A couple of rooms away from Sylvia, Mikel's eyes were wide open after she left. He exhaled deeply, letting out a long sigh.

He had seen her sullen pouty face and even that looked insanely adorable. It made him want to once again pull her into his arms and have his way with her.

He noticed that a certain part of him was throbbing, ridiculously hard and rigid and he sighed in frustration, getting out of the bed.

He walked over to the bathtub which still had the water leftover from her bath and silently got into it.

Weirdly, he found it to smell just like her, which turned him on even more.

Mikel helplessly raked his fingers through his golden locks surprised that a woman had such a strong effect on him.

It must be the allure of the beast clan, he concluded, though the back of his mind didn't quite agree with him.

He extended his hand down, intending to take care of his unfulfilled desires by himself, but then he stopped, losing interest in that as more and more thoughts of the cruel temptress filled his mind.

"Why did she have to look at me like that?" He muttered with a sigh.

His brain for some reason memorized her lust-filled face and her panting lips and replayed it for him to experience it over and over again.

"Damn it." Mikel cursed.

He then mumbled something to turn the bath water freezing cold, which finally doused his desire and he went back to the bed to rest for what remained of the night.

He had a feeling that he needed to rest tonight to calm down his mind and heart.

He was not blind. He could see that the girl obviously wanted him, wanted his love and his affection.

He had felt her eyes on him the entire night, watching him as he paraded himself with another woman.

It had made her angry and he surprisingly found himself amused with such a reaction from her. It made him want to tease her more and provoke her more.

But then something unexpected had happened and he had completely lost it, even ended up killing the two men who dared to touch her.

"Fucking Leol." Mikel sighed. That idiot was the reason he was suffering right now and why things had gone haywire tonight.

Perhaps if he hadn't told her… Perhaps if he hadn't spilled his secret and outed his selfish revenge on her behalf…

Mikel's lips curved upwards, a bitter melancholic smile lingering on his face.

He didn't know what made her suddenly change her attitude towards him.

He didn't wish for that to happen as he knew very well that he could never give her the things that she expected from him.

And even if he did so against his better judgment, it would only result in both of their tragic deaths.

"What a cruel joke…" Mikel chuckled.

He had always considered himself to be a ruthless calculating person, but he unexpectedly faltered when it came to the one person whom he had always intended on using as a pawn.

He had even told her from the beginning what they would both get out of this situation and drawn clear lines, but still... things had gone wrong nevertheless.

He sighed tiredly, feeling the burden in his heart and mind a little heavier tonight, something that had taken root inside him since a long time ago.

When Mikel finally fell asleep, he dreamed of the familiar warm face once again.

Amidst the rose gardens, a woman with a kind and gentle smile squatted beside a young boy and patted him "Don't cry, my dear. Everything will be alright."

"Mmm." Mikel mumbled in his dream and slept soundly, his furrowed brows slightly loosening up.

However, outside his door, unnoticed by anyone, a figure moved in the darkness of the night.

The figure clenched her hands tightly, her nails digging into the flesh even nicking her skin to reveal some blood.

Priscella hadn't yet gone back to her room and was wandering in the corridor outside Mikel's room restlessly.

When she heard the door open, she quickly hid behind a pillar, only to see Sylvia storming out of the same room, with just a towel wrapped around her naked body.

Was she there inside when I knocked at his door? Priscella felt her stomach churn at the thought.

The man that she loved was fucking a slave in the middle of the night, especially in her villa while she was around!!! Priscella was furious.

She hated how a mere slave touched something of hers, but more than that, she was afraid of what this meant.

She had known Mikel for a long time and she knew that he was not the type to lust after women and sleep around like most of the other nobles and royals.

And yet, Sylvia had dashed out of his room completely naked. She was not blind or dumb to not know what had happened inside.

So why was he behaving with her and treating her differently than any other woman including herself?

She had to know.

Priscella was shaking with anger and jealousy as she stood behind the pillar, her fists tightly clenched. She was the one who had been by his side for years.

She was the one who should have been in his bed tonight, not some damned slave.

But why? What was so special about her? Priscella was feeling more and more agitated with every second that passed.

She could only think of one way to put an end to this once and for all. She had to get rid of her.

Under no circumstance, she would let anyone come between her and him.

She refused to live like the other women, belittled by their husbands fucking a dozen mistresses on the side. She would not let anyone steal him from her.

Priscella took in a deep breath and walked out of her hiding place, her hands shaking as she rushed away from the corridor.