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Chapter 287: Catching Rats
Aldrian sensed someone approaching the room and instantly recognized it was his father! He felt his father’s presence right in front of the closed door, followed by a knock.
Aldrian glanced at Princess Loraine. Although his face remained expressionless, she understood the unspoken warning. She knew better than to try anything foolish, as the consequences would be severe. A sense of foreboding gripped her—offending this man, who seemed to hold the Lust Devil’s life in his hands, was not something she dared to risk.
"Excuse me, Your Highness, may we speak for a moment?" Aldrey’s voice resonated. 𝓷ℴ𝓿𝓹𝓾𝓫.𝓬ℴ𝓶
Princess Loraine, fully aware of what she needed to do, responded promptly. Aldrian had already deactivated the soundproof formation that had been shielding the room.
"I’m sorry, Young Master Aldrey, but this is an inconvenient time for me to have a conversation. I’m in the middle of changing my clothes. We can speak after I’m finished," she said.
Aldrey heard her response and sighed.
"My apologies, Your Highness. I will speak to you later," he said before walking away.
Aldrian continued to track his father’s movements, and once Aldrey was far enough, he turned back to look at Princess Loraine.
"Good. Now, let’s get back to business. I want you to abandon all the plans the devils assigned to you. Don’t even think about tarnishing or framing the Flamecrest family’s name. Additionally, if the devils ask you for any information, I want you to feed them false details. Whatever you say, do not give them the truth. Confuse them at every turn, leaving them unable to grasp the situation in this empire."
Princess Loraine seemed lost, unsure of what to do. She couldn’t think straight and wanted to ask what was happening, as everything felt oddly out of place. She continued to receive updates about her lover from the devils, instructing her that the Lust Devil needed her to do this or that. Since she knew the Lust Devil rarely had time to communicate with her directly, she didn’t find it strange and simply carried on as she always had.
However, the young man in front of her claimed that the Lust Devil’s life was in danger and that he was holding him hostage. He also possessed the Chain of the Underworld’s Guardian, which convinced her that this man was genuine. Did this mean the devils had hidden the truth and were merely using the Lust Devil’s name to manipulate her into acting according to their plans?
"Let me speak with Rodwin first. I want to make sure he’s okay," she insisted, still determined to confirm whether Rodwin was truly in this young man’s captivity. Canceling the plan would mean the devils’ scheme would collapse instantly—especially since this man wanted her to provide them with false information.
If there was a chance that this young man’s words were false, then she would be the one responsible for putting the Lust Devil in danger. After all, she had been told that this plan was the Lust Devil’s own.
"Do you want me to bring Rodwin’s limbs instead?" Aldrian suddenly asked, his tone calm yet chilling.
"Wait, no! Please, I just want to hear his voice first, just to make sure he’s okay," she replied frantically, her voice trembling.
"I see. Perhaps I’ll bring his limbs next time—or maybe his head?" Aldrian said with an indifferent expression before disappearing from sight.
Princess Loraine stood frozen for a moment, stunned, before frantically looking around.
"Wait! No! I’ll do it! I’ll do it! Please, just don’t hurt him," she cried desperately.
Her thoughts were in chaos. If this man was serious, then the Lust Devil was indeed in danger. She had no choice but to pick what she believed was the safest option for now.
Aldrian reappeared, gazing at the princess lost in her blind love. She was so madly devoted to the Lust Devil that she couldn’t think clearly whenever his name was mentioned. This was incredibly convenient—no different from having a pawn that required little effort to control.
It was now certain that the princess didn’t care about the devils’ plans or schemes. To her, nothing else mattered but the Lust Devil; her loyalty was solely his.
"I hope you keep your word later. Don’t add to Rodwin’s pain," Aldrian said, gripping her guardian knight’s forehead and erasing his memories of him.
The princess bit her lip, remaining silent. It was the only thing she could do.
Not long after, Aldrian vanished from sight. She realized he was gone and wouldn’t be returning for now.
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Aldrian reappeared in the city plaza, not far from Sylphia. He watched her, enjoying her cotton candy, and couldn’t help but smile. He walked closer from behind, and even when he stood right behind her, she didn’t sense his presence. He didn’t seem to mind, though, content to simply observe his woman’s behavior.
He gazed at the remnants of the cotton candy on the stick in her hand for a moment. With a swift motion, he bit into it while grabbing her shoulder. Sylphia, startled by the sudden move, attempted to pull away but froze when she recognized the familiar scent and sensation.
She looked to her side and saw Aldrian’s smiling face. Sylphia smiled too, but then pouted when she realized her cotton candy was almost finished. He just smiled and sat beside her, leaning in to kiss her adorable, pouty face.
Unable to keep her composure, Sylphia smiled shyly and leaned her head on his shoulder.
"Done?" she asked, to which Aldrian responded with another kiss on the top of her head.
"Done. After this, the Flamecrest will have the burden on their shoulders pretty much relieved. Even if there are still some opinions against them, they will be greatly reduced. Maybe we can catch a few rats while we’re at it," he said.
Sylphia lifted her head and looked at Aldrian. "Rats?"
Aldrian continued smiling. "Yes, rats. Do you want to catch them?"
Sylphia knew that Aldrian was playing with words. If the "rats" he referred to were the bad people, she would gladly help him catch them. This could also serve as her training, as it had been a long time since she had been involved in a fight.
Aldrian already had a plan in mind before the princess’s announcement. He was certain that there would be someone from the devils in the crowd when she revealed the imperial family’s investigation. He suspected that they were infiltrators or sleeper agents, observing the operations or even communicating with the princess or anyone connected to the devils.
If his conclusion was correct, he could flush out their network inside Flamecrest City, or even across the Vindas Empire.
"Of course, I’ll help you catch the rats. I don’t like rats anyway," Sylphia said.
Aldrian simply smiled and enjoyed his time with Sylphia. The time for the announcement wasn’t far off, so he figured he could wait here. After about two hours, a commotion suddenly erupted from the direction of the Flamecrest family’s mansion. Aldrian and Sylphia then saw a group of people approaching, and Aldrian recognized that his father was among them.
There was also, of course, Princess Loraine and her guardian knight, Sir Klain. Her guardian knight had already woken up, and from the outside, he appeared to be fine.
"Let’s go approach them. We can’t miss their announcement," Aldrian said to Sylphia. They then walked closer to the platform, which had just been erected using some kind of artifact.
Princess Loraine acted as she usually did, with graceful movements and a warm smile that made everyone present admire her. Her beauty was striking, making her incredibly popular among the populace, even in this city.
For a long time, the people of Flamecrest City had considered the princess to be the woman worthy of Young Master Aldrey. They knew how genius and great Aldrey, the ’Fire Apostle,’ was. There was no woman worthy of him except someone of Princess Loraine’s caliber.
Princess Loraine waved her hand, showing her smile to the masses, but then she accidentally glanced at Aldrian’s figure. She only looked at him for a split second, seeing his slight smile—one full of deep meaning. She quickly redirected her gaze to the others. Was he still here, watching to see if she kept her word?
She felt frustrated and nervous, but she didn’t show it outwardly. The people didn’t notice anything strange about the princess, so they continued cheering for her. She maintained her composure so that no one would detect her unease and finally stepped onto the platform.
Aldrian also looked at her with a smiling face, just like the others here, so nothing seemed strange. However, no one knew that the entire plaza was already covered by his domain. His senses spread, searching for certain people who appeared suspicious. The hunt for the rats had already begun!
