10. SUBDUE MELINDA

Melinda opened the door to the classroom and entered in a nonchalant attitude. entering the room she saw Arthur sitting on a huge velvet chair at the center of the room as he smiled at her very lightly.

Arthur's seemingly light smile mad her very irritated and uncomfortable somehow but she masked emotions very well as a trained assassin from childhood she was very good at masking her emotions.

said.

"welcome to hell, Bitch!!!" Arthur mocked her with a sinister expression on his face that even Melinda got chills on her spine. 

Seeing the drastic change in his expression, coupled with his sudden and unexpected outburst, left her utterly stunned. She opened her mouth, perhaps intending to retort, but the opportunity never came. Her words were silenced by a sharp *cling* sound echoing from behind her.

Startled, she turned abruptly to find that Sebastian had locked the door to the room. His back rested casually against the wooden frame, and a menacing smile stretched across his face—a grin that could only be described as predatory, like a hunter savoring the sight of its cornered prey.

A shiver coursed down her spine, and a bead of sweat slid slowly down the side of her forehead. It was clear now that she had been caught, though she hadn't yet entirely given up. For a brief moment, she focused on formulating an escape plan. Her sharp eyes scanned the surroundings, taking note of the closed door and the lack of movement outside.

A grave misunderstanding rose in her heart. she was alone in this room, with no one else present except these two—the frail boy she had dismissed as a weakling and his newly appointed butler. While Sebastian's unnerving smile unsettled her. Neither Arthur nor his butler radiated any aura of power or danger.

In her mind, Melinda quickly pieced together the situation with a smug sense of superiority. This foolish boy had dared to face her alone, without alerting anyone or calling for reinforcements. To make matters worse, he had chosen to rely solely on a butler who, by all appearances, was no stronger than an average man. A wry smile crept across her lips as she assessed the odds in her favor.

"Ha! Such utter foolishness!" Melinda burst into laughter, her voice echoing through the room, her gaze fixed on Arthur as though he were the most naïve and ridiculous person she had ever encountered.

Arthur, unfazed by her reaction, raised an eyebrow and asked with an exasperated tone, "What's so funny, Melinda? Did you eat something strange this morning?"

Her laughter came to an abrupt halt, replaced by a disdainful scoff. "Hmph! Fool," she sneered, her tone dripping with arrogance. "I am a level 60 assassin. Do you really believe that you lowly bastards can defeat me by surrounding me like this? Your greatest mistake was not informing anyone about my presence. Now, get ready to die—both of you."

Arthur listened to her haughty declaration, feeling a wave of secondhand embarrassment wash over him. He couldn't help but cringe at the overly dramatic, cliché nature of her speech. It reminded him all too well of countless similar scenarios he had read in novels during his past life.

"Oh, great," he muttered under his breath, shaking his head in dismay. "It's the 'legendary face-slapping' scene. Classic."

His thoughts wandered briefly as he observed her inflated confidence. What kind of assassin goes around revealing their level and bragging to their enemies? Is this world seriously populated with idiots, or is her master the real genius who trained her to behave like this? He sighed, covering his face with his hand, utterly unimpressed by the situation unfolding before him.

Melinda, misinterpreting his reaction, felt her confidence swell. She assumed Arthur was succumbing to regret and despair, exactly as she had intended. "Haha!" she mocked, her voice laced with condescension. "There's no escape for you now. Just accept your fate quietly, and I might even make your death quick and painless. Resist, and I promise you'll regret it."

Arthur, thoroughly done with her antics, decided it was time to put an end to the nonsense. With a calm yet commanding voice, he issued an order to his butler. "Seb, restrain her for a bit, will you?"

{{this is the nickname Arthur gave to Sebastian}} 

The moment the words left his lips, Melinda's vision turned upside down—literally. She hadn't even registered what had happened, but in the blink of an eye, her feet were bound tightly by a black rope that seemed to shimmer with an eerie, otherworldly glow.

As her body dangled helplessly, Melinda's shock was palpable. She stared in disbelief at the rope binding her, its sinister aura filling her with a fear she had never experienced before. She turned her gaze to the butler she had dismissed as insignificant, but what truly horrified her was the young man she had underestimated was now exuding an aura so alien, so terrifying, that it seemed to drain every ounce of courage from her soul.

Her face turned pale as a ghost, her once-confident expression replaced with sheer terror. She wanted to scream, to call for help, but no words would come out. Her throat seemed paralyzed by the overwhelming dread she felt. Tears began to stream down her face uncontrollably, the weight of her predicament finally sinking in.

Arthur observed her reaction with a raised eyebrow, his expression unreadable. he was too shocked by the feat Seb had performed reminding him of the vast difference between between him and Seb.

"But this was to be expected, after all," Arthur mused. He had known it the moment he first laid eyes on Sebastian's stat window. Even then, he had anticipated that witnessing Seb's power in action would leave him stunned. However, seeing such abilities displayed in reality was an entirely different experience—far more jarring than he had imagined.

His gaze briefly lingered on the black rope, its eerie, glowing surface exuding an air of mystery. Arthur but feel curious about the artifact, but since it belonged to Seb, he refrained from asking questions. After all, as long as Seb remained useful to him, Arthur had no qualms about respecting the butler's privacy regarding certain matters. Seb wasn't a slave, and Arthur had no intention of treating him as one.

Turning his attention to the now-shivering Melinda, who had fallen completely silent, Arthur approached her. Standing just a breath away, he leaned down slightly, locking eyes with her. His voice was calm, but his words carried the weight of unshakable resolve as he activated the sight of genesis

"i have only one question

and you have only one chance"

"tell me Melinda who is it?"

Arthur's demeanor had shifted entirely. Gone was the casual and lighthearted aura he carried moments ago. His words now bore an intensity that left no room for negotiation. He wasn't interested in her motives or the mastermind's grand schemes. All he wanted was a name—a single lead to root out the person responsible for orchestrating his assassination attempt.

he already knew that the only reason one would like to kill him was to make the duke heirless as it would ensure that if tomorrow the duke died because of unforeseen circumstances and did not have a heir the ownership of the fief would be transferred to someone else the emperor saw fit.

he had speculated that the person who wanted his doom must be either from the imperial family or some other noble but he didn't care that much he would just kill anyone who blocked his path to a carefree life.

"lift the restriction from her speech Seb" Arthur commanded 

but as soon as the restriction from her speech was lifted she screamed like a pig on a slaughter table.

"AAAAAAHHH! You demon! Don't think you'll escape the aftermath of this! He'll kill you and everyone you care about! Hahaha, you son of a bi—"

Before she could finish her venomous speech, Seb moved with lightning speed, slapping her hard across the face. The force of the blow was enough to fracture her jaw, even though Seb had held back considerably.

Her speech was immediately restricted again, leaving her unable to do more than writhe in pain on the ground. Tears streamed down her face , her arrogance crumbling under the weight of her agony.

Despite being trained as an assassin, Melinda had led a sheltered existence as the prince's plaything. She had grown conceited, assuming her future was secure as long as the prince ascended the throne. Her skills had stagnated because she never bothered to improve, believing her beauty and status were enough to guarantee her success.

Now, as she lay battered and broken, she realized the folly of her assumptions. She had been nothing more than a disposable tool, and in her moment of greatest need, no one came to her rescue. The searing pain and the humiliation of her predicament forced her to confront the truth: she was utterly powerless.

Desperation etched itself onto her face. Determined to save her life, Melinda began nodding furiously, her muffled cries signaling her submission. Her tear-streaked eyes locked onto Arthur, silently begging for mercy.

Seb, ever observant, noticed the shift in her demeanor. Turning to Arthur, his expression cold and detached, he said, "Master, it seems she has changed her mind."