At the end of the auction, Princess Silvana rose from her seat with a serene and calm expression. She then bid farewell with a smile to Erik, who seemed lost in thought, while Seraphina smiled cheerfully by his side.

"See you later, Direct Disciple Erik. It was truly a pleasure meeting you; I hope we can meet again."

"Oh, yes, the pleasure was all mine, and I hope the same."

Hearing Silvana's words, Erik seemed to return to reality. He stood up and politely said goodbye, at which point Silvana gave a slight bow before leaving the VIP room accompanied by her butler, who had taken care of receiving the items the princess had acquired at the auction.

Upon exiting the VIP room, Silvana was immediately surrounded by eight people dressed in elegant black suits, exuding a sharp and dangerous aura. They quickly escorted her to the exit, where a black car with golden details awaited her. It had a sleek and minimalist design, resembling a futuristic version of a royal carriage, without doors and featuring a windshield that extended to the roof, providing a wide field of vision.

After the princess boarded the two-seater car accompanied by her butler, the car's extended windshield darkened completely. Simultaneously, liquid metal covered the seams of the doors, quickly sealing the vehicle entirely, leaving the exterior with a seamless appearance, as if it were a single piece.

Shortly after, Silvana's vehicle rose into the air, surrounded by four other vehicles with a much more robust and angular design, featuring fluid lines and golden and silver details. They formed a small convoy that navigated through the air along the limited-access roads until they reached an impressive building that extended beyond the clouds.

Upon passing above the clouds, the convoy found itself facing a terrace that protruded from the metallic building, adorned with vegetation and tables. It gave the impression of being the entrance to an elegant restaurant among the clouds and was surrounded by multiple floating platforms with what appeared to be trees made of light in the center, with tables and chairs around them, giving the impression of outdoor dining areas.

Quickly, the convoy entered the building through a gate that opened automatically beneath the protruding terrace, arriving at a sort of garage where they landed softly. At that moment, the doors of Princess Silvana's car turned back into liquid metal and then disappeared, while the doors of the other cars opened upwards, gull-wing style.

As the cars automatically docked onto moving platforms that transported them into the building's interior, Silvana walked toward one of the glass elevators, escorted by her guards—the most experienced and lethal warriors of her entire army. The elevator took them to an elegant reception area, where they were greeted by two people, a man and a woman, dressed in elegant suits.

"It is a pleasure to have Princess Firestone in our humble establishment" The man spoke in a serious and elegant tone while bowing deeply along with the woman. Silvana nodded casually and then commented in a tone serious and befitting her royal status.

"Lead me to my room."

"Immediately."

The man responded professionally, then pointed to a wide corridor decorated with all kinds of paintings and sculptures, featuring a red carpet on the floor. They all walked along it until they reached a beautiful wooden door carved with various runes. Silvana entered after her guards checked the security, who remaining outside to guard the door.

The room was spacious with an elegant and cozy design made primarily of wood. One of its walls was replaced by a huge panoramic glass window, revealing the impressive landscape of District 12 on the other side—a district known as the playground for the rich and powerful.

"Are the preparations for the shipment of the items ready?" After ordering her meal, Silvana asked casually while sipping a cup of tea her butler had served, who responded in a serious and strict tone.

"Completely. We have contracted the three most important logistical companies of the Arcane Order to make a total of six shipments with the different items acquired at the auction, which will serve as decoys and distractions."

"Perfect. We can't let them ruin our plans, and we must be especially cautious with Maximo; he's been making very strange moves lately." Princess Silvana commented seriously as she placed her teacup back on the table. Her butler nodded and then asked in a serious tone.

"Understood. Does Your Majesty wish us to increase surveillance on His Majesty Maximo?"

"That would be good. Lately, he's been interacting a lot with the Lotus Union, and I don't like that at all." Silvana commented with a serious expression. The butler nodded, then spoke while bowing respectfully.

"I will personally take care of that."

"I trust you." Silvana commented casually while looking out the window of the private room at the starry sky, which led her to ask softly.

"By the way, what do you think of Disciple Erik?"

"A very talented and capable young man; he is truly worthy of his reputation." The butler responded in a serious and professional tone, which made Silvana nod.

"I thought the same. He's truly charming and self-assured. Moreover, the way he dealt with that spoiled girl Xia Yuan was very attractive—so much so that I'm thinking of initiating a closer relationship with him. What do you think?" Silvana asked, resting a hand on her cheek while recalling the moment that had impressed her, wearing a big smile. The butler could only respond in a deadly serious tone.

Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

"Although Direct Disciple Erik would be a great asset to Your Majesty's faction, it would not be wise to enter into a close relationship with him at this time. After all, it won't take long for his closeness with Lady Ravenspell to come to light, which will undoubtedly incur the Emperor's displeasure and possible reprisals against the young man, which could involve you if you get too close to him."

"And that would be the last day of his life."

Suddenly, a melodious and enchanting female voice was heard in the private room, which, for the princess and her butler, sounded like a call from beyond the grave, causing their bodies to become rigid and cold sweat to cascade down their backs. After all, they recognized that voice.

After the beautiful voice faded, the silent room echoed with the sound of heels on the wooden floor, which, to those present—who had terror written all over their faces—sounded like funeral drums announcing their tragic fate, causing their throats to dry up and their hearts to race abruptly.

Shortly after, a smiling Seraphina appeared from the shadows of a corner of the room and walked slowly and almost methodically, yet with undeniable elegance, until she stood before Princess Firestone, who looked pale and evidently terrified, as if she were seeing a ghost.

"A pleasure to see you again, Princess Silvana." Seraphina greeted elegantly and made a small respectful bow before turning to look at the butler and commenting with a slight smile.

"And it's also a pleasure to see you again, Wilson."

Although paralyzed by fear, the butler, Wilson, quickly bit his tongue hard in an attempt to overwhelm the deep terror the woman instilled in him with pain. Thanks to the metallic taste that filled his mouth shortly after, he regained enough mobility to greet her back with a deep bow.

"It's a pleasure to see your distinguished figure again, Lady Ravenspell."

"Fufufu, there's no need to be so frightened; I'm just here to chat."

With a small smile on her face, Seraphina commented in a kind and polite tone, which only caused a shiver to run through the listeners' bodies. Knowing full well that they couldn't afford to disrespect the woman before them, Princess Silvana quickly forced her trembling legs to lift her from the chair. She then greeted with an equally deep bow, perhaps even more respectful than the one she gave when greeting the Emperor.

"It's a pleasure to see you again, Lady Ravenspell; I didn't expect this surprise."

"Fufufu, actually, my young master is in the next room, so I decided to stop by and greet some old acquaintances." Seraphina commented softly with a mocking smile on her face, truly enjoying the slight tremors that occurred in the bodies of her 'acquaintances' every time she spoke. At that moment, Silvana commented in a serious and respectful tone.

"It's an honor that a lady as distinguished as yourself decides to pay us a visit; I feel truly honored."

"Fufufu, there's no need to exaggerate, Princess Silvana. I'm just a humble maid who came to visit some acquaintances; it's nothing much."

Upon hearing Seraphina's words, Silvana's expression couldn't help but turn into an ironic grimace, as she really couldn't understand what was going on in the mind of this terrifying woman who had a strange fixation on being a maid. But she quickly composed herself and returned to her serious and respectful expression.

"If Lady Ravenspell has any task for us, please don't hesitate to tell us; we will ensure it is fulfilled to the best of our abilities." Wilson immediately spoke with a respectful voice, full of reverence and a bit of fear as he addressed Seraphina, who appeared surprised and then asked while elegantly covering her mouth.

"What are you talking about, Wilson? How could a humble maid like me assign a task to the distinguished princess of the Firestone Empire?"

"Please, have no reservations about it, Lady Ravenspell. You can count on us for whatever you need; it's a pleasure for us to carry out a task for the honorable personal maid of the renowned Direct Disciple Erik." Princess Silvana quickly replied with reverence, getting an idea of how to deal with the terrifying woman.

Hearing Silvana's words, Seraphina couldn't help but smile with delight and satisfaction. She decided to reward the intelligent girl who recognized her honorable status at a glance. With a gesture of her hand, three potions appeared on the table in emerald green flasks, which seemed to contain pure liquid magic that shone with dazzling colors.

"A small reward for Princess Silvana for her quick-thinking and kind words. They are just some Sage Advancement Potions created by the young lady; they've been with me for a while, and the princess could make better use of them."

Seeing the potions on the table and especially the mark of a flame intertwined with a tree on the bottle, the princess felt as if lightning had struck her. After all, the reward was too extravagant for just a few words. But the fear she felt wasn't only because of the reward itself, but also because of the exact number of potions she was given.

Princess Silvana had exactly six generals in her hidden forces who needed an advancement potion to extend their lives. Her original plan was to use one of the potions on her visible generals and make it seem that another three, who were holding back their advancement, had also taken them to use the remaining three on her hidden generals. So the fact that Seraphina gave her exactly the three missing potions couldn't be a coincidence—it was never a coincidence when it came to that woman.

"Thank you very much for your generosity, Lady Ravenspell." Silvana thanked in a serious and firm tone while bowing respectfully before the terrifying maid.

"Don't worry, Princess Silvana; it's just a small gift so you can strengthen your dear generals. After all, they might feel left out if only half of them can get a potion." Seraphina commented with a small smile, which put a bitter expression on Silvana's face. But she quickly composed herself and returned to her serious and respectful demeanor.

"Truly, thank you very much, Lady Ravenspell; it's a very important gift for me."

"Fufufu, don't worry about it; just remember to do a little insignificant thing in return." Seraphina commented with a small chuckle, to which Silvana quickly nodded and then asked in a serious tone.

"Of course, Lady Ravenspell. What does your esteemed young master need from me?"

"Fufufu, you're really starting to grow on me, Princess Silvana, and actually, it's something very simple."

While looking approvingly at the intelligent young woman, Seraphina commented in a calm tone. But at that moment, the aura around her changed completely, becoming one filled with madness and bloodlust. She leaned in slightly to look directly into the princess's eyes and continued in a dark tone laden with murderous intent.

"Remind your father that the day he dares to come within a star system's distance of my young master, let alone touch a single hair on his head, will be the day his Firestone Empire ceases to exist. I will personally ensure that nothing remains breathing within its borders."

The instant she finished speaking, Seraphina's terrifying aura vanished completely, as if everything had been just a joke. With a kind and polite smile, she made a small bow and spoke in a melodious and friendly voice.

"Well, that's all. A pleasure to see you again."

After those words, Seraphina vanished from the place as if she were a shadow, leaving two terrified and utterly petrified people behind. After a while, the princess and her butler calmed down and quickly left the place without saying a word to each other, walking hurriedly.