That night, a shady figure crept into the manor through the back door once again. This time, the figure was carrying a heavy-looking bag.

“That’s a lot of money,” Astoria whispered, closing the door behind Sam.

“It’s what we need.”

They slowly went upstairs to Henry’s room.

Astoria had mixed some sleeping pills into Henry’s food to make sure he would not wake up easily. They hid the money bag in his room and took his treasury room badge. Astoria also took Henry’s dagger.

The duo arrived in the tunnels again.

Sam took out several objects from his pockets. First, he took out two masks. He gave one to Astoria before putting one on himself.

Then, he took out a round stone. It was a rank one artifact that he had spent a lot of money to buy. Stored within the stone was a colourless, odourless, but intoxicating gas. 

Sam poured some mana into the artifact making it glow gently, before throwing it forwards. The stone seemed to melt and disappear into the air, but they knew that the gas had been released into the air.

They weren’t sure if it would be strong enough to affect two steel body martial artists. The seller had guaranteed them that it would, but obviously, they couldn’t take his word for it. So, they originally bought one for Sam to try out on himself.

The gas had knocked him out in a few seconds. After Astoria woke him up, the duo thought that even if the gas didn’t have as much of an effect on perfect-stage steel body martial artists, it should at least be able to dull their senses and their minds.

At least, they hoped that it would. It was a gamble, but they had no other choice. So, they bought another one and came here.

They waited for five minutes for the gas to be fully released. There was no change from the guards, but they couldn’t wait any longer.

Astoria looked at Sam and they nodded at each other. Sam stayed back and Astoria approached on her own, wearing a hooded cloak.

“Who goes there!?” asked the twin blades as they saw her approach.

They were feeling slightly drowsy as if they had just woken up and weren’t able to see or think clearly. Due to the dim lighting, they could not see the face of the visitor very well as well.

However, the person handed them a badge.

It took a few seconds, but the guards managed to identify the badge and relaxed.

“Oh, it’s just young master Henry, please feel free to enter,” they said, returning the badge to Astoria, not thinking much of it.

She nodded and went into the treasury.

Finally, she was here!

Ten minutes later.

“What are you saying?” the headmistress asked.

“The suspicious man that Miss Olivia was meeting, I have been following him for a while and trying to discover his identity, but he has always been slippery. However, I saw him enter the mansion now. Someone opened the door and let him in!”

“What? You’re telling me that that man is here?” the headmistress gasped.

“Yes!”

There was no doubt about it, he must have been the same intruder as before, and that someone who let him in, she had a very good idea of who that person was.

The headmistress immediately left.

I must stop them!

After Astoria entered, she began searching. The treasury wasn’t large, but it took a while to search through the many boxes and items.

She couldn’t find the pill recipe anywhere!

Astoria frantically looked around, before spotting one last, medium-sized, luxurious-looking box, placed in the corner of a shelf. It was locked and a key was placed on top.

She opened the box to see its contents.

A grand-looking scroll was placed inside. She took the scroll out and opened it.

It really was the Zenith pill recipe! She finally got what she came for!

Deciding to leave, she pocketed that box and a few other valuable items on her way back.

Once she left the treasury, she nodded at the guards and kept her head low as she left.

“Do you feel that the young master was acting strange just now?” Georgina asked George, as she slowly recovered from her drowsiness.

“Nah, you’re just imagining things,” he replied, and they both dismissed the weird feeling.

Astoria inwardly laughed as she quickly met up with Sam.

The duo walked back towards the exit, but they had to stop halfway.

“I would love to hear you explain yourself out of this one!” the headmistress said coldly.

It was undeniable now. She had caught them red-handed. Master Henry had to believe her now.

It’s this old hag again.

“Headmistress please, just listen to me,” said Astoria, stepping forward.

“I am listening, and soon, so will master Henry and lord Byron. And then the entire village will hear you both scream as you are publicly executed for your treachery!” she said coldly.

Astoria stepped forward again, “It doesn’t have to get to that, headmistress.”

“Of course it does!” she exclaimed.

Astoria went closer once more.

“Let me rephrase then. It won’t get to that, headmistress.”

The headmistress was getting a bad feeling now.

“What do you mean by that? Wait stay back! Stop getting so close!” she exclaimed, retreating backwards.

But Astoria stepped even closer.

“What I mean is this,” she said, reaching into her pocket.

“I will not allow that to happen!”

The headmistress’ eyes widened upon hearing that reply, and before she could react, Astoria was right in front of her and she felt a sharp pain in her chest.

The headmistress looked down in horror at a dagger stabbing into her chest, held in the smiling hands of a young girl.

The headmistress was already old, so she could not survive such an injury. Astoria removed the dagger and the headmistress collapsed onto the floor, in a pool of her own blood, splashing some blood all over Astoria’s clothes.

Sam was stunned.

Before he could figure out an escape plan, the headmistress was already dead.

He had never met such a ruthless person before!

“Let’s go!” Astoria exclaimed before running towards the exit again.

However, just as they were about to leave, they were stopped once again. This time, by a strange man wrapped in dark clothes, looking like a ninja.

The headmistress’ dog has delivered itself to my feet.

The man was startled to see Astoria and Sam. He was sure that the headmistress went this way, but she was nowhere to be seen.

‘Then that must mean…’

He looked at the duo and noticed the blood on the girl’s hands and clothes. The spy had a moment of realisation and immediately turned around and fled.

He was just a spy! He wasn’t even a martial artist.

Astoria already guessed that would be the case.

Martial artists were fighters, not spies and even if they were, hiring them would be too expensive for a headmistress. He was just an ordinary human who had the skills of a spy. So, he could not defeat these two, or rather, he could not defeat Sam.

“Stop him!” Astoria yelled.

Sam obeyed, drawing his sword and chasing after him.

There was no comparison between a martial artist and a non-martial artist. Sam caught up within a second and plunged his sword directly into the spy’s chest. The spy coughed out blood, and then Sam removed the sword, causing him to collapse onto the floor, dead.

“Well done, now let’s go!” Astoria exclaimed.

The duo finally exited the tunnels and reached the mansion gate. Astoria gave Sam the Zenith pill recipe that she stole from the treasury.

“Be careful!” she said to Sam.

“You too!” he replied before leaving.

After seeing him off, Astoria closed the door and headed back into the mansion.

In Henry’s room, Astoria carefully replaced the badge into his pocket.

She washed the dagger but made sure to leave some bloody stains on it. Then, she sheathed and returned it to Henry’s side.

Afterwards, she took out the money bag she had hidden previously and dragged it into the centre of the room. She hid the remaining treasures she stole in the money bag. Completing that, she spent some time packing away Henry’s things, and then changed out of her bloody clothes into clean ones and hid the bloody clothes in a corner.

Finally, she took a deep breath and approached Henry.

Henry was dreaming about his life with Astoria. He was living in a small house with a huge outdoor field. His wife, Astoria, was standing next to him, laying her head on his shoulder, as they both watched their children playing in their field through the windows.

Suddenly, Astoria looked towards him.

“Master Henry! Master Henry! Wake up!”

Huh?

“Wake up, Master Henry, wake up!”

Henry awoke in a panic, stupefied.

“Olivia? What are you doing in my room this late? Did something happen?”

Astoria stopped and looked towards her feet shyly.

“I was thinking about what master said earlier…”

Henry immediately realised what she was talking about and focused all his attention on her.

“And…?”

“Okay.”

That was her response.

“You are… okay with marrying me?” Henry asked again, unable to believe what he was hearing.

Astoria just shyly nodded, looking at the floor. Then she became determined and looked into his eyes.

“I already have a plan that we can use to run away if master is interested.”

“What is it?” Henry asked seriously.

Astoria stepped sideways, revealing a bag behind her.

“Master, I spoke to everyone I knew and collected as much money as I could. I combined it with all the money I had saved up and this is what I got. With this, we can surely start a new life in some place far away!” she said excitedly.

Henry gasped in surprise. The bag came up to his knee and was equally as wide.

There was a small fortune in there!

“How did you get so much money?” he asked surprised.

“I’ll explain everything later master. But first, you need to leave. Take this money and go to the eastern gate of the village. You will see an old, abandoned building. Stay there and wait for me. The security is more relaxed in that area. I will meet you and we can run away!”

“Why can you not come with me now?”

“I… I still have some unfinished business,” she said vaguely, looking at the floor again.

Henry didn’t want to press her anymore.

“Okay I just need to pack my things and then I’ll leave.”

“Already done master!” she said, pointing to a small suitcase. “I have also arranged for your horse to be waiting outside the mansion gates. You can leave immediately!”

“Wow, you really thought this through Olivia, I’m impressed!” Henry replied.

I have thought and planned much more than you can imagine! Astoria laughed internally.

“It’s the least I could do…” Astoria replied shyly again.

Henry approached and hugged her. She was taken by surprise.

“I am so happy right now Olivia,” he spoke softly. “You made the right decision. I promise I will take care of you.”

Saying so, he kissed her on the cheek. Astoria was frozen as she watched Henry take the bags.

“Meet me as soon as you can,” he said before closing the door behind him.

Astoria watched him leave.

This guy… he actually loves me.

She knew she had zero feelings for Henry. In fact, she found his arrogance and short temper annoying. Beyond that, what he did to Sam’s girlfriend Nala, and the way he tortured Sam, made her hate him.

Yet… despite all his faults, he always did treat her well. Sure, it might have been because he had a crush on her from the start, but still, he was good to her. And to hurt someone who was always good to you, who loved you, was not easy.  

‘Am I doing the right thing?’ she asked herself.

‘No! I have come too far! I cannot be weak anymore!’ Astoria steeled her resolve. ‘I must do what needs to be done. For me, and my family. Who is he anyway? Just a dumb, fat, idiot.’

Astoria quickly regained her composure and then sat on the bed. She waited around half an hour. Then, she changed back into her bloody clothes and left.

She went directly to Byron’s room and knocked heavily.

“LORD BYRON! PLEASE WAKE UP!”

Byron was a martial artist who had cultivated the undying body too. So, he had a keen sense of hearing. He woke up from his sleep confused but recognised the urgency in her voice and ran to open the door.

“What’s wrong? What happ-” he stopped in shock mid-sentence when he saw her bloody clothes. “What the hell happened?”

“Lord Byron, you’ll never believe me, but I have to tell you the truth. Your son, Master Henry, stole from the village treasury, killed the headmistress, and ran away!”