[Several days before, Astin]

“So they finally showed themselves?” Blake’s brows furrowed down strongly while his eyes traveled through the paper sheets.

“It appears so.” Aldrich shook off his hair into his back and opened up a large book. “What should we do your highness?”

“...” The aide placed the large object onto the prince’s luxurious wooden desk. The open pages had a large symbol a scorpion with five tails and several written texts below it. “The Poisonous Scorpion...”

‘It would be a waste to let this opportunity go but what if it’s a trap...?’ anxious, the prince’s finger tapped on the table repeatedly. ‘We need to act cautiously.”

A year after Blake was sent to the war frontlines, a new gang rose within the kingdom in just some months: the Poisonous Scorpion. Contrary to most organizations their actions didn’t have a specific goal, and a person could easily enter if they met certain requirements. At first, they were nothing but a typical gang who would cause trouble whenever their members went, however, a couple of months ago, this changed. They began attacking commoners relentlessly, scaring the residents within the capital while importing a large number of illegal products inside.

Drugs, slaves, alcohol, and other types of merchandise were brought into the capital daily by several different organizations and nobles but they were discreet, making them unable to prove their involvement with this illegal business. Contrary to what was expected, this gang didn’t care about that and made every business in the broad daylight, and, surprisingly they were never caught.

‘They are backed by someone but who...?’ Finding and arresting their supporter would shake the interior of the gang, making them lose face and do things irrationally, however, no leads were pointing towards this unknown person.

“I want this royal decree placed in the slums.” He gets up before placing a small sheet onto his aide’s hands.

‘This is...!’ A smile appeared on his lips once he understood what his prince was planning.

According to the decree, businesses needed to be closed and entries from merchants would be prevented from leaving or entering the area for a certain amount of time. Simultaneously, its inhabitants needed to stay at home since an escaped criminal from the asylum had escaped and settled in the area.

‘It’s perfect!’ By claiming that people’s security was in danger the royal guards would be able to roam around freely while investigating since people value nothing more than their own lives.

“As you wish my prince.” Aldrich bows politely and leaves the room.

“News really spread like wildfire don’t they...” Blake was now in the capital, wandering around through the empty streets. Curiously, most of the businesses around the slums also decided to close out of pure fear, leaving no soul left in sight.

“It seems so your high...-“ Aldrich swallows up his words.

“Daniel. We are undercover. My name is Daniel.” The prince glared at him intensely but he knew this was a simple action born out of habit and not insubordination. “We should look around this a...”

Suddenly something bumps into him. His eyes observe the person carefully, noticing it was nothing but a mere commoner who had lost his way. It appeared to be a young girl whose body was as thin as a paper sheet most likely from the lack of available food.

“Are you alright?” Blake questions the small figure that struggled to stand straight.

“Yes, I’m sorry for...” as the hood covering the girl’s face falls, his eyes widen and he sees Ophelia with her crystal-blue jewels covered with shock.

“You are...!” somehow, their reaction was the same, speaking simultaneously.

‘Ophelia...!’ the crown prince observed her carefully. Her hands carried a basket with some medicine and her attire was simple, just like a commoner. It was clear she didn’t want to be recognized.

Suddenly, reality hit him. Everyone knew that she was a neglected child but she was still a Criswell.

‘Could she be involved...?’ questions ran through his mind as he understood that she might be the person he was searching for all along.

“Luck truly isn’t on my side today,” she comments before the loud sound of footsteps is heard.

“Your Highn...!” Aldrich appears but Blake quickly interrupts him on the spot.

“Aldrich!” he yells loudly, knowing he couldn’t be recognized here or the whole plan would be ruined.

“Lady Ophelia?” after catching his breath, his eyes widen in surprise.

“Mister Aldrich, how have you been?” she grabs the hem of her skirt, greeting him politely.

“I’m alright but what might you be doing here?” in a carefree manner, the aide begins to approach her and a feeling of annoyance is born within Blake.

“Are you alone?” promptly, the crown prince places his body before Aldrich, preventing him to come closer to Ophelia.

“I’m afraid I wasn’t talking with you,” her voice was harsh and cold with no hints of humility whatsoever. Displeased with the situation, Blake, unconsciously, furrows down his brows but the servant instantly intervenes.

“These streets are dangerous for a lady to wander alone,” he comments before approaching her again.

‘Why is she so friendly with him...’ the memory of her trembling body and her averting eyes, when they met, was vivid in his mind, ‘Is it because I am the crown prince...?’

Forget about it Aldrich, let this rude woman experience it for herself,” he had been quietly observing their chit-chat for several minutes but he ended up speaking up due to his accumulated frustration.

‘I shouldn’t have said that,’ after saying these words, Ophelia appeared extremely irritated and a sudden feeling of regret embraced him.

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“You speak of rudeness and yet you try to meddle in my affairs without a proper introduction,” her sharp words were resolute and made Blake understand his own ignorance.

‘Of course...’ he remembered their first meeting and how arrogant he had sounded.

Due to the war, Blake kept his defenses high with everyone, that included noblewomen. With Ophelia in particular, he even set a higher wall since he knew of how dangerous she could become.

‘I should try to find what she’s doing here in the first place...’ he wonders before smiling warmly.

“I’m Daniel Weston, a general in his majesty’s army,” his response was quick as he chuckled intensely.

“I’m Ophelia Criswell,” her thin and frail figure promptly bowed before glancing over at the sky, “I have somewhere to be gentlemen, may we meet next time.”

“You can’t go alone milady, it’s too dangerous...” even with the aide’s words, she turns her feet and heads to the main street.

“Are you perhaps following me?” her voice echoes after noticing Blake and Aldrich’s presence walking slowly behind her.

“Of course not, we just happen to be headed in the same direction,” the crown prince swiftly replies before walking a bit closer to her.

“How convenient...” as she spoke these words, her voice slightly cracked, displaying that she was nowhere near satisfied with this situation.

Suddenly, Ophelia freezes into place as a horrified expression covered her face. Blake’s attention was focused on his surroundings. They hadn’t walked for that long yet the place that stood before him looked like a completely different area, if not a city on its own.

The streets were filled with dirt and the buildings appeared to be extremely poor and slightly scarcer. Simultaneously, a strong smell wandered through the air and the prince immediately recognized it, as it was the intensity of people’s wastes, just like in the war.

“Lady Ophelia, what’s wrong?” Blake questions once he notices her expression, curious as to what had triggered such an intense reaction.

“Millicia!” without any warning, she dashes into a cheap wooden house standing before them while screaming this name repeatedly.

The house was a complete mess, everything was either broken or overused and blood-covered certain parts of the room.

“What happened here...?” as Blake found himself trying to picture the reality of the situation, he notices Ophelia’s burning hatred. He was standing before her but it seemed as if there was a wall between them, preventing them from connecting, “Ophelia!”

“Don’t touch me,” she finally wakes up and promptly shakes his hands off.

The crown prince observed her as she carefully watched at the young boy in his sickbed. Carefully, she approached him before placing an old rag on his body.

‘Those eyes...’ the image of a frozen Ophelia was locked inside his brain. He couldn’t remove it no matter how many times he tried.

This wasn’t due to how beautiful her figure was or how unexpected this situation had been. Blake knew those eyes, those bloodthirsty eyes who wished to see the entire world burn, the eyes that he wore so many years on the battlefield.

“You slut!” as a loud, masculine voice echoed through the empty Astin’s streets, Ophelia gets up and runs out the door.

“Your highness, what should we do...?” Aldrich questions as he attempted to evaluate the situation at hand.

“Honestly... I have no clue,” a painful smile is displayed on Blake’s lips.

‘She doesn’t seem to be involved... Maybe it was just bad luck?’ the crown prince found himself doubting his instinct.

At first, he considered that the Criswell’s were the ones orchestrating the incidents behind the scenes but, after following her for so long, he was finally able to understand that such was not the case. Ophelia was only in the wrong place at the wrong time, nothing more, nothing less.

“Gather the guards Aldrich, I will go find her,” Blake places his gloves and hood back on before walking outside the door.

After several minutes of looking for Ophelia, he finally catches her. She was standing at the start of a dead-end street, trying to regain her composure.

‘Thank god...’ as the crown prince was about to walk towards the tiny figure, a loud voice speaks harshly.

“Get out bitch, this doesn’t concern you!” a man yelled loudly as he struggled to speak clearly.

Surprisingly, the young noblewoman did not react to the man’s comment in the slightest. Instead, she just smiled and began approaching them, as if she was nothing more than just a kid that wanted to play catch.

‘Damn...!’ suddenly, Blake notices a spark coming from a small dagger that reflected the sunlight, ‘You can’t...!’

Without thinking and hearing the loud sounds of metals clacking, the crown prince dashes towards her, grabbing her from behind strongly.

“Get them,” he says after placing his hand on top of hers, preventing the guards from seeing the weapon.

“Daniel!?” Ophelia’s expression was surprised and then, a couple of moments after turned into plain confusion.

‘How...?’ he struggled to understand the conflicting emotions he felt. His arms were grabbing her tightly, making a warm sensation embrace his body while her eyes were focused on her fair skin and crystal-like eyes.

“You...” as Blake was about to speak, Aldrich appears, ruining the mood completely.

“That was easier than expected...” after hearing his voice, the prince quickly returns to his senses, letting go of her abruptly.

Even displaying her suspicion publicly, she decided to ignore it and to aid a woman and a young kid who were present.

“They all have it, your highness...” Aldrich comments as they both approach the subdued men.

“It seems there are too many rats wandering outside today...” Blake comments coldly making the men sober up in a glimpse of an eye.

“Listen, we were just having some fun... No one got hurt, everything is fine...!” the older man comments, trying to smooth things out with the guards.

‘How stupid... They think we are arresting them for chasing that woman...’ it was clear that these three were nothing more than errand boys.

“Should we take them to questioning?” Aldrich questions before being suddenly interrupted by Ophelia’s loud voice.

“H-How could you!?” tears were dripping from her face as she approaches the trio, “He was just a boy!”

“What are you talking about?” one of the men questions and Blake’s attention shifts to the small figure next to the woman.

A young boy had a piece of a wooden box right into his heart and, around his head, a large pool of blood took shape. Another young woman stood beside him, with her trembling hands and a guilty look on her face.

The large piece of wood had penetrated the young boy almost perfectly, killing him almost instantly. On the other hand, the large bloodshot pool that had been created around his head due to, most likely, a bump into something, was immense, turning the dry dirt floor into mud.

“Is it not enough to abuse the weak!?” she covers her mouth as her crying became louder. The guards began gossiping as they tried to console the young girl standing before them.

‘She’s quite the actress isn’t she...’ to Blake, it was clear she was faking all these emotions since he had seen her true despair a couple of moments earlier.

‘But why...?’ he wondered why was Ophelia going to such lengths to condemn these men, ‘Could it be because of the kid...?’

The prince questioned if the real reason behind her actions relied on her clear affection towards infants. Maybe she couldn’t withstand such a crime to be left unpunished or maybe... there was something else, lingering far away from logical reality.

“Please escort the ladies back...” as Blake was drowned within his own thoughts, Aldrich took the lead.

“Thank you...” the young girl states before glancing over at the prince.

‘What...?’ her eyes were cold and ruthless as if she was resent him deeply, ‘Don’t tell me she...?! No, it can’t be...’

A shudder ran through Blake’s body as his gut yelled that Ophelia Criswell glared at him with eyes like a feline, an extremely hungry feline whose meal had just been taken from them.