Chapter 233 - Identity Already Compromised

Upon opening Nathalie's eyes, she now welcomed the rolling landscape of lush greens and meadows sprawled towards the horizon. 

Looking around, she was in a rather serene mood, with rustling leaves from the shrubs and bushes around her and the chorale chirps of the birds.

'This is a familiar place… Why am I here?'

She arched her neck down, only to see the pile of leaves that resounded scrunch on her spectral feet.

From there, she noticed that her hands were instead ghostly, to which she nodded in silence that she was not in a wrong state.

However, from where she stood bore great resemblance to what it seemed she knew best.

A little trudge to the side and she gawked at how she was by the roadside and in front of her was the mansion that she bought for the last couple of years. 

Nothing changed, it was the Starbrooke Mansion that appeared before her.

It was rather clean, but she couldn't even see a guard by the front gate, let alone several caretakers from the front lawn.

The place was rather desolate, of which she assumed it was how it was as she entered the dream state.

But even then, there was no way Keith would've known a place such as this...

The words of Ashtra became a loop in her mind, for the mysterious power such as a fever dream— in which she had never heard of, apart from Keith, who may seldom suffer in nightmares, there wasn't as worse as this with the lingering golden glow that befell him.

For whatever the mysteries persisted in her watch, she ought to find it soon enough.

Confusion built up inside her head, of what seemed to be the notion of how Keith ended up having a trance like this.

Not to mention, she didn't know where he was, and why this was what brought her.

Though probably not long enough.

'Speak of the devil…' Nathalie pondered, and there was Keith, strolling from the far side of the road, heading in the direction of her mansion.

His face went rather cautious and alert with his hand reached by the hilt, unsheathing his sword as he got closer and closer.

However, she flinched on her stead when someone tapped her by the shoulder; turning around, her jaw almost dropped to the ground when it was Jonathan, who popped out of nowhere.

Also in the same state as her.

"Why— How did you—Why are you here?"

Then, he heaved a deep sigh, gesturing his finger towards the man beside her.

Nathalie was floored by what seemed impossible, for as far as she remembered.

"You seemed so surprised, Miss Quinn…" Ashtra grinned no different from a cheshire cat before uttering again, "... Or should I say, _WhiteOppulence_,  it is my honor to meet you—"

With that, she grabbed the collar of his robe donned on him, pulling as hard as she could, but only got to tug him a tad bit, and left her on a tip-toe. Her eyes leveled his and now with furious flames.

Though, the moment she opened her mouth, she suddenly became too speechless, as though her words loaded in her mouth instead left unspoken.

So many things ravaged in her head; when Jonathan drew close, she turned her head with a snap, fuming, "Did you spill the tea to him?!"

His only response was a little shake by the head, and furrowed lines on his forehead came to a view.

He was rather quiet and enraged her even more.

"Then how?!"

"I suppose you need to let him go; I found it myself—"

A crisp slap resounded the air, with a little echo onwards, in the blink of an eye.

She huffed aloud, and now, her palms became too numb from the sudden onset of stinging pain.

Ashtra ended up looking sideways, with a click of his tongue he slowly met her gaze with a menacing countenance. 

Against his snow-kissed skin, there was a large mark on her hand.

He then let out a dry chuckle for a while. "You're one feisty Goddess, I must say… Be grateful I could never hurt you as much as I wanted to do so…"

However, she was so hot-headed, that she hissed, and went for another round. In that glimpse, Ashtra didn't even dare to dodge, but Jonathan came and grabbed her wrist to stop the slap, about a few inches away from Ashtra's other cheek. 

"Are you on his side now?"

"Miss Quinn, I'm sorry, but we've come this far…" Jonathan pleaded afterward as he contested his gaze at her, in deep remorse and confliction.

He then went on after a few minutes after the moment Nathalie went into a deep sleep, she began to suffer the same symptoms as Keith.

Out of panic, Jonathan did whatever he could, but everything still was all for naught— until Ashtra came to his picture.

In return, he asked for the manuscript. From there, he saw a glimpse of the manuscript and read more than enough of the pages that were on Jonathan.

Nathalie might've been livid and gutted from what she heard, but at the same time, she wallowed out of pity for what happened, and the difficult decision Jonathan had to make. 

After which, she sighed in defeat.

"This is more entertaining than I thought." Even after the slap, he regained his composure and somehow let it slide as he looked around. 

"I don't believe you, even if we're on a contract."

"That's fine. I'll have to earn that." He then beamed a warm smile, and soon, the red mark on his face faded like it never existed.

She wanted to retort for as much as she could, but then a sudden engine revved up, roaring several yards away from them.

They turned their direction to it and saw a luxurious sports car, of matte black hue, that rode ever-so-swiftly to the mansion.

Nathalie wanted to observe for a while when Ashtra suddenly grabbed her by the elbow.

"We need to hide."

"Why should we?" she retorted.

"This isn't as simple as you think— not the 'Astral Projection' you knew too well."

For now, she heeded his concerns out of instinct and took a detour behind the array of lush bushes.

The moment they positioned themselves, Keith now stood by the gate, heaving hard.

But he shifted and was about to pounce on the car that drew near. It beamed brighter at him when putting to a stop, enough to startle the man.

Although, Nathalie had the face crack of the millennium when she noticed who stepped out of the car.

"I'm glad, you came here…"