Chapter 88

“You’re really something.”

When Ayla hurriedly turned her head towards the voice coming from behind her, she saw the cold and stiff Theon.

She didn’t know whether it was a good thing or not that Eden left first, but looking at his expression, it seemed that the former was correct.

Ayla’s gaze naturally turned downwards as he silently tapped the watch he was wearing with his finger.

“I’m sorry. Something happened… So, I’m a little late. I’m really sorry.”

“That’s enough. I don’t think I will be able to sleep tonight if I hear an excuse that doesn’t sound like you because my anger will flare up.”

“Ah… Yes.”

Theon frowned heavily and turned around as if he were displeased with the sight of Ayla, who was following him disheartened.

Princess Ariel’s shocking blow was enough to embarrass Theon, the King’s successor, and completely knocked him down.

Theon always tried to maintain a rational point of view, but now, he was helpless too.

‘Please move forward my engagement with His Highness the Crown Prince. If the Stellen Kingdom and the Libert Kingdom unite, those little things will be solved naturally.’

‘It is Princess Ariel’s request, so let’s proceed quickly.’

As the King’s words that he heard at the banquet hall flashed through his mind, Theon’s frowning face became even more distorted. He didn’t like anything around him. Not even that little child who was quiet as a mouse, not knowing what was wrong.

Ah…

With a small sigh, Theon nervously swept up his hair.

The first thing Theon did after leaving the banquet hall, at midnight, was to undo the barrier on the door for Ayla to come in.

He was worried if perhaps she had come ahead of time and was waiting, but Ayla didn’t think of coming even after midnight.

He thought it was hilarious that he came out worried about the increasingly late time, and the only thing he saw was that she seemed to be having some kind of relationship with a bastard from a foreign country.

After climbing up the stairs, a heavy silence flowed between the two.

‘He is really upset…’

Ayla, who was secretly looking at Theon’s expression, nibbled on her lips.

It was definitely different from usual.

Even if she didn’t know what it was, Ayla thought that there must have been a big change in Theon’s mental state, so she decided not to irritate him as much as possible.

Of course, it seems like she already failed.

“Excuse me…”

At Ayla’s voice, Theon’s cold eyes turned towards her.

Ayla hesitated and opened her mouth as Theon turned his body slightly, as if telling her to go on.

“I… Then… Can I go now?”

She thought that, of course, he had released the guards, so she wanted to quickly get out of this awkward place.

Theon, who looked at Ayla for a moment, silently, opened his heavy mouth.

“Looking like that?”

“Ah…”

She couldn’t bring her maid uniform because she had been separated from Louis.

Ayla lowered her gaze and let out a small sigh as she saw the maple-colored clothes she was wearing.

It was normal in the plaza, but in a place like the palace, it was an outfit that stood out more than anyone else.

Ayla nibbled on her lips with a look of not knowing what to do.

“Ahh. I’ll have Rose bring a maid uniform tomorrow, so stay here for now.”

“But… What if there’s a strange rumor between us…”

“Then do you want to say you have been secretly sneaking out of the palace?! Will you feel better if I am taken away for letting you out?!!”

Ayla’s eyes shook helplessly at Theon’s screaming even before she had finished talking.

She didn’t know why, but she felt that Theon, who always kept his composure, was shaking greatly.

“Are you afraid of being misunderstood by your lover?”

“What do you…”

“That innocent look as if you don’t know anything… I’m really sick of it. I don’t understand how everyone is the same.”

After finishing what he had to say, he angrily went upstairs.

Ayla just stared blankly at his uncharacteristic appearance and didn’t move.

***

When he returned with the slaughter team after punishing all the wizards from Pella who did not cooperate with the Kingdom, the young Theon was half out of his mind.

He couldn’t count the number of people who had died by his own hands, nor could he even remember what he did at that moment.

When he came to his senses, only the smell of burnt skin that vibrated all over his body and the surrounding chaos reminded him of the horror of that day.

His inherent magical power was so strong that the young Theon could not learn how to control it on his own.

Compared to Pella, the Stellen Kingdom was slow in their wizard training, so there was no one capable of solving this problem.

As a result, Theon could not control his strong power and was instead controlled by it.

When he came to his senses, there were always gruesome piles of corpses spreading in front of his eyes.

Although the King and his Father were aware of this, they kept pushing the young Theon to a dangerous place in order to maintain their authority.

In the end, it was not until he took all their lives with his own hands that the subjugation ended and he was able to return to the Stellen Kingdom.