The Masquerade Ball

The masquerade ball hosted by the Kingdom of Murcia was held in a large park located in the Northwest. This area was once considered lost territory, but thanks to the Devourer Destiny, it reappeared and rejoined the Western Region.

For more than a dozen years, the place that was once dry and barren has now transformed into a paradise. Grass covers the entire area, with no mapped paths, as they wanted to give residents a sense of freedom.

The special condition to enter this area is to walk without using any private vehicles. Nobles, commoners, and all races can gather here.

Not only is there green grass, but there are also flowers growing everywhere, decorating this heavenly park.

"Eden." That was the name of this place.

Dressed in a white suit and a black mask covering his eyes, Mahendra also used a camouflage spell to hide the God Necklace. This way, no one could see it except for him.

At 8 p.m., the sky was filled with stars. Upon entering the park's gate, a formally dressed guard greeted them, followed by fireflies appearing beside him. After a moment, one by one, the candles scattered throughout the park began to light up, a sign that the masquerade ball was about to begin.

Men and women mingled in one place. They remained orderly and polite. Mahendra stood still for a moment, holding a cup of some unknown drink.

"Eden is the name of a paradise. This... reminds me of how naive I once was," Mahendra murmured, smiling with his head bowed.

The sound of a violin, whose source was unknown, began to play. The melody was so calming, and a warm feeling flowed through him. Everyone started dancing with random partners they found.

Mahendra sighed for a moment, then gave his drink to a servant who had just passed by. He quickly walked to the center of the park and bowed, extending a hand to a girl.

"Lady, would you like to dance with me?"

"Of course." With great care, the dark-haired mowan accepted his outstretched hand.

They began to dance, following the rhythm of the music. Their movements were in sync, as if they were both skilled dancers.

Every one or two beats, everyone would switch and choose another partner to dance with. They would take the opportunity to chat with their dance partners, even if only for a short time. If they felt a connection, they would continue to dance until the music stopped.

For several minutes, Mahendra had changed many dance partners. The girls who approached him seemed so captivated, simply because the mask Mahendra wore covered his eyes, sparking their curiosity.

"I had planned to meet the King Murcia while I was here, but I can't find him at all. Is he not here?"

Then, he came across a familiar hand. As their hands touched, they paused and looked at each other.

"Sir, your mask is unlike any other. Why did you choose a mask that covers your beautiful eyes entirely?" a woman asked.

She was wearing a white and gold ball gown that matched the color of her feathered party mask. Her black hair was braided to the side with a purplish ribbon.

"That ribbon..." Mahendra muttered softly.

"Oh, this... it's a gift from someone I like," she replied with a smile.

Mahendra laughed for a moment before finally starting to dance with her.

"Forgive my rudeness. That prominent ribbon color doesn't match the color of your gown," Mahendra said spontaneously.

"It's alright, thank you."

"Oh, you asked me something about this mask earlier, didn't you?" Mahendra asked to be sure. He stopped moving his feet and held his dance partner's waist tightly.

"That's right... did I say something wrong?" 

A smile appeared on the man's lips. The mask then turned into particles like stardust before it vanished.

Their dance truly stopped as the music swept all the couples away. Mahendra embraced her waist more tightly, closing the distance between them. Mahendra's dance partner was silent with tears in her eyes, staring at his pair of red eyes that looked like ruby gems to her.

"Mahendra!" She finally said the name, and without a second thought, she hugged him with deep emotion and longing.

"A girl has grown up into a woman. Yet, you're crying?" Mahendra held back a laugh, then covered the woman's body so no one would see her crying.

In the darkness, they moved to a corner of the park. He blew out the flame of one of the candles near them. Now, no one was around them anymore.

"Princess Melissa, how have you been?" Mahendra asked, patting the woman's back.Even now, she seemed reluctant to let go of her hug. She was still crying.

"I was so worried you would suddenly disappear and die somewhere I didn't know. Where have you been all this time?"

All her formal sentences now turned into a very relaxed tone. Mahendra was impressed by this side of Melissa, which he found unique.

"Actually, I came to see your father. To fulfill that four-year promise," he revealed honestly.

"What?" Melissa was startled. She finally raised her head, looking at Mahendra with a sharp gaze.

"That promise is no longer needed. After all, you are the Devourer Destiny, how could my father make you a subordinate?" she retorted.

Even without a candle, the moonlight was enough to illuminate them. Melissa finally let go of the hug and told him about the current state of the Kingdom of Murcia, which was becoming more peaceful and prosperous.

"This is all thanks to you."

"Not really." Mahendra shook his head. "I just wanted to free the Northwest."

"At first, my father was hesitant to merge the territories, but it turned out that they were the ones who came and asked to be taken in," Melissa said.

"But they are all barbarians. To be honest, I was afraid that selfish request would give the King a headache," Mahendra said.

Melissa covered her mouth, laughing softly with her head bowed.

"It seems they softened up after being beaten by someone. The ones who came that day were all still bruised," Melissa said with a hint of sarcasm.

Mahendra, feeling the jab, could only stay silent and turn his face away.

"Now, are all your problems solved? Can you stop by for a moment after this?" Melissa asked.

"I'm sorry. I did intend to stop by to fulfill that promise, but I actually want to refuse because my business is not yet finished."

"No. I don't want you to stop by because of the promise my father talked about, where he wants to make you his personal magician."

"Oh, then?"

"I just want you to stop by as a guest."Mahendra nodded and said, 

"Alright, I understand. Unfortunately, that can't happen right now, I'm sorry."

"Please pass a message to His Majesty the King," he added.

It was getting late. The music became softer, a sign that the dancing event would soon end.

A ball of light appeared on Mahendra's palm. He then blew on it, and the light instantly divided into dozens of tiny lights that entered Melissa's body.

Mahendra smiled for a moment, then took a handkerchief from his pocket. He used the handkerchief to wipe away the remaining tears that were still pooling and wetting Melissa's temples.

"What did you do?" Melissa asked.

"I returned your magic core. Now you are not just a princess anymore."

When Melissa was about to say something else, Mahendra spoke again, 

"Ah, don't worry about it. You can control your magic however you want."

Mahendra smiled one last time and then turned around, intending to leave this place. However, Melissa stopped him for a moment.

"Wait, Mahendra!"

Melissa pulled on his arm and stood on her tiptoes slightly to kiss Mahendra's cheek while closing her eyes.