Beneath his hood, Darren's deep crimson eyes flashed coldly. Yggdrasil had bound him to a domina, yet she turned out to be nothing more than a foul-tempered, lazy female?
Had Yggdrasil overlooked the fact that he, being the original vampire, held nothing but contempt for those who depended on status to act freely without possessing any real ability to justify it?
Justine spoke at that moment. "Vornia Academy recently revised its admission rules. Now, any candidate who clears the evaluation can enroll in the school. It's an advantage granted exclusively to females."
Darren glanced at her, his face unreadable. "If Lillian is truly F-level like you said, there's no way she'll make it through the evaluation."
He had no desire to let it be known that he had been assigned to a female who was so incompetent. A matter like that would damage his reputation and give those royal werewolves reasons to ridicule him.
Justine gave a slight smile, thinking there was little cause for concern. From what she could tell, most people already shared her dislike for Lillian. Even so, to avoid any risk, she decided she would thwart Lillian's plans before they had a chance to take shape.
After leaving Darren, she reached out to Eisen Gomez, the president of the student council at Vornia Academy, and laid out the situation for him.
Eisen, who had long been fond of Justine and also served as one of the admissions evaluators, readily agreed that if Lillian's application came before him, he would make sure it was rejected.
Meanwhile, Lillian had pulled Samuel along as they rushed past two streets before finally stopping, both out of breath. "You really shouldn't have done that," she said.
Samuel muttered in a low voice, "I'm sorry."
Lillian looked at him, his head slightly lowered, clearly upset yet still convinced he had done nothing wrong. The sight made her laugh.
She gave his firm shoulder a light punch and said, "Why are you apologizing? I never said hitting them was wrong."
Samuel blinked in confusion.
Taking his hand, Lillian continued, "They had it coming. But you can't attack them so openly. You're still a slave, and laying hands on a citizen could get you arrested and punished. I don't want to lose you."
So she had wanted to stop him only because she didn't want to lose him?
A faint smile tugged at Samuel's lips. "I get it. I won't be so reckless next time."
Lillian's eyes were bright with playful warmth. "To thank you for sticking up for me, I'll make a delicious meal for you tonight. Come on, let's head home."
As they neared the residential block, Lillian noticed several well-dressed men standing outside her door. Even from a distance, their sharp suits made them stand out.
"Who are you, and why are you at my door?" she asked as she approached them.
Lucas turned at the sound of her voice. He checked the details on his communicator, then looked back at her with clear uncertainty. "Are you... Miss Lillian Clark?"
Lillian gave a small nod. "I am."
Lucas couldn't hide his surprise. She was a lot more beautiful in person.
He quickly composed himself and offered a courteous smile. "I work for Prince Nikolas Dixon. Please wait here for a moment; he would like to see you."
Before Lillian could reply, a sleek, high-end aircraft descended from above. A man stepped out, appearing to be in his early twenties. His long, deep blue hair caught the fading sunlight, reflecting hints of silver, and his overall presence exuded refinement and authority.
With a polite gesture, Lucas introduced, "This is Mr. Nikolas Dixon, son of Leviathan from Planet B32, your fated mate."
As Nikolas walked closer, Samuel instinctively moved forward, placing himself between Lillian and the approaching figure.
Their eyes locked. In that brief moment, Samuel caught the indifference and unmistakable contempt in Nikolas's eyes. Despite their bond, there was no trace of warmth or respect in his look toward Lillian.
"A slave?" Nikolas scoffed, scowling in distaste. "Step aside."
Samuel didn't move, standing his ground despite the pressure that came with Nikolas' elevated status.
Lillian peered out from behind Samuel. Though Nikolas intimidated her, she was displeased. "Show some respect. He's my friend."
Nikolas' expression hardened further. This female was treating a slave as an equal?
Sensing the tension, Lucas stepped in smoothly, saying, "Miss Clark, His Highness means no offense. He simply hopes to speak with you. Perhaps we can continue this conversation inside?"
Looking into Nikolas' distant, unwelcoming eyes, Lillian already understood why he had come here.
After all, how could a prince like him possibly accept being bonded to a female labeled as "worthless" like her?
Lillian unlocked the door and stepped inside, tugging Samuel along. Passing him the groceries in her hands, she said, "Samuel, can you take care of these ingredients? I'll deal with this myself."
Samuel's lips tightened slightly. "If anything goes wrong, call my name. I'll protect you."
Lillian smiled at him reassuringly, then went to prepare a pot of coffee, setting it down on the table. Taking a seat across from Nikolas, she didn't bother with pleasantries. "You're here to end the bond, right?"
