After closing her room's door, Sylvia panted, her heart and her mind in disarray once again.

The clarity and the calmness that she had just now earned by running for miles, all evaporated into nothingness at the mere sight of the man and his few words that she hadn't even heard properly.

Sylvia stepped out of her soaking wet clothes, wondering what was happening to her.

She couldn't place the blame on the wine anymore because that would have definitely gotten out of her system by now.

Was it the mana? Was this simply her body adjusting to the new influx of energy? That was the only other possibility that she could think of.

As Sylvia tried to sort out the things in her head, she quickly took another cold water bath and stepped out bravely to meet the Prince.

It was not like she could hide away in her room forever and there were things to be discussed about their future plans, more specifically, her freedom from the man.

Luckily for her, she didn't have to search for the man and he was still sitting at the table in the courtyard, reading something with a serious expression.

He put the book down as soon as he saw Sylvia walking towards him.

He saw the way her gaze was lingering on the ground in front of her, the subtle nervousness not escaping his eyes.

"Are you planning to run away this time as well?" Mikel hummed, seeing her bow and greet him.

"I am sorry, your highness. I am a bit unwell." Sylvia vaguely threw out an explanation, still not looking at the man.

This was the only solution that she could come up with at least until she could get used to this feeling.

Her thoughts were simple. Don't see him. Ignore him. Out of sight, out of mind!

However, how could things be so simple?

Her plan of not seeing him would have worked if not for his strong alluring scent assaulting her even at the distance she was standing in.

Why was she smelling him at this distance? Since when was her sense of smell so high? Sylvia wondered.

"Your highness… please." She clenched her fists tightly and urged him to get to the point.

Mikel saw her slender figure and her pale face and couldn't help but worry about her health.

This was why he had asked her to take a rest. It takes a while for the body to adjust to the mana circulation but since she seemed very energetic he didn't particularly see the need to enforce it on her and now he regretted it.

"I should have tied her to the bed." He shook his head, muttering the words only to himself.

Mikel then stood up and pulled out the chair for her like a gentleman. "Please sit, my dear. Would you like me to get you a doctor perhaps?"

Sylvia shook her head, immediately refusing his offer, and quietly sat down. "I am alright. No need, your highness."

The last thing she needed was some physician figuring out the needs of her body and spilling the man her dark secrets.

Mikel furrowed his brows in thought but he obliged her nevertheless. "Alright. Let's talk about this. I won't keep you here long."

He crossed one leg over the other and continued talking, his eyes lingering on the woman and her peculiar reactions.

"As I was trying to tell you yesterday, we need to take a trip to visit Lady Priscella."

"The one whom you served recently in the castle." He jogged her memory but that was not required as Sylvia's temper instantly flared upon hearing the woman's name.

She still remembered the way that the woman had nauseatingly clung to her man. How could someone else claim what was hers?

Ah! Sylvia gasped lightly, taken aback at her own thoughts. "I am definitely going crazy." She muttered under her breath, gripping her dress tightly.

Thankfully, giving her some time to compose her thoughts, Ana walked over with a trolley to serve tea and biscuits to the two of them.

Since Mikel was around, the maid didn't dare act impudently and served the items with a polite smile on her face.

Sylvia blew a puff of air and then took a sip from the teacup. "Alright, your highness. I will be prepared for the journey." She mumbled.

Mikel nodded and then continued. "We will be leaving today evening and for the time being, it would be best if you serve me as my slave. Do you understand?"

Sylvia snapped to look at him, surprised by his words. She was going to say that she didn't want to go back to being his slave even if it was just for a day, but her tongue seemingly had a mind of its own.

"I can't do that, your highness. I don't want to put up with her and her drama."

What did I just do? Only realizing what she had spoken after the words had spilled out of her mouth, Sylvia's breath hitched in her throat and she bit her lips anxiously.

She knew that she had crossed a line that she never should have and cursed her stupidity for doing so.

She was not an impulsive person by nature. She often remained calm and collected, but today…

Even the maid standing in wait a few feet away from them had a sneer on her face.

"He He… What a good show! I didn't expect you to fall so soon!"

"This is what happens when you take a mile but all that was offered to you was an inch. Serves you right!" Ana chuckled inwardly.

Her eyes widened in glee waiting for Mikel to punish the damned slut with the attitude befitting a princess. A slave should act as a slave!

Sylvia looked up to see the devil lightly frown at her little outburst which made her gulp. Of course, what else did she expect?

She was a nobody while the other woman was someone that could match his wealth and his social status.

Not to mention, whom the man associates himself with was none of her damn business!!! Sylvia cursed her hormonal body, her hormonal brain, and her foolish mouth.

"I am sorry, your highness. Please forgive me. I am feeling light-headed and unwell."

"I will prepare myself for the visit today evening and it would be my pleasure to continue serving you." She bit her lips and squeezed out the words with great difficulty.

"Please excuse me." She stood up to leave the table before things could become even worse.

And she could tell that it was going to because her insides were raging with anger and hate. All of her damned emotions were unreasonably heightened!

Mikel's black irises that had been eying her and her facial expressions with a keen interest paused lightly. "Stop."

Sylvia turned to see that the frown on his face was no longer present. Instead, there was now an amused grin dancing on his lips.

"I didn't quite expect you to speak to me so openly." He mouthed, his seductive lips, captivating and ensnaring her.

"This suits you." He added.

He then quietly walked over to stand in front of her, face to face, making the woman's heart thud with a frenzy.

With the way that it was drumming loudly, deafening her ears, she wondered if the man could hear her plight.

However, her worries were for naught as the devil was entirely oblivious to the turmoil in her heart.

"She is indeed a handful." Mikel chuckled lightly. "But there is a reason why I am tolerating her."

Sylvia gulped seeing that the man was being honest with her.

She could feel the distance between them slowly and steadily disappearing, but that only made her more nervous.

She didn't know if she preferred the trickster him or this honest him. Both were equally scary.

She watched the man with her breathing ragged as he casually slipped out a ring from his finger, one among the many that he was wearing.

He then looked at it and muttered something that she couldn't hear clearly, only to flash a big grin the next moment.

The devil gazed at her with a mischievous smile and lifted her hand gently, before slipping the ring back on, but this time onto her finger.

"I hope that this can compensate you for the inconvenience." He gazed into her eyes and then added with a smirk. "Partner."

Sylvia's eyes instantly flew wide and her brain blacked out.

He gave me a ring?

He gave me a ring?

Her head spun as the image of the man's casual action repeated itself in her head.

She was already at her limit and this intimate gesture was too much for her to handle.

She didn't even take the second to think if this was just another of the man's twisted jokes.

She looked at the ring and then at Mikel, her lips parted. Her gorgeous blue eyes even made the man in front of her falter for a second.