An apple on her head

Sylvia was purposefully dragging her feet. So Jane sighed and dragged her along as gently as she could.

Once the women were out of the shadows of the maid quarters, the morning sunlight completely drenched Sylvia, making her appear almost like a fairy.

She was wearing an elegant high neck white dress that trailed all the way down to her legs.

The lacy patterned design of the dress modestly exposed parts of her skin leaving the rest to the imagination.

Sylvia's long silver hair and her gorgeous blue eyes perfectly complemented her pure and innocent attire and she looked like an angel descended from the heavens.

As she walked into the central courtyard, the two men already standing there couldn't help but turn around and gaze at her unblinkingly.

The conversation that they were having had stopped midway and their full attention were on the woman in white.

Normally, Sylvia would have squirmed under Mikel's gaze, let alone when both princes were looking at her unabatedly.

But today she was too out of it to feel anything. She just blankly stared ahead like a lifeless doll.

Jane has to nudge her once again, reminding her to greet both the royal princes.

"Your highness," Sylvia mumbled her words incoherently and bowed without indifferently.

Her melancholic appearance and fragile actions only further accentuated her elegant beauty and both the men subconsciously swallowed hard.

Nicolas was the first man to snap out of his reverie and awkwardly chuckled.

"Ha Ha. Our guest of honor is here, brother. We should start the competition soon."

He then rubbed his hands together and added. "I am getting a little impatient."

Mikel vaguely nodded, his eyes still lingering on the woman in front of him.

"Oh and about the other thing, brother?" Nicolas anxiously asked.

Mikel once again wordlessly nodded.

He had already ordered for the castle to be cleared out this morning except for Jane and Sylvia.

The royal family's copy of the Grimoire was a high-level classified topic.

So both the princes wanted to keep this small strictly not allowed exchange under the wraps.

If the King came to know that Nicolas had allowed a branch family member to look at the book, the man really will skin him alive.

But Nicolas trusted Mikel enough to do this. So he didn't care too much. Not that he cared about much typically.

The young prince was known for being extremely jovial and carefree at all times and hence, his training in the battle magic severely lacking.

"Brother, let me tell you this now itself."

"Even in the off chance that you somehow hoodwink me and manage to win this wager, I can only loan you this book for one day, more specifically until dusk today."

"No matter what I need to return it back to the treasury by tonight else father will most definitely find out about this."

Mikel shrugged lightly. He finally peeled his eyes off of Sylvia and smiled gently. "That's more than enough time for me. Don't worry."

"Ok. Ok. Ok. Let's do this then." Nicolas clapped his hands.

Mikel chuckled coldly and signaled Jane to leave.

Sylvia was about to follow her, when the man's cold voice thundered out, stopping her in her tracks.

"Where are you going, my darling? You are the star of today's show."

Sylvia blinked and looked at the man questioningly.

Was it not enough that he was already trading her like a piece of land? He still needed more from her?

She was trying not to get emotional and do something stupid but the smug look on his face made her lose control.

While her lips did not part, her defiant eyes conveyed the anger, frustration, and helplessness roaring in her heart.

"You have such lively eyes, my dear." Mikel walked towards her and played teasingly with her long strands of delicate silver locks.

They were shimmering like a treasure in the bright sunlight.

He had expected the woman to have broken down completely but it looked like she still had some spirit left within her.

He chuckled coldly in amusement. "Come here. Walk with me."

Mikel turned around and started walking to the edge of the long courtyard.

Sylvia had no other choice but to follow him. For some reason, she had a feeling that her nightmare was just beginning.

"What are you doing brother?" Even Nicolas had no idea what was happening.

Mikel didn't answer him and continued walking all the way to the northern wall of the courtyard.

He then turned around and waited for Sylvia to reach as well, his face looking as cold as ever.

When Sylvia finally reached, the man casually grabbed her wrist and pulled her closer to him.

He then pushed her to the right, pinning her onto the wall, her back against it.

"Stay still, my dear. For your own good." He leaned closer and whispered in her ear, making Sylvia's body instantaneously stiffen up.

And before she could understand just what the hell was happening, a small apple appeared on her head.

"We can start now," Mikel spoke loudly, his cold gaze lingering on the confused woman.

He then vanished into thin air right in front of Sylvia and appeared at the other end of the courtyard near Nicolas.

"To make things interesting, for today's competition, we will be aiming for the apple on the slave's head."