Chapter 174

“Princess, he is not a monster.”

“I know he’s a person. But what’s the difference?”

“It means you can’t own him.”

“But you own him, Your Majesty. You can also hand him over to someone else. It’s up to you whether you really want ‘Milon’s Eyes’ or not.”

Apollonia’s countenance turned cold at her troublesome condition.

Evangeline looked at Apollonia.

Strange innocence, conviction, and obsession seemed to emerge in her childlike face.

“Listen carefully, princess.” Apollonia’s voice rang lower than before. “I’m the only one who can own Caelion.”

“But you have Count Buiche, too! I only need Caelion!” She spoke like a spoiled brat and Apollonia smiled coldly.

Money was a different matter.

She intended to wield and control Caelion’s life, but she had no plans of playing tricks on his allegiance.

“The numbers don’t matter. The thing is… they’re both mine and I don’t intend to hand over that right to anyone else. I will not let someone steal them away from me.” She spoke forcefully, making sure Evangeline understood so that there was absolutely no room for contradiction.

“Did you say you are the only one who could control ‘Milon’s Eye’?”

“Yes, but they——”

“Caelion is only loyal to me. Uriel, too. That fact will never change.”

‘——and I will kill them as soon as they did.’ Apollonia thought to herself.

“It took me five years to raise Caelion as who he is now. He’s useful to me, and he will always be even after marrying me.”

Evangeline’s eyes went round.

“You intend to marry Caelion? I’ve never heard of that before—- ”

“I can give you my business empire if you want but I will never let go of my people.”

Apollonia rose from her seat as if the conversation had already ended.

Evangeline looked perplexed.

“Well, is that a no?”

“You just turned down my offer. But, princess——” Apollonia, who was turning around, looked back at her and said. “Don’t be mistaken.”

“What?”

“The illusion that you could be safe from my father without my protection.”

Evangeline’s shoulders flinched but she didn’t dare say anything.

“You must have assumed that you can prepare for the worst just because you have Milon’s eye.”

Evangeline nodded her head as if she had seen this coming.

Honestly, she had no one to follow although the basis of her honesty was just an illusion.

“My father said earlier that there was nothing he can do but kill you, right? You might try living a decent life but one mistake and you’ll die.”

“Well, that’s——-”

Evangeline blurted out, wearing a face that showed Apollonia had hit the nail on the head.

“Perhaps, you won’t really die. There are many other ways to cause pain besides death. My father is an expert in that field.”

“Torture is——-”

“Will you take your life before you get whipped or will you run away if you make a mistake?” Apollonia raised one of her eyebrows to capture her scorn. “I mean, that’s only an illusion. The pain I’m talking about is not meant for you.”

Evangeline froze for a moment.

She must have thought of something in her head.

“That’s correct.”

“But…”

“The precious horse that you cherished… Was her name Priya?”

The huge winged horse that Evangeline rode in the battle with Paris was a ‘Prionyx’——a legendary monster that few had ever seen, let alone tamed.

Evangeline had called it ‘Priya’ in front of the Emperor.

It was a little fairy’s name from a legend, although it didn’t suit it at all.

“Priya is numb to pain. She can withstand everything.”

Evangeline retorted without losing but her eyes seemed to realize that there might be something she hadn’t thought of.

“I heard that. Even when Paris stabbed her with a sword, she didn’t budge. At the same time, she communicated perfectly with you as if you were both reading each other’s minds.”

“That’s right. She was the first giant monster and best friend I’ve ever tamed.”

“My father also wanted to tame her after hearing those rumors.”

“It’s impossible,”

Evangeline said flatly, her eyes shining with conviction.

“Then how about this?”

Apollonia simply tried pretending she was Petra.

It was easy because she had done it thousands of times in her life.

“What if Priya hears you scream? If she’s that smart, she’ll know you’re in trouble, right?”

Evangeline’s face turned white.

Apollonia pushed further without giving her a break.

“Her body is numb to physical pain but what about emotional pain?”

“Things like that….”

“If only I was the Emperor,”

Apollonia recalled her father’s face a long time ago when he looked down at her mother, lying on the floor while enjoying her pain.