Grey's stubborn resistance only fueled the interest that had flared within Lady Veronika.
In an instant, she shed all of her threatening aura.
A captivating smile graced her flawless face.
Her scarlet lips, full and enticing, parted slightly. The tip of her tongue slid from side to side, lightly moistening them. Her eyes glowed with a pearly pink light.
Veronika rose from the couch and walked straight toward him.
The rhythmic click of her heels against the marble floor echoed through the room. With each step, the upper part of her smooth thighs slipped into view through the long slit of her dress. She moved slowly, as if she wanted him to savor the sight to his heart's content.
When she reached him, Veronika placed a hand against his cheek, and Grey felt the soft elasticity of her skin. Her slender fingers, tipped with long pink nails, pleasantly tickled him.
The air filled with the sweet scent of honey and rain-soaked flowers.
The combination of her touch, that delicate fragrance, and the warmth of her hand clouded Grey's mind even further. It became harder and harder for him to focus on anything other than her mesmerizing presence.
Every small gesture, every tiny reaction awakened something deep within him.
The closeness of their bodies ignited desire, drawing him deeper into the intoxicating charm she was deliberately putting on display.
Lady Veronika couldn't help but notice Grey's reaction: his breathing quickened, and his blue eyes grew hazy. He had completely let down his guard—a quiet, almost painful longing appeared in his gaze.
Grey smiled with a slightly foolish grin, never breaking eye contact with her cherry-blossom-colored eyes.
"You've been a bad boy," she whispered, her lips lightly brushing his ear.
"Yes..." Grey replied absently.
She felt the intensity of his desire heating up and squeezed her hand slightly, subtly showing her pleasure at his reaction.
The air crackled with excitement. She felt a spark of attraction herself, looking into his defenseless, bottomless blue eyes. The warmth of his body and the way he hung on her every word created a captivating blend of intoxication and hope.
She couldn't help but notice that the boy was indecently handsome. He looked like a young Adonis. Just as small, weak, and defenseless. For a split second, she wanted to get a taste of him. To take control, give him an unforgettable experience, completely dominate him, and grant him heavenly pleasure.
However, she pulled herself together.
"It makes me sad that there are still secrets between us, don't you think?" Veronika said, a touch of feigned hurt in her voice.
Grey's heart pounded frantically. He felt deeply remorseful, as if he had unfairly hurt the person most dear to him. Guilt tore at him from the inside.
"I... I... I'm sorry..." was all he could manage to say.
"It's fine. I understand that I still haven't earned your trust..."
"That's not true," Grey objected.
Veronika gently adjusted his bangs, lightly massaging his temples with her thumbs. She looked into his eyes as her own grew slightly misty and bit her lip.
The gesture was utterly contradictory—alluring and seductive, yet at the same time, profoundly pitiful.
Grey felt a rush of heat consume his entire being.
"Then," she said hesitantly, "can you tell me?... What exactly is troubling you?"
Grey's black pupils dilated ever so slightly, then constricted again. His vision cleared a bit, as if a dense veil had stepped back a pace.
Veronika was in utter shock.
He was still trying to resist... To her, it was unthinkable.
Up until now, she hadn't used even a drop of her cultivation. Everything had happened naturally... Through the mere grace of her movements, the cadence of her voice, and calculated proximity, she had managed to completely master Grey's mind.
Yes, he was shocked by the power she had displayed. Yes, he was exhausted beyond measure, having not slept for several days. However, she didn't believe that even if he were in top shape, it would have changed anything at all.
One had to understand that Veronika's beauty stood at the absolute pinnacle of all Eridania. If she deliberately chose to act charming, it was enough to seize control of 99.9% of men. She didn't need her powers at all. It was a matter of principle. A matter of pride.
He wasn't an emperor, after all, nor a ruler spoiled by power and accustomed to resisting temptation. He was just an ordinary teenager—even if he was a bit handsome.
How could she know that even the most powerful emperor could hardly have seen the sheer number of women Grey had seen in his past life—back when he was a famous playboy on the cover of GQ?
This matter had nothing to do with status, power, or personal charisma. Travel here remained a luxury, and horizons were limited to the extreme. They simply stood no chance against the experience he brought from another world, one far more developed and open.
Veronika was caught in a dilemma, though not a single emotion reflected on her flawless face.
Should she keep playing by the rules and not use her power? Allow Grey to break free from her charms? Wouldn't that be a bit too much for a young teenager like him?
With a swirl of such questions, she activated a tiny spark of soul power.
If he could handle this, she would back off; if not, he only had his own weakness to blame.
"Do you trust me?" she asked with such tenderness that anyone hearing it would feel as if they were drowning in cotton.
And Grey broke.
Her pearlescent-pink eyes looked directly into his sky-blue ones. Her voice resembled that of a shy schoolgirl daring to confess to her first love.
Grey felt like he would be an absolute monster if he rejected her tender feelings.
"Yes!" he almost shouted.
"I believe you!" Veronika replied joyfully, secretly a bit worried that the loud sound would ruin the whole atmosphere she had built with such difficulty.
"Then tell me... Tell me everything. It will stay between us," she whispered, tracing small circles on his chest.
Grey suddenly wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close, so that they both fit onto the small, cramped chair.
With no other option, her plump bottom landed right on his lap. Her face ended up in the immediate vicinity of his chest. They were so close to each other that they could feel each other's breath.
Grey's eyes gleamed with hunger.
Veronika grit her teeth, desperately wanting to push him away, but he had already begun to speak.
"Two days ago, you told me about the estate..."
'Little brat, consider this compensation for me cheating. You should be grateful you're the first one to ever feel this body! Wait, is it just me, or am I the one losing out here? How can his little secret compare to my sacrifice?! Damn it, damn it, damn it. He's just a kid! This doesn't count!... You'd better tell an interesting story... Or else...' Veronika complained to herself, though she became all ears, true to her moniker as the Bored Empress.
"We set out to find it together... Then a panther attacked Cheryl... It was a powerful magical beast. We couldn't retreat... Either we all died together, or we all fought together..."
"Everyone was terrified. Only Lily, Sunny, and I could fight in any capacity. The beast could turn invisible, so we were responsible for close combat, and Lily distracted it."
"When the panther leaped, we thought that was our chance. In the end, though, we were almost killed. My arm was turned into a bloody pulp." He raised his arm, which flared with a surge of pain, clearing his mind a bit.
Veronika wanted to click her tongue in annoyance. A regular battle, what was so interesting about that? He was alive, which meant he had emerged victorious in the end.
Still, hoping to hear the full version, she shifted her soft bottom slightly and breathed heavily right into his ear...
"Go on... It's all in the past now... You won, my little warrior..."
Her words acted on Grey like the most potent Viagra. He overflowed with a mix of pride and tenderness, as if he were recounting his grand achievements to a beloved woman who adored him.
Every man knows this feeling. Who wouldn't want to become a reliable shield and pillar of support for someone they truly admire?
He pressed Veronika even tighter against his chest, drinking in the warmth of her body and her intoxicating scent.
'Tsk...'
"If Sunny hadn't stepped in... I would have stayed there forever... The panther was killed, but my arm... It was turned into a bloody mess..."
'So that's how it is...'
"We made it to the estate, but I was on the brink. My whole body ached, my consciousness was fading, and the blood kept flowing even with a tight tourniquet. I had to pull out the bone fragments myself, pop my joints back in, and also take a mid-grade healing potion..."
'Well, well, well, now this is getting interesting...'
Veronika brushed her nails against his neck, sending a light shiver down Grey's spine.
"Where did you get a mid-grade healing potion? It costs at least a gold coin. How could you possibly get your hands on something so valuable?"
"It's all in the bottomless pocket. There's a lot of stuff in there... Artifacts, coins, spare clothes, items of strange purpose, including several low and mid-grade healing potions, and even high-grade ones..."
'How fascinating... Who would have thought that a little boy enslaved by Harmon possessed such a fortune. Ahahahah, I bet that poor slave master would hang himself if he found out what riches he missed out on.'
She kept glancing at his chest, where the bottomless pocket filled with treasures was hidden.
'I had no idea you were hiding something like that...'
'Hmph, hmph, how dare you write such a pathetic letter and attach only a single silver coin to it. I actually felt touched. You little bastard! Con artist.'
'You cheated me first. In that case, you can't blame me for being curious...'
"What is the most valuable thing in the bottomless pocket?" she asked in her enchanting voice.
"A drop of the Fountain of Life," Grey answered without a second thought. It was as if he were showing off.
'WHAT?!'
It took all of Veronika's willpower not to jump off the cramped chair. Even she was drawn to such a treasure.
"Can you give it to me?" she asked timidly, stroking his arm.
"I spent it to heal Lily," Grey replied without thinking, as if he were talking about something completely insignificant.
'HOW COULD YOU?!' Veronika almost screamed internally. 'Don't you even know what that treasure means? It could have healed you. You're a pathetic cripple without a shred of power, and you dared to give a drop of the Fountain of Life to someone else?! Are you stupid or just stupid?'
At that moment, she desperately wanted to slap him a couple of times.
As if sensing he was in the wrong, Grey began to explain:
"She was at death's door. Late-stage blood poisoning. Nothing worked. Not the low-grade healing potions, not even the high-grade ones. We were slaves. She saved me from death more than once. I simply had no choice."
'So that's how it is,' Veronika thought with a sigh. 'That's why a ten-year-old girl reached the Centurion (3) rank and awakened her hidden potential. Do they even know what kind of blessing they received? Hmph, hmph... What on earth is that bitch Fortune thinking?'
Though she complained in her head, she kept questioning him.
"I see, you acted like a Hero (Idiot). Let's go back to the estate, what happened next?"
Author's Note:
Because of the sexual content, the translation quality in the next few chapters may vary slightly. Please let me know if you notice any glaring mistakes. I'll do my best to fix them. And, of course, I'm very interested in hearing your thoughts on these chapters. Don't hesitate to leave a comment after you've finished reading.