“In short, you just need to obey my commands completely. If you behave well, I guarantee you’ll have a satisfying revenge.”
Darkness was too lazy to say more to Eric.
In her eyes, Eric was already a dead man, so there was no need for him to know so much.
With that, Eric suddenly felt the ground beneath his feet slip.
“Wh-what is this!”
The pitch-black shadow transformed into a solid, mud-like swamp.
Eric cried out in shock as he fell into the darkness, his figure vanishing without a trace.
Moments later, the shadow reformed behind Darkness.
“Such a fuss over nothing.”
Darkness spat with disdain, then melted into a puddle of black shadow herself, sinking into the darkness and disappearing.
The remains of Fat Man’s body slowly dissolved in the darkness and then vanished completely.
Just like that, Fat Man and Eric disappeared from the cell, as if evaporated from the world.
Besides Eric, Darkness had to find someone else—someone who also bore deep hatred toward Alice and her companions.
And this person was of no low rank.
Even as a sacrifice for a blood ritual, they’d be worth the price.
***
“Young Lady, it’s time for your meal.”
“Get out of my sight!”
Inside the Chancellor’s Mansion, Irina Zi was shackled with Anti-magic Handcuffs, imprisoned in the underground cell.
The Servant who brought the meal shrank in terror at Irina Zi’s furious shout, not daring to move.
Yes, after the Chancellor took a deadly oath and begged His Majesty the King on his knees, His Majesty ultimately spared Irina Zi from execution.
But while the death sentence was lifted, she could not escape punishment.
Irina Zi was to be imprisoned forever in the dungeon of the Chancellor’s Mansion, forbidden from ever setting foot outside again.
This was considered the Chancellor’s last shred of dignity, for he had once contributed greatly to the Kingdom in his youth.
His Majesty the King would also send people to inspect the Chancellor’s Mansion periodically to confirm Irina Zi’s status.
“Hurry up and let me out!”
“N-no, Young Lady, this is the command of His Majesty the King and the Master. We wouldn’t dare let you out…”
The Servant trembled as they placed the tray in front of the iron bars, shrinking back in fear.
“Young Lady… your meal is here. We’ll withdraw now…”
“You lot!”
With that, the Servants quickly retreated down the corridor, leaving Irina Zi no chance to speak further.
Infuriated, Irina Zi stomped her feet.
Meanwhile, in the darkness of the shadows, two pairs of eyes watched everything happening in the cell.
“That’s… the Chancellor’s daughter? Didn’t she withdraw from school for personal reasons? Why is she here?”
Inside the Shadow Domain, Eric quickly recognized Irina Zi.
“Heh, she’s imprisoned here for offending the royal princess, too.”
Darkness explained briefly to Eric.
“Prison… prison!?”
Eric stared in disbelief at the scene before him.
“This counts as prison?”
If this was considered imprisonment for Irina Zi, then wasn’t Eric’s previous confinement akin to torture in the underworld?
First of all, Irina Zi had a single-person cell, with even the corridor separated for her alone.
Second, the room’s facilities were countless times better than Eric’s crude wooden bed—even though the toilet and bed were still in the same room, at least she had a toilet.
Also, her bed wasn’t the kind of rickety plank that Eric had—rather, it was a relatively clean and tidy wooden bed, at least at the level of a commoner.
Moreover, Irina Zi wasn’t even wearing prison clothes, just plain attire, and her food was that of a regular commoner, not the pig slop Eric was fed before.
Even the Servants listened to Irina Zi’s every word through the iron bars, making Eric grit his teeth in frustration.
Of course, His Majesty the King sent inspectors to prevent such leniency toward Irina Zi, but those sent were already bribed by the Chancellor, and the reports submitted were false.
“Hehe, isn’t it only natural for the Chancellor’s daughter to have some privileges?”
Darkness said, intentionally provoking Eric as she spoke.
“In the end, it’s just that you lack status and are a worthless failure.”
“Look, the princess can punish you at will, a noble of your rank eats pig food, but the Chancellor’s daughter eats normal meals. The class divisions are so clear.”
“…Liyakade. It’s all Liyakade’s fault!”
Eric stared at everything before him, feeling the gap in status and blaming it all on Liyakade once more.
“Yes, it’s all Liyakade’s fault. So, be good and obey. I’ll help you get your revenge.”
Darkness laughed teasingly.
At this moment, Eric’s head was filled with rage, no longer caring about the Demon Race or anything else.
“My Lord… Why did you bring me here? Was it just to show me how much better the Chancellor’s daughter lives than me?”
Eric asked respectfully.
“Of course not. Didn’t I say earlier? She ended up like this because of Alice and the others.”
As Darkness spoke, she stepped out from the Shadow Domain.
“Who’s there?”
Irina Zi immediately noticed the commotion in the cell, turned toward the corner, and saw Eric and Darkness stepping out.
“How did you get in here?”
Irina Zi frowned, then tried to call for help.
“Don’t shout. I’m here to let you out.”
Darkness waved a hand, stopping Irina Zi’s urge to call for someone.
“Let me out?”
Irina Zi looked at Darkness in confusion.
“Who are you people, really?”
Ka-cha—
“Who we are doesn’t matter. What matters is that I can help you take revenge.”
With a flash of black light, Irina Zi’s Anti-magic Handcuffs shattered in two.
She instantly regained her control over magic.
At the sight of the black light, Irina Zi realized the person before her was of the Demon Race.
This reminded her of Liyakade, who had also displayed Demon Bloodline that day.
“Help me take revenge? Fine.”
Freed from the shackles, Irina Zi sneered.
“Just in time, that previous Slave already betrayed me. Besides, he was also a filthy Demon like you. You can be my new Slave.”
“And you.”
Irina Zi glanced at Eric arrogantly, pinched her nose, and waved her hand in disdain.
“I think I saw you at the academy before. Some penniless noble, wasn’t it? You stink. Get away from me, will you?”
“You!?”
Eric was already frustrated by the vast difference in their treatment, and now, being pointed at and insulted by Irina Zi, his anger flared even more.
He thought of the root of all evil, Liyakade, the humiliation from Fat Man, and the contemptuous look on Irina Zi’s face.
The anger that had been suppressed for so long erupted uncontrollably.
“Pfft…hahaha, what a vile personality.”
Darkness couldn’t help but laugh at Irina Zi’s words, but her eyes grew cold.
Darkness had changed her mind.
This insignificant underling was completely useless, and with such an arrogant tone, she had no intention of recruiting Irina Zi to deal with Liyakade anymore.
She would rather torture Irina Zi to death first.
“Bastard! Who do you think you are? Just because you were born well, you think you’re worth anything? If not for being born into the Chancellor’s family, you’d be nothing but a whore!”
Eric’s expression twisted as he pointed at Irina Zi’s face and cursed.
“Heh, someone! Kill them for me!”
But as soon as Irina Zi opened her mouth, the iron bars behind her were already covered in black shadows, sealing off any sound from escaping.
“Pa—”
Eric slapped Irina Zi hard across the face.
Irina Zi was stunned, her ears ringing.
It was the second time she’d been beaten so badly—the last was by Liyakade.
“You!”
Water Element rose around Irina Zi, but in the next moment, a black line pierced through her body.
“Wha… what…”
Irina Zi suddenly felt her mind go blank.
Her magic was sealed once more, just like when she wore the magic-suppressing handcuffs.
“This one’s magic is sealed by me now. You seem annoyed with her too. Do as you like.”
With that, Darkness returned to the shadows.
“Bastard…”
Eric grabbed Irina Zi’s collar, tearing her blouse apart.
“Such a beauty. No wonder you’re the Chancellor’s daughter. Let me see what it feels like to have the Chancellor’s daughter!”
The pain inflicted by Liyakade, the humiliation at the hands of Fat Man, the disgrace dealt by Irina Zi—all of it, Eric was about to vent on her.
“You! Get off me!”
With her magic sealed, Irina Zi was pinned to the bed by Eric.
As she tried to resist, another punch landed on her face.
Amidst her screams, the sounds of flesh colliding grew more frantic.
At last, Eric vented all the humiliation he’d endured these past days onto her.