The Devil’s Cage

After a heavy growl, Aisphany stepped away from Raulee.

The big fellow before her had the same face and physique as the Raulee that Aisphany remembered but his temperament was something entirely different.

In Aisphany’s memory, Raulee was more bullish and simple but the Raulee before her wasn’t just smart, he acted like a gentleman as well.

It struck her as a husky that had evolved into an alpha wolf.

Aisphany wasn’t blind or an idiot. Since young, she had been through many things and it allowed her to have multiple guesses in her mind right away.

A slight sense of formless energy even started to gather on her hands.

“I am Raulee. I am sorry that I have been keeping it a secret from you but I had no other choice back then. While I was under someone’s gaze, other than acting like a fool, I couldn’t even leave Dawn City.”

Raulee bowed at Aisphany with an apologetic face.

“Leave Dawn City? You used me!?”

Aisphany recalled the process of running into Raulee, indeed there were coincidental points but she was fooled by the dumb act back then. Besides, a fat lamb, Starbeck was before her eyes, therefore she didn’t even notice anything unusual.

Now come to think of it, it was all Raulee’s plan!

When the thought came into her mind, her beautiful, delicate features showed a sense of anger from embarrassment. The anger came from the lies from a trusted person and also anger towards herself.

However, her anger out of embarrassment turned into taking pleasure from another’s misfortune.

“Well, I don’t need your apologies. The one you need to apologize to is 2567 over there. The harmless and innocent guy that you used to approach me is 2567’s good friend.”

Aisphany said in a vague manner but the shine in her eyes showed that this lady will not let Raulee off just like that.

She wanted to teach Raulee a lesson through Kieran’s hand but her thoughts ought to disappoint her soon.

Kieran was still going through the books he got from Orderfell, he didn’t even listen to what the two of them had said.

“He used your good friend to get here!” Aisphany purposely heightened her voice.

Kieran, however, wasn’t moved at all.

“You bastard, are you purposely on to me now? Why the hell did you act like you wanted to kill me when I tried to get some benefits from that little lamb but Raulee did all this and you didn’t even care?” Aisphany said in a very angry tone.

Amidst the infuriated mood, the nickname Aisphany gave Starbeck even slipped out from her mouth.

“Mimosa, not a little lamb,” Kieran laid his book down as he looked at Aisphany, saying in a serious manner.

“Yes, yes, mimosa whatever. Tell me, why?” Aisphany asked in dissatisfaction.

“Because, I know the mimosa, so I know he won’t really commit acts that will actually hurt him but you, on the other hand, are different. The way you do things is enough to greatly put Starbeck in harm’s way.”

Kieran took a glance at Raulee before he looked at Aisphany.

“He won’t commit acts that will actually hurt him? He JUST admitted lied to me, used me! Don’t tell me liars come in different forms!” Aisphany was getting more and more upset.

She felt like she was being discriminated against.

Come on, she also had her own code and honor okay?

She always helped the poor and upheld justice for the wrongfully accused.

What she did could be considered at the golden standards of the protagonist of some novels.

Why the hell was she described as an evil stepmother in front of this rude bastard?

Because she claimed some fee from that little lamb?

Damn it! Bastard!

Aisphany was cursing non-stop and she swore that if Kieran didn’t provide her with a reasonable explanation, she would really show him what she was capable of.

Although Kieran was powerful and his attitude was extremely poor, it didn’t mean everyone around him share the same power level.

She also dared not touch the little lamb but she could lay her hands on the other two women that fought like cats and dogs behind Kieran all the time. She had the confidence to incite a brutal fight between those two stupid women, hence causing trouble to Kieran.

“Of course liars had different forms. You lie for benefits but he lied for his duty.”

“Am I right, sir imperial envoy?” Kieran then looked at Raulee again.

Raulee who maintained his noble-like presence from the moment he appeared was stunned and astonished by Kieran’s words. He never thought Kieran would know his true identity.

Aisphany, on the other hand, widened her eyes and looked up and down at Raulee with her inconceivable gaze.

“You’ve seen me before?”

“No, it shouldn’t be. Even in the imperial household, my presence is well hidden. Even the Grand Duke of Dawn and the Burning Marquis have never seen me before, let alone you, the peasant eldest son of Burning Family!”

“I apologize if I said it in a rude manner, I didn’t mean any offense, but may I ask where I showed my flaws?”

Raulee first questioned Kieran out of curiosity but the moment he asked, he shook his head and he stared at Kieran with a confused look.

“Her.”

Kieran pointed at Aisphany.

“M-Me?”

Aisphany also pointed at herself. The sudden news caused her already widened eyes to be filled with disbelief.

“Yes. You swindling normal people is fine but it’s almost impossible for you to infiltrate a military camp like Burning Dawn, despite its messy state. Besides, your words just now proved the point as well. It is Raulee who tempted you to pose as the imperial envoy and thanks to him, you used the identity quite smoothly. At first, I thought you had some other channels but…”

Kieran stared at Aisphany. He didn’t continue but the meaning from his gaze was self-explanatory.

His self-explanatory gaze, however, made Aisphany even angrier.

“Every official document, letter and family seal that I forged is the most authentic there is!”

Aisphany couldn’t help but defend herself.

“Of course, so authentic that Raulee had to carefully switch it with his and try not to let you realize,” Kieran said.

He then didn’t further pay attention to Aisphany and her expression of trying to bite Kieran, instead, he turned to Raulee.

“So then… sir imperial envoy, can you tell me what are you doing here? Don’t tell me you came for Burning Dawn. Based on what I know, the Saint Cyanda imperial household and Burning Dawn don’t exactly get along well.”

Kieran’s gaze didn’t just glance over Raulee this time, he really focused his gaze on the imperial envoy. On top of that, Kieran didn’t plan to reserve his presence either.

It was natural that the rampant, chaotic, and wicked presence formed over the imperial envoy like a formless energy field.

Instantaneously, Raulee’s body shivered and sweat covered his forehead.

However, he clenched his teeth and managed to say, “I am here to save you, to save the Burning Family!”