Free Web NovelChapter 58: Chapter 58: She is afraid of Fourth Villain
Han Soi’s muscles turned taut. The moment the word "Temple" left Yue Yue’s lips, a dark, suffocating pressure filled the room.
He knew this was coming, but he had hoped for more time.
Usually, the Celestial Bloom Rite didn’t happen for another two months. Why had the invitations been sent out so early?
Was the Temple getting restless, or had they sensed something unique about the surge of spiritual energy lately?
He looked down at Yue Yue. She was still clutching his shirt, her small hands trembling slightly.
Guilt washed over him like a cold tide. This was exactly why he had wanted to keep her hidden. This was why he had hated that her face was leaked during the kidnapping incident.
He had tried so hard to keep her in the shadows, but the world and that bastard brother of his, Han Ruyan, had dragged her into the light.
And neither could he blame Yue Yue for the live streaming. He had watched her from the shadows, seeing her eyes sparkle whenever the star coins hit her account.
He saw how she loved the attention, the cooking, and the feeling of being praised, and in one corner he knew she was worthy of all this attention and warmth. He couldn’t bring himself to steal that happiness from her.
But now, the price of that happiness was here.
"Yue Yue," he said, his voice deep and rough. "The Temple is not like the Empire. They don’t follow the laws of Kings. They follow the laws of the first priestess."
His heart clenched with a possessive, dark urge. The rules of the Temple were cruel to a man like him.
Any female recognized by the Temple during the rite was required to take at least five mates within the first year.
If she didn’t choose them herself, the Temple would "match" her with males who had high spiritual compatibility. ƒreewebɳovel.com
The thought of another man touching her, looking at her, or even breathing the same air made Han Soi want to tear the world apart.
He was a beast, and his instinct told him that she was his. Only his. He wanted to lock her in a cage of gold, hide her in his pocket, and never let a single male gaze fall upon her delicate skin.
But he also knew he couldn’t defy this. The Temple didn’t belong to the Winged Serpent Clan. It didn’t even belong to his Empire.
It was a neutral power that controlled the Sand Empire, Sea Empire, and Sky Empire. If he refused to send her, the Temple’s "Enforcers" would arrive. They were heartless Orcs who would kill anyone in their way to "protect" a female.
Yue Yue looked up at him, her gemstone eyes filled with worry. "Han Soi? You’re being very quiet. Your heart is beating really fast."
He forced himself to take a breath, trying to calm the beastly roar inside his chest. He reached down and cupped her face, his thumb tracing her lower lip.
"The ceremony is mandatory, Yue Yue. It is the law of the four empires. No one, not even a Duke, can stop the Temple once the notice is issued."
He saw her expression pale further.
"I won’t let them take you," he promised, his voice dropping into a dangerous growl. "But we have to play their game for now. If we defy them openly, they will declare me a traitor and take you by force. I would rather die than see you dragged away."
He pulled her closer, burying his face in her hair. The scent of her...clean, sweet, and so calming...made him feel even more desperate.
The Celestial Bloom Rite was a massive event. It wasn’t just about testing fertility. It was a gathering of the most powerful males from every empire.
Kings, Princes, and SSS-rank warriors from the Sea and Sky would all be there. And once they saw Yue Yue... once they realized she was the beautiful "chef" from the Star Net who could cook food...and it wouldn’t take them much time to find that Yue Yue is so precious.
A war would break out. They wouldn’t just want her for her beauty; they would want her as their possession.
"Lulu," Han Soi snapped, not lifting his head from Yue Yue’s shoulder.
"Yes, Duke?" the robot replied.
"Prepare the high-grade concealment artifacts. And fetch the most expensive, most modest ceremonial dress from the vault. If she must go, she will go as the Duchess of the Winged Serpent. I will remind every male there that she is already claimed."
Lulu bowed. "Understood. I will also prepare the spiritual dampeners to hide her true spiritual levels."
Yue Yue felt the weight of the situation. Her peaceful "salted fish" life was over. The Temple was a place of high-tech rituals and ancient mystery, and she was being summoned like a lamb to a slaughterhouse of suitors.
"Will you stay with me?" she asked quietly, her voice small.
Han Soi pulled back, his violet eyes glowing with an obsessive light. He kissed her forehead, then her cheeks, his touch possessive and heavy.
"I will be right behind you," he vowed. "If anyone tries to touch what is mine, I’ll turn that Temple into a graveyard."
Yue Yue shivered. She knew he meant it. But she also knew that the Fourth Villain...the one she feared most lived within those temple walls.
She doesn’t care about anything, the ritual, or the temple; what she is most worried about is her second encounter with the fourth villain. freēwebnovel.com
She would not lie; the man was terrifying. His blindfolded gaze looked like it was devouring her soul. And she couldn’t hide anything from him, not even a tiny secret; she felt bare under his gaze.
And she has still not forgotten his expression when he had wed her with Han Soi; the man’s expression was serene, but she could never forget the look that was directed towards her and Han Soi’s hand.
It felt like he wanted to sever their hands. She shuddered, thinking maybe she was overthinking.
