Make Your Choice (1)

(Half an hour ago)

Upon the morning veil that enveloped the tastefully refined bedroom, an uncanny darkness materialized before a young lady who was taking a short nap on the couch. The sunlight poured on her porcelain skin, highlighting her beauty that was already evident on the surface, making her appeared even more fairer like a little fairy.

A couple of hair strands had fallen onto her cheek and a few had lapped with her long eyelashes. Such scene made it clear that the small lady had slept quite deeply that even the slightest disturbance couldn't stir her awake.

Thus, from the wisp of dark mist walked out a dashing man and his lustrous silver hair that made his inhumane identity obvious. His pair of long legs walked subtly towards the sleeping lady. Thereafter, his hand reached out, like always, to tuck those wild strands of hair away from the lady's lovely face.

His cold skin grazed her delicate one gently while he whispered, "My Lady."

In that instance, her eyelashes fluttered like a pair of butterfly wings as her eyes slowly opened to light. Kalliope yawned and as if there was nothing important to do, she responded lazily, "One minute."

Argan raised an eyebrow. A minute? He had the urge to laugh. They hadn't got a minute since he was pretty sure that 'fake' priest would be done soon. So, when he saw her still in a groggy state, his alluring lips arched into a sly smile. He seized the chance and crashed his cold lips onto hers unrestrainedly, rendering Kalliope so shock that her eyes flared open.

An emerald magic crest with a wind rune engraved on it swiftly flashed in the air and a strong gust of wind blades were summoned, hurling the man away from her.

However, who was Argan? He wouldn't be the demon that Kalliope wished to seal a contract with if he was weak. Besides, he had lived longer than her to be powerless against a human's magic. Thus, with just a fling of his finger, he neutralized her wind blade.

"My, come now, don't be so rough. We don't want you to waste your energy, do we?" The demon chuckled ever so seductively.

The moment his words fell and the magic crest disappeared, Kalliope was already whizzing while clutching her chest. Her face was beaded with perspiration and under the bask of sunlight, her complexion was incredibly ashen.

"Tsk!" She clucked her tongue in frustration at her weak body. "I just pull off that measly offensive magic and it made me like this?"

Self-deprecation dripped in every word she said. However, Argan moved towards her again and wiped off the thin layer of sweat on her forehead.

"It's quite a powerful one with twenty blades at once, My Lady. At least in your condition, it is. Not to mention you've also used your mana last night on Ophelia," he sighed as he brought her a glass of water from the coffee table.

"I told you, My Lady. Your soul is unstable, so you need to make sure not to exert your mana too much."

"And yet, you forced my hand," Kalliope glared murderously at the sneaky demon who only replied with an insidious smirk.

Then, he clapped his hands and shifted the topic almost immediately, "Let me stop you there for a moment because we don't have time right now. The priest who's checking on your dear cousin is not the same one as before."

Kalliope knitted her eyebrows upon hearing Argan's report. And frowned even more when he added, "So, we cannot use the duke's hand to take care of him. And looking at how they've switched the priests, I have a bad feeling that we've already been suspected."

Kalliope scoffed at his deduction. "That is without question since I've casted a curse on him and it had activated. So, that's why I planned to shift the suspicion to the duke. But, he didn't come."

The young lady fell into deep thought for a moment before she looked up at him once again. She asked in confusion, "By the way, why are you here and not observing the duke as I told you before."

"My lady, I just told you we can't use the duke's hand which means it doesn't take a genius to know that the duke and the second prince are indeed in cahoots against the church. They were staring at the sister like a pair of hawks. Hence, I don't see any need for me to stay longer. But..."

The devil paused mischievously as the corner of his lips lifted. Kalliope who witnessed such an amused expression on him suddenly had a bad feeling. However, she remained silent as she hooked an eyebrow, a gesture for him to continue.

"But, what?"

"I found something else that's more interesting than a royalty dispute." He plopped down on the coffee table right in front of Kalliope. Crossing his legs, he rested his elbow on his thigh while his hand supported his chin. His violet eyes shone treacherously. It sent a jolt to her heart.

Then, he stretched out his free hand towards Kalliope. As it stopped before her eyes, a black flame flared out of his palm in a concentratedly dead mana. The black aura also swirled out of the arm that conjured up the fire.

Kalliope stared at the familiar darkness before shifting back to him. "I know they perform black magic, Argan."

"Yes, you do, but don't you think it's strange how the duke and the second prince didn't directly expose them?"

"I've thought about."

"Well then you've probably guessed, it's not just one or two people but the whole church," Argan tried to sound her out. And to his statement, her facial expression finally showed a little crack.

There was a glimmer of doubt in her eyes. However, her hands subconsciously clutched on her dress. Kalliope could more or less discern what the devil was referring because there was no way he would say something baseless.

Pursing her lips, she asked, "How can you be so sure?"

"I realize something when I saw this priest next door. Just like the previous one, there's no trace of a demonic contract on them. But, we know from yesterday that the priest is familiar with dead mana and has traces of them in his body as well. "

"Wait," Kalliope jerked towards him as she held down his hand that was conjuring black magic. She easily snubbed the fire. "If that is true, then how come they can use black magic?"

"The same answer with why the duke and the second prince didn't directly expose them."

Kalliope creased her eyebrows as her eyes darkened and her face turned solemn. "The demon..." she sucked in a deep breath. "It's of a much higher class."

"Yes," Argan gave his affirmation as he held her small hand back. "It's so strong that it can hide its darkness and showcase black magic as though it is a holy power."

Kalliope reeled back slowly in shock from this revelation. For the first time in her life, her heart pounded in trepidation. Though she could still keep her cool on the outside, Argan felt her trembling hand in his grip.