A Web of Deceit and Desire

Saranya chuckled awkwardly, deflecting Dump’s gaze without revealing the truth. While Dump was certainly no villain, and unlikely to harbor malicious intent, that did not mean he was privy to all her affairs. Moreover, Dump had never properly introduced Lenia, nor had he ever broached any related topics, which struck Saranya as rather suspicious.

“Oh?”

Upon hearing Saranya claim she was merely accompanying her mistress, Lenia let out a delicate laugh, her eyes narrowing into crescent moons. Having clearly indulged in some wine, her neck was flushed, and she boldly crossed one beautiful leg, the curve of her thigh subtly revealed through the slit of her skirt.

“It certainly sounds like, between the two of you, you’re the one being ‘played’…”

“Eh… Ha?! Miss Lenia, please stop joking—”

“Dump, do I look like I’m joking?”

Lenia feigned a wronged expression, leaning plaintively towards Dump as she softly called his name.

“Is that so… Wolsen?”

“Uh, well, how would I know…?”

‘Discussing such topics upon a first meeting was truly off-putting; Lenia certainly had no sense of propriety…’

Lenia’s remark inadvertently reminded Saranya of her mistress’s alluring demeanor whenever she clung to her. Indeed, when contrasted with Lenia, Saranya much preferred her petite mistress. She relished the way her mistress would gently squirm in her arms, and embracing that small body, she felt a joy born of satisfied possessiveness. That sensation was irreplaceable, and such a mistress would belong to her alone.

Saranya savored the memory, her gaze drifting into a distant reverie. Beneath her mask, a blush slowly crept across her cheeks, descending all the way to her chin.

“!”

Beside her, Kaelan secretly squeezed her hand, causing Saranya’s shoulder to twitch as her mistress’s alert voice echoed in her mind:

‘[Down in the main hall, Aivy has entered… and Phillo is with her.]’

Saranya had grown accustomed to these mental transmissions. According to her mistress, it was a form of control magic; by implanting a magical tattoo on her and slowly nurturing and conditioning it, her mistress could gradually influence both her body and mind. While it sounded terrifying, her mistress had, thus far, only used this control magic to whisper secrets to her, or at most, to playfully tease her with the tattoo when the mood struck. It seemed her body hadn’t yet been developed to its final stage.

‘[Hey, did you hear that?]’

In truth, Kaelan had never forcibly possessed her body, a fact tied to her mistress’s unique preferences. Saranya understood that Kaelan desired no struggling, defiant demon-s*ave screaming “no” beneath her. Instead, Kaelan wanted her docile and compliant, her arms open to whatever was desired, yet still retaining a sliver of her own initiative to truly satisfy her mistress. Her mistress desired her absolute obedience, yet also reveled in her occasional rebellion. Kaelan would relentlessly ignite a fervent flame within Saranya’s heart, only to cruelly extinguish it, repeating the cycle endlessly. Unbeknownst to Saranya, at some point she had willingly surrendered herself to her mistress’s twisted expectations, to the extent that she had become utterly lost in the relationship herself.

A chill snaked down Saranya’s spine at the thought.

‘Was her current state truly her own will, or merely a consequence of the magic tattoo’s influence? Had her mistress truly refrained from manipulating her mind with magic…?’

‘No, no, no… it couldn’t be—’

Saranya’s pupils constricted, her breathing quickened, and she forced herself to clear her mind. She dared not, nor wished to, ponder such matters.

‘[What are you thinking?! How dare you zone out at a time like this!!]’

In her mind, Kaelan’s voice abruptly turned glacial, applying immense pressure to Saranya.

“Ah!”

Saranya flinched, pulling her neck back as if struck, and mouthed silently to her mistress,

“I… am… sorry…”

‘[Hmph, await my command. We’ll find a reason to extricate ourselves from here.]’

“Mm…”

According to their plan, as soon as Lenix appeared at the ball, the Shadowscale Gang would immediately cause a disturbance. As Nazareth had intended, Lenix would then be “forced” to evade the sudden incident, providing them with an opportunity to launch a joint attack and capture their target.

Kaelan took a sip of sweet wine to moisten her throat, then broke the silence:

“Miss Lenia, Mr. Dump, it was truly fortunate to encounter you today. I am very grateful for your hospitality, but as it’s getting late, Haia and I must take our leave—”

Before the witch could finish her sentence, the orchestral music from outside abruptly ceased, and the dancing crowd paused, erupting instead into even more fervent cheers.

Hearing the commotion, Lenia gazed towards the hall, a look of keen interest on her face.

“Ah… she’s here.”

“Who?”

“The mistress of this place, Lenix.”

“What?!”

Saranya pressed against the crystal panel, her gaze fixed intently on a figure in the main hall.

From her profile, she appeared to be a curvaceous young woman, standing on the grand staircase leading to the main hall. She wore a pale blue lace dress and a floral wreath on her head, her skin as smooth and fair as jade, presenting an image of pure innocence and charm.

‘That is… Lenix.’

Beside Lenix stood several stunning, scantily clad young women. Some had scales covering their legs, others bore beast ears or horns on their heads, while still others sported fluffy tails above their buttocks. In short, the lineage of these maidens was certainly not human.

With a graceful gesture from Lenix, the exotic maidens descended the staircase, their faces adorned with alluring smiles as they slowly meandered through the crowd. People fervently stretched out their fingertips, eager to touch their beast ears and tails. The nobles in the front rows, stripped of all aristocratic pride, knelt on the ground, shuffling forward on their knees, desperate to embrace the maidens’ jade-like legs.

The maidens, clearly accustomed to such scenes, maintained their composure with practiced ease. They gracefully fended off overly eager hands while carefully watching their steps to avoid being tripped by the surrounding throng. Yet, no matter how skillfully the maidens navigated the crowd, the scene was steadily spiraling out of control. More and more people pressed in around them, and with their “little heads controlling their big heads,” these utterly deranged nobles would soon engulf them entirely, making the inevitable outcome all too clear.

“How… how utterly insane, these ‘furry’ enthusiasts…”

Saranya watched, her face flushed and heart pounding, and at the same time, she thought she heard Lenia across from her let out a distinct slurp. She couldn’t help but frown slightly.

‘She finally understood. So Lenia’s role as a “distinguished guest” at Tidal Mirror Hall was merely to peek at such sordid affairs?’

‘What was wrong with Dump? How could a respectable university lecturer befriend someone as frivolous as Lenia…?’

She muttered inwardly, then turned to glance at Lenia, only to realize Lenia wasn’t watching the crystal panel at all. Instead, she had been staring at Saranya the entire time. Even when their gazes met, Lenia made no attempt to hide her intent; a glint of greed flashed in her deep green eyes as she licked away the drool that had gathered at the corner of her lips.

“Ah… ah?”

Saranya jumped, startled, and fearfully shifted her gaze, scooting her seat closer to her mistress.

Kaelan remained motionless in her seat, and Saranya observed that her mistress’s attention was entirely fixed on Lenix.

“So the dryad sister is truly engaging in such practices…”

The young witch’s eyes dimmed, her expression tinged with the desolation of shattered ideals.

“See, Haia, this is how they ensnare Vero’s elite.”

Despite Lenia using Saranya’s alias, a chill still ran through Saranya’s entire body. She displayed a look of disgust, her tone sharply impatient:

“So what? Is there anything honorable about such methods?”

“Certainly not honorable, but consider this: Lenix has spent years cultivating a vast network of high-ranking connections within the Sisterhood through these very means, amassing immense power in the process. If, and I mean *if*, someone with ill intentions were to challenge her, can you imagine what fate would befall those who dared to overstep their bounds?”

“Eh?!”