?Chapter 498:


    “Hiss…” He winced in pain, ring at us while rubbing his shoulder and cursing, “You two are a bit too aggressive!”


    Evie snorted, raising her stick again, poised to continue the assault.


    I quickly reached out to stop her, my eyes still narrowed in caution as I asked the strange man, “Who are you? What are you doing hiding here?”


    The man slowly lifted his head, and I finally glimpsed his face.


    He wore a ck mask that concealed all but his eyes. Those eyes seemed to hold a universe of secrets, mysterious as if they could see right through everything. Dressed entirely in ck, he exuded a sneaky vibe, like a shadow in the night.


    Instead of answering my question, he shot back, “And why are you two hiding here? Did youmit any wrongdoing?”


    Hearing this, Evie raised her stick again, her voice frigid. “You’re just tossing mud at us. With your sneaky look, it’s in to see you’re up to no good. I’ll call the guards to catch you, you creep.”


    After saying that, Evie shielded me and started to pull me away.


    Unexpectedly, the man remained unfazed.


    He crossed his arms and leaned casually against the wall, a smirk ying on his lips as he spoke slowly. “Go ahead, call the soldiers. But once you do, I can’t guarantee your fragile friend will walk away unscathed.”


    Makenna’s POV:


    The man’s words made my heart skip a beat. I spun around to face him, my voice quivering just a bit as I asked, “What do you mean by that?”


    He regarded me with a calm, almostzy demeanor, arms crossed, his expression inscrutable.


    “If I’m right, you’ve fallen under the spell of a magical potion, haven’t you?”


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    His tone was nonchnt, yet it struck me like a bolt of lightning.


    Molly had been on a mysterious questtely. Could he be the one she was seeking?


    I scrambled to connect the dots, then cautiously probed, “How did you get into the pce? It’s heavily guarded. What’s your purpose here?”


    The man shrugged as if my curiosity bored him, answering with an air of casual indifference, “That’s not your concern. Just know that I’m the only one who can save you.”


    The only one who could save me? Who on earth was this guy? How dare he speak with such arrogance?


    I scrutinized the man, feeling increasingly enveloped in his enigma.


    I asked carefully, “What do you want?”


    “What do I want?”


    He sneered but offered no answer. Instead, he stood there, silently scrutinizing me as if he were peering through me at someone else.


    Then, suddenly, a smile spread across his lips—a grin that held an unsettling quality beneath his mask.


    “What’s your name?” he asked out of the blue. His question took me by surprise, leaving me momentarily speechless. “What?”


    Evie, standing protectively beside me, tightened her stance and interjected, “What does that have to do with you?”


    “Humph!” The man snorted, his mutterings barely audible.


    I couldn’t catch it all, but I thought I heard him say, “She’s nothing like… at all. Not as gentle as her.”


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