Ring

The Duke immediately saw something different from his daughter, Evelyn.

The sunset-colored eyes shift into pure darkness and were looking lifeless, the black hair with a silver-blue tip hue at every end change into that of pure black.

Evelyn looks like a night goddess with her porcelain skin and her angelic face except for the look of emotionless.

The madness earlier seems to be a joke. But the Evelyn right now leaks an eerie aura.

It sends chills down in everyone who is present.

She waved her hand elegantly then a blasting wind enters the mansion, breaking the glass windows and blowing the candles that were lit.

Evelyn was like someone obtain her body and was taken control. She seems to be possessed.

As the Duke looked at Evelyn, he decides to deplete her mana or make her unconscious.

"Step back...!" said the Duke to the knights who went in front of him to safeguard the two.

"But Your Grace...!"

The duke with his sharp glance, only made the muscular knights shut their mouth.

He moves his body in a flash and tried to approach Evelyn, but her daughter looked at him like she expected the move.

He was surprised. It was like a person who is from the frontline, has the experience, and is calculating with no loopholes.

But no matter what, Evelyn's body was still that of a child. He has the advantage.

The Duke sneak an attack and got behind Evelyn and... -chuk!

He chopped Evelyn's neck using his firm hands and she falls on the ground with a loud bang.

The Duke didn't even catch Evelyn.

***

Evelyn peaking at the mirror-like visage inside the dark void. And saw the whole scene.

"That bastard just left my body like that!"

"Ah! I wish that wouldn't leave a bump in my head...!"

Then I remember that voice who called me and trap me in this nothingness!

"Hey! Answer me! Who the hell are you?! Where am I?!" I yelled. My voice only echoed going in the great distance.

I click my tongue.

"So how am I supposed to get out of here?"

I have a lot of problems right now.

One. The punishment that I'll face once I get out of here, or if I can really get out of here.

Two. What does the voice mean when he said that it's been a while?

Three. "How can I get out of here?!" I screamed.

Or wait...

"Is it better to just stay here, than to see those pair of a scumbag?"

"No! No! I can't... I've been inside this novel for a while. And I know that by now, the Crown Prince will propose an engagement with the Duke to me..."

I bit my thumb unknowingly while I started to talk about my situation.

"And not long after that, the assassin will sneak in and will try to harm me!"

"And I still need to get out of that engagement with the Prince!"

I laugh horribly... I can't help but make fun of my situation.

"...haaa... it seems that I can't get out of this imprisoned life."

While thinking deeply about how many plans I should make to get a hold of this pitiful life that I have, a voice called out to me.

"It seems that you still have a lot of problems, child." A voice of a young man ring in the empty space. It was addicting and has that charm.

I daze.

A voice chuckled and I answered back.

"What do you mean?"

"Who are you?" I asked.

The voice fell silent. And the desolate place that only darkness prevail was left accompanying me.

"Hey!" I yelled.

As the eerie place was making my body shiver.

"It seems that you have forgotten about me. I shall leave, Child. The right time will come when you know about me again." The voice said.

'What is he saying? What forgotten?' I ask myself.

"Don't worry, Child. I'll be with you when you need me. In the meantime, I'll silently wait for the time that you'll remember me."

"Wait... What are you talking about..."

The voice disappeared and my vision became blurry and a white light penetrated the dark void space.

Then I woke up. The next thing I know I was bound in my bed. Arms were tied side by side at the bed.

"What the hell is this?"

I pulled the rope that was tied in my hands… I tried to get out of it, but it was clutching my hands a bit tighter.

"I need to get out from here, before the Duke comes." I kick my tongue and grit my teeth with the scratches made by my forceful pull.

Then the door sang openly.

"So, you're awake." I stopped my movement and slowly turn my head.

My plan to escape was to stop with the fast arrival of the Duke.

"Care to explain why you behave like that Evelyn?" The Duke asked.

"Untie me first!" I pleaded. 'My arms hurt!'

The Duke only looked at me and said…"I will only untie you if you behave Evelyn, but what I can see if you still want to call your father a scum bug!?" he menacingly said.

Biting my lip. It was an angry expression that I said when I was full of frustration. And this Duke, who's ego as high as a skyscraper was insulted.

I hide my smirk and thought 'The first time to have someone offend and curse you in the face?' I'm pretty sure a lot of people including the royal family hate your gut to the core and curse you at your back.

This Father of mine, who's always been number one in the Kingdom only hears the song of praises. That I'm sure!

But he will never let me go if I don't swallow my pride here. The color drained out from my face when I think about that they'll lock me up here until the engagement of me and the Crown Prince.

Taking a deep breath, I sigh and eat my pride. I can' be tied here until the assassination!

"I'm sorry, Father." While my face was facing the white sheets, I said it through gritted teeth.

-Silence…

The Duke didn't respond.

'Was my sorry still not enough?! Do I need to cry for him to be convinced that I was sorry?' I grip my hands beneath the sheet.

'Fine… here goes nothing!'

I shyly looked at the face of my father and I squinted my eyes hard for tears to swelled up and I made a puppy eye.

'How's that sc*mbag! Now, untie me!'

Then my Father, who was satisfied with my pitiful appearance, smile. Thinking that he still won at the end.

The Duke looked at the butler and ordered to let me go.

I touched the red marks encircling my hand that was made by the rough rope tightly knot at my small arms.

'This sicko! How dare he do this to his child?!' I cursed at the duke.

"Sit… we need to talk!" My heart pound when I heard the Duke said.

'What punishment is it? I should just suggest my own punishment, then him the one deciding! This cold-stone face would not tolerate what I did.'

"Duke…! I know I was wrong. I don't know what happened to me to have the courage to say that. It must be about the recent event that's why I was on edge. I'll be doing my own probation duke. I can stay in my room for a month if you want."

The duke who heard what Evelyn said, creased his brows.

"You will do that? Silently?" The Duke inquired.

'tsk. He doesn't trust me!' I clutched the hem of my dress and nod at the duke silently.

'I don't have an upper hand here. I'm still thirteen! Once I become an adult! Three years from now! I'll leave here' I promise myself.

For now, the important thing is to abide by the Duke's wants.

Duke Keene only observe me, and he sigh.

"That's the only time that I can tolerate such behavior, Evelyn."

"Yes, Duke!" I said in an offbeat.

"I'm not here to hear you grumble about punishment and so on… I have news for you."

My heart started to pound faster again.

'What is it this time? I've had enough problems!' I frustratedly cursed at myself.

"Your brother will have a birthday ball and I need you to conduct yourself as an Emsworth!"

"Yes, Duke! I won't disappoint you." I said with assurance.

"You've already disappointed me, Evelyn. I only need you to act like a lady."

The Duke said that raise his body from the couch and started to walk out from the room when he stops and turns around to say something that he seems to forget.

"You're also getting engage with the Crown Prince in your brother's party."

My eyes slowly opened wide… my ears seem to be failing me.

"What?!" I was surprised.

'NO. It's too soon!