Blood Continent, within the central region of the Ice Domain of the Silver Ice Clan, was a pristine silver ice palace.
In the grand hall of this Silver Ice Palace, two figures, a male and a female, sitting on silver thrones, were looking at a tall, silver hair hunter with burly stature standing down the throne platform.
The male in gray robes had a peerless icy face with his long bright silver hair draped over his wide shoulders, and giving off the air of a dignified lord. He was one of the five elemental lords, the Ice Lord, Bryan Silver, and also Alina's father!
The female sitting beside him was wearing a white queen dress and had her face covered with a white veil. But despite that, she was enthralling enough, with a perfect womanly figure, and her skin was as white as snow, and her white hair was bound with a silver crown. She had the air of an icy queen as her silvery irises were coldly staring at the hunter.
Everyone knew that the only person who could sit side by side with the Ice Lord was his fearsome wife, the Ice Queen, Gloria Snow, and she was also Alina's mother!
Bryan and Gloria's expressions were stern, yet disbelief was written all over their faces as they looked at the hunter, who was the 1st Elder of the Ice Hunter Clan, Hogan Silver.
"What you just reported is all true?" Bryan couldn't help but speak after his uncertain silence.
Hogan nodded with a solemn expression, "If Old Butler's right-hand man hadn't contacted me himself, I wouldn't have believed it either."
"So, not only Alina and that thief have made contact prior to everyone's assumptions. Now he's offering us all those unbelievable treasures so that we could leave Alina alone in his care? Did that vile thief thinks our daughter is for sale?! Furthermore, Uncle Herman is okay with it?" Gloria's coldly questioned as her voice was filled with fury and murderous intent.
Hogan wore a difficult expression as he knew who he was dealing with. Despite being rageful himself, he couldn't help but think that Ace's offer was extremely generous and they should take it. This was their chance to escape their miserable fate.
So, letting Alina go with Ace was a small price to pay. Moreover, it was quite clear that she also wanted that, and nothing was happening against her free will.
But what truly moved Hogan's heart was Ace's promise of giving the entire Blood Continent to them once he was capable enough of doing it. The Sky Stealer's potential was known to everyone, and if he were even half of what he was told, then they would be able to rule the entire Blood Continent one day!
However, Alina wasn't his daughter, nor he had the power to make such a decision. In the end, it came down all on the Ice Lord and Queen.
It wasn't a secret that both of them loved Alina dearly, especially after she wasn't with them in her entire childhood. That sort of fate was worse than death for parents. So, they tried to fill that void after she came back and truly became happy again.
Furthermore, with Alina's potential, everyone acknowledged her and treated her with utmost respect and care. It was a very peaceful and joyous time for the Silver Ice Hunter Clan until she snuck out of the continent, and then her connection with the elusive thief Sky Stealer was exposed.
But what truly baffled the people of the Silver Ice Hunter Clan was Bryan and Gloria's lack of response. They didn't do anything when their daughter was captured and sentenced to death by the human race.
The Ice Lord was the one who announced it himself, which made him the target of ridicule from the other four elemental clans while he lost the Silver Ice Hunter Clan's members' respect as well.
Yet, despite all that, Bryan and Gloria remained silent until they heard the news of Alina escaping the humans' imprisonment with the help of none other than the thief who was responsible for putting her there in the first place.
Nevertheless, Bryan and Gloria provide instant support to bring their daughter back, and they also don't want to let her meet with the thief and even want to capture him.
Yet, now, things have again escalated out of their expectation, and the very thief, who they hate now, was offering them an unimaginable olive branch for taking Alina away with him.
Bryan spoke at this moment with a complicated look in his eyes, "Is Alina really willing to go with him?"
Hogan replied with a nod, "Exactly, or I don't think that the Old Butler would've let her go if she hadn't instead. I-I also have another piece of news which should be enough to tell us Ice Princess's intention quite clearly."
"What is it?" Gloria squinted her eyes as she was still in disbelief about Alina's choosing that thief over them.
Hogan hesitated and contemplated whether to say it or not, but he knew if he wanted to convince them, he had to tell them, so he gritted his teeth and said it while bracing himself for the corollary.
"A-according to our hunter race custom, any woman with Royal Elemental Bloodline wore a Maiden Veil at the age of 12 and will only remove it willingly when she found a man they wanted to spend her entire life with or when she's married. And this can't be undone once done.
"What I'm trying to say is, p-princess Alina had removed her maiden veil for the Sky Stealer!" Hogan quickly blurted with a pale expression.
But his heart palpitated when he felt the terrifying killing intents locked on him, and the atmosphere climbed down like a raindrop.
Bryan and Gloria's eyes were filled with disbelief and killing intent as they felt their hearts about to burst with absolute fury.
"O-our precious daughter decided this without even telling us?!" Gloria muttered as her eyes suddenly turned teary as she looked at Bryan and wailed without caring about Hogan, "She hates us, and all of this is because of you!"
Bryan had a dark expression riddle with defeat, but he could only clench his fists with regret and indignation. He knew why Gloria was blaming him. He knew he was a coward and a terrible father, and on top of that, he was an awful husband.
'I've been running my entire life from this because of the fear that I will lose everything, just like my parents, and I didn't want to repeat their mistake. But despite all that, I still end up losing everything. Were father and mother right back then?' He thought as an inexplicable pain surfaced in his heart, 'Is there still time to make it right?'