Chapter 303: The Golden Veil
When the door burst open, a swarm of guards flooded the bathroom, their bodies on high alert and their bright red eyes scanning every corner. But the sight that met them was one of pure bewilderment.
There was not a single soul present in the bathroom.
They were shocked because they had clearly heard noises earlier while stationed outside under the strict orders of the lady of the house.
And that was not all.
The door was latched from the inside, which clearly meant that someone must have been there to lock it. Then how was it empty?
"Check the windows! See if there is any sign of anyone escaping!" one of the guards barked, his gaze still fixed on the impossible emptiness of the room. There was nowhere for a person to hide in the open space, yet he scanned every shadow, half-expecting someone to be using the darkness to their advantage.
"The windows are locked from the inside, Sir," another guard reported, double-checking the latches. They stood in the center of the room, completely bewildered. The math didn’t add up; the sounds, the locked door, the sealed windows....it made no sense.
Regardless, the lead guard deemed it necessary to report this anomaly to the Master of the house. After one final, fruitless sweep of the room, his men turned to leave, still haunted by the silence of a room that should have been occupied.
The head guard stood in the center of the room, his mind racing as he wondered how a person could escape with every window locked and the door bolted from within.
Just then, a younger guard spoke up, his voice quivering slightly. "S-sir, if I may?"
"Go on," the head guard prompted, his tone impatient.
"I’ve heard the estate is haunted, sir. There have been reports from the maids for some time now claiming that they’ve felt shadows lurking within these walls."
"What are you barking about? That’s ridiculous!" the head guard snapped.
"N-no, sir. Even I experienced it just the other night. I saw shadows moving near the Master’s bedroom. It felt so cold, so....dark. It was as if the very life were being drained out of the hallway."
The head guard suddenly grabbed the man’s collar, hissing in a low, threatening voice, "Don’t let your delusions infect the others! If I hear a single rumor regarding this, you’ll regret the day the Master finds out. Shut your mouth and do exactly as you’re told. Do you understand?"
"Y-yes, sir," the man stammered, shuddering in fright.
"Let’s move. Strengthen the perimeter everywhere. Report any suspicious activity to me immediately. In the meantime, I’ll go and report this....anomaly to the Master."
With that, they filed out of the room and locked it from the outside.
Once the bathroom fell silent again, a slight shimmer of golden specks illuminated the space near the counter. Suddenly, a thin veil of gold light collapsed, revealing the entangled couple still standing exactly where they had been.
Ivan held his arms protectively around Evelyn. One arm was draped over her breasts, while the other held the fabric of her gown to shield her as much as possible. He remained buried deep inside her, his expression mirroring her own shock at the narrow escape they had just shared.
When the guards were on the verge of bursting through the doors, Ivan had been ready to teleport them both away. But before he could act, Evelyn began to glow with a soft light. A thin sheet of gold swept over them, veiling them completely.
He hadn’t had the chance to question her yet; his only instinct had been to shield her body from prying eyes as best he could.
But as he watched the guards stare right through them, reacting as though the room were entirely vacant, he was struck with disbelief. Standing directly in their line of sight, he realized the truth: Eve had somehow managed to make them completely invisible.
How? How was she able to do that? Could she do it before, or was this something she had only just discovered?
So many questions swirled through his mind, but he kept his lips sealed, uncertain of just how much this power concealed them. He could not be sure whether speaking now would allow anyone nearby to hear them, so he remained still, keeping his arms around her as securely as possible, shielding her just in case they could see her in such a state. It was something he would never allow.
And if, by some unfortunate chance, it did happen, then he knew he would have no choice but to slaughter every last one of them.
Meeting her gaze through the mirror, he finally whispered, "How did you do that?"
Eve met his eyes and simply shrugged. "I’m not entirely sure. It was just....instinctive."
Ivan’s eyes narrowed. "So you’re telling me you didn’t know you could render us invisible? What if they had seen you like this?" The question came out harsh, laced with the possessive fury of a man who would have razed the castle to the ground if another man had laid eyes on her in such a state.
Eve remained quiet for a moment, pursing her lips. "There wasn’t enough time for you to teleport us," she replied softly. "They might have seen the fire of your magic raging in the air. I just knew I couldn’t let them discover your secret, so I acted on impulse....and before I knew it, I was following my instincts."
Ivan gave her an incredulous look before cupping her jaw softly and turning her face toward him. "I would rather they discover my hidden power than the possibility of seeing you in such a state."
His voice dropped to a low, dangerous whisper. "They should thank their lucky stars that your powers saved them today. Else they would have faced a brutal death had things gone otherwise." His eyes flashed molten orange, and Eve felt it in her bones that they had just narrowly avoided a mass slaughter.
Releasing a soft breath, she lifted her hand to caress the cheek of her impossible man. "But nothing happened, my love. Please, don’t work yourself up anymore, alright?"
Ivan closed his eyes and took a deep breath, focusing on her calming touch. When he opened them again, they had returned to their usual calm. He leaned in to capture her lips once more, and Eve returned his kiss.
Pulling away, she whispered, "Um....Ivan, we need to go now. Remember what that guard said about a dark presence and that guest Silas went to meet. I feel like something is wrong."
"Hm," came his patent response, though he made no effort to move.
Instead, he continued tracing her delectable features with his eyes before lowering his head to the crook of her neck. He inhaled her scent deeply, then pressed a trail of warm kisses against her skin.
Eve sighed at his loving touch, but she knew they had to stop now; otherwise, they wouldn’t be leaving anytime soon. Mustering all her willpower to resist the gorgeous devil behind her, she threaded her fingers through his hair and gripped it firmly to pull his head up.
As he looked at her, she said, "Ivan....not now. We really need to go before people start questioning our disappearance from the ball."
When he opened his mouth to protest, she cut him off. "I will sleep in Cece’s room tonight if you don’t listen."
"There is no way in hell I’m letting that happen," he scowled, responding immediately.
"Then you need to move now and help me fix my appearance," she said, blushing at the embarrassing position they were still in.
Ivan smirked, finding her reaction adorable.
He couldn’t resist teasing her further. "What? You want me to move my co-"
Before he could finish the sentence, she slapped her hand over his lips, preventing him from uttering another shameless word.
"Ivan!" she warned, and he couldn’t help but chuckle quietly against her palm.
"Fine," he finally conceded, pulling out of her.
He grabbed a towel, dampening it to clean them both before carefully helping her pull her exquisite gown back into place.
Within minutes, she looked as she had before, as if they hadn’t just shared one of their wildest sex to date. The only thing out of place was her hair.
Since Ivan couldn’t recreate her complex hairstyle, he simply combed through the strands with his fingers, leaving her locks flowing. He had always preferred her hair loose, and to his eyes, it only made her more beautiful.
Throughout the process, they didn’t speak, quietly working together to ensure their appearance was once again impeccable.
Once ready to leave, he finally teleported them to the top of the estate roof, choosing the spot carefully so as not to risk revealing Ivan’s power of teleportation.
The moment the cool night wind brushed against their faces, Ivan’s head snapped sharply in one direction, where he spotted a tall, shadowy figure standing not too far from them.
