Cian looked at the woman’s limpid blue eyes. He didn’t know why a feeling of strong trust arose from inside his heart without any trace of suspicion. He was sure that even if he didn’t block that attack just now, it wouldn’t scrape even a strand of his hair. It would stop just before him.
She wasn’t trying to kill me… but to test me…
Cian’s lips curled upwards. Is it because I wanted to leave on my own…?
Wanting to know if I have the ability to protect my own?
This overprotective mother…!
“It was a fine day… and a beauty came into my room. How honored I am…” Cian muttered as he stared at the woman before him. Then his eyes gleamed coldly, “However, this is this and that is that, even if it was my mom who planned this, attacking me suddenly… can you bear the consequences?!”
“… ?!” The woman’s body trembled. Although the woman remained motionless and Cian couldn't see her face without using his right eye, he could still feel how shocked and afraid he was.
Cian stepped forward. Woosh.
Smiling bitterly, the woman’s body immediately leaped towards the side. And in her former standing position, a hand pierced through the wall and chair, causing wood and rock splinters to fly into the air like it just exploded.
Cian pulled his hand back and turned around. He stared at the woman who once again stepped back in and suddenly disappeared in the shadows. His eyes cannot help but narrow coldly.
She disappeared.
Cian’s magic power immediately surge through his right eye. Although compared to other demons, his magic reserve was extremely pitiful but because Cian didn’t rely on it in fighting and only use it for his right eye, it was more than enough.
Aanuel before was a useless piece of trash and Cian wasn’t that verse in magic… so even if he wanted to cast magic, it’s easier said than done…!
However, even with Night’s right eye, he actually failed to see anything…!
[ Level insufficient—enemy’s shadow magic is too high! ]
A prompt window appeared in the retina of his right eye…
Ho? It can also do this?
Shadow Magic? Is this Shadow Magic?
Cian frowned but he didn’t move and instead just stood there motionless. All of his senses skyrocketed. Hearing, smell, sight, touch… Cian sharpened his senses.
“What is mother planning?” Cian asked. But it was replied with silence…
“I know you’re there! If you don’t answer me, even with mom’s asylum I will be going to rape you until I’m satisfied! So you better talk now!” Cian coldly said.
Hearing Cian’s words, the woman who was hiding in the shadows felt her body trembled violently. Her face flushed. This wasn’t just a threat!
For hell’s sake, even if King Yama wanted them, the demon Empress wouldn’t give them to him but if the Second Prince wanted them, there’s a high chance she would really bestow them to the latter without any hesitation!
One must know, even with their appearance there were one of the women who made men desires but couldn’t get. They were, after all, the Demon Empress personal possession, no, it should be ‘toys’ and no one would dare openly show their desires to them. However, if the number one silk-pants in the Empire wanted them, they who were classified as precious flowers that no men had ever tasted before aside from the Empress, would surely be plucked off in an instant!
How terrifying!
After a few moments of silence, the woman finally let out a sigh, “Her Majesty wanted to make sure you have the ability to protect yourself, your highness! If you can defeat me, of course, it means there’s nothing to worry for your own safety from now on and her Majesty wouldn’t interfere with your matters again… but if you can’t even defeat me, then, her Majesty would take back her decision and you will be confined within the Palace hall!”
Cian smirked, “Defeat you? If I lose I will be confined… that’s alright. But what if I defeat you instead?”
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
“… …?!”
“I like Gambling… but you need to make sure you can put a fair stake!” Cian grinned evilly. “If not, you can get the hell out. As for this matter, mother can put me on a house arrest but don’t ask me to be obedient. I will still do what I want!”
“… …”
“Even with mother’s ability, I’m confident I can leave if I wanted to!”
“Then what do you want?” From the shadow between the closets, the familiar figure appeared. This time, she wasn’t wearing a mask anymore as she knows that wearing one was already useless.
Her mission right now was already… a failure!
As for how Cian knows about her status, she didn’t know. It seems like the rumors were true, the second prince isn’t the same person as before! Even now, his power was so strange she couldn’t understand what kind of magic he was using!
However, the Demon Empress had told her that she needed to test Cian’s power and if it was insufficient, then Cian would be confined even if it’s against his will!
“Her Majesty doesn’t want something to happen to you and so, even if you don’t like it… you needed to stay in the palace. Your Highness, I know I’m asking for too much but please stay…” the woman had followed the demon Empress ever since she was a child so how could she not understand what the Demon Empress feels?
If Cian really leaves the Empire… what would happen to the Demon Empress then?
She would surely be depressed all throughout the days!
In this Empire, only Prince Aanuel was her sole treasure that even the world can never touch. This was probably the reason why Prince Aanuel became the person as he was—spoiled and cruel!
Even still, the Demon Empress desired Prince Aanuel… so badly… so gravely!
In the history of the Demon Empire, lusting about siblings or children was never uncommon—in fact, the Demon Kings before the Empress all had incestuous relationships—as for the Demon Kings that had married the Demon Empress, all of them conceived such thought, especially to the beautiful Eldest Demon Princess. However, before they could act on their desires, they were then secretly killed by the Demon empress.
The Demon Empress didn’t marry out of love—such a thing was far from the demons but both have something the Demon Empress wanted, so, she married them before killing them!
She and her sister never thought of the Demon Empress falling in love. That would be out of character. But now, the Demon Empress wasn’t an exception to this madness anymore!
When the Second Prince was born, she was present and she had seen the crazed love the Demon Empress had for the child. It was scary, terrifying… close to insanity!
Not for the talented Eldest Prince, nor was it for the princesses who was regarded as prodigies but… to the Second Prince!
She doesn’t know why, although the second prince does indeed was better looking compared to the eldest prince but was it enough for infamous demon empress to be obsessed over him?
“Stay? That would be quite difficult…” Cian shrugged. “I wanted to see the world, spread my wings… probably spread my seeds as well,” he chuckled.
“You cannot hold me down… I love my mother of course, but, there are still many things I can’t understand that she doesn’t want to let me know… then, all I can do is seeking them out myself!”
“… …”
“I’m not an idiot nor am I stupid… in this world, something is bearing down my mother and I’m hell-bent on knowing what it was. If I found out that this world is ganging up on my mother for some unforgivable reasons, then I will break the chains myself! And I know that I won’t be able to do anything with me here, staying in a safe zone…”
“But your highness…”
“No buts… I’m determined to go and even my mother cannot hold me down anymore. I’m not a child that needed protection! I am Aanuel… Second Prince of the Demon Empire!” Bang! The ground beneath Cian immediately concaved. Cracks like spider webs spread throughout the ground, destroying the room in an instant!
“Do you think I am just harmless chick…?!” Cian snarled. A demonic smile spread through his face.
“If you want to test me, then I won’t stop you! But no matter what happens, you can never blame afterward if you die!” Cian’s killing intent exploded.
Even though he didn’t have a weapon in his hand, he exposed the prestige and might of murder like a sword coming out of its sheath, baring its sharp edge.
“… …” solemn silence covered the room.
“Your Highness! You want to leave the Demon Empire—have you forgotten what you are? You are the Second Prince of the Demon Empire, the enemy of the world! If you leave this place, in the future you won’t be lacking in struggles, and you won’t see another peaceful day. The day your abilities are lacking, and you find yourself killed, you can only die with no complaints.” The woman gritted her teeth.
“Can’t you understand Her Majesty’s concern? If something happened to you, what would her Majesty do?!”
Cian chuckled. “The strong prey on the weak, it’s the same anywhere you go. And that is worse in this Empire! If I stayed under my mother’s protection all the time, how will I live? Vultures everywhere, even in the court they were Hyenas crowding the place, hiding their fangs, only seeking for the right opportunity to take a bite on me and my mother! If something happened, what use I can have?!”
“… …!!?”
“I detest being weak! I despised being unlearned! I will move forward, stand upright… Like a mountain, still, like the sea, unwavering! And I don’t think I will become strong in a protective embrace! And if I die…” Cian bared his fangs and showed a determined expression; “I don’t dare to say no complaints, just no regrets.”
That was always been what he was! Back in Earth, he would never make a move before he had grasp all the information he needed. He would not go for a kill without learning anything and preparation beforehand!
Learn your enemy—that was always been one of his principles! If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles.
And in this world, where he knows nothing about, how would he know where to start first?
Who was the enemy?
Who was the friend?
… In his heart, he was a bit biased. He doesn’t know why but when it comes to his mother; the Demon Empress, his heart would immediately waver. This was probably a bug in his body—the lingering emotions of the original Aanuel…
Love for his mother…
However, logic vs emotions!
Aanuel’s feelings versus Cian’s logic…