Chapter 26

"Master, we've arrived," Konrad informed when the carriage arrived in front of the secret Mansion.

Idris stepped out from the carriage and was welcomed by a knight disguised as a servant.

"Wait here," Idris told Konrad before she followed the disguised knight inside the Mansion.

Idris followed the knight inside the Mansion, and he led her to the reception room.

"Your Excellency, please enter," the knight said and opened the door.

She entered the room and saw a person wearing a brown hooded robe facing the window.

Idris didn't make a sound, and even her steps were silent against the marble floor. She decided to observe the man quietly. It's been six months since they saw each other in secret.

She was wondering how long will he notice her presence when the man suddenly turned toward her.

"Idris, you came!" The man called in delight as he put down his hood showing his crimson hair. He quickly ran to Idris and hugged her tightly.

"I was so worried when I heard about the assassination attempt."

"Your Highness...please get off of me." Idris coldly pushed the crown prince away from her.

"How cold. You didn't even give a glance at the ball."

Idris grimaced while watching the grumbling crown prince who somehow lost his dignity.

"How did you arrive before me?"

"I used teleportation magic," He answered and turned to the sofa to sit.

Idris sat across from the crown prince and watched him pour the hot tea into their cups. Everyone would be shocked to see the crown prince serving tea to Idris.

Crown Prince Regis Delmirev Von Castillon. He is heir to the throne of the Soerien empire and Idris's close friend. Regis was considered a genius in terms of sword and politics. However, his talent in magic is terrible compared to Idris, who has a tremendous talent in magic.

Idris first met Regis when she secretly escaped from the Mansion to avoid studying and go to the festival. The Mansion was in pure chaos when Idris went missing, and the knights were mobilized to search for her.

She was cackling when she cast stealth magic as she jumped over the high walls and ran towards the plaza to watch the festival and explore the food stalls. Idris wanted to experience the things she couldn't do inside the Dirvyr's Mansion.

Idris was walking by the sidewalk while eating a candied apple when Regis accidentally bumped into her, causing the apple to fall on the floor. Idris was pissed. It was her first time tasting it, and because of some bastard who wasn't looking while walking, her candied apple was smashed on the floor.

She abrasively grabbed Regis's robe and told him to apologize and replace her candied apple.

Regis was visiting the Ravalan Duchy during that time, and Idris wasn't aware that he was the crown prince not until she met him again in the Dirvyr's Mansion.

"Have you been well?" Regis asked while looking at his friend.

Contrary to people's thought, Castillon and Dirvyr have a close relationship behind the surface.

"Apart from the constant attack from my brother, I've been well, Your Highness," Idris answered as she picked up the teacup.

Idris's brother Talkien was the only one who survived when she went mad and killed her siblings and stepmothers. Talkien was lucky enough that he was out of the duchy traveling to the other country when the incident happened.

"Talkien. That bastard sure is slippery. I heard that he's been hiding with the help of his maternal family."

"I already know where he is. I only need to separate his head from his neck," Idris confidently said.

"Hahaha!" Regis laughs out loud, "Your brutality never changed huh?"

Idris stared at the laughing prince. Just like Nuir, Regis reminds her of someone. She rest her face on her palm and the tail of her lips faintly went up.

"Why are you staring at me?"

"Nothing," Idris quickly answered and shifted her gaze away from Regis.

"Ahem. I heard that your cousin is getting married to Glen Palmore."

"Unfortunately, yes," Regis sighed gloomily. "She doesn't want to marry Glen but her parents wanted to."

Idris frowned, "How unfortunate. That bastard is bad news. Glen is remarkable in hiding his stench."

"However," Idris continued with a smirk forming her red lips, "I'm going to mess him up during his wedding. So Your Highness please, tell your cousin not to worry."

There's a reason why Idris despised Glen to the core. That bastard was the reason why she can't have a peaceful day in her Mansion. Glen was the one who keep releasing pests into Idris's territory. He's also collaborating with her brother to bring her down for Talkien to take over the Duchy.

"Puahahaha! Idris, I didn't you're such a fan of theatrics. I will surely look forward to it." Regis grinned excitedly.

* * *

It was a moonlit night when Idris decided to leave her residence to take a leisure walk in the den of the underworld criminals, Aldacre city.

A low laugh came out of her mouth as her crimson eyes shined brightly in excitement. She couldn't wait to find her scoundrel brother tearing off his head and bringing it as a gift for Glen's wedding.

Her blood boils in exhilaration as a large magic circle appeared beneath the three-story building.

The people went into a panic when they noticed that there was something amiss when the building suddenly lit up in a blinding light.

"Explosion!" Idris uttered, and the whole building disintegrated in an instant.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The ear-splitting sound of the explosion and the shaking of the ground woke up the entirety of Aldacre.

"What happened?"

"Where did that attack comes from!?"

Konrad, Aldus, and Bernard, the three knights of Idris, quickly formed a circle around her and drew their swords immediately when they noticed the presence of people coming out to see what happened and to know who made the attack.

A man with a large and muscular body came forward to approach Idris. He was one of the executives in an organization that rules a part of Aldacre City.

"What's the meaning of this, Duke Idris?" Gaspar asked rudely asked.

His bear-like face distorted at the lack of response from Idris. She was engrossed looking at the empty place where the building formerly stood, and only Idris's knights were the only ones being alert of Gaspar and the surroundings.

Gaspar grinds his teeth. He couldn't take her rudeness anymore. It doesn't matter if she was a high-ranking noble of the Empire. Duke Idris has no jurisdiction in Aldacre City.

"Do not come any closer!" Aldus warned, but Gaspar ignored it and advanced to attack Idris.

A black ball of mana appeared on his palm.

"Black Burst!" Gaspar muttered, and scalding hot mana flew toward Idris.

"Sword of Protection," Aldus quickly said. His sword shined brightly with swirling mana wrapped around it. As soon as the attack reached him, Aldus swung his sword and cut it in two.

Gaspar and Aldus's magic collides and explodes before it was disappeared completely.

"How dare you block my attack!" Gaspar screamed.

Idris, oblivious to her surroundings, suddenly turned her head at Gaspar's gruff voice.

"How noisy," she said with an indifferent voice.

"You bitch! How dare you attack the city. You have no jurisdiction here, yet you're making such a disturbance. Are you trying to wage war against us?!"

"You impertinent bastard! You dare call the Duke such vulgar word! I'll kill you!" Bernard growled.

Idris frowned at the displeasing sight of Gaspar. She could see his veins popping out from his neck because of anger.

"Shut up, you ass-licking dog!"

"Why are you making a fuss? This place wasn't even under your organization's jurisdiction, and you are making a fuss with your filthy mouth?" Idris snarled. She became annoyed at this blabbering pest who was trying to question her actions.

Gaspar clenched his fist. His anger soared at Idris's gaze. Her crimson eyes look down on him as if Gaspar was a mere flea.

He attempted to attack Idris once again. However, Gaspar's movement was interrupted when Idris suddenly excluded a fierce murderous intent.

"Kill it," Idris ordered.

Aldus, who was defending earlier, became different. His movement changed drastically. Aldus kicked the ground and shortened his distance with Gaspar in a mere second.

Gaspar couldn't react in time, froze. At that moment, Aldus wields his sword into a fluid diagonal cut.

THUD!

Gaspar's body was cut easily like a twig and fell to the ground.

"Master, the pest is now eliminated."

"Excellent. Bernard, open up the ground. It seems that my dear brother is hiding underground."

Bernard stepped forward and sheath back his sword, "Reinforcement Magic."

The muscles in his right arm bulged up in an instant.

"Hyup!" Bernard punched the burned ground. The area shook up, wide cracks popped up, and a large hole appeared, revealing an underground bunker.

Idris jumped down and landed smoothly on the tiled floor of the underground bunker. Her knights followed her and surrounded Idris to protect her in case of a sudden ambush.

The defense magic applied in the bunker sensed the presence of the intruders and fired magic arrows at their location.

Idris quickly casts a high-tier defensive barrier to protect herself and the knights. The magic arrows failed to penetrate the thick barrier. Not even the fireballs and the water bullets managed to make a dent.

They passed through the passageway with ease, and when they arrived in front of the thick iron door, Idris tore it like a piece of paper.

A lavish room was revealed behind the ruined door covered with fog."

"What a putrid smell," Idris frowned as the smell of drugs entered her nose.

Idris found a black-haired man surrounded by naked girls on top of the enormous bed.

A huge smile appeared on Idris's face as she locked eyes with the man.

"Hello, brother."