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06

We turned our gaze toward the source of the voice, and the man's eyes widened in disbelief. Even though my vision was blurry, there was no doubt in my mind about the identity of the solemn figure.

"The Demon Lord," the man muttered, his eyes meeting the cold, shivering blue eyes that were as dark as the night sky.

The fingers that had been digging into my cheeks moments ago loosened as the man stood up, gracefully bowing before the regal figure.

"After so many years, the Demon Lord ventures from his domain, arriving here at such an hour. The rumors were true, then. Could it be that His Majesty has taken this wolf under his protection?" the man pondered, his demeanor shifting as if stumbling upon a captivating revelation.

"Does the prince of the Vampire kingdom seek an explanation from the Demon Lord regarding my possession?" Aphellios asked, his voice composed yet commanding.

"The prince of the vampire kingdom?" I whispered, my eyes widening. No wonder I had sensed such intense energy emanating from him earlier, I thought.

"How could I? I deeply apologize if my audacity has offended His Majesty," the man said, a mischievous smirk appearing on the corner of his lips. "However, I couldn't restrain my curiosity when the Demon Lord himself appeared to save a wolf. When the Demon Lord intervenes to save a wolf, it raises questions about his principles, does it not?"

Aphellios' expression remained unchanged as his piercing eyes scrutinized every inch of my body. Suddenly, a chill ran down my spine as a thin line appeared on Aphellios' forehead, his brows furrowing together. His gaze was fixed on the wound near my flanks.

"Is the vampire kingdom daring to declare war upon me by damaging my belongings?" the vampire lord inquired, his tone even sharper than before.

"The vampire kingdom has no connection to this incident," the vampire prince immediately retorted. "I was simply on my way to clean the woods as His Majesty had permitted us. Since His Majesty's pet appeared outside the designated territory, aligning with a mere wolf, I mistakenly attacked them. If I had known they were the possession of the Demon Lord, I would not have dared."

"What a terrible liar!" I shouted, disdainfully looking at the man. "Do you think you can escape punishment by lying after killing the innocent?"

"Lady, you are mistaken. His Majesty does not care about your species. His Majesty is the one who has allowed us vampires to hunt down you wolves," the vampire prince said in a bored tone.

"The old man was no longer a wolf. You knew that!" I snarled, consumed by rage.

I attempted to raise my upper body but failed, letting out a scream. I collapsed to the ground once again, clutching my sides in pain.

"I was unaware," the vampire prince shrugged, turning to the Demon Lord. He stated, "If His Majesty still wishes to punish me for harming his pet and the wolves, I will accept it without objection. However, I acted within the parameters approved by His Majesty. Therefore, I request that His Majesty does not hold the vampire kingdom responsible for any of it."

Aphellios approached me with a serene and majestic stride, gently reaching for the monster pup by my side. His eyes locked with mine, and I felt a shiver run down my spine from his gaze.

Aphellios tenderly caressed the monster pup, treating it delicately as if it were a human baby. The frozen parts of the pup began to thaw and return to normal. It made me think that he would make a great father.

"Before I change my mind, you should run," Aphellios said, turning to the vampire prince.

With Aphellios facing away from me, I couldn't see what was reflected in his eyes. However, the sheer terror on the vampire prince's face was enough to make me gasp in fear as well.

The vampire prince wasted no time, quickly bowing to Aphellios and fleeing from the scene.

"Where do you think you're running off to, you jerk? Next time, I'll definitely tear your throat apart!" I muttered through clenched teeth, clutching my sides. The cold was becoming unbearable as my body was slowly turning to ice from the vampire prince's earlier attack.

As the monster pup regained consciousness, it affectionately nuzzled its head against the Demon Lord's chest. Suddenly, it leaped out of the Demon Lord's arms and approached my body. It gently licked the wound on me, while I could still feel the piercing gaze of the Demon Lord fixed upon me.

To my surprise, I stared at the monster pup, overwhelmed by the fact that the Demon Lord had healed the nearly lifeless creature. I wondered if he would bother to heal me as well.

"If you want me to heal you, you better give me a satisfactory explanation," Aphellios's deep voice cut through me. Standing tall before me, his gaze met mine as I lowered my eyes.

"Why did you flee?" he demanded before I could reply.

"Master," Caspian's voice chimed in before I could answer. "You might want to see something that will interest you."

"What is it?" Aphellios asked, turning to face Caspian.

I watched as Caspian emerged from the direction of the cottage, gathering the food I had left behind. His expression darkened as he noticed me lying there.

"As I told you, Master. This woman ran away without any intention of coming back. It's the food we provided her in the palace. She escaped with at least a month's worth of supplies," Caspian explained, holding up the bag.

Aphellios only glanced at the bag Caspian was holding. He sat beside me, his gaze unwavering.

"Why did you do it? By begging for your life, you swore your life to me. So why did you try to escape? Haven't I provided you with everything you need?" Aphellios questioned.

I no longer felt the terrifying knots in my stomach. Instead, I could see disappointment in those eyes. I couldn't understand why Aphellios would be so upset over a wolf running away. He provided everything for me. I chuckled inwardly. He didn't even show his face until today.

"What an ungrateful creature! You've just proven the disloyalty of the wolves once again," Caspian remarked, giving me a disdainful look.

"I didn't run away," I gasped, struggling to speak.

"Do you want me to save you?" Aphellios asked again, never taking his eyes off mine.

"Master!" Caspian protested. "Are you going to believe this woman again? Who knows what her intentions were when she entered our palace? And to steal our provisions on top of it all—Can't believe," Caspian muttered the last words almost reluctantly as if doubting I could stoop so low.

Suddenly, the monster pup started barking, catching the attention of the Demon Lord. It tugged at the edge of the Aphellios's surcoat, pulling him. Then, the monster pup ran towards the bushes. Caspian followed as Aphellios gestured for him to do so.

Soon, Caspian used his power to clear the bushes, revealing a man's body completely frozen in ice. "Oh, Lord! Those vile vampires! Why did they freeze an old man here?" Caspian exclaimed.

"An old man!" I whispered impatiently. I tried to quickly get up to reach the old man's body. However, as I was about to fall, Aphellios caught me, his eyes filled with confusion. Tears streamed down my cheeks as I clung to his arm, pleading silently.

"Save him, please!" I begged once again, looking into Aphellios's eyes.

Unaffected by my tears, Aphellios didn't release his hold on me. He asked again, "Tell me. Do you want me to save you too?"

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