Kael raised an eyebrow.
She said, "If you want that Divine General," she said, voice low and serious,
"Then tonight is the best chance."
He stood motionless, the weight of his order pressing heavily on him.
He had begged Yue to search beneath the house, to find the Divine General—alive, if possible. Now, as she spoke quietly, her voice barely above a whisper, the urgency was clear.
"Tonight is the best chance to meet him," she said.
He looked at her, searching her face. "So... he is alive?"
Yue nodded slowly, her body trembling.
"His torture was... worse than I imagined. Even I couldn't watch."
He swallowed hard, steeling himself.
Suddenly, Selene appeared at the doorway, her tone urgent but controlled.
"Kael, your father will arrive in one hour."
Something clicked in Kael's mind. He nodded, the plan falling into place.
Yue continued,
"When your father arrives, all the major security will be focused on escorting him. That will be our window — to reach the Divine General's cell."
Kael's eyes narrowed as he asked, "Where exactly is he?"
Yue's voice dropped low. "Beneath the west wing. Only air and supplements pass through there—carried by your father's most trusted men… or the slaves."
She glanced toward Selene.
"If we want to get there," Yue continued, "we'll need the mana passkey. But stealing it from the servant quarters… that's dangerous."
Kael felt the tension prickling in the air. Selene noticed it too, her voice soft but insistent. "What's wrong?"
Kael shook his head slowly, his mind already turning, forming an alternate plan to steal the key.
But Selene pressed on. "You can tell me, Kael. I want to help."
He exchanged a brief look with Yue. She gave a small, almost imperceptible nod.
Kael's voice was low, heavy with resolve. "Then listen carefully…"
###
Selene's eyes flickered with determination as she slipped silently from the room.
The corridors of the manor stretched out like dark veins, the soft echoes of her footsteps swallowed by the thick shadows.
Every breath she took was measured, every movement deliberate.
The servant quarters were heavily guarded—not by soldiers, but by watchful eyes and whispered rumors.
The mana passkey she needed hung close, locked away in a small, guarded chamber near the east wing.
Selene pressed herself against the cold stone walls, waiting for the patrol to pass.
Her heart pounded in her chest, steady but fierce.
Timing was everything.
When the guards' footsteps faded, she moved like a ghost, fingertips brushing the latch of the door.
She slipped inside the small room, heart drumming loudly in her chest.
At the back, a heavy vault stood, cold and unyielding. Selene knelt and entered the number Kael had whispered to her.
A flicker of doubt crossed her mind.
How does Kael know this code?
But there was no time for questions now.
The vault creaked open, revealing a collection of passkeys, each humming softly with magic.
Her fingers hovered until she found the red key—just as Kael had said.
Her fingers hovered until she found the red key—just as Kael had said. Without hesitation, she slipped it quickly into her pocket, closing the vault with a soft click.
Selene moved silently toward the exit, heart still pounding, every step measured and cautious.
The cold air outside seemed so close—freedom almost within reach.
But then----
"Stop!!"
She spun around, eyes wide.
Standing in the shadowed corridor were the older maids—faces twisted with jealousy and disdain.
One spat the words venomously, "Well, well... what do we have here?"
Another sneered, "A traitor's daughter, sneaking where she doesn't belong."
Their voices dripped with cruel mockery, taunts meant to break her spirit.
Then one stepped forward, voice laced with venomous glee.
"I heard you're quite close with the young master, huh? Don't dream he'll marry into a noble house—not with you."
The words struck Selene like a blow to the chest, sharp and sudden.
They laughed cruelly, circling her like wolves, voices rising in mocking jeers.
And then—something inside Selene snapped.
Selene's gaze hardened, ice cold.
Her voice cut through their jeers like a blade.
"Move, ....bitch."
The others opened their mouths in shock. "What did—"
Before they could finish, Selene's hand flared with blazing magic.
A rank-1 fireball shot forward, striking the nearest maid squarely in the face.
The maid's scream echoed through the corridor as her hair instantly burst into flames, curling and blackening until she looked utterly ridiculous—her singed hair puffed up wildly, smoke rising like a bad wig.
Selene didn't wait.
She turned and sprinted down the hall, adrenaline pushing her forward.
Behind her, chaos erupted as the burnt maid screamed and the others scrambled, stunned and angry.
As Selene ran down the shadowed corridor, the cruel words echoed relentlessly in her mind:
He will not marry you... He will not marry you...
Each repetition struck like a drumbeat, pounding away at her thoughts, fueling something darker beneath the surface.
Her breath came steady, her heart tightening with resolve.
Then, slowly, her gaze hardened, eyes sharpening into something fierce and unyielding.
I will not be just a slave.. she thought.
I will be his lover—his only lover. I will prove myself.
A slow, almost demonic smile curled at the corners of her lips—quiet but chilling.
If Kael were here, he would recognize that smile immediately: the smile of someone ready to cross every line, the smile of a yandere.
Selene pressed forward, every step a silent promise that she would claim her place—no matter the cost.