His sudden action made Alicia gasp in shock as he hovered over her. Something odd gleamed in his icy eyes as he glared hard at her. His gaze and action at that moment should have elicited genuine and strong fear from the deepest part of her bones, but something inside Alicia told her she had no need to be frightened and there was no need to cower before him. Thus, she glared back at him with a challenging gaze and with everything that she had.

  "If you’re trying to scare me by acting this way…… I’m sorry to disappoint you but a bluff like this won’t –"

  "Shut up." He gritted his teeth, his eyes narrowing into cold, brilliant slits as his grip on her hands above her head tightened. "This is not a bluff, Alicia." His heart nearly exploded as he told her that, when suddenly there was a wicked and devious smile which flashed across his face. "It seems that…… you’re still unable to understand a thing……" his voice became soft, the tone containing something alarming that caused Alicia’s nerves to prickle in warning.

  She did not know what made her swallow hard and her body turn rigid. But still, she refused to shrink back and avert her gaze from him.

  "You’ve forgotten how vulnerable you are right now, Alicia. I can do whatever I want with you right now and you cannot do a single thing to retaliate or stop me." He taunted Alicia with bared teeth, his jaw hardening as he moved his face closer to hers, until she could feel his breaths that were fanning across her face. "Or did you think I couldn’t do something this evil?"

  Alicia did not once forget that she had lost all her magic. Neither did she forget that even her strength was so greatly reduced to the point she was currently weaker than an average human even. However, there was no way she was going to back off in the face of Zeres’ taunts no matter how scary it seems. She was willing to bet that deep down, he still genuinely cares for her and holds her well-being of high importance to him as he did previously. Why else would he go to the extent of going through all these just to keep her alive?

  Zeres now had one hand grabbing onto both her wrists as he moved his other hand towards her face and traced her delicate jaw with the back of his fingers.

  Alicia involuntarily flinched and he smiled at her response. "Shall I tell you how many witches I’ve already killed now?" he asked. "I can’t even remember the numbers anymore. I’ve watched them bleed and plead for their lives one after another on that altar and……" his fingers paused as his smile widened wickedly, "…… I felt nothing. It appeared I was truly born to be like this. This is how I truly am –"

  "No." Alicia cut him off. "You’re not. I heard those witches came here on their own volition." She calmly said, her voice firm. "I deduced that that mad witch had summoned everyone to come here to serve you, their new ruler. But everyone who came here are actually traitors in your eyes, because by them coming here to aid you means they’re turning their backs on me – the true witch queen. That’s why you killed them, you –" Alicia confidently narrated what she felt was truly on Zeres’ mind.

  "Enough." he gave her the slightest hint of a shake, his ice cold eyes beginning to waver. "You’re wrong," he denied, but Alicia knew she was right.

  "Yes, I am right –" Alicia smiled at him self-assuredly, causing Zeres to narrow his eyes again.

  "I said, shut up!" he burst. She could feel his strong hand around her wrists trembling a little. "Fine." he breathed savagely. "It seems like there’s no other way for me to make you understand but to just show you how naïve you are to still think of me as the same old Zeres you knew." He said with cold rage. Then as if she were just a doll light as feathers, he lifted her so easily and the next thing she knew, she was roughly laid on a bed.

  Alicia’s heart quickened as she looked at him, standing by the bed, staring down at her and unbuttoning his dark shirt.

  The alarm and fear that Alicia did not seem to register in her mind a moment ago was now creeping up rapidly inside of her. Was he really going to…… this person……

  Her lips trembled slightly as she watched him – holding herself still and silent – her resolve swiftly dissolving as he threw his shirt on the floor. But the moment Alicia saw the healing scars all over his body and the huge wound over his heart, she found herself relaxing. Those wounds were the price that he had to pay for her to still be breathing right now.

  Moreover, no matter how steely his face seems at that moment, Alicia could feel that just behind those callous eyes, he seemed to be begging her to just climb off the bed, put on the clothes he brought her and run away from him screaming.

  And she knew she was right again, as he flared in anger the moment Alicia let her back fall onto the bed.

  He was half naked and hovering on top of her, the muscles of his body all taut as his hands slammed against the mattress on both her sides in exasperation.

  "Go on," she challenged as she stared deep into his eyes. "Do it. Do what you want." .

  Shock instantly flickered in his eyes and she could see his throat working and his body seemed to turn into stone. She could hear the gnashing of his teeth. And she could feel how the mattress moved at her sides as he balled his hands into fists as hard as he could.

  "You can’t…… I knew you will never……" she said, her eyes becoming blurry with tears, her heart was just filled with sadness. "You could never do something like this, Zeres. Never you……" Her lips lifted into a faint watery smile as she slowly lifted her hands to caress his face. "You’re never the villain you think you are."