Natalia shut her eyes, waiting for the worst. However, few minutes passed and nothing happened. She opened one eye and saw that he was actually in front of her, sitting still. His claws dug into his arms and his fangs dug into his lips. He was close but he didn't make contact. "I thought he said…..you didn't have control over your actions. You clearly do. Do you…..not want to hurt me?"He shook his head, clearly holding himself back from touching her. She snapped her fingers and her clothes were back on. She snapped her fingers and a black magic circle under him, black chains coming up to hold him down. She stood up and touched his face, caressing it softly. "I'll take care of you, I promise," she said, leaving the room. She rushed out, going in search of Amaika. They were the only one who could help her. As she made it through the halls, she bumped into a maid who also seemed to be rushing. Saying a quick apology, Natalia rushed off. This maid adjusted the cap on her head, sighing i

As the horses of the holy knights passed in the capital, people began to bow. Where there was an abundance of holy knights, the Saintess or the Pope weren’t far away. Soon enough, the carriage carrying Adelie soon passed by. She looked at them and turned to the Captain of the Holy knights with a smug look, her eyes clearly telling of her victory. “Captain Yeri, could you please tell me what those people outside the carriage are doing right now?” “They’re….bowing, your holiness.” “And they’re bowing because?” “We’re passing through, your holiness.” “And who made this possible?” “You, your holiness.” “That’s right. I did this. I remember the doubt you all had and the looks of disbelief you directed at me when I told you I was going to restore our lost honor. Who’s on top now, Captain Yeri?” He chose not to respond, directing his gaze anywhere but her face. “Captain Yeri, that was not a rhetorical question. I would like you to answer it.” “You, your holiness.” “That’s right. B

Even though Natalia was happy to have finally arrived after a long day, she couldn’t forget the air of depression that blanketed the north as a whole. It was cold, it was a stretch of barren, barely occupied land and it came with a plethora of problems. If anything, she felt scammed. “Let’s go in, your grace. Your servants are waiting to see the face of their new master.”“I should’ve known not to trust your enthusiasm. Let’s just go in. It has been a long day.”Walking through the beautiful yet virtually empty castle with only a few servants, Natalia was definitely regretting her choice to arbitrarily move to the north. She couldn’t let it show on her face. As soon as she saw all the servants gathered, she introduced herself. “I am Natalia Adamantine and I was recently appointed Duchess of Graviscera. Obviously as you can tell, I am here for the first time but Count Brenn has filled me in on what kinds of difficulties you are facing here. Frankly, it cannot be done in a day or a fe

They made it to the entrance of the mines and Natalia found nothing to be wrong as the path was open and lined with torches that could withstand the air pressure from outside because they were also made from Mythril and could be lit up with magic. Natalia snapped her fingers and the torches all lit up. “Lead the way, Grecia.”“Yes, your grace.” She quickly overcame her surprise and led Natalia through the mountain. There was a ladder leading higher up into the mountain. They didn’t need to go too far to see the rocks blocking the rest of the path and how unsteady it was for any normal person. Natalia assessed the damage and asked Count Brenn to write them down as she spoke. “Thank you for leading me here. Now, I want to hear about your village’s general expenses.”Natalia spent an entire afternoon in the mining town. When she was done, she dropped a pouch that contained 50 gold coins and left while the chief thanked her profusely. There was an awkward silence in the carriage until

“Your grace, please, have mercy!” “Why? They’re the ones who wanted to destroy your mines. Why should I save them? No, I’ll send their decomposing bodies as a warning to their families.”“Please, your grace……”“They trespassed MY land and attempted to attack MY people and I’m not supposed to take that as a declaration of war? Letting them slowly die is already mercy. I refuse to show mercy to those rude enough to ignore my authority.”“Your grace, I know they have offended you. But we will not be the reason your grace has to fight against the kingdom. Please, your grace, we plead for mercy,” they cried, falling on their knees. Natalia could see their sincerity and knew they were doing this for her.“Fine, I won’t let them die. However, they will not have their legs either.”“Thank you, your grace! Thank you!” She got them out with a snap of a finger. Their legs resembled twigs, unable to keep their weight up. One of them sauntered up to her and pointed an accusing finger at her face.