Arc 2: Chapter 3

Adounis didn't understand the ache in his heart, but he followed his instinct and pulled the girl into his arms, wiping away her tears. The expression on his face was as though he were holding someone he treasured.

This beautiful scene was so surreal that the onlookers stood with their mouths wide open. The folks back home would surely explode when they found out about this!

Why were the events of today so juicy!?

Adounis couldn't care less what others thought, his attention entirely on comforting the girl, who hadn't stopped crying for a long time. His free hand patted her soft hair as it brushed against the metal collar on her neck. His eyes narrowed dangerously. He knew it was a slavery collar, and the girl was a slave to a man named Brand.

He hadn't even given it much thought, but he already decided to place the man on his blacklist.

Sevianna was only able to stabilize her emotions once her throat had gone dry. Her eyes were puffy, and her nose and cheeks were red. When she noticed that she was still in the stranger's arms, she tried to push him away. However, he was too strong, so she ended up pushing herself away instead.

She almost lost her balance and fell, but thankfully, Adounis caught her in time and helped her steady herself.

Sevianna eyed the stranger suspiciously before placing her right hand over her left chest and bowing slightly. "Thank you," she said, offering the highest sign of respect. Then, she turned to leave.

She was about to walk away when her arm was caught once again. Her brows furrowed in annoyance. However, inside, she was screaming with reluctance.

Sevianna: 'Ahhh, I don't want to leave him!!! What if he hooks up with other girls?? I don't even know him!! Ah, that's right! His name is Adounis! But that's not enough~!!! *cries*

Lily: 'It's okay! I'm sure if he's really Shen Yan, he wouldn't dare!'

Sevianna glared at the man's red eyes. She had just shown such a shameful sight, yet this man wouldn't let her go. What else did he want?

Adounis was not offended in the least by her glare. Quite the opposite, he liked it. He liked those lively eyes staring at him, even though daggers seemed to be coming from them. He knew the girl must have been embarrassed by her actions, so he decided not to tease her further.

He bit his thumb hard enough for blood to seep through and reached for the collar around her neck. Under the wide eyes of his four companions and the girl herself, he let his blood rewrite the slavery contract's ownership.

A magic circle suddenly appeared beneath their feet, glowing with white and red lights before gradually fading. Sevianna's mouth hung open as she tried to process what had just happened. 'Wasn't that a change of ownership?!'

She had considered this option before. But her slavery collar was as rare as one could get—virtually unique in the world—because it had been made by Brand. It would only work if the person who was to become her new master had a closer connection to her than he did. Since Sevianna's closest bond had always been with him, Brand had been so confident that he allowed Sevianna to go wherever she pleased. The collar also had the ability to track her location, leaving her with no place to run.

But now, it had been changed so easily.

The original soul would like to comment—'WTF?!'

Sevianna felt like crying again. This had to be her Yan ge, right? Or else, how could he have changed the ownership when they were practically strangers? Then, was the red thread supposed to be his soul?

Sevianna was even more determined to stay in this world. Her Yan gege was here, where else could she possibly be? Her Yan ge had literally claimed ownership of her.

There was only one problem. Sevianna wasn't ready for another love story. Brand had been her first love, and she had devoted her very life to someone who would let anyone into his bed if they met his standards. When Sevianna had been about to turn her back on everything, she had planned to end it all.

She laughed bitterly to herself. It seemed she'd have to make her Yan gege work harder to win her over. It would take many small sacrifices before she could fall in love again.

'I'm sorry, Yan ge. Please work hard, okay~? I promise I'll make you feel good lots later. Hehe~'

Sevianna consciously touched the dreaded collar. She had so many things she wanted to say, but no words seemed to form in her mouth. Biting her lip in frustration, she glared at her perpetrator, her expression filled with silent grievance.

Adounis didn't seem to notice the murderous look she wore. He reached for her hands, intending to take her somewhere, but Sevianna flung his hands away and ran off.

He watched her fleeing figure, a sense of loss settling in as the warmth from his palms faded. "I scared her," he murmured to himself, guilt evident on his face, tinged with helplessness. "What should I do?" He turned to the people he had been with, who were staring at him in disbelief. "How do you court someone again?"

The four were speechless. "You're asking us?" they replied, their little hearts reeling from one surprise after another, leaving them mentally exhausted. They didn't answer his question, instead looking at him as though he had committed a grave crime.

Adounis was confused. What had he done wrong?

Meanwhile, Sevianna was putting on a solo performance for the world to see.

She ran, her eyes glowing red. The force and pain in the collar that she had been expecting never came. Stopping just before entering the forest, she glanced back, her gaze complicated as she studied the silhouette of her new master. He hadn't forced her to return?

She couldn't believe it. So, she ran deep into the forest, unleashing her fury in a killing spree to vent her frustrations, all while waiting for her collar to be activated. The monsters she slaughtered were mostly from the middle class, while the higher-class monsters were terrified by her strong scent of bloodlust and dared not approach. This left her wandering aimlessly until she grew bored.

In the heart of the forest, she found a waterfall that cascaded into a large lake. As she arrived, Sevianna caught sight of a beautiful rainbow. The place was peaceful, free from the world's troubles, and instantly became her favorite spot.

Sevianna figured that what she had done should have been enough. But when she felt a pair of eyes on her from a distance, a smile curled on her lips. Another spectator, huh? Well, she might as well put on a good show.

She tested the water; it was a bit cold, but not cold enough to make her shiver. Then, she glanced around, then at the lake.

It seemed she had decided to take a bath.

She stripped off her dress, leaving herself completely exposed, and carefully waded into the water. Her face slowly softened, appearing to find peace, and her aura became more tender.

Adounis was not prepared for this.

He had chased after her, but she went berserk, so he followed at a distance, waiting for a chance to apologize. The four guys earlier had demanded this from him—He should not force her to be his. He should be gentler with her. He should release her.

To the last remark, he stubbornly refused. There was a gnawing feeling inside him, a fear that she would one day disappear—and he didn't want that.

Adounis hid behind a large tree, trying to calm his ragged breath. He had not seen anything. He seriously had not seen anything!

'Her skin looked so pale...'

He swiftly slapped his forehead, trying to rid himself of the indecent thoughts. His ears had long turned the color of blood, and sweat slid down his temple. He realized he was still a man, after all.

"Like what you saw?"

A low, feminine growl echoed from behind him.

Adounis' back stiffened. She found him?! His heart raced as panic took over. If the four guys had seen his face, they would have been in for another shock. Fortunately, they weren't here now—his reputation as the prince might have shattered. Still, he knew this would be inevitable in the future.

He slowly turned around, his face filled with guilt. But then he quickly turned back, hastily stopping the red fluid that dripped from his nose.

Sevianna was still butt-naked, standing under the bright rays of the sun. Her only cover was her long black hair, which was enough to hide what needed to be hidden. She seemed to have forgotten the boundaries between a man and a woman.

Sevianna: 'Ahhh, why did he turn around?! He's so cute! I want to see his reaction!'

Lily: *lights a candle for Adounis*

Sevianna knitted her brows when she saw that he wasn't planning on turning around. "What are you doing here?" Her voice had dropped a few degrees. She noticed his shoulders jerk and wondered what her master was thinking.

Adounis was caught in a fit of coughs before finally regaining a bit of his lost courage. "Well, I-I'm here to take you home." A slight blush appeared on his cheeks, but it quickly passed as he reined in his embarrassment. With a poker face, though his lips were still clenched, he turned around with renewed determination.

To his disappointment, Sevianna had already changed into a new dress.

Sevianna: 'Too late~ Maybe next time' *kisses*

Lily: 'Sevi, can't you have mercy on him?'

Sevianna: 'Nope~'

Sevianna looked startled at his words, but then her face shifted into a mixture of sadness and pain. "Home? What's that?" She didn't have such a thing.

Adounis didn't like seeing her like this. It was fine if she was angry. It was fine if she wore the same crazed look she had when fighting. But seeing her like this made him feel the weight of her pain, as if it mirrored his own.

"Mn, home. Come home with me?" His voice shook slightly, nerves creeping in.

Sevianna eyed her new master as if he were a rare animal. She hadn't been clear-headed earlier, so she hadn't really gotten a good look at him. But now, this man was definitely a devil, right? She couldn't even trust her own brethren, yet he expected her to trust him?

Her eyes narrowed in thought. Why not? She had already been betrayed once. And she no longer cared for her life. She didn't believe his kindness would last even a week. Maybe he'd help her by killing her.

She hesitated for a moment, then took a step forward. Her physical guard was no longer raised. She looked like someone preparing for a suicidal mission. Adounis wanted to tell her there was no need to be afraid, but he knew that would be useless. The girl's barriers around her heart didn't seem to have any weaknesses.

His fingers twitched before he gently took her hand. Her pearl-like hands fit perfectly in his. With a reassuring smile, he led her toward his carriage.

He didn't notice that Sevianna was staring at his hand. She wondered if she had made the right decision. The warmth from his palm spread to her heart, and it frightened her. She wanted to pull her hand back and run away—again.

But they had already reached the five black-and-golden, beautifully decorated carriages lined up neatly in a row. Four heads poked out from the windows of each, all staring fixedly at Adounis' and Sevianna's intertwined hands.

One of them, with blue spiky hair, grinned from ear to ear. "Little lady, what's your name?" His eyes were filled with curiosity.

Sevianna gave him a dull glance but didn't answer.

The blue-haired guy felt deflated from being ignored and turned his head for help. His brother, who had darker blue hair, raised an eyebrow. "Bro! She actually ignored me! You try." His brother's mouth twitched in annoyance.

He didn't look at Sevianna, instead turning his attention to Adounis. "What's her name?"

Adounis paused. He had forgotten to ask. Cold sweat began to form on his back as he mentally scolded himself for overlooking such an important detail. He turned to Sevianna with a sorrowful expression.

"What's your name?"

The question left the four men speechless.

Sevianna's eyes flashed with amusement.

"Call me Sevi." Then, she turned to the four men in the carriage. "Sevianna."