CHAPTER 227: NO

"No! She is not my daughter! I refuse to have a dark witch as a daughter!" Councilman ALdren shouted but by the time he said those words, Lance had already walked out of the room without looking back.

Councilman Evan Aldren stood up slowly, his hands clenched tightly at his sides, his eyes blazing with anger.

His Majesty could force him to bow his head, but that did not mean he would surrender his soul or abandon everything he had been raised to believe.

Every member of his bloodline had been born with only one intent - kill the dark witches and protect the world from their return. He would not let a single evil witch survive, even if it meant killing his own fated mate or his own children. He had not walked away from his mission twenty years ago and he would not go away now.

He would not let his ancestors down, and he would not break the vow that had been passed down for generations.

If the Crown Prince was truly under the influence of dark magic, and he was very sure he was, then the danger was far greater than anyone wanted to admit. And if that was the case, then he knew exactly where he needed to go next - to the one person who could control him before the magic dragged him deeper.

His thoughts were clear. He needed to act, and he needed to do it now. He walked out of the palace, crossed the grounds, and headed straight for the house he had in mind.

Those people really were fools. He was the one who had spent the last many years alone, without any civilization and only among animals but the ones who had been living in packs seem to have lost their senses and needed to have their heads knocked together.

The road was familiar. He had come here before, many years ago, and nothing about it had changed. The same narrow path, the same simple houses, and the same quiet corner at the end. He stopped in front of a small house and raised his hand.

He knocked on the door.

After a short moment, the door opened slightly. A young woman stood there. She looked a little tired, and her posture was guarded. Her eyes narrowed the moment she saw him. She did not say anything, just stared at him,

He frowned. Was she Teacher Shim’s mate? Or daughter?

But he didn’t ask directly and once he was over the surprise of finding a woman there, he said directly," I want to see Teacher Shim. Please tell him Councilman Aldren is here."

She studied him for a moment. Then she nodded once and closed the door as he waited outside.

"Please take a seat. Master will be here soon," she said.

Evan walked in and sat on a simple wooden chair placed near the entrance. The woman did not leave. She stood a few steps away from him, watching him quietly.

Her eyes did not move from his face. She kept staring, as if she was trying to confirm something. After a while, Evan turned his head slightly. He was not used to someone staring at him so blatantly. "What is it? Why are you staring at me?"

He watched her hesitate and then speak slowly, "You... you are Emira’s father."

Evan stared at her, his eyes sharp. For a moment he did not move. Then he stood up slowly, his chair scraping the floor. The woman did not step back. She only watched him with the same steady look.

His hands rose before he even thought about holding back. His fingers closed around her throat as he said in a low voice, "How do you know? Who are you?"

She gasped, her hands grabbing his wrist, but she could not move him. His grip tightened as she struggled to speak, but no sound came out. Her face turned tense, and her breath grew uneven.

Evan’s jaw was set. His anger rose with every second. If she knew who he was, then she also knew something more. Could it be that that Emira had planted her here to prevent him from speaking to Teacher Shim? This woman was a threat, the voice in his mind spoke clearly, urging him to kill her. Before he could press harder, another voice echoed through the room.

"Let my person go, Councilman. I don’t need this type of energy in my house."

Evan’s eyes shifted to the doorway. Teacher Shim stood there. His posture was calm, but his eyes were firm.

Evan released his grip at once. The woman bent forward slightly and took in a sharp breath. She coughed as she tried to steady herself. Evan stepped away from her and turned toward Teacher Shim.

"Who is this person?" he asked.

Teacher Shim did not answer immediately. Instead, he looked at the woman first, then at Evan.

"Why are you trying to kill her?" he asked.

Evan frowned. "I wasn’t-"

But he did not finish, because the woman spoke up between breaths. "He is Emira’s biological father. That is what I said, and that is why he is trying to kill me."

Teacher Shim froze. His eyes moved slowly back to Evan, as if waiting for him to deny it. Evan did not speak. His expression did not change.

Teacher Shim took a small breath and asked in a low voice, "You are sure?"

The woman nodded. "Yes."

Teacher Shim’s face tightened. "How do you know?" he asked.

Her hand moved to her pocket. She still looked shaken, but her voice was steady enough.

"I have seen this man’s photo inside her mother’s locket when I was a child."

Both men then stared at each other and then Teacher Shim nodded at her. "You can leave for now. Go bring refreshments for the guest."

The woman nodded and walked away, after casting one last glance at both the men.

"Relax, Aldren and take a seat. She is not an enemy. If anything, she hates Emira more than anyone."