The Source of All Evil

Chapter Twenty-Three

Michaela Walker.

“What is this?”

“What is this?! The real question should be, how did it appear in my hand?!”

Michaela wasn’t stupid. She figured that, somehow, some hidden powers got triggered inside her, which was disconcerting. She couldn’t accept it nor believe it. She knew she wasn’t responsible enough to have supernatural powers. She wasn’t a calm nor a composed person, one wrong word could rile her up, and she feared the worst outcome from having powers.

“My sister had promising powers, which is why most people respected her and wanted her to be the crowned princess, to take over after father. And when she gave up her spiritual core for me, the people got disappointed but mostly angered towards me for causing that. . . They thought father and I used Michaela to take her powers, which would deem her unworthy for the crown.”

“Well, that’s just stupid.” Michaela didn’t even look up, still glowering at the small vial in her hand. “Your sister cared about you, and I believe she saw the potential in you, which is why she gave up her spiritual core.”

“I know,” the Princess said after a while, grimacing as she continued. “Do you think it’s the Moonflower tear?”

Michaela, who thought the same thing, couldn’t confirm nor deny it, saying. “That woman asked me to give it to your father, who will know what to do next.”

“Do you really believe she was the Cursed queen?”

Before Michaela could answer, someone again knocked on the door. She believed it was the maid, back to say some stupid things her Master ordered.

“Go away! I’m sleeping!” She yelled, and the Princess must’ve gotten used to her peculiar behavior, chuckled under her breath. But instead of leaving, the person behind the door slowly opened it, walking in.

It was the expressionless man she saw at the main door, the one who greeted the Evil Master once they arrived. Michaela quickly hid the vial in her shorts’ pocket, sitting up and staring at the intruder.

“Don’t you think it’s impolite to disturb people at this hour?”

The man didn’t show any reaction, saying in a monotonous tone of voice. “Not as impolite as your manner of speech.”

Princess Nirvana shrank in her seat when Michaela glared at her for laughing before shifting her glare at the rude man. “Look at the kettle calling the pot black,”

The man just quirked an eyebrow at her, pulling out a scroll, saying. “Following the orders of His Excellency, an auspicious day has been chosen for your wedding. His Excellency has put me in charge of teaching Princess Michaela Goliath the royal etiquette starting tomorrow. After which you’ll join the Emperor's harem and serve his Excellency as his Empress. . .”

“Hold on, hold on.” Michaela, whose mouth hang open while listening to this man, found it unbelievable that Rafe, or rather, the Evil Master, was really considering forcing her to be his Empress. Incredulously, she said. “Whose wedding?”

“Yours,”

“With whom?”

“With His Excellency.”

“He’s marrying whom?”

The man heaved a sigh and must’ve figured out that she was in shock. “Princess Michaela, it’s your wedding with His Excellency. The auspicious day will be in a month from today, on Enlightenment Day.”

“Dude, are you shitting me?!”

The man frowned, giving her a once-over, saying. “I don’t think it’s appropriate for this subject to defecate on you, Your Highness.”

“It’s a figure of speech,” She rolled her eyes at this smartass. “Is that bastard too afraid to tell me all of this to my face?!”

“Princess Michaela,” the man dramatically sighed, folding the scroll. With his hands behind his back, straightened his posture, he went on. “Starting tomorrow, cussing, cynical behavior, and ‘figure of speech’ are forbidden. Under the order of His Excellency, I’m allowed to act as I see fit to carry out the punishment. Therefore, use this time to exhaust all the atrocious vocabulary you picked up from the street, as you’ll never use it again. . .”

While he was talking, Michaela was walking his way, beaming at him. Her smile seemed to have unnerved him, as he finally showed an expression other than the indifferent look he had on when she got here. Noticing his alarmed expression, her smile deepened, standing in front of him, mimicking his poised stance.

She cleared her throat, taking a deep breath, saying. “You fricking take that f*****g scroll to your d**k sucking Master and tell him to shove it where the sun never shines-which is his butthole. Again, it’s a figure of speech. And while you at it, why don’t you go outside and f**k yourself.”

“Shhh. . .” She placed her finger on his lips when he opened his mouth to speak, fighting a frown when they felt colder than the norm, showing a kind smile. “Just to save you the trouble, the whole time you were talking, I was thinking about a method to skin people alive without wasting their blood. Oh! You thought I gave a f**k?!”

She tutted when he clenched his jaw, moving his face away from her finger. “Insolent,” he mumbled under his breath, fixing her with a glare as he turned around to leave.

“So is your face!” She yelled as he slammed the door shut.

Michaela giggled at this small victory, turning around, and for a moment there, she expected to see Kirsten, her best friend. She expected she’d be looking at her with vibrant eyes, smiling proudly at what she said. However, the person with her in the room had a fearful glare on; her face paler than the usual, gnawing on her lower lip.

“What? Don’t tell me you’re scared of that monkey and his Master?”

“I-I’m concerned for you. If the Evil Master learns about this and. . . you touching another man, he’ll get angry.”

Ignoring what she said about the Evil Master getting angry, Michaela chuckled heartily as she asked. “You call what I did touching?! Oh, dear, don’t tell me you’ve never even held hands with a guy before?!”

Princess Nirvana scowled, huffing as she said. “Of course, I did. . . But only with Hosuh. Women aren’t supposed to be with another man in the same room alone, unless if it’s their husband, father, or sibling. Women aren’t supposed to meet men’s eyes when talking, nor touch them unless in the presence of their husband, father, or sibling. . .”

“You got to be fricking kidding me, right? And you’re okay with this?! How are women beneath men, allowing them to doll you up like a fricking Russian doll, wearing heavy dresses, eating, sleeping, talking, and I wouldn’t be surprised if shitting also only when you’re told? Honey, where I came from, women can do whatever the f**k they want.”

Princess Nirvana just stared at her with a complicated look, and Michaela continued. “Like look at this fricking clown. Not only did he make me fricking believe a story he made up, and I actually started to like him, allowing him to kiss me even, only to find out that he’s a sociopathic prick. . .Even now, you heard his little monkey. He said I’ll join the emperor's harem. Harem?! Is he for real?! Like hell, I would join a bunch of weak-ass, insecure, and submissive women and fight over a playboy!”

She chuckled bitterly, ignoring the pang in her heart. “For someone who is obsessed with your sister, he sure loves to collect women to warm his bed.”

“It’s normal for an Emperor to have many concubines, but only one Empress, to bear a male heir in order to ensure the continuation of his dynasty.”

Michaela gave her a look, in disbelief that this girl wasn’t negating this absurdity. “So, if Hosuh decides to. . .”

“No, Hosuh wouldn’t! He’s mine!” Princess Nirvana’s eyes widened, slapping a hand on her mouth. "I mean, he promised I’d be his only wife.”

Michaela’s lips hooked upward, feeling as if the princess and Kirsten were the same person, the former started to grow on her.

“In the morning, we’ll leave this place and go to your kingdom.”

“You think he’ll allow you to leave?”

“Here you go, saying it again as if he can stop me. Believe it or not, I got held against my will by the Celestial Master before, and I successfully escaped.” She left out the part when Rafe showed up and saved her from falling on her face after her escape route failed.

“The Celestial Master?!”

Michaela sighed,” yeah, that’s another story. Though you said this Evil Master is obsessed with your sister, the other is far worse! He had creepy paintings of me all over his palace.” She unconsciously shivered at recalling that, adding. “He also said I’m his queen and sent me one of his subjects to force me into a dress. God, I don’t know what’s wrong with these men and seeing women in dresses. That got to be unhealthy!”

“Well, if you got to choose, the Celestial Master is gentler and kind. I heard he’s handsome, too.”

“Why do I have to choose? If I had a choice, I’ll get the heck out of here, back to my world!”

The door suddenly opened, startling them both, and Rafe walked in. His cold glare instantly found her, fixated her way.

“Princess Nirvana, I’d like to ask you to follow Cynthia to your room. I’ve arranged for someone to take you back safely to Crystfire tomorrow morning.”

Michaela got surprised that the princess didn’t move, shifting closer to her on the bed in a silent stand. “Well, thank you for arranging our ride to leave this. . . this place.”

“You, well, are not leaving anywhere. You’re staying here.”

Michaela stood up, smirking as she crossed her arms on her chest, saying in provoking manner. “I would love to see you try.”

Rafe apathetically nodded at the woman beside him, dressed as if she were heading to some fancy party. She figured she wasn’t a maid, and by the looks of it, she must be one of his collection of wives. The woman swayed her hips as she walked inside the room towards the princess. Michaela stood in her way, her smile faltering, morphing into a frown. “You touch her, and I swear on my mother, I’ll shave your pubic hair with a pair of tweezers!”

The woman hesitated a bit but didn’t hide the fury and jealousy she felt inside her, shooting her a condescending glare. She glanced back at the Evil Master, who again nodded. A derisive smirk appeared on her painted lips.

A loud smack echoed in the room, and Michaela doubled back in shock, placing her hand on her throbbing cheek. The woman held her head high, her smirk widening, nodding to herself in gratification.

Michaela gulped the bile down her throat, shifting her glare at the haughty, indifferent man that stood there, watching in anticipation. Though when she first met him, he acted in a similar fashion, yet she could detect kindness beneath that cold facade. But now, as if she were in the presence of a different man, Michaela felt coldness seep into her heart.

Her eyes darted towards the woman, leering at her as she cracked her neck. “Oh, b***h, you didn’t.”

She slapped the woman just as hard, and the other yelped, rubbing her red cheek. Michaela, of course, wasn’t satisfied, lifting her hand higher as she slapped her again and again until the woman bellowed in high pitch voice for the Evil Master to intervene. And when he took one step forward, Michaela turned her anger towards him, picking up the closest things her hands could reach, throwing them at him while yelling profanities.