Sylvia calmly breathed in and out, her soulful blue eyes staring at the stars twinkling in the wide open skies above her.

The view was not too shabby. 

Even though the servant quarters back in the castle were quite comfortable, Sylvia liked this refreshing environment more.

For some reason, she felt more at ease here, as if she was home.

As she laid there, enjoying the cool refreshing breeze, a familiar hand popped into her starry sky view and snapped loudly, breaking her thoughts.

Sylvia sat up to see Mikel standing in front of her, with a lopsided grin on his face.

“Your highness?” She hesitantly asked. 

She had hoped that her dues for the day had already been paid but obviously they were not.

Sylvia watched the man as he nodded at her and then wordlessly walked over to his bedding with his hands inside his pant pockets.

He then casually laid on it, turned towards her, resting his head on his hand, and flashed a wicked grin.

“Come here, my kitten,” Mikel whispered. 

Say, what now? Sylvia stared at him dumbfoundedly. He wants me to come and lie next to him?

Her heart started shivering as she fidgeted with a frill on her violet dress.

Surely, he won’t do something indecent in front of a kid, right? She tried to console herself.

She gulped and shifted her gaze to the other two companions hoping that one of them might prevent the devil from being so shameless.

But Cassius had already fallen asleep and Theodore as well had his eyes closed, his hand covering his face.

Damn it. Sylvia could tell that no one was going to come to her rescue.

Her gaze shifted to the devil once again, staring at the man nervously.

He was still looking at her with a weird grin on his face. “How long are you planning to take?”

Sylvia gulped and hesitantly stood up, eying the soft feathered bed like an enemy. It might as well be a bed of thorns.

She then walked over step by step, knowing full well that she didn’t have any other choice or say in the matter.

The man had already made things exceedingly clear in the carriage ride.

She found all of this unsettling but she also didn’t want to poke the devil and unnecessarily enrage him.

So she swallowed her worries and walked over, obediently sitting down on the ground next to his bedding.

Mikel chuckled lightly, amused at the girl’s cowardly behavior.

“The night is cold and freezing. Don’t you want some warmth?” He patted the small space on the bedding beside him, signaling her to move over.

Sylvia eyed him warily, trying to discern his actions. Was he really going to behave like this in the presence of two other people? 

Her heart thudded against her chest like hailstones hitting a window. “I… I… I am alright sleeping here, your highness.” She squeezed out a weak smile.

Hmm? Mikel’s lips coldly curved upwards, one end pulling up higher than the other.

“Get over here.” He repeated himself, this time his words no longer giving her an option.

Sylvia gripped the edges of her dress and inched closer. She did not dare to dawdle any longer and cause more trouble.

At the end of the day, he was the Master and she was the slave and she had no other choice but to obey.

She inched closer and closer, trying very hard not to touch him. Almost half of her body almost uncomfortably hung outside the mattress.

Mikel gazed at the girl helplessly and let out a sigh. 

His hand then abruptly shot forward, grabbing the woman by her waist and pulling her closer to him in one fell swoop.

Sylvia gasped feeling her body suddenly so close to him, his face right next to hers.

Her mind and body froze, both unwilling to process what was happening. Her breathing quickened and her heart was having a panic attack.

The devil was staring right at her, holding her snugly in his arms. What the hell was she supposed to do now?

That’s it. I am done for. He is surely going to do things to me tonight. Her brain gave up and short-circuited. 

Sylvia closed her eyes tightly shut, afraid to meet the man’s gaze. 

She tried to calm herself down by slowly breathing in and out but it was only for naught.

How could she possibly calm down when she was well aware of the man’s voracious obsidian orbs peering into her very soul.

She could feel his warm and firm hands on her waist, still suspiciously lingering on her body, without making any movements.

But just their presence there, made her feel spooked, giving her small intangible bumps all over her body.

The man was simply holding her in place, her body close to his and gazing at her. He didn’t do anything else at least just yet.

But just the anticipation of what he might or might not do was driving the poor girl crazy.

Myriad emotions crossed her mesmerizing face, each a reaction to something her stupid brain was imagining.

Her entire body heated up and her cheeks were flushed ripe. 

The man’s warm breath on her face further threw gasoline on this fire, making matters much worse.

While she was suffering silently, the man on the other end as well weirdly found himself a little taken aback.

A lump moved down his throat as he gazed into the woman in his arms. 

Her eyes were closed and her brows were furrowed as if she was suffering from untold pain.

He had just lightly grabbed her and she was already a nervous wreck. He didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

He sighed silently, removing one of his arms from her waist, and raised it up to poke her forehead with his finger.

Sylvia snapped her eyes open and looked at the man in surprise. 

Of all the places she had expected him to touch her, he poked her forehead?