"Y-you did what?!" Cecily bellowed, trying hard to minimize her voice. It was early in the morning, and she didn\'t want to wake her neighbors. Ferris came knocking on her door in the earliest speak of light only to report about Ryu. This made Cecily\'s mood worsened.

Ferris didn\'t cower nor blinked. If it were another, Cecily would have punished her with hundred beatings for disturbing her sleep.

"I said, I healed Ryu\'s wounds, and I\'m planning to bathe him and buy him new clothes." Ferris didn\'t want to hide it. She was not planning to since it would be found out no matter what she did. Best to come clean.

SLAP!

The resounding smacked resounded in the empty hallway. Ferris\'s head went to the side at the impact. She then looked at Cecily with unyielding eyes.

"You will do no such thing!" Cecily said. She felt that familiar anger surging in her veins. How dare a servant act as she pleased. "How dare you heal him without my consent!"

Ferris didn\'t wipe the blood that trickled from her lips as she answered without batting an eyelid. "Princess might be confident in traversing this lands with just this people, but I don\'t want to die just yet. I healed Ryu\'s wounds because he is an added manpower. As for bathing and changing his clothes, we are to traverse in forests; it\'s best that no stench of blood remained on him as this will attract beasts."

Ferris looked at Cecily in indignant as her lips ever so rose in a mocking smirk. "I\'m sure princess is well aware of this too."

Cecily\'s angry vein popped out. "Y-you! How dare you---!"

"Enough."

Both women\'s attention flicked to where Murok.

"Cecily, the girl\'s reasoning is logical. I know that you have grievances with Ryu, but this is not the time to kill him. I told you, didn\'t I? We should wait until we safely arrived in the kingdom before you do anything to him."

The solemnness in Murok\'s eyes made Cecily\'s rage simmered down. She frowned and huramp before she flipped he hair.

"Do what you want."

Ferris curtsied like the humans always did in front of nobles. "Well then, princess, may this lowly servant request money to buy Ryu\'s clothes?"

Cecily flipped her hand and threw a bag of coins into Ferris.

"Many thanks," Ferris said. She turned her heels and ran outside, skipping steps as she did.

.. .

.. .

"Hmmm. .. This is rare. A demon who is quite fond of a beast. Is this because they\'re both halfbreeds?" Murok mumbled as he stroked his beard.

Cecily looked at the hallway until Ferris disappeared. "How pointless."

Murok peeked at Cecily and sighed. He couldn\'t help but blame himself somehow. Cecily was indeed hardworking and responsible, but both the kingdom and he spoiled her. Though Cecily didn\'t slack towards her training, her opinions, right or wrong, were followed without a second thought.

They had indulged her, and now, this was the result. She grew overconfident. Too confident that she couldn\'t see the bigger picture.

"These impact things," said Murok, voice serious. "If that child is so fond of that half beast. You might want to reconsider killing him, least you wanted that child to rebel against you."

Cecily frowned but didn\'t say anything. Behind her wall of silence, though, Cecily was fuming with anger. How dare these lowborn vile creatures.

HMP! I\'m the master, and they are just servants. Whatever I do and say is the law. Demon or angel, if you rebel, I\'ll kill you.