The heavy ironwood doors clicked shut behind me, instantly cutting off the suffocating pressure of the Duke's 9th Circle aura. Walking out of that office felt like clearing a high-level dungeon. My body felt light, and a highly satisfied smile played on my lips.
Two weeks until I leave for the golden Central Continent. Fourteen days to turn this freezing northern fortress into my personal playground.
I began walking down the long, dimly lit corridor of the estate's inner wing. The walls were decorated with elegant tapestries, and the quiet tap of my boots echoed softly against the polished marble floor.
As I rounded a corner near the grand balcony, I spotted a flash of bright blonde hair.
Lady Eleanor, the beautiful wife of First Brother Cassius, was standing there alone.
She was staring out the grand window into the dark, snowy night, nervously twisting a lace handkerchief between her delicate fingers.
She wore a form-fitting, midnight-blue silk gown that perfectly accentuated her remarkably voluptuous, hourglass silhouette.
The dress hugged her slender waist tightly before flaring out into full, mature hips, and the dangerously high slit of her gown parted slightly as she shifted, offering a tantalizing glimpse of her smooth, creamy thighs. Her long, golden hair caught the moonlight, shimmering like spun silk over her bare shoulders.
When she heard my footsteps, she jumped slightly and turned around. Her face was a masterpiece of classic aristocratic beauty with sharp, elegant cheekbones, striking blue eyes, and full, pouty lips that were currently pressed into a thin line.
A mixture of deep anxiety and sudden relief instantly washed over her features.
"Kael," she breathed out softly, taking a hesitant step forward. "Praise the Gods, you are alright. I saw the Vanguard Knights taking you to the Duke's office. I was entirely terrified he was going to punish you."
It was a flawless performance. Her voice trembled at just the right frequency, and her expression was a perfect masterpiece of maternal and sisterly concern.
The old Kael would have been completely fooled, probably falling to his knees to thank her for her kindness. But I simply smiled, internally calling up her character status sheet.
Ding.
[ Target: Lady Eleanor (Wife of First Brother Cassius) ]
[ Favourability Score: -60 / 100 (Deep Hatred, Malice, Hidden Motive) ]
I almost laughed out loud.
A negative sixty favorability. The System panel did not lie.
This gorgeous, fragile woman did not care about my safety at all. In fact, she absolutely detested my living, breathing existence.
My mind instantly went into overdrive, connecting the dots from the old Kael's messy memories.
Cassius was an arrogant idiot, a hot-headed brute who acted entirely on impulse. He did not have the brains to plan a perfect murder without getting caught. But Eleanor? She was highly intelligent, coming from a family of calculating southern bureaucrats.
She was not a worried observer. She probably knew Cassius was going to throw me down the Abyssal Ravine.
Or worse, she was the very viper who had whispered the idea into his ear in the first place, using her husband as a tool to clean up the estate's dead weight.
As for why she wanted me dead so badly? I honestly could not figure it out yet. The old Kael was a harmless 3rd Circle nobody who never got in anyone's way and posed zero threat to her husband's inheritance.
What could a powerless adopted son have possibly done to earn such deep, venomous hatred from her?
Whatever her hidden motive was, it did not matter anymore. She was in my crosshairs now.
"Are you truly that worried about me, Sister-in-law?" I asked, my voice smooth and dripping with casual charm.
I took a deliberate step forward.
Eleanor's eyes blinked in brief confusion at my completely relaxed demeanor. She quickly masked it, keeping her worried facade firmly in place.
"Of course I am, Kael. We are family, after all. If anything happened to you."
I did not let her finish. I took another massive stride forward, completely invading her personal space.
Eleanor instinctively tried to step back, but her spine pressed firmly against the cold marble pillar behind her.
I did not stop until I was standing so close I could feel the intoxicating warmth radiating from her skin. The sweet scent of vanilla perfume swirled between us, and from this proximity, the plunging neckline of her dress left very little to the imagination.
"K-Kael?" she stammered, her flawless poker face cracking just a tiny bit at my aggressive physical dominance
"Your hair is truly magnificent, Eleanor," I murmured softly, ignoring her rising panic entirely.
I slowly raised my hand, reaching toward her face. Eleanor completely froze, her blue eyes wide as I gently twirled a single, shimmering strand of her golden hair around my index finger. The silk-like strands caught the torchlight, gleaming beautifully in the dim corridor.
As I adjusted the strand behind her ear, my fingers deliberately brushed against the sensitive, bare skin of her jawline and neck.
My passive skill, Electrifying Touch, activated instantly.
A violent, visible tremor ran through Eleanor's entire body. Her blue eyes dilated completely, and a soft, breathless gasp escaped her lips.
A deep, dark crimson blush exploded across her cheeks, traveling all the way down to her exposed collarbone and chest.
The sudden wave of intense physical pleasure completely overwhelmed her nervous system, causing her plush thighs to press together as her knees went dangerously weak against the pillar.
Before she could even process the shocking, euphoric sensation paralyzing her body, I leaned down. I brought my lips right next to her burning ear, keeping my voice at a razor-sharp whisper.
"I know you are the one who told Cassius to kill me, my dear Sister-in-law."
It was a complete, unadulterated bluff. I had absolutely no proof.
But the reaction was magnificent.
The combination of the physical shock from my skill and the sheer terror of my words caused Eleanor's face to drain of all color beneath her blush.
Her pupils contracted into tiny pinpricks. The mask of the doting, worried sister-in-law completely shattered, leaving behind a terrified, exposed viper.
Her chest heaved in shallow, frantic gasps, her full breasts straining against the tight fabric of her gown as she stared up at me, completely unable to speak.
I did not stop there. I let my voice drop an octave, perfectly mirroring a villainous noble.
"It would be a real tragedy if my dear Third Mother found out the true reason behind my little accident at the ravine," I whispered, letting the threat hang heavy in the air.
"You know how protective an 8th Circle Mage can get when her favorite son is targeted. I imagine Seraphina would burn your southern family to the ground."
Eleanor swallowed hard. A flash of genuine panic crossed her features, quickly followed by absolute, helpless rage.
She tightly clenched her fists at her sides, her manicured nails digging deep into her own palms as she realized she was completely cornered.
I slowly slid my hand away from her neck, letting the shimmering golden strand fall back into place. I took a step back, breaking the suffocating tension and giving her curves a slow, deliberate look.
"I expect you to come into my room tonight, Eleanor," I commanded smoothly, locking my eyes onto hers. "Do not keep me waiting. We have a lot of family matters to discuss."
The sheer audacity of my command finally snapped her paralyzing fear. Eleanor shed her gentle mask completely. Her blue eyes flared with toxic, unadulterated venom.
"You are insane," she hissed, her voice dripping with absolute malice. "If Cassius hears you speaking to me like this, he will skin you alive. He will not fail a second time."
I simply chuckled, a dark, amused sound that echoed softly in the quiet corridor.
"It is entirely your choice, Sister-in-law," I replied smoothly, completely unfazed by her threat. "But I suggest you weigh your decision very carefully."
I leaned in just a fraction closer, ensuring my words pierced right through her hollow confidence.
"We both know Cassius does not give a single damn about you," I continued coldly. "You are just a decorative political trophy to him. If my little accident comes to light, who knows how quickly your comfortable position in this household will be stripped away over a single, fatal mistake? He will throw you to the wolves without a second thought just to save his own skin."
Eleanor's breath hitched sharply. The vicious fire in her eyes instantly flickered out, replaced by the crushing, undeniable realization that I was absolutely right.
She had no real safety net. Her powerful husband was just a brute who would discard her the second she became a liability.
Ding.
[ Target: Lady Eleanor (Wife of First Brother Cassius) ]
[ Age: 32 ]
[ Arousal Level: 45 / 100 (Severe Psychological Terror, Submission, Intense Physical Response) ]
[ Passive Skill 'Electrifying Touch' triggered under taboo conditions. ]
[ +15 Taboo Points generated. ]
[ Current Balance: 90 Taboo Points ]
I looked at the System prompt, my eyes zeroing in on her rising arousal score. It had spiked another ten points right after I verbally destroyed her safety net and dominated her.
Hm, I thought to myself, highly amused as I glanced down at her trembling, elegant figure.
Her arousal actually spiked after I blackmailed her and reminded her of her utter helplessness?
Is this woman's secret fetish getting completely dominated and humiliated by someone she hates? Interesting.
I offered her a very slow, knowing smirk, completely enjoying the sight of the estate's most cunning woman trembling like a leaf before me.
"Have a wonderful evening until then," I said casually, turning on my heel.
I walked away down the corridor, leaving the beautiful snake leaning heavily against the marble pillar.
She was clenching her fists in absolute frustration, her breathing still shallow and erratic as she desperately tried to understand how her husband's pathetic adopted brother had suddenly turned into an apex predator holding her entire life in his hands.
Cassius thought he was the ultimate winner of this estate. But as I finally headed toward my private chambers to wait for his gorgeous, terrified, and secretly excited wife, I knew exactly who was really in charge of House Valerius.