She finally couldn’t hold back her plea, “Too… too much. What I’m feeling… it’s just… too much!!”
Every sense was amplified to near its limit, the world turning into a roaring storm of noise.
Seraphina collapsed onto the bed, curling her body inward as tears streamed uncontrollably down her face, each drop burning with a painfully clear heat!
Movira leaned down to undo the silken cords binding Seraphina, her fingertips occasionally brushing against Seraphina’s wrists, causing even more intense shivers to ripple through her.
“Let me relieve some of that ‘pain’ for now. You can answer the questions now, right? As long as you answer, no matter what it is, I’ll take away this state for you.”
“No, no, I won’t run away again!” She practically crawled before Movira, even though her body was so sensitive that the friction of her clothes caused excruciating sensations, she still did so.
“Oh? Is that so? I want to hear the most honest answer!”
Her ears instantly flushed crimson, signaling that Seraphina was about to attempt another escape.
“Uh…” Seraphina’s face twisted slowly, squeezing out the last fragments of reason through tight vocal cords, “I would… if I had the chance…”
“That would’ve been easier earlier! But, the effect of taking back the potion only lasts for three seconds!”
Movira smiled as she leaned close to Seraphina’s face and raised a finger, “Three…”
Even if it was only three seconds, it felt like ten thousand years in Seraphina’s mind.
“Two…”
“Please… hurry…” she begged silently, without a shred of dignity.
“One! Take!”
“Smack!” At the last second, Movira suddenly grabbed Seraphina’s bare shoulder, the sensation so fierce that Seraphina felt as if someone were violently whipping her body.
Even though it was just a gentle grab…
At that instant, the pain forced Seraphina to throw back her head, grit her teeth, and her eyes involuntarily rolled upward from the sharp sting.
*Thud!*
Seraphina completely collapsed onto the bed, sweat soaking her like a fish pulled from water. Her overly sensitive senses made even simple breathing torture.
Before her consciousness completely dissolved, the last thing she saw was Movira’s satisfied smile and the Notebook that had somehow appeared in Erasia’s hands…
“The effect is better than expected! Hmph, still want to run away… but I won’t break my promise on the reward either.”
Her awareness floated in and out like drifting in an endless ocean, and Seraphina struggled to gather her scattered senses.
Her eyelids fluttered a few times before she finally forced them open.
Severe headache and body weakness instantly reminded her of the humiliations she had just endured. The silken cords binding her limbs were gone, but the remaining marks were shocking to behold.
Before she could take in the room or think about why Movira was absent, a cold, resolute killing intent suddenly stabbed at her throat!
Instinct for survival forced her to roll sharply to the side despite her extreme weakness.
*Shhhk—!*
The sound of tearing fabric echoed as Seraphina fell hard onto the soft but icy carpet below, her shoulder aching from the impact.
She looked up in shock, only to see a figure lunging at the spot where she had just been lying, tightly gripping a sharply honed metal shard that had already pierced through the soft pillow she had been resting on!
“What’s going on?!”
Before Seraphina could fully react, the girl’s attack came at her again!
The terror overwhelmed her weakness, and she saw clearly the bone-deep hatred in the girl’s eyes, aimed unerringly at her—the so-called Princess Regent of the Demon Realm.
The girl had no recognition of Seraphina’s possible past; to her, Seraphina was simply a demon enemy that must be slain!
Seraphina could only clumsily roll and dodge again as the shard grazed her cheek, leaving a thin line of blood and burning pain.
“Damn demons! Die!” The girl’s curse was muffled but fierce, filled with the resolve of mutual destruction.
Seraphina’s heart began pounding wildly again, nearly exploding—not just from the sudden threat to her life, but from the cruel and absurd reality before her.
A proud human herself, yet being hunted and attacked by another human under the banner of demon-slaying!
Her body was still too weak; the drug’s aftereffects and prior torment made her limbs feel leaden, rendering her blocks and dodges clumsy.
The girl’s state wasn’t any better, but fueled by desperate hatred and reckless fury, her attacks were wild but ferociously relentless.
“Why… stop!” Seraphina somehow found strength and shoved the metal shard away from the girl’s hand, even though her own hands were cut in the process.
Still, even disarmed, Seraphina was no match for her.
At the same time, Seraphina’s plea only sounded like the hypocritical whisper of a demon to the girl, inciting even more savage killing intent. She suddenly lunged at Seraphina again, clutching her slender neck tightly, tears of madness filling her eyes.
“I’ll kill you! For those who died, I’ll have my revenge!”
The choking pressure came at once; Seraphina struggled in vain, her fingers weakly trying to pry open the girl’s grip. Reflected in her eyes was a face full of hatred from her own kind, the vast gulf in status and despair nearly drowning her.
*Bang!*
The door to the room was kicked open violently, and at the same time, the girl’s body was flung off Seraphina, crashing heavily into the wall, a muffled sound escaping her throat.
Seraphina coughed violently, gasping for air, a clear purplish bruise marking her neck.
She slumped onto the carpet, looking up at the subdued girl, who cursed her relentlessly even while being restrained. Her heart felt gripped by an icy hand.
Erasia strode steadily to Seraphina’s side. “Your Highness, are you alright?”
At the sound of “Your Highness,” Seraphina felt the girl’s gaze sharpen even further.
“Mm… I’m fine.”
“Looks like the surprise was a bit too lively.” Erasia’s tone was as calm as if chatting at a tea party. “Your Highness, I apologize for the disturbance. What will you do with this human who attempted to assassinate you?”
She emphasized the word “human” as if to mock Seraphina.
With Erasia’s support, Seraphina slowly rose from the floor, the bloodstains on her cheek painfully conspicuous.
She looked at the human who had nearly killed her, her eyes full of hatred…
“Keep her restrained for now. We’ll deal with her later…”