Serendipity

Half a month later, a maid entered Liora's room, informing her that Caelum awaited her in the garden.

"Master Caelum awaits your presence in the garden, sect leader."

She went to the garden, excusing the two maids who followed her there. Caelum, smiling at the beautiful scenery with his arms crossed, greeted her warmly.

"How have you been, Liora?"

Meanwhile, Darian strolled through the market with two Bandu disciples.

"Hello, Young Master Darian!" a jewelry seller greeted him, and he returned the greeting with a warm smile. Darian approached the man's counter, noticing a hairpin, and decided to purchase it.

"Do you have a girl now, Young Master?" the man asked, as everyone in Golangane was aware of the four seasons' relationship status. Darian declined, expressing his interest in the hairpin.

After moving away from the counter, he asked the disciples, "Do you think this hairpin will look good on a woman?"

One disciple hesitated, saying, "I'm not sure. I doubt if any woman would even be attracted to it...."

Darian felt disappointed, realizing he might have wasted his money on a gift that wouldn't be appreciated. When asked who he bought it for, he dismissed the question, deciding to keep the hairpin.

Suddenly, chaos erupted in the market, and people began to run. Darian and his disciples stood their ground.

"Help! Please help me!"

Darian heard the voice and turned to the source immediately.

He saw a beast about to attack a person and swiftly intervened, slashing the creature in half. More beasts appeared, and Darian, puzzled by their presence, ordered his disciples to guide people to safety.

"Dan, Patrick, guide the people to safety!"

Activating magic on his sword and sheath, Darian engaged the beasts, swiftly dealing with them. The situation escalated when one beast glided in the air, faster and deadlier. Darian pursued it.

The last beast reached the demon realm's border. Darian, fearing intervention, rushed to stop it.

The matter would get more serious if the demon realm intervened. Nonetheless, he was surprised where these creatures came from.

Thus, he jumped on the beast, stabbing it mid-air.

Afterwards, the beast fell lifelessly onto the ground, and Darian incinerated it immediately.

"That was a heck of trouble," he said. He then walked out to the open, intending to return to Golangane.

Just at the moment, he discovered Thorian with royal guards at the realm.

Darian hid, following Thorian as he walked into a corner. The guards departed, and Darian, quick on his feet, found an invisible formation in the corner. Without hesitation, he entered, appearing in a dark and narrow space.

Five men, their swords bearing dragonfly imprints, approached him. Recognizing them as demon soldiers, likely from the demon king's palace at the realm's capital, Darian dispatched them one by one.

He changed into the last one's clothing and proceeded down the tunnel.

Just as he walked around a corner, Darian witnessed Thorian and the demon king engaged in a conversation in a room. Eavesdropping on their discussion, he heard the demon king's plea.

"I will give you as many demon pills as you want, so give me divine power. I don't care why you need the pills and the situation in Golangane; just make me more powerful," the demon king asserted.

Darian couldn't help but wonder why Thorian needed demon pills and what he was scheming after the murder of the emperor. He clenched his fist in frustration.

"That damn jerk!" He clenched his fist.

Suddenly, soldiers caught sight of Darian, and he found himself being chased. Out of the blue, Amara appeared, aiding him in escaping, though she was spotted by the soldiers. Reporting their encounter to the demon king, he ordered the capture of the two, dead or alive.

Thorian, flabbergasted, smirked. "You are willing to kill your only daughter just to keep your secret? I didn't know you are this cruel."

"You aren't any better either. I wouldn't have made the decision if she hadn't crossed her boundaries." He said. "Anyways, I only need the guy dead. Even though I asked my soldiers to kill both, they won't dare do that to their princess."

Darian quickly switched their hands, grabbing Amara instead, and they escaped through the invisible formation.

"How did you know the way?" Amara asked, and he explained entering the tunnel through it. He instructed her to stay close, moving at an incredible speed like the wind. Finally stopping at a safe distance, he released her hand.

It was then that Amara's hair fell freely into a long cascade.

Darian was agape at the transformation. If her hairpin hadn't fallen, he might not have seen her like this. It was as if she had been recreated into a beautiful goddess. She hastily wrapped her hair back.

"The hairpin must have fallen when you were moving," she lamented with a wry smile.

"Why don't you leave it like that?" Darian asked gently, dumbfounded. "You look pretty without the hairpin."

Amara glanced into his eyes, feeling her heart ache, but she concentrated and said, "Are you feeling sick, young master? I can take you to a nearby clinic to get treated. Huh?"

Darian felt he had made a joke of himself. She thought he was sick. He smiled wryly and brought out the recently bought hairpin, extending it to her.

"Since you insist on not leaving your hair unpacked, you can use this. I was told that it won't fit any woman, but I want to see for myself. Try it on." He smiled, and Amara gently accepted it.

She swiftly wrapped her hair and fitted the hairpin snugly at the top. Darian remarked, "It seems the hairpin was originally made for you, as it fits you perfectly. This is a gift from me, so use it always. I was wrong earlier — you are prettier with the hairpin."

Amara couldn't resist the warmth she felt. She hallucinated seeing fireworks and butterflies and actively felt a warm blush rise up her cheeks. Could she withstand falling for this man right here?