Chapter3

I looked up and saw Darius.

He was half a head taller than me. His dragon horns had not fully grown in yet, and his tail curled behind him. His slit pupils were cold and deep, yet he had the kind of face that practically begged to be punched whenever he smiled.

A face I had despised for eighteen years.

At that moment, he had no expression. He merely stood at the iron gate, looking down at me, his golden eyes flickering in the dim light.

I lowered my head, not wanting him to see my swollen, bruised forehead:

"What, are you here to mock me?"

His voice drifted down from above, low and gruff:

"Yeah, look at how pathetic my nemesis is right now."

He pulled a key from his coat—it was my foster father's key.

He crouched down and pressed the key into my palm. Then, he fished a few gold coins from his pocket and placed them in my hand as well.

I froze.

"Don't overthink it." He stood up, averting his gaze, his tone still as punchable as ever. "Father ordered me to get you out of here. Besides, if you die in this dump, who am I supposed to fight with?"

He tossed a cloak over my head, grabbed my wrist, and dragged me out of the basement.

The rain was still pouring. He held the cloak up to shield my head, letting half of his own shoulders get soaked. Rainwater slid down his knuckles as he led me to a carriage parked at the manor's rear gates.

A dim magic lamp flickered inside the cabin. Darius took a few vials of potion from his inner pocket, frowned, and carefully applied the liquid to my wounds before gently massaging it in.

"Ow! Are you trying to murder me?!"

I struggled and yelled, but he caught my wrist.

After a while, he spoke:

"Father said that even if you're useless, you still need to contribute your final value to the family. The Alchemy Academy is your last chance. Leave."

He stared out the window as he said this, his dragon horns glowing faintly.

I did not think much of it at the time and believed him.

It was not until many years later that I learned my foster father had never let me go. It was Darius who stole the key and secretly released me.

He even promised the old man, offering his own dragon horns as a price, in exchange for my foster father's agreement to stop tracking my whereabouts.

That year, I met my mentor and was finally able to spend my days peacefully at the Alchemy Academy.

The moment the alchemy graduation exam ended, I finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Later on, Darius returned to the dragon realm and inherited the throne. I went to the human empire and became the Chief Alchemist.

When I saw him again, eight years had already passed.

I had followed my mentor, completely dedicating myself to research. My alchemy achievements became famous across the continent, and I was about to be promoted to Grand Alchemist. Meanwhile, at twenty-three, he had united the various dragon factions and become the youngest king of the dragon race; everyone called him the "Tyrant."

At the alchemy exchange banquet, my mentor introduced us with a smile:

"This is my top student, Elara."

"This is the King of the Dragons, Darius."

I raised my eyes and met his gaze.

"Mr. Darius, long time no see."

"Long time no see."

The moment our fingertips touched, all the memories of our past interactions surfaced.

Inside the Maze of Truth, both Darius and I fell silent.

I opened my mouth, my voice dry:

"So it was you."

"Why did you save me back then?"

"Didn't you always want to walk all over me?"

He swished his dragon tail and smiled:

"I wanted to keep you under my thumb, yes, but I didn't want you to lose to me unfairly."

Ayla urged:

[Roles reversed. Please reveal a secret, Elara.]

Darius lowered his eyes and stared at me, a hint of playfulness in his slit pupils:

"Elara, what is your secret?"

I closed my eyes.

[Answer quickly. Ten... nine...]

The stone walls closed in rapidly. When they were almost a meter away from me, I whispered:

"I am pregnant."

Darius laughed out loud:

"Are you testing whether this maze can tell truth from lies?"

"If you're going to lie, at least make it believable. How could you possibly be pregnant..."

The next second, a "beep" sounded, and the green magic stone lit up.

Ayla shouted:

[The secret is true.]

His smile froze on his face.

Ayla's voice echoed:

[Round passed. The next maze will descend randomly. Please be prepared, hosts.]

Darius lunged forward, grabbing my wrist, his golden vertical pupils burning with sudden intensity:

"Whose child are you pregnant with?!"

The stone walls began to vibrate. Two beams of light enveloped us, shining brighter and brighter.

When I opened my eyes again, I was back in the underground alchemy clinic.

The scent of potions floated in the air. No matter how long one stayed in the maze, it seemed only a single second passed in the real world.

The dwarf alchemist stood in front of me and put away her wand:

"I've placed the item inside for you. Inspect it at least four days a week."

She waved her wand in front of me:

"Miss Elara? Are you listening?"

I blinked and finally snapped back to reality:

"Yes, thank you."

The next second, my communicator rang.

Darius's gloomy voice came through it:

"Elara, explain clearly. Whose child is it?"

I gently sensed my body, my palm resting on my lower abdomen:

"It's my boyfriend's child. What does it have to do with you?"

Darius let out a cold sneer:

"Then does your boyfriend know that you stuff toys into your own body when you are lonely?"