Ten days later, they finally let me out, and I noticed right away that Dusty was gone.

I searched the entire courtyard, calling out for him, but there was no sign of him anywhere.

He never wandered off on his own.

A sinking feeling settled in my chest. Something was wrong.

Then, behind a rock formation, I spotted a small gray figure.

"Dusty!"

He was lying on the ground, covered in wounds and barely breathing. His body felt cold to the touch. I tried pouring my spiritual energy into him, desperate to save him, but it was like trying to fill a bottomless pit.

No matter how hard I tried, it didn't work.

Dusty died in my arms. His little body stiffened slowly as the warmth faded away.

I buried him under the magnolia tree in the yard, the spot where he used to love playing the most.

I closed my eyes, and memories came flooding back—Dusty curled up in my lap, warming my feet… The way he would turn his head in a huff when he got mad…

The pain in my chest felt like something had been torn apart. Eyes burning, I gripped my sword tightly.

I swore Maisie would pay for this.

I kicked open the door and found Maisie laughing with a maid, completely unaware of the storm about to hit her.

"I heard your little gray fox died," she said with a smirk. "He was so weak. I barely played with him, and—"

Smack!

I slapped her across the face before she could finish that vile sentence.

"What…" Maisie clutched her cheek, staring at me in disbelief.

"You think you even deserve to say his name?" I shot her a cold glare, a murderous aura emanating off of me.

I raised my sword and pointed it straight at her throat.

"Stop!"

A voice rang out behind me before Blair came lunging at me.

In a blur of swordlight and thunderous roars, we clashed. I twisted to dodge his attack and punched him hard in the gut.

With a loud thud, Blair was sent flying and slammed into a tree.

Even though pain burned through my body, I forced myself to move forward, step by step.

Blair tried to get up but collapsed again, looking up at me with wide, pitiful eyes, his face full of confusion and hurt.

For a second, it felt like I was in another lifetime. Memories of our past flickered through my mind.

But I shook them off.

I raised my sword, ready to strike the final blow.

"What are you doing?!"

That familiar voice made me pause.

I turned and saw Justin rushing over with a group of guards behind him.

"Justin!" Maisie cried, throwing herself into his arms like she'd just been saved from death itself.

The second Justin saw her face, his expression darkened.

He looked at Blair and asked, "What happened?"

Blair glanced at me weakly, then lowered his head without saying a word.

Justin's eyes flared with anger as he turned back to me, his voice ice-cold.

"You hurt Maisie?"

I let out a bitter laugh and pointed at Maisie. "She killed Dusty. I'm just returning the favor."

Justin stared at me for a long moment, and then he turned and carried Maisie away without another word.

Back in my room, I treated my wounds and sat cross-legged on the bed to cultivate.

I had to grow stronger—strong enough to protect myself and take revenge.

It was late, and the night was silent. Suddenly, I heard a knock at the door.

"Who is it?" I asked cautiously.

"It's me." Blair's voice came from outside.

I opened the door and looked at him coldly. "What do you want?"

He didn't answer. He just stood there, looking at me, his eyes full of emotions I couldn't read.

The way Blair was staring at me made me uneasy. I frowned and asked, "What do you really want?"

He took a deep breath and slowly said, "I came here to tell you to leave."

I let out a cold laugh. "Leave? Why should I?"

Blair hesitated. "Because if you don't, things will end badly. You'll die."

His words were strange, but something about them made me feel certain that he must have been reborn, too.

Was that why he had shown me mercy today?

Too bad I didn't need his pity.

Blair went on, "I know you hate Ms. Maisie. But staying alive matters more than getting revenge. Dusty was just a low-ranking beast servant. He's dead, and that's that. It's not worth losing your life over him."

I clenched my fists and cut him off. "Dusty wasn't some lowly servant! All of you owe me, and I will make sure you pay me back—every bit of it!"

With that, I turned around and slammed the door shut.

Blair stood outside for a long time without leaving.

I had nothing left to lose, so what was there to fear?

The only thing I had now was hatred.

Blair had barely left when Justin came storming in.

Looking at the man in front of me—whom I once regarded as a brother—all I felt now was pure hatred.

Smack!

Justin slapped me hard across the face. The sting burned instantly, and the taste of blood spread in my mouth.

"It was just a filthy animal that died!" he roared, staring at me like I was a corpse.

From up high, he looked down at me with pure disgust and rage.

"You really are just like your beastman father! You injured your sister over a beast servant. She's barely hanging on now, thanks to you!"

Seriously? It was just one slap.

When he helped Maisie strip my beast bone back then, that pain was a thousand times worse.

Justin dragged me out of the room and threw me into the hall, where the entire Roffe family waited to judge me.

"Claudia, you hurt your kin and attacked a beast servant. Your crimes are unforgivable! Do you admit your guilt?"

The Roffes' patriarch sat high above, his expression full of authority and cold, murderous intent.

I looked around. Everyone's faces were twisted with disgust and scorn. Not a single person stood up for me.

"You accuse me of hurting a beast servant, but what about Maisie killing Dusty?"

"Shut up!" Justin shot up and pointed at me, yelling furiously.

"How dare you make excuses! Maisie is kindhearted. Why would she hurt your beast servant for no reason? Clearly, you're jealous and trying to frame her!"

"Enough!" the patriarch barked, cutting off my chance to explain with a wave of his hand. "The facts are right in front of us. There's no need to deny your crimes.

"Guards! Tie her up and execute her in public!"

They bound me tightly and dragged me to the dueling platform, the same place where they'd executed my father. Now, they were going to kill me, too.

As I watched the executioner raise his massive, blood-stained blade, my heart sank into a pit of ice.

Death loomed over me, and I was powerless to stop it.

Was this really how my second chance at life was going to end?

"I'd like to see who dares touch her!" A deep voice boomed through the square like thunder.

My eyes flew open. The clear blue sky had suddenly turned dark and stormy.

A man in white slowly stepped forward, like a god descending from the heavens.

He was tall and elegant, his eyes deep and captivating, and he radiated an overwhelming power that silenced the world around him.

Boom!

With just a wave of the man's hand, an invisible force knocked the executioner and his giant blade flat onto the ground.

The man in white slowly descended in front of me. He reached out with his long, slender fingers and gently tapped the center of my forehead. Instantly, a warm current surged through my body.

"Are you okay?"

He lowered his head, looking at me. His voice was so soft, it felt like a spring breeze brushing past my ears.

I stared blankly, then gave a small nod.

"Who the hell are you? Get out right now!" Maisie's shrill voice snapped me back to reality.

The man ignored her and turned to look at the Roffe patriarch instead. His tone was cold. "You don't deserve to know my name."

The patriarch trembled all over, his lips moving in a whisper. "He's got a white light surrounding his body, and such overwhelming power... Could he be…"

"Hmph."

With a snort, the man's aura exploded. The pressure alone crushed the patriarch to his knees.

"I saw everything that happened today. The way you twist right and wrong is absolutely unforgivable. In three days, I'll come back to settle this myself."

His voice was cold and commanding. There was no room for argument.

"I—" The patriarch tried to protest, but one sharp look from the man shut him up completely.

Without another glance at the others, the man in white bent down and gently picked me up, like I was something fragile and precious.

Resting against his chest, I could feel his warmth surrounding me. My heart was a mess of emotions.

"Let's go home," he said while looking down at me, his eyes filled with tenderness.

When I met his deep gaze, a strange sense of safety bloomed in my chest.

Seeing me rescued, Maisie nearly lost it. Jealousy twisted her face, and her eyes burned with hatred as she glared at me.

Suddenly, Justin stepped forward and drew his sword, pointing it straight at the man carrying me.

"I don't care who you are, but she's not going anywhere!"

The man didn't even flinch. With his back to Justin, he walked away like he hadn't heard a word.

Justin started to go after him, but Maisie grabbed his arm.

"Justin, I don't feel so good…" she murmured, then collapsed into his arms.

Off to the side, Blair watched us leave. His expression was tense, and there was something unreadable in his eyes.

After we left the execution grounds, exhaustion hit me hard. My head started bobbing as I tried to fight off my sleepiness.

"Get some rest," the man said gently. "I'll wake you when we get there."

For some reason, I didn't feel uneasy around this stranger at all. My gut told me he wouldn't hurt me.

With that comforting thought, I drifted off to sleep.

In my dreams, scenes from my past life flashed by—being torn apart in the Beast Den, Dusty dying in my arms…

"No!" I woke with a start, drenched in sweat.

The man came through the door and rushed to my side, holding me close and patting my back gently.

"It's okay. I'm here."

As my breathing slowed, I turned to look him in the eyes. "Who are you, really?"

"You seriously don't recognize me, Master?"

He looked so pitiful, nothing like the powerful figure who saved me earlier.

Wait, did he just call me Master? And… was that a fox tail?

Could it be…

"Dusty? Is it you?"