"Stop this! Who are you people?!"

"Oh Look who is here… It's my lovely Monica." The mask man said, his tone contains longing, obsession and lunacy.

​​

Duchess Monica stopped when she heard the voice.

"This can't be… they said…"

Duchess Monica held her hand in her mouth because of shock and fear.

"That I died? Ha!"

Evelyn is also surprised, this part of her memory is vague and always seems to be hazy whenever she tries to remember this part.

However, Evelyn stopped thinking about it as she saw through the gaps of the people in front of her, the kidnappers, that her mother was slowly walking to where she was.

'No! Mom! Please… Don't come here!'

The young Evelyn is crying while her mouth is still gagged and her arms tied by a mana chain.

"Let my daughter go!" Duchess Monica yelled and the mask man, the master of the kidnappers replied.

"I don't see your son… where is he?"

Duchess Monica's eyes went wide and she eventually glared at the man and grit her teeth because of anger.

"Don't you dare touch my son! And Let my daughter go! She didn't do anything!"

"Oh yeah… sure. whatever!"

The young Evelyn and the mask man made eye contact and she felt the fear in her heart but still the young Evelyn glared at the man.

"Heh… you resemble your mother in this sense…"

"Don't touch her…! Cesar!"

But the mask man named Cesar ignored Duchess Monica's plea and he cupped Evelyn's face with force.

"Look at this little child glaring at me… You seem to think that you can harm me with that look when your powers are sealed?!"

He then takes the clothes in her mouth that gagged her mouth.

"Why don't you plead for your mom?" Cesar then whispered to little Evelyn's ears.

"... tell her to kill herself so that you can live."

Evelyn glared at him, her fear changed into hatred and she answered him.

"I'll kill you, you psycho prince!" Evelyn hissed at him.

"Hahahaha! You really are the child of that bastard and my lovely Monica. Too bad! I hate his blood… you know that Father of yours."

"Stop talking nonsense Cesar and let the kids go!"

"No, Monica. I always told you before, that whatever happens I'll always get what I want."

"Cesar! You Bastard! Let my child go!"

The mask man took his mask off and revealed a scar in his forehead.

"Look at what you did, Monica. Ahh, My lovely Monica! All I needed was your soul but look what you did to my face?!"

The Duchess stepped back when she saw him. She saw his dark eyes resembling a dark abyss. There's no light and only his obsession and lunacy are replaced.

Cesar then made eye contact with one of his men and they heard a struggling kid from a far.

"Let me go! Bastard! Let me go!"

"Allan!"

"Big Brother!"

Duchess Monica and little Evelyn called, they saw Allan struggling and with a bruise in his face.

One of the henchmen then whispered to Cesar's ears then he laughed. Hysterically like a madman.

"Cesar, I won't forgive you!"

"Really? Oh no! I'm so sad, but… whatever! Hahahahaha! Ah… That's a good one!"

'This fucking lunatic!' the present Evelyn felt frustrated.

Then, she heard a voice coming from a distance… It was a desperate calling.

"Evelyn… Evelyn, wake up! Evelyn!"

Gasp!

Evelyn gasped for air as she woke up from the nightmare. She saw a hand in her shoulder and he looked at him.

"Gab…"

"Are you alright?"

"Huff huff! I'm…"

"Here water…."

Gab helped her to drink and Evelyn felt relieved as her throat was dry. Gab wiped her face that had a trace of tears.

"Nightmare?"

Evelyn nodded slowly, she didn't have the energy to answer and speak. Her dream is one of the memories that she tried hard to gain back again, but the reality that it was painful and devastating lingers in her heart and mind.

Besides, she felt like she was trapped in her own dreams and that she was forcefully being forced to witness and suffer the pain inside her head. She was too afraid to be there again.

Gab saw Evelyn in dazed and shock, her hands that were holding the cup trembling and she was sweating from her forehead to her back. He also saw that she cried.

Looking at her like this, his hands balled and he folded it hard. Gab felt frustrated that he wasn't there for the four years that Evelyn decided to leave the Levingstone Kingdom.

"Eve…"

Gab cupped her face and he stared at her chestnut eyes before he hugged her to comfort her.

"It's okay… I'm here, everything's going to be fine. That was just a nightmare."

His strict voice that he adapted from being a commander vanished as he comforted her with his soft tone. Evelyn trembled in his embrace and Gab silently stroked her back and waited for her to calm down.

"Thank you, Gab"

Evelyn smiled while her eyes were still red because of her crying. She turned her head and looked at the window.

'How long was I asleep?' she thought before she unconsciously talked to gab.

"It's the middle of the night, I'm sorry for disturbing your sleep, Gab."

"Don't be… I was having a hard time trying to sleep when I decided that I should take a walk and when I passed by your chambers, I heard some hiccups and mumbling of words so I thought that I should check if you're okay… I'm sorry if I entered your room without permission."

"No, don't be sorry. You save me from my dreams…"

Her eyes become droopy, she knew that she needed some sleep, but Evelyn is afraid that she will have yet again another nightmare.

Gab noticed that Evelyn still had those black eye bags and knew that she needed to have some sleep so he proposed to Evelyn that she should continue to sleep.

"You should sleep, Eve, don't worry I'll be here with you. I'll wake you up again if you ever have a nightmare."

Gab made her lie down on the soft mattress and he sat at the chair that he saw and there he sat.

Evelyn glanced at him, she still felt sleepy, before her eyes closed, she saw Gab's concerned look and she heard his soft voice.

"Don't worry, Eve… I'll be here."

***

Morning comes and Evelyn wakes up to see that Gab is nowhere to be found.

'He must have gone to his bed after I fell asleep.'

Her train of thought immediately went and cut what happened the night before. She has things to do and right now her first work is to take a bath and eat.

"I'm hungry…!"

With her usual clothes of a simple dress and her tied up hair, she walked to the dining room and saw the rest of the gang there.

"Good Morning… did you have a good night's sleep?" Cassandra asked.

Chrisfold and Gil were silent because they know what happened the night before. They knew that she had a nightmare and that it was about her memories.

They pretty much knew what the other person's thoughts and feelings are. However, the two decided not to interfere and let Gab be the one to comfort Evelyn. It was because they also felt guilty about what happened years ago.

Chrisfold and Gil and the others are her contracted spirit but they didn't get to help her in the moment that she needed the most.

Evelyn nodded to Cassandra and smiled, even though she had a nightmare she still fell asleep peacefully after that.

Gab was beside her and he smiled at her, concerned and still pasted on his face.

Evelyn smiled at him to ease his worries. And she mouths the words, "Thanks…"

While they were eating their breakfast, Evelyn started to talk, it was the only time that they could talk and discuss things in their agenda.

"Gab."

She called and glanced at him.

"Can you visit the mansion again? And if possible stay there for a few days. Just give whatever excuse you can come up." she said while she stuff herself with some bread.

"... is it for surveillance?"

Evelyn nodded and Gab also did the same. No discussion needed as they are aware of what is happening.

"Chrisfold, can you ask your friends if they can learn Allan's schedule?"

Chrisfold and Evelyn made eye contact and he immediately knew what "friends" she was talking about. It was the elementals that normal people can't see or hear.

'It's perfect for them to become a spy…' she inwardly thought that telepathically she sent to Chrisfold. He then replied.

"Alright."

At that moment, Gab interrupted them.

"Evelyn, can I ask? Why is this guy still here in the house when he's the protector of the St. Prish Academy?!"

Gab's mind is bugged because he thought that Chrisfold is just here for a few days like him but seeing that he's a bit too comfortable around Evelyn like he knew her for the longest time and him joking around Evelyn, Gab was irked by it.

Evelyn just nonchalantly replied.

"Oh? I adopted him."

Gab knit his brows while Chrisfold smiled at Evelyn.

"That's why she's my princess…" Chrisfold said intentionally and he saw Gab clenched the utensils. He smirked at him and he thought.

'This guy is fun to tease…'

Gil just shook his head as well as Evelyn who heard Chrisfold's comment in their head.