"Trust you? You have got to be kidding me, your highness." Sylvia blurted out as the man's voice had triggered her temper.

She didn't shy away from the black irises gazing at her and boldly faced him.

This time she had the upper hand. She was somehow sure of it and she was not willing to roll over just like that.

Mikel, however unexpectedly chuckled, his lips pulling upwards. "Stop playing with me, my sweet sweet kitten. You would do well not to test my patience tonight."

He grabbed her jaw and mouthed his words slowly so that they would be sure to sink into her, letting her go only after he was done talking.

Sylvia coughed and swallowed to ease her parched throat, but her eyes still remained resolute.

"I am not playing, your highness. In fact, I am done with your games." She lowered her head and muttered.

Mikel cocked his side, and seeing her face, he could only relax a little. "I have already promised your freedom. What else do you want from me?"

"I want to know what it is that you want from me." Sylvia shot back. She was going to make him explain things to her tonight.

He was in some sort of a hurry and she was determined to use it.

"Perhaps tonight this tower of the castle is deserted, who is to say that it will be the same tomorrow?" She added, clutching her dress tightly.

She was so nervous that her heart was about to give out but she knew that she had to press on. This advantage… she would probably never get it again.

The glowing crescent… why he had bought her from the auction… what did he actually want with her… She was going to get to the bottom of everything tonight.

Mikel gazed into her deep blue eyes and scoffed lightly. "Aren't you overestimating your bargaining chips a bit too much?"

"I apologize, your highness. But tonight, without you telling me everything, I will not obey your commands even if you kill me."

"Heh… Fine… Have it your way." The man unexpectedly relented, making Sylvia look at him.

In all honesty, she had expected a few more threats from the man, perhaps even some rough handling, but weirdly, he agreed to her just like that?

"What do you want to know?" Mikel asked. He took her hand which was placed on the ground beside her and held it in his.

Sylvia pulled her hand back from within his and quickly asked "What is this crescent glowing tattoo on my chest?"

Mikel chuckled, staring at her with his narrowed eyes. He was obviously not pleased with what is going on. "That's a seal." He said.

"And I am giving you 5 questions. Only 5 questions. After that, if you still don't want to cooperate, I have several other ways of making things happen." He added turning away from her.

Sylvia nodded. I will take whatever I get. She clenched her fist.

"Can I do magic?" She asked.

"If you remove that seal, yes you can."

The man lifted his hand high up, folding two of his fingers to show that she had already used up 2 of the 5 questions.

Sylvia didn't get fazed by his antics and quickly asked the third question. "You said you wanted three things from me. What are the other two?"

Mikel chuckled again, but this time, he didn't answer directly. "Are you sure you want to know everything right this second?" He asked her again in a teasing voice.

"Your highness. Please answer." Sylvia bluntly spoke, shaking her head.

"Alright. Here it is. I want your virtue. Only once. And then I want a drop of your blood. Give me these two things and cooperate with me tonight, I give you my word that you can have your freedom."

Sylvia only heard the first line and didn't quite register the next few words he had spoken.

"Excuse me?" She asked again, her eyes widened.

"Heh. What? You want me to repeat it again. I can but the words are not going to change."

"Well, ultimately, the decision is up to you. Do you value your virtue or your freedom? Which is more important to you?"

Sylvia remained silent for a while and didn't respond to him. After everything, it turns out, this is what he wanted from her all long.

She kept her gaze down and asked her next question. "Why do you want all these from me?"

"You have a special body, kitten. Taking your virtue will give me the powers that I seek. It is as simple as that."

"I am really not trying to trick you this time," Mikel explained, his voice gentle.

Sylvia looked away from him… into the distant lights. She let all the words and the new information wash over her, carefully mulling over every small detail.

What he said… did make sense…

In fact, his words solved every piece of the puzzle that had been nagging her, but yet she couldn't trust him completely.

How could she… when he had let her down so many times in the past…

She would really be a fool to take his words to heart. "How can I trust you, your highness?" She muttered, asking him the last of her questions.

"Heh. I can't help you with that, my dear. That one is entirely up to you."

"You could trust me, take a leap of faith and live as a free woman or you could not trust me, live in my castle till the end of your life as my prisoner."

"The choice is all yours."

Was there even a choice here? Sylvia's eyes crinkled, a bitter smile surfacing on them.

She remained silent for a few more minutes before eventually nodding her head lightly. "I will trust you, your highness. Against my better judgment." She said, leaving out the last part.

Mikel raised his hand to pat her head lightly.