The moment Ryu, Cecily, and Ferris were in the safety of the Kingdom of Byron, they were brought into the palace. It happened so fast as they traversed the Mountain of the Dead and the forests, and towns beyond without stopping and reached the Byron Kingdom in just three days. These three days flew like they never happened.
Meanwhile, Lucian hurried into the Azura Empire because of an important summoned from the Emperor.
It was already considered a miracle that Lucian personally came to Cecily's rescue. He was an only child since the Azura Royal family could only produce one heir. So it was no wonder that he was well protected and groomed.
Inside the Byron Palace, Cecily wasn't even given a minute's rest when she was summoned to the throne room to report what happened while Ryu and Ferris were left alone in a servant room.
Since the time in the cave, Ryu and Ferris haven't spoken to each other. Ryu was still bathed in blood. There were claws, and bites all over his skin, and Ferris was getting annoyed by his state.
Ryu was sitting on a chair, face prompt with his hand and chin jutting out, looking annoyed as well.
So stubborn!
Ferris slammed her hands on the table. "At least go take a bath! You stink!"
With a flick of her hand, Ryu was enveloped in black dust, and all his wounds departed without a trace.
But even so, he refused to look at Ferris and grumbled, "I don't need your help . . ."
An angry vein bulged in Ferris's head, and she squirted a ball of water onto Ryu's face.
"How long are you going to mope about it?!"
Ryu snarled eyes drew to slits. He jumped and wrestled Ferris on the ground. He pinned her beneath him and shook off the water from his face.
"You're asking for it!" Ryu was about to chomped Ferris in a playful bite when Ferris's scarlet eyes rounded, and using her little strength, she reversed their position.
"Ryu, it's gone!" Ferris controlled her voice not to scream in shock.
Ryu glared at Ferris. If this was her attempt to say sorry then . . .
"Your seal . . . it's gone from your forehead." Ferris's voice faded as she examined Ryu's head. The seal was concealed with his fringe before, but now that his hair was wet and got stuck to the side, his forehead was wide open to view.
"What happened?"
Ryu didn't believe Ferris at first, but at the seriousness of her voice, he asked, "Seal?"
Ryu didn't care about it since it was no use to him. But to Ferris . . . she grew excited. This meant that if Cecily died, Ryu would be spared!
Ferris's fangs stretched from her gums, and her eyes dilated. She restrained the demon inside her and got up from straddling Ryu.
She paced back and forth, thinking what might have caused the seal to disappear. Did it have something to do with the death of Murok? That's possible since all spells that used mana didn't work on Ryu except healing spells.
Then could it be that Murok kept losing his mana because he kept activating it on Ryu without knowing it?
That could be the reason.
Anyway . . . Ferris turned to look at Ryu, who was still on the floor, examining his forehead.
This had become troublesome. If Cecily knew that Murok's constant mana depletion was Ryu' fault . . . Ferris shook her head.
More importantly, Ryu couldn't enter and explore towns without the seal.
Then . . . there was one thing left to do.
"Oghf," Ryu grunted when Ferris hopped onto his stomach once more.
"Hold still. I'm going to itch that seal back in your head," Ferris said.
"Is that . . . "
"It's necessary," Ferris put the words for Ryu, "and don't ever tell anyone that your seal disappeared. Got it?"
Ryu frowned but with Ferris glares, he nodded his head. At least, Ferris didn't do anything to endanger his life so far.
"This will sting a little." A burst of dark flame erupted in Ferris's hand, and with precise stroke, she itched the seal on Ryu's' forehead,
Ryu's eyelids twitched. It was a burning pain, but it wasn't that painful. It was like being stitched with a fine needle sprinkled with spices.
"There." Ferris wiped the invincible sweat on her head. "I'd say its looks like the original."
Ryu skimmed his forehead with the pad of his fingers. There were bumps and carvings, but he didn't mind. The important thing was . . . he had to get this out of his chest.
Ryu grabbed Ferris and reversed their position again.
"Why did . . . Dorian and Valij die?" he had to ask or else . . . he'd always have a grievance with Ferris. And he didn't like that. He'd like for them to talk like before with no unnecessary emotional baggage.
Ferris looked at Ryu's eyes. He found desperation in those amber poles. His face was seeking answers as well.
She sighed and said with a defeated tone, "She saw my demon form, so I had to kill her."
Ryu was silent for a moment before he asked again. This time with an expression of a little boy who was lost. "Did . . . Dorian also saw your demon form?"
Ferris shut her eyes close. Why was it so hard to lie to him? It was all the demoness's fault. Instead of answering, Ferris leaned closer and dinted her forehead against Ryu's.
"It's better if I showed you what happened."
Before Ryu could react, he was transported in Ferris memories. It's like flashes of what happened in the Mountain of the Dead. Like a screen before his eyes as he saw how Dorian was about to sacrifice Ferris to escape and how Valij was killed just because she saw her demon form.
When the flashback was over, Ryu was sweating and panting while Ferris looked at him with a blank face.
Ryu got up without a word and wiped his sweaty face with his tattered clothes.
. . .
. . .
Silence descended. Hard and thick.
When Ryu turned his back at her, Ferris's eyes watered.
"I . . . I probably would have done the same . . . ," Ryu said after a moment.
Tears broke from Ferris's eyes, and she hugged Ryu's back with her tiny hands. "Does this mean you forgive me?"
Ryu covered his mouth with his clothes and mumbled, "It's not mine to forgive . . . but I understand why you . . . did it."
It was like energy was bursting in Ferris's veins, and she hugged Ryu even tighter. "Then that's good enough!"
Ryu was still upset about Valij, but between her and Ferris, he'd chose Ferris. He just wanted to know why Ferris killed her. And about Dorian . . . Ryu sighed. It was a pity . . . he was beginning to like him.
"By the way . . ." Ferris pinched Ryu's side, and Ryu burst out laughing.
"S-stop!" Ryu scrambled to get away from Ferris's hold, but the little human girl had more strength than he expected.
"What happened between you and that Valij girl, huh?"
"N-nothing."
"Lies! You wouldn't be this upset if nothing happened." Ferris pinched the side of Ryu's' rib, and he jolted from the onslaught of tickles.
"I . . . ahahaha! Told you! Ahahaha. She saved my life!"
"Hmm." Ferris released Ryu, and the latter breathe a sigh of relief.
But then, Ryu felt a tingle near his torso and found that Ferris bit him. Ryu blinked. He was about to brush her off when a euphoric feeling swept over him. It was the same feeling when she touched his cock.
Ferris's eye dilated as she searched for Ryu's memories. It was an inherited ability used to see the past through their blood.
She had used it before on Ryu to know about the pentagrams and his origins but was repelled by the runes inside his body. But if it just happened a few days back, it was okay.
Ferris's eyes rounded, and she looked at Ryu in astonishment. "Those bite marks are from a Vamperic Wolf?!"
Ryu was still in a dazed. Face flush and a drop of saliva hang on his lips.
Ferris looked at the runes on the pentagram on Ryu's body. Noting was different. She saw that he overcame the lethal poison all by himself when he was alone with Cecily.
But that was impossible. If Ryu knew how to manipulate mana, then she wouldn't be shocked but . . .
She couldn't be sure, but . . . did Ryu developed immunity to the poison? Else why was he alive after those multiple bite marks from the Vamperic Wolf.
She'd test her theory if she had the time. But for now, . . .
Ferris shook Ryu's shoulder. "Ryu, do you want to come with me? let's get it out of here and have a life outside of the Kingdom!"
They could do that now that Ryu was no longer Cecily's servant! She could just break her seal. She hadn't tried it, but with her combined force, she's confident that she could break it.
Ryu blinked. He looked at Ferris's eager eyes. He knew she was serious. He didn't understand why he couldn't look much longer at the hope brimming in her eyes. "I . . . can't leave Cecily." He promised to be by her side.
". . ."
". . ."
Ferris bit her lip, and her chin crumpled. She then forced a smile and got up. "Fine!"
Ferris controlled her shaking voice as she turned towards the bathroom. "Anyway, since we're given this free day, we might as well explore this Kingdom!"
"Ferris."
Ferris stopped but didn't look at Ryu.
"I like Cecily . . . and I also like you . . . But if you wanted to go . . . I won't stop you."
A bitter smile crossed Ferris's face. "I know."
She then went into the bathroom with dilated crimson eyes.
But make no mistake. If Cecily still pushed your execution, as she said before, I'll burn this Kingdom atop her corpse.