Razeal didn't flinch. His grip only tightened, forcing a strangled sound from her throat as Maria squirmed beneath his hold. "I treat all my enemies like this," he said, voice calm, almost detached the softness of it more terrifying than a roar. "Now tell me… what are you doing here? Spying on me?"

"Before I kill you that is."

Maria stayed silent, her eyes locked on his, refusing to give him the satisfaction of fear. She let him see nothing, even as his hand pressed into the soft curve of her neck. Even though she was visibly uncomfortable.

Razeal's gaze narrowed. For a long second he studied her face, then loosened his grip slightly just enough to let her draw a ragged breath. His hand, however, remained around her neck. The threat lingered in every inch of his fingers.

Maria's lips curved upward into the faintest smile. She wanted to look like she was in control, like the position she was in wasn't hopeless. But the reality was undeniable: She hadn't even seen it coming when he grabbed her, slammed her against the tree, and pinned her like a fragile thing in his grasp. Now her throat held in his grasp. The sheer difference in strength left her reeling.

And Yet Maria forced herself to look into his eyes with her usual triumph, her chin tilting up in defiance. "Kill me? I'm not so sure you can," she said softly, her voice strained but steady. "If you're running to the ocean, it only means one thing you don't want problems here. Kill me now, and you'll be neck-deep in problems you can't escape. No matter what you do, you won't be able to leave. And you know that well too i might be weak but pillar family is still a pillar family. So yes… you don't dare to kill me."

She shifted under his hold, trying to pry herself free, but his hand didn't budge.

But Razeal's eyes remained cold, his expression carved from ice. He leaned closer, his stare cutting through her defiance.

"Try me," he whispered, the softness of his voice at odds with the violence coiled beneath it.

She met his stare, unflinching. Those eyes merciless, uncaring were unlike any she had ever seen. She knew killing her would cost him dearly, that it would set fires neither of them could escape. Yet the way he looked at her made her believe he would do it anyway. To him, her life carried no weight, no consequence.

And still, she couldn't look away. There was something terrifyingly magnetic in his indifference, a pull that made her heart race for reasons that had nothing to do with fear.

"I'll tell you!" The words burst from her mouth before her fear drowned her courage. She gulped air. "I'm here to fulfill my bet of duel of honor.. I lost so ofcourse i.." Razeal didn't let her finish

Razeal's grip didn't ease. His cold voice cut through her excuse like a knife. "Don't lie. You're not that type of person."

His fingers pressed tighter into her neck, and Maria's composure shattered. "I'll tell, I'll tell!" she gasped, her voice shaking now. "I… I want you to teach me how you extracted your bloodline essence without dying!"

Ohhh? That made him pause.

Razeal narrowed his eyes. This request… it struck something in his memory. Yes indeed Maria had always carried a deep hatred for the imperial family. Even in the original plot, though she wasn't a central character, her hostility had shown clearly. During the war, when Celestia summoned the ten pillar families, Maria representing her own had clashed with her. Razeal remembered well: Maria despised the imperials control over her bloodline.

He could still picture her face burning with rage the last time Celestia had seized her water element and forced her to submit. Maria had looked ready to devour her alive, even though she knew Celestia could erase her existence with a single word.

Razeal's eyes flickered thoughtfully. What Maria had just said wasn't entirely wrong. He only had two days left to escape the Empire. If he killed her here and now, her family would surely know. That would create far too many complications. He could think of ways to handle it, but none would be clean, and the two days would vanish in the mess.

Yet he couldn't simply let her walk away either. She had overheard the conversation somehow. She knew too much. Even his perception and flow sense hadn't caught her eavesdropping how? That fact alone unsettled him.

But again the main thing is she can't leave now. And he can't kill her either. So now he has to find a way to silence her without ending her life. That's the only option he have for now.

But still

Razeal didn't move. His grip remained steady around Maria's slender neck, his cold eyes fixed on her face. He showed no sign of anger or hesitation only that void-like calm that made every heartbeat louder.

"And why," he asked evenly, "should I do that?"

Maria's lips curled, her strained breath pushing past the iron hold on her throat. "I'll do anything. Just… just take this bloodline out of me." Her eyes gleamed with something close to madness.

"You have nothing to offer me." Razeal's gaze didn't waver. "And why should I even consider helping you? Weren't you hostile toward me yesterday? What makes you think I won't believe you came for revenge?"

Maria shook her head weakly, the bark scraping her back. "I'm not. Let's make it clear I started it, you ended it. That makes us even. Equal. Nothing left to hold onto." Her voice was steady despite her situation. "I've thought it over, and I don't see the point in holding onto something we've already paid for. What's done is done. No one has time to waste on grudges."

Razeal narrowed his eyes, studying her. "Oh? You sound desperate. So desperate you'd even throw away a grudge. I never imagined you capable of that. It doesn't suit you. Last time i remember you were burning to kill me just for one slap. Honestly this acting… it doesn't sound believable

Maria's smile thinned, but she pressed on her voice cut sharper this time. "I'm literally asking you to strip away my bloodline knowing full well that most of my strength rests on it. Even knowing I'll sacrifice everything I've built, my family inheritance, My advantage, My relationships, My everything. Do you think someone willing to give up everything would cling to a petty grudge? No. I'll give it up. All of it. As long as you do it. You know pretty well you're the only one who's ever removed your bloodline essence and lived. I don't have any other option and I don't care what it costs me. I just want you to do it." Her eyes burned with raw intensity, iron in her words.

Razeal tilted his head slightly. His eyes searched hers, cold and probing. "So much hate… for your own bloodline. You'd give up your affinity itself, the foundation of your strength, just to sever the leash the imperials have over you. Is it only their control you despise? Or do you hate something deeper?"

Honestly, it sounds stupid even to him. Like yeah, he gave up his bloodline, but it was of no use to him anyway. And not to mention the complicated family relationships he had. he knew that if he didn't give it up, they'd always be on his ass, trying to drag him back for "family purity" or whatever the fuck reason.

Still

His eyes probed deeper. This didn't feel like a simple thirst for freedom from imperial chains. This was hatred. Not annoyance. Not resentment. It was hatred.. deep, consuming hatred. He didn't understand it. He only kept staring, trying to read what lay beneath.

Maria's expression didn't shift, but something flickered in her gaze too quick, too raw to hide.

"I asked you to do it," she said, her voice sharp, almost biting. "Not to understand me."

"And I'm telling you," Razeal replied, his voice flat as steel, "that I have no reason to help you."

Maria inhaled sharply through her teeth, then gave a faint, bitter laugh. "Because I know your plan."

His grip tightened suddenly, cutting off her breath. Her body jerked against the tree, her lips parting in pain, but still she forced the words out. "You won't let me go… not now. I know you're running. You can't kill me either so you'll have to keep me quiet somehow."

Her lips curled despite the pressure on her throat. "Take me with you. You're going into the ocean, aren't you? My affinity is water. In the ocean, nothing could be more useful than that. I'll help you. And after that… you'll help me."

Razeal's expression didn't change. His hand didn't ease. "And why should I trust you? What if this is all a ploy? What if you're planning something else?"

Maria's breath hitched. Her face was pale, her body trembling under his grip, but her eyes shone with fierce determination. "Then take my bloodline out now," she rasped. "If I'm lying, it's all you'll need as proof. And as you can see…" she gave a weak, almost mocking laugh through her struggle, "And even now am not strong enough to do anything to you anyway So what can i do later."

"Don't try to act smart ass." Razeal's voice was cold, steady as steel. His hand didn't waver around her throat. "If you lose your bloodline, what worth will you have to me?"

Maria's lips trembled, but she forced herself to meet his gaze. "I have nothing else I can prove to you with… I only wanted to show you I meant every word. You know as well as I do going into the Ocean is forbidden. No one from the Empire can follow. Even if I sent a signal, no one could come. Not even the dukes."

Her chest rose and fell fast as she searched his eyes. "Isn't that why you're running there? Because there's no other way? You can't live anywhere else. Your family will hunt you down. So you want to vanish into the Ocean before those two days are up. Before that bitch's words to your mother are fulfilled… isn't that it?"

"If you didn't ran to ocean.. you'll have nowhere to live or hide.. You family definitely won't left you. So you want to run. Isn't that it?"

Razeal's face stayed unreadable. Not a flicker betrayed him. But slowly, his grip loosened around her throat

Maria smirked, tasting victory as oxygen rushed back into her lungs. She tilted her head, lips parting.. ready to gloat.

Victory curled across her lips. But before she could savor it, Razeal's hand snapped upward. Two fingers forced past her lips, forcing themselves deep into her mouth before she could jerk away.

----

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.