Category: As a villain, I just want them to behave

Chapter 89: The Holy Maiden Chrissy

Under the soft light of the study, black and white intertwined.

Winnie’s black hair danced, revealing her fair and perfect body.

Kailun couldn’t find a single flaw in her. No matter how carefully he observed, she was an incredibly alluring creature.

With one hand on her smooth, fragrant shoulder and the other on her slender waist, Kailun adapted to Winnie’s rhythm and danced with her, swirling and twirling in the study.

As a noble, although Kailun didn’t like dancing much, he still knew the basic steps.

Compared to his past self, he preferred watching the girls dance in front of him.

But now that he was participating, he discovered a different kind of pleasure.

This special skin-to-skin contact increased his excitement. As they moved, their bodies pressed against each other, and he could enjoy every beautiful part of Winnie.

She was like a doll in Kailun’s palm, constantly falling into his rhythm under his guidance.

Perhaps the ordinary dance steps were too simple, so Kailun increased the difficulty. He made her spin, jump, and even lifted one of her legs onto his shoulder, making her stand on one leg.

As a girl, Winnie possessed incredible flexibility. Even such difficult movements couldn’t trouble her. She could maintain her balance on just one leg.

“Thump!”

This was, after all, a dance that required perfect coordination between two people. Because she was standing on one leg, Winnie was quickly pressed against the wall by Kailun.

Her soft body pressed against Kailun’s sturdy chest. She only needed to turn her head slightly to hear his hot breath.

As if to punish her, Kailun’s heart pierced her body.

“Hmm~”

Winnie bit her lip and let out a soft hum. Her eyes flashed with confusion.

Instinctively, she pushed Kailun back, until they were no longer against the wall.

Soon, a second round of dancing began. Their movements were intense, a constant attack and defense. As soon as he touched her soft defenses, Winnie leaned back, tilting her body backwards.

Fortunately, Kailun had already increased his agility beforehand, so he quickly wrapped his arms around Winnie’s slender waist, preventing her from falling too far when she leaned back.

“Pfft!”

Through twists and turns, through conflict, there would eventually be a result. The loser was the one whose heart was pierced.

Because of her unwillingness to accept defeat, Winnie’s tears flowed down her cheeks… In a somewhat strange pose, they brought their first dance to a perfect end.

But this was just the beginning. Kailun still had a lot to learn.

Later, he even made Winnie lie on the table and write for him. He couldn’t help it. He really couldn’t spare a hand.

It was just that Winnie’s handwriting was really ugly. It was crooked and messy, as if she had suffered tremendous torture while writing.

…

【Winnie is being eroded by mental pollution. Favorability +10】

【Winnie is disgusted by your attitude of playing and then denying it. Favorability -10, Total Favorability -90】

Watching Winnie limp away, clutching her clothes, Kailun nodded in satisfaction.

Yes, that was exactly the effect he wanted.

He hated it when her favorability increased inexplicably. The look of disgust in her eyes was so interesting.

Kailun calmly cleaned the room using magic, then sat back on his chair.

It was already twelve o’clock. The relevant plans were finished with Winnie’s help.

Although Winnie’s handwriting was ugly, he could still barely recognize it. He could consider it a form of artificial encryption.

He tucked the plan, which was stained with tears, into his arms and confirmed again that his thinking was correct.

After returning to his room and taking a shower, he was ambushed by Anna and the others.

Perhaps because he was going to be away for a while, Anna was particularly clingy tonight.

After raising Anna and Ella’s favorability to 85 and 0, respectively, Kailun finished tonight’s daily tasks. His overall attributes had increased slightly again.

It’s worth mentioning that Afra was still the first to fall. She was no match for this kind of battlefield. She was even weaker than Anna.

The next morning, Kailun led everyone out early.

As for the room assignments, he, Afra, and Winnie were in one room, Carol, Vivian, and Isabella were in another, and the older princess, Hilna, and Knight Shirley were in the smallest room.

The last remaining room was assigned to Eve and the three young knights.

Simply put, it was a scene of blooming spring. After all, for Kailun, this expedition was more like a picnic than a military campaign.

It wasn’t that he was so arrogant that he looked down on everyone. It was that the other side was truly not strong enough.

If the Xiya Kingdom was easily conquered because the old King was terminally ill, the older princess was incompetent, and he knew everything that was going to happen, then the neighboring Malaga Kingdom was a rotten sieve that had been infiltrated by the Divine Temple, full of weaknesses.

Everyone had exercised restraint when things were still peaceful, but now that the storm had begun, the so-called restraint had vanished.

The Divine Temple’s two hundred thousand people were indeed numerous, but that was their limit. They would be sending more people to the Abyss.

For them, the Abyss was the greatest enemy.

According to the Divine Temple’s orders, each country had to send out an army of over fifty thousand and donate over one hundred thousand gold coins to participate in this so-called “war for the survival of humanity.”

But less than half of the countries responded to the Divine Temple’s call. The Rose Queen next door not only ignored the request, but she even declared war in front of the Divine Temple. She was truly a formidable figure.

In fact, many kingdoms were waiting for the Divine Temple to be consumed by the Abyss. They had suffered enough at the hands of the Divine Temple.

At present, the Divine Temple was still the dominant force, after all, they had sucked the blood of so many kingdoms and the Abyss.

According to his memories from his previous life, the Abyss’s counterattack would happen after Carol grew up.

This time, Kailun had twenty thousand men march in batches, keeping a low profile. His carriage was in the center of the entire force.

At the end of the line, there was a group of nobles locked in cages. He brought these nobles with him because their territories were on the road he had to travel. Duke Colette was among them.

Since he was already passing by, Kailun couldn’t resist the temptation to grab a few more sheep for his flock.

He roughly estimated that the Xiya Kingdom’s western border garrison had thirty thousand soldiers, the Grand Duke’s Knights escorting the magic cannons had twenty thousand, the Silver Moon Knights had twenty thousand, and adding the three thousand troops who had already set out, his total force had reached one hundred thousand.

Although it was one hundred thousand fewer than the Divine Temple, it was enough.

After quickly taking over the Malaga Kingdom, Kailun would settle the score with the Rose Queen next door. She had caused significant losses to his family.

“Carol, is there anything you don’t understand?”

In the only living room in the mobile palace, Kailun was sitting by the window, holding Carol, and teaching her about magic.

He had been too busy lately to pay attention to this ultimate boss. Now that he was on “vacation,” he could spend more time with her.

Kailun always treated Carol sincerely. After all, his thoughts couldn’t deceive her talent.

“I think I understand. It feels like I already knew it, and now I can understand it just by looking at it.” Carol leaned against Kailun, her face flushed.

She didn’t know why, but every time she heard about magic, some fragments of memories would flash in her mind, as if this knowledge had already been engraved in her brain.

Along with those memories, she also remembered her dislike of Isabella. This dislike was more like an instinct.

She hated Isabella, hated those who played with fate. In her hazy memories, there seemed to be a fox she disliked.

“Such an enviable talent. If I had half your talent, I wouldn’t have ended up like that.”

Kailun pinched Carol’s face, which was starting to develop a little flesh. Under his careful nurturing, her figure was gradually becoming more shapely and graceful.

Compared to brutally polluting her spirit with his own talent, Kailun enjoyed the thrill of nurturing her.

Especially the sense of accomplishment of raising the ultimate boss into a personal maid was addictive.

“Carol, have you ever left the royal city?”

After a brief moment of longing, Kailun looked out the window at the scenery receding behind them.

Carol shook her head, her eyes filled with sadness, “No. For the past ten years, our family has been struggling to survive. We’re lucky to be alive.
Mother once said she would take me away from the royal city, but she never saved enough money to leave.”

“Then, for this week, I’ll take you to see the world and see different scenery.”

Kailun stroked Carol’s head, his gaze drifting into the distance.

…

In the castle of Colette’s territory, two men in their fifties couldn’t help but excitedly converse.

Colette’s eldest son couldn’t help but confirm again, “Father was really captured? Is the news accurate?”

His younger brother, who was also in his fifties, nodded, “The news is accurate. Father and the other nobles were all captured yesterday morning. We haven’t heard from them since. They’re probably dead, judging from Kailun’s methods.”

“That’s great… I mean, it’s so sad. But Father has been sitting in the position of lord for so long, it’s time for him to step down.”

“What if Kailun attacks?”

“How is that possible? Don’t think about it too much. Justin’s followers are almost ready to attack. He won’t have time to deal with us.”

“That’s right. Since Father was killed by Kailun, we’ll take over his position, manage the territory well, and there won’t be any problems, right?”

“Yes, that’s right. To commemorate Father’s bravery, we should hold a three-day and three-night banquet to mourn his passing.”

“I’ll definitely shed the most tears.”

“Hahaha!”

The two exchanged glances and couldn’t help but laugh.

…

“Holy Maiden, are you really going to leave the Holy Son behind and go to the Malaga Kingdom alone?”

At the same time, the Holy Maiden’s personal maid asked her about her future plans.

In the luxurious room, the Holy Maiden was half-lying on the bed with a thin gauze canopy, reading a book. Her jade-like smooth legs were swinging restlessly on the canopy, unable to settle down.

She picked up a juicy fruit from the fruit plate beside the bed, bit into it, and swallowed it, “Why wouldn’t I go? I feel like something big is going to happen in the Malaga Kingdom. If we go too late, we might miss the fun.
As for that stupid Holy Son, let him continue to ask people to come out of retirement. That old man is not easy to please.”

The “old man” the Holy Maiden Chrissy was referring to was a special envoy of the Divine Temple, named Kailson. He was an 8th-rank and intimidated the surrounding kingdoms.

But this person loved to study magic. He wouldn’t leave his house unless it was absolutely necessary.

She and the Holy Son had already asked him twice, but they were both turned away.

The Pope told them to try to persuade him to come out of retirement this time when they went to the Xiya Kingdom. Only then could they be sure of success.

But in Chrissy’s opinion, this was just an extra layer of insurance. Because of her unique inheritance method, she herself was already a 7th-rank.

Although she was a clergy member, she was one of those with combat power. Ordinary 7th-ranks might not be able to defeat her.

Confident in her strength, Chrissy considered investigating the anomalies in the Xiya Kingdom as a picnic.

The maid hesitated for a moment and asked, “When do you plan to leave, Holy Maiden?”

“This afternoon. We’ll arrive in the Malaga Kingdom, which is next to the Xiya Kingdom, in a few days. Then, we’ll see the situation and decide what to do next.
I heard from the intelligence department that there’s a freak in the Xiya Kingdom named Kailun. They say he’s incredibly cunning, scheming, ruthless, and skilled at manipulating people’s hearts.
I’m curious to see if he can predict my arrival.”

As if she suddenly thought of something, she put down the magic book in her hand and asked, “Oh, right. I heard that the Pure Desire Maiden from the Loya Ball has arrived in the Xiya Kingdom. Do you have any new information about her?”

The maid shook her head, “I’m sorry, Holy Maiden, the information the intelligence department sent back was from a few days ago. At that time, she had just invited Kailun to the Loya Ball.
I don’t know what kind of agreement they reached, but the Loya Ball directly gifted Kailun a top-tier Loya dance troupe. They were extremely generous.”

Chrissy picked up another fruit, bit into it, and swallowed it, “It seems the change in the fate lines is really related to this Kailun. Otherwise, the Pure Desire Maiden wouldn’t have gone to him.
She rushed to the Xiya Kingdom. Maybe she divined some important information. It’s a pity that she doesn’t want to tell anyone.”

The Pure Desire Maiden’s talent in fate magic was well-known. Many people said that she could reach the pinnacle of fate magic.

Chrissy lifted the canopy and stepped onto the carpet with bare feet. Her long golden hair cascaded down with her movements, like a golden river flowing.

Her perfect jade feet sank slightly into the velvet of the carpet. Her small, delicate fingernails sparkled with a captivating light under the sunlight.

Looking up from her feet, her calves were slender and alluring, her thighs full but not fleshy, a perfect balance of not being too thin or too fat.

As if to highlight this beauty, Chrissy took a black leg ring from the bedside table and tied it around her thigh, cleverly creating a circle of soft flesh.

Finally, she took a clean knee-high stocking from the bed and put it on, letting it contrast beautifully with her fair skin.

She only wore one stocking. She liked this feeling of breaking the balance, this asymmetrical beauty.

Chrissy herself was extremely beautiful. She had a perfect and pure face, dazzling golden hair, alluring body curves, and perfect body proportions.

At first glance, she gave off a holy feeling, but at second glance, one’s eyes would unconsciously fall on her legs, on those jade legs that could be considered a masterpiece of the world.

The mismatched decorations on her legs perfectly broke her holiness, making people unconsciously want to bully her, to defile her.

Even Chrissy’s maid couldn’t escape this powerful attraction. She looked at Chrissy’s stocking-clad jade legs and swallowed, inexplicably wanting to lick them.

If not for her clear understanding of her own status, the maid might have even lunged forward, hugged Chrissy’s beautiful legs, and shouted, “Holy Maiden, I want to be your dog!”

At that moment, the maid seemed to understand why the Holy Maiden could command the Holy Son like a dog. She felt that the title “Pure Desire Maiden” should belong to Chrissy.

“Hmm~”

Chrissy raised her arms and stretched, her alluring figure inviting fantasy.

She looked out the window and said excitedly, “I can’t wait to see if this Kailun is really as amazing as the intelligence reports say.
If it comes to manipulating people’s hearts, I’d say I’m second to none.”

…

“Achoo!”

Close to noon, Kailun, who was playing chess with the older princess, suddenly sneezed. He felt like someone was plotting against him.

He rubbed his nose, glanced at the chessboard that was heading towards a disastrous end, and urged, “Your Highness, make your move quickly. Chess is like a battlefield. You’ve been thinking for five minutes. That much time on a battlefield is enough for me to steal your home.”

Across from Kailun, Hilna was clearly in a cage. She could only reach the chessboard by extending her hand out of the cage.

The bet for the chess game was simple. If she could beat Kailun once, he would release someone for her so that she could sleep on the soft bed in a room.

Even though there was a bed, Kailun would rather leave it empty than let them sleep. He was simply insane.

As the price of defeat, she had to take off one piece of clothing for every game she lost.

However, the chess game had reached the seventh round, and Hilna was about to be completely naked, yet she hadn’t seen a glimmer of victory.

She covered her full chest with one hand, shielding her most vital area, and reached out of the cage with the other hand, trembling as she touched the chess pieces.

Her red hair cascaded down in front of her, covering a large area of her skin, but the soft flesh that squeezed out from between her arms was still so eye-catching.

To conceal her body as much as possible, she was playing against Kailun in a kneeling position. After all, she was only wearing her underwear.

If she lost this round, she would have to personally take off her underwear in front of Kailun…

Hilna held her remaining chess pieces, hesitating. From the look of the game, she was clearly defeated.

“By the way, you can actually have Shirley pay the price for your losses. Why don’t you ask her for help?”

Kailun turned towards Shirley, who was also in a cage. Her cage was much bigger than Hilna’s. It was even lined with soft, clean blankets. In comparison, the older princess was much more miserable.

As a villain who manipulated people’s hearts, Kailun constantly emphasized the difference between them in front of Hilna.

He made her constantly feel that others ate better, wore better clothes, and lived better than her, slowly corrupting her heart with this difference.

This method might not have immediate results, but once she noticed it herself, it would have a magical effect.

As for asking Shirley to share the price of her defeat, it was just to continue driving a wedge between them.

The older princess was lucky. She had a loyal knight like Shirley, but how long could this loyalty last with his help?

Hearing Kailun’s suggestion, Hilna looked at Shirley with a troubled expression. She didn’t want to be completely naked in front of Kailun, and she didn’t want Shirley to pay the price for her. This was her chess game.

“I’m willing to pay the price for Your Highness!”

Shirley didn’t even hesitate. She took off her long skirt, revealing her fair arms and thighs.

“Why are you doing this?”

Hilna sighed. The chess piece in her hand fell onto the board. She knew clearly that there was no chance of a comeback.

“Is the older princess still playing? I can give you another piece this time.” Kailun looked at Hilna’s figure with a smile.

If Kailun gave her another piece, she would have a huge advantage. Should she try again?

Hilna was incredibly conflicted. She had already lost so much. Should she give up here?

“Are you serious? I’ve already given you two pieces. Does the older princess not even have that much confidence?
Besides, don’t you have your tool, Shirley? Just have her pay the price for you. As long as you can achieve victory in the end, wouldn’t all this sacrifice be worth it?”

Kailun’s voice had a seductive tone, making Hilna ponder for a moment.

Words infused with mental pollution were incredibly effective on Hilna, whose heart was wavering.

“Continue!”

This time, Hilna didn’t even ask Shirley’s permission.

All she could think about was how to defeat Kailun and wash away her humiliation.

“A wise choice. Then, let the older princess make the first move this time.”

After setting up the pieces, Kailun, with a gentlemanly demeanor, removed two pieces.

“Click, click, click!”

The sound of chess pieces being moved became more intense. Hilna entered a rapid pace. This time, she lasted even less time.

“You lost.”

“You lost again.”

“Oh, you lost again.”

“…”

“Wow, you’re lucky. You actually won.”

Hearing Kailun say that she had won, Hilna stared in disbelief, her eyes wide. Did she finally win?

“Since you won, I’ll release someone.”

Kailun put away the chessboard and walked to Shirley’s cage. Looking at Shirley, who was completely naked, Kailun gave her a gentlemanly smile, then opened the door so she could come out.

But Shirley didn’t choose to come out. Under Kailun’s gaze, she could only hug herself and squat in the corner, minimizing the amount of skin exposed.

She glanced at the older princess, her eyes filled with a hint of resentment.

“Why release Shirley?” Hilna, who was completely dazed, asked unconsciously.

“I said I would release someone if you won, but who I release is my choice. And isn’t Shirley your comrade-in-arms?”

Leaving behind a question that would further drive a wedge between them, Kailun hugged the clothes Hilna had taken off and left the room.

Of course, to emphasize this difference in treatment, Shirley’s clothes were still left in the room.

After Kailun left the room, Hilna and Shirley exchanged glances and lowered their heads.

******

Holy Maiden(Saintess) Chrissy:

Chapter 88: The Night Before the Expedition

“You pervert! Release the princess, or I’ll fight you to the death!”

As if worried that Kailun hadn’t heard, Shirley, holding a longsword in one hand and a scroll in the other, shouted again.

Judging from the style of the scroll, it was probably a 6th-rank magic scroll.

Hearing Shirley’s voice and imagining the scene she had misunderstood, Hilna, with tears in her eyes, chewed the banana in her mouth and swallowed it.

Her mood was a bit sour, so she took another bite of the banana with resentment.

However, in Shirley’s eyes, this was a display of depravity. Her mood immediately plummeted, “Your Highness, how can you be so… so foolish? It’s all my fault for not protecting you…”

Hilna: “…”

She didn’t want to explain. She just wanted to find a corner and huddle there with her head in her hands.

“Oh, isn’t this our Knight Shirley? Why are you so down in the dumps after a few days?”

Kailun removed the hood of his robe, revealing his face to Shirley.

“You devil, Kailun! You dare to do such a filthy thing to the princess! Even if I die, I won’t let you go!”

Shirley clenched the scroll in her hand. In her eyes, Kailun, who could kill Duke Stamp in a single blow, was far stronger than her.

Even with the help of forbidden drugs, he was at least a 6th-rank.

Although she wasn’t confident of defeating Kailun, she couldn’t bear to witness the older princess being humiliated by him. She added, “Your Highness, don’t worry. Even if I can’t defeat this demon, I’ll kill you and save you from his humiliation.”

In Shirley’s eyes, the dignity of the royal family was above all else.

Hilna felt a headache coming on when she heard Shirley’s words, “That… Can’t I live a little longer?”

“Shut up and eat your banana.”

As soon as Hilna finished speaking, Kailun shoved the remaining half of the banana into her mouth.

He raised his head and looked at Shirley not far away, “Speaking of which, Shirley, do you remember what I said about how you should apologize if I caught you again?”

Hilna patted Kailun’s arm. She wanted to warn Shirley to escape, but her mouth was stuffed, so she couldn’t speak.

Shirley didn’t respond. She stared coldly at Kailun and activated the magic scroll in her hand. The blue scroll turned into a one-meter-long blue arrow and shot towards Kailun.

“Whoosh!”

A “whoosh” sound pierced through the air. Looking again at the place where Kailun was standing, a translucent magic shield suddenly appeared in front of him, blocking all the damage from the arrow.

Before the arrow’s magic power ran out, the magic shield in front of Kailun didn’t show any cracks.

“You… you can actually do magic?” Shirley asked in astonishment. Her impression of him was still stuck at the time when Kailun slashed Duke Stamp with a sword.

“As a 1st-rank magician, it’s quite normal for me to know some magic, isn’t it?”

Kailun shrugged. With his current attribute level, if he spent more time, he might even be able to cast 8th-rank magic.

It was a pity that he hadn’t reached the level of an 8th-rank magician in his previous life, so naturally, he didn’t have 8th-rank magic in this life.

To get 8th-rank magic formations, he still had to start with the Abyss.

Hilna, kneeling on the ground, was so surprised that she didn’t realize the banana in her mouth had fallen to the ground.

In her eyes, Kailun had constructed a 7th-rank magic shield in less than a second. Its condensation level and speed far exceeded hers.

And this time, Kailun hadn’t taken any forbidden drugs. He had clearly achieved this level with his own strength.

Thinking of Kailun’s age, Hilna couldn’t help but shiver. This wasn’t just breaking records, it was creating miracles.

Learning magic was a very long process. Unless one was exceptionally talented, it was difficult to speed up the process.

Moreover, the transition from 6th-rank to 7th-rank was a watershed moment between intermediate and advanced levels. Very few people could cross this threshold. After all, a 7th-rank was considered a top-tier combat power in the Xiya Kingdom.

Now, not only was her intelligence inferior to Kailun’s, but even her pride and joy, her strength, was weaker than his. Hilna thought about it and automatically squatted beside the tree stump, retreating into her own world.

“Impossible. No one can be both a magician and a close-combat fighter.”

Shirley shook her head in disbelief. She could cast magic only because of the magic scroll. At present, she was just a 5th-rank Knight.

Kailun walked towards Shirley’s position calmly, step by step, “I’ve told you, a magician who can’t fight isn’t a good villain. Since you’ve come to me, I’ll accept you with the utmost respect.”

“Click!”

Kailun snapped his fingers. Red magic chains shot out from his body towards Shirley, binding her tightly in an instant.

Because of the special way he tied her up, it made certain parts of Shirley’s body look unusually prominent.

“You pervert! Just kill me. You can’t humiliate a Knight like this.” Shirley lowered her head, looking at her chest, and said in anger and shame.

Her plan had failed again.

In fact, she had thought of many ways to deal with him in the past three days, but none of them worked.

The scroll in her hand just now was the last one she had found in the princess’s study. Other than that, she had no means of confronting Kailun.

To be honest, if not for her stubbornness, she would have given up long ago.

But thinking of the princess being played around with and forced into various strange poses by Kailun in the dungeon, she was filled with rage.

“Look, you’ve already called me a pervert. If I don’t do things that match the image of a pervert, won’t I be at a loss?”

Kailun used his finger to forcefully flick Shirley’s smooth forehead.

Although she felt the pain, she gritted her teeth and didn’t make a sound. In this regard, she was much more resilient than the older princess.

It was precisely because of this resilience that such a tough knight was not easy to break.

“Shirley, as someone who has been through this, I have to tell you a truth. When others slander you for doing something wrong, the best thing to do is to actually do it, and do it even more.
Otherwise, if you haven’t done anything but are still being slandered maliciously, that feeling of being wronged will make you unable to sleep.”

As he spoke, Kailun’s hand had already reached Shirley’s face and pinched her nose.

“Why don’t you release the princess? I can exchange places with her. I’m more obedient than her.”

Because her nose was pinched, Shirley’s voice was muffled.

She had noticed through her peripheral vision that the older princess was actually eating a banana, not something strange, so her mood improved somewhat.

Although it was still indecent, at least her last bit of dignity was preserved.

“No, they’re all my prey. Why do I have to make a choice? And you don’t know this, but the older princess is actually quite obedient now. Don’t believe me? I’ll demonstrate it to you.”

Kailun released Shirley’s nose and beckoned to Hilna beside the tree stump, “Come here, little doggy. It’s time to go home.”

Although Hilna wanted to resist, she followed her heart and walked over. Standing and walking was her last shred of dignity.

Kailun took the chain from Hilna’s hand and held it, “See? Isn’t the older princess very obedient?”

Shirley widened her eyes. When did the princess start to fall?

While Shirley was puzzled, a collar also appeared on her neck, and the slender chain was held in Kailun’s other hand.

Thus, with one in each hand, Kailun walked towards the manor.

Along the way, Shirley cast many strange glances at the older princess. The older princess dared only to lower her head and remain silent. She felt that her noble princess image had been completely ruined.

“Creak!”

Twenty minutes later, Kailun locked Shirley in the dungeon where the older princess was kept, and he put the older princess in the cage where Shirley had been, giving them a change of treatment.

“Same rules. Shirley, as long as you expose your chest, I’ll let you go. If you don’t want to go, I can change the condition to improving the older princess’s treatment.”

Kailun stood at Shirley’s door for a while, then squatted in front of the cage where the older princess was kept.

“I’m always fair. If the older princess can do the same thing, I’ll also improve your treatment. Of course, if you’re embarrassed, you can choose to order Shirley to do it.
For the older princess, issuing such an order shouldn’t be difficult, right?”

Kailun poked Hilna’s face through the cage, openly inciting a rift between her and Shirley.

Hilna, who was now quite clever, felt that as long as she didn’t respond, Kailun, the demon who sought pleasure, wouldn’t continue to torment her.

Seeing that Hilna didn’t respond, Kailun, who had many other things to attend to, didn’t choose to continue teasing her.

In his eyes, being able to catch Shirley, a big fish, was already considered a success. He still needed her help on the expedition.

Compared to Hilna, Shirley was actually more useful now.

It wasn’t until Kailun left the dungeon that Hilna sighed and looked at Shirley, “You didn’t have to come and save me. This demon wouldn’t give you a chance to save me.”

“I’m Your Highness’s Knight. I said I would protect you.” Shirley shook her head.

“Why are you doing this? Kailun, this demon, loves to play with people’s minds. He won’t give up until he’s broken us.
Oh, it’s all my fault for attacking him back then. Otherwise, things might be completely different now.”

Hilna leaned against the cage. The more she compared herself to Kailun, the more useless she felt. Her once-proud heart was quietly crumbling.

He always achieved the greatest victory with the least cost. If he could really conquer the Malaga Kingdom within a week as he said, maybe the Xiya Kingdom really had the potential to rise.

But all this had nothing to do with her anymore. She was just a common, defeated person.

Hilna leaned her head on her knees and pondered. Her beautiful red hair drooped down, as if losing all its vitality.

Shirley watched Hilna, who had lost her confidence, and wanted to do something, but she was trapped in the dungeon and couldn’t do anything.

…

Time flew by, and by the afternoon, the Grand Duke’s ten thousand gold coins had arrived at Kailun’s manor.

Besides the ten thousand gold coins, there were also gold and silver jewelry sent by the Duchess. Kailun selected some expensive and exquisite jewelry for Afra and the others, and he would sell the rest to Ella’s merchant guild.

As for jewelry, he had enough. It was better to convert the excess into gold coins.

It’s worth mentioning that besides gold coins and jewelry, the Grand Duke also thoughtfully sent over a brand new “motorhome.”

Compared to a carriage, this was a special creation produced by an alchemical kingdom. Its internal space was as large as four small rooms, and it could even activate a magic shield to defend against 7th-rank early stage magic bombardment.

As long as it had enough magic power, its speed was comparable to a carriage, making it the perfect choice for traveling and commuting.

The only problem was that it was too expensive. Such a vehicle would cost fifty thousand gold coins. The wealthy Grand Duke, who had just received the vehicle, hadn’t had time to enjoy it before sending it to Kailun.

Of course, if not for the Duchess’s “strong suggestion,” the Grand Duke wouldn’t have been willing to part with it.

Initially, it was called a mobile fortress and used for military warfare, but later, it was favored by nobles as a mobile palace for traveling and going on picnics.

After making a simple personnel arrangement, Kailun wouldn’t be taking everyone on this expedition.

First, someone had to stay behind to look after the manor and report on the situation in the kingdom. Second, the fortress had limited capacity, so there was no need for everyone to go along and rough it.

After determining the personnel for the trip, Kailun found the little princess and told her about the latest arrangements.

“So, you’re going to leave me here to watch the house?”

Vivian’s adorable little face showed obvious displeasure, “Why don’t you take me with you? Why take Isabella instead?”

She bared her little tiger teeth, as if trying to scare people with them, but she didn’t know that her actions always gave Kailun bad associations.

“Isabella’s divination can be helpful for the upcoming march, so I have to take her with me on this expedition to work for me.
The reason I’m not taking you is because there isn’t enough room. Unless you’re willing to stay in the carriage all the time and get tossed around.”

Kailun shrugged helplessly. If it were anyone else, he would have directly issued an order. But Vivian deserved a little bit of special treatment.

“I can sleep on the floor. You can’t leave me out of such fun things.” Vivian pointed at the mobile palace parked in front of the villa.

Kailun looked at her in surprise, “You really want to sleep on the floor?”

“Hmm.” She nodded.

Kailun rubbed Vivian’s head as if he were coaxing a child, “Alright, since you said so, I’ll let you and Isabella share a bed. You’re both little ones, so you won’t take up much space.”

Originally, he had planned to lower Vivian’s favorability to -100, but who knew that her favorability inexplicably turned positive. If he tried to lower it again, he would be torturing himself.

Although she didn’t like being called a “little one,” Vivian, who had achieved her goal, didn’t dwell on it. She rubbed Kailun’s palm and asked, “Are you taking my sister on this expedition?”

Kailun said, “Of course, why wouldn’t I? This expedition is a key part of her training. If she wasn’t there, I would miss a lot of fun.”

Vivian: “What about Winnie?”

Kailun: “As for Winnie, it depends on her performance tonight.”

Vivian: “…”

She knew that this demon, Kailun, only cared about his own comfort.

…

【Father, Mother, please escape from this den of demons, the Xiya Kingdom. Don’t believe Kailun’s words. He’s a demon, a bastard.】

【He’s using your safety to threaten me, forcing me to submit. So, please, take all the family members and escape.】

【It doesn’t matter where you go, just don’t stay in the Xiya Kingdom. Only when you escape his control will I have a chance to escape…】

Winnie wrote a letter to Laurist and his wife, telling them the truth. When they saw the letter, they initially thought it was a prank.

But when they saw the familiar handwriting and tone, they believed that the content of the letter was true.

Thinking of Kailun’s brutal side, they believed even more in their daughter’s pitiful plight.

“What should we do now? Our daughter is still in that Great Demon King’s hands. Quickly think of a way to rescue her!”

Laurist’s wife paced anxiously in the room. The thought of her daughter being bullied made her heart ache.

“Rescue… rescue… Of course, I want to rescue her, but Kailun has a strong army. What can I do to save her?
And today, Kailun was quite nice to me. I think there’s a chance to get along with him. Why don’t we try?”

Laurist was calculating in his heart. Kailun had already become the ruler of a kingdom, so how could he care about a small family like his?

Besides, he had heard that Phil’s family hadn’t attended today’s voting session and were perfectly fine.

Hearing this, Laurist’s wife walked over to Laurist and said angrily, “Do you believe our daughter or that demon’s words?”

“This…”

After thinking for a long time, Laurist still stood on Winnie’s side. After all, Kailun’s brutality had left him with too many psychological shadows.

“Alright, let’s evacuate the family from the Xiya Kingdom first. We’ll see if there’s a chance to rescue our daughter later.”

Laurist’s wife instinctively asked, “Where should we go?”

Laurist said, “Let’s go to the Malaga Kingdom. It’s quite close.”

…

“Winnie, you really are a natural rebel. You’re so pitiful, yet you still ask your family to write a letter. It’s truly an eye-opener.”

Around five o’clock in the afternoon, Kailun found Winnie in her room.

“You know?” Winnie was startled and quickly stood up from her chair.

Kailun said, “Come on, do you really think you can hide what you’re doing from me? I have every reason to believe that you’re betraying me before the war.
According to kingdom law, I have reason to carry out a devastating attack on the Laurist family, who have received important information.
What suggestions do you have, Miss Winnie?”

“I’m sorry, I was wrong. I won’t dare to do it again!” Winnie slid down and knelt on the ground, skillfully hugging Kailun’s leg.

She hated herself for having a glimmer of hope. She wanted to escape. She didn’t want to live under Kailun’s clutches anymore.

She didn’t want to experience that kind of excruciating despair again.

“Actually, as long as you’re obedient, why would I ever deliberately make things difficult for you?”

Kailun stroked Winnie’s hair, “This time, I can let your mistake go, but only if your dance satisfies me.
If you make a mistake again, the punishment will be the same, understand?”

Winnie: “I understand…”

【Your shamelessness has lowered Winnie’s favorability by 10. Total Favorability -90】

“That’s a pretty good evaluation. Come to my study after dinner. If you perform well, I’ll take you with me on the expedition tomorrow.”

Kailun left a sentence behind as Winnie looked at him in confusion. She didn’t understand what he meant by “evaluation.”

Leaving the sweet fruit for after dinner, Kailun returned to his room and asked the little maid, Carol, to help him pack his luggage.

During dinner, Kailun told everyone about the expedition and decided to leave Anna, Ella, and Phil behind.

Ella had to stay because she had to manage the merchant guild. As for Anna and Phil, they had to stay and watch the house for him.

He would leave a thousand Silver Moon Knights to guard the manor, and there would be a defensive force of over ten thousand in the royal city.

He needed people he could trust to keep him informed about the situation in the royal city. This task couldn’t be entrusted to outsiders.

With a favorability of 80 and 91, respectively, they were completely trustworthy.

Although Anna was reluctant about Kailun’s decision, she agreed. Phil, on the other hand, looked annoyed.

It wasn’t until Kailun suggested raising her family to the level of a Viscount that she became as happy as a husky.

For Phil, there were two things she pursued: Kailun’s whipping and her family’s status.

Winnie, sitting at the dinner table, couldn’t help but cast envious glances at Phil, whose family had been elevated to Viscount status. She wondered if she could have the same opportunity if she worked hard enough?

But this naive thought lasted only a second before she denied it. After all, Kailun had completely different attitudes towards her and Phil.

After dinner, Kailun returned to his study to organize maps, plan routes, and further refine his plan.

The two kings hadn’t told Kailun about the hijacking of the gold coin transport vehicles from the Kaz Kingdom and the Maden Kingdom. They wanted to keep it from him for a while longer.

Kailun didn’t expose them. He just let them hang, planning to extort some more money from them later.

In the quiet night, Kailun worked until ten o’clock in the evening. He had almost forgotten about his request to Winnie. It wasn’t until a knock on the door sounded that he said, “Come in.”

“Click!”

The person who came in didn’t speak. Instead, the first thing they did was lock the study door.

Hearing the sound of the lock, Kailun turned his head and saw Winnie, dressed in tight clothing. Hmm, the same outfit as that night.

He simply put down his pen and paper, lay down on the chair, and looked at Winnie, “I don’t have much time. Please begin your performance.”

Winnie’s face flushed slightly. She gritted her teeth, walked to Kailun’s side, pulled him up, and stood with him in the empty space in the middle of the study.

“I’ll listen to you, but please don’t bully me anymore, okay?” She squeezed out her last bit of hope. She wanted to be treated a little better.

Just like that night at Lake Heart Pavilion, Winnie danced gracefully, following the steps she remembered.

The gorgeous clothes and her fair skin were captivating under the study’s lamplight. Her beautiful hair, smelling of roses, drifted around Kailun.

Her delicate skin brushed against Kailun’s arm, her full breasts pressed against his chest, and her impeccable long legs rested on his legs.

Her beautiful eyes contained resentment, anger, and a hint of shyness. Fortunately, Winnie saw the yearning in Kailun’s eyes. Otherwise, she would have doubted her own charm again.

The young girl was shy and bashful, like a ripe fruit that only needed to be peeled and enjoyed.

Chapter 87: Release the Princess!

“That damn thief! He dares to humiliate me like this! Once I return to my territory and gather my forces, I’ll make him pay!”

Duke Colette, standing outside the royal city in a small hut, cursed at the direction of the royal palace, his anger burning.

“Your Grace, we only have a little over thirty thousand ordinary troops. We absolutely cannot engage in a head-on battle with Kailun.”

A retainer waiting nearby hurriedly stopped Colette’s dangerous idea.

Although the Duke commanded thirty thousand direct troops, those troops were not of high quality. They could handle other nobles, but against Kailun’s well-trained Knights, it was uncertain.

“I was just saying. And I’m not fighting alone. Didn’t so many nobles escape? If we unite, we can definitely give him a taste of his own medicine.
And we don’t need to aim for victory. All we need to do is hold him down and create chaos within the kingdom, and our mission will be accomplished.
Then, when the Second Prince takes over the Xiya Kingdom with the Divine Temple, I might even be able to become a Duke.”

Colette indulged in his future fantasies. Except for his slightly chilled bottom, he was no longer as angry as before.

The retainer looked towards the royal city, then found a coat for Colette, “Your Grace, let’s leave quickly. This place is too close to the royal city. I have a bad feeling about it.”

“Hey, you’re being too cautious. There’s such a vast area outside the royal city. Kailun can’t keep an eye on every corner, can he? And it’s not just me. Can he catch all those nobles who escaped?
No, it’s impossible. As long as we retreat according to the planned route and spread the news about the palace, then his cruelty will make everyone fearful.”

Duke Colette glanced at the dozens of attendants accompanying him and laughed, “I laugh at that fool Kailun for being blind. If it were me, I would have taken a gradual approach, win over some nobles, divide others, and finally, watch them fight each other and then capture them all.
So, he’s still too young. Wants to be King? In his next life!”

“Report! Your Grace, a large force of Knights has appeared ahead. We are surrounded!”

As soon as the words were spoken, an attendant knelt before Colette and reported the situation.

“Say that again?” Colette asked incredulously.

He had just left, and he was already surrounded? Could it be that the other side was just lucky?

“Your Grace, we are surrounded. Based on the current situation, the possibility of us breaking through is zero.”

The attendant’s words once again pierced Colette’s heart, causing his blood pressure to rise again.

Skillfully taking out a blue potion from his pocket and drinking it, he pounded his chest and asked the retainer beside him, “Are there any other teleportation anchors?”

The retainer said helplessly, “Your Grace, have you forgotten? A teleportation scroll of this level can only establish one anchor at a time. It’s too late now.”

Colette was silenced by the retainer’s words.

After a long silence, he wrapped his coat around himself and said, “Do you think we have a chance if we surrender to the great new King now?”

The retainer: “???”

…

In the royal palace hall, the bloodstains had been cleaned up.

The reason for such high efficiency this time was due to Kailun’s warning. He kindly reminded the palace staff who were slacking off, telling them that if they cleaned slowly, they would be replaced.

Of course, the kind Kailun also gave them a choice, such as choosing between being cut in half at the waist or beheaded.

When the hall was filled with the fragrance of flowers, Kailun sat back on the throne and said, “According to the estimated time, the nobles should have been captured. I will have people take back their territories, wealth, and military power.
During this process, you may need to help manage things. I assume those of you who have signed the contract will not do anything wrong, right?”

The ones who escaped were the big fish. Those who died in the hall were just small fry used for intimidation.

Although this method was a bit extreme, it was considered a mission accomplished as long as it achieved its purpose.

Everyone left in the hall was his person. As long as no one leaked the news, who would know what happened today?

Besides, Kailun didn’t mind being a tyrant. As long as he grew fast enough, no one could punish him.

“We will obey your will, Your Majesty!”

The ministers in the hall responded in unison.

How dare they be greedy anymore? Their homes were surrounded, and they had signed a contract that was worse than slavery. Now, they were nothing but tools who only knew how to work.

Every time they closed their eyes, they would dream of their colleagues being cut in half at the waist. They would wake up from their dreams many times in a single night.

In their eyes, Kailun was like a Great Demon King, a great evil that could not be resisted by human power.

Now, they dared not resist Kailun. They could only silently hope in their hearts that someone would punish this devil.

“Your Majesty, now that you have become King, should we have a coronation ceremony so that the people of the whole country can celebrate together?”

A minister in the hall offered a suggestion, hoping to please Kailun.

“Coronation? Who will crown me, the Divine Temple? I don’t have time to waste on such trivial matters. It’s just an empty title. No matter what the world calls me, it won’t affect my control over the kingdom.
If we really want to hold a ceremony, just being King is too narrow-minded.
I’m not like some people, obsessed with the throne.”

After dealing with the ministers, Kailun looked at the older princess, who was squatting in a self-imposed exile on the throne, “Do you think I’m right, Your Highness?”

Hilna: “…”

She didn’t want to talk. She just wanted to squat here for the rest of her life, until the end of time.

At this moment, she suddenly understood why Winnie always huddled in the corner and squatted with her head in her hands.

“How about this? Since Your Highness likes the throne so much, let’s have a bet with the throne?” Kailun tugged at the collar around her neck.

The older princess had lost all face today. Everyone knew that she had become a little slave who massaged his legs.

“A bet? What do you want to bet on?”

A ripple of curiosity appeared in Hilna’s eyes. She didn’t understand what she could possibly bet with Kailun.

Kailun leaned close to her ear and whispered, “Let’s bet on whether I can conquer the neighboring Malaga Kingdom within a week. If I lose, I’ll give you the throne you’ve been longing for.”

Hilna swallowed nervously, “What do I need to pay if you win?”

“Since I’m putting up something as important as the throne, shouldn’t Your Highness also put up something equally important?” Kailun stared into her eyes, his lips curling into a smile.

Vivian, standing beside him, saw Kailun’s smile and knew that her sister was in for a rough time. Betting with this manipulative demon, Kailun, was definitely not a wise decision.

Hilna, who was now a little afraid to look at Kailun, turned her head away, “Just tell me.”

Kailun said, “No, I won’t tell you what I want. You can use your imagination and think carefully about what you have that’s worth taking.”

Faced with such a cunning statement, Hilna was a little annoyed. She knew very well that her current value was limited.

Hilna saw in Kailun’s eyes that he seemed to only want to play with her. As for something of equal value to the throne, Kailun probably couldn’t even find it himself.

It was a sad truth. Hilna had never imagined that she would one day fall to such a level.

Hilna said, “I agree to your bet. I hope you won’t lead the Xiya Kingdom to its destruction.”

“I’m not like you. Wouldn’t it be pleasurable to watch the Xiya Kingdom gradually grow stronger under my feet?” Kailun pinched Hilna’s face in response.

Although the older princess wasn’t a good person, it was quite fun to bully her.

Speaking of which, Shirley hadn’t appeared for almost three days. Who knew what kind of preparations she was making.

He just hoped she would make her move before tomorrow, otherwise, he would have to lead his troops on an expedition.

In Kailun’s plan, it would take exactly a week to conquer the Malaga Kingdom to the west.

For Kailun, this seven-day journey was more like a picnic than an expedition.

Besides, this was a good opportunity to max out the older princess’s favorability. Just thinking about it made him involuntarily focus his gaze on her.

When her eyes met Kailun’s, she instinctively pulled away from his grasp and obediently shrunk back onto the throne. It seemed that the bloody scene just now had left a considerable psychological shadow on her.

After completing the harvest of the nobles, Kailun had the ministers announce the reduction of taxes, lowering the tax levied on commoners and merchants from 40% to 30%. He also announced many favorable development policies.

He did all this to win over the hearts of the people and smoothly complete the transfer of power from the nobles. In this world, class was an insurmountable barrier. For ordinary people, the nobles who held power were like gods.

Only by breaking the stagnant situation would new vitality emerge. Although this method had many flaws, it was the best choice for Kailun at this moment.

The chaos of the Abyss was less than a month away. During the period when the Divine Temple’s main force confronted the Abyss, he still had many things to do.

It’s worth mentioning that after completing the harvest of Winnie, Kailun’s attribute points had reached the level of a 7th-rank. If he chose to max out his attribute points, he could even engage in a trial battle with an 8th-rank Epic.

In fact, there were no 8th-ranks in the entire Xiya Kingdom. The highest level was currently 7th-rank early stage. Such strength couldn’t make up for the difference in numbers.

The lower the class, the greater the impact of numbers. For the current Xiya Kingdom, the main factors influencing the balance of war were the differences in numbers and quality.

After dismissing the ministers, Kailun planned for tomorrow’s expedition. The necessary supplies had been prepared, but the only thing that was a bit heartbreaking was the cost of gold.

The Xiya Kingdom’s treasury was poorer than he imagined. Even with the reserves of the older princess and the Second Prince, it was only about two hundred thousand gold coins. Even with the gold coins that the Grand Duke would send in the afternoon, it would only be about three hundred thousand.

Just the pre-war preparations had cost Kailun over one hundred thousand gold coins. When the real fighting started, he had to factor in the huge consumption of magic cannons.

War is about money. Until Ella’s merchant guild could supply him, Kailun could only live frugally.

The Malaga Kingdom was a strategic point that Kailun had to conquer. It was a key part of his plan, not just because the other side had malicious intentions, but also because the Malaga Kingdom was an important center of trade routes.

After conquering the Malaga Kingdom, he would be able to push his merchant guild to the world. This was his second important plan.

However, he still lacked a trigger, a trigger to connect with the Abyss.

“I’m so poor. I hope the nobles can cough up some more gold coins. Otherwise, the kids are really going to starve.”

On the carriage returning to the manor, Kailun sighed, lying on Winnie’s smooth thighs.

He never intended to live in the royal palace. For him, the gloomy royal palace was nowhere near as comfortable as his own courtyard.

“Oh, right. When are you going to give me the one hundred thousand gold coins you promised?” Kailun looked at Isabella and asked about the whereabouts of the gold coins.

“Didn’t we agree on fifty thousand gold coins? When did it become one hundred thousand?” Isabella widened her eyes, “We have all these terms written in the contract. Don’t try to cheat me.”

Kailun clicked his tongue regretfully, “Did we? Oh, it seems it was indeed fifty thousand. I must have remembered wrong.”

Isabella: “…”

She felt that if she had hesitated for a moment, the amount would have become one hundred thousand.

They were supposed to be allies. But Kailun had not only taken her dance troupe away, but he also wanted to cheat her out of money. He was just too bad.

【Isabella is on her guard. Favorability -5, Total Favorability -20】

“We’re going on a long trip tomorrow, so if you want to come along, you have to tell your people in advance. Don’t let them suspect that I’m kidnapping children.” Kailun glanced at Isabella’s favorability change.

“I’ll say it again. I’m an adult. I’m a year older than this guy!” Isabella said unhappily, pointing at Vivian.

But Vivian, right in front of Isabella, stood up and gestured above Isabella’s head, “But I’m taller than you.”

Her simple words mercilessly shattered Isabella’s pride. Kailun thought Vivian had the potential to be a devil.

Stopping in front of the entrance to the Loya Ball, Kailun handed Isabella over to Jennice, asking her to prepare her luggage for tomorrow’s departure.

It wasn’t until the carriage started moving again that Vivian asked, “Can we really conquer the Malaga Kingdom within a week? It would take four or five days just to march there, right?”

Hearing Vivian’s question, Hilna, who was squatting on the floor of the carriage, raised her head and listened intently.

“Normally, it wouldn’t be easy to conquer the Malaga Kingdom. But my good friend Paul has infiltrated their territory and helped me gather their main forces together so that we can capture them all.
Simply put, as long as we take down the Divine Temple’s followers, the Malaga Kingdom will be more than half defeated.”

Kailun answered Vivian’s question while playing with Winnie’s black silk. Because she had been caught by her weakness, Winnie was behaving quite obediently.

The Malaga Kingdom was a kingdom deeply influenced by the Divine Temple. Most of the powerful figures in the kingdom had joined the Divine Temple, leaving the kingdom in a state of being controlled by the Divine Temple.

To be precise, the combined forces of the King and the nobles couldn’t defeat Justin’s two hundred thousand followers.

Don’t think that Kailun would be at a disadvantage because Justin had a large number of followers. Strictly speaking, those two hundred thousand followers were a temporary gathering of “rabble.”

Some of them were quite strong, but under Justin’s management, they didn’t know how to march or fight, and their quality was low. A single crushing defeat would be enough to break their morale.

In fact, the followers under Justin’s management had already acquired all the vices of the Divine Temple. They gambled, drank, and prostituted themselves, not to mention that they owed debts all over the place. The people of the Divine Temple that Isabella and the others spoke of were like this.

Because they were sucking blood from the Malaga Kingdom, the kingdom, despite its location on a major trade route, wasn’t particularly wealthy.

However, for Kailun, those two hundred thousand people were walking free miners. With their help, his little treasury would soon be rich again.

Hilna couldn’t help but ask, “Why are you so confident that you can defeat two hundred thousand people? Even if you add up all your people, it’s still only half of their number.”

“Curious? Want to know? If you come to my bedchamber tonight and take the initiative, I’ll tell you.” Kailun teased Hilna with a smile.

“Don’t even think about it.”

Hilna snorted coldly. Even if she was forced by Kailun, she wouldn’t take the initiative. It was a matter of her last bit of dignity.

Although she had repeatedly abandoned her original bottom line, this bottom line was not bottomless. As long as she was unwilling to go further, she could touch that soft and sturdy bottom line.

Kailun agreed with this. He had already broken several of his bottom lines. Anna, Ella, and Afra, as for the older princess, it was only a matter of time.

“No, you will take the initiative.”

Kailun gave Hilna a meaningful look and closed his eyes.

He found a comfortable position on Winnie’s legs and took a nap. He had been sitting on the throne for too long, and he preferred the softness of a beautiful girl’s thighs.

…

“You guys go back to the manor and pack your luggage. The older princess and I are going fishing.”

After the carriage arrived at the manor, Kailun put on a robe that covered his body. Then, under everyone’s puzzled gazes, he led Hilna off the carriage.

So-called fishing, if your heart is sincere, it will work.

On the way here, Kailun had already felt someone’s sneaky gaze, so he naturally had to give them a chance.

As for whether they would take the bait, it depended on whether the fish had learned its lesson.

“Your Highness, come with me. I’ll take you fishing.”

Kailun pulled the thin chain extending from the older princess’s collar and led her towards the secluded grove behind the manor.

“What are you trying to do?” Hilna tugged anxiously at the chain in front of her. She felt that Kailun was up to something.

“Of course, I’m going fishing. With such a perfect bait as the older princess, how could I not catch a big fish? Don’t you think?”

Kailun wrapped the chain around his wrist and said without looking back.

Through Kailun’s words, Hilna immediately thought of Shirley. This demon was clearly trying to lure Shirley out.

No wonder he was wearing a robe, no wonder he was taking her to the secluded grove. Hilna understood everything.

Just as she was about to warn Shirley, Kailun’s voice came from in front of her.

“If you’re planning to shout loudly, I’ll just eat you right here in the grove. Maybe Shirley can even see you being bullied by me.”

Hilna heard a hint of malicious amusement in Kailun’s voice. It seemed that if she dared to speak, she would face such a fate.

She shuddered in fear and quickly covered her mouth.

Although she had a premonition that she would be eaten by Kailun, she didn’t want that day to come so soon. She couldn’t accept the outcome of losing everything.

After about ten minutes, Kailun led Hilna to the center of the grove. This place was rarely visited, so no one would come here.

Kailun found a relatively clean tree stump and sat down. He waved to Hilna, “Kneel down. I have something delicious for you.”

Hilna: “???”

“Hmm? Can’t you hear, or are you actually longing to be rubbed against the grass by me?” Kailun frowned and reached for his pants.

Hilna’s gaze followed Kailun’s hand downwards. In a split second, she imagined many bad things.

This demon wouldn’t want to do that to her, would he?

“Please, please let me go. I’ve already agreed to be your and Phil’s teacher. You can’t do this to your teacher.” Hilna kept making excuses.

“Where did you hear that? Your Highness was a teacher and could still attack me. So, as a student, isn’t it normal for me to ‘fight back’?”

Kailun pointed to the grass in front of him with his other finger, “I’ll give you one more chance. Wasting my patience will only lead to your family being exterminated.”

“Thump!”

Hilna knelt down in humiliation. This wasn’t the first time she knelt before Kailun, so it didn’t lower her favorability towards him any further.

“I hate you!”

She sobbed, her eyes filled with tears, and she pouted her lips, leaning towards Kailun’s lower body to kiss him.

She had decided that she would bite Kailun hard later… No, she should bite lightly. Otherwise, she would really be rubbed against the grass.

Just as Hilna was about to reach Kailun’s abdomen, a hard object pressed against her forehead, “What are you thinking, little slut? You dare to kiss me?”

The mocking words made Hilna open her eyes. When she saw the fresh banana on her forehead, she was completely stunned.

No, would a normal person carry a banana, a fruit, on them?

This bastard wouldn’t be thinking of feeding a dog, would he?

【Hilna feels that her charm has been insulted. Favorability -1, Total Favorability -96】

“Open your mouth, I’ll feed you some fruit. Ah~”

Kailun fed the peeled banana to Hilna’s mouth, but this time, his movements were much gentler, “Oh, right. I have to remind you not to bite it. You have to lick it slowly, understand?”

“You’re a demon…”

She mumbled pitifully, brushing the red strands of hair behind her ear and slowly sticking out her tongue to lick, lick, lick.

No matter what, at least the fruit tasted good.

“You pervert! Release the princess!”

Just as she was relieved, an angry cry came from the grove.

“…”

Hilna couldn’t help but bite off a piece of banana and put it in her mouth. Why did she suddenly feel like crying?

T/N: The three women introduced in the last chapters will be referred to as Eve, Kirin, and Charlene(sometimes I called her Helene or Selene , something like that) I already edited that.

Chapter 86: Despair for a While, Good Days Are Yet to Come

“Bang!”

The doors slammed shut, dimming the light in the entire hall.

“What are you doing, Kailun? Are you planning to attack us?
Think carefully. Almost nine out of ten nobles stand here. To oppose us is to oppose the entire Xiya Kingdom!”

The speaker was Duke Colette, standing at the forefront of the nobles. His territory and influence were even stronger than Duke Stamp, making him one of the most powerful nobles present.

From his position, he seemed to be the representative of the nobles.

In stark contrast to the arrogant nobles, the ministers on the other side remained silent, their heads bowed obediently, their eyes glancing at the arrogant nobles.

In their eyes, the fate of these nobles would probably be no better than that of the ministers who were executed earlier.

“Please do not raise your voice in the hall. Such behavior amounts to disrespecting the princess and the royal family. According to Xiya’s law, you should have your finger cut off as punishment.”

Kailun, stroking the head of the little princess on his lap, reprimanded Duke Colette for his rudeness.

To dare to be so disrespectful to the princess, he truly deserved to be cut.

Colette’s face turned black. He pointed at the little princess sitting on Kailun’s lap and said, “Look at what you’ve done! You dare to hold Princess Vivian in your arms and humiliate her! You are defying the law!
And you, you have the audacity to kidnap Princess Hilna and make her a slave! You are the one who deserves to be beheaded and displayed as a warning!”

Colette was out of breath after speaking so much at once. He pounded his chest, catching his breath before continuing, “And what makes you worthy of sitting on the throne? This position doesn’t belong to you! Get down!”

In fact, he envied Kailun. Holding the petite princess on his lap, playing with her, leading the older princess by her collar, and finally, sitting on the lofty throne, overlooking everyone. What a magnificent display!

But sadly, he had no chance of defeating Kailun, who commanded tens of thousands of troops.

His audacity to speak out here was entirely due to the teleportation scroll in his arms. With that, he could leave whenever he wanted, ensuring his safety.

According to the orders of the Divine Temple, he only needed to provoke conflict between Kailun and the nobles, igniting the flames of civil war. After completing these simple tasks, he could take his territory and join the Divine Temple’s jurisdiction.

Not only him, almost all the nobles behind him made the same choice.

For them, this was an olive branch extended by the most powerful organization in the world, a stepping stone to their future.

To show their sincerity, the Divine Temple gifted valuable Legend Scrolls to those nobles who were deemed valuable. Their teleportation distance was up to five kilometers, enough to safely transport them out of the royal city.

“This is the seat that the little princess kindly invited me to. Why shouldn’t I sit here?”

Kailun mocked Duke Colette, “And the so-called older princess you mentioned is just a defeated dog under my command. What’s wrong with me making her a slave to serve me?
If Duke Colette has any grievances, feel free to challenge me. I assure you, my Knights will arrive at your doorstep tomorrow and scatter your mother’s ashes to the wind.”

“You, you, you!”

Colette, who valued gentlemanly conduct, had never heard such vulgar insults. He was so angry that he almost couldn’t breathe.

“Don’t be angry, Duke Colette. Don’t argue with a young brat.”

“Yes, yes. Calm down, old man. Don’t let that little bastard kill you.”

“…”

Seeing the Duke’s face turning blue, the surrounding nobles rushed over to pat his back and persuade him. If he were to die of anger right here, they would truly be ashamed to face the world.

“Don’t get yourself ill, Duke Colette. Someone, get the Duke a chair. Otherwise, if he dies, we’ll have to deal with the aftermath.”

Seeing that the Duke was about to calm down, Kailun kindly added fuel to the fire and even thoughtfully ordered someone to bring a chair.

“Just you wait!” Colette quickly took out a blue potion from his pocket and drank it. Then, he sat down on the chair, taking deep breaths.

Ten seconds later, his complexion turned rosy, and his breathing returned to normal.

But when he tried to stand up again, he found his pants stuck to the chair. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t get up.

Unless he was willing to risk tearing his pants and exposing his bare bottom, he wouldn’t be able to break free from the chair’s grip.

Thinking about this, his freshly rosy face turned black again. That damn Kailun had poured glue on the chair. He was clearly determined to make a fool of him.

To avoid being humiliated, Colette could only calmly sit on the chair.

He couldn’t tell if it was an illusion, but he suddenly felt his butt itching.

Kailun, sitting on the throne, pulled the older princess’s collar close to his ear while the chaos unfolded below, “Don’t even think about any tricks. Behave yourself. Otherwise, I’ll whip you in front of everyone. Understand?”

“You will regret this. The Xiya Kingdom will be destroyed in your hands.” Hilna looked at Kailun with a face full of sorrow.

“If it’s destroyed, we’ll rebuild it.” Kailun shrugged indifferently, releasing Hilna’s collar, “You’re just a lowly slave now. If you don’t want me to truly destroy the Xiya Kingdom, then obediently massage my shoulders and legs.”

Hilna clenched her fists. After enduring for a long time, she knelt down and began to massage Kailun’s legs.

She dared not resist Kailun now. She knew very well that if she dared to resist him in such a public setting, he would only torment her even more.

This demon had no sense of morality or shame. He only cared about obtaining greater pleasure.

“Think of it as biding your time,” Hilna kept telling herself.

“Your Highness, you are mistaken. How can you bow down to a thief?”

Seeing Hilna massaging Kailun’s legs, a noble cried out in agony.

Among those nobles who were close to the royal family, Hilna was the representative of the royal family. Now, Kailun’s actions had offended all the nobles.

Hilna remained silent. If she could, she wouldn’t just massage Kailun’s legs. She would also bite him hard.

“What are you talking about? You are the ones who are mistaken. Princess Hilna has abandoned darkness and embraced the light. Otherwise, she would have been dead and the kingdom would have perished.”

Kailun pointed at the noble who had spoken and cursed him.

The latter was just a small viscount. After exchanging glances with Kailun, he automatically retreated into the crowd.

“Viscount Laurist, do you think this kid Kailun has gone crazy? He dares to challenge so many nobles. Isn’t he afraid of everyone uniting against him?”

The viscount tugged at Laurist’s sleeve and whispered.

Laurist nodded dumbly, “Yeah, yeah, yeah!”

Then, he realized his mistake and shook his head quickly, “What are you talking about? Lord Kailun is wise and far-sighted. He must have his reasons for doing this.”

Laurist wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. He was worried that he would be beaten to death by the nobles today.

Although Kailun would let him live to play a role in his daughter’s performance, who knew if he would be accidentally injured? If Kailun hadn’t sent someone to his house to pick him up, Laurist wouldn’t have left home for anything.

Seeing the gunpowder smell in the hall getting stronger, his heart was about to jump out of his throat.

Hearing Laurist’s words, the viscount looked at Laurist with suspicion. He felt that a traitor had appeared among the noble ranks.

When the atmosphere in the hall calmed down slightly, Kailun scanned the crowd and said, “First of all, I want to point out that six nobles have failed to arrive at the hall. According to the previous agreement, these six nobles will be dealt with as traitors. Starting today, the kingdom will confiscate their territories, titles, and wealth. Those who disobey will be beheaded directly. Does anyone have any objections?”

“We will obey your will, Your Majesty!”

While the nobles were still savoring Kailun’s words, the ministers made their statement.

Seeing those ministers who had once been arrogant and domineering now behaving like obedient puppies, the nobles began to have bad thoughts.

Not only that, they also discovered that the ministers were addressing Kailun as “Your Majesty,” not the little princess.

“Wait!”

Noticing the anomaly, Duke Colette quickly raised his hand to interrupt Kailun, “I have no objections to the treatment of the six nobles, but we need an explanation about the ministers addressing you as Your Majesty.”

“The old man wants an explanation. Explain it to him.” Kailun poked Vivian’s cheek.

She rolled her eyes at Kailun before turning to the crowd with a cold expression, “They are addressing me, Your Majesty. Do you have any objections?”

Well, the little princess, dressed in her gorgeous attire, did have a queenly air, noble and unyielding. The stark contrast made Kailun even more eager to bully her.

Hilna watched her sister with envy. Originally, this position of Queen should have been hers.

And now, her sister became the Queen, while she became a slave. What a cruel blow.

“But didn’t you call us here to vote for the little princess?”

Duke Colette was completely confused. He felt that his brain couldn’t keep up with the young people’s out-of-the-box thinking.

“Oh, right. There seems to be such a thing.” Vivian nodded in realization, following the procedure Kailun had instructed her with, “From now on, we will vote. Each noble and minister present has one vote. Those who agree with my candidacy for Queen raise your hands. If more than half of the votes are in my favor, then I will be crowned Queen of the Xiya Kingdom.”

Vivian finished speaking nonchalantly, repeating what Kailun had told her. In fact, she already knew the outcome. The so-called voting was just an excuse for Kailun to lure these nobles here.

The ministers raised their right hands in unison, expressing their agreement. Naturally, it was a unanimous vote.

But on the noble side, only Viscount Laurist raised his hand. And even he lowered his hand under the threatening gazes of the other nobles.

Thus, the nobles, who outnumbered the ministers, won the “vote.” Duke Colette, sitting in the front row, smiled contentedly, “It seems the result is clear. What else would the little princess like to say?”

Even though she had anticipated the result, Vivian looked at Kailun unhappily, “It’s up to you. Just kill them all.”

“Are you a devil?” Hilna asked in a small voice.

Vivian calmly stretched out her hand and stroked Hilna’s chin like she was petting a dog, “Good doggy, be good. I’ll give you a bone with no meat to gnaw on for a whole day when we go home.”

Hilna: “…”

“Oh, what a pity. Since everyone disagrees with the little princess being Queen, then I have no choice but to take over.”

Kailun placed Vivian beside him on the throne and stood up. He took out a scroll from his sleeve, “In fact, your old King has already gifted the Xiya Kingdom to me.”

“Impossible! You…!”

“Whoosh!”

Colette stood up from his chair in excitement. The next moment, his pants tore, revealing his wrinkled buttocks.

He hadn’t finished speaking before he sat back down, his old face turning blacker than ever.

“Oh, Duke Colette, is there something you want to say? Then, please stand up and speak.” Kailun asked Colette as if he hadn’t seen anything.

He loved to see others in a state of discomfort, yet unable to do anything about it.

Any intelligent person would know that his coronation was a done deal. None of the nobles present could resist him, who commanded a large army.

Perhaps they could still cause trouble for Kailun, but this was not the time to do so.

Understanding this, Colette stopped arguing. All he needed to do was endure.

Now, Kailun and the nobles had a deep grudge against each other. He only needed to endure until the end, and then he could raise the banner of rebellion, dragging the Xiya Kingdom into the flames of civil war.

When everyone had beaten each other to a pulp, he would lead the Divine Temple’s forces to march directly into the royal city and seize control.

The envoy had said that as long as he performed well, he could ask for a position as a Blue-Robe Archbishop from the Holy Son.

Kailun said, “It seems Duke Colette has no objections. Does anyone else have any objections? If not, I will make new arrangements.”

Seeing that Colette was sitting silently in his chair, the other nobles naturally dared not speak.

The destruction of Duke Stamp was right before their eyes. They didn’t want to face Kailun’s wrath.

If someone stood in front of them, they would follow behind and pick up the scraps. If no one was willing to be the first, then they would choose to back down.

The Xiya Kingdom’s nobles had been at peace for too long. Generation after generation, their edges had been dulled. When the enemy invaded, they couldn’t muster even a shred of fighting spirit.

To be honest, keeping them was useless.

Sighing sadly, Kailun threw the scroll back to Vivian and said, “Since everyone has no objections, then listen to my arrangements. First, we will change the taxes levied on the nobles. It will be adjusted from 20% to 40%.
Do you agree?”

After speaking, Kailun looked at Viscount Laurist among the nobles.

Only two seconds passed before Laurist couldn’t bear Kailun’s gaze. He raised his hand tremblingly and shouted, “I agree!”

Duke Colette turned his head in shock and looked at Viscount Laurist, “Do you know what you’re saying?”

Laurist looked at Kailun, then at Colette, “Precisely because I know what I’m saying, I agree with the new King’s point of view.”

As soon as he said those words, the other nobles distanced themselves from Viscount Laurist. Although Kailun currently held a huge advantage, he wouldn’t be able to defeat the Divine Temple. No one believed that Kailun could win against the Divine Temple.

In their traditional view, the Divine Temple was the strongest symbol of humanity, an invincible force.

“A wise choice. Are there any others who want to make a choice? If you are too late, there will only be death.”

Kailun smiled evilly. He snapped his fingers in front of everyone.

“Click!”

“Boom!”

This time, it was the sound of the hall doors opening. Along with the bright sunlight, the nobles saw magic siege crossbows aimed at them.

Such things, even if they weren’t fired at people, would blast a huge hole in the city wall if they hit it.

“Are you crazy? Do you want to kill us all?” Duke Colette asked incomprehensibly.

Kailun nodded, “That’s exactly what I intend to do.”

Colette took out the teleportation scroll in his arms and held it in his hand, confident, “So, you’re still too young. Do you think you can exterminate us all with such actions?
Foolish, utterly foolish! Your madness is nothing but a last-ditch effort in our eyes. You are unworthy of ruling the Xiya Kingdom.
You will pay the price for your recklessness today. Our army will arrive in the royal city soon and fight you.”

As Colette moved, many nobles who had prepared beforehand took out their teleportation scrolls. Only some poor minor nobles stared at each other, feeling cheated.

“Unfortunately, I won’t give you a chance to fight me. All of you are too stupid. I don’t want to waste more time on you.
Since you don’t want to agree with my point of view, then stay here. If you think you can escape, then try teleporting now.”

Kailun raised his right hand above his head. The soldiers outside who were responsible for aiming the siege crossbows locked onto the nobles present. As soon as Kailun lowered his hand, they would turn the nobles present into sieves.

Because the nobles themselves were of average strength, they didn’t even need to enchant the crossbow bolts.

Looking at Kailun’s confident face, Colette felt a strong sense of unease.

He didn’t want to think about it. He directly activated the Legend Scroll. Fortunately, the precious teleportation scroll didn’t fail. He turned into a beam of white light and disappeared from the hall.

Following Duke Colette’s teleportation, half of the nobles in the hall managed to teleport away.

Quietly winking at Viscount Laurist, Kailun waved his right hand, “Fire!”

With his command, the crossbow bolts shot out like lightning, turning the nobles present into sieves.

Blood splattered, red and white mixed together. For a moment, the hall was filled with the scent of blood.

“No!”

Along with the sound of the crossbow bolts, Winnie’s desperate cry rang out. She watched from the corner and saw Kailun’s brutal actions clearly.

In her eyes, her father had also become a sacrifice. For a moment, her heart shattered, and her mind exploded.

【You have broken Winnie’s heart. Favorability -1, Total Favorability -100. You have obtained Winnie’s future attributes at a certain point in time.】

Afra put a black blindfold on Isabella, who stood beside Winnie. Kailun was always more considerate towards “children.”

Vivian had already put on a black blindfold when Kailun waved his hand. There were some things Kailun didn’t want her to see.

But this bloody and brutal scene was witnessed by the older princess. She sat on the throne, her entire body becoming numb.

In her eyes, Kailun was destroying the Xiya Kingdom with his own hands.

【Hilna hates your brutality. Favorability -3, Total Favorability -95】

Even the ministers, who had witnessed a scene of hell once before, were still vomiting, as if they were going to throw up their stomachs.

“According to the predetermined plan, hunt down the nobles outside the city. Try to capture them alive. We will need them to receive their territories later.”

Kailun looked coldly at the crimson below. He had seen such scenes countless times, but in his memories, most of the time, it was his own people who ended up in such a tragic state.

It seemed that the old steward was pierced by a siege crossbow bolt.

After briefly arranging the subsequent plans, Kailun walked towards the corner where Winnie and the others were.

In a short time, he knelt in front of Winnie and stroked her head, “Why are you making such a face? Is it because I couldn’t fulfill your wishes?”

“Demon! I’m going to kill you!”

This time, Winnie went crazy and lunged at Kailun, trying to bite his neck with all her might. Winnie’s eyes were filled with hatred.

She desperately wanted to kill Kailun, to drag him to hell with her.

But Winnie’s strength was far inferior to Kailun’s. He restrained her with just one hand.

“Such a disobedient puppy. Such puppies should be whipped and punished by their masters. If you still have eyes, then look again and see if your father is dead.”

Kailun helplessly used his hand to tilt Winnie’s chin. Her teeth were only three centimeters away from his neck.

She froze for a moment, looking at the hall with her peripheral vision. Viscount Laurist, covered in blood, crawled up from the ground and ran towards them, his steps hurried and eager.

Winnie: “???”

“Lord Kailun, thank you for your generosity in letting me live. Oh! Isn’t that my little girl? What is she doing?”

Laurist ran to Kailun’s side, sincerely thanking him. The warmth splattered on his body made him realize how wonderful it was to be alive.

He couldn’t believe that his daughter was in Kailun’s arms, doing something unknown.

【Because you kept your promise, Winnie’s favorability has increased by 30. Current Total Favorability -70】

When it came to feelings, Winnie was quite honest. At least Kailun didn’t have to worry about being bitten by her now.

Releasing his hand from Winnie’s chin, Kailun allowed her to pounce on his neck. Before Winnie could get up, Kailun said, “Hey, isn’t Winnie being affectionate and licking my neck? Oh, really, it’s so itchy, just like a little puppy.”

Winnie: “…”

She really wanted to bite Kailun, the shameless man, to death, but she could only think about it.

If she really bit Kailun, then Kailun would also have someone shoot her father again.

Don’t doubt it, Kailun really would do something like that.

So, Winnie could only endure the humiliation, using her small, smooth, pink tongue to gently lick Kailun’s neck.

Seeing his daughter really licking Kailun’s neck, Laurist relaxed and said happily, “Daughter, you must serve Lord Kailun well. If you do anything wrong and make Lord Kailun angry, I’ll go back and tell your mother to give you a good lesson.”

“Okay~”

Winnie replied with a tearful voice. To pretend to have a good relationship with Kailun and not worry her parents, she obediently satisfied Kailun’s request.

“Viscount Laurist said it well. If Winnie doesn’t listen, I’ll take her to see you.” Kailun said with a smile.

Laurist nodded happily, “Definitely, definitely. Just come. I’ll have her mother give this disobedient child a good lesson.”

Perhaps only Winnie could understand that this was clearly a threat from Kailun. The implication was that if she didn’t listen, he would go find her family to settle the score.

“Mmm~”

Winnie was heartbroken. She could only obediently lick Kailun’s neck, acting like a pet.

【Winnie has come to her senses and realizes that you are still very annoying. Favorability -10, Total Favorability -80】

Actually, Kailun thought Winnie was quite interesting. He would first bully her mercilessly to lower her favorability, then use mental pollution to torment her and raise her favorability, then bully her mercilessly again to lower her favorability…

This cycle would keep Winnie’s favorability at a very negative level. Kailun wanted Winnie’s body to be dependent on him, but her spirit to always loathe and reject him.

It was truly evil, the mother of evil, evil to the core.

After teasing Winnie, Kailun looked at Afra and said, “Afra, please help me with the next step of the plan. None of these nobles can escape.
Although I have already arranged for twenty thousand men to lie in wait at the designated locations, I still need you to oversee the overall situation.”

“Leave it to me. I’m not good at other things, but no one can surpass me in leading troops.” Afra nodded seriously. A touch of seriousness appeared on her usually cold face.

After Afra left, Kailun also sent Laurist away. As soon as Laurist left, Winnie wanted to run out of Kailun’s arms, but he held her tightly, “I am very dissatisfied with your attempt to bite your master just now. If you don’t dance for me again like you did last night, then I will punish your family again. Understand?”

“…I understand.”

As Kailun had expected, Winnie, who had been caught by her weak spot, immediately caved. Then, she obediently stayed in Kailun’s arms.

He stood up with Winnie and looked at Isabella, “How is it? Have you felt the change in fate?”

Isabella, who was blindfolded, carefully sensed her surroundings, “You are right. You are at the center of the world’s change.
It’s hard to imagine that you could influence the world to such a degree. In my eyes, your basic destiny should be quite ordinary. If you hadn’t had those fate lines protecting you, you might have lived a very miserable life.”

Kailun said, “Although what you said is true, I don’t like hearing it. Pay attention to your wording next time, otherwise, I might just bully you.”

Hearing that Kailun was going to bully her, Isabella immediately took a step back and crossed her arms, “We are allies. You can’t do that.”

Kailun corrected her, “Don’t think too much. I’m not interested in those who are too young and small. Vivian is the youngest I can accept.”

Isabella: “???”

In an instant, she felt deeply insulted.

Chapter 85: The Dance

“One moment, please. I’ll be right there.” Kailun responded to Eve’s knock, setting aside the book he was reading.

“Find somewhere to hide. Wouldn’t want any misunderstandings,” he murmured, gently stroking Phils’ hair as she emerged from beneath the desk.

“Hmph!”

She shot him a playful glare, a hand covering her mouth to stifle a giggle, before scurrying behind a nearby cabinet.

He had to admit, teaching Phils about internal affairs was proving to be quite the… hands-on experience.

Once Phils was safely out of sight, Kailun straightened his clothes and called out, “Come in. It’s unlocked.”

“Master.”

“Lord Kailun.”

Eve and Kirin greeted him with differing titles, the former’s naturally more intimate.

Kailun paid it no mind, picking up his book once more. “What brings the three of you here at this late hour? Is the training too rigorous? Or perhaps the food isn’t to your liking?”

“Not at all! The food is delicious, and the training Lady Afra has arranged is perfectly manageable,” chirped Kirin, ever the cheerful one.

Kailun shifted his gaze to Eve.

“Kirin and Charlene seem to have some… misconceptions about the nature of our work, Master. I thought it best to seek your guidance.” Eve stepped forward, her expression serious.

Kirin nodded, eager to hear Kailun’s explanation.

Charlene, on the other hand, wrinkled her nose, sniffing the air. A strange scent lingered in the room.

She couldn’t quite place it, but it was unlike anything she had encountered before.

As if sensing her curiosity, Kailun quickly cast a purifying spell, a slight blush creeping up his neck.

“As I believe Eve has already explained, our methods might not always align with the chivalrous ideals instilled in you at the academy.

To put it bluntly, we operate outside the law. We’ve abducted princesses, threatened nobles, and even orchestrated wars for our own benefit.

Are you certain you can stomach such work?”

Kailun set his book down, his gaze sweeping over Kirin and Charlene, searching for an answer in their eyes.

“Will you force us to harm innocent civilians?” Kirin asked, her voice trembling slightly.

Charlene shook her head resolutely. “We can accept the necessity of war, but we draw the line at harming those weaker than ourselves.”

Kailun gestured for them to come closer. “To answer your first question, Kirin, I can’t rule out the possibility of you engaging in combat with civilians.

As for your second point, Charlene, I’m afraid that’s a naive perspective. In war, there are no ‘weak’ or ‘strong,’ only enemies.

If you doubt my words, ask any member of the Silver Moon Knights. They’ll be happy to disabuse you of such idealistic notions.”

This was a common affliction among the academy’s brightest stars. They were skilled, yes, but also sheltered, their judgment clouded by naivete. It would take a few battles, a taste of true bloodshed, to shatter their illusions.

Seeing the conflicted expressions on their faces, the way they bit back their protests, Kailun decided to abandon his impromptu lecture.

A major conflict was brewing on the horizon. He would bring Eve and the others along, let them witness the true face of war firsthand.

Spreading his legs, he patted his thighs invitingly. “Come, sit with me. Let’s have a heart-to-heart.”

Kirin blushed, her eyes darting nervously towards his lap. “That’s… inappropriate, don’t you think?”

Charlene, ever the shy one, clutched her skirt, her earlier convictions about knights and innocent civilians forgotten.

“Don’t be afraid. Master wouldn’t hurt you.” Eve gently nudged her companions forward, a hint of envy in her voice.

She would never forget her own encounter with Kailun, the way he had swept her away, leaving her adrift in a sea of blissful oblivion.

Compared to the fleeting satisfaction of upholding her ideals, Kailun’s safety, his pleasure, meant everything.

She would gladly be his pawn, his blade in the darkness, if it meant staying by his side.

With Eve’s encouragement, Kirin and Charlene reluctantly settled onto Kailun’s lap, their postures stiff and awkward. They perched on the edge of his thighs, their weight carefully balanced, as if afraid to fully commit.

Kailun chuckled at their apprehension. “You were bold enough to demand additional clauses in your contracts. Why so shy now?”

“This… This is different!” Kirin’s hands fidgeted in her lap.

She shot a betrayed look at Eve, who merely smiled serenely in return. “You… You wouldn’t actually…”

“Of course I would. Why else do you think I went through all the trouble of acquiring your contracts?” Kailun’s voice held a playful lilt.

In truth, their talents far outweighed the price he had paid. He knew, from their previous life, just how formidable these three could be when they worked together.

They had, after all, caused him quite a bit of trouble.

“Puniu~”

As if his words had sapped their remaining strength, both girls slumped against him, their bodies molding to his.

He had to admit, their figures, hidden beneath those layers of fabric, were quite delightful. Soft, yielding, and surprisingly firm in all the right places. There was a certain satisfaction in having not one, but two beautiful girls nestled against him.

Sensing their surrender, Kailun decided to show them a little mercy. He wrapped his arms around them, pulling them closer, his lips claiming Charlene’s in a searing kiss.

Kirin watched, wide-eyed, as he thoroughly enjoyed himself for a good ten minutes.

“Hmm…”

Releasing Charlene with a soft sigh, Kailun turned his attention to Kirin.

She closed her eyes, as if resigned to her fate, her chin tilted up invitingly.

She was surprisingly compliant, her initial resistance replaced by a quiet submissiveness.

And it wasn’t just the normally boisterous Kirin. Even the timid Charlene seemed eager to please.

He wrapped an arm around Kirin’s waist, savoring the taste of her, marveling at her quick surrender. She was the type of girl who yielded when met with strength, her defiance melting away like snow in the spring sun.

Another ten minutes passed. When their eyes met again, they were clouded with a mixture of emotions. It wasn’t the burning passion he saw in Eve’s eyes, not yet, but it was a start.

At the very least, they would obey his orders without question.

As they drifted in a haze of confused desire, Kailun implanted a few choice words, reinforcing their obedience, before finally dismissing them.

[Phils found your little display quite stimulating. It seems she has no qualms about voyeurism. Her affection increased by 1. Current total affection: 91.]

Phils. Always the deviant. Perhaps even more so than he was.

“You can come out now. It’s safe.” Kailun glanced towards the cabinet.

“That’s mean! Making me watch all that without inviting me to join in! I want some too!” Phils launched herself at him, pouting.

He stopped her with a hand to the forehead. “Not without brushing your teeth first.”

“So cruel! I don’t mind sharing, but you’re suddenly too good for me? Tell me, have you found yourself some new playthings and forgotten all about poor Phils?” She pouted, her fingers toying with his hair.

As one of the Five Great Beauties of the Royal City, Phils possessed a captivating allure. Every smile, every gesture, was infused with a seductive grace that could melt even the coldest heart.

Too bad she was a complete and utter deviant.

He sighed, running a hand through her hair. “Don’t be silly. Eve’s right here. As your senior, you should be setting a good example.”

“What kind of example?” Phils batted her eyelashes innocently.

Kailun arched an eyebrow. “Don’t play coy. You know exactly what I mean. Or have you forgotten about our little agreement?”

“Alright, alright! You win! I’ll be good. Just promise you’ll punish me thoroughly later.” Phils hopped off his lap and skipped over to Eve, grabbing her hand.

Eve stared at them both, utterly bewildered. She had no idea what they were talking about.

“Pay close attention, dear. I’ll show you the ropes.” Phils winked conspiratorially, leading a very confused Eve towards the desk.

Eve, despite her initial reservations, proved to be a quick learner under Phils’ expert guidance.

While he couldn’t see Eve’s affection level increasing in real-time, he could sense her growing dependence, the way she clung to him as if he were her only anchor in a chaotic world.

…

After sending Phils and Eve on their way, Kailun retreated to his study, activating his Sage State to process intel and refine his plans.

It wasn’t until the early hours of the morning that he finally stumbled back to his bedroom, his mind buzzing with possibilities.

Afra and Anna were already sound asleep. He hated to wake them.

So, being the kind and considerate soul that he was, he gently muffled Ella’s protests and proceeded to have his fun for the next two hours.

[Why is it always me?!] Ella raged silently, her body betraying her indignation as she succumbed to his touch. [Affection increased by 10. Current total affection: -30]

Some people, it seemed, were all talk and no action. Ella was a prime example.

Kailun drifted off to sleep, his arms wrapped around Afra’s slender waist, his face buried in her soft, ample bosom.

Afra cradled his head, her fingers gently stroking his back, a mother soothing her child to sleep.

Anna, nestled beside him, watched them both with a small smile, her hand propping up her head. This was a side of Kailun she had never seen before.

Tonight, he seemed… peaceful.

Only Ella, her fingers nervously worrying her bottom lip, felt a strange emptiness, as if she were missing something vital.

While peace reigned within the manor walls, the world outside was on the brink of chaos.

Kailun had dispatched half of his army to reinforce the border, while the remaining two thousand soldiers lay in wait, hidden in a strategic location outside the Royal City.

The final ten thousand, comprised entirely of Silver Moon Knights, were tasked with maintaining order and security within the capital.

Meanwhile, after days of tireless transport, Queen Rose’s magic cannons had finally arrived at Eternal Fortress. Just hours earlier, her forces had successfully intercepted the Madden and Kaz Kingdoms’ gold shipment, securing a cool one million gold coins.

With the cannons safely in her possession, the Duke, acting on her orders, wasted no time in dispatching his returning knights to escort their precious cargo to a new location: the Kingdom of Siya’s western border.

Time was of the essence.

On the border separating the Kingdom of Siya from the Malaga Kingdom, the followers of the Temple of the Heavenly God were amassing, their numbers swelling with each passing hour.

The Kingdom of Siya was a powder keg, primed for detonation. All it would take was a single spark to ignite a conflagration that would consume everything in its path.

Paul and the others, stationed at the border, eagerly awaited Kailun’s downfall, unaware that the “gift” he had prepared was already well on its way.

…

The next day dawned bright and clear. After successfully raising Anna and Ella’s affection levels to 80 and -20 respectively, Kailun set off for the palace, his entourage trailing behind him.

The familiar throne room was packed with nobles, their expressions a mixture of anticipation and apprehension.

Eager to maximize his gains, Kailun had brought Winnie along, though she would be relegated to the role of spectator, hidden from prying eyes alongside Isabella.

As for Hilna, he had decided to parade her around on a leash, so to speak. Despite her protests, he couldn’t resist the opportunity to witness her humiliation firsthand.

Vivian, adorned in regal attire, was the epitome of a queen. He wondered if her touch would feel different now that she was officially his fiancée.

Carol and Anna remained at the manor. The former’s presence would raise too many eyebrows, while the latter was… largely irrelevant to today’s proceedings.

Poor Ella was burdened with managing the family’s business affairs. The merchant network she had painstakingly cultivated would prove invaluable in the coming weeks.

Afra, his ever-loyal bodyguard and wife, stood by his side, a vision of strength and beauty. Her sole purpose today was to look intimidating. He doubted he would require her combat prowess.

Upon arriving at the palace, Kailun led his entourage straight through the grand hall, ignoring the gasps and whispers that followed in his wake.

He ascended the dais, settling himself upon the throne as if he were born to it. Before anyone could muster the courage to question his audacity, he pulled the Second Princess onto his lap, her small form dwarfed by the imposing seat of power.

“What are you…” A lone voice rose above the murmurs, only to be silenced as Kailun yanked on the collar encircling Hilna’s neck, forcing her to kneel before him.

“…” Silence descended upon the room as the nobles watched, stunned, as Kailun pulled Hilna into a rough embrace.

His gaze swept over the assembled nobles, his voice laced with amusement. “Ah, good. You’re all here. How very obedient. Now, someone lock the doors!”

Chapter 84: The Saint’s Holy Water

Kailun carefully peeled the banana and held it to Vivian’s lips. “Are you going to eat this?”

She shook her head, suspecting his intentions.

“What a shame.” He sighed, resisting the urge to force-feed her.

They were still allies, for now. He would refrain from tormenting her.

He ate the banana himself, watching as Hilna struggled to complete her task.

This slow and methodical approach was the most effective. Once she grew accustomed to it, he could push her even further, making her perform increasingly degrading acts.

Eventually, she would obey his every whim, no matter how much she hated it.

He imagined her lifting her skirt with a disgusted expression, revealing her panties.

He would erode her sense of self until she couldn’t distinguish her own desires from his.

“Mmm…”

Hilna, the banana dangling from her mouth, nudged his leg with her head, signaling her success.

“Good girl! You completed such a difficult task! You deserve a reward! Come, shake my hand!” He took the banana from her mouth and placed it on the table, extending his hand towards her.

She hesitantly reached out, but he pulled his hand back at the last moment. “Too dirty. Never mind.”

She stared at her filthy hands, her heart sinking.

She wanted to cry, to bash her head against the wall.

But she had to endure. She had to have her revenge.

If only she could kill herself by smashing her head against tofu… That wouldn’t hurt.

“Can you tell me your plan now?” she asked, wiping her hands on her sleeve.

“Oh, that? I haven’t decided yet. There’s still time. If they refuse to cooperate, I’ll just kill them all. We’ll say it was Vivian’s order.” He peeled another banana, his tone casual.

“Here, open wide. Have some banana.” He shoved the peeled banana into her mouth.

“Mmm! Mmm!” She struggled, her hands slapping at his arm. She was choking!

She chewed and swallowed frantically, finally managing to force the banana down.

“Remember your place. You’re not a princess anymore. If you forget your position again, I’ll lock you in the dark room.” He wiped his hands, his voice cold.

“You might not know this, but I’ve built a special room. It’s completely dark. All you can hear is the constant drip, drip, drip of water. Trust me, you’ll go mad within days.”

He hadn’t used that room yet. It was reserved for the truly stubborn.

He added more food to the plate on the floor.

When Hilna, unable to resist, reached for it, he began stroking her hair, like a man petting a cat.

“You’re better at this than me. Why are you making me do it?” Vivian asked.

“I don’t have time to take care of every pet. And I’ll be acquiring more soon. I have to delegate. Are you up to the task?”

“Isn’t this supposed to be fun?” She smiled, her eyes gleaming with mischief.

“Indeed. Great minds think alike.”

Hilna: “…”

[Hilna despises you even more. Favorability -2. Current favorability: -92.]

[Vivian sees you as a kindred spirit. Favorability +15. Current favorability: 40.]

Later that afternoon, Kailun took Vivian shopping for some “tools” and herbs. They returned to the manor, Hilna’s eyes filled with dread.

He immediately imprisoned her in the dungeon. She was now alone, without even a fellow prisoner to talk to.

He made some special arrangements to lure Shirley back. He knew she wouldn’t be able to resist trying to rescue Hilna.

…

“You’ve disappointed me and the Saint, Harry. Years of preaching in the Xiya Kingdom and you have nothing to show for it? You’re being hunted like a dog! You’ve brought shame upon the Divine Church!” The envoy berated Harry.

They had graduated from the same academy and held the same rank, but their accomplishments differed greatly.

Harry had been assigned to the Xiya Kingdom, while the envoy had been sent to a neighboring kingdom called Malaga. His achievements had earned him a position close to that of a Yellow-Robed High Priest.

“Enough with the reprimands! Do you have any Holy Water? I need it urgently!”

“What for? It’s a precious resource. I don’t have much to spare.” The envoy, Justin, shook his head.

Holy Water was the tears of the Saint and Saintess. Their unique path granted their tears special properties, including the ability to neutralize poisons.

But even within the Divine Church, Holy Water was scarce. Each High Priest typically received only a few vials.

And the current Saintess had refused to produce any. The only source was the Saint.

“I’ll buy it! Name your price!” Harry was desperate.

Paul was fading fast. He had to act quickly.

“How much?”

“A thousand gold coins! Will that suffice?”

Justin nodded. “Agreed. Pay up.”

“I don’t have the money on me. But I can sign a contract. I’ll repay you with interest.”

After much pleading, Justin finally agreed.

But Harry, examining the vial, was suspicious.

“Holy Water is supposed to be white. Why is yours yellow? Are you trying to cheat me?”

“Why would I do that? This is genuine Holy Water, produced by the Saint himself! I paid seven hundred gold coins for it! Guaranteed authentic!” Justin patted his chest, assuring him.

“Let me test it.” Harry uncorked the vial and tasted a drop of the yellow liquid.

The flavor was strange. Slightly bitter, slightly sweet, like…

“I must be mistaken. The Saint wouldn’t use something… unholy. And this does have the properties of Holy Water.” He poured the contents into Paul’s mouth.

Within a minute, Paul’s complexion improved.

“Is this your new boy toy? I heard you had a taste for men at the last bishop’s gathering. So it’s true.” Justin chuckled, observing the scene.

A thousand gold coins! That was enough to buy several hundred slaves!

Was this boy truly worth saving?

He scrutinized Paul. “Harry, this boy is destined for greatness! Why don’t you give him to me? I’ll forget about the debt. No, I’ll even pay you another thousand gold coins!”

He saw potential in Paul. He could introduce him to the Saint and have him groomed as a potential successor. His own position would be greatly enhanced.

“Don’t even think about it. I’ll never give him up.”

“What if the Saint wanted him?”

“…I’m willing to share with the Saint.”

Justin: “？？?”

He suspected Harry had misunderstood something, but the general idea was the same.

The current Saint was preoccupied with pursuing the Saintess. He had no time for such trivial matters. If not for his desire to win her favor, they would have already arrived in the Xiya Kingdom.

But Justin believed his chances of success were slim. The Saintess had never even looked at him properly. She treated him like a dog.

“Excuse me. How many followers have you gathered?” Lodis, unable to tolerate their conversation any longer, approached them.

“Not many. Just two hundred thousand. They should be assembled by the day after tomorrow.” Justin puffed out his chest, his pride evident.

Lodis glanced at Harry and Justin, then moved closer to Justin. “You’re truly impressive, Envoy. Not only have you earned the Saint’s favor, but you’ve also managed to assemble such a formidable force in such a short time. I’m envious. Perhaps you could teach me the ways of the Divine Church?”

“Of course, of course. Once we’ve placed you on the throne, just show your gratitude with a donation of, say, a hundred thousand gold coins.”

Lodis’s face twitched. “No problem. I’ll empty the treasury if I have to.”

Harry watched, his face grim. He had anticipated this.

He would have reprimanded Lodis before, but he had Paul now. He had a chance to turn the tables.

Did he truly want to please the Saint?

No!

He would dethrone the Saint and install Paul in his place.

…

That evening, Eve and the other two knights completed their training.

Eve, remembering Kailun’s instructions, waited until everyone had finished dinner, then, with her friends in tow, knocked on his study door.

“Master, may we come in?”

 

Chapter 83: The Other Side of the Royal City

After lunch, Ella reluctantly returned to her trading company duties. Carol and Phils settled down with their books.

Afra, as always, was the busiest of them all.

Kailun, at Vivian’s request, took Hilna out for a stroll.

Yes, he was literally walking her on a leash.

To spare the former princess some dignity, Vivian had her wear a large mage robe, concealing her entire body except for her delicate hands.

A red rope was tied around her wrist, the other end held by Vivian.

Anyone could tell she was either a slave or a pet. And judging by her small, white hands, she was likely a beautiful woman.

Parading slaves through the streets was a common sight. Lodis often walked his naked male favorites around the city.

This had inspired other nobles to follow suit, flaunting their scantily clad slaves and concubines. It had become a perverse trend.

Kailun’s actions were considered tame and unremarkable.

But if they knew the woman beneath the robe was the once mighty princess, their jaws would drop.

“Sister, if you don’t keep up, I’ll remove your robe and let everyone see how far you’ve fallen.” Vivian tugged on the rope, glaring at Hilna.

“I’m sorry. I haven’t eaten in days…” She was weak and exhausted, barely able to walk, let alone keep up with Vivian’s deliberate pace.

“I told you, apologies require exposed breasts. I’m keeping track. You can show me later.” Kailun reminded her, enjoying her misery.

Hilna: “…”

She would rather starve than humiliate herself like that.

“Let’s go. We have time. Let’s show the princess the true face of the Royal City.” He took the rope from Vivian.

He wanted to see how the “benevolent” princess would react to the city’s harsh realities.

Their first stop was Xiaoyao Street, the border between the slums and the affluent districts.

He noticed that Ella’s clothing store had been sold. Without Ella as its alluring proprietor, its business had dwindled.

And with the city under lockdown, even Xiaoyao Street was deserted. Most shops were closed, their owners hoping to avoid trouble.

Knights patrolled the streets, a constant reminder of the brewing storm.

The nobles who remained in the city had locked themselves in their mansions, terrified. The news of the ministers’ deaths had shaken them to their core. They feared they would be next.

The only ones who seemed unaffected were the beggars, their ragged clothes a testament to their poverty.

“I have a question for you, Princess.” Kailun shortened the distance between them. “Did you ever consider the consequences of your actions?”

She remained silent, refusing to answer.

“Never mind. What’s the point? You’re a defeated dog now.” He tugged on the rope, causing her to stumble.

“Why not make her crawl?” Vivian suggested helpfully.

“I like the sound of that.”

“Just kill me! This is pointless!” Hilna cried out, her voice laced with despair.

“Pointless? Don’t you think it would be entertaining to watch the once mighty princess grovel at my feet? Begging for scraps?” He leaned closer, his gaze fixed on her face, visible beneath the hood of her robe.

[Hilna is disgusted by your sadistic tendencies. Favorability -2. Current favorability: -87.]

He didn’t actually make her crawl. Not out of kindness, but because it would slow them down. He might have even considered riding on her back, whipping her forward.

They soon reached the slums, a labyrinth of dilapidated buildings and potholed roads.

The people here were gaunt and hollow-eyed, their clothes ragged and filthy.

Whenever a child or beggar returned, they were surrounded by hopeful eyes, eager for any scraps of food or coin. But with the city under lockdown, even the children were struggling to steal.

If this continued, some of them would surely starve to death.

“How could this be…” Hilna’s heart sank as she witnessed the city’s poverty.

“Why? You should ask yourself and your father that question. This is a common sight, but I’m curious. Does this scene fill you with satisfaction? If your plan had succeeded, their lives would be even worse.”

“No! If I had eliminated the threats to the kingdom…”

“Such beautiful dreams. Did you ever consider the cost of waging war against my family? Did you ever consider that without us, you wouldn’t be able to defend against the Rose Queen? Even with our wealth, how much could you actually use after those bloodsucking ministers and nobles had taken their share? You would have inherited a broken and impoverished kingdom. You would have been the worst queen in history.”

He had shattered her illusions.

“No!” She tried to cover her ears, but her hands were bound.

“Still clinging to your delusions? Fine. Let’s hear what the people have to say.” He led her towards an elderly beggar, leaving Vivian and the knights behind.

“Sir, I have a few questions. Would you mind answering them?” He twirled two silver coins between his fingers.

“Of course, Master. Anything you want to know.” The beggar swallowed hard, his eyes fixed on the coins.

“Tell me, have the princess’s policies improved your life?”

His question was loaded. The answer was already predetermined.

He was a master manipulator, far more skilled than Hilna.

The beggar hesitated, torn between his conscience and the lure of wealth. He glanced around, then lowered his voice. “Master, to us commoners, it doesn’t matter who’s in charge. Our lives are always miserable. The ministers exploit the merchants, the merchants exploit us. A single copper coin, enough for a piece of bread, is a cause for celebration. As for the princess… well, our lives have only gotten worse since she took over.”

His words, blunt and honest, were a heavy blow to Hilna.

She swayed, almost collapsing.

“Excellent answer. You deserve this.” He tossed the coins to the beggar and led Hilna away.

“Aren’t you going to help them?” she asked, blocking his path.

“Why would I? They’re your subjects, not mine.”

“But you control the kingdom now!”

“Exactly. And I should exploit them, just like you did.”

“You’re heartless! You’re a monster!”

“I might be a monster, but you’re definitely a dog. Come on, let’s go find a place to feed the dog.” He chuckled and led her away from the slums.

Twenty minutes later, they arrived at the most expensive restaurant in the city. It was past lunchtime, but the owner wouldn’t dare refuse his request.

He had ordered a table full of food in a private room on the second floor.

Hilna, starved for days, couldn’t tear her gaze away from the feast before her.

Vivian, seated by the window, watched intently, knowing her sister was about to be humiliated.

Kailun placed a steak on a small plate and then set the plate on the floor. He then poured a cup of tea and placed it beside the plate.

“Come, let’s eat. The princess will feel uncomfortable if we don’t join her.” He gestured for Vivian to sit beside him.

“Oh~” She understood. As she walked past the table, she “accidentally” kicked over the cup of tea.

“Oops! Sorry, Sister! I didn’t mean to!” She clasped her hands together, her face a picture of innocence.

Hilna glared at her, refusing to acknowledge her apology.

“Come now, Princess. Kneel and eat. We can discuss how to help the commoners while we dine. If you’re not interested in talking, you can just ignore me.” He cut a piece of steak and savored it, the aroma filling the air, making Hilna’s mouth water.

“My sister is a hypocrite. She wouldn’t sacrifice her pride for the sake of the commoners.” Vivian sneered.

“Swear you won’t lie to me!” Hilna clenched her fists.

“I swear.” He held up four fingers.

“Thud!” She knelt beside him, her pride in tatters.

He hadn’t provided any cutlery. She had to pick up the steak with her hands, her teeth sinking into the juicy meat. The flavor filled her mouth, reviving her weary spirit.

[Hilna’s favorability has decreased due to your humiliation. Favorability -3.]

He reached out and patted her head. “You actually believed me? You’re so naive.”

“Thud!” She froze, the steak slipping from her grasp.

“I didn’t lie this time. But how I help the commoners depends on your effort.” He generously offered her his half-eaten steak.

She ate the steak, tears streaming down her face. “What do you want me to do?”

“Tutor Phils and me. Teach her about governance.” He set down his cutlery.

“Why Phils? You think my methods are flawed.”

“I don’t deny that. I just need you to teach her the basics. She’s much smarter than you.”

“…then what about you? Potions?”

“No. You misunderstand. I just want to play a little… teacher-student game.”

She wisely chose not to inquire about the nature of this game.

She took a bite of the steak, the warmth spreading through her body.

She devoured it, her fingers lingering on her lips, savoring the flavor.

She glanced at the steak she had dropped on the floor.

Could she still eat it?

She bit her tongue, suppressing her hunger. “Can you tell me how you plan to help them?”

“I’m increasing taxes on the nobility and reducing taxes on the commoners. Simple and effective, wouldn’t you say?” He held a piece of apple to her lips.

“You’re mad! The nobles will kill you!” She gasped, but still took a bite of the apple.

“Want to hear the details? Bark twice and I’ll tell you.”

“…Woof! Woof!”

“Go fetch. With your mouth.” He smiled, picking up a banana and tossing it into the corner of the room.

She felt like a dog, her dignity trampled beneath his feet. But she wanted to hear his plan. She endured the humiliation.

Just as she was about to retrieve the banana, he picked up another one and tossed it towards Vivian.

Vivian: “？？?”

 

 

Chapter 82: Three-Front War

As darkness descended, Lodis and Harry fled through the forest, pursued by Kailun’s relentless knights.

They had lost half their men, including a significant portion of Harry’s recently assembled followers.

What tormented them most was that the knights weren’t trying to kill them. They were toying with them, picking them off whenever their pace slowed.

But they couldn’t outrun mounted knights, even with magical enhancements. Their stamina was dwindling.

Lodis estimated they would be reduced to a handful of men by the time they reached the border.

“Just hold on a little longer! The Saint’s envoy is on their way! Once we escape, we can regroup! The Saint won’t abandon this land!” Harry, carrying Paul on his back, urged them forward. Only his strength allowed him to endure this ordeal.

They had abandoned their carriages after several skirmishes.

Lodis, too weak to run, rode on the back of a knight.

He surveyed their dwindling ranks, his voice filled with desperation. “Harry, have your followers stay behind and cover our retreat! We’ll all be exhausted to death at this rate!”

“No! I can’t…” These were the fruits of years of labor. Losing them would be a devastating blow.

“We don’t have time to argue!” Lodis insisted.

“What if they decide to surround us? We need to act now! And you said the envoy is coming! Once we escape, we can sneak back in, rally the disgruntled nobles, and incite a rebellion! Once the Xiya Kingdom is in chaos, the Divine Church forces can sweep in and claim victory!”

“But we’ll lose control! All our efforts will benefit someone else!”

Lodis wasn’t concerned. As a potential heir, he would receive the Church’s support regardless of who led the invasion.

The Divine Church needed a justification for intervention. He was the perfect candidate.

Whether he would become a puppet ruler was a problem for another day.

“Would you rather see Paul die from the poison?” He pointed at Paul, who was slumped against Harry’s back.

Harry hesitated, then finally relented. “For his sake… I’ll order them to stay behind.”

“A wise choice. Let Kailun have his moment of triumph. We’ll be back.”

…

“Welcome, Viscount Laurist. What brings you to my humble abode?” Kailun greeted the Laurist couple with a warm smile.

They were Winnie’s parents, the ones who had reluctantly agreed to his “proposal,” offering their daughter as a concubine.

Now that the assassins were gone, they were free.

“We just wanted to see how Winnie is doing. If she’s settled in. If she’s happy. We thought we could offer her some… moral support.” The viscount fidgeted nervously, his hand trembling as he held his teacup.

He had heard rumors of his daughter being treated like a dog, paraded around on a leash by the little princess, her appearance suggesting she had been starved for days.

If not for his family’s precarious position, he would never have agreed to this marriage.

“Oh, you needn’t worry about her safety. I would never harm her. If you don’t believe me, Lady Laurist, you can go see for yourself. She’s probably busy practicing her dance routine.”

“Really? I can see her?” Lady Laurist’s face lit up.

She had imagined her daughter suffering unspeakable horrors. It seemed the rumors were false.

“Of course. I’ll have someone escort you.” He summoned Carol and whispered a few instructions, sending her to accompany Lady Laurist.

He told Carol to observe from a distance, but to avoid any direct interaction.

“Can I go too?” the viscount asked, his curiosity piqued.

“Unfortunately, no. She’s in a… private area. I can’t allow visitors.”

“Oh…” He took a sip of tea, disappointed.

Kailun’s willingness to let his wife visit suggested Winnie was being treated well. He felt a wave of relief.

“I have a question for you, Viscount Laurist.” Kailun glanced out the window. Night had fallen.

“Ask away, Master Kailun. I’ll answer truthfully.” He dared not treat Kailun like an ordinary boy. His recent exploits were still circulating among the nobility. Many envied his connection to Kailun.

But only he knew the truth. They weren’t true relatives.

Kailun’s actions were barely a step above forced abduction.

“If I were to increase your taxes, would you agree?” He leaned forward, studying his expression and his eyes.

“I am at your and Princess Vivian’s command, of course.” His face fell.

“What if I increased them by twenty percent?”

“That… I’m still at your command.” He maintained a submissive posture.

The current tax rate for nobles was twenty percent, a reasonable amount. But an additional twenty percent would be unacceptable to most.

“And what if I also demanded that you lower the taxes you collect from your commoners?”

This request was a clear overstep of boundaries.

Less than a third of the Xiya Kingdom was directly controlled by the Royal Family. The rest belonged to various nobles.

Taxes within their territories were determined by the lords themselves. Even the king couldn’t interfere.

Kailun’s demands would significantly reduce his income.

“That would be… difficult.”

Kailun didn’t respond. He simply stared at him, his expression unreadable.

“I… I’ll comply.” His resolve crumbled.

He might be sitting upright, but Kailun sensed his submission.

As expected of a man who would sacrifice his own daughter for self-preservation. He shouldn’t have expected any better from a noble.

“A wise choice. I hope you’ll be the first to voice your support when I present this proposal to the other nobles.”

“Crash!” He dropped his teacup, his hand trembling.

“You’re joking, right?” He was on the verge of tears.

If Kailun made such a demand, he would be siding against the entire nobility. They would tear him apart.

“Do I look like I’m joking?” His smile didn’t waver.

He had to break the nobility’s power. Otherwise, the Xiya Kingdom would remain divided.

“Can I… think about it?”

“Of course. I’ll prepare a nice, dark room for you to contemplate your options.”

“If I agree, can you guarantee my survival?”

“Not entirely.” He shook his head. Then, seeing the despair in his eyes, he added, “But if you’re willing to participate in a little… performance, I’ll do my best to keep you alive.”

“A performance? For whom?”

“Your daughter, Winnie.”

“…”

…

Viscount Laurist was even more spineless than he had anticipated. If all the nobles were like him, his task would be much easier.

Lady Laurist, reassured that her daughter was indeed practicing her dancing, left the manor with her dejected husband.

After dealing with a few minor matters, Kailun joined the others for dinner.

Ella raised a concern. The mines he had marked on the map were indeed rich in resources, but they lacked the manpower to extract and transport them.

She urged him to recruit more workers. Otherwise, they would soon face a financial crisis.

Despite the contributions from Hilna and Lodis, he still needed more funds.

“We’ll recruit domestically for now. In a few days, I’ll acquire a batch of… free labor.”

“Free labor? How many?” she asked, intrigued.

“Tens of thousands. Perhaps hundreds of thousands.”

Ella: “？？?”

Was he planning to enslave an entire nation?

“Vivian, you can begin your dog training program. I’ll give you the key to your sister’s room. And if you have any… interesting ideas, invite me to observe. I’m always eager to learn.” He tossed her a key.

“I will. And I’ll definitely invite you. My sister wouldn’t feel properly humiliated without an audience.” She grinned mischievously.

She planned to go shopping with him tomorrow to purchase some… tools. Candles were too cliché. She wanted something more creative.

She silently prayed for her sister.

“Carol, how’s your training progressing?” He patted Carol’s head.

“It’s going well,” she replied, leaning into his touch.

“Just ‘well’? She’s already a second-tier mage! I can’t teach her anything anymore!” Anna interjected, her voice tinged with envy.

She had witnessed Carol, a complete novice, surpass years of her own training in just a few days. It was a humbling experience.

“As expected of my little maid.” He ruffled Carol’s hair, pleased.

The legendary final boss. She had already achieved fame while Paul was still playing hero in the Xiya Kingdom. He couldn’t imagine how Paul could possibly defeat the infamous World-Ending Witch.

Perhaps with the Divine Church’s help?

“Since Anna can’t teach you anymore, I’ll take over. I’m still proficient in magic up to the seventh tier.” He pinched Carol’s cheek. She was becoming more beautiful each day. Perhaps she would soon rival Afra and the others.

“Okay!” She beamed, her heart fluttering.

“What about me? You promised to teach me about governance!” Phils protested.

“I’ll get to you eventually.”

“Fine. I’m going to stop drinking your milk.”

“…”

Silence descended upon the room. All eyes were on him.

Isabella, sensing the tension, excused herself. She wanted no part in this family drama.

This could have easily escalated into a heated confrontation.

But Kailun simply glared at Phils and then stood up, his voice calm. “Afra, bring Anna and Ella to my room. It’s getting late. We need to rest.”

He left, his words hanging in the air, leaving the girls speechless.

“Can I… skip it?” Ella asked, wanting to disappear.

“I’m going. You two can do as you please.” Afra’s voice was cold, but her cheeks were flushed.

She hurried away, eager to escape their curious gazes.

“I’m going too, Auntie. Think about it.” Anna followed, keeping half a step behind her.

Vivian smiled at Ella. “I wouldn’t mind training another dog.”

“You’re all devils! I see through you! This place is a nightmare!” Ella, overwhelmed, chased after them.

She would simply close her eyes and pretend to be asleep.

She caught up to them just as they entered Kailun’s room.

“Come to the bathroom and help me bathe. No towels. Use your bodies.”

Ella: “…”

She sensed danger and retreated behind Anna, her eyes darting around, seeking an escape route.

“You’re not leaving.” Afra, sensing her intentions, grabbed her hand.

She was the weakest of the three. Without assistance, she wouldn’t last long.

She couldn’t satisfy him alone. Reinforcements were necessary.

No one could fight a three-front war. Not even Kailun.

“Hurry up! Let’s try to get some sleep before sunrise.” His voice echoed from the bathroom.

“Does that sound like something a human would say?” Ella wailed.

Despite her protests, Anna and Afra dragged her into the bathroom.

And then she became the main “towel,” her body used to cleanse his every inch.

Her beautiful face, her ample bosom, her long, slender legs… all put to good use. He even rewarded her with an extra half hour for her efforts.

[Ella appreciates your reward. Favorability +15. Current favorability: -50.]

[Anna approves of your reward. Favorability +5. Current favorability: 75.]

[Your total attribute points have increased slightly due to Ella’s talent.]

Afra’s favorability was already maxed out, but she had learned something new: he could handle a three-front war.

With her in the middle, Anna and Ella on either side, his hands could also play a role.

Perhaps it was due to his increased Agility, but the battle ended quickly. He released them around 3:00 am.

He pulled Afra on top of him, her soft body a comforting weight, and then, with Anna and Ella nestled in his arms, he drifted off to sleep.

He woke as the sun rose, his heart reluctantly leaving Afra’s embrace.

She looked exhausted. He couldn’t bring himself to torment her further.

So he shifted his attention to Ella, his heart finding a new home. A touch of Agility, a dash of Strength… and then the symphony began.

Ella: “？？?”

She wanted to ask him if he was a dog. She had only slept for three hours!

She worked for him during the day, endured his relentless “affection” at night… He was a monster!

[Ella admits it was somewhat pleasurable. Favorability +10. Current favorability: -40.]

…

At 8:00 am, Carol’s knock on the door interrupted his activities. After a quick shower and a change of clothes, he learned that the Madden and Kaz Kings had responded.

They had agreed to his terms, offering thirty thousand gold coins each for his assistance.

He refused, raising his price to fifty thousand.

They had lost several cities and key border fortresses in a single night. If they delayed any longer, the Rose Queen would soon be at their gates.

An hour later, both kings, as if they had coordinated their response, agreed to his new terms.

He finalized the contracts, outlining the payment details and the route for transporting the gold.

As they breathed a sigh of relief, he contacted the Rose Queen, instructing her to prepare fifty magic cannons for delivery to the Eternal Fortress.

One million gold coins for fifty cannons. It was practically a steal. He could easily resell them to other kingdoms at double the price.

But he wouldn’t do that. These cannons were a gift for the Divine Church.

And his demand had not only depleted her stockpiles, but also forced her to withdraw cannons from the front lines.

She had decided it was better to sacrifice some firepower for a large sum of money than to fight a three-front war.

With those funds, she could acquire more weapons and recruit more mercenaries. If she could quickly conquer the other two kingdoms, she wouldn’t be at a loss.

The only thing that bothered her was having to collect the money herself from Kailun’s designated route. It felt like she was robbing herself to pay him.

[You’ve disgusted the Rose Queen once again. She wants to stomp on your face with her high heels. Favorability -10. Current favorability: -60.]

“How terrifying.” He feigned fear and then contacted the Grand Duke, instructing him to prepare for the arrival of the cannons and to arrange for their transportation to the other side of the Xiya Kingdom.

He also informed him about the staged war with the Rose Kingdom, his message met with a long silence.

“I’m starting to question your parentage.”

“？？?”

He reread the message, confused. Had his father misunderstood something?

He shook his head and, with Carol in tow, returned to the courtyard. The morning was already half gone. Except for Afra and the three new knights, who were still asleep, the other girls were already awake.

Vivian had wanted to go shopping with him, but seeing him teaching Carol magic, she decided to observe.

Isabella soon joined them.

Half an hour later, Anna also joined the audience.

[Isabella is impressed by your teaching methods. Favorability +5.]

[Vivian no longer believes you’re a poor student. Favorability +5.]

[Anna’s favorability has increased.]

[Carol’s favorability has increased.]

He seemed to have discovered a new way to raise their favorability.

…

Eve and the other two knights were practicing their swordsmanship in the training grounds. They were having a disagreement about Kailun’s… reinterpretation of knightly virtues.

“Eve, I think you’re mistaken. Kailun isn’t a bad person,” Kirin said.

“Yeah, he’s been so kind to us. He even spent a fortune training us. Some might even think he’s planning to keep us as his mistresses,” Charlene added.

“Listen carefully. Our master, Kailun, is a devil. We are his servants. If he commits a crime, we clean up the mess. If he orders a massacre, we are his executioners. Understand?”

“No.” X2

Eve sighed. “Never mind. I can’t explain. I’ll take you to see him later. He’ll show you the true meaning of knighthood.”

“When?”

“Tonight.”

 

Chapter 81: Negotiations p2

…

Kailun took Winnie to the kitchen and fed her, then entrusted her to Isabella, the dance instructor.

Imprisoning her was a waste. It was better to train her for future use.

He then had some free time.

Ella was busy establishing the trading company. Anna was teaching Carol magic. Afra was training the three new knights.

Vivian, for some reason, had suddenly become a dedicated student of magic, her attribute points increasing steadily.

That left him and Phils with nothing to do. He found her in the courtyard, swinging idly on a swing.

“You’re back! Why didn’t you take me to the palace?” she asked, rushing towards him, her movements almost dog-like.

“It was too gruesome. Not suitable for children.”

“I’m not a child!” She puffed out her chest, pressing her ample bosom against his.

He couldn’t bring himself to hate her.

Her smile was infectious, like a mischievous puppy eager to cause chaos.

It was a shame she was a deviant.

“Really?” He glanced down at her chest.

“Try it and see.” She boldly grabbed his hand and placed it on her breast.

“Indeed, quite large. You win. I’ll take you with me next time.” He squeezed her breast appreciatively.

“Mmm… didn’t you say you’d find me a tutor?” She asked, her eyes glazed over.

He sat down on the swing and pulled her onto his lap. “I found one. But she’s proving to be… difficult. I’ll need to break her in first. For now, you’ll have to settle for reading.”

“Reading is boring. I’ve read everything.”

“Not everything. There are some books you haven’t explored yet.” He glanced around, ensuring they were alone.

“What kind of books?”

“Picture books. They teach you how to… store milk.”

“I don’t know. Teach me.”

“Alright. But first, you have to…”

“Okay~”

[Phils feels a sense of suffocation, but her favorability increases.]

[Phils feels her brain shaking, but her favorability increases.]

[Phils enjoys the taste and wants more. Her favorability increases.]

Under his patient guidance, her favorability reached 90. It was hard to dislike her, even with her quirks.

After she had rinsed her mouth, he began teaching her the art of governance.

He covered various techniques: appeasement, bribery, violence… But don’t misunderstand. He was simply offering examples, not encouraging her to use these methods.

He preferred to handle those matters himself.

The rest of the day was uneventful. As evening approached, a maid summoned him to the meeting room. The Rose Queen had responded.

“Old Rod, has the Rose Queen replied? What about the Madden and Kaz Kingdoms?” He entered the room, eager for updates.

He was more interested in global domination than petty squabbles.

“Yes, Master Kailun. The Rose Queen demands the return of the Eternal Fortress. She claims she can’t trust you otherwise.”

“Tell her that if she refuses to cooperate, the Xiya Kingdom will launch a full-scale invasion.”

“As you command.” Roden nodded and sent a message via magical letter.

Long-distance communication was expensive. Only someone with Roden’s resources could afford it.

Wait a minute!

Kailun realized he could do it too, and more efficiently. He just needed to allocate more attribute points to Magic and Spirit.

He would handle the next communication himself.

They received inquiries from the Madden and Kaz kings, requesting details of his proposed partnership.

He shared a sanitized version of his plan. Upon learning that he demanded a substantial sum of gold, they both refused. The first round of negotiations had failed.

He wasn’t concerned. They would lose several cities tonight. With his encouragement, the Rose Queen would become even more aggressive.

“Master Kailun, the Rose Queen has inquired about the specifics of our partnership.”

As expected, she had responded within an hour.

Kailun, excited, took over Roden’s duties and engaged in a lengthy conversation with her.

The exchange was… cordial. It involved threats, more threats, and even more threats… followed by a mutually beneficial agreement.

[Rose despises your audacity. She considers you a shameless villain. Favorability -30.]

[Rose, forced to make a difficult decision, reluctantly agrees to your demands. Favorability -20. Current favorability: -50.]

After another hour of negotiations, she finally agreed to his terms, signing a magical contract.

“Master Kailun, Miss Winnie’s parents are here. They request an audience.”

He had just finished dealing with the Rose Queen when a maid delivered this news.

“Should we send them away?” Roden, knowing Winnie’s predicament, asked.

“No. Bring them to the drawing-room. I want to see what they have to say.”

An idea sparked in his mind. He would ensure Winnie’s -100 favorability.

…

“Despicable! Utterly despicable!” The Rose Queen, normally composed and rational, fumed with rage. She had never been threatened like this before.

She was backed into a corner. If she didn’t act now, the Madden and Kaz Kingdoms would receive reinforcements, making her victory more difficult.

And she had depleted her treasury mobilizing her forces. She wouldn’t back down now.

But a three-front war was impossible. She wasn’t a god. Conquering two kingdoms simultaneously was already pushing her limits.

She gritted her teeth, signing the one-month peace treaty, her pride in tatters.

“Once I’ve conquered the Madden and Kaz Kingdoms, I’ll crush the Xiya Kingdom!” she swore.

A maid rushed in, kneeling before her. “Your Majesty, the king is attempting suicide again.”

“Let him die. No need to rescue him. His supporters are all gone. He’s useless.” She had been a duke’s daughter before the king had set his sights on her.

She had agreed to the marriage, then launched a coup on their wedding day. He had never even touched her.

“Kailun, you will pay for this! I’ll make you suffer!” She wouldn’t be getting any sleep tonight.

Chapter 81: Negotiations p1

After briefly introducing the three newly graduated knights, Kailun led Eve, the most promising of the trio, towards the dungeon.

Poor Shirley, as expected, had been captured. He had to offer her some… compassionate mockery.

He also wanted Eve to witness his true nature early on, to prepare her for what lay ahead.

“Eve, are you aware of the recent events in the city?” he asked casually as they walked.

“I’ve heard some rumors, but nothing concrete. We were busy with our graduation exams.” She had indeed heard whispers of Kailun’s triumph over Hilna and Lodis, of his control over the Royal City.

But looking at the boy beside her, barely older than herself, she found it hard to believe.

His gentle smile made him seem more like a harmless neighbor than a ruthless conqueror.

“Then there are some things you need to know.” He slowed his pace, walking beside her. “Eve, I have some unfortunate news. It might contradict the knightly ideals you learned at the academy.”

She tilted her head, her brow furrowed.

“Click!” He pushed open the dungeon door, revealing the scene within.

“Allow me to introduce you to your senior, Shirley. A distinguished graduate of the Knight Academy, I believe. Perhaps you’ve heard of her?” He steered her towards a cage.

Eve stared at Shirley, who was huddled inside, her face buried in her hands. Confusion filled her mind.

This was a renowned senior knight, someone who had achieved a high position. What was she doing in a cage?

“Don’t look at me! I’m not Shirley! And I’m not a graduate of the Knight Academy!” Shirley, sensing her gaze, covered her face in shame.

She had been spared the first time by exposing her stomach. What would happen this time?

“Besides Shirley, we also have Miss Winnie, the Viscount’s daughter. Do you know her?” He led Eve to Winnie’s cell.

Through the bars, they saw the once proud noble lady cowering in the corner, her fear of Kailun palpable.

Before Eve could process this, he turned her towards Hilna. “And this is Princess Hilna, the one who forced you to sign those contracts.”

Hilna glared at him, her eyes burning with hatred.

She had never felt so humiliated. She wanted to bash her head against the wall.

“You… you kidnapped the princess?” Eve gasped.

The rumors were true. The once untouchable princess was now a prisoner.

“Not just her. I also captured her younger sister. That’s her room over there.” He pointed towards a luxurious cell.

Eve, confused, glanced at the clean and well-furnished room. “Isn’t the little princess on your side?” She had seen them arrive together in the carriage. They seemed to be on good terms.

Why imprison her then?

She realized there was another side to this seemingly harmless boy.

“She’s on my side, but she hurt me. I’m just punishing her… symbolically.”

“And the princess?”

“She hurt me and my family. I’m going to… play with her. Both her body and her mind.”

“That’s a lie! I never hurt you or your family!” Hilna couldn’t contain herself any longer.

“Silence, you wicked woman! I said you did, so you did! Now nod and agree!” He glared at her, his voice cold.

She remained silent, fear overriding her anger.

“Eve, be wary of these princesses. They’re masters of deception. Don’t believe a word they say.” He shook his head, his disappointment evident.

If she had dared to defy him, he would have stormed into her cell and punished her in front of everyone.

“Yes, Master.” Eve nodded, her voice small.

“Do you understand what we’re doing now?” He patted her head, enjoying the feel of her soft hair beneath his fingers.

“We’re… overthrowing the corrupt regime and saving the world?” She chose her words carefully.

“There’s no need for such noble justifications. We’re simply pursuing our own interests. And I’m not a good person. I imprisoned them because I want to… toy with them.”

He wouldn’t tolerate a righteous crusader by his side.

Eve had shown such tendencies in his past life. He wouldn’t allow it to happen again.

Good people didn’t survive in this world.

“Toy with them?” The word conjured up disturbing images in her mind.

He decided to give her a demonstration. He led her to Shirley’s cage. “Shirley, do you want to leave?”

Shirley, her hope rekindled, looked up at him. “You’re willing to release me?”

He poked her cheek playfully. “Of course. But first, you have to apologize. You haven’t forgotten how, have you?”

“I… I understand.”

She glanced at Hilna, then closed her eyes and pulled open her shirt.

“Shirley, you fool! What are you doing? Stop it! Don’t listen to him!” Hilna rushed to the bars, her voice filled with anguish.

She couldn’t bear to watch Shirley sacrifice herself for her.

“Don’t worry, Your Highness! I’ll rescue you!” Shirley’s voice was firm, her eyes still closed.

“Plotting against me right in front of me? That’s bold, Shirley. Next time, you’ll have to expose your breasts.” He chuckled, squeezing her waist and stomach. Her toned body, honed by years of training, felt firm and responsive beneath his touch.

Satisfied, he opened the cage and released her.

“I won’t give up.” She wiped away a tear and, leaving those ambiguous words hanging in the air, fled the dungeon.

Hilna slumped back onto the stool, her head in her hands, her heart filled with regret.

[Hilna blames you for Shirley’s humiliation. Favorability -5. Current favorability: -85.]

“Well, Eve? Any thoughts?” He turned to Eve, watching Shirley’s retreating figure.

Shirley’s loyalty might be misguided, but she wasn’t as repulsive as Hilna. He enjoyed tormenting her.

He wondered how many times he could capture her, how far she would go before breaking.

And her humiliation would further erode Hilna’s spirit. Two birds with one stone.

“I… I don’t approve. She’s a knight worthy of respect.” She shook her head, her empathy for her fellow knight evident.

She couldn’t condone his methods.

She was still naive, sheltered within the ivory tower of the academy, unaware of the world’s harsh realities.

But he loved corrupting innocence.

He stepped closer, his gaze meeting hers. “Even if she’s our enemy?”

“You could have just killed her.” She knew it was wrong to argue with him, but her convictions wouldn’t allow her to back down.

“You’re just as foolish as Shirley. No wonder Hilna manipulated you so easily.” He sighed, his fingers tracing her cheek. “For a moment, I considered lecturing you. But I think a more… direct approach is necessary.”

“Thud!”

He slammed her against the wall before she could react.

Her eyes widened in alarm as his face hovered inches from hers.

Changing someone’s beliefs took time. He preferred a more… hands-on approach.

His enhanced Mental Pollution would prove useful.

“Mmm!”

He pressed his knee between her thighs, trapping her, and then, without hesitation, captured her lips with his.

He tasted her innocence, his tongue exploring her mouth, his hands roaming her back, eroding her defenses, watching as her eyes glazed over.

This was his first time using a kiss to test the effects of Mental Pollution. The outcome was uncertain.

He savored her sweetness, punishing her for her naivete.

Perhaps it was the Mental Pollution, or perhaps it was his charm and skill, but she slowly surrendered, her arms wrapping around his neck, her body responding to his touch.

He led her to a dark corner, his hands slipping beneath her clothes, exploring her sensitive skin.

Ten minutes later, he released her, her breath coming in ragged gasps. “If you wish to be my knight, your first duty is to protect me. The world sees me as a devil, a monster. You will be my loyal servant. If I commit a crime, you will clean up the mess. Understood?”

“Eve… Eve will obey.” Her eyes were glazed over, her heart pounding.

A voice within her urged her to trust him, to obey him, to devote herself to him.

Perhaps this was love at first sight?

She didn’t know. Her pre-existing affection for him, combined with his manipulation, had swept her away.

“Good girl. Those are the words of a true knight. Now, go and share my teachings with Kirin and Charlene. If they refuse to accept, bring them to me. I’ll personally instruct them on how to become true knights.” He lifted her chin and kissed her again.

He only needed obedient followers.

“Yes, Master.” She returned his kiss, her tongue lapping at the corner of his lips.

“Go now. Afra will teach you some important things. I have a crucial role for you. Learn from her.” He gave her a playful swat on the backside. “Now, off you go!”

“Mmm~” She whimpered, clutching her backside, her eyes filled with longing as she left the dungeon.

He was confident of his success. Mental Pollution, combined with his charm and skill, was a potent combination.

“So you resort to seduction to recruit followers? I’m impressed.” Hilna, having recovered from her initial shock, couldn’t resist a jab.

“You wouldn’t understand, Princess. Eve’s tongue is soft and sweet. I could kiss her all day. If that’s the price of loyalty, I’m willing to pay it.”

Hilna: “…”

He was truly shameless.

“Speaking of which, would you like to leave this dungeon? Just expose your breasts and apologize, and I’ll release you.”

She turned away, refusing to answer. She would rather starve than humiliate herself for him.

“How cruel! Shirley sacrificed her dignity for you, and yet you’re unwilling to make such a small gesture?” He looked at her with disdain.

“I won’t acknowledge your twisted logic. And even if I did as you asked, would you actually release me?” Her hatred for him burned brightly. She regretted not killing him when she had the chance.

“Of course I would! I’m a man of my word!”

“Ha!”

“I’d just capture you again when you reached the door.”

Hilna: “…”

He had successfully provoked her again. Satisfied, he turned his attention to Winnie. “Winnie, do you want to leave? I’m offering you a choice.”

“I know you’ll just torment me,” she replied, her voice filled with bitterness.

He had threatened to harm her parents. Her heart was breaking.

“Are you sure you want to give up? If you refuse now, your fate will be out of your hands.” He crouched down, feigning concern.

His words rekindled a spark of hope within her. “What do you want? If you hate me, just kill me.”

“No, that’s too boring.” He beckoned her closer.

She hesitated, but eventually crawled towards him, her body unwilling to abandon all hope.

Good. As long as her heart was still beating, he could break it again.

“Good girl. That’s more like it. Just agree to one condition, and I’ll let you leave.”

“What condition?”

“Learn a seductive dance from the Loya Dance Troupe within three days. Impress me. Prove your worth.”

“Okay…” She had no choice.

He unlocked her cell door. “Let’s go.”

“I don’t have to… expose myself?”

“I won’t stop you if you want to.” He looked at her, surprised by her eagerness.

“I never said that! You misheard!” She stood, brushing the dust from her skirt, and followed him out of the dungeon.

He wouldn’t argue. She would offer him everything he desired eventually.

With Winnie gone, Hilna was alone.

She hugged her knees, her heart a tangled mess of conflicting emotions. She wanted Shirley to rescue her, but she also wanted her to stay away.

She banged her head against the wall. It hurt. She wouldn’t do that again.

Vivian was right. She was selfish. Her pursuit of power had blinded her, her only focus on eliminating threats.

She had nothing left but her title. She was a failure.

“Grrr…” Her stomach growled. She hadn’t eaten in days. If not for her strength, she would have starved to death.