Rise of the Lustful Evil Monarch (Re)-Chapter 312: Devious Ethan (2)

Third Person's POV

After he finished speaking, he tilted his head and watched Telor closely.

"And I think you are smart enough to understand which direction I want you to point the blame."

The knight's firm gaze flickered slightly, and a glint of clarity flashed across his eyes.

He replied with slow deliberation,

"Empire of Abyssal Dominion?"

Ethan's smile widened slightly on seeing that his future partner was not stupid.

"That's about right."

Telor gave a small nod on hearing Ethan's confirmation, but his jaw tensed again as he returned to the lingering concern.

"Even if I go along with this… You still haven't told me how you plan to handle the heir.

He has seen too much. How do you plan to silence him?"

Ethan's answer came with a quiet and almost calm intensity, but the undercurrent behind it made Telor's shoulders tighten.

"You can leave that to me."

There was something about the way he said it.

It was measured and certain, but with an edge sharp enough to draw blood without making a sound.

Telor's grip on his weapon subtly shifted.

His face didn't change much, but Ethan caught the slight twitch at the corner of his eye, the involuntary reaction of someone instinctively bracing for something they couldn't quite predict.

Ethan noticed and offered a small and almost disarming shrug.

"Relax," he said, voice a little softer now.

"I am not going to fry his brain or ruin his body.

I know you will be reporting to the Duke, and you will need the heir to appear whole and intact in both mind and muscle."

He turned his head slightly and looked toward the unconscious figure hanging beside him while feeling the weight of the prince's limp form pulling slightly against the chains.

"I will make sure he wakes up with enough to keep going. He will be useful to you, just not… entirely sure what happened here."

The knight didn't respond, but he didn't object either. And that was all Ethan needed.

Saying that, he gave the girls a reassuring smile, and despite the visible burns marring his face that had cracked his skin and made it raw and slightly blistered, they didn't flinch or pull away.

There was no trace of discomfort in their expressions.

Instead, they returned his gaze with quiet trust and simply nodded, their eyes soft and steady.

He gently pulled them by their hands toward the looming figure of the blood slave.

While doing this, Ethan didn't say anything, but the reason behind his action was clear, as he didn't trust the demon knight enough to leave the girls exposed in his presence.

He stopped beside the blood slave and motioned for the girls to remain there.

The eerie air around the blood slave was cold, thick, and laced with a subtle hum, as if the space around it was being stretched and compressed at the same time.

Velcy instinctively held onto Virelle's hand tighter, but neither of them said it asked anything as they trusted him with all their heart.

Without another word, Ethan turned and began dragging the unconscious demon prince deeper into the dense forest.

The foliage seemed to thicken around him like a slow-closing curtain, muffling the distant wind and folding him into the quiet hush of the undergrowth.

Even as the sharp branches tugged lightly at his cloak and damp leaves brushed against his face, he showed no sign of distraction.

Midway through, without turning his head, he sent a silent transmission toward the blood slave with precision.

'Ensure that this demon knight stays exactly where he is.

Please ensure that he is not able to make even a single move. I suggest you subtly keep him frozen with your aura.'

As the mental command dissipated into the ether, Ethan's form flickered once and then melted into shadow.

A moment later, he had completely disappeared from the perception of the demon knight, leaving behind no scent, sound, or trace.

The forest grew still again.

Telor, who was still rooted in place, instinctively glanced at the seemingly cursed dark apparition and instantly regretted it.

The silent being hadn't moved and still floated among the tall bushes.

It hadn't even turned its face, but the suffocating weight of its gaze pressed down on him like a mountain.

Soon, cold sweat started forming along his temples as a shiver ran down his back.

Even without any words, he understood that Ethan had effectively boxed him in.

One false move, and this creature would react.

And now that he thought about it, the young man's intentions had never been reckless from the time he had met him. freeweɓnovēl.coɱ

In his actions, he could be seen accounting for every possibility.

Swallowing the lump in his throat, Telor slowly lowered his eyes and forced himself to stand still.

Whatever Ethan planned to do to the heir in the forest, it wasn't something Telor had any business interfering with.

Thinking that, he let out a soft sigh, and the tension in his shoulders eased slightly.

Walking a few steps away, he lowered himself onto the grass with a muted rustle.

The cool blades pressed against his palms as he leaned back and gazed up at the sky where the blood-colored moon hung like a silent sentinel.

A gentle breeze drifted across his face, carrying the faint scent of damp earth and iron, and it brushed away the lingering edge of battle.

For the first time in hours, he felt something close to calm.

As for the girls, they didn't let their guard down, even though Telor had backed off.

They stood quietly beside the blood slave with their eyes sharp and bodies still as they stayed within the circle of its eerie and invisible protection.

The air around them shimmered faintly with suppressed tension, but they were safe and calm.

Meanwhile, Ethan moved through the thick woods, the undergrowth crunching softly beneath his boots.

Eventually, he reached a small, shadowed pit that was nestled between three ancient moss-covered trees.