Chapter 1: The Duke’s Awakening
“Aaaaaahhh—!”
“The Duke of Layston has lost control!”
A desperate shout erupted from outside. Before Su Beitang could even glance out the window to see who was yelling, a searing fireball burst into the room, trailing waves of scorching heat.
“Miss!” her maid Dana cried out, instantly casting a protective spell.
Ice collided with fire, the freezing water devouring the fireball’s energy. Just two meters away from Su Beitang, the opposing forces neutralized each other, dissipating in a white plume of steam.
“Are you all right, Miss?” Dana hurried over after dispelling her magic, swiftly pushing Su Beitang’s wheelchair to a safer spot.
“I’m fine, Dana. What’s happening outside?” Su Beitang’s already frail complexion grew even paler. Her slender, delicate fingers gripped the armrest as she lifted her head, her neck a graceful arc as she looked to Dana for answers.
Dana’s gaze dropped briefly, her light purple eyes lingering on Su Beitang’s ivory neck before she subtly swallowed.
“They say Duke Layston lost control—rumor has it someone drugged his wine.” Dana shifted her gaze away. “Miss, shall I take you home?”
Dana’s intent was clear.
Su Beitang nodded. “Where is my father?”
Her father had taken her out early this morning.
Dana shook her head slightly. “At this hour, Baron Cro should be at the banquet…”
Dana’s expression shifted.
The host of tonight’s banquet was none other than Duke Layston himself.
As one of the empire’s wealthiest, most powerful, and mentally strongest individuals—a Level 5S powerhouse—Layston’s loss of control would surely devastate all the banquet attendees.
Su Beitang had already anticipated this. She gently patted Dana’s hand. “Dana, I’m worried about Father. Could you go to the banquet and check on him? If possible, protect him for me.”
“But Miss, what about you—”
“I’ll be all right. I’ll wait for you here,” Su Beitang replied softly.
Dana’s gaze flickered. She glanced from Su Beitang’s pale face to the flashes of magic exploding outside the window.
Finally, she bit her lip, determined. “Very well, Miss. Please stay safe and don’t wander off.”
Removing a ring from her finger, Dana cast a protective spell to set up a barrier around the room before turning to leave.
Silence settled over the room, save for the gentle glow of the magic circle on the floor.
Su Beitang’s dark red eyes shifted from the doorway to the circle below.
“Hmph…” The fragile facade she wore fell away, a cold smirk crossing her lips.
Did they truly think such a low-level barrier could trap her?
From her sleeve, Su Beitang pulled out a small bottle of glowing red potion and poured it onto the magic formation.
The white glow of the spell was instantly snuffed out, replaced by the red sheen of the potion.
Flexing her feet, she tossed aside the delicate white blanket covering her legs and slowly rose to stand.
This moment… she had waited nineteen years for it…
Finally, she was free.
In her previous life, Su Beitang had served as a medic on the front lines, dying in action only to be reborn into this magical beast world. Here, she was one of the rarest healers, a female with powers sought by many.
But fate was cruel.
When she was three, her birth mother passed away, and her stepfather, Theosen Cro, imprisoned her for nearly nineteen years.
She had attempted to escape, only to have her legs magically crippled, leaving her unable to walk for five years. Only last year, with the help of a mute alchemist she bribed during her eighteenth birthday celebration, had she managed to heal her legs.
And now, Su Beitang opened the door.
She was finally free.
Outside, an intense battle raged, with spells of red, blue, yellow, and purple colliding in chaotic swirls.
But none of it mattered to her.
She was exhilarated by her newfound freedom. Moving quickly, she headed toward the rear garden of Layston Manor.
All day, she had been familiarizing herself with escape routes through the manor, memorizing each turn.
As the manor descended into chaos, she slipped into the back garden, prepared to scale the wall and escape.
But as she entered the garden, a shadow suddenly leapt from the bushes.
“Don’t move.”
Before Su Beitang could gasp, a hand covered her mouth.
The figure pulled her close from behind, restraining her hands securely against her sides.
He leaned in, pressing his warm face against her neck, his breath hot and heavy as he murmured, “I won’t hurt you. Just don’t scream.”
The man’s deep, resonant voice was so close it brushed her ear, his breath sending a ripple of shivers through her.
Su Beitang’s heart raced, but she managed a nod, a muffled sound of acknowledgment escaping her lips.
The man released her mouth, but he kept hold of her wrist, turning her around to face him.
Only then did Su Beitang see her captor’s face.
A cascade of golden hair framed his strong features, his eyes a divine shade of gold tinged with something primal. His high cheekbones and thin lips, now flushed a striking red, revealed he was under the influence of some potent toxin.
The man before her was none other than the master of the manor—Duke Charles Layston.
“Duke Layston…”
“Aren’t you supposed to be… out of control?”
Clearly, Su Beitang hadn’t expected Charles to appear in the rear garden.
Ignoring her question, Charles’s eyes glazed over, his mind fraying under the drug’s effects.
His breathing was ragged as he used the last shred of his willpower to ask, “Are you… a healer?”
Su Beitang shook her head.
Even if she was, she had no intention of healing him now.
After three years of planning, she finally had her chance to escape; she wouldn’t let anyone interfere.
“Duke Layston, go find an alchemist in the front. I can’t help you…”
Before she could finish, a surge of heat silenced her words.
Her eyes widened in shock as Charles closed in, his lips pressing against hers.
He kissed her!
It was said that the Duke of Layston never touched a female, and yet here he was, his kiss proof of his deteriorating sanity.
She couldn’t delay any longer.
With all her strength, Su Beitang pushed him away.
“Duke Layston, I truly am not a healer. Don’t waste your time here—there are others who can help you.”
She turned to leave, but Charles seized her wrist once more.
This time, she could sense a dangerous shift in him.
His eyes were bloodshot, and his unrestrained aura pressed down on her like a suffocating wave.
As Charles leaned closer, the scent of roses filled the air, overwhelming her senses.
The moment she recognized the fragrance, dread washed over her.
No… this scent…
Duke Layston was in heat!
