40 Peter and Clara Pov
Peter Pov
In the midst of Alex hatching his plan, Peter sat on a sofa crafted from ancient elven forest wood, enjoying the service of a young elven woman who happened to be a handyman disciple.
Being the eldest grandson of Eldorian kingdom's current ruler, Peter, at the age of 22, had already attained the first stage of the Golden Core this year.
With a sturdy physique and a striking face, he had numerous elven ladies from influential families eager to tie the knot with him.
Currently Peter's focus, however, was captivated by a mesmerizing beauty performing a strip dance just a couple of meters away.
Her flowing golden hair played in the air, stirring Peter's senses and momentarily diverting his mind from all his past trauma.
Abruptly, the tranquility was shattered by the buzzing of Peter's academy jade card, indicating an incoming message.
Frowning, he retrieved the card from the sofa, and as he read the message, a curse slipped from his lips.
"Damn it! What more does he want from me" Peter muttered, his brows furrowing further. He stood up without a second thought, leaving the alluring scene behind.
"Get out now. Come back later when I call you," he muttered coldly, fixated on the message. Unfazed by such occurrences, the female simply smiled and left the room without probing further, simply taking the twenty middle grade spirit stones on the table.
Rereading the message again and again, heightened the fear in Peter's eyes, and he grumbled, "I thought he already forgave me?"
Despite that, going against the orders of someone capable of ending him with a mere thought wasn't an option. Reluctantly, he summoned his gang members.
The call was met with swift responses.
"Everyone, get ready and head to the Mountain Forest in three days," Peter instructed in a serious tone.
"Sorry, brother Peter, I can't make it now."
"Me neither."
"Same here."
"I'm not coming out for at least two more months."
"It's the order from that Inhuman monster! Now, tell me, should I convey your refusal to him?" Peter snapped, his expression betraying a mix of fear and frustration.
"What? Does he want to torture us again?"
"Even though we're from different races, he should have some compassion."
"You must be kidding me, right?"
"Who would joke with you at such a critical time? I've read the message ten times, and depending on our performance, he might free us," Peter explained.
"I'll come."
"Me too."
"Me too."
"Me too."
____________________
Clara Pov
Today, she woke up half an hour earlier and stood outside her house, eagerly anticipating someone's arrival.
Anyone familiar with her would notice subtle changes.
Firstly, the girl who had never adorned a hat sported a snow-white knitted cap, giving her an air of youthful innocence and cold beauty.
Secondly, she, who had never bothered with makeup at the academy, now had a light touch enhancing her already radiant face.
Thirdly, she wore a beautiful white dress that flowed like moonlight, adorned with silver threads that added a touch of sparkle, turning her into a goddess-like figure.
Clara had always held firm principles about her dress and public demeanor, never seeking closeness, especially with the opposite gender.
She had consistently displayed her true self, indifferent to others' opinions. So, the question lingered – why was she making these changes? And perhaps more intriguingly, for whom?
Olivia, Clara's lifelong companion and the daughter of the Imperial Knights' Commander, was the most taken aback by her friend's transformation.
With a mysterious smile, Olivia remarked, "Young Miss, you look stunning today!"
Unable to resist teasing, Olivia turned to Clara, who, upon hearing the compliment, had her beautiful face blushing redder than an apple.
"No..." Clara softly denied, though her shy expression and the curve of her lips betrayed her true feelings.
"Is it for him?" Olivia whispered into her ear, awaiting an explanation.
"Who? Stop teasing me... I just wanted to try something new today," Clara replied, feeling embarrassed.
"Alright, alright, it's not for him. You just want to teach him a lesson, right?"
"If you don't stop talking, don't blame me for shutting you up!" Clara retorted, having had enough of Olivia's teasing.
Rolling her eyes, Clara retrieved a white box from her storage bag and handed it to Olivia, just as she saw Alex was approaching, only 500 meters away.
Pausing for a moment, she cautioned, "This is something I made for him. Um... don't tell him that I gave it to you!"
She became even shyer after uttering this, unable to meet Olivia's eyes.
"Come on! You must have spent a whole night making this, right? Why don't you give it to him yourself?" Olivia ceased her joking and inquired sincerely.
"Hmph, I'm not going. I still have things to settle with him myself!" Clara coldly replied, replaying the scene of being ignored by Alex in her mind. The initial shyness on her lovely face shifted to anger.
Hearing Clara's words, Olivia thought to herself, 'My dear, seeing the effort you put into dressing up like that, your words must mean the opposite of what you feel!'
************
When Alex finally arrived at his house, he found Olivia waiting for him at the door, and looked at her in confusion.
Witnessing his puzzled expression, even though he should have seen Clara from a distance, Olivia became so frustrated that she was momentarily rendered speechless.
In a burst of frustration, she slammed the white box into his hands and exclaimed, "This is something Young Miss made for you, and considering how much effort she put in, God knows if she got any sleep at all! You better appreciate it since no one else has received such treatment before!" In her anger, Olivia forgot everything Clara had reminded her and instantly betrayed her friend.
"You mean Clara? How is that possible?" Alex deliberately displayed a shocked expression, further infuriating Olivia to the point where veins popped on her head.
"Alex, you shouldn't treat Young Miss Clara like that. Actually, she..."
Just as she intended to speak in defense of Clara, they spotted Lucas running toward them.
Opting not to continue, Olivia altered her words, saying, "... just give her a chance, and please stop being so mean to her. She's a hundred times better than that bitch Mia who acts innocent and cute."
