Mind and eyes were deeply connected. To be more precise, the eyes never truly saw anything by themselves — they were only a medium that sent signals to the mind, and it was the mind that actually saw and understood the world.
Scarlett's situation was quite similar. Her eyes were not ordinary — they were godlike eyes that could see through time and space itself. Because of that, her mind also functioned beyond normal limits. Even when time stopped, her mind continued to think and see everything clearly, while the rest of the world stood still.
But when she wore her purple blindfold — the Seal from Hell — everything changed. The blindfold sealed the overwhelming power of her eyes, restricting her from seeing through time and space. If someone stopped time while she had it on, she wouldn't even know. Time could stop and resume again, and she would remain completely unaware.
That was why, when Vesilisa had first stopped time during their game, Scarlett only felt something strange — just a hunch. But the second time, when her blindfold was off, she realized what had really happened. She noticed the stillness, the silence, and how everything around her had frozen. Thankfully, she had enough control to keep her pupils from moving and alerting Vesilisa or Arthur that she was even partially awake during that moment.
Even so, the limits were clear — she could think and move her eyes, but she couldn't move her body at all.
Scarlett sighed deeply and rubbed her temples, feeling a dull ache in her head. "Now I understand why breaking through time and space is so important," she muttered quietly. A faint regret grew inside her heart. She shouldn't have taken Avion and Lilith's advice so lightly when they told her to master that ability earlier.
With a small sigh, she stood up and placed the purple blindfold over her eyes again. The moment she did, a wave of anxiety filled her chest. What if Vesilisa stopped time again? She wouldn't even know it was happening.
Her fingers clenched slightly at her sides. "I have to learn to control my eyes as soon as possible," she whispered to herself. The determination in her voice was clear now. She promised that she would work harder — harder than ever before.
While she was lost in her thoughts, Aoto, who was sitting beside her, looked at her curiously. He leaned closer with a small grin. "Why the gloomy face? It's my sword, not yours."
Scarlett turned her head toward him and smirked. "Is that so? Then why is your face red and your cheeks puffed up like a balloon?"
Aoto's shoulders dropped, and he looked like he was about to cry. "I finally got a legendary sword that suited me perfectly! But now it's going to be taken away too! I'm the hero, damn it!"
Scarlett chuckled softly, crossing her arms. "Hero, huh? Even I'm surprised that you're one."
Aoto's lips twitched as he gave her a helpless look. "At least show me some fake sympathy! My luck's been terrible lately… I just hope nothing happens to my future harem plans!"
Scarlett was about to smack Aoto on the head for his silly remark when her sharp senses suddenly tingled. Someone familiar was approaching. she immediately realised Victoria Cecilia walking gracefully toward them.
Victoria moved like royalty — calm, confident, and elegant, every step showing her authority. Without saying a word, she sat down in front of Scarlett and Aoto, her silver hair glimmering softly under the golden lights of the banquet hall. Just as she opened her mouth to speak, another voice interrupted them.
"Wanna come for a dance?" Ingrassia said playfully, extending her hand toward Aoto with a bright smile.
Aoto blinked for a moment, caught off guard, but then smiled and stood up. He gave a small polite bow toward both Victoria and Scarlett. "Pardon me," he said, trying to sound gentlemanly before leaving with Ingrassia for a round dance.
Scarlett watched them go, shaking her head lightly, while Victoria stayed silent for a moment. Then, with a graceful motion, Victoria poured herself a glass of red wine and handed another glass toward Scarlett.
Scarlett raised her hand immediately. "No, I don't drink," she said politely.
Victoria looked at her curiously and smiled. "Hmm… that's quite a surprise. You're missing out on one of life's finer joys," she said softly before taking a slow sip from her glass. The rich scent of the wine mixed with the sweet fragrance of flowers around them.
Victoria leaned back slightly. "Are you and your companions enjoying the party? I hope no one has been rude to you."
The question caught Scarlett off guard. For a moment, she was speechless, not expecting such warmth from someone with such a strict reputation. She quickly shook her head. "No, everything was great. Honestly, it was hard to believe," she admitted, her tone softer than before.
Victoria smiled gently and took another sip. "That's good to hear. As a beastkin myself, I know how difficult it can be to blend in with humans. I've faced plenty of harassment and discrimination in the past."
Her voice was calm, but there was a faint heaviness behind her words. It wasn't an act — Scarlett could feel the sincerity.
Scarlett blinked in surprise. "Why is this dictator actually being nice?" she thought, trying to make sense of it. It felt strange — everything was the opposite of what she had imagined. But after a moment of silence, she understood. Victoria was likely showing friendliness because she was also a non-human who had suffered discriminations in a similar way.
Scarlett leaned forward a little. "I'm actually impressed you managed to become the queen of a human kingdom," she said, her tone filled with both respect and curiosity. "That must've taken a lot of hard work."
Victoria chuckled softly, her eyes showing a faint glimmer of sadness. "Hard work? Maybe. My beginning wasn't pretty. My mother was a slave the king bought for his pleasure. Later, he made her one of his concubines, and that's how I was born. I faced discrimination since I was a child, but my mother was the king's favorite, so she could protect me for a while. Still, when she took her own life later… things got much harder."
Her voice lowered near the end, and she looked down at her glass, swirling the wine gently.
Scarlett's lips twitched slightly. "Why is she telling me her life story? I didn't even ask for it," she thought awkwardly, though she remained quiet and listened.
After a pause, Victoria's expression changed. A sly grin spread across her face as she lifted her gaze again. "But you know," she said, her tone suddenly brighter, "I'm nothing like my mother. I'm completely different, In every aspect you can imagine. Thankfully I got an unique skill — Winner. Everything I do somehow ends in success."
Scarlett's eyes widened slightly. "Winner? So that's her secret?" she thought in shock. "To rise from being a slave's daughter to a queen… she must have mastered that skill completely."
She remembered Lilith's words clearly — that if a unique skill was fully mastered, its power could become overwhelming. Even an offensive-type skill could destroy planets in seconds. If that was true, then Victoria's mastery of her luck and fate was no small thing.
"No wonder she's so confident about everything," Scarlett thought with a faint hint of admiration.
Still, she couldn't help but tease slightly. "Wouldn't telling all this to a stranger you just met be dangerous?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
Victoria smiled mysteriously and set her glass down. "Who knows? Maybe this will bring me even better results," she said in a teasing tone, her eyes glinting with amusement.
Then she extended her hand gracefully toward Scarlett. "Wanna go for a dance?"
Scarlett nodded lightly and took Victoria's hand. The two walked together through the crowd, drawing attention wherever they went. The soft golden lights reflected off their hair — one silver, one purple— making them look like a perfect contrast. When they reached the dance floor, the music changed to a gentle rhythm, slow and elegant. Couples moved gracefully, and Scarlett followed Victoria's lead.
They began to dance. Their steps were smooth, their movements synchronized with the melody that flowed through the hall. Scarlett could feel the warmth of Victoria's hand and the faint scent of wine lingering around her. For a moment, she found herself quietly enjoying it.
Then, as she moved closer, Scarlett noticed something. Victoria was just as tall as her — maybe even a little taller. When Scarlett glanced down, she realized Victoria wasn't wearing high heels like she was. That meant Victoria's real height was slightly above hers.
"Beastkins does have above average height," Scarlett thought.
When the music slowed and finally ended, Victoria bowed slightly with a charming smile. "That was a good dance. I have some other things to do for now," she said softly.
Scarlett nodded back politely and watched her walk away, her silver hair swaying gracefully with each step.
Looking around, Scarlett noticed Xao, Seiira, Reiza, and Lunatic standing off to the side. Their expressions were different, but Lunatic and Reiza especially looked jealous — their eyes narrowed slightly, lips pouting as if they were silently protesting.
Scarlett chuckled faintly, shaking her head. Then she noticed Xao giving her a certain look — a clear hint. Scarlett immediately understood and stood up, heading toward them.
She first took Reiza's hand for a dance. Reiza was taller, and it made things a bit tricky, but they managed to move in rhythm. Scarlett smiled as she saw Reiza's flustered expression — her face turning pink whenever their eyes met.
Next, she danced with Lunatic. To her surprise, Lunatic moved with perfect grace. Every step she took was smooth and precise, as if dancing was something she was born to do. Scarlett couldn't help but admire her.
After that came Seiira and Xao. Seiira was shy at first, refusing and stammering, but Scarlett gently insisted until she gave in. Her hands trembled slightly when Scarlett took them, but by the end of the dance, a small smile appeared on her lips. Xao, as always, danced confidently and even laughed when Scarlett accidentally stepped on her toe once.
They all began to switch partners — sometimes Reiza danced with Xao, sometimes Lunatic with Seiira, and even with other guests who gathered courage to ask. The floor was filled with whispers and soft music.
Scarlett eventually sat back down, tired but content. She picked up a glass of fruit juice and took a slow sip, her gaze wandering around the hall. Many guests still glanced her way, but no one dared to approch.
"Well, as long as it's just dancing, I don't really mind," she thought. "Whether it's a man or a woman, it's all the same. Though, honestly, it's better this way — at least no one's bothering me."
The music slowly faded, and the atmosphere shifted. Scarlett could tell the banquet was coming to an end. She was already thinking about going back to DreadHaven, throwing herself into bed, and sleeping peacefully.
Just then, the sound of a microphone like voice being tapped echoed through the hall. Queen Victoria had stepped onto the stage again. She looked radiant under the lights — silver hair glowing faintly, her juicy lips curling into a confident smile.
"Ahem! I hope you all enjoyed the party," Victoria began, her voice clear and elegant. "I won't talk about how the dishes were made by master chefs or how the drinks came from the Kingdom of Mystveil."
Scarlett blinked and frowned slightly. "But you just did," she muttered under her breath, lips twitching in mild annoyance.
Victoria continued without pause. "The only thing that remains is the other main reason I organized this party — my marriage."
Her tone suddenly changed, becoming strange, almost playful. A weird smile spread across her face. The room fell quiet.
"You know," she began softly, "my mother hated being a slave. Every morning, when she saw the slave collar on her neck, she wanted to cut her throat. She always asked herself why she wasn't lucky enough to be born human… or rich."
Murmurs began to spread through the guests. A strange, unsettling feeling filled the air. Scarlett frowned, her instincts warning her that something was definitely off.
Then Victoria's soft smile twisted into something else — wild and almost mad. Her cheeks flushed pink, and she reached into her gown, pulling out — a slave collar, with a long chained leash attached.
"But I'm different!" Victoria shouted suddenly, her voice echoing through the silent hall. "I believe beasts are at their cutest when they're tamed! When they're treated as property — when they obey and submit!"
And then, to everyone's shock, she lifted the collar and fastened it around her own neck.
"That's why…" she continued, her voice full of twisted excitement, "whoever defeats me will get to hold this leash — and become my owner!"
"Pffttt!" Scarlett, who had been quietly sipping her juice, choked and spat it all out in one go.
"What the fuck?!" she blurted, coughing and wiping her mouth, staring at Victoria like she had just lost her mind.