Sevianna couldn't decide whether she should thank him for giving her another opportunity to wear her favorite dress or cry from being overly sentimental. In the end, she could only keep these thoughts to herself.
Their date came to an end, and Adounis was satisfied. A growing desire bloomed in his heart, telling him he could do this every day—if only he could capture her heart. He wanted to rush, but he was afraid of making a mistake.
Their journey back home mirrored their journey to Stella Kingdom. The only difference was the teddy bear clutched to Sevianna's chest and the gentler atmosphere between them.
It wasn't long before two weeks had passed, and they were once again sitting in the same carriage they had taken to Stella Kingdom, heading toward the main castle. Adounis had brought everyone along for this trip, leaving a few guards behind to protect his castle.
When they arrived at a tall, pure black gate, the guards merely swept their gaze over the grand parade and immediately opened the gate. Sevianna noticed that the kingdom's central theme revolved around dark-toned colors and a love for floating buildings. The roads, too, were suspended, with a large pool of lava beneath them. Here, the devils were more unreserved, showing off their wings and horns without hesitation.
They headed toward the western part of the kingdom, and what fascinated Sevianna the most was a castle that appeared to be upside down. Turns out, that was Adounis' castle in the main city. Although the exterior of the castle was inverted, the interior remained completely normal.
There were more than two rows of people waiting for their arrival. Adounis got down first, but he only took one step onto the ground before turning back to Sevianna, his hand outstretched, intending to help her down.
She suddenly experienced a sense of déjà vu.
Sevianna's lips curled up slightly. It had only been a month and a half, but her heart was already starting to heal. She lowered her head to hide her delighted expression, but Adounis had already noticed her small change. He was startled into a daze. Wouldn't it be wonderful if he could see her wide, sweet smile?
Sevianna placed her hand in his palm, but Adounis didn't react immediately. "Adounis?"
Adounis blushed when he heard her soft voice. His hand holding hers gently tightened, and he carefully guided her off the carriage.
"Welcome back, Your Highness. Welcome, young miss."
The moment Sevianna stepped out, the people greeted them in unison. They had been explicitly warned before their arrival that a new lady boss was accompanying their master, and that the consequences for offending her were far worse than offending their master. The statement had left them utterly shocked.
Sevianna was taken aback by their greeting. She turned to Adounis and understood. He had done this for her. She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to cool her swelling happiness. Such a touching consideration, but she had to act like she dared not believe it.
The Demon King's birthday was a grand celebration. Every influential person, from the compounds of the main city to the corners of the world, had been invited. For Sevianna to attend this major banquet as Prince Adounis' slave, it was inevitable that she would be privately scrutinized.
Her dual aura had also spread, and rumors about her being the child of an angel and a devil quickly became the hottest topic. When the king heard this, his already low opinion of Sevianna dropped drastically. It could be said that he was not pleased to hear about another "bastard" child aside from the "bastard" prince.
So, before the banquet even began, Sevianna's reputation in higher devil society had fallen to such a low point, filled with disgust and hostility.
However, the person herself did not care, nor did she care to think about giving any gift to the king. If it weren't for the feeling that her heart was steadily opening up again, she might have entertained the idea of crashing the party. She had heard that the Demon King was the strongest, so maybe he could end her suffering?
The party was held at night in the largest ballroom of the main castle. Decorative treasures were brought out to be displayed, and an extravagant array of food was laid out on the side. All the guests wore formal dresses and suits. Despite some freely exposing their large wings, the ballroom was spacious enough that no one felt restricted in their movements.
By this time, about a hundred guests had arrived. Most of them were from the lower and middle classes, as it was an unspoken rule that arriving later than the higher classes was considered rude.
As the gates were swarmed with numerous carriages, fireworks lit up the night, while citizens celebrated together in their own households.
When the higher classes had arrived, the only people left were the Demon King, His Highness Adounis, and the "bastard" child.
Out of the three, the Demon King was the first to appear.
All the devils dropped to one knee, placing their right hand over their left chest. Their heads were bowed in respect. Some of them were truly reverent, while others faked it. No matter the place or the situation, there would always be at least two sides in the face of power.
The Demon King had long black hair and abyss-like eyes. He had long since stopped aging, and his features were strikingly similar to Adounis'—save for the fact that he was more masculine.
The King glanced around the room but didn't see his two sons. One of them was his favorite, and the other he outright ignored. Though he couldn't bring himself to scold his favored son, he had long grown accustomed to the other's insolence.
Just then, a man with silver, medium-length hair stepped through the two large doors into the ballroom. His regal aura undoubtedly matched that of the Demon King. He strode gracefully and leisurely, like a lazy leopard under the bright rays of the sun.
The Demon King's face remained covered in shadow. This son of his was one of his regrets in life. He had deliberately neglected him, yet he had actually grown strong on his own, without his guidance.
As everyone arrived one by one, Adounis, in his royal attire, sat calmly on a sofa. He watched the closed door intently and waited patiently for Sevianna to finish dressing. After what seemed like thirty minutes, the door finally moved.
Sevianna emerged, wearing her off-white dress and gloves, with half of the back of her hair styled to resemble a rose, while the other half draped over her neck and shoulders. She looked like a princess from a fairytale.
Adounis took a sharp breath, sweeping his hair back as he tried to suppress his raging emotions.
Sevianna paused when she saw his actions. Shen Yan's image suddenly overlapped with Adounis, giving her a scare. But then she realized that, even though he didn't have his memory, he still retained some of his small habits—habits too inconspicuous for anyone else to notice, except for her.
"Let's go," Adounis finally calmed himself and held Sevianna's hand.
"Wait," Sevianna gripped his hand to stop him, then touched the collar on her neck. "Can you do something about this?"
Her question made Adounis show his stubborn side, leaving Sevianna speechless. "I don't need you to take it off. It just doesn't make sense with my outfit."
Adounis was startled, his ears reddening in embarrassment. He had actually shown her such a shameful side of himself. He coughed to mask his awkwardness before reaching for the slavery collar. In the ancient language of this world, he said, "Turn into a necklace."
A dark light glowed from his hand, engulfing the collar. In the next second, the collar transformed into a black choker with three crystal stones at the front. It was simpler and more suitable for Sevianna's dress.
Sevianna nodded in thanks and no longer interrupted him as he led her to the ballroom.
Since the party was very formal, Sevianna couldn't bring Lily as her stuffed toy, so she returned to her mind. Sevianna had wanted Lily to simply play in her room, but Lily refused to miss anything juicy.
They were already at the main castle and had been changing in a side building. This building had been given to Adounis by his father for his convenience.
The tense atmosphere in the ballroom was reaching its peak when, in the silence, two pairs of soft footsteps echoed from outside the ballroom doors.
Everyone immediately turned to look at the entrance. They already knew who it was going to be, but the one they were expecting to see was the rumored slave.
And their expectations were not disappointed, but their pride took a tremendous hit.
By Adounis' side, a beautiful, cold-faced lady seemed to bring a winter chill to the ballroom. Her remarkable demeanor made her presence feel like that of a queen. The slavery collar they had expected to see had transformed into a simple yet beautiful piece of jewelry.
Their shock had not yet had time to settle when they saw that their ever-emotionless prince wore a doting smile, his eyes fixed on the lady by his side.
They matched! It wasn't a case of one being too beautiful or too regal. Neither overwhelmed the other, nor did they suppress each other's aura. They simply fit perfectly together.
The girls who had hoped to see the slave embarrass herself felt their cheeks burn. One of them, Vergina, stared at Sevianna with undisguised hostility.
Vergina no longer wore a maid outfit, but a dress befitting her title as the daughter of the prime minister. However, in that moment, she looked more like a malicious spirit.
The Demon King had not expected this either, and it only fueled his anger. A seducer! His son must have been bewitched by this wench!
His vicious stare was too obvious, and Sevianna noticed it immediately. She turned to meet his gaze, her back straight and her face calm. She did not back down.
Everyone was stunned. This girl could withstand His Majesty's stare and not cower? Besides Prince Adounis and the "bastard child," this rumored slave actually had the mental strength to remain composed under the Demon King's glare?!
The Demon King's impression wavered, but he stubbornly believed that Sevianna had simply been lucky. He tried again to assert his power through his gaze.
Sevianna met his subtle attack head-on. But honestly, it was useless. No matter how strong it was, if it was a devil's magic, it couldn't touch her. Her immunity to dark attributes made her invulnerable to such forces. She wouldn't even break a sweat if this continued forever. But no one knew she was a fallen angel.
Meanwhile, Lily was sipping away in Sevianna's mind, like a madam watching a child, "Tsk tsk tsk"-ing multiple times. Sevianna had to fight the urge to burst into laughter.
Adounis' face went ghastly pale when he sensed his father's growing strength. He decisively pulled Sevianna behind him and used his own force to counter his father's, causing the air around them to rage uncontrollably.
"Father, that's enough!"
The Demon King was startled by his son's interjection, but he didn't stop or add more force. With furrowed brows, he said, worry lacing his voice, "Adounis, you've been bewitched! I can understand your leniency toward your bastard younger brother because of blood relation. But do you really have to favor a bastard child too?!" He stood up in his rage.
Adounis's pale face abruptly turned red. "Watch your mouth!"
The Demon King was pained to see his doted son actually retort to him so aggressively. He blamed it all on that girl! "Adounis! Must I make you eat a cleansing pill to snap you out of it?!"
Cracks suddenly formed in the floor beneath Adounis. His father was serious—he had actually increased his power.
The Demon King truly lived up to his name. No matter how terrifyingly Adounis had risen in strength, he was still no match for him.
Adounis gritted his teeth, his brows knitting in pain. But he didn't back away, knowing Sevianna was right behind him. His eyes conveyed the stubborn love he had kept hidden, his soul also stirring.
"I'm the one pursuing her! She doesn't even love me!" With those words, dark clouds filled his eyes, heavy with helplessness and heartache.