Adelyn’s heart almost skipped a beat.

Staring into his deep, abyssal eyes, she swallowed.

Did he really buy that ... again?

How?

Had she truly become this flawless at lying?

"Ah—!"

A sharp yet surprisingly gentle pinch landed on her cheek, making her wince.

Adelyn stepped back quickly, rubbing the spot as she looked up at him —her expression resembling a little cat that had been teased for no reason.

"What was that?" she demanded.

Dylan met her gaze without the slightest hesitation. "A punishment."

Her eyes widened instantly, and she pouted. "Why would you punish me? Didn’t you just say you trust me?"

A beat passed before she added, almost accusingly, "Or ... you don’t trust me anymore?"

Dylan watched her —watched that faint trace of panic flicker beneath her act —and, unexpectedly, a smile tugged at his lips.

The anger that had surged through him when he first entered the room ... eased.

"You need to be punished," he said calmly, "so you understand that you can’t come to places like this anymore."

"I ..." Adelyn started, ready to argue.

But the moment he lifted his brows at her —not in warning, but in quiet challenge —her words stalled in her throat.

Wait.

Why couldn’t she come here?

She wasn’t a child.

And more importantly ... since when did he have the right to monitor where she went?

"What?" Dylan asked, his gaze still fixed on her, clearly reading the defiance forming in her eyes. "You don’t seem to agree with me, Ms. Grace?"

"I was just—" Her brows furrowed as she tried to frame a response.

But before she could—

Dylan cut in smoothly, reminding her of the lie she had nearly forgotten herself.

"Weren’t you just in my arms," he said evenly, "telling me how scared you were being here alone?"

His words landed like a quiet trap.

"You still want to come back next time and get bullied?"

Adelyn froze.

The realization hit her instantly.

She had almost exposed herself.

Did that mean...

He had seen through her?

"Do you?" Dylan asked again, his tone steady —almost as if he were giving her another chance to reinforce her own lie.

How could she not take it?

She nodded immediately.

"O–Of course not," she said, a hint of urgency slipping into her voice. "I was really scared. How could I ever come here alone again? I couldn’t."

When his gaze still didn’t shift, she leaned back into her act without hesitation.

Her fingers reached out, lightly tugging at his sleeve.

"But ..." she added softly, her tone turning hesitant, "when I came here earlier for dinner ... I actually liked the food a lot."

Her eyes lifted to meet his again.

"It would be a pity if I couldn’t come back," she continued, her voice carrying just the right amount of reluctance.

Then, blinking up at him like a pleading kitten, she asked—

"Can you come with me next time?"

The room fell into a strange silence.

Everyone watched her.

Stunned.

Mesmerized.

If they hadn’t witnessed her earlier —cold, composed, utterly unstoppable —they might have believed every single word without question.

But now they know her fierce side, how could they believe this one?

"You want me to come with you?" Dylan asked, one brow arching slightly.

Adelyn nodded at once.

"With you around," she said earnestly, "no one would dare bully me. And I wouldn’t feel scared."

It wasn’t easy for her to act this way.

Every word, every expression —it all went against her nature.

But right now?

This was the safest path.

So she committed to it fully.

Dylan studied her quietly.

And beneath that calm exterior, something unreadable —something almost amused —flickered in his gaze.

His hand lifted.

Gently.

Slowly.

And then—

He rested it on her head, his fingers brushing lightly through her hair.

Adelyn almost flinched.

Almost.

But she held still, forcing herself to accept the gesture.

"Let me know when you want to come again," he said, his voice softening into something unmistakably doting. "I’ll come with you."

Relief washed through her so suddenly that she nearly exhaled it aloud.

Instead, she kept her composure, though inwardly, she patted her chest.

That had been close.

Too close.

If he ever truly caught her in one of these lies ...

She had no doubt—

He wouldn’t spare her.

She needed to find a way to stop relying on this.

Soon.

"That’s perfect," she said, recovering smoothly. "With you around, I won’t be scared anymore."

"Mm."

Dylan’s response was quiet and noncommittal.

And then—

His gaze shifted.

It landed on the men scattered across the floor —broken, silent, and terrified.

"How do you want me to deal with them?" he asked.

There was no rise in his tone.

No overt threat.

And yet—

The coldness in his eyes alone was enough to send a chill through every single one of them.

They didn’t know who he was.

But they didn’t need to.

The sheer presence he carried told them everything.

He was not someone they could afford to offend.

And yet—

They already had.

"Huh?" Adelyn blinked, momentarily caught off guard. "Who do you want to deal with?"

Dylan glanced back at her, unhurried.

That calm look alone almost made her lose her footing again.

"I ... didn’t quite hear you," she said quickly. "Can you repeat that?"

He didn’t mind.

Not at all.

"I asked," he said, his tone patient, "how you want me to deal with them."

This time, his gaze flicked toward the men again.

And this time—

Adelyn understood.

Her expression shifted, growing thoughtful as she looked at them.

As if she were seriously considering their fate.

That alone was enough to terrify them.

Panic spread instantly among them.

They all begged ... once again —

"Goddess —please forgive us!"

"We were wrong! We shouldn’t have offended you!"

"Let us go —we swear we’ll never cross your path again!"

"Yes, yes—please! Spare us!"

"We’ll even have our descendants worship you —just let us live!"

Their voices overlapped, desperate, trembling.

Adelyn watched them.

Unmoved.

She had never considered herself merciful.

And even now, faced with their frantic pleas...

She felt nothing.

No sympathy.

No hesitation.

And yet—

After a brief pause, she turned back to Dylan.

"There’s no need to deal with them anymore," she said evenly. "They’ve already suffered enough. It’s only right to let them go."

Her words immediately made everyone sigh in relief.

But—

Dylan did not look convinced.

His gaze lingered on her, sharp and searching.

"You’re letting them go ..." he asked slowly, "... that easily?"