Harsh reality

After Prince Nicolas left, Mikel as well stood up to leave.

He casually walked past Sylvia without bothering to say anything else.

His eyes, however, fleetingly hovered on her for a split second before returning to their blank distant state.

Jane made sure that the man turned around the corner and she hurriedly rushed towards Sylvia's side.

"Oh dear, are you alright?"

Seeing that Sylvia was standing frozen like a statue, she was extremely worried.

Jane sighed. She didn't know how to console her.

It was indeed demeaning and traumatizing for anyone to be traded away like a piece of meat.

But it was normal for men of power and status to have several lovers, some as official mistresses, while others as mere maids and slaves.

This has been happening for decades and centuries and it was nothing new.

Jane, however, was slightly surprised that his highness had been intimate with Sylvia and even said such inappropriate words about her.

As far as she knew, the Prince had always been a kind and caring gentleman.

He was unlike other nobles and royals and seldom abused his power to violate women against their wishes.

In reality, he didn't have to do things like that in order to satisfy his needs.

Women, particularly women of status, many of them with exceptional beauty, threw themselves at Mikel constantly.

This was no secret. The man was dashing, gentle, charismatic, and absolutely captivating.

Even though his talent in magic was sub-par there was no end to women who were willing to become his lover.

But weirdly enough, Prince Mikel had always kept women at an arm's length.

He was not rude to them but at the same time he also didn't lead them on.

He was always polite and charming but curt.

So even Jane was shocked when she heard such vulgar words from the Prince and the fact that he had been intimate with Sylvia.

In all her years of working for his highness, she had never witnessed such an incident.

She couldn't help but look at Sylvia again and sigh. She looked ghastly pale and sad, but her beauty still shone.

Sometimes beauty was nothing but a curse.

"Let's go, dear. Why don't you head back to your room and take a rest?"

"There are no chores left anyways."

Jane tried her best and continued chatting with her, talking about random things, but Sylvia walked silently in a daze back to her room.

And once Jane left, after closing her room's door, tears rolled out of Sylvia's eyes uncontrollably.

She had only just now come to terms with her life as a slave.

She had thought that at most she would be a maid for the rest of her life.

Though this was not many young girls' dream, it was still a peaceful and uncomplicated life.

She could learn to live with just this. It was not too bad.

But before she could even digest this, the cruel man had tossed her away like she was nothing.

He was placing her as a bet, as something that could be won, that too against a mere book.

Sylvia's lips trembled.

Her fate now rested in the hands of two men, one who had spoken such obscene things about her and the other who had looked at her as if he was mentally undressing her.

Her worst nightmare was thinking about what would happen once Nicolas was also done with her.

Would she again be traded to another man?

Just how many times did she have to tolerate being humiliated and demeaned like this?

Was this her life now?

The cruel heartless bastard had told her that he was not interested in her body and he had other plans for her.

But in the end, it looks like all she would ever amount to was a sex slave.

Tears streamed out of Sylvia's eyes until they were red and swollen.

They didn't, however, manage to ease the helplessness and the frustrations that the woman felt.

What could someone like her even do? Someone so weak and powerless...

As long as she was weak, powerless and a nobody, her fate would always rest in the hands of others.

Sylvia was in too much pain and agony to notice it, but right at this moment, the crescent mark in the middle of her chest surfaced again.

It faintly glowed, emanating a soft golden light amidst her darkness.

Sylvia didn't know when she finally fell asleep but the next day morning, she woke up abruptly as she felt a pair of hands nudging her.

Panic and fear immediately flooded her senses and she backed away like a frightened animal, her eyes tightly shut.

Was she already traded? Were men here to take her away?

She bit her lips and awaited her fate when Jane's gentle voice sounded through her delusions.

"Dearie, wake up. Wake up fast. His highness is calling for you."

Sylvia had slightly relaxed when she heard Jane's voice but then she again froze on hearing the last sentence.

Jane quickly conjured up a pail of water for her to freshen up and helped Sylvia change her clothes.

The girl's hands were shaking too much, so Jane took over and hurriedly got her ready.