Raymond approached Lyla as she lay on the floor, and carefully lifted her up, leaning her against the wall. He then called out to Jasmine, who quickly rushed over to them.
"Jasmine, please bring some water," Raymond instructed.
Jasmine hurriedly poured a cup of water and handed it to Lyla, who drank it down eagerly. Raymond watched her with concern, noting the hollow look in her eyes and the exhaustion etched on her face.
"Miss Becca, we need to talk," he asked, his voice softening.
Lyla looked up at him, her eyes filled with a mixture of shame and pain.
"Tell me, who sent you? I might spare your life if you are honest!"
"Would you really spare my life after I tried to kill you?" Lyla asked feeling hopeful. But remembering her orders she lowered her head.
"Well, no matter what your intentions were, you did save my Jasmine's life. For that, I owe you one. Moreover, you are just a tool being used by someone, if I kill you here then they will send someone else after me."
Raymond said reassuringly. It was better to remove the root of the problem. There was also another reason why he was sparing Lyla's life, and that was— pity.
He was reminded of Jasmine when she was first brought into Clover Manor. She was scared and would often apologise for even the slightest of mishaps.
It took a long time for Raymond and his father to bring her out of her slave mentality. Looking at Lyla, he could only imagine how messed up her life must have been.
"So? How about it?" Raymond extended his hand towards her. "Tell me about the one who wants me dead in exchange for your life."
"I am sorry, Raymond. I really want to tell you but I can't go against my orders…"
Raising his eyebrows in surprise hearing his real name from her mouth, he smiled.
"Hmmm, so it's someone who knows my real identity. Interesting! Is it the Clovers who are after my life?"
"No!" Lyla quickly denied it.
"Then it has to be someone influential. Is it the emperor?"
That didn't make any sense to him. Why would the emperor want him dead? But he might as well start with the biggest fish in the ocean, that's why he went straight for the emperor.
Seeing her shake her head, Raymond scratched his chin.
"It has to be one of the dukes, isn't it? They would definitely do it to weaken the Clover Family!"
"Uhm, No!" Lyla flinched hearing the dukes being mentioned.
[Hah! He is not that dumb, after all.]
Heartsbane liked where this was going. It was only a matter of seconds before he figured out the real culprit.
"So, it is one of the dukes! Hmm, is it Goldburns or is it Brownhearts."
And then it clicked in his head. Lyla had used shadows when attacking him.
"Tch, tch, it was so easy!"
"What do you mean, Master?"
Jasmine asked curiously, seeing him shaking his head.
"Well, it's the Denvers! Who else is daring enough to use slave collars in the empire?" He pointed at Lyla. "And besides, she has an affinity with Darkness. Am I right, Miss Becca? Wait! Is that even your real name?"
"It's Lyla. My name is Lyla Violet."
Lyla quickly picked up her jaw that was on the floor and answered him.
"Figures! They wouldn't hesitate to put a collar on their baseborn daughter. That's how they are!"
Raymond was taught about all the noble houses of the empire when he was a kid as a part of his history lessons. His father had specifically warned him about the cruelness of Denvers, who would kill their own kin for benefits.
"Wow! You are so smart, Master!"
Jasmine clapped her hand proudly. Her master was so smart. Seeing her clapping, Raymond's lips twitched.
"What is so smart about it? Anyone with half a brain can figure it out!"
"Master, are you calling me brainless?"
"Argh! Stop asking rhetorical questions instead tell me where the Denvers are located in the Capital City!"
Raymond barked loudly, he didn't want to engage in an argument with her at this moment.
"Hmph! They have many mansions across the Capital."
Raymond took out a paper from the half destroyed desk and handed it to Jasmine.
"Write it down, all of them!"
"En."
She quickly started writing every location she knew.
Meanwhile, Raymond looked towards Lyla who was repeatedly blinking her eyes and was looking lost.
"Say, do you want to get rid of that collar?"
"Huh?"
Lyla's eyes sparkled when the words of freedom reached her ears.
"Y-yes…"
"Tell me clearly, I didn't hear it!"
Her eyes shone with hope as she clenched her fists harder and resolved herself to see this through.
"I want to be free, Raymond. Please help me."
"Good! Then come along, let's get you out of that collar."
Lyla stood up and stood by his side. She felt the confidence rising in her as she looked at his determined face.
"Here, Master. I have it written down."
"Thanks. You stay here and take care. I will be back before you know it."
With that, he grabbed Lyla's hand and rushed out of their room.
*******
Egon Phoenix groggily opened his eyes as the sounds of a woman moaning reached his ears, gradually waking him up.
He was startled to find himself in an unfamiliar room and being tied to a chair with his magic sealed.
"Aanh! So good, Hubby~"
"Yes, just like that, call me Hubby, Scarlett!"
Soon his eyes landed on the bed placed at the far side of the room and his memories came back to him looking at the blonde-haired man on the bed.
That's right. He was coming back to the Capital after collecting taxes from a nearby town, when he was ambushed by some people and was caught off guard.
Looking at the red haired woman on the bed, Egon's anger shot through the roof.
'It's that fucking Felix Denver! What a pathetic man, hiring a woman to roleplay as my sister.'
But soon his anger turned into panic, as he realised his situation.
"You bastard! How dare you abduct the prince of the empire? Have you gone mad?"
He was completely ignored by Felix, who was engaged in his roleplaying game.
"Damn, you! Just wait till my father finds out!"
He screamed in frustration and started looking around in fear trying to find something to escape.
"Someone help—"
-Crash!
-Crack!
Just as he was about to call out for help when he could find nothing to escape, there was a sound of crashing as the wall cracked open.
Dust and debris flew everywhere filling the room with smoke.
"Wh-who is there?"
Felix asked as he quickly got out of the bed and carefully walked towards the place where the crashing sound came from.
"It's me, your father!"
Raymond's voice echoed out in the room as he stepped out of the smoke with Lyla following behind.
"You! Who are you?"
Felix was instantly on alert as he circulated his mana preparing to attack. But his legs faltered as soon as he saw Lyla.
"You bitch! What are you doing here? Didn't I tell you to bring that trash's head?"
"Yeah, that trash is me! Sorry, my body came along with my head. You see, they have grown up together ever since I was born, so they are kind of inseparable at this point!"
Raymond sneered as he dodged a projectile made of shadows coming his way.
"What the hell are you talking about?!"
Felix raged hearing the annoying voice of the man in front of him. He was pissed off for being interrupted during his fun time and now he felt like he was being mocked by this man.
"Brother, this is the target of my mission and just as you have ordered I have brought his head here."
Lyla said coolly, she was trying to goad him into taking out that metallic disk that acted as a controller for her choker.
Sure enough, Felix didn't disappoint her as he took out a red disk from his spatial ring and laughed at her cruelly.
"Haha, it seems like you have forgotten about your place. No matter, I am here to remind you!"
Felix calmed down after assessing the situation. If this man was Raymond then there was no reason to worry about him. He was just a trash in the Martial Minor realm.
"Now, now, dear sister, why don't you kill that trash? I have some important things to do."
With that, he tried to inject his mana into the disk trying to control Lyla. But for some reason, it felt painful to move mana through his hand.
His eyes widened in horror when he looked down to see his hand bent at an odd angle and the disk gone from his hand.
"Argggghh!"
He fell to the floor writhing in agony.
"Hmm, what is this disk? It looks nice!"
Raymond who was standing next to Lyla asked as he examined the disk curiously.
"T-that's the controller to my choker!"
Lyla's voice shook looking at the disk in Raymond's hand.
"Does that mean, if I destroy it you will be freed?"
"Unfortunately, no! As long as this collar is around my neck, they can control me with other artefacts similar to that disk…"
Lyla felt the wave of despair wash over her when she realised that fact. It was still a pipe dream to get rid of the collar without harming her brain. As soon as someone tried to remove it forcefully, her brain would be fried by the current produced by the collar.
"Hahahaha! That's right, bitch! You might have been able to snatch it from me, but you are still my slave, hahahaha!"
Felix laughed at her plight even though he was feeling intense pain from his hand. It felt so good to watch her despair.
"Now, don't be a fool and kill that bastard! I will only torture you for a month as a punishment for making trouble!"
Felix was still thinking that Lyla was the one who had snatched the disk from him. There was no way it was Raymond.
But he found it strange that Lyla was rebelling against him. She had never dared to do that before. Realisation dawned upon him as he looked at Raymond's handsome face.
'Don't tell me, this bitch fell for him instead of killing him?'
His chest heaved up and down in anger. Lyla was his property, how dare someone else steal her!
"Is that so? Then if I remove the collar, can you be freed?"
Hearing Raymond's question, Felix felt his anger replaced by amusement.
"Hahahaha! In your dreams, bastard! No one can take it out before it fries her brai—"
-Rip!
-Pak!
"Huh?!"
Felix caught the thing that was thrown at him.
"H-how?!"
He pinched his thighs to make sure it wasn't a dream. This was impossible. There was no way he had the ripped pieces of choker in his hand.
"Hehe, I am very good with my hands. Ask your mommy if you don't believe me!"