Deviant: No Longer Human

Meanwhile, Wang Xiao, wearing a sly smile, strolled leisurely to her abandoned chair, and sank into it with casual grace. "One minute already over, Queen. Another minute, and this time I might drown you in a sea of lava," he stated nonchalantly, a hint of amusement dancing in his eyes.

The faint scent of roses and lemon lingered in the air, but Wang Xiao pushed aside any distractions, focusing on the task at hand.

"Cough... cough!" As Seraphine coughed and clung to the pool\'s edge, her gaze locked with Wang Xiao\'s in disbelief and speechlessness, tinged with an inexplicable bitterness. \'He is real,\' she thought, the realization sinking in as she struggled to regain her composure.

Ultimately, she let out a weary sigh.

Her sigh was more than just exhaustion; it was the sound of a spirit bending but not breaking.

As she emerged from the pool, the sunlight didn\'t just illuminate her; it cast an ethereal glow around her, accentuating the determined set of her jaw and the resolve in her eyes.

She moved with a grace that belied the turmoil churning within her, her steps deliberate as she approached the low table.

The bottle of red wine caught the light, its deep color promising a momentary escape from the pressing reality.

She poured the wine with a steady hand, the liquid\'s rich aroma briefly overpowering the scent of chlorine and summer blooms.

The sound of the wine hitting the glasses seemed louder than it was, as she pulled a chair close to him, and laid down.

She reclined, mirroring his posture, a silent acknowledgment of the battle of wills, while offering him the glass, her voice was a mix of steel and silk, betraying the weight of the stories she carried.

"What do you want to hear?" she asked, her voice steady but carrying the weariness of one who has been through the depths.

It was a concession, a willingness to parley, but also a subtle challenge.

Wang Xiao\'s response was sharp, a blade unsheathed in the tranquility of their surroundings. "Everything. For every lie, you mother and daughter will lose an organ." His tone was matter-of-fact, devoid of malice but filled with an unyielding resolve.

!!

Seraphine\'s eyes flickered, the threat igniting a fire within her.

The audacity of his blackmail was a slap to her dignity, a challenge to her integrity. She wanted to rage, to summon Josephine and expose Wang Xiao for the monster he seemed to be.

Yet, wisdom tempered her anger.

She knew the stakes were too high, the consequences too grave.

With a deep breath, she began to peel away the layers of her story, "In the year 2020, a decree was sent to every major European royal house."

"We were given five years to prepare our daughters for a possibility—the Guardian of the European continent demanded our heirs in exchange for protection and benefits. It was an ultimatum disguised as an offer."

Wang Xiao\'s reaction was unexpected. Amusement flickered across his features, and a chuckle escaped him, "Guardians started extortion now?"

Seraphine\'s smile formed a bitter curve on her lips as she refilled her glass.

Wang Xiao watched, his thoughts a mix of approval and strategy.

To him, the Guardian\'s demand, cloaked as protection fees, was a cunning move. Refusal could spell disaster for any lineage that dared defy, leaving them vulnerable to mysterious deaths or abductions without recourse.

"Who else received this order?" His curiosity was piqued.

"None. It seems we were the only ones marked by such misfortune. Only the European continent appears targeted," Seraphine replied, her voice laced with a hint of irony as she sipped her wine.

"Has anything similar ever occurred in Europe?" Wang Xiao\'s skepticism was evident.

"Never," Seraphine answered, her conviction clear. "The Guardians, ever-shifting, rarely make direct contact. Our children are spared the weight of these truths, considered unnecessary burdens. This demand was unprecedented—a demand so ridiculous, it was unheard of."

Wang Xiao nodded, absorbing her words. Despite the allure of her presence, he remained focused, contemplating her fate based on the motives she revealed.

Seraphine continued, "It\'s 2026, the year the princesses were to be surrendered. We heard nothing until the day you intervened, saving Josephine. That was the day Guardian Asmodeus\'s emissaries came to claim her."

Wang Xiao\'s expression darkened, his brows furrowing in disapproval. "So, I unwittingly eliminated Asmodeus\'s emissaries and got entangled in this mess?" His tone was laced with disbelief and a hint of accusation.

He feigned knowledge of Asmodeus, not wanting to reveal his unfamiliarity.

Seraphine\'s laughter, light yet tinged with a somber note, broke the tension. "Believe me, I had no hand in orchestrating that encounter."

Wang Xiao pressed on, "And what then? You didn\'t consider standing against his oppression?"

Her smile turned wry. "Oppose them? We could, but only by presenting our refusal at the summit of Mount Olympus."

"..."

Silence fell, heavy and contemplative.

Wang Xiao pondered the feasibility of such a challenge—facing the Guardian in person on such hallowed ground, with no assurance of safety.

"Why didn\'t you keep Josephine within the castle\'s protection, instead of sending her to me as if she were bait?" he finally asked, suspicion lacing his voice.

"To ensure Josephine\'s safety," Seraphine began, her smile knowing.

"To ensure your daughter\'s safety?" Wang Xiao interjected, his tone laced with skepticism. "Or was it a ploy to pit two factions against each other, exploiting the ensuing chaos for your advantage?"

!!

Seraphine\'s expression momentarily froze, revealing the truth behind Wang Xiao\'s accusations.

Her strategy, borne of desperation and cunning, had indeed been to set two powerful forces against each other.

When she learned that the Deviants sent for Josephine were effortlessly defeated, Seraphine suspected the involvement of a formidable opponent, perhaps another guardian from their ranks.

This unexpected twist presented an opportunity—if she could manipulate these forces into conflict, it might grant her leverage, or at the very least, buy some precious time.

In the beginning of this year, the gravity of the situation hadn\'t fully dawned on her until a second letter arrived, explicitly stating that someone would come for her daughter.

From that moment, Seraphine had redoubled her efforts to safeguard Josephine, ensuring she remained within the castle\'s protective embrace.

The threat escalated when the Deviants attempted a more direct approach, ready to decimate her daughter\'s guard to fulfill their mission.

This bold move underscored the peril Josephine faced, intensifying Seraphine\'s protective instincts.

Throughout Josephine\'s childhood, Seraphine had imposed strict social restrictions on her, citing various reasons but never revealing the ominous shadow the Guardians cast over their lives.

She rationalized that if Josephine was destined to be taken, it was preferable she had no attachments that could make her departure even more painful.

Despite her seemingly light-hearted comments about allowing her daughter to date, Seraphine harbored no illusions about Josephine\'s chances of forming a meaningful relationship.

She viewed her daughter as too spoiled, unlikely to find a partner who could truly understand and tolerate her.