous calm, one that promised consequences should his forting questions find unsatisfactory answers.


    "Exin yourself. Why does a demon''s aura surround you? And why do you hold my daughter in such a state?"

 Chapter 228 She is mine and I am hers

    228 She is mine and I am hers


    "You!" Frederick''s voice boomed across the clearing,manding the attention of all present. His tone was a mix of authority and a dangerous calm, one that promised consequences should his forting questions find unsatisfactory answers.


    "Exin yourself. Why does a demon''s aura surround you? And why do you hold my daughter in such a state?"


    Facing the powerful draconic aura, Mikel was absolutely overwhelmed. He was already prepared for this and yet there was nothing he could do. He could only stand still in obedience in front of such a mighty power.


    But that didn''t mean he was going to give up just yet. He was already prepared to go to any length today and he was not taking no for an answer. He stared back at the draconic king despite his entire being threatening to disperse under the weight of the aura.


    He then opened his mouth and with great difficulty answered. "I am your daughter''s mate."


    Immediately, the situation became exponentially worse. The statement hung heavy in the air, the surrounding atmosphere growing even more tense, if possible.


    The draconic king''s aura red with an intensity that made even the hardiest warriors among the onlookers take an involuntary step back. The very ground beneath their feet seemed to thrum with the power of his barely contained anger.


    Frederick Akhekh''s eyes, previously narrowed in suspicion and authority, now zed with a fire that was both metaphorical and almost literal, given the draconic nature of his being. The air around him shimmered with heat, and for a moment, it seemed as if the king might unleash his full wrath upon Mikel.


    "You dare?" Frederick''s voice was a low growl, the menace palpable.


    Before anything terrible could happen, Roman stepped in front of Mikel and shook his head at the draconic King. "Your Highness, we wouldn''t be alive right now without this man''s help."


    Frederick Akhekh paused for a moment. "You im such a bond with my daughter, yet you carry the taint of demonic energy? Exin yourself, and choose your words with care, for they may very well be yourst."


    Mikel, despite the overwhelming pressure, stood his ground. "Yes, I dare," he responded, his voice steady but showing a hint of the strain he was under.


    "I have been away, fighting battles that Sylvia herself was not aware of, battles to ensure the safety of not just her but of all realms. The demonic aura you sense is a consequence of the sacrifices I had to make, the powers I had to wield to protect what is most precious to me."


    Mikel''s gazended on Sylvia as he said that but the next second the woman in his arms disappeared, appearing in the King''s arms instead.


    Mikel could only sigh at this. After all, this was also something that he had already foreseen. He bowed his head and continued exining.


    "The creatures the demons made a pact with are called voidlings. They are mysterious creatures that walk the line between living and dead. They hold powers that are beyond our capability."


    "Ever since I came to know about this ambush, I searched the annals of the demon king''s library and found out about these creatures. I also managed to craft a rune to poison it just like how it was described in the annals."


    Frederick Akhekh narrowed his eyes and his face did not soften one bit. "And I am to believe that you did all of this for my daughter? Who is to say that you didn''t orchestrate the whole thing just to get back into the good graces of my daughter."


    By now Roman had already telepathically filled him in on everything and with Mikel''s exnation everything became clear. But was it enough?


    Mikel sighed again. "I didn''t do it for her. I did it for me. I cannot live without her."


    Roman shook his head helplessly as once again the King''s temper red. He had to firmly stand rooted in front of Mikel to prevent him from getting scorched alive. "Do you have a death wish?" Roman warned him not to test the King''s patience.


    But Mikel did not seem to care. "Your Highness. Look here. The proof that your daughter has already imed my life." He opened his shirt to reveal a mark etched deep into his skin, a mark that was unmistakably draconic in nature.


    It was a bonding mark, one that could only be formed through a deep, mutual connection between two souls. The mark was glowing faintly, pulsing with the same rhythm as Sylvia''s heartbeat, a clear indication that their lives were intertwined, bound by something far stronger than mere affection.


    The sight of the mark caused Frederick Akhekh to pause, his fury momentarily giving way to surprise, and then, slowly, to a grudging eptance. The draconic aura around him subsided slightly, though the air remained charged with his power.


    "This mark..." Frederick''s voice trailed off as he examined Mikel more closely, his gaze shifting between the mark and his unconscious daughter in his arms.


    The implications were profound and undeniable. Such a bond was sacred among their kind, not entered into lightly, and almost impossible to forge without true love andmitment.


    The presence of the bonding mark changed everything. It was a testament to Mikel''s sincerity and his intentions towards Sylvia. It also indicated that Sylvia herself had epted Mikel, and had chosen him as her mate, a choice that even a king would find hard to refute.


    "If Sylvia has chosen you, then it is her choice I must respect. However, your actions... demonic taint, and the secrets you''ve kept will need to be addressed." n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Mikel nodded, understanding the gravity of the situation. "I am prepared to face any consequences, Your Majesty. All I ask is for a chance to prove my worth."


    The King did not respond. He also did not hand over Sylvia back to Mikel as the entire entourage started their journey back to the blessednds of the beasts. The journey back was a lot more ufortable than the previous journey as everyone was deathly silent.


    Only one man was smiling and that was Mikel. He was finally going to Sylvia''s home.

 Chapter 229 I love you forever

    229 I love you forever


    Inside the royal pce on top of a luxurious bed, Sylvia was resting peacefully. Well, sort of. Beads of sweat formed on her head asionally and pained expressions appeared on her face from time to time. Anyone could clearly see that she was not peacefully sleeping.


    Unnhhh... Sylvia bit her lips and Mikel quickly took a washcloth to wipe her head and whispered quietly in her ears. "I am still here. I love you. I am not going anywhere."


    The girl''s expression immediately became normal. Whatever Mikel did it worked. Nevertheless, the King''s face twitched. "You know you are the one who is responsible for her current condition." Another voice spoke up, perfectly summing up the atmosphere in the room.


    Mikel looked up to see that Roman hade to pay a visit to Sylvia along with another wolf. "Roman." Mikel quickly stood up to greet the Lycan lord. "I need to talk to you."


    The two of them walked away to a secluded spot in the gardens right outside Sylvia''s chambers. They did not go too far as neither of them wished to be away from her.


    "Thank you for helping me. Thank you for-" Mikel started but Roman immediately stopped him. "If this is what you called me for, then..." The guy started to walk back. Mikel chuckled at his behavior. He did not say anything because he was truly indebted to this person but there was still something he needed to make clear.


    "I am thankful to you but she is mine," Mikel said it. Loud and clear.


    Roman paused and became silent for a moment. He then continued walking out of the room. The King''s face twitched again and he too left the room.


    Outside the room, Grandpa Akhekh startedughing out loud. "Ah to be young and in love. My granddaughter is very popr."


    Frederick Akhekh rolled his eyes. He did not like that. More importantly, he did not like Mikel. He did not know why but he had an indescribable urge to punch the living daylights out of the guy. If only he could use his full strength and ... before he could finish his thought...


    BOOOOOM!


    Frederick Akhekh''s eyes went wide as his fantasy wasing true right in front of his eyes. Mikel''s face was smashed by a fist and the man was jammed right onto the ptial wall that was not in the least soft.


    Was he even alive still? Frederick Akhekh smirked.


    His smirk turned into a full-blown grin as he saw the person responsible for this mega-awesome punch. It was none other than his daughter.


    Sylvia walked out, her eyes burning with anger. Frederick Akhekh, Grandpa Akhekh and even Roman who hade back now after hearing themotion, every single one of them wanted to approach her and ask if she was feeling better now. But...


    Right at this moment, no one dared to go near her.


    "Do you think I am a doll for you to y with?" Sylvia boiled in rage and turned her zing gaze towards Mikel, who was slowly peeling himself off the wall.


    Mikel, rubbing his jaw, managed to find his voice, albeit a little strained from the impact. "Sylvia, I didn''t mean it like that. Please let me exin. I¡ª"


    "You. Right. It''s all about you. It''s always about you. What about me? What about my feelings? Who gave you the right toe and go as you please? You are no longer wee in my life. How dare you treat me like this?"


    BOOOOM!


    Another punch resounded and this time itpletely shattered that part of the wall and the building.


    And Sylvia did not stop there.


    Treating Mikel like some sort of a rag doll, she continued tond one punch after another, breaking one wall after another, finally smashing him right into the ground, destroying a big part of the beautiful gardens.


    Mikel was frustrated. He was now grievously injured and bleeding from many ces. He did not mind taking it from the woman he loved. He did not even care if she killed him out of her anger. He came here prepared. He knew he deserved it.


    But also, he did not want to die. He wanted to live with her. A long and happy life.


    He turned to the King for help when he saw that the King, the grandfather, and Roman were standing quietly on the side, two of the three of them clearly enjoying the show. They had extremely satisfied expressions on their faces.


    Mikel''s face twitched. He turned to look back at Sylvia and she was also in no condition to listen to him.


    Mikel could only helplessly let out a sigh. It looked like he had to resort to that after all. He wanted to be a little respectful and not do this but this damned family was not giving him any chance at all.


    Before Sylvia could pummel him once again to his death, he took out a rune from his pocket and tossed it at the angry albeit breathtaking woman. "Slow down my dear." The rune bound her and momentarily restrained her. Then right in front of everyone''s eyes he walked to her and kissed her.


    Sylvia shuddered. The rune''s effect had already worn off but she stood still. Her heart was filled with rage and her eyes were filled with tears. She hated the man in front of her to the core. She hated everything about him and yet... a pang prickled her heart.


    The mark on her chest glowed and along with it, the other half of the mark on Mikel''s body also glowed.


    Before Sylvia could do anything, a flood of memories assaulted her. Pain rippled across her mind as she started essing Mikel''s mind, his life, and everything through their shared bond.


    One by one all the memories flitted past her mind.


    Sylvia witnessed Mikel''s struggles, his battles fought in the shadows. She saw him forging alliances with questionable entities, risking his very soul to gain the power needed, all because he wanted to stand beside her.


    His sacrifices, his pain, and his loneliness unfolded before her, a stark contrast to the image of him she had held onto in her anger. He had yearned for her every single second.


    She saw his moments of despair, where the only thing that kept him from being consumed by the darkness he was fighting against was the thought of her, of returning to her side, of fighting together for a future where they could be at peace.


    She felt his love for her, a constant, unwavering me that burned even in the darkest of his days. It was pure and profound, untouched by the darkness he had contended with. It was this love that drove him to return, battered and changed but hopeful.


    The flood of memories ceased as suddenly as it had begun, leaving Sylvia gasping for breath, her anger dissipated, reced by an overwhelming rush of emotions she couldn''t immediately name.


    Her gaze on Mikel softened, the remnants of her fury reced by a dawning understanding and a heart-wrenching guilt for the pain her own actions had just inflicted on him.


    Mikel, despite his injuries, reached out to gently wipe away the tears that had started to stream down Sylvia''s cheeks.


    "I''m sorry you had to see all that," he whispered, his voice hoarse, "but I needed you to know the truth. All of it. I would never willingly leave you, Sylvia. Not then, not now, not ever."


    Sylvia, ovee by the depth of what she''d just experienced, threw her arms around Mikel, pulling him close despite his wounds. "I''m sorry... I didn''t know. I was so angry, can you forgive me?" n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    No. She was not weak but the man in front of her had suffered so much more than she had. From the beginning to the end he had always intended to return to her side. It was not weakness to forgive him.


    However, Sylvia peeled away from him and her face changed slightly. "This is thest time I am forgiving you." She said in a nasaly voice, tears still continuing to fall. "If you leave me again, then there will be no forgiveness."


    Mikel smiled. "You better not regret your words." He pulled her closer and kissed her again. "I will never leave you even if you beg me to."


    Meanwhile...


    Roman silently left after hearing straight from Sylvia how she felt. He knew there was no point in him being here any longer. After he left, the somber atmosphere picked up as Grandpa Akhekhughed loudly at the darkened face of his son, the King.


    "I hear wedding bells Frederick." The King grumbled in response.


    "He is not a bad addition to the kingdom. He is knowledgeable in rune crafting after all. I will ept this marriage for political purposes." The King then turned around to leave. Granpa Akhekh buckled over inughter unable to contain himself.


    "This stubborn idiot." He decided to leave as well after blessing the couple butughed as they clearly didn''t want to be disturbed. "Ah to be young and in love." Peace once again returned to the royal pce.


    **** The END****


    This is my second story and I have enjoyed this experience tremendously. I hope you all enjoyed reading the story as much as I enjoyed writing it. Thank you so much for all your kind words and encouragement. Your constant support and motivation kept me going.


    If you want to continue reading about the Akhekh family and more about Roman, check out my other books:


    1. Sold to a Prince


    2. Bloodline Evolution System: Reign of the Dragon Snake


    3. CEO''s Loser Wife: Rebirth of the viinous queen of alchemy


    4. Reincarnated as a Dog with System


    I hope to see you all there. Thank you again for your encouragement and support.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!