LUCINA was finally able to breathe when the stupid flaming red feather finally disappeared.

As soon as she could, she stood up and mustered all the power remaining in her body. She knew that it was already too late to help Lord Huxley. So instead, she decided to do the thing she wanted most even if it wasn't the right time yet.

I have to kill the duchess now that she's in a vulnerable state.

If the heart had awakened a while ago, it only meant that Lady Nystrom was weak now.

She also considered the fact that Kiho might be with the duchess. But she had to strike while the iron was hot.

I need to take your place now, Lady Nystrom.

She closed her eyes and cast a spell around her that turned her invisible. But since her power was sealed, the invisibility spell would only last her a few minutes. That meant she had to kill the duchess as soon as possible.

Without wasting another minute, she used an acceleration spell to enter the tower in the fastest and most discreetly way possible.

Luckily, her target remained in the tower's lobby.

The duchess and the duke were inside a cube that couldn't be seen by people with low or average Mana. Fortunately, even though her real power was sealed, she was still strong enough to see them through the protective spell around them.

Her heart thumped against her chest loudly as she pulled an ancient crystal dagger from the pocket of her dress.

That crystal dagger was made specifically to stab the heart of the Red Phoenix.

She stole the powerful weapon from Her Royal Highness.

Forgive me, Your Royal Highness, Lucina said while slowly approaching Lady Nystrom. The duchess was being carried by the clueless Kiho. Thankfully, the brilliant red diamond– which was the heart of the Red Phoenix– was conveniently floating just right above Lady Nystrom's chest. It seemed like the odds were in her favor, huh? Princess Nia, I know that you need the heart of the Red Phoenix. But I need to survive, too. And that will only happen if I take Duchess Nystrom's place now.

She stood in front of Lady Nystrom with her fingers wrapped tightly around the crystal dagger's crystal hilt.

Then, she raised her hands with the dagger.

Kiho and the spirit beside him still looked oblivious by her presence.

Goodbye, Lady Nystrom.

Lucina stabbed the heart of the Red Phoenix with all her strength…

… but instead of the red diamond, the pointed tip of the dagger struck a thick cube of ice that was now protecting the heart.

Kiho…?

"I can't see you but it doesn't mean that I can't feel you," Kiho said in a low, warning tone. "Stay the f*ck away from my wife."

The duke stomped his foot on the floor…

… and then, several spears made of thick and very sharp ice sprouted from the ground in different directions. It looked like it was a blind attack from Kiho because the spirit beside him was almost hit. Luckily for the spirit, he managed to avoid the ice spears.

Her? No. Unfortunately, several ice spears pierced through her body.

And one even hit a portion of her heart.

Damn!

Parts of her body where blood started to drip from her wounds started to become visible.

Kiho, with his sharp senses, found her right away. "There you are."

Lucina tried to run away but she realized that aside from the ice spears literally pinning her to where she stood, the spirit guardian was now standing behind her– leaving her with zero exit. Ah, this is the end.

***

KIHO felt the bloodlust coming their way.

He couldn't see where the bloodlust was coming from, but he could tell that it was directed at Tilly. Though he had to admit that he kind of doubted his senses when he saw that Sentinel didn't feel the threat lingering in the air.

Am I just being paranoid?

He almost convinced himself that he was just being overprotective.

But as soon as he felt a strange and somewhat "old" energy, he decided that they were indeed under attack.

The first thing he protected was Tilly, of course. And that included enveloping her heart with the thickest and strongest ice that he could muster at the moment. Fortunately, his decision was right.

As soon as the heart was safe inside the ice cube that he made, he heard a sharp clang as if something pointed just hit his ice.

That meant someone he couldn't see really tried to stab Tilly's heart.

Unforgivable!

I can't see you but it doesn't mean that I can't feel you," Kiho warned in a low voice. "Stay the f*ck away from my wife."

After his warning, he stomped his feet on the ground.

Several ice spears sprouted from the floor in different directions.

He knew that Sentinel would be at risk by his sudden attack. But he also knew that the spirit guardian was strong enough to avoid his ice. And he was right. Still, he put in his mental note to apologize to Sentinel later for not giving him a warning before he made a move.

For now, he focused on the unseen enemy before them.

Some of his ice spears pierced through the enemy's body. Once the blood started to leak, their body also started to become visible. Much to his surprise, it was a woman.

But he didn't care about the enemy's gender.

I'll still kill anyone who's a danger to my Tilly.

"There you are," Kiho said in a low tone because he didn't want to awaken Tilly. "Did you really think that you can hurt my wife in my presence?"

This time, Sentinel could also see the enemy now. The spirit guardian stood behind the enemy.

Unfortunately, the only visible part of the enemy's body was her torso.

He couldn't see the face of the woman who tried to stab Tilly's heart. Would it only come out if it was drenched in blood like her torso?

"It looks like I need to ruin your face to see what you look like," Kiho said indifferently. He knew that what he said was harsh. But there was also no gender in a war. All of them were warriors, plain and simple. "Show me your face and tell me who you work for."

And then he stomped his foot again to create ice spears to pierce through the enemy's face.

***

LUCINA's tears fell silently when she heard Kiho's cold and harsh words.

He was willing to do something as gruesome as ruining a woman's face for his wife. Even though there was an ice spear literally piercing through her heart, the pain that she felt from Kiho's hate towards her hurt more.

I've been stubborn, she finally admitted. I shouldn't have appeared in his life when it isn't the right time yet.

She knew that Kiho would really kill her.

But the thing that she was afraid the most was being hated by Kiho even more once he found out that she tried to kill Lady Nystrom.

I need to go back to that dark place again.

With a heavy heart, she closed her eyes and used the heat of her body to melt the ice spears pierced through her body. Using her flame, no matter how little it was, would cause her to be pulled back from where she came from.

As proof, her body was starting to vanish in a black smoke.

Lucina opened her eyes to look at Kiho one last time. For now. "I'll be back, Kiho," she whispered. "I've already stolen you once from the duchess. I can do it again." Tears started to roll down her cheeks. "And I will do it again and again until you're completely mine."

***

KIHO was surprised when the enemy vanished in front of him.

The woman disappeared in a black smoke and left nothing– not even a drop of blood. She disappeared like she didn't exist in the first place.

"That woman was strange," Sentinel commented. "Her Mana felt so unfamiliar. And she used magic as strong as Luna's. But I'm pretty certain that she wasn't a witch."

"I think I know her," Kiho said while absorbing his ice Mana back to his body. "Her presence felt the same with the one who attacked us back at the temple."

"The one that said she wasn't your enemy?"

He nodded his head. "But attempting to kill my Tilly just made her one of my top enemies."

"I can't believe that I didn't feel her," Sentinel said in frustration. "If Lord Wixx was here, he would have scolded me already."

He didn't know how to comfort the spirit so he just kept his mouth shut.

And his attention diverted back to his wife when he noticed that the red diamond started to slowly descend.

Then, when the heart touched Tilly's chest, it disappeared in a blinding red light.

Ah, the heart must have returned to his wife's body.

Thank goodness.

A moment later, Tilly opened her eyes.

And then, tears suddenly started to roll down her cheeks until she was sobbing like a baby.

Of course, he panicked.

"Tilly, what's wrong?" Kiho asked worriedly. "Are you hurt?"

"No, I'm not hurt," Tilly said, then she wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face against his neck. "But for some reason, my heart ached when I saw your face."

***

HOWARD was startled when a black smoke suddenly appeared above Princess Nia's unconscious body.

That feels ominous.

He raised his hand and was about to drive the black smoke away from the princess.

But much to his shock, the black smoke forcefully found its way through Her Royal Highness's nose and mouth.

"Your Royal Highness…" he whispered in disbelief.

But it wasn't only because of what happened. Mostly because of the result of what the black smoke did to the princess.

Her Royal Highness just got up as if she wasn't bedridden for many weeks.

And then, Princess Nia slowly opened her red glowing eyes.

Howard immediately bowed to the princess. "Welcome back, Your Royal Highness."

***

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