As Kevin, Natasha, and Hinata continued walking, two boys suddenly appeared in front of them.
One of them was dressed like a prince—adorned with expensive jewelry and wrapped in fine silk. But the most striking thing about him was the arrogance written all over his face.
Hinata's eyes landed on him, and she immediately scowled.
"What are you doing here, Prince Vaughn?" she asked, clearly annoyed.
Prince Vaughn dramatically reached into his storage ring and pulled out a glowing flower. With a charming smile, he extended it toward Hinata.
"Princess Hinata, I have brought this flower for you. It holds immense spiritual power that can greatly enhance your abilities. Please, have mercy on this flower… and accept it!"
Hinata's face darkened with irritation, while Kevin's eyes sparkled with curiosity.
"So, this flower has spiritual powers?" Kevin thought to himself.
Before anyone could react, Hinata snapped—
"Prince Vaughn, how many times do I have to tell you I am not interested in you! Why do you keep following me?"
Natasha and Kevin exchanged glances. Natasha rolled her eyes, while Kevin was clearly entertained by the drama unfolding before him.
But Prince Vaughn ignored Hinata's words completely and continued his act.
"If you refuse to accept it, then I shall crush it beneath my feet!" he declared dramatically.
Kevin didn't like the idea of wasting a magical item. Without hesitation, he snatched the flower from Prince Vaughn's hand and smiled.
"If no one wants it, I'll take it. Anyway, thanks for the gift, Prince Vaughn! I'll make good use of it."
Three faces froze in shock—Prince Vaughn, Hinata, and Natasha.
Prince Vaughn's brain stopped working for a second.
"What… what did he just say? Thanks? When did I ever give him the flower? He stole it from me!"
Prince Vaughn's face turned red with fury.
"Who do you think you are?! How dare you snatch the flower from my hand? Do you have a death wish?"
Kevin simply shrugged.
"Prince Vaughn, you were going to crush it anyway. I just saved it. You should be happy that your precious flower won't go to waste!"
Prince Vaughn clenched his fists, his anger rising. He wanted nothing more than to cut Kevin's tongue out, but since they were still inside the royal palace, he controlled himself.
"That flower was meant for Princess Hinata, not you! Now shut your mouth and return it to me, or you will regret it!"
Kevin could see that Prince Vaughn was taking this way too seriously, so he sighed and handed the flower back.
"Fine, take your flower. I was only trying to help, but if you're so desperate to keep it, then be my guest."
As soon as Kevin returned the flower, Prince Vaughn's smug expression returned. He snatched the flower and scoffed—
"Don't you ever dare pull a stunt like this again!"
Kevin just shook his head in disappointment.
"Is he really a prince… or just a clown?" he thought.
Meanwhile, Prince Vaughn turned to Hinata once again and restarted his never-ending act.
"Princess Hinata, please don't reject me this time. If you do, then both I and this flower will be heartbroken! And breaking someone's heart is a serious crime, Princess. I beg you, don't commit such a crime! Please take this flower with your soft and delicate hands."
At this point, everyone's head started hurting from his dramatic speeches.
But then…
A sly smile appeared on Hinata's lips.
"You're absolutely right, Prince Vaughn. I can't commit such a terrible crime… so I'll accept your flower!"
Prince Vaughn's happiness skyrocketed.
His mind drifted off into fantasy—
He and Hinata standing together…
Getting married…
Having children…
Living happily ever after…
For him, it felt like he had ascended to heaven.
But then…
Hinata turned and handed the flower to Kevin.
"Kevin, I lied to you earlier to bring you here. You forgave me, but I still feel guilty about it. This flower is my apology gift to you. Please, don't refuse it."
Kevin was impressed by Hinata's words. He accepted the flower with a smile.
"Thanks, Hinata. I'm glad I met you too. And don't worry—I'll make sure to give you a great gift in return someday."
Kevin meant every word. After all, if he hadn't met Hinata, he would never have—
Stayed at the royal palace,
Trained under the king to enhance his powers,
Gotten access to the Technique Hall,
And most importantly, found his first clue about Karishma.
But while Kevin was thinking about all this…
Prince Vaughn looked like he had just been struck by lightning.
His mouth was wide open, as if he had just witnessed the biggest betrayal of his life.
"No… no, this can't be happening!"
His precious flower—his grand romantic gesture—had just turned into someone else's apology gift!
His head started throbbing.
But he had no words left to argue.
As Hinata, Kevin, and Natasha started to leave, Prince Vaughn couldn't hold back his frustration any longer.
"KEVIN!!!"
Prince Vaughn yelled at the top of his lungs.
"Do you have no shame at all?! Taking a flower that wasn't even meant for you?! You stood right there and shamelessly accepted it! You're not even worthy of being called human!"
Hinata and Natasha were about to lash out in anger, but Kevin remained calm.
He looked at Prince Vaughn with a relaxed expression and asked—
"Prince Vaughn, you said you brought this flower for Hinata, right?"
Prince Vaughn, still fuming, nodded.
Kevin smirked.
"Then it belonged to her. She decided to give it to me. Why are you so upset about that?"
When Prince Vaughn heard Kevin's words, he nodded in agreement.
Kevin smirked and continued, "So, you gave the flower to Hinata, right?"
Again, Prince Vaughn nodded, unaware of what Kevin was getting at.
Kevin's smirk widened. "Since you already gave the flower to Hinata… how can you blame me for taking it? I never took it from you—I got it from her. Yet, you're calling me shameless? What right do you have to say that? Are you feeling alright, or is there something wrong with your head? If you're sick, go get yourself treated. If you keep wandering around aimlessly like this, someone might just throw you in jail."
With that, Kevin shook his head in disappointment and walked away with Natasha and Hinata.
Prince Vaughn stood frozen in place, completely dumbfounded.
His brain was still trying to process what had just happened.
"Wait a minute… I gave the flower to Princess Hinata… she gave it to Kevin… so why was I calling Kevin shameless? The real shameless one here is me! If I hadn't given that flower to Hinata in the first place, she wouldn't have given it to Kevin, and I wouldn't have gotten into this argument at all!"
Seeing Prince Vaughn standing there like a statue, one of his companions patted his shoulder and tried to console him.
"You're not wrong, Your Highness… it's just that Kevin is much sharper than you."
Meanwhile, Kevin, Hinata, and Natasha stopped in front of a room.
Hinata turned to Kevin and said, "This is your room. You can train here peacefully… and surprise us with your progress soon!"
Kevin smiled. "Thanks, Hinata. I really need some rest. Today has been exhausting."
With that, he opened the door, stepped inside, and shut it behind him.
Natasha and Hinata were about to leave when Natasha suddenly smirked and nudged her sister.
"Sis… I've noticed something. You seem to be talking to Kevin very sweetly. Don't tell me… you've fallen for him?"
Hinata's face instantly turned red. She stuttered, "W-What nonsense are you talking about? Me? In love? With Kevin? Never!"
Natasha raised an eyebrow. "Oh really? Then why did you take the flower from Prince Vaughn and give it to Kevin? What am I supposed to make of that?"
Hinata's face turned even redder. She hesitated before mumbling, "Even if I do love him… that doesn't mean he loves me back."
Natasha chuckled. "How will he fall for you if you keep dressing like this? Go dress up like the beautiful princess you are. Walk in front of him, and I guarantee—he'll fall for you at first sight and beg to marry you!"
Hinata's heart raced. Natasha's words made sense.
She was already in love with Kevin, and the idea of making him fall for her didn't sound so bad.
Gathering her courage, she nodded. "You're right. He has to fall for me. After all, I'm too beautiful for him to ignore!"
While Hinata was thinking about love, Kevin was sitting in the middle of his training room, completely focused.
He had begun practicing the Ice Grip Technique.
Normally, anyone wanting to master this technique would need to find a place filled with ice and snow.
But Kevin was different.
He possessed the power of the nine celestial bodies, allowing him to train in any environment.
As he continued practicing, icy energy began gathering around him.
Days passed…
Five days later, Kevin had made considerable progress.
He barely felt hunger or thirst anymore, thanks to his increasing power.
On the tenth day, the energy around him had started transforming into pure frost energy.
A month passed.
By now, the entire area where Kevin sat had turned into a frozen wasteland.
While Kevin was deep in training, mastering his Ice Grip Technique, in another part of the kingdom, a grand chamber loomed with an air of dominance. At its center sat a young woman on an ornate throne. She bore a striking resemblance to Natasha, but she was not Natasha—she was her step-sister, Hela.
Before Hela stood a lone figure, her stance unwavering despite the suffocating tension in the room. Hela's piercing gaze settled on her as she spoke in a cold, commanding tone.
"I have received word," she began, her voice carrying a quiet fury, "that some insolent tailor has dared to ignore my warning… and is crafting a wedding dress for Natasha."
Hela leaned forward slightly, her eyes gleaming with malice.
"Who is he? Where did he come from? No one knows. But what I do know is that he has disrespected me…" Her fingers curled around the armrest of her throne. "And for that, he will pay with his life."
Her chilling words were directed at the woman standing before her—Mizuki.
Mizuki, a skilled assassin of The Silent Order, did not flinch. She simply listened, her fingers idly spinning the sharp dagger she always carried.
The Silent Order was one of the most feared organizations in existence—a secretive and elite guild of killers. Their reputation was built on absolute efficiency, and their rules were merciless. If an assassin failed a mission, not only were they executed, but their entire bloodline was erased from existence.
This unshakable discipline made The Silent Order unstoppable. Clients entrusted them with their most ruthless desires, knowing that once a contract was sealed, death was inevitable.
Mizuki finally spoke, a faint smirk playing on her lips. She twirled her dagger effortlessly between her fingers and said,
"There's not a single person who has survived the bite of my blade. That tailor… will be no exception. Just tell me when and where, and I'll take care of it."
Hela's lips curled into a satisfied smile. "The fool is participating in the upcoming tournament. And so am I."
Her fingers tapped against the throne, her eyes gleaming with cruel delight.
"In the tournament, every participant needs a partner. You will be mine," she declared. "And once we are there… you will kill him."
Her words carried no hesitation, no doubt—only the promise of death.
---
Will Hela truly succeed in eliminating Kevin?
What secrets lie behind The Silent Order?
Will Kevin master his Ice Grip Technique in time?
What will happen when he learns of Hinata's feelings?
Will Prince Vansh seek revenge against him?
And will Kevin unlock the legendary Five Elements of Dragon technique?