Ingrid scrunched her nose as she entered Raven's temporary lab. But to her surprise, she did not smell the stench of chemicals she had prepared herself to smell. Instead, the scent of the place reminded her of the nostalgic scent of earth and aged paper.

  Ingrid gave the place a quick look around and realized it shared no resemblance to the horrific lab in her nightmare. Though she found some familiar lab equipment, most of the ones she saw were rather unfamiliar to her.

  When Prince Aleric mentioned the word lab, Ingrid instantly thought of the hellhole that subjected her to so much torture. It never once occurred to her that a lab could look different, depending on what the lab's purpose was.

  Raven, however, despite having extraordinary talent in the field of medicine, prefers the study of ancient history. He never intended to study medicine after all, but his genius mind retained all the knowledge it absorbed while his body endured agonizing experimentation.

  Ingrid found Raven hunched over a long table where a huge slab of stone lay. His elbows hung awkwardly in midair as he cleaned the surface of the stone with careful and delicate precision. Completely preoccupied with what he was doing, he did not even notice the beautiful young woman watching him work from a distance.

  If there is one thing that Ingrid learned from working with Raven these past few weeks, it's that he didn't like being disturbed in the middle of his work.

  Ingrid waited until he was done with what he was doing before announcing her presence. She found a chair in a corner and made herself comfortable.

  Nearly an hour passed before Raven finally stood, stretching his numb arms and aching back. But then, a breathtakingly beautiful face in his peripheral vision sent a jolt of terror through him—he nearly had a heart attack.

  "Your highness!" he exclaimed. "Why didn't you tell me you were already here!"

  Ingrid stood like an elegant swan. "I saw you were busy and did not wish to be a disturbance."

  "You will never be a disturbance, your highness!" said Raven wholeheartedly. After all, apart from being his superior, he also considers her as his kindred as all the other rats in King Serus' secret lab.

  "May I know the reason for your visit, your highness?" Raven asked, noticing that Ingrid did not bring the royal treasure box with her. They learned that it was a royal treasure box after translating more of her grandmother's letter. Apparently, a royal treasure box is different from the normal ones, and only those with royal blood can open it.

  Ingrid's face turned solemn as she spoke, "I'd like to speak to you about the lab in Serus."

  Raven's smile instantly vanished. "This way, your highness."

  Raven walked towards the side door heading to what was supposed to be a storage room. But Raven has turned it into a resting area, equipped with a pair of long couches on the opposite side and a coffee table at the center where lay a pot of hot tea and some snacks.

  Ingrid and Raven sat across from each other. Both their faces were filled with a serious expression.

  Ingrid has long been itching to ask Raven about what he knew regarding the secret lab of Serus. But she never found the time to ask. For one, they were never alone. Either the prince is with them, or her father the grand duke, or her ladies-in-waiting. It's not that she didn't trust any of them, but she isn't comfortable sharing certain things with them just yet.

  Now that Prince Aleric has gone back to his kingdom, Ingrid has finally regained some of her freedom. She no longer has to stay in the main residence and is back in her palace, where security is tighter. With that, there was no longer any need for people to guard her closely.

  "First, I'd like to know your story," Ingrid started. Since it is necessary for her recovery, Ingrid has been telling Raven her experiences in the secret lab. However, she never once heard of his story.

  "I belong to the Azote tribe," Raven began. Raven never liked sharing his life story with others. But because the request came from a kindred, he felt compelled to share his own tragic experience to foster deeper trust.

  "It is a lost ancient tribe whose unique blood is immune to all kinds of harmful toxins—venoms and poisons alike. Hundreds of years ago, we became the subject of a witch hunt alleging that our unique physique is an abomination."

  Raven smiled bitterly as he recalled the stories the Azote elders would share with the young ones. They made sure their descendants never lost their identity.

  Even as they were reduced to mere specimens, the Azote tribe held fast to their hope of one day seeing the sun again.

  "While my forefathers fled from the people hunting them, a kind individual offered them refuge. But that 'kind individual' wasn't at all kind. He tricked my people, and we ended up in a place far worse than death."

  "Because of our unique capability, we were a sought-after specimen by scientists. Our tribe was reduced to a mere rat in a lab—bred and raised as experimental subjects until our death."

  Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

  Ingrid fell silent, unable to imagine the misery Raven and his tribe must have endured. A year of torture in the lab had nearly shattered her young mind, yet Raven and the Azote tribe had spent their entire lives trapped in that devil's lair.

  Ingrid cleared her throat and spoke, "About the devil's mark, what do you know about it?"

  Ever since regaining all her memories, there are certain parts that bothered Ingrid greatly. The serpent's mark is one of them.

  Ingrid never thought that the memory she once lost, apart from being filled with torment, holds crucial information no outsider has ever obtained. King Oliver, who deemed the young Ingrid his, did not hide anything. In his perversion, he would even reveal certain things to Ingrid, just to see horror appear in her innocent eyes.

  "As far as I know, the Serpent's Mark is something that every scientist in the secret lab in Serus has on their wrist. Initially, I presumed it was a mark unique to the scientists in Serus. However, when I was sold to Weeldro, I found the same mark on a number of scientists there. What is even more peculiar, Prince Aleric saw the same tattoo on one of the kings and other people in power in various kingdoms he conquered. That led us to believe that the mark is a symbol of a certain organization."

  Raven brow raised when he saw Ingrid nodding as though it was something she already knew. He suddenly felt uncomfortable when Ingrid looked at her almost as if she was staring at his very soul.

  "Is that all?"

  Raven replied earnestly, "Your highness, it's best if you ask the prince about this. I do indeed know more, but the information I have has been deemed classified by his highness. Unfortunately I do not have the authority to casually share it even with you, your highness."

  Ingrid gave Raven an understanding smile, saying, "I know," and did not make things difficult for him.

  Speaking of the prince, Ingrid remembered that they still have an unfinished deal. He already fulfilled his end of it, though she still hasn't seen its content. When she came back to her room after the Aradhyan envoy's departure, she found the stack of information she asked from him lying on her bedside table.

  However, the prince has already left, so she had no way of fulfilling her side of the deal. Unfortunately, sending a letter to the prince is not an option. The letter would surely land on the grand duke's palm before it reached the prince—if it does reach the prince.

  It seems that she will have to wait until the prince returns before fulfilling her part of the deal. Anyways, she will have plenty of time in the future to fulfill her part.

  Ingrid's cheeks unknowingly blushed at the thought.

  "I still have another question."

  Raven's eyes lit as he replied, "Please feel free to speak, your highness. I shall answer whatever question you have as long as it is within my means."

  Ingrid shifted in her seat. There was a flash of tenderness in her eyes as she asked, "What do you know about 2314?"

  Raven gave Ingrid a curious gaze. He did not miss the slight change in Ingrid's expression as he spoke of that name.

  "There are four rat celebrities in the secret lab in Serus. They are considered the most prized possession of the lab."

  There was a bitter smile on Raven's lips. Being highly valued sounds rather splendid. But in the secret lab of Serus, being prized means experiencing greater hell than all the others.

  "2314 is among the four prized rats. That is because of his blood's ability to heal even the most critical of wounds. I remember once, a child from our tribe was planning to escape but was found before he could make the attempt. To nip such futile thoughts from the bud, we were taken to a lab where a gaunt child, probably our age, was pinned on the wall."

  "It was 2314. He was caught after a failed escape, and we were made to watch as he was being punished. We shuddered as they scraped layers of his skin, blood gushing everywhere. Then, they poured a chemical on his wounds that disrupted his ability to heal, leaving him in hellish pain for days."

  Ingrid didn't notice that she was clenching her fist hard so that they began to turn white. Her eyes turned icy cold. She experienced firsthand the madness of the people in that lab. They have no qualms about doing terrible things for the sake of their perverted goal. Human life for them is not different from that of an animal.

  Raven too shared Ingrid's sentiment. They both couldn't wait to raze that sickening place to the ground.

  "But why are you asking about 2314, your highness?" Raven asked. From the way Ingrid looked when he narrated 2314's suffering, he couldn't help but think that he is someone close to her.

  "His name is Naz," Ingrid responded and started pouring herself some tea.

  The teapot was made with a mana-imbued material that kept the temperature of the water.

  A flicker of surprise crossed Raven's eyes. Rats in the lab have no name. They're simply labeled with numbers. Raven himself gained a name after Prince Aleric gave him one.

  "I named him," Ingrid said, answering the question Raven has yet to utter.

  ***

  Upon a throne of pure gold sat a woman with a face as gentle as an angel's. From the crown on her head down to the shoes on her feet, she was adorned with gold. However, the cruel glint in her eyes was rather uncanny given such a naturally kind-looking face.

  It was none other than Empress Verandi.

  Below her throne, a figure dressed in a hooded red robe that covered her face from view stood.

  The golden glass clattered on the floor, spilling red wine on the golden carpet. Empress Verandi glared at the woman below her angrily.

  "Useless! How many weeks has it been, and you still haven't found out what truly happened to that vixen?!"

  The 'vixen' Empress Verandi is referring to is, of course, Ingrid. She still hasn't forgotten how Ingrid humiliated her the day before. Empress Verandi wished she had peeled Ingrid's face off instead of giving her to the king of Serus six years ago!

  "There is nothing much I could do, your grace. Everyone is being tight-lipped over my sister's condition. However, I seemed to notice changes in my sister's personality. She has become colder and distant, especially from her servants," the young maiden below the throne room remarked.

  Except for those present at the incident, the inhabitants of the Lennox estate were largely ignorant of Ingrid's condition. They were only aware that their young lady had remained unconscious for a full day, alarming the grand duke.

  "Also the druids have been visiting Lennox's residence these past few weeks, demanding Lady Joan."

  Empress Verandi's eyes lit up. She knew that the old druid visited Ingrid when the incident occurred. But there was no news of her afterwards, as though she had vanished.

  A cunning smile appeared on the empress's lips.

  "Leave now. I still have other matters to attend to."

  The hooded maiden bowed at the empress and left. Empress Verandi watched her departing figure with a hint of revulsion.

  "What a lunatic," she muttered while shaking her head.

  Empress Verandi waved her hand, and a slender woman with red burns on the side of her face appeared from the shadows.

  "Send a message to the druid tribe."