The woman kept staring at his face blankly and found it more determined as it moment passed by. His sincerity and love towards his wife couldn't be voided at that moment as she couldn't believe her own eyes to see such an internal love inside a vampire who was ready to push his life for a woman. In this all decade, Valeria never met a sincere man who could be able to waver her frozen heart through his sincerity like Aaron.

She was also belonged to the clan of vampires who later transformed into a monstrous creature after being cursed by the moon goddess to perform an intimate act with her wolf lover under the full moon day around nine hundred years ago. After that day, her lover was killed directly by the goddess and she was reborn with this new feature who was able to terrify a powerful vampire too. On her way of destruction, she met an old vampire king who later appointed her as a guard of this Black Lake with some rules and conditions that was exchange bonds. No matter who enter the pool, she or he must have to give him or her soul powers to Valeria as a compensation.

Being stared by Valeria blankly, Aaron reminded cautiously,

" Lady.. Please do it fast.."

But a wicked couldn't ever forget her instinct thus Valeria felt envious towards Esme unreasonably.

What powers that woman had which could make a king so insane to give up half of his soul powers? Why don't she leave his side when she is bringing only disasters in his life?

Obviously Aaron was unknown about her thoughts and saw her turning vicious like a monster again. Valeria mocked and sympathised Aaron inwardly as she vowed to show him the cruel consequences of giving up on his powers for a woman determinedly.

Giving him an evil smirk that showed one of her broken fang inside her mouth, she swimmed backwards a few steps away and asserted coldly,

" Humph..!! Your wishes will be fulfilled King Aaron just don't regret later."

Aaron replied without blinking still keeping firm and unmoved from his decision,

" I won't as long as it can save her."

Valeria scoffed,

" It will.."

She inhaled a deep breathe before stretching out her arms to invite her helpers domineeringly. Summoning them in a magnetic tone, she called out coldly,

" Arise and join with me,friends. "

Aaron blinked before closing his eyes off as he waited to finish this game as soon as possible. In no time, more than twenty creatures just like Valeria but appeared smaller than her gathered up in the spot from nowhere. They all circled Aaron in a chain before jumping up and down inside the flowing water happily. It had been long years as they waited for this moment to obtain powers from a powerful vampire who could make their lifespan longer.

Glancing at Valeria who held a hateful gaze for Aaron, they waited for her final command as she provided them a slight node of approving soon. The creatures giggled maniacally as they whipped their poisonous tails over Aaron's bare body one by one.

Aaron gasped sensing the severe pain on his whole body that made him holding his breath hardly. One after another, the tails were digging three inches deep inside his white skin that was leaving several scars for eternity.

Aaron whimpered clenching his teeth together as the vicious torture continued over his body nonstop. He kept his mouth shut so tightly that he started trembling in intense pain but nothing came out from his tongue. In case he blurted out to stop and changes his mind, he decided to not utter a single words as the whipping continued for an unknown time.

Valeria was fuming in rage as she saw Aaron enduring all her tortures without a single complaint nor did he beg one time to stop. Gesturing them to torture him more, the creatures felt breathless as they used their tails constantly covering his body with numerous marks that couldn't be erased ever.

Aaron squeezed his eyes shut hanging down his head weakly as a tail held his body firm tightly. In no time, his nose started bleeding profusely exerting a series of blood that was dissolving into the water of Black Lake eventually.

At the very end of tortures, he finally puked out a mouthful blood that came out from his lungs after being beaten ruthlessly.

He gasped loudly attracting the attention of Valeria as she gestured her partners to stop suddenly. The others quickly followed her order and stopped whipping instantly. Shaking her head blankly, she ordered regaining her tough composure,

" Take away half of his soul powers and let him go back to his reign.. and to his queen. We are satisfied enough with his determination. He won't give up anyhow."

Even though he was nearly fainting in pain, Aaron gave her a grateful smile weakly. The following moment, the creatures all nodded comprehensively and swimmed back away from his figure frankly.

Lifting their hands up above their heads, they all gazed at him deeply before murmuring something in a husky tone rhythmically. Before Aaron could understand anything, he gasped and clutched his heart tightly as he saw a layer of lights were leaving out from his body towards those creatures slowly.

Feeling more numb and weak, he predicted that the layer of lights was nothing else but his own soul powers that he cultivated in all those years after working hard.

He smiled wryly before murmuring under his breath softly,

" Esme.. I'm coming.."

With this last line, he fainted eventually as the external and inner pain both made his body vulnerable easily.

Over the pool, Jasper could only spot a vague ray of lights that was coming out from the depth of lake lightly. He froze for a moment before understanding that everything was done.

Thus his body tensed up more as he kept gazing at the surface of water anxiously to see his Lord appear soon.

Shortly after, a red stained figure finally popped out from the water weakly floating inside the low waves as Jasper screamed out loudly,

" Lord....!! "

CRIMOND HILL,

After hearing out Siemus's accusations all of sudden, everyone turned stiff as Ayra kept staring at her face blankly. Her little brain couldn't understand the deeper meaning of Cursed child as she glanced between Ethan and Siemus's dark expression.

Ethan had turned stiff and cold as he felt a gust of anger arousing from his heart once again. From his last vision, he could assume that like others, Siemus also believed that Ayra had been killed in that fire along with Edward. Thus there was no chance left Siemus who could assume Ayra as Athena's biological daughter since she wasn't present at the time of Edward and that imposter baby's cruel death. So it was a relief to Ethan that he could hide Ayra's identity from Siemus for the time being.

Ethan warned pulling backwards Ayra gently,

" Don't you dare to call her cursed child Siemus. She belongs to us and she isn't vicious like your clan."

Siemus frowned and inquired again,

" Whose daughter is she? Tell me? Whose? Why am I feeling familiarity with her? Who is her mother? Don't tell me that you have performed the forbidden ritual to create a cursed child? "

Ethan parted his lips to say something but couldn't find a word to divert her attention thus he fell in dilemma for a while. Over the door, Anna's heart started thumping fast as she saw Siemus turning more and more suspicious over Ayra. She held Ron's hands subconsciously and gestured him to do something silently.

Ethan took a deep breath and replied sternly,

" She belongs to Esme, my sister, the Queen of your world."

Siemus gasped loudly widening her eyes apart as she panted pointing at Ayra shakingly,

" Queen.. Queen Esme has given birth to a daughter? When?"

Noticing Ayra's body, she continued disbelievingly,

" She was born before her marriage. Is it true?? Then.. then who is her father? It can't be king Aaron.."

This time, Ethan fell in more dilemma as he heard her obvious question regarding Ayra's birth. Lowering down his head, he scratched his head to come up with a reasonable answer but nothing came out as it regarded a big responsibility that called father.

He couldn't take anyone's name randomly as Ayra's father. Moreover it could bring Esme's a biggest shame over her character.

The air turned stiff as they all waited to hear his response but Ethan had left with no words.

At that moment, Ron suddenly left Anna's arms before striding down through the stairs slowly. Anna looked at his back curiously as he continued walking towards Ayra slowly and didn't understand what was he planning to do.

Right after arriving behind Ayra's tiny figure, Ron scooped her up in his arms and declared proudly looking at Siemus's questioning gaze,

" I'm her biological father. She belongs to me and Esme Chole."

Ethan froze in his spot as Anna gasped pressing her palms on her lips in disbelief.

Ron murmured to himself inwardly,

" Forgive me, this is the only way to bring you back to me."