The Princess And The Lord

The woman's smile grew wider. "What do you think about my appearance, do you like it?" she traced her long index finger across her pretty face. 

"You use possession spells to control this woman" Lory widen her eyes.

This possession spell is the same as when Girsha possessed a little bird to keep an eye on their surroundings or spy on others without leaving Lory's side, in short, it's a spell to take over another creature's body and consciousness by force and then control the creature remotely, just like a puppeteer.

Lao Min Na sneered, "Isn't this the same as what you do when you spy on others" Lao Min Na sneered at Lory's hypocrisy.

"That's mostly Girsha's power and we only use that spell on animals!" Lory scorned Lao Min Na's impetuous behavior because Lory knew full well the consequences of using a possession spell on humans were devastating.

"Animal minds are much simple especially small animals it cannot be compared with humans complex minds, what you did would hurt this poor woman's mind, is she your enemy or something?!" anger welled up in Lory's chest, the woman who was possessed by Lao Min Na is still very young maybe only in early twenty, there's still a long life ahead of her but Lao Min Na just ruined this woman future just like that, why?

The study conducted in Harland showed that possession spells will damage the human brain depending on how long and how strong a particular person's spell is inflicted by the spell, the mild effects are vertigo, nausea, seizures but in the worst scenario the spell will cause amnesia, dementia even Schizophrenia since then use possession spells on humans is strictly prohibited and those who violate will be punished from ten to twenty years in maximum security prisons.

"Oh, don't act like goody two shoes, princess, it's not that you've never hurt anyone before.." Lao Min Na snorted.

"Of course I had my own fair share but everyone that I hurt knew what comings on them, they were soldiers, mercenaries, spies, witch and now… cultivators, all of them knew what would come on them. . just like I knew what would come to me, but what have you done… you dare to tell me that everyone around you knows what they are getting themselves into? Lory's intense question made Lao Min Na's face blackened.

Lao Min Na hated Lory's righteousness, she hated how Lory always made her feel inferior, Lory's existence evoked the feeling she had once she was the lowly illegitimate daughter of the Lao family, the feelings of shame, anger, and envy that she tried so hard to forget appeared every time she faces to faces with Lory.

Lao Min Na remembered in the past even in Lao manor Lory was never bullied or hated even though she came from a rural village, strangely the people at Lao Manor never treated Lory badly, they just ignored Lory, none of them ever intentionally bullied her, in fact, they all feign ignorant with Lory's antics, the worst thing they did was call Lory a weird girl but that's all, no one ever took Lory's food, or ruined her maid uniform, she rarely scolded or beaten, even the old maid rarely made things difficult for Lory, most of the time they just let Lory be.

Overall, Lory's life is much more comfortable than she is who is the daughter of the Lord's Manor, and what makes it even more ironic is that Lory doesn't seem to notice.

There was a time when Lao Min Na happened to be present when Lory covered Chi Chi the young maid who accidentally broke her stepmother's expensive vase, resulting in Lory being punished by hitting Lory's hands twenty times with a rattan, at that time Lao Min Na thought Lory was very stupid, why would anyone want to help others without receiving any benefit. Lao Min Na believed someone as stupid as Lory would become someone else's stepping stone and end in a sad death, but Lao Min Na was wrong.

Since then Mu Han the head housekeeper of Lao Manor has become more lenient with Lory, the other servants have also become more friendly towards Lory, they think Lory is kind, honest, and a little silly so they don't need to be careful around Lory, unlike other maids who always struggles to curry favor with his master, Lory prefers to be alone and away from the schemed in the women courtyard.

Therefore Lory's life in Lao Manor is quite peaceful.

Then one day Lao Min Na overheard Lory and a young maid named Chi Chi talking while sweeping the garden outside her yard behind her wall fence.

"Sister Luo, if you were released from the slave contract, what would you do?"

Me?"

"Yes, what are you going to do, are you going back to your village?"

"Um, I don't think so… maybe I'll go somewhere else"

"Eeeh, it's not easy, you need paperwork if you want to leave the city and you need a permit from the local authority to enter other cities too, not to mention there are thieves and robbers along the way, you won't be safe if you travel alone"

"Is that so~"

"You have to believe me, I think you need to re-think your decision!"

"Don't worry, I'll be fine… as long as I have two legs and two arms I can go wherever I want, the world will be my oyster~"

"Sister, you must be joking"

"Ha-ha-ha,~ really? You know what people say right, be free or die!"

'FREE'

The word touched Lao Min Na's heart to the very end, a simple word yet so far away, can a person truly be free, free from family expectations, free from the curse of society, free from greed, envy, and disappointment, can he be free from his own hatred?

She can't but Lory can...

"Everything has a price, isn't that what people always say?" Lao Min Na sarcastically said she looked at Lory with a face full of hatred mix with envy. 

"You were the one who release Lazarus first, you risked everyone's life just to protect one person, that's why everyone that Lazarus has killed, everything that Lazarus destroyed, that's all on you, IT'S ALL BECAUSE OF YOU!" Lao Min Na shouted with a trembling body.

Lory's expression remained calm but under her sleeves, she grabs her dagger tightly, at the same time Lory secretly glanced at the door, Lory couldn't believe Mong Yi didn't hear Lao Min Na's outrage. Lao Min Na caught Lory took a glimpse to the door and Lao Min Na snickered "Don't wait for your bodyguard he won't hear...no one will"

The wall and the door cover with black miasma, "So you had become full pledge witch now?" there was an increasing despondency in Lory's voice which Lao Min Na misinterpreted as cynicism.

"Of course, do you think it will be easy to beat me, your magic tricks won't work for me now." Lao Min Na smiled triumphantly.

Lory shook her head "how can you be so stupid?" Lory's face crumpled knowing what a bleak future wait for Lao Min Na, although Lory didn't like Lao Min Na for so many reasons, however, Lory didn't wish any of it happened to other humans being.

it's not enough she made a deal with the demon Lao Min Na must drowning herself further by becoming Lazarus' servant thus even if Lory manages to kill Lazarus, Lao Min Na's soul will be condemned in hell for eternity together with Lazarus.

'Eternal Damnation'

"Why did you have to go that far?" Lory could not comprehend why Lao Min Na became like this even greed must have the limit "What are you trying to prove? you don't need Lazarus in the first place... you could have met the third prince Zhao Yi Chen and fell in love normally, and when you marry him, you will become the Prince consort, your whole life will be blessed with wealth and honor, you can even become a queen… what more do you want?" Lory was desperately trying to knock some sense on Lao Min Na.

"What do you know?" Lao Min Na growl under her breaths, Lao Min Na blood color irises filled with malice "You think Zhao Yi Chen still wants me if I'm a waste, would he still interested in me if I wasn't an alchemist, do you think he would love me if I wasn't beautiful?" Lao Min Na smirked sarcastically "It was Lazarus who gave me the strength and wisdom to become who I am now, so what if I have to kill some people? All cultivators do that… your men do it too"

"It's not the same!" Lory was tired of hearing Lao Min Na's twisted minds. 

"Who cares?" Lao Min Na chuckled, "What about you, do you think it is wise to believe a man's words? Of course, he likes you now because you're different…unique but what happens if all of that loses its luster and what makes you special suddenly become normal? my experience taught me the hard way  not to bet your future on Man's fickle heart"

Lao Min Na's blood-red eyes suddenly glistening and the room gradually darkened and the shadows that fell on the floor were swept away one by one and nothing could be seen except Lao Min Na's pair of red eyes, and nothing could be heard except Lao Min Na's sweet voice.

"At first Love always burns passionately like a wildfire, it was hot and exciting but as time passes that same fire gradually dimmed until one day the fire died. When that day comes are you sure Zhao Li Xin will still be the same? A man like Zhao Li Xin has never had a shortage of women who admire him, women who are prettier, smarter...younger than you, by then are you sure you can keep your husband?"

Lao Min Na's terrifying laughter echoed in the darkness, "I rather put my trust on Demon's words than men's sweet lies!"