Lucky to be his father...

An outpost of the Church of the Twins

At the fringes of windy fir woodlands

.......

Iris knelt on the ground with her hands bound behind her back in coarse hemp rope which scrapped at her delicate wrists at even the slightest movements, leaving faint scars on her once flawless skin. She knelt there in silence as she stared expressionlessly at the three beautiful women standing in front of her.

The first woman dressed in red looked to be in her earlier thirties. With her long black hair, phoenix-like eyes, and sharp eyebrows she had a particularly domineering aura as she peered down through squinted eyes at her captives, with a faint smirk adorning the edge of her lips...

Well at Aden at least, she didn't even seem to glance once at the former Queen and Princess as she stared down at Aden who for some unknown reason also had an odd expression on his face.

The other person was a girl who appeared to be around the same age as herself. She had faintly similar facial features and long black silky hair to the older woman, but her more subtle peachy lips, her limpid blue eyes and soft crescent eyebrows gave her a more feminine, submissive look.

The said woman was of average height unlike the tall long-legged Iris, but her soft figure and subtle curves, which looked even more pronounced in her close-fitting robes, unlike Iris's less outstanding stature made up for the deficiency.

Her slender arms were white as snow and her facial features had an innocent feel to it. While she also lacked Iris's naturally regal demeanour that even all the grim and dirt on her face couldn't hide, if not for the cold indifferent light in the depths of her languid eyes just by looking at her outer appearance it could be easily mistaken as an over-pampered daughter of a well-known aristocratic family.

The third woman was a red-haired woman who appeared to be in her mid-twenties. Although she was a great beauty in her own right, she appeared downright plain and unadorned beside the other two, appearing to be very submissive in their presence as she seemed to consciously fade into the background.

All three women stood their silently in the middle of what appears to be a camp of some sort as those masked men either stood defensively to the side or busied themselves further away with one thing or the other.

Iris was angry.

This was the first time in Iris's life that she was made to kneel before anyone, but that wasn't the reason for her anger. She was well aware that she was now no longer the regal princess she was once, but a fugitive fleeing for her life so she had no qualms kneeling before someone, especially when their lives depended on it.

But while she could accept being forced to her knees, she can't seem to be able to stomach the blatant disregard that the three women had for her. Ever since the head sacks were removed their captors never acknowledged her presence here but instead ignored her presence like she wasn't even worthy of a glance.

At least the younger women did give her a brief look before looking away seeming uninterested, but the older one didn't even glance once at her only preferring to stare at Aden who still surprisingly had a weird expression on his face.

Iris was the former princess of one of the greatest powers in Udoris so she was inertly prideful by nature. Being so blatantly disregarded triggered her quite a lot.

'Why capture us if you know you can't even deign to give us the courtesy of being acknowledged in the first place.' She thought resentfully.

But despite her discontent, she reasonably didn't lash out at their captor. She knew that their lives were in the hands of these two women, so she only stared silently at them, not doing anything to anger the three women.

. . . . . .

The six individuals stayed there in silence for a few minutes, discreetly examining each other until surprisingly Aden let out a sigh and spoke to the older lady in red.

"Why? What is it you want from me again this time around." He asked with a weary expression, with a very clear indication that he was very hard to avoid dealing with this woman.

Iris and the rest raised a brow surprised at the way he phrased his words.

'Do they know each other from somewhere? And why does it seem like he aged ten years when talking to this woman.' Iris thought to herself

"So you don't even remember, Uhn? It seems you have forgotten all about me and the soft-spoken words you said and promises you made to me back then ever since that meddlesome Leonard appointed you as duke." The lady said as her aura gradually changed from her domineering one to a forlorn one with each word spoken.

"Uh!? What did I say? Vaiu please just let us go. While I am still confused as to what you mean, I promise to get back to you when all this is settled." Aden said in a somewhat pleading voice. He had no choice but to plead for them to be released, he knew it would be impossible for him to force his way out of this matter now that it has gotten to this point.

He knew they would quickly fall in danger if he attempted to leave forcefully so he didn't try to do so but instead tried to see if he could reason with the lady in front of him. But at the back of his mind well aware of how minuscule his chances of persuading this drop-dead beautiful woman into letting them go.

"You always say that! You love using such soft-spoken words, but you never make any efforts to fulfil your promises. I will do this, I will do that! Ever time you see me you take some form of advantage of me before disappearing again! Can't you be any less cruel Aden!? The lady in red asked in a sultry voice, sounding particularly hurt, like a young wife complaining about being bullied and taken advantage of.

Everyone including the guards standing to the side, all turned to the lady in red with some degree of shock written on their faces.

The members of the faceless within earshot each raised an eyebrow, which unsurprisingly was the most extreme expression that could naturally muster. As for the two other women, their expressions were more dynamic in nature with the younger dark-haired lady looking particularly shocked by her superior's sudden change in the demeanour.

It seems she was also baffled why to her master who previously acted so arrogantly and domineering suddenly became so forlorn, acting pitiful because of someone's comment.

"My lady this-" The redhead began to say but was quickly cut off by the lady in red who continued her tirade.

"You know what I want, and we have spoken about it before so why are you still hesitant. Last time you gave me excuses that your duty can't let you fulfil my wishes so I left you alone, but now Algrim has fallen, the royal family has been disposed, and there's nothing holding you back anymore, so why do you still refuse me like this, even after everything you have done and said?" She asked with a voice full of grievances, shocking everyone further.

Everyone including the silent guards all turned to Aden with odd, questioning and accusing looks, wondering what Aden had done in the past. It was clear to everyone that Aden and this lady were well acquainted with each other and it also seems they had some kind of dubious past as well.

Feeling all those gazes directed at him Aden felt his back get soaked in sweat. The words and expressions of this woman could ignite the desires to protect in any man who heard it, especially if it was directed at him, but right now Aden was too preoccupied to have such thoughts, as his mind whirred at lightning speed to come up with a way to escape this pit the lady in red was digging him in, and more importantly, before everyone here gets the wrong idea, tarnishing his reputation.

"Vaiu I never promised anything so I don't know what you mean, but I promise to get back to you later regarding this issue, but now I need to return to Greenfields for my sons before it's too late." Aden gritted his teeth as he decided to compromise and leave behind a promise, again, hoping it would make this crazy lady relent and let them go.

"When I settle everything I promise to find you to conclude on this matter, but for now please just let me go."

"No! You will stay here. I won't let you leave again like last time, back then you said if there was ever a day you would be free of your oath you would agree to my proposal, but now you want to leave again.

Fat chance Aden! But you are staying here! With me!" The woman named Vaiu declared solemnly, narrowing her eyes with a content expression.

"But-"

"Lord Aden..." The dark-haired beauty who had been silently watching the duo's odd argument all along suddenly interuptted, speaking to Aden.

"Yes?"

"Do you by chance know someone named... Levi?" She asked hesitantly

"Levi... Levi? Yes, Yes I do, in fact, he is my son." Aden replied confused by her question.

"Are you two acquainted by some chance?" He asked worriedly but got no reply from Lovell.

"Master...? " As ignored Aden's question and turned to Vaiu, she asked in a soft voice.

"Umm? What is it, Lovell?" She asked curiously also wondering why her disciple seemed to be acquainted with Aden's son.

"Can you please do me a favour?"

"What do you want?"

"Could you let them go, just this once, please? At least until he can confirm Levi's safety." Lovell asked, softly biting her lower lips.

Vaiu stared silently into Lovell's eyes for a few moments while in deep thought. This was the first time her disciple has ever asked a favour of her, that being the case she was genuinely surprised that it would be regarding an issue that seemingly had nothing to do with her.

Even when Lovell discovered clues about who orchestrated her parent's deaths, she never once asked Vaiu to avenge them, but instead put extra effort into her training in order to climb up in ranks as quickly as possible.

While Lovell might have never mentioned her motivation for power, Vaiu was very well aware that she worked hard almost solely for revenge. So while she had discovered who killed her cousin, Lovell's mother, she didn't make any moves to avenge them but instead left them to Iris as a means to motivate her to grow stronger

With everything said, Vaiu only thought for a moment before giving her reply.

"Alright... Ai... fine! I will let them go, but not now I still need to have a discussion with Aden regarding some important matters. Beside since we are still going to pass by Greenfields we can make them tag along before dropping them off along the way." Vaiu relented waving the group off as she sauntered back to her tent with a resigned expression.

"Thank you master."

If it had been anyone else, regardless of how they pleaded she would have must likely still imprison the stubborn Aden until he submitted to her desires, but since he was lucky enough for her disciple to plead for him she decided to let him go, albeit grudgingly.

Aden looked to Lovell as some of the masked men walked forward to untie them before speaking.

"Thank you, I don't know you know Levi but I will remember this favour."

Lovell glanced sideways at him, casting a sublty indifferent by mocking look at the Duke before replying in a bland, emotionless voice, Almost mimicking that of a faceless.

"No offence Duke Aden, but I didn't do this for you, I did it for Levi. Please do spare me the promises, if you want to be grateful for anything, be grateful for the fact that you are lucky enough to be his father, otherwise I wouldn't even bother to care what happens to you at my master's hands." She said while also turning to leave.

Aden froze for a moment before veins finally popped on his forehead and black lines extended down his face.

"What is that supposed to mean!?"