I finally put a hold on Zach’s alcohol intake. The man had clearly gotten intoxicated, and we weren’t even halfway through the eting. His flushed cheeks, unsteady grip on the wine glass, and the dreamy grin plastered across his face were more than enough indicators.
"Whose brilliant idea was it to have wine during this eting again?" Lord Devil mumbled, pressing two fingers to his temple as a faint flush rose to his own cheeks.
"It was you, Lord Devil," Lord Hawke reminded flatly. "You marched in with that bottle, claiming it was ’the perfect drink to celebrate a minor triumph against the Golden Serpent.’"
Lord Devil blinked, then chuckled, clearly amused with himself. "Well... it is a fine vintage."
"This is indeed quite the drink, Lord Devil!" Zach added enthusiastically, lifting his half-empty glass and grinning with flushed pride. "My complints to the delinquent who brought it!"
"I’m glad to hear that," Lord Devil replied, raising his own glass with a crooked smirk. "Though it is a sha our Master here refuses to indulge in any."
"Why can’t you have just one drink, Master?" Zach leaned forward, offering his glass, eyes gleaming with mischief. "Let us see your beautiful drunken face just once."
I shook my head with a small smile. "I can’t."
Zach pouted dramatically. "Cruel. And here I thought I’d get to witness a divine spectacle tonight."
Baron Oberon joined in the theatrics, letting out a dramatic sigh and giving a hopeless look. "Truly, a tragedy that the heavens won’t bless us with that vision."
I raised a brow. "Might I remind you that all of you are still in your masks?"
Zach didn’t miss a beat. With one swift motion, he pulled off his mask and tossed it onto the table, grinning with flushed cheeks and unrestrained glee. "Not anymore."
Baron Oberon followed suit, removing his mask and placing it down with a slow, deliberate motion. "If we are to admire beauty, it’s only fair we et it without veils."
Lord Hawke looked mildly appalled at their boldness but, realizing he was outnumbered, sighed and removed his own mask, albeit reluctantly.
"Well, it’s not like we didn’t already know each other’s identities," he muttered, setting his mask aside with a practiced air of caution.
And so they sat before —not as the anonymous Lords of the Underworld, but as the n behind the titles:
Count Wallace Nash—sharp, stoic, the blade in the shadows aka Lord Hawke.
Baron Sebastian Oberon—charismatic, dangerous, a true devil with a silver tongue and the genius playwright aka Lord Devil.
Count Zachary Erkens—wild, unpredictable, loyal and a huge flirt to a fault aka Lord Snake.
Their gazes turned to , eyes expectant, as if waiting for the final act of the show.
"It’s your turn now, Master," Zach coaxed, eyes gleaming.
"Yes," Baron Oberon leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "You still owe the truth behind that illusion you showed the last ti. I need to see your true face."
Their anticipation was thick in the air, and I knew there was no dodging it this ti.
With a quiet breath, I leaned forward, gently placed my teacup down on the glass table, and then raised my hands to the mask I wore.
Their eyes followed every movent.
I removed it.
The silk of the mask slid away without a sound, and I lifted my head—locking gazes with them one by one.
A hush fell across the room.
Their eyes widened in unison. Mouths parted ever so slightly. A wave of stunned silence swept through them as their minds slowly caught up with what they were seeing.
I brushed a few loose strands of my aqua-blue hair behind my ear, the soft locks shimring faintly under the chandelier’s light, and leaned back into my chair with quiet satisfaction, savoring the stunned reverence in their expressions.
"I... didn’t know Dragons were so beautiful..." Wallace murmured, voice barely above a whisper.
Baron Oberon exhaled slowly, like he’d been holding his breath. "It’s a kind of divine beauty... The sort that would bring the world to its knees, just to worship the ground you walk upon."
Zach stared, utterly entranced, before speaking with zero filter—as always. "I understand now. I understand why you hide your face. Gods, Master, if anyone else saw you looking like that, they’d throw themselves at your feet. I’m barely holding myself back."
I chuckled.
"Ah, don’t laugh like that!" Zach whined. "You’re not allowed to seduce an innocent man like . At this rate, I might just forget you’re our Master."
I smiled sweetly. "If you did try sothing... I’d break every bone in your body and flay you alive."
"I’d love that," Zach said instantly, dreamy-eyed.
"You’ll die," Wallace stated flatly, looking unimpressed.
"And yet it’d be worth it," Zach grinned, completely unrepentant.
Baron Oberon leaned back with a lopsided smile, "Truly, we serve a rciful God."
"Why don’t we return to our eting?" I interjected smoothly, letting the air of command fall naturally over my voice. "Lord Devil. Lord Hawke. You’re yet to report."
Zach groaned, collapsing slightly against the table with theatrical despair. "How can anyone possibly focus on anything else when you’re sitting there with that heavenly face, Master?"
I humd in amusent, fingers reaching out toward my mask. "In that case, I’ll just put it back on."
"What? No!" Zach shot upright, almost knocking over the wine bottle as he lunged to snatch the mask away before it even grazed my fingertips. He held it protectively behind him like a treasure. "Don’t be cruel, Master. Don’t hide your face after blessing us with a glimpse. It’s... inhumane."
Lord Devil chuckled beside him. "For once, I agree with Snake. We’ve seen the sun. Don’t throw us back into the cave."
I sighed, crossing my arms over my chest. "Then will you report, or do you intend to waste more ti simping?"
Lord Devil raised his hands in surrender. "All right, all right. I’ll go next."
He leaned forward slightly, eyes dark with calculation. "The Queen offered a promotion—an even higher title—and half-ownership of the Oasis Foundation if I pledged support to her son, Prince Carlos."
Lord Devil’s smirk deepened. "But then I had to remind her of her dear puppet Peter Erkens whom she disposed of and how I almost ended up becoming a scapegoat for them." Lord Devil smirked, "And I had to remind her—eloquently—how you saved . Her expression was priceless." He grinned, satisfied.
I tilted my head slightly, lips curving into a faint smile. "Quite generous of her, considering she has no real claim over Oasis, even the King’s authority can’t breach its ownership," I mused aloud.
Lord Hawke scoffed. "Clearly, she ant to get rid of you first, Master. In her mind, once you were eliminated, Oasis would beco unclaid territory."
Zach growled under his breath. "Damn wench doesn’t know anything other than scheming and slaughter."
I smirked. "It’s not the first ti she’s tried, nor will it be the last."
Baron Oberon chuckled, resting his elbows on the armrest. "Even if she dares again, what fool would accept the task? Master controls nearly every major assassination guild in the Empire. Anyone stupid enough to accept such a contract would be eliminated before they even caught a glimpse of your shadow."
Zach burst out laughing while I rely smiled and shook my head, the casual air of violence hanging between us like perfu.
Lord Hawke took the cue to speak. "As for , she offered an alliance. Specifically, a marriage between my daughter and Prince Carlos. Along with a title to match."
"Good thing your eldest daughter is already married, and the younger one’s engaged to Count Greene’s son, isn’t she?" Lord Devil chid in.
Lord Hawke nodded. "Brielle is indeed engaged to Ralph Greene. Yet, the Queen insisted she could break the engagent and elevate Brielle to a Queen’s pedestal. As if I’d entertain her delusions."
I offered a faint smile. "Lady Brielle is fortunate to have a father who doesn’t sell her for a crown."
He shook his head. "Credit doesn’t go to , Master. My wife proposed the engagent after she heard Count Greene had aligned himself with you. She knew what she was doing."
"My Lady is a sharp woman," I replied, earning a brief smile from him.
Then Zach leaned forward, his curiosity shining through. "You’ve heard all of our tales, Master. What did she say to you?"
I let my fingers tap rhythmically on the table, thinking back to the Queen’s theatrics. "She moaned endlessly about injustice. How Prince Carlos was wronged—set up by a conspiracy hatched between Prince Eric and Crown Prince Arian of Denril."
The three n collectively snorted, Lord Devil almost choking on his drink.
"She claid the Kingdom required a ’kind-hearted and just’ King like Carlos," I continued, voice laced with mock-seriousness. "And then... she asked to hand over half of my Oasis shares and support him with all the influence I possess."
Zach nearly fell out of his chair laughing. "What in the ever-frozen hells is wrong with that woman?!"
Lord Devil leaned forward with a bark of laughter. "She’s truly lost it."
"She threatened , too," I added, a calm smile tugging at my lips. "Claid she’d ruin the Foundation if I refused."
"She dared?" Zach’s eyes narrowed, and I could almost see the murderous glint rising in his gaze.
I shrugged with effortless grace. "I reminded her—not even the King can touch Oasis, let alone her or her little puppets."
"Exactly!" Lord Devil thumped his glass against the table in agreent.
"Though, I think she was drunk." I said making them frown in confusion.
"She even tried to impose an imperial command." I spoke.
There was a beat of silence before all three erupted into laughter.
"She must’ve been sloshed," Lord Devil wheezed.
"More like delusional," Zach added, still holding his sides.
As their laughter faded, I sat back calmly and said, "I told her I’d test the Princes—to see who is truly deserving of my support."
"While she has no idea you’ve already chosen the King," Lord Devil muttered with a smirk.
I simply shrugged, "Once Prince Eric returns, I’ll test them. Thoroughly. And then I’ll shatter Carlos’ blind faith in his mother’s power."
Their smirks turned darker, more knowing.
Zach leaned back with a devilish grin. "I almost feel bad for the brat. Almost."
Lord Hawke chuckled. "She’s going to regret ever thinking she could manipulate our Master."
"And by then," Baron Oberon murmured, lifting his glass once more, "it’ll already be too late."
"Let’s cheer for the beginning of the downfall of the Golden Serpent," Zach brought his glass up.
"I’d prefer it for the beginning of Prince Eric’s march towards the throne." I corrected.
"Both." Lord Devil said as he brought his glass up.
Lord Hawke also raised his glass and then they looked at , I brought my tea cup up looking at them.
"Cheers!"
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