The Lowest Royal Returns

"Goodnight, Mom," Raelis said warmly and left the dining hall.

He chatted with his mother for longer than he expected, but even so, he didn't regret it one bit.

I really wish I wasn't this stupid in the past, Raelis thought with a sigh. If I had only tried to talk with my mother more, then I wouldn't be feeling so shitty now.

But the past was the past, and at least for the time being, he wanted to bury it deep behind him.

Therefore, Raelis roamed the hallways of his mansion until eventually, he had arrived in front of Isabel's room.

He knocked twice, and then swung open the door.

To his surprise, Isabel was sitting by the mirror, putting on all sorts of makeup, and when she spotted him, her eyes widened.

"Young master..." Isabel recoiled. "I apologize... this belongs to Miss Sophia. I promise I will repay you accordingly."

"You don't have to act with me," Raelis replied plainly. "As for the makeup, put it back where it belongs after I leave your room."

Isabel stared at him for a few moments, then grumbled. "Very well... Raelis, what is it you wish to ask me?"

"Don't worry, I didn't come here to kill you. I only came here to talk," Raelis reassured. "You see... I don't really understand what you're doing here. Are you a spy, or are you a protector?"

Isabel clicked her tongue. "You're not really a part of Black Lotus, are you?"

"What do you mean?"

"What do I mean?" Isabel giggled. "There's a standing request from your father to protect your family. He has heavy ties to the Black Lotus, and honestly, with how you made your way into their base and talked with Blue, I expected you to be a bit more informed."

She narrowed her eyes. "How else do you think Blue was comfortable giving you the Black Lotus mask? Do you think just anyone can get it?"

"So you're a protector then," Raelis dismissed her outburst. "How many more of you are there?"

Isabel's brows twitched. "Just me. I am more than capable of defending your—"

Before she could finish her words, Raelis sent a knife straight for her throat.

She reacted instantly and stepped aside, but she was met with Raelis's foot straight to her abdomen.

Or so he thought.

Instead, his foot went clean through her body, almost like he had hit water.

And when he looked closer, he spotted something interesting.

"Water Body?" Raelis muttered. "You have one of the Royal Techniques?"

There was a kingdom on another continent, and on it, there was the Aquatis Royal Family. They dealt in water-based bloodlines, and frankly enough, they were deemed incredibly weak.

But that was only on the surface. Water magic had way too many possibilities to be weak.

You could control the blood in someone's body, or even directly boil it. It was the best type of magic to use against demons, right beside fire and light magic.

But people still underestimated it because of how innocent it looked.

Yet Raelis wasn't one of those people.

As she effortlessly dodged his strike, she proceeded to extend her hand, as if trying to grab hold of him.

Raelis was fully prepared for it, so he Flame Stepped behind her, nearly setting her bed ablaze.

Even so, when he arrived and prepared to send another batch of knives, he suddenly felt a pull in his throat, and before he knew it, the pull traveled downward into his lungs. In the next instant, he began suffocating.

"Heat the water up and you'll be boiling your lungs," Isabel commented. "Give up now, or I will injure you, Raelis."

Hearing that, he let out a chuckle.

"It seems like I was worried for nothing, however..."

Immediately, he focused on the water that was inside his lungs. He enveloped it in the Heat Resistance Barrier, and in the next instant, he spat it out of his mouth.

A ball of water landed on the ground, surprising Isabel.

And using that moment of surprise, Raelis kicked off the ground, arriving in front of her with his fist ready to strike her down.

But it seemed like he had underestimated her too much, as she simply raised her hand and caught his fist effortlessly. Then, she twisted his wrist, nearly breaking it.

And before Raelis could enter his Flame Body transformation, she kicked him straight in the balls, sending him flying into the ceiling, then landing gently on her bed, twitching in pain.

"That was fun, but I don't want you to ruin my makeup," Isabel replied plainly. "Your family is safe as long as I am here. I am a 5th Core Mage, and also an expert assassin. No one can enter this territory without me knowing..."

She trailed off, looking out of the window. "On that topic, it seems like there's someone in the woods. Raelis, did you bring a tail?"

Raelis was too stunned from the earlier encounter to answer, but even so, he raised his head slightly, noticing Isabel's eyes that had turned a deep shade of crimson.

In the next instant, she vanished from sight, with the only trace of her being the open window to his left.

Raelis groaned and slowly got up, feeling as if his entire body was about to shut down. Even so, he made his way to the window and glanced out.

The moment he did, he spotted a single figure right below him, and it was none other than Isabel herself.

Yet she was holding the body of a fat man who was wearing a mask. She was also holding a revolver in her free hand.

Raelis squinted his eyes, then suddenly widened them.

That's the gun that was used to shoot at me in the city... Raelis thought, his head ringing.

He took a few deep breaths to ease the pain, then jumped out of the window, landing right in front of Isabel.

And after collecting himself, he spoke.