The Crown's Fire - Chapter 199

Chapter 199: Innocent
Asura stayed at a distance with Cora on a makeshift bench.

“So, this Master Kasper, you know him well?” Asura asked curiously.

“He’s been a Master Kasper since ancient times, helping Ebodia with magic and spells. He’s an ancient being…” Cora commented with a grin.

Asura’s eyes widened. “An ancient being?” she gasped, turning to look at the man her Queen Regent was talking to. Levi’s words suddenly echoed in her mind. “You’ll marry an ancient man.”

“No way!” she burst out.

“What’s wrong? Ah, you’re probably surprised that he looks so young. Honestly, no one knows what he really is. Some think he’s a fairy, others believe he’s a vampire… But he doesn’t tell us what he truly is,” Cora answered.

It wasn’t about that why she reacted like that. It was Levi’s vision. Unfortunately, Levi wasn’t there to confirm if this Kasper was the man in his vision. In terms of physical appearance, he wasn’t bad. He was quite good-looking, with soft, youthful features, messy wavy silver-black hair, and a braid at the end of it.

Asura’s thoughts raced. If this was the ancient man Levi had spoken of, it was a startling revelation. She couldn’t help but feel a mix of curiosity and apprehension as she watched him converse with Katelina.

“So, tell me how you two met each other, and why call him a pervert?” Cora asked curiously.

Asura shrugged and then narrated the incident to Cora. “I needed a good bath after being imprisoned in the dungeon for helping Levi and Katelina. We were on our way to Zion and stopped at a bathhouse with both public and private springs. I chose a private one for some quiet, Kasper barged in and hid in the water.”

Cora couldn’t help but laugh. “I guess he was on the run again, stealing from someone,” she scoffed.

Asura rolled her eyes. “Why bother to hide in the water with a naked woman bathing when he can create a portal to escape? Only a pervert would do that!”

Cora shook her head, amused. “Hmm, it’s the first time I’ve heard him being called a pervert, though. Maybe he’s a bit taken by your beauty?” She chortled. “He’s always been a bit of an enigma. Even in Ebodia, he kept to himself, teaching only a select few. But he’s helped our kingdom a lot, so we’ve learned to trust him despite his quirks.”

Asura sighed, her thoughts still swirling around Levi’s vision. “I just hope he’s not as much trouble as he seems.”

Cora smiled, giving Asura a reassuring pat on the shoulder. “Kasper may be odd, but he’s trustworthy. We’ve depended on him for years, and he’s never let us down.”

Asura nodded, but her mind continued to race with thoughts of Kasper. There was something about him that she couldn’t quite put her finger on.

She longed for a serious relationship, but it seemed unlikely if Master Kasper was her destined partner. An ancient man who couldn’t stay in one place long enough to build a family was far from her ideal. ‘Damn, how can I build a family of my own with that kind of person?’ she mused in frustration.

After some time, Cora excused herself to speak with one of her men, leaving Asura waiting alone. Soon, their Queen Regent rose and returned to the carriage.

Frowning, Asura murmured, “What happened?”

She immediately walked toward the carriage but felt a hand grab her wrist. “Let her be for now. I believe she will want some time alone,” Kasper commented.

“Huh? What did you tell her? How did you even know she wanted that? I just want to check on Her Majesty,” Asura hissed.

“I don’t know what’s wrong, but why do I feel like you’re annoyed with me? We might have met unconventionally, but I didn’t mean you harm. You even called me a pervert a while ago,” Kasper said, his forehead creased.

“Why wouldn’t I? You hid in the water with my naked body when you could have just created a portal to escape,” she pointed out.

“Oh, that!” Kasper chortled.

“And what’s funny?” Asura probed.

“Well, I didn’t mean to intrude, but the location where I needed to go in the portal required me to get wet, so I took the liberty of dipping into your water. I honestly didn’t see a thing; the water wasn’t clear enough to see anything, milady,” Kasper explained.

“Also, you’re not my type…” Kasper straightforwardly stated next.

“What?!” Asura exclaimed.

“Oh, I don’t mean to offend you, Lady Asura. You’re beautiful with those curly brunette locks and those seductive coffee-brown eyes,” he murmured, leaning closer as he assessed her face. “Ah, you have full, beautiful lips too…” he praised, his eyes mesmerized.

She raised her eyebrows, fighting hard to calm the loud thumping of her heart. “But unfortunately, I prefer women with thin lips. Instead of a seductive aura, I prefer someone with an innocent—”

Slap.

A loud slap resounded in the air. Kasper naively touched his cheek and gently caressed it. “That hurts,” he muttered.

Asura fumed, her hand still tingling from the slap. “You’ve got some nerve,” she hissed, pulling her hand back. “You come here, disrupt everything, and then insult me while trying to act like a gentleman.”

Kasper’s expression softened, and he stepped back, raising his hands in surrender. “Truly I didn’t mean to offend you, Lady Asura. I was merely trying to explain my actions and preferences in a lighthearted manner. Perhaps I was too blunt. For that, I apologize.”

Asura crossed her arms, still glaring at him. “Just stay out of my way,” she snapped, turning her back on him. She hated him. With nostrils still flaring, she walked straight to her tent, mumbling, “Levi is probably referring to another ancient man and not him at all!”

She bit her inner lip, and then Kasper’s words rang in her ear… “Innocent.” She was far from being innocent. Was that the reason no man took her seriously? Because she was no longer innocent?!

Asura’s thoughts spiraled, her anger mixed with doubt and frustration. She reached her tent and sat down heavily, trying to steady her breathing.

“Why should I care what he thinks?” she muttered to herself. “I’ve dealt with far worse than his arrogance.”