Chapter 23: A taste of a better life
The room wasn’t the finest the city lord’s mansion had to offer, but to Ronan, it was nothing short of luxurious.
Soft golden light illuminated the room from several elegant lamps, casting a warm glow across the polished wooden floor and tasteful furnishings. Rich curtains framed the windows, while a small table, neatly arranged decorations, and finely crafted furniture gave the room an air of quiet elegance.
But what caught Ronan’s attention most was the bed.
It was large, covered in clean sheets and thick, soft blankets that looked almost unbelievably comfortable.
Ronan stared at it.
He had spent most of his existence in the Abyss.
Even during his previous human life, he had known nothing better than wooden surfaces and rough straw.
Yet now...
He had been given an entire room like this.
His crimson eyes widened.
This is... luxurious.
Ronan’s legs moved before he could even think about it.
Before he knew it, he had thrown himself onto the bed and was immediately swallowed by its softness.
"Comfortable..."
Ronan smiled sheepishly.
A few moments later, he was knocked out cold.
---
Across the mansion, Bama waited until the surroundings had gone quiet before sneaking out of his room and making his way toward Ronan’s.
However, the moment he closed his bedroom door behind him, he found Selak standing there, waiting for him.
"Young Master, I know you’ve grown fond of her, but we still don’t know where she comes from. She also has those distinctive crimson eyes associated with vampires. She has never spoken before, and we basically know nothing about her."
Selak paused.
"Are you saying she’s an undead?"
Bama stopped in his tracks before sighing and looking at his guard and protector.
"No, Young Master. And that’s the problem. We know nothing about her, so I would suggest that you don’t get too close to her."
Selak’s expression became serious.
"Yes, she saved your life, but again, why? You said you were the one who approached her, correct? And she seemed uninterested in you at first. So why do you think she saved you? Because you gave her food she didn’t like? Or because you had been stalking her?"
Bama lowered his head.
Seeing him like this, Selak sighed.
It reminded him of the times when Young Master Bama had been caught doing something wrong.
This was always how he looked after being scolded by his father.
Head lowered.
Shoulders slumped.
Bama was known as the lawless and unambitious one among the Duke’s three children.
But only Selak knew how much the young master trained.
How much he wanted to be like his two siblings.
How badly he wanted to make his father proud.
But alas...
Hard work couldn’t always overcome overwhelming talent.
When Bama had been struggling to break through to the Peak Mortal Realm at fifteen, his two siblings had already reached that level when they were only ten.
Eventually, Bama gave up.
And both he and the Duke had come to accept it.
At least if Bama didn’t follow in his father’s footsteps, the probability of him dying would be greatly reduced.
That was why the Duke supported him.
If anything happened, Bama could at least preserve the family line, especially with the mounting pressure from the royal family.
"Young Master, if I remember correctly, you said she doesn’t behave like those conceited noble ladies."
Selak continued.
"You’ve been building a relationship with her, and I could see that she was becoming interested as you talked to her on our way here. So don’t you think visiting her at this hour would make you look rash and overly eager?"
"Do you want all the effort you’ve made to be wasted?"
Bama’s eyes widened.
He was right.
He hadn’t even considered that.
A smile immediately spread across his face.
"Selak, you’re a lifesaver!"
Bama excitedly hugged Selak before returning to his room.
If not for Selak, he might have ended up on the bad side of the Crimson-Eyed Maiden.
Seeing Bama’s happy expression, Selak couldn’t help but smile.
He only wanted the Young Master to be happy.
He didn’t want Bama to constantly worry about living up to the incredible achievements of his siblings, especially his elder brother, who was currently at the war front.
What that young man had accomplished...
It wasn’t something even an ordinary genius could ever dream of achieving.
---
While Ronan slept and Bama was being talked out of his plans by Selak, the city was in an uproar.
News of what had happened spread rapidly.
That night, the son of the Duke had been assassinated.
The common people were stunned.
Who would dare to attempt such a thing?
But the smaller noble families understood the gravity of the situation far better.
They knew exactly what could have happened if the assassination had succeeded.
Their city might have been erased from the map.
Their hearts trembled as they struggled to remain calm.
This was the son of the Duke of the Destal Kingdom.
Who was the Destal Kingdom?
It was one of the ultimate powers in this region.
It controlled countless forces, and even the slightest movement from such a kingdom could destroy multiple smaller kingdoms.
And the Duke himself?
He was the King’s renowned Marshal—a Supreme Realm expert whose words carried enough weight to determine the fate of millions.
If his son died...
The world would be bathed in blood.
The nobles hurriedly mobilized their forces and joined the search for the assassin.
The city was completely locked down.
Not even a mosquito could escape without being discovered.
Meanwhile, another piece of news quickly spread throughout every corner of the city.
As it turned out...
The Crimson-Eyed Maiden—the mysterious woman whose beauty was supposedly beyond description—was the one who had saved the Duke’s son.
Boom!
The news shook the entire city.
But that wasn’t all.
As more and more rumors about her spread, the people became increasingly stunned.
She had crimson eyes.
She never spoke.
She had apparently taken down the assassin targeting the Duke’s son.
And according to some exaggerated rumors, she had even brought the Duke’s son to his knees with a single glance.
She already had hundreds of men supporting her.
No one knew where she came from.
No one knew her name.
All they knew was that she was incredibly powerful.
"Could she be a goddess?"
The common people began speculating wildly.
Everyone wanted to see the mysterious beauty for themselves.
Before long, the Crimson-Eyed Maiden had become the hottest topic of discussion throughout the city.
And Ronan...
Was completely unaware of any of it.
******
Elsewhere...
"Search every corner, damn it! Even if you have to turn this entire city upside down, we must find the assassin!"
Cold sweat trickled down the city lord’s chubby face as he trembled with anxiety, his voice filled with urgency.
"Yes, City Lord!"
The guards immediately obeyed, thoroughly searching every house in the city.
"Please, I need your help with this matter. You know how serious this is."
The city lord forced a polite smile as he turned toward the three Sovereign Realm experts in the city and pleaded with them.
The three consisted of two men and one woman. All of them appeared middle-aged, but they were already well into their seventies.
Sovereign Realm experts weren’t merely stronger than Transcendent experts.
They represented the true starting point of power in this world.
They could control entire towns, destroy a city given enough time, and, most importantly, their Traits had already undergone their first evolution.
That meant they had developed terrifying abilities capable of causing massive destruction.
The difference between an unevolved Trait and one that had undergone its first evolution was enormous.
That was why, even as the City Lord, he had to treat these three with utmost respect.
If he offended them, his city could, at the very least, suffer catastrophic damage if they decided to go all out.
"No worries, City Lord. Leave it to us. The assassin will be caught tonight."
The leading man spoke confidently.
Only then did the City Lord finally breathe a sigh of relief.
"I leave the life and death of my city in your hands."
He spoke with genuine relief.