"Empress, do you really think you could get away with this?" Ingrid glared at Empress Verandi, her stunning emerald eyes filled with rage. How she wished to charge at the empress and swipe the smug off her face. But her twisted ankle wouldn't even let her stand.

Empress Verandi scoffed, "Get away with what? The people outside can neither hear nor see us. Just like you, I am but a victim."

Ingrid was dumbfounded when she saw the empress remove the blue ring from her finger and hand it to one of the figures in black. She then tore some sections of her dress and disheveled her hair. Another person in black gave her a tiny vial, which she dropped on both her eyes.

Empress Verandi looked at Ingrid, fake tears streaming down her cheeks. She appeared genuinely pitiful, almost fooling even the black-clad figures. Then, unexpectedly, she erupted into laughter.

Shivers ran down Ingrid's spine. She looked as though she had finally descended into madness. Her ruined clothes and disheveled hair further heightened that impression.

"So the story goes like this," Empress Verandi walked toward Ingrid and grabbed her chin, pressing on it until her fingers turned white from the force. "A group of black-clad men ambushed the empress and her beloved niece while they were strolling in the back forest. The empress fought back and tried to save her poor niece from the men who were trying to abduct her. But how could a weak and powerless empress win against well-trained men? In the end the young lady was taken, leaving the helpless empress crying."

Tears brimmed in Ingrid's eyes, burning with barely suppressed rage. She thought she had been careful enough. But she underestimated the empress's obsession towards her. If it means she will suffer, the empress would dare do anything.

"You will never get away with this!!!"

“Oh, please don’t be so dramatic.” Empress Verandi released Ingrid's chin with a jerk. “It’s not like I sold you to some brothel or something. You should be grateful instead. You will go on to become a queen of one of the most powerful kingdoms!”

There was a hint of sourness in the empress's voice. If it were up to her, she would have destroyed Ingrid's face before marrying her off to some perverted pig. But now she was forced to hand her over to the king of the most powerful kingdom in history.

“Stay away!” Ingrid screamed, her voice filled with fear and anger, when the figures in black tried to approach her. Their faces were covered with a ski mask, so she couldn't tell who they were.

"Just let her be," said one of the men. "It will take some time before we can open the portal anyway. It's not like she has anywhere to go."

Panic seized Ingrid. The very thought of being dragged back to that horrible place—a place she couldn't even remember—sent tremors through her entire being.

“You don’t need to be afraid, Ingrid. I’m sure the king of Serus will definitely treat you well. After all, you will be his queen. You will rule the most powerful kingdom in the world, together with the most powerful man there is! Don’t you want that?”

Ingrid shook her head while covering her ears. No, she doesn't want to. She will never go back to that place! Never! She would rather kill herself than return to that place!

“Since when did that creep Oliver become the most powerful?”

The figures in black abruptly took a fighting stance upon hearing the sound of an unfamiliar voice.

From behind a giant tree, an uninvited guest emerged.

Ingrid's eyes widened when she caught sight of the person. Her erratic heart instantly turned to a serene calm as though she had finally found safety amidst the storm. It was the first time that Ingrid felt relieved seeing a man apart from her father.

"Who are you?!" Yelled one of the men while pointing his sword at the unknown man. "Dera!" He angrily called and glared at one of his subordinates.

The one called Dera shook her head, her face panicked and confused. Dera is a senior mage who specializes in barriers and detection spells. She is a young genius that King Oliver himself praised for her adept skills. No one was supposed to have the ability to break her barrier, let alone stroll in as though it was his own backyard. They didn't even notice him until he revealed himself!

“Prince Aleric!” Empress Verandi gasped in horror. Her exclamation startled the rest of the people in black. Prince Aleric's notoriety is not unheard of even in the south, though none of them has seen him until now.

They studied the prince warily. To be able to break inside the barrier that easily, the prince is indeed not a simple man.

The empress, after weighing the pros and cons of the current circumstance, cleverly threw herself on the ground and started sobbing. There were ten of King Oliver's spies, while there was only the prince on the opposite side. If a fight broke out, the chances of the prince dying are high. But in the off chance that he lives, she needed to make sure he cannot accuse her of anything.

"Your highness, save us!!! They are trying to abduct my beloved niece!!" the empress cried. She looked rather pitiful while pushing the unbudging men with her feeble strength.

But Prince Aleric merely glanced at the empress with a raised brow before ignoring her as though she was of insignificance. A flash of anger crossed Empress Verandi's eyes. But no matter how angry she is, she's still smart enough to know it isn't the right time to shed her sheep's clothing. She had no other choice but to swallow her anger and keep her pretense while swearing revenge.

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“Dera, a senior mage from the Magic Association, greets your highness, the prince of Aradhya.” Dera, the mage responsible for creating the ring that erected the barrier, stepped in. She removed the ski mask covering her face, revealing the face of a woman in her early twenties.

Though she isn't the leader of their operation, with the current circumstance, she's the only one with enough status to speak with an imperial prince. The other men are hidden soldiers of the king of Serus. Unless they want to have a bloody confrontation with the prince, it's better for her to temporarily take charge and negotiate.

“If your highness may, our king would deem it a great favor if you looked the other way."

Ingrid looked at Aleric, her eyes screaming a silent plea. A favor from the king of a kingdom considered as the home of mages doesn't come by so easily. Likewise, receiving the ire of such a powerful kingdom isn't something any sane person would dare gain. Most people would undoubtedly turn a blind eye to gain King Oliver's favor.

But Ingrid must've forgotten that Prince Aleric isn't most people.

“And what exactly have I seen today?” Prince Aleric grinned with a glint of mischief. He casually leaned sideways on the giant tree as though he was watching an interesting show.

But Dera wasn't at all shaken by Prince Aleric's brazen attitude. "The young lady’s hand has long been promised to our king. It is now time to fulfill their marriage.”

“You liar! I never promised to marry that ugly bastard!”

Prince Aleric chortled at Ingrid's crude words—it was as if a mermaid had croaked or an Adarna sang out of tune. Only beautiful things are supposed to come out from the mouths of such beautiful beings. He finds it rather hilarious to hear such a being curse.

Dera glared angrily at Ingrid. Her hands were itching to smack that beautiful mouth closed. She may be their future queen, but that does not give her any right to disrespect their king. If only Prince Aleric weren’t here, she would have already done so.

Soon the prince's laughter died down, his once amused grin replaced by a sinister smile.

“That cannot be right." Slowly he walked towards the direction of Ingrid.

The black-clad figures looked at each other, unsure of what to do. They nervously followed Prince Aleric's every movement with their weapons pointed towards him.

The Prince of Arahdya is one complicated individual. No one knows what he wants or what his true goal is for conquering so many nations and kingdoms. That's why even the kingdom of Serus couldn't help but be wary in dealing with him. They don’t necessarily fear the prince or his so-called might. However, they also don’t want to recklessly wage war against such a strong empire when there is an option to avoid it.

“Prince Aleric! Do you think you can afford the hostility of the kingdom of Serus?” Dera warned when she saw him getting closer and closer to Ingrid.

Aleric did not respond and instead offered his hand towards the beautiful maiden slumped on the ground. Her eyes still glistening with tears, were a sight capable of awakening in a man either a heroic heart, seeking justice, or a villainous nature, thirsting for revenge against those who caused such precious tears to fall.

“What? Is the ground that comfortable?” He asked Ingrid, who was looking at his hand seemingly in disbelief.

The kingdom of Serus, known as the home of the magicians, is situated in the mana-rich region of the south. As such, the place was a paradise for magicians. Though its size is incomparable to an empire, its wealth and power are more than capable of surpassing one.

Magicians from all over the world would brave all kinds of danger to enter their kingdom, all for the sake of learning magic. Obviously, the only school for magic in the entire world can only be found there.

That is why no one dares to act hostile against the Kingdom of Serus. Apart from the fact that their strength is great, the only way to hire magicians is through them. They hold a monopoly over the magicians in the land. Anyone would be stupid to go against them.

That is also one of the reasons why Grand Duke Rasmus failed to rescue Ingrid when she was abducted. When the other nobles found out who the grand duke was fighting against, they all turned their backs on the grand duke in fear. The grand duke wanted so much to march to the south, but the emperor thwarted his plans, fearing that the empire of Learia would be implicated.

So though Ingrid was happy to have found help, at the same time she was baffled. No one is crazy enough to go against the kingdom of Serus. But it seems that she has found someone who is.

Ingrid took Prince Aleric’s hand and allowed him to help her stand. Pain shot through her leg as she put some weight on her injured ankle, causing her to nearly fall. Luckily, Prince Aleric caught her in his arms.

“Stop right there, your highness! She is our future queen. It would greatly displease our king if you recklessly touch her!” Dera warned.

Aleric's brow furrowed. "That's strange. As far as I know, I haven't conquered that kingdom... yet." His frown revealed that he was truly confused. "And my title should be emperor, not king. So how are you a queen?"

Ingrid mentally slapped her forehead. This prince's arrogance definitely knows no bounds. He even left the enemy speechless. And what does he even mean by emperor? Is he cursing his own father to die?

Dera felt a sinking feeling. As far as she knew, the prince and Ingrid had no connection other than their dance at the ball. Could something have happened between them that she didn't know about? Impossible! The spy they sent to ensure that the young lady of Lennox was behaving appropriately would have reported if they had seen anything suspicious.

“Did you mistake her for someone else?” Prince Aleric's narrowed eyes scanned surrounding people, warning them to choose their words correctly.

Dera looked at her fellowmen, an understanding passing among them. There were ten of them, excluding the empress, who, in the midst of their short exchange, managed to find a tree hole to hide in. Though her magic isn’t that suitable for combat, she can be a very good support. Meanwhile, there is only the prince, and he is even without a sword.

If they could kill the prince today, they would be eliminating a future threat to their kingdom and would surely be rewarded by their king. It would be killing two birds with one stone.

“Uhm, your highness, I think it’s time to take out your weapon,” Ingrid said, sensing the murderous look of the people opposite them.

“Weapon?” Aleric looked at Ingrid, confused. “What weapon?”

“Your weapon!” Ingrid’s hand gripped Aleric’s hand as Dera and her companions moved towards them.

“Well, I don’t have a weapon.”

“Hah?!” Ingrid looked at Aleric’s apathetic face in disbelief. “Did you join the hunt without a weapon?”

Come to think of it, before the hunt started, she did notice that Aleric was the only one without a weapon. But she assumed that he has some sort of artifact that he uses to hide it. Who would actually think he truly, literally did not bring any weapons?!?

Ingrid's heart sank. It looks like her only hope is no hope at all!

Suddenly, the world tilted and she was floating. Startled by his sudden action he looked at Prince Aleric, her eyes round with surprise. But he simply smiled, as if their lives weren’t in imminent danger. Casuallym he placed her down a tree-trunk root and unhurriedly kissed the back of her pearly white hands.

That’s when Ingrid noticed the traces of dried blood on his fingernails.