Aegis’s POV
I had just witnessed something utterly horrifying. The first scene, with the Princess and the man engaged in sex, was gut-wrenching enough, leaving me with a twisted sense of dread. But the scene that followed, where he defeated the three Dryads—creatures notorious for being a relentless threat to every man—was even more terrifying. I knew those Dryads well; they were the top leaders among their kind, feared for their deadly prowess. Yet, he dispatched all three with an unsettling ease, not even breaking a sweat.
My grip on the spear tightened, knuckles white from the pressure. If I faced him, would I have any chance of winning? I was a seasoned warrior, and those Dryads were just ranged attackers. But this man moved with a speed and precision that spoke of vast experience. I could feel the tension building, a mixture of anxiety and determination coiling in my gut. How could I force him to reveal any ulterior motives? I had no idea. But if I failed to find anything, my parents’ marriage—and everything I held dear—would be in jeopardy. I couldn’t let that happen. I dashed toward him with my spear at the ready as fast as I could muster. When I was about to reach him, he didn’t seem to have known that I was already near him, and I jumped off.
“Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!” I roared, thrusting my spear at him with all my might. I poured every ounce of mana I had into the tip, feeling the energy crackle and hum with power.
I was sure that even his Barrier, which had withstood the Treants’ relentless assault, would buckle under the force of my strike. But…
“So, you finally decided to make a move, huh?” His gaze met mine, cool and untroubled. With a swift motion, he grabbed the spear near its tip, effortlessly redirecting it. My attack went wide, and the spear slammed into the ground with a thunderous thud.
“So you knew I was going to attack?” I demanded, pulling back to gain some distance.
“If you’re oozing bloodlust like that, there’s no way I wouldn’t notice,” he said, shrugging casually. “You must really hate me to be radiating that much fury.”
I gritted my teeth, anger coursing through me as I readied my spear again. “Damn right I’m pissed! You swooped in and stole the woman I’ve been yearning for my entire life. You—who just appeared out of nowhere and have been with the Princess for only a couple of months—while I’ve been trying to win her affection for centuries! I can’t fucking accept that!”
“So, you think it’s unfair for me to be with Artemis because I’ve only known her for a short time,” he said, unfazed. “I get that it might seem unfair, but love isn’t something that’s dictated by time. So, I’d say your reasoning is pretty weak.”
The air between us crackled with tension, my blood boiling as I struggled to contain my fury. My grip on the spear tightened, knuckles white with the effort. How could he be so damn nonchalant about this? The thought of losing Artemis to him after all these years was unbearable. My mind raced, seeking any opening, any weakness I could exploit to turn this around.
“What exactly did you do to the Princess? No, to the Queen and everyone else?” I demanded, my voice steady but filled with barely contained anger. My grip tightened around the spear, its shaft cold and hard in my hands. “What the hell did you do to make them act like this towards you?”
I stared at Solaris, my gaze unrelenting. “It doesn’t add up. Miss Clarett, Miss Verra, Miss Serra, Miss Frey—they all despised men, went on and on about how men were a curse to our race. I knew well enough how dangerous men could be. But out of nowhere, in just a single night, they all suddenly accepted you without a second thought. And the Queen, too. None of this makes sense.”
My eyes narrowed, my voice dropping to a harsh whisper. “There’s only one explanation: you must have done something to them. No, you definitely did something. There’s no other reason for their sudden shift in attitude. You must have hypnotized them!”
The realization hit me like a punch to the gut. This bastard was vile. He must have used some twisted form of hypnosis to bend them to his will, forcing them to sleep with him and do his bidding. That had to be it.
The man sighed, exasperated. “Do you really think I have the ability to do that? If I were truly capable of what you’re accusing me of, then why haven’t I hypnotized you yet?”
I shot back immediately, “That’s because my body and face don’t appeal to you. That’s why you haven’t tried any hypnotism on me.”
I was confident in that. I was often called boyish, and everyone in the kingdom knew that if I ever married another elf, I would likely be the one supporting them, not the other way around.
“That’s not true,” the man said. “If I had hypnotic powers, I’d use them on you to get you to sleep with me.”
“What the hell are you saying, you idiot?!” I snapped, my voice trembling with a mix of rage and disbelief. How could he even suggest such a thing?! Strangely enough, his words made my cheeks flush with heat. Was this how he managed to ensnare Their Highness and the others? I wouldn’t be swayed. “Don’t think for a second that your tricks will work on me. I’ll never be manipulated by you!”
“If you’re so sure of that, why don’t you put down that menacing spear of yours?” he said. “I might not look it, but I’m actually quite a scaredy cat, you know?”
“Lies,” I spat out, my voice cutting through the tension like a knife. “Do you really believe that someone who’s easily scared could take down the leaders of the Dryads, just like that, without even breaking a sweat?”
“I used a few tricks here and there, but that’s all,” he said with a casual shrug, as if it were no big deal.
“Mmm… Leon…” The Princess’s groggy moan interrupted us. She stirred awake, her eyes fluttering open as she rubbed away the remnants of sleep. “Hmm? Leon and… Aegis? Wait, what are you doing here?”
“Ah, uh…”
I had only intended to follow them in secret. What the hell was I supposed to do now?
The man’s gaze locked onto me. “Solaris told me that Aegis wanted to experience life in the human world, which is why she decided to tag along. She was curious about this ‘academy’ you’re attending and the ‘dorm’ you’re living in. She wanted to know every little detail about what you’ve been up to.”
“Aegis was?” The Princess’s eyes shifted to me, filled with a mix of surprise and confusion.
“Ah, uhm…”
I was frozen, unable to find my voice. Lying to the Princess was out of the question.
The man leaned in slightly. “She’s been given Solaris’s approval, so there’s no need to worry about that. The only thing you might want to keep in mind is her appearance. It could be a bit… alarming.”
“It’s true,” the Princess said, her voice laced with a heavy dose of gravity. “Many humans would assume she’s a slave if they discovered she’s an elf.”
That was a harsh reality. Our race was celebrated for its beauty, which unfortunately made us prime targets for hunters who sold us into slavery. This was why we had shut ourselves off from the world. Our Princess had been tirelessly searching for elves who had been captured and sold, working to free them. If my true identity as an elf were exposed, I’d be immediately viewed as a slave.
“I think it’s fine if she stays with you,” the man interjected smoothly, “especially since you have the Mirage skill. If you use that on her, no one would even suspect she’s an elf.”
“But I’m at school most of the time. My skill isn’t very useful for long-range concealment. I can only use Mirage within my line of sight, and beyond that, it’s practically useless.”
“I guess she’ll have to stay in your dorm room, then,” the man suggested with a shrug.
“That isn’t ideal,” the Princess countered. “Aegis wants to experience life in the human world, right? Locking her up in my dorm room goes against that. I know what would work better for her, though.”
“What’s that?” the man asked, curiosity piqued.
I was just as confused. What could be more ideal for me than staying with the Princess? I thought staying with her would be the best option, but it seemed like the Princess wasn’t on board with that idea. I suddenly felt a wave of sadness.
“Where else could she stay besides your place, Leon?”
My eyes widened in shock, feeling like they were about to pop out of their sockets. I was speechless.
“By the way, Leon? Why are Lixis and the others lying like that?” I heard the Princess ask, but it didn’t quite register in my mind.
“Oh, nothing much,” the man replied casually. “I’m just planning to try and tame some Dryads.”
