Three hours had gone by and Penelope's face was turning morbid by the second.
"Heheheheheheheheh~
Her laugh was evil and her expression was akin to a person who was about to slaughter the world.
"Your majesty, you must please calm down! You are carrying a dragon in your womb. Please, for the future young master's sake, you must not fall prey to your emotions."
Several people sang advice, afraid Penelope would have a miscarriage.
The doctor has said no one must get the queen angered in this crucial stage of her pregnancy.
Penelope had also wanted to join the search for Santa and Gwen, but how could they allow her with such a big tummy?
ƥandasnovel·ƈom Oliver clenched his fists, feeling very helpless too.
It was also his sister and his uncle that was taken.
If something happened to them, he didn't know what he would do.
Oliver swore an oath to the heavens that should he get them back, he would do more than help Penelope ground them.
Should they return, don't even think of ever escaping the palace or their homes without permission again!
He will be ten times stricter and 20 times more annoying if it will get them to sit in one place.
"Aunt, can I see the note?"
Penelope didn't respond, only giving him the note with trembling hands.
[Queen Penelope, you may not know me, but I know you... my future wife.
If you wish to see that fool and girl again, you will come to xxx place at xxx for my terms and conditions.]
Oliver felt strange reading the note.
Who is so bold as to call his aunt their future wife?
Who is it that is trying to prune his uncle's corner?
Oliver didn't think anyone in Carona had such balls to do it.
So could it be the work of foreigners?
(?~?)
.
Hiss!~
Santa felt his consciousness return to him, as a deep throbbing pain ticked in his head like a clock.
His face was heavy and his eyes blurry.
"What happened? The last thing I remember was... LITTLE GIRL!!!"
Santa forced his eyes open with all his might, wanting to find his little niece.
Where was she? And where was he?
Santa stared at the dimly lit space with a million questions circulating in his mind.
The dungeon had damp walls and a chilling aura.
Chains hung from the ceiling, swaying with an eerie creak.
Perhaps the most conspicuous thing was the sound of dripping water echoing through the confined space.
'Am I near a large water source?'
Though it's raining now, castles and sturdy stone structures like these weren't built to drip or have ways for leakage to pass through, unless the water was forced in through the force/pressure of a massive water body.
Do you know how thick the walls and ceilings were?
It's not like modern structures that would skim out here and there.
Some stone walls were over 1 meter thick and some 2.
It would be like letting water flow through the eye of a needle.
It's possible but the water force must be great for it to drip continuously.
Wanting to get more clues about his current location, Sanat continued his observation.
The outside air smelled of Tahmil bushes, and the sounds of the birds he heard signified he was still within the Capital city.
This is good.
Santa squinted his eyes dangerously. Even Penelope has never seen him get so serious.
He blamed himself for his negligence, thinking the capital was his turf and he and his naivety would be fine.
Santa swore that if so much as a single scratch touched his niece, the son of a b**ch in charge would feel more than just his wrath.
Looking at his chains, Santa chuckled.
Except for Penelope, many don't know that after he married Penelope, he noticed a strange increase in his strength.
It wasn't so great as those Baymardians, but he could indeed pack up a heavy punch.
Unbeknownst to Santa, Landon had indeed blessed him with a teeny weenie bit of strength seeing as he was indeed too weak.
Landon also did this so he could protect Penelope and babysit if the need arises.
Hey...
It was like killing 2 birds with 1 stone.
Santa was the only non-Baymardian he blessed with strength, and Landon didn't regret it for a second.
The other chosen sons and daughters of heaven had their own blessings that came with them, like Astar who was born with super strength, Penelope who had super reflexes in battle, and all the rest.
Look at each chosen person
Either they were one of the 'Keys' or possessed unique abilities.
Tilda was a chosen person and she had the power of a seeker, who could locate all the keys needed to unlock the Holy Core.
As a seeker, she also could tap into everyone else's power too.
Indeed, she was a dangerous little girl.
Luckily, after another 3 or 4 generations, her bloodline will no longer carry these powers.
.
Santa quickly scanned the space, keeping his eyes and ears open.
--silence--
No prison guards standing close by.
Santa concluded, as he hastily twirled the thick chains around his wrists.
~Shrrrreeeee!
The chains cried in pain the more they were strained.
Landon only gave him a little bit of extraordinary strength.
So unlike the blessed Baymardians who could snap the chains apart in under 2 minutes, Santa figured he would need 10~15 minutes to completely break free.
The chains were as thick as his ankles.
'Come on!'
Santa inwardly yelled, as he gritted his teeth and forced his trembling mouth to stay silent.
Not a word must go out until he destroys the chain's strength by 90%.
His lips were pressed together, his face as red as a tomato, and the little fat on his cheek was still jiggling uncontrollably.
'Niece, hold on a bit longer.'
Never give up.
Santa chanted his mantra in his heart.
Never give up!
The chain was now 60% loose.
Never give up!
70%
Never give up!
83%
NEVER GIVE UP!
91%
Santa could tell that just a bit more and he will completely break free.
But just then, a set of heavy footsteps could be heard coming from afar.
Is it them?
Hastily taking the position of a helpless prisoner, Santa closed his eyes in wait.
.
~Din. Din. Din. Din. Din~
Though even, the footsteps told of several men with several weights.
One could tell a lot about a person from the way they walk.
At the front of the group was a man in a bronze mask.
With a slight nod, the man gestured to one of his men who quickly opened the prison door.
The bronze-masked man smirked dangerously after seeing his prisoner's state.
His dear victim was disheveled and passed out, sitting huddled in a corner with his hands bound and his face pale as paper.
"Wake him up."
"Yes, Master."
Splash!
Salted water was poured on Santa, penetrating and stinging his wounds like a viper.
The masked man was a ruthless and calculating leader, dressed in black from head to toe.
Every part of him spelled dangerous to any who saw him.
Heh.
The masked man's eyes gleamed with an unsettling mix of determination and malevolence as he approached his trembling victim with a twisted smile.
How can he not be happy?
Seeing Santa's confused and fearful look only fueled his arrogance even more.
"Ahhh!"
Santa released a heavy grunt feeling the bastard pulling on his hair.
"Weakling!"
Bam!
Santa's head mercilessly smashed into the wall behind him.
"You know... the first time I saw your portrait 5 and a half years ago, I didn't like it."
Bam!
Santa was smashed again but did not care about the pain.
5 and a half years ago? Who was so hell-bent on scheming his demise for long?
How did he offend this person?
The masked man stared at him in disgust.
"When I first saw your portrait, I thought... How can a swine want to taste heavenly meat? You are clearly below her class. Yet, you managed to wiggle your way to her bed like the fat worm that you are."
So that's it. Santa thought.
In the end, it was about his woman, right?
Alas...
Who asked to marry such an enticing woman?
Over the years, people have come to him for her hand.
And though he was no longer fat, they still saw him in his former light.
Santa was now a burly man and not a chubby Santa Claus person. Yet, the most popular portraits circulating about him were those from his past.
Bam!
The masked man delivered a fierce blow to his cheek.
Suddenly, the air grew 10 times colder than it was before.
The masked man finally took off his mask, and both men stared at each other in deep silence.
"Listen up, and listen well... From today, you will no longer be her husband. If you want your niece to live, you must willingly step down... She is mine!"
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