"What do you think? Not a bad deal right? I don't know what you did to piss off Priscella, but it won't matter when we are all family."

"What do you think? I won't treat you badly. You are a goddess who deserves to be worshipped at an altar."

"I can even give you this beautiful villa and servants of your own. You'll like that, won't you?"

"You will be much more comfortable here compared to your life as a slave. I will make sure of that." He grinned and gave her a wink.

Sylvia's eyes widened as she glared back at him and tried to pull her hand away but his grip was tight.

"Come on, my dear. Think about it. I am very serious." Gabriel laughed. "You don't have to be scared of me. See I am letting you go."

Huh? Sylvia was shocked to see her hand suddenly go free. The second she heard that the man was Priscella's brother, she knew that she had been tricked.

She didn't want what happened at the ship to repeat itself and was fully prepared to fight, but what the hell was this sudden development?

As he let her go, Gabriel also removed a ring from his own finger that had a royal insignia and shoved it into her hand, folding her palm over it.

"Think it over." He said and walked away, leaving Sylvia behind completely dumbfounded.

What just happened? Her long eyelashes fluttered in confusion. She thought that she was going to be assaulted, but it turned into a proposal?

Was this guy an idiot? How could be so narcissistic to think that she would still accept his terms even after how he behaved?

She then turned around to hurry back to the tea party, getting as far away as possible from the creep.

As Sylvia walked quickly, she noticed Theo already looking in her direction, the man seemingly ready to come to her aid.

Standing next to him, Priscella was also looking at her with an undisguised surprise on her face. She was equally taken aback at this turn of events.

Her brother was supposed to assault her and then she would come running and put the blame on Sylvia for having thrown herself at the man so shamelessly.

She had planned to publicly humiliate her, her friends calling the woman various names and criticizing her for behaving in such a degrading manner.

Or at least that was the plan. It was a perfect plan that would allow Mikel to see her for who she truly was.

However, what actually happened... was something that she just couldn't digest.

Had her stupid useless brother finally gone insane???

She had asked him to do one thing. One simple thing. He couldn't even do that!!!

"God damn it!" Priscella cursed under her breath. She couldn't understand what was so special about this woman that made all the men lose their minds.

She had to admit that Sylvia was pretty. Her figure was definitely breathtaking, but wasn't she also pretty?

"Hey, what happened?" One of Priscella's friends walked over to her and whispered. The two of them then walked away from Theo murmuring something to themselves.

Sylvia glanced at them and continued to walk until she reached Theo's side.

"Are you alright?" Theo asked. She looked a bit pale.

"I'm fine." Sylvia smiled and then glanced at the ring in her hand. It had a royal insignia on it. She couldn't quite grasp what had just happened.

She sighed and glanced at Priscella who was now busily talking with her brother. Her friends stood beside her and were looking at her scornfully.

What did I do to them? Sylvia wondered.

As she was busily gawking at the bunch of them, a familiar voice sounded behind her, making her jump. "Are you still planning on coming back with me?"

Sylvia turned around and saw Mikel standing there. Her heart skipped a beat on seeing the black obsidian orbs gaze at her, peering into her very soul.

"Huh?" Mikel raised his brows. "Are you still planning on coming with me or are you staying here?" He asked her again, his lips quirking upwards.

Sylvia gulped, closing her hand that she tied behind her back, hiding the ring within it, and nodded. "Your highness. Are we leaving now?"

"Yes." Mikel said, extending his hand for her to hold.

Sylvia nodded and placed her hand on his, which felt warm and gentle.

The two of them then walked in silence away from the garden towards a carriage that was waiting for them at the villa entrance.

Though his grip was quite loose and gentle, Sylvia did not know why there was an uneasiness between them.

He opened the carriage door for her and she quietly stepped in, the devil as well getting in after her.

A few minutes later, Theo and Leol also joined them and then the carriage started moving down the road.

Sylvia looked out the window, watching as the villa disappeared from her view, but they were not yet heading back to the castle.

She could tell that the carriage was headed in the other direction, deeper into the hills.

"Your highness, where are we going?" Sylvia asked, turning to look at Mikel who still had a frown on his face and seemed to be in a bad mood.

"Does it matter where?" He blankly replied, the words that he didn't speak sounding louder.

Sylvia sighed. He was indeed right. It really didn't matter where.

The weird things that had happened today evening had almost made her forget the thing that was yet to happen tonight.

And now that she was reminded of it, she couldn't help but feel nervous.

She tried to not think about unnecessary things and tried to focus on the life and freedom which she would be getting tomorrow.

He wouldn't cheat me right? Sylvia thought, but it was not like she could do anything, even if he did.