n

n

nMikel was just teasing her as usual but suddenly he couldn't help but feel very aware of her piercing gaze.

n

"Ummm… It's a spatial ring.

" Mikel raked his hand through his golden locks and explained, no longer in the mood to continue with his joke.

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"You can bind with it by dropping your blood onto it.

" He explained, turning his head away. A slight rosy hue swept past his face completely unnoticed.

nSylvia as well was equally flustered.

nThanks to her jumpy emotions that were all over the place, she had completely mistaken the situation.

n

"Ah. Um. I am grateful for the compensation, your highness.

" Sylvia muttered, taking her hand back, away from him. She wanted to bury her head somewhere.

nDamn 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.

nAnd Ana who had watched this entire scene play out dumbfoundedly stared with her jaw on the ground.

nBack in her room, Sylvia stared at the simple silver ring with an emerald at the center.

nShe 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.

nShe 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.

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"Will it work now?

" She mumbled, only to gasp immediately as she could sense the space inside the ring.

nSylvia curiously tried putting inside few of her dresses, and they were instantly swallowed into the ring, disappearing in front of her.

nShe chuckled lightly, amused by the space magic in the ring, and then placed it back on her index finger.

nAs she gazed at it, her long lashes fluttered and she thought of something else which she could take with her.

nSylvia jumped out of the bed and headed to the castle's herb gardens.

nShe 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.

nHaving 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.

nSoon it was evening and Jane promptly knocked on Sylvia's door to fetch her for the trip.

nShe had been meditating all day in order to control her fluctuating emotions and sighed before following Jane out.

nSince Mikel had mentioned that they would be staying at the villa for a couple of days, she packed a few things in her spatial ring which was glimmering on her hand.

nWhen she walked over to the castle doors, she saw a carriage already waiting at the entrance.

nJane smiled and waved at her, before heading back inside.

nThe 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.

nShe bowed to him as a greeting and then got onto the carriage, holding her dress up so as to not trip.

nSylvia was apparently the last passenger of the carriage and the other two were already sitting inside.

nTheodore didn't look at her and kept his gaze down as he usually did, while Mikel nodded at her before turning away as well.

nSylvia 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.

nNot long after, the carriage started moving, rumbling on the paved street.

nIt was also a misty day outside, the sky slightly cloudy with the sun's rays unable to break through the fog.

nSylvia 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.

nHe 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.

nHe couldn't exactly put a finger on it but he felt it, a strong powerful aura around her.

nThe beast clan members had long since been eradicated from the mainland, their mere existence a taboo.

nEverything he knew about Sylvia was only an assumption, a theory at best. And soon, he would know if his theory was correct or not.

nThe awkward silence inside continued until the carriage eventually came to a halt after a couple of hours.

nSylvia had expected them to arrive at a villa as Mikel had mentioned, but weirdly the carriage stopped at what looked like a harbor.

n

"We are at the harbor?

" Sylvia said softly, confused, to which the man hummed lightly.

nBoth the men hopped out, followed by Sylvia, who stood meekly behind them, already in her role as the maid.

nAnd to her amazement, she found a gigantic ship floating in the water just a few meters in front of them.

nThe ship was luxurious, with all sorts of magical runes engraved on it and shining splendidly with pomp and flair.

nSylvia couldn't help but stare at it in awe, feeling like she was in a completely different world. The ship was huge and decorated with all sorts of luxurious items.

nThe streets around her were also littered with primly dressed men and women as opposed to the crowd of commoners which she expected to find.

nWhile she was busy looking around, a familiar figure flitted towards them and greeted the devil.

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"Your highness! You have arrived!

" Priscella beamed, an elegant smile dancing on her lips. The woman looked stunning dressed in her regal evening gown.

nHer maroon dress clung to her body, showcasing her curves and her long wavy brown hair sparkled under the moonlight.

nHer 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.

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"I have been waiting for you to arrive. Please, come with me.

" She ushered them as the three of them climbed up a wooden staircase to enter the ship.

nSylvia followed them, with Leol walking next to her.

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"This is the first time you are seeing a ship, right?

" Leol asked her quietly, causing her to turn her gaze towards him.

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"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.

nThe 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.

nThe 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.

nHowever, no matter how much she tried to calm down, her heart still thudded loudly in her chest.

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"You look nervous?

" Leol commented from behind her, causing her to flinch and turn around.

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"Ah. Nothing like that, Mr. Leol. I am just not used to being in such a luxurious place, let alone a grand ship.

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"Heh.

" Leol chuckled.

"It's the Lady's birthday. We should be returning back to the villa late in the night after the celebrations are over.

"

nSylvia nodded at that, not knowing what else to say.

nHer gaze shifted from the vast expanse of water to look at the glittering view inside the ship.

nMen dressed in royal attire and women in sparkling gowns were laughing and chatting, while servants weaved in and out of the crowd carrying trays of drinks and hors d'oeuvres.

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"It looks like a party.

" She softly sighed and glanced around.

nThe whole place was decorated with flowers and candles, creating a beautiful setting, very much like the masquerade ball they had attended.

nHowever, this time there were no masks.

nShe could tell that the woman really wanted to show off her relationship with the Prince as the two of them walked around hand in hand.

nWhile Priscella had a sweet and shy smile on her face, Mikel maintained his usual kind and gentle facade.

nThough her looks slightly paled when compared to the devil's magnetic features, they still looked very good together, as if they were made for each other.

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"They look so happy,

" Leol commented, watching them walk around and engage in small talk.

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"I am happy for them,

" Sylvia whispered, smiling softly, as she watched them too.

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"I am sure you are.

" Leol smiled back, the man grinning as if he had chanced upon something valuable unexpectedly.

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