Captive of Time

Chapter 9: Protest

That night, however, Beifeles and Vanna ended up having a disagreement—or rather, it wasn’t exactly a fight.

Upon returning to the estate, they had seemingly reconciled; at least, Beifeles thought the matter was settled, and everything was as it had been before. Before going to bed, they shared their usual tender moments, with his dark elf gently pulling him into an embrace.

Yet, at the peak of their intimacy, as Beifeles struggled to gaze dreamily at the dark elf, Vanna suddenly lifted her head, her dark red eyes locking onto his. She softly asked, “ Would you let him do this to you today? Or would you do this to him? ”

The atmosphere instantly chilled.

As a result, that night, all the servants in the prince’s residence learned of an unprecedented event: the dark elf, usually cherished by the prince, was expelled from the bedroom for the first time.

The next morning，Hellidan stared in horror at his hand.

His left hand had swollen completely, resembling the hoof of some monstrous beast.

The figure of the dark elf flashed through his mind; he had no doubt that everything was related to that dark elf. However, he also knew that no one would believe him. If he spoke up, others would think he was either mad or harboring ulterior motives.

As everyone knew, dark elves possessed very little power and could not possibly inflict such harm on a powerful light elf officer.

Moreover, the relationship between that dark elf and Prince Beifeles was well-known. Given that he had such a connection with the prince, if he carelessly accused the dark elf, people would only see him as someone unable to tolerate even a dark elf slave. It would appear as if he was slandering the dark elf out of spite, which would surely provoke Prince Beifeles’s disdain and possibly even jeopardize their engagement.

Yet, both he and the Turner family desperately needed this marriage to Beifeles. Although the Turner family was a prestigious clan among the light elves, they had been on a downward trend for the past decade and could no longer compare to the Narciss or Manda families. However, if he succeeded in marrying Prince Beifeles, he might restore the Turner family to its former glory.

Therefore, he could not allow such an incident to occur and had to swallow all his doubts and suspicions about that dark elf.

Even so, he couldn’t help but recall the events of the previous night.

After Prince Beifeles went to see the elven king, Hellidan lingered nearby, unwilling to miss the chance to nurture his relationship with the prince. Estimating the time, he returned to the vicinity.

At that moment, Prince Beifeles had yet to return, leaving only the dark elf, who stood quietly with his head bowed.

To be honest, the dark elf was strikingly handsome and possessed an extraordinary aura, far from what one would expect from an ordinary dark elf slave. If he were a light elf, he would undoubtedly be awe-inspiring and unapproachable. Yet, dark elves were always at the mercy of light elves; regardless of how noble, powerful, or untouchable a dark elf might seem, they remained subservient.

Hellidan couldn’t help but admire how well Prince Beifeles had cared for this dark elf. It was evident from the prince's demeanor that he indeed adored him, as could be gleaned from the way he had treated him moments earlier.

As he shook his head in disbelief, he approached the dark elf directly.

However, the dark elf, perhaps spoiled by Prince Beifeles, did not offer him a greeting and didn’t even glance his way.

Hellidan felt a surge of discontent but reminded himself that the dark elf was the prince's beloved slave and thus restrained his frustration. He patiently initiated a conversation, saying, “Um... What does the prince usually enjoy?”

For him, this was a rare act of humility. Had it not been for the necessity of preserving his engagement with Prince Beifeles, he certainly wouldn’t have deigned to do such a thing.

However, the dark elf merely lifted his gaze at him, his dark red eyes as cold and sharp as a jeweled blade, filled with indifference and even a hint of... disdain. After a brief glance, he quickly turned away.

Hellidan felt anger boil within him, but he wouldn’t lose his temper in front of a dark elf slave; that would be beneath his dignity.

Instead, he stepped closer, ambiguously gripping the dark elf’s hand, and whispered, “I believe you know my identity... opposing me won’t bode well for you.”

The elven community traditionally practiced monogamy, yet many noble light elves took numerous lovers and had romantic relations with slaves after marriage. While the issue of lovers could be managed, slaves naturally became shared property, serving both partners.

Thus, if he married Prince Beifeles, this slave would naturally belong to him as well, and he could do whatever he wished with him. He believed the slave should understand this.

Yet, just then, his hand was suddenly seized with great force. Hellidan looked up in shock to see the dark elf glaring at him, a slight smirk curling at the corners of his mouth.

In his dark red eyes lay clear mockery and disdain. He leaned in slightly, lowering his voice to say, “What do you mean by asking what he enjoys... Why should I tell you? Do you think I should acknowledge your identity? What are you, really? I could make him cry or laugh—what can you do?”

Then the dark elf raised his head, looking down at him, warning in a low voice, “He is mine. Stay away from him.”

Hellidan was completely stunned, filled with shock and a hint of... fear. He had never encountered such a domineering and intimidating dark elf.

However, just then, the grip on his hand suddenly vanished. The coldness, mockery, threat, and disdain on the dark elf’s face disappeared in an instant, replaced by an expression of helplessness and dissatisfaction as he appeared to be merely passively enduring Hellidan’s grip.

Then Hellidan saw Prince Beifeles rushing toward them.

At this thought, Hellidan felt an urge to curse. That detestable, pretentious dark elf! How dare he attempt to claim his master and assert ownership over Prince Beifeles! How could he deceive the prince and tarnish his image? He couldn’t bear to imagine how the prince viewed him now.

Yet, even as he recalled the dark elf’s gaze, he couldn’t shake off his unease and tension. He could only repeatedly reassure himself that it was just a dark elf, nothing to fear.

Just a dark elf. An insignificant dark elf. What truly mattered was Prince Beifeles’s attitude.

He also understood that even if he explained the truth to Prince Beifeles, the prince wouldn’t believe him; instead, he would think he was fabricating nonsense to absolve himself.

No one would believe him.

Just a dark elf.

With that thought, he wiped his face and ordered his servants to buy a bouquet and gifts to apologize to Prince Beifeles.

He could only do his utmost to salvage the situation.

Prince Beifeles paid no attention to the bouquet prepared by Hellidan.

He had risen early that morning to attend a meeting in the government hall, perhaps having hardly slept the night before.

He had long been accustomed to falling asleep in the dark elf’s embrace, but after sending him out of the bedroom, he tossed and turned for a long time without finding rest. Thus, when he awoke to find the dark elf waiting respectfully by his bed, ready to assist him in dressing, his irritation only grew, and he unfairly placed the blame for his sleeplessness on the dark elf.

So, when Vanna helped him wash up, dress, and have breakfast, he remained silent, clearly upset. Yet, as he was about to leave, he pulled the dark elf onto the carriage with him, leaning against him naturally, mumbling, “Hold me while I sleep for a bit. I’m so tired.”

He feared that he might lack energy during the meeting. Regardless of the circumstances, Prince Beifeles always maintained an image of nobility and exceptionalism; he would never appear at the government hall looking disheveled or absent-minded.

The carriage was pure white, pulled by four unicorns, and white gauze curtains obscured the windows, making the interior completely hidden from view. Following behind were four light elf guards mounted on unicorns. The City of Light felt incredibly secure for Beifeles, so, except in special circumstances, he usually traveled with minimal escort.

As soon as he leaned against Vanna, he instinctively wrapped his arms around the dark elf’s neck and pressed his face against his chest. He truly needed the rest, and soon he fell into a peaceful sleep.

Vanna quietly watched him, reaching out to smooth the hair from his forehead before wrapping his arm around the prince’s waist, kissing his forehead and the corners of his eyes tenderly...