The Hidden King's Stolen Wife-Chapter 34: A Drop of Red I

Ralph reached over and scooped Soleia into his arms before she could drop to the floor. She was as limp as a ragdoll in his arms, her eyebrows knitted together tightly as though she was in great pain.

"Shit. Soleia?" Ralph called out, shaking her gently in his arms, but to no avail. Soleia groaned softly in his embrace but otherwise made no movement, leaving Ralph to deal with the rapidly approaching old woman and the clerk alone.

"You have quite the nerve, young man, to steal from under my nose!" the old woman yelled as she pointed a wrinkly finger his way. She stormed over, her face red with rage as several customers watched on with curiosity. "I will have you handed over to the constables for this―!"

Her words were quickly swallowed and transformed into a scream when a shelf came toppling down.

The coppery smell of blood quickly permeated the air as a bold streak of scarlet danced across the store. Swords and machetes were thrown Ralph’s way, but with a wave of his hand, the red lines curved and knocked back all sorts of weapons, creating a protective dome around him and Soleia.

"My shop!" the old woman yelled in horror. Then, with fury-laden eyes, she glared at Ralph and screamed, "Get him!"

The store clerk immediately charged over, brandishing a weapon that was raised high, ready to strike. Several other cloaked men appeared from seemingly nowhere, possibly hidden guards that the old woman had employed for the store’s safety.

Ralph gritted his teeth. With one hand wrapped around Soleia, he maneuvered them out of harm’s way, blocking the incoming attacks gracefully and effortlessly. But a sudden numbness shot through him, causing him to gasp. It felt just like when they were still underground when Soleia had touched him then.

The blood that was in the air suddenly faltered, raining down onto the ground before it soaked through the carpets. At the same time, one of the men swung his dagger down.

Ralph inhaled sharply through his teeth as he pulled Soleia out of harm’s way, but the blade still managed to nick his upper arm. Blood quickly pooled out of the wound, soaking the fabric of his sleeve.

A curse slipped from his lips, but for a man who had been through countless battles, a little bit of bloodshed was nothing to think of. He raised his hand, ready to manipulate his blood from this fresh source when his eyes went wide.

The deep wound that carved into his flesh had sealed itself back up in the blink of an eye. He instinctively reached for the pendant that hung from his neck. The carnelian he wore on his chest felt slightly warm to the touch.

In fact, it wasn’t just the crystal. Every bit of his body felt as though he was dipped into a nice warm bath after a long day in the cold. Energy and adrenaline coursed through his veins, and the brown of his eyes flickered to make way for brighter specks of green. As soon as they came, they were gone. His irises returned to the original bronze state it was in before.

But the curve of his lips never left.

"I have always wanted to try..." he mused softly under his breath before he reached a hand out in the direction of the clerk who was charging straight for him.

Magic tingled in his fingertips― he could feel it charge from the carnelian all the way into his hands, and the very second Ralph held out a hand in the direction of the man, the latter paused abruptly mid-step.

A strangled gurgle left the man’s lips as several onlookers gasped in horror, watching as the man’s body began to wriggle and contort. On the other hand, Ralph slowly got to his feet, his arm still protectively holding onto Soleia as though she was the most precious gemstone of them all.

Even when Ralph’s hand slowly dropped down to Soleia’s knees, holding her tenderly as though she was his new bride, the man remained wriggling like a worm on a hook in midair. His body twisted back and forth as he struggled to break free, but the more he moved, the redder his face became until eventually...

Several people ducked, while others were too slow. Specks of red stained their cheeks, some even entering their lips as they remained jaw-dropped, watching the horror that had unfolded before them.

On the other hand, not a single drop of blood touched Ralph or Soleia. The blood that had shot their way when the man exploded remained in the air, stopping about an inch away from their bodies as though it had hit a layer of glass.

The old woman stumbled back before she collapsed onto the floor, her eyes wide with horror and disbelief.

"What... What monster..." she stammered, her lips quivering in fear.

But Ralph hadn’t even a glance to spare her. His eyes merely swept across the store, eyeing every single one of the men who were previously attacking him. A cruel smile twisted across his lips.

"I think I have just discovered something immensely fun," he said with utter glee. "Anyone here willing to volunteer as my next guinea pig?"

The customers who were watching the show quickly fled from the store, scrambling to exit. The bell chimed endlessly above their heads as everyone streamed out, leaving nothing but the storekeeper and the hired mercenaries behind with Ralph and Soleia.

But one look was all it took, and even the hired mercenaries dashed out. They hadn’t even bothered to grab their fallen weapons, running with their tails tucked between their legs out to the streets.

"Stay back!" the old woman yelled, grabbing a piece of selenite as she pointed it at Ralph, but he merely drew blood from the deceased man and used it to swat the selenite away as though it was nothing more than a pestering fly.

"You should know," he said. "Selenite is only for small bits of magic. This stone will hardly work against me."

With no weapon in her hand and no one left in the store to help her, the old woman could only crawl backward in an attempt to get away from the walking devil. Her back was eventually pressed against the wall, leaving her with no way out.

"Now," Ralph said with a grin. "Whatever shall I do with you?"