Ariel felt dizzy as restless thoughts ran amok inside her head.
'This can't be happening. This can't be happening.' she mused silently. 'Oh my gosh… this truly can't be happening.'
How? Why? She thought such predicaments only happened in that cursed palace. Yet even here, in the Flower Manor, it was happening again. What had she done in this life to be entangled with this beast over and over? All she wanted was to lay low for a little while, then begin enhancing her plans to woo him—so that he would choose her as his Crown Princess. That way, the beast would stop sniffing around and following her trail.
But she already knew he was suspicious. Ricky had confessed earlier that he saw one of Daniel's hounds tailing him. That meant the bastard was closing in, getting closer and closer to discovering her. And now, to make matters worse, she was stuck in this predicament with him—without her wig. The one that covered her fiery red hair, neatly tied behind the bath towel.
Ariel felt like the world was ending. This was the end. She knew the bastard—the king of perverts, the jerkass prince—was going to try and have his way with her this time. She could see it in his eyes, in the way his beast had lost control. Its need was already pressing against her stomach, ready to fulfill its ravenous desire.
The first time he captured her in his arms and refused to let go, he managed to conquer the beast and leave the room. But this time, Ariel felt something stronger shifting in the air—something within him that he fought to control but was losing against. She was certain that escaping this predicament would be far more difficult, and even her identity was now at stake. One slip could ignite a war.
To mask her fear, she pretended not to feel the danger, as if he wasn't going to have his way with her. She decided to rise again, hoping to stand at a distance from the beast and calculate her escape from there. But this time, he truly meant it. The beast held her waist firmly, shifting her closer to its need. She could feel the urgency rising, danger pressing in, and she knew escaping would not be easy.
'Fuck', Ariel cursed inside her mind. 'How the hell am I going to escape?'
This predicament was something she never expected when she came to the manor. Now it was clear—wherever this perverted, beastly prince was present, the place became cursed.
'What should I do? What should I do? What should I do?' she screamed inwardly, her eyes darting around the dark room, searching desperately for something to defend herself with. If she failed, everything would spiral out of control, and her identity would be exposed.
The identity she had fought to protect was her life—but most importantly, her dignity. For three long years she had guarded it, determined that no one would ever take advantage of her again. The thought of becoming another victim of this beast—ravaged, discarded, left to suffer like the others—made her chest tighten with dread. She knew that if he did this to her, he would never take responsibility. Most of the women he had spent his nights with were left broken—their names whispered in shame, their futures erased.
Ariel never knew exactly what had happened to them, only that they vanished, swallowed by silence. And now, being at the mercy of this beast meant danger was inevitable. Whether it left scars on her body or marks on her memory, she feared she would be too ashamed to ever show her face again.
But right now, what mattered most was her identity. That fiery red hair she kept hidden was tied neatly behind the bath towel. She hadn't removed her contact lenses before taking a bath as she usually did, she was too tired, too careless. Thank goodness she hadn't. If he saw her true golden‑brown eyes, he might suspect she was the very mysterious person, he had been searching for all along.
Ariel still looked at him intently, and she saw his eyes—deep, dark, a color she had never seen before. She had always seen them flare red whenever they met those monstrous eyes, but this time they truly looked like the eyes of a beast. A monster ready to devour her at any moment. Ready to have his way with her. Ready to make her one of his victims.
Fear bubbled inside her chest. 'No… no way. I cannot become one of his victims again. I cannot be discovered today.'
If she was, everything would fall apart—all her revenge plans, all of Raymond's plans to make her queen. They would crumble into dust. And she knew for certain: this beast could never be her ally. Not after what he had done to the vendors in the streets. Her mind flashed back to that day in the marketplace, when she overheard the vendors talking about the harsh cruelty they are undergoing due to his intervention in their businesses and lives. The day that the spectacle unfolded.
The memory burned inside her, fueling her anger. This beast was ruthless. He even kidnapped innocents just to satisfy his ego, ensuring no one could ever challenge him. In his sacred territory, he let people suffer for the sake of his pride, determined never to be played for a fool. He always wanted to remain the dominant alpha at the top of the food chain.
Heat filled her body, anger clawing its way out from within. She thought of her lifelong mission—the legacy her grandfather and father had entrusted to her. A legacy meant to protect the suffering people of this world, crushed under the nobility's rule. And now this beast threatened to ruin it all.
He was no different from them. She had once thought that maybe, since the entire world was against him, calling him a beast, he might change. That he might be different from the rest of the royal family. But now she saw the truth.
She remembered the way his grandmother, Queen Dowager Alicia, always praised him—always spoke of his achievements, always claimed he had done so much for the people of the kingdom. For a time, Ariel thought perhaps he might be different. Perhaps, somewhere deep inside, they could become allies. Perhaps together they could unite and strike down the enemies who had made so many suffer all these years.
But she had been wrong. Very wrong.
This prince was truly a monster—without conscience, without heart. He would do whatever he pleased, tearing into the innocent simply to remain in power, to seize more power, to ensure no one could ever challenge him.
And that trait… that hunger for power… was the one she despised most. Because it reminded her of Aaron, her former husband. Aaron, who had murdered her grandmother Felistus in cold blood, just to grasp power and cling to it forever.
Now she saw the truth: this beastly prince was no different. A heartless monster who would do absolutely anything to keep power, to crush challengers, and to remain the dominant ruler of the world.
'Pathetic', Ariel hissed inside her mind. 'So pathetic.'
'No way. In hell am I going to be one of your victims again. I would rather die than let you keep winning. All those people's lives, all my plans—they matter. But nothing is more precious to me than the people of my fief, the people of this kingdom, the ones relying on me right now to free them from the chains of this cruel world, filled with corrupt and heartless people in the noble society and monarchy. So even if I have to kill you to end their suffering, I will not hesitate. I. Will. Do.it', she vowed softly inside her mind.
Without warning, without thought, she lunged—her hand reaching for the serpent's throat, intent on strangling the beast to death. Reason had fled the moment she remembered the innocent vendors he held captive. She forgot that despite being a beast, he was still the most powerful man in the world, the most dangerous presence in this room. She didn't know the full extent of his powers, but she had seen his eyes glow before, felt the force radiating from him like ice and fire, biting through his skin, that day he infiltrated the palace disguised as Bailey.
Yes, this beast held supernatural powers beneath his skin. But she didn't care anymore. Anger consumed her, bubbling inside, and she could feel an invisible force clawing from within, urging her to finish it. She knew it was a suicide mission, but the force pushed her forward—reminding her this wasn't for herself, but for the kingdom.
Her hand almost reached Daniel's throat when, to her shock, she was hurled to the floor. The impact crushed her small body like a sack of potatoes, pain throbbing at the back of her head. "What the hell gives you the right?" she shouted, ready to curse him. But to her surprise, the beast was no longer in the room. He had thrown her down and escaped her attack.
Ariel scoffed bitterly. "What a cowardly beast. To think he almost tried to end my life, and yet fled like this." She rubbed her aching head, struggling to stand.
"You're lucky this time, bastard," she hissed. "Next time, I won't spare you the pleasure. Hmph!"
She walked back toward the open closet where she had been dragged earlier. Looking around, then back at the mirrored door she had fallen through, she whispered to herself, "How the hell did this happen? It's already obvious that old lady set this up. That old hag is as mischievous as ever."
Shaking her head, she lifted her gaze to the door leading into Daniel's room. She stepped through, pulling the mirror shut behind her. As soon as she entered, she saw a phone glowing on the table with a message. Slowly, she walked up to it, took hold of the device, and read the words:
"He let them go. They were unharmed."
After seeing the message, Ariel felt a sharp pang of guilt squeeze her heart. She lifted her gaze back to the mirror in the room, replaying the incident in her mind—how Daniel, instead of ravaging her, had hurled her to the floor and then immediately left, putting her out of danger.
She remembered how she had nearly strangled him to death, blinded by rage over the captured vendors, without giving him a chance to explain himself. That was… different from what she had expected.
Her thoughts clashed violently. 'Could she have been wrong about him?' The idea whispered at the edges of her mind, melting her certainty into dust.
*********
Meanwhile…
Unbeknownst to her, Daniel was leaning against the door. He had heard her whispers, her curses against him, and he smirked silently before glancing down at his body—now covered in burns, patches of reddened skin, as if he had been scorched by fire.
His mind drifted back to their earlier encounter, when he had held the Flamingo tightly by the waist. He had been ready to claim her as his, because he could already feel the beast stirring inside. The monster had reasoned with him before, but now it was different. He knew there was no way she would escape unscathed. That was always the fate of women who provoked him.
Yet this time, her provocation was not intentional. Still, it sent waves of desire crashing through him. And unlike the anger he had felt toward other women, this was something else—pleasurable heat, intoxicating desire. His beast was not enraged; it was enthralled. It would not let go until it was satisfied.
Daniel felt a pang of sorrow for the Flamingo. He wanted to keep her sweet, untouched, safe from corruption—for now. Yes, she would eventually become part of his world, part of his game. But not yet. He was still testing her, studying her limits, trying to understand where she truly stood. He already sensed she was no ordinary woman. From their encounters in the palace—the meeting at the brunch, the spectacle in the marketplace, the moments they had fought together—he knew she was not easy to deal with. That was why he kept his distance—observing, waiting. He wanted to peel away her defenses, to see the softness beneath the feathers, to discover what she was hiding and use it to his advantage.
But just as he thought this, he felt immense heat surging through his skin. He lifted his gaze toward Ariel—the Flamingo—and froze. Her eyes were glowing golden.
It was something he had never expected. Behind those golden eyes burned anger, directed at him. And he knew, in that instant, this was no ordinary confrontation. This was war.
Yet his beast didn't care. It wanted her. It wanted to ravage, to claim, to satisfy its hunger. He knew the Flamingo was now in terrible danger. At any moment, the beast inside him could satisfy its need. But as he looked into her burning anger, into those glowing golden eyes, he realized the truth—it was no longer she who was in danger. It was him.
The fury directed at him was ten times stronger than the beast's power clawing for control. At first, he thought she was angry about the incident. But now, seeing her hands twitching, itching to strangle him, he understood—her rage was deeper, more personal. She wanted to kill him.
He foresaw that this would become a dangerous clash, because the power radiating from her was immense. And in a strange way, he was glad. The searing heat emanating from her forced his beast to lose control, if only for a moment. Without thinking, as soon as he felt the beast's power dissipate, he hurled her to the floor and sprinted out of the room before it could resurface.
Now, hidden behind the door of the walk in closet, he listened to her curses before slipping back through the secret compartment into her own chamber. He glanced down at the red patches still burning across his skin. He knew they would take time to fade, for they were not natural wounds—they were caused by something else.
Turning his gaze to the moon outside, he whispered, "So you also hold some power. Tsk...You truly are something else, Flamingo. I thought I had finally caught you in my trap, that I was nearing the answers I sought. But now… you've surprised me with something far more interesting than I could have imagined."
He hummed softly, recalling Blake's words. "Maybe he was right. Maybe you do have the power to take me down. And I can't wait to explore it more..."
Daniel smirked, still staring at the moon, before heading to the drawer at the headboard of his bed to retrieve ointments for his scorched skin.
***************************************************
Spoiler Alert
The air was cold.
And the stench of blood reeked in the night.
Ariel stood in a defensive position.
Her beautiful, glittering blue dress embroidered with blue roses was torn into shreds, yet still clung to her body to cover her dignity. Her hands and legs were marred with bruises, streaks of blood running down from open wounds.
She looked like an undefeated warrior, still standing in battle against her enemies—battered and bruised, yet wielding a gleaming sword with a black hilt carved with a golden dragon, its blade dripping with the blood of her foes.
It was a battle for survival.
True to the fact, Ariel was surrounded by over ten figures clad in black and red ninja combat outfits, sharp swords gleaming in their hands. On the backs of their palms was tattooed a crown encircled by flame.
Over fifteen of their subordinates already lay cold and lifeless, staining the ground—a sign that this she‑warrior was not to be trifled with.
"Aaa… do… don't…"
A low, painful groan echoed from behind Ariel.
She shifted her gaze to the figure slumped against the wall, his head resting weakly. An empty scabbard lay discarded nearby.
His golden honeydew eyes, tinted red, looked hollow, like they were losing life, shedding tears of blood. Streaks of crimson oozed from his ears, nose, and mouth—the deadly mark of one powerful toxin.
Red Moon Poison.
He clutched his side, blood pouring relentlessly through his black and gold embroidered shirt, staining his slacks and shoes. Time was running out for him, but he couldn't let them hurt his Flamingo. He just couldn't.
But his Flamingo had already proven herself—a powerful, skilled warrior who had slain fifteen assassins. And she wasn't going to let them kill him, not while she still breathed.
She turned, sword raised, legs braced in an attacking stance. Her voice rang out, sharp and defiant:
"If you want him… you'll have to go through me first."
The assassins exchanged glances, then stanced themselves for the attack.
"Raaaar!"
Ariel's eyes glowed golden as she roared a battle cry, charging forward into the fight.
Wow our she-warrior is defending her Prince.
What to know what happened?
Stay tuned to find out.