Chapter 160 - 159: Long dead

As Axelius stood on the terrace, enjoying the quiet sky, faint voices drifted from behind the doorway.

"Come on, Sylfia, entertain him. I need to go back to my room," Tiana’s sharp tone cut through.

"But princess..." Sylfia’s voice sounded hesitant, almost pleading.

"No buts!" Tiana snapped, and before another word could be said, the sound of hurried footsteps came closer.

Axel turned around just as Tiana pushed Sylfia forward. To his surprise, Sylfia stumbled into the terrace, nearly falling into him. Tiana giggled, covering her mouth. "Oops, sorry!" she chirped, before immediately leaving with a playful smirk.

Sylfia lost her balance, but Axel’s reflexes were quick. He grabbed her shoulder firmly, holding her steady. "You okay?" he asked.

Sylfia straightened herself quickly, brushing at her dress and stepping back. A small cough escaped her lips. "Yeah... I’m fine."

Axel smirked, lifting his glass of wine and sipping casually. His eyes lingered on her a moment before he teased, "Now you look like a girl."

Sylfia rolled her eyes, a faint blush creeping onto her cheeks though she tried to hide it. "Princess Tiana forced me," she muttered.

Axel chuckled, shaking his head. "Don’t worry. The gown looks good on you."

For some reason, Sylfia’s chest tightened at those words. She glanced away, pretending to be annoyed, but deep down she couldn’t explain the strange warmth spreading inside her.

Sylfia’s gown shimmered faintly under the moonlight. It was a flowing dress of deep sapphire blue, lined with silver patterns along the hems, and fitted neatly at the waist with a delicate sash.

Her hair was pulled into a tight bun, elegant but severe, fitting for her role beside Princess Tiana.

For a moment, silence lingered between her and Axel, broken only by the cool night air.

Then, a servant approached with a silver tray, carrying a fine bottle of wine and two crystal glasses.

"For you, my lady, my lord," the servant bowed, placing the tray gently before leaving them alone.

Sylfia glanced at the bottle, knowing immediately who had arranged it. ’Princess Tiana... of course.’

With a quiet sigh, she lifted the bottle herself and poured into their glasses. The faint sound of wine trickling filled the silence.

Just as she was about to take a sip, she froze. A warm touch brushed her hair.

She frowned and turned her head slightly, strands slipping free as Axel’s hand moved from the bun. With a single, easy tug, her neatly tied hair fell loose, flowing down her shoulders.

"Wha—" she began, only to stop when she saw his expression.

Axel smiled at her, soft and unbothered, sipping his wine. "Sorry. Couldn’t help it. You look better with your hair down."

Sylfia’s cheeks warmed instantly. She turned her face away, hiding the faint blush as she brought the glass to her lips and took a quick sip.

’Why is he acting weird?’she thought, her heart beating unsteadily. ’This isn’t like him at all...’

Axel swirled the wine in his glass, his eyes sliding to Sylfia. "How long have you been serving Tiana?"

The question caught her off guard. Usually, his words to her were sharp, short, or tied to business. She hesitated, taking longer than she meant before answering. "Since I was five years old," she finally said, her voice calm but steady.

Axel raised a brow. "That long, huh? Then..." he leaned back slightly, eyes narrowing with curiosity. "Do you ever regret it?"

Sylfia blinked, unsure where he was going with this. "Regret? No," she replied. But before she could ask why he cared, Axel continued, throwing question after question, all strangely personal—her favorite weapon, her hobbies, even what food she disliked.

Then came one that made her frown.

"How many past lovers do you have?"

Sylfia’s eyes narrowed, and her lips pressed tight. "...Say it straight, Axelius. What do you want?"

Axel chuckled, leaning closer with that familiar, careless grin. "What? I’m just asking. Or..." his eyes glinted teasingly, "...are you expecting something from me?"

Her chest tightened for a second, and she looked away quickly, heat crawling up her cheeks. "...Never mind. Just stop asking me," she muttered.

Axel laughed again, this time softer, clearly amused by her reaction. He opened his mouth to tease further—

THUD!

Both of them turned at the sudden noise. Over at the buffet table, a loud crash echoed as plates clattered and nobles gasped.

"...Isn’t that your beast?" Sylfia asked, frowning.

Axel’s eyes twitched as he spotted Owen now large enough to be impossible to miss landing clumsily on the table. The nobles shrieked, some trying to stomp at him as if he were no more than a rat.

"Are you not going to help it?" Sylfia asked again, a hint of disbelief in her tone.

Axel, completely unfazed, lifted his glass and took a calm sip. "Nah. He can handle those nobles."

Sylfia gave him a look of disbelief, but before she could reply, Owen suddenly coiled back and with a quick flick of his tail, launched a cupcake directly at one of the noble’s faces.

The cream splattered everywhere, leaving the hall in a mix of shock and awkward silence.

Then, as if satisfied, Owen slithered down the table and slipped away into the shadows before anyone could catch him.

Axel smirked, setting his glass down. "See? Told you. He can handle them."

For the briefest moment, Sylfia laughed. It was soft, short, almost unnoticeable, but it was there.

Axel blinked at her, his eyes wide. "Wow... youlaugh?"

Her face immediately stiffened, the cold mask returning as quickly as it slipped. "No, I didn’t. You should stop drinking. You’re drunk."

Axel leaned back against the terrace rail, grinning wide, laughter bursting out of him again. "Ha! Denial. Now I’ve seen everything."

Sylfia huffed, turning away with her glass, though the warmth in her cheeks betrayed her usual calm.

Meanwhile, under the tables and weaving past the nobles’ feet, Owen rolled his eyes with a hiss. "Tch. They deserved that. Dared to backstab my friend? Hah!" He replayed the memory of cupcakes and cream splattering noble clothes and faces, a smug satisfaction flickering in his sharp gaze.

But then, his movement paused. His tongue flicked, catching something unusual in the air. The duke , Axelius father was walking through the crowd, leaving the ballroom with a tall, cloaked figure at his side.

Owen’s eyes narrowed when he caught it.

That man... he had just spoken. And he said a name.

"Axelius."

Owen’s body stiffened. Curiosity gnawed at him, and silently, he slithered after them.

His body blended into the shadows, careful not to make a sound, until he followed the two figures out of the grand hall, into the back garden where no one else was present.

The duke stopped, his posture sharp, cold. His voice was low but heavy with authority. "Why are you here?"

The cloaked man let out a breath, tilting his head slightly. "I just want to check... if the spell still holds."

Owen froze where he hid, coils tightening on the branch he rested on.Spell? What spell?His eyes widened as the cloaked figure continued.

"Axelius Dravenhart is long dead. We both know that," the man said coldly. "The body that walks now... it is only a vessel. A soul summoned and forced into it."

The duke’s face hardened, shadows under his eyes making him look older, more tired than Owen had ever seen him. "Keep your voice down," he muttered sharply. "If anyone hears..."

Owen’s mind reeled, "What?! He knows?!"

The cloaked man chuckled under his breath, grim and unsettling. "Then pray no one ever finds out the truth. Or the Dravenhart line will collapse before your very eyes."