Tonight was full of danger, but thankfully, there were no casualties.
The biggest loss was the Kanter Manor itself.
After taking a Fireball from El and a blast of dragon’s breath from Ude, with sword marks everywhere, a significant portion of the buildings had been seriously damaged.
Felix regretfully announced that the banquet would be paused, apologizing to all the nobles. It was his failure to prepare adequate defenses that allowed the cultists to infiltrate.
Of course, no one blamed the Second Prince. After all, this was a banquet—insufficient security was perfectly normal.
If Felix had prepared a battalion of elite knights at Kanter Manor, wouldn’t that have been suspicious? In that case, the nobles wouldn’t have dared to attend.
Moreover, the nobles had witnessed Felix taking the lead, sword in hand, fighting the cultists. It was impossible not to be moved by the sight.
“Your Highness, this is not your fault. The real enemies are those damn cultists,” said a young nobleman.
There was no doubt that Felix’s actions tonight won the favor of many.
“No, no, regardless, the responsibility is mine. All of you present are the very foundation of the Empire; nothing must be allowed to go wrong. When the cultists attacked, my Personal Guard was already on their way.”
“The night is still long, and Kanter Manor still has many places suitable for holding Salons. If any of you wish to leave, please allow my men to escort you. I promise, everyone’s safety is my responsibility.”
These words were watertight, and most of the nobles were satisfied. Naturally, this incident was simply set aside.
However, the impact of this attack would soon become apparent…
“Ivena… where are we…?”
El’s consciousness was hazy as he muttered.
“Young Master, we’re almost at the capital.”
The night was deep, stars scattered across the sky.
Behind Ivena, Elemental Wings of wind unfurled, carrying her swiftly through the night. The roaring wind was held at bay by her magic barrier, so El hadn’t noticed anything along the way.
“…Mm…put me on the bed…don’t worry…I’ll be fine soon…” El’s words were broken, his articulation unclear. “It’s nothing serious…trust me…”
So many, many dreams.
Angell’s memories were far too vast—countless battles, endless slaughter. El was just an ordinary man; his will wasn’t weak, but it could never compare to such an existence.
Pain.
Damn it…I can’t give in! El thought.
Ivena had no idea what he was experiencing at that moment. She could only feel El’s burning body and watch his pained expression, a vague sense of helplessness growing inside her.
If the enemy before her were real, she would destroy them without hesitation. But now, she was powerless.
A pale blue screen appeared at her side, densely inscribed with all the skills she had mastered.
The Authority of “Growth” could maximize her potential, but if there was something for which Ivena herself lacked talent, it would be difficult for her to master it.
For instance, her Magic Mastery was stuck at Lv6, not even reaching master level.
This was because she had almost no talent for magic, only managing to brute-force her way up through sheer time, and even then, it stopped there.
Her Magic Resistance, however, was also Lv6, equivalent to that of a typical adult dragon. There were few races in the world born with resistance to magic—elves were not among them.
She had only reached this level through perseverance.
If those cultists had chosen to fight her to the end, they would have paid a heavy price for this oversight.
When it came to slaughter, Ivena was skilled, but when it came to such complex matters… she was at a loss.
Sensing El’s distress, Ivena unconsciously hugged him tighter, the softness of her chest pressing out a breathtaking curve.
Soon, she brought El back to the residence and laid him on the large bed in his room.
Her heart was a mess. At times like this, the pleasure an elf feels from touching a loved one didn’t matter.
Sometimes, she couldn’t help but complain about her young master—why did he have to be involved with so many girls? Why did so much trouble always come to him?
I only… want to watch you live your life peacefully.
Ivena sighed, her fair fingers tracing across El’s cheek.
She undid the complicated formalwear for El, removed his black leather shoes, but left his undershirt untouched.
She hesitated when it came to his trousers.
Actually, there was no need to go this far. According to the perfect maid persona, she should keep a safe distance from her master…
But, as if bewitched, Ivena just did it. When she realized what she’d done, her pretty face was already flushed red.
“So shameless,” she muttered to herself, wanting to flee the scene. Just then, El suddenly mumbled, “So thirsty…so thirsty…”
The young master is thirsty? No matter what, she couldn’t let him suffer.
Ivena quickly went to the kitchen for a glass of water, using the mansion’s own magical device. Since the Regis estate was so remote, it hadn’t been connected to the capital’s running water network.
She heated the water to a boil with magic, then cooled it to warm with magic.
She brought the glass to El’s lips, only to find his teeth tightly clenched, seemingly unconscious again.
Should she be rougher? But what if he choked?
Ivena pondered, her lake-blue eyes inadvertently lingering on El’s lips by the rim of the cup.
Red, full—utterly tempting.
Ivena felt her mind split in two. One half was Saintly Angel Ivena—gorgeous and righteous. The other half was scantily clad Demon Ivena—voluptuous and seductive.
Angel Ivena admonished, “No, no, Ivena, do you understand your identity? How can you have such thoughts about the young master? Isn’t it despicable to do this while he’s unaware?”
Demon Ivena coaxed, “What’s the big deal? Ivena, you’ve been by his side so long—this is your reward. No one will ever know, as long as you keep the secret.”
Angel: “No, Ivena, your love for the young master isn’t so cheap. You just want to see him marry and have children, and silently protect him all your life. Isn’t that enough?”
Ivena froze.
Wisdom.
Demon: “To hell with that, Ivena’s always wanted to do this. She’s just been suppressing her true nature. Besides, the young master is very thirsty.”
Ivena nodded.
Angel: “No, how could this happen…”
The demon elbowed her away, shooing the annoying presence.
“All right, Ivena, just do what you want. No one can stop you.”
Ivena tucked her platinum hair behind her ear, picked up the glass, and took a sip without swallowing.
She pressed her soft lips to El’s, gently holding his head and prying open his tightly shut teeth.
Ivena’s fragrant tongue slid nimbly between their mouths, delivering the water down El’s throat.
Pleasure surged like a tide; she unconsciously squeezed her legs together, her gaze growing hazy, beautiful eyes glimmering with tears.
After a long while, she reluctantly released El’s lips, a shimmering thread connecting them.
Ivena’s slender hand covered her own mouth, as if savoring the lingering sensation.
It was wonderful, but what truly made her fall was not the pleasure, but the satisfaction of completely dominating El.
She’d suppressed herself for so long, she’d even managed to deceive herself.
Did she really only want to watch as other women fell for the young master, doing nothing herself?
El was her master. She had betrayed him, and along with the guilt came the thrill of taboo, all of which challenged her reason.
She wanted more.
Ivena could no longer deceive herself. Now, she wasn’t giving the young master water—she was fulfilling her own desires.
Aurelia and El’s kiss at the ball had wounded her deeply.
It wasn’t fair—why couldn’t she do the same? She had wanted to, for so long.
At least tonight, let her indulge just once, Ivena thought.
After the first glass, she fetched a second, then a third… Ivena greedily craved everything, and only when her body was a complete mess did she finally stop, still unsatisfied.
She went to her own room to change clothes. When she returned, reason had reclaimed its throne.
What have I done? Ivena despaired, clutching her head.
At that moment, the elbowed-away Angel Ivena returned, “Look at yourself, Ivena. Just now you were like a lustful beast—do you remember anything besides what’s below your waist? It’s disgusting. The young master treats you so well, and this is how you repay him?”
“So what should I do?” Ivena asked weakly.
“What should you do? I don’t know either. But for tonight, you’re not allowed in the young master’s room. Who knows what else you might do?”
It made sense. She needed to calm down.
Ivena stood up, ready to leave El’s room, but then heard him murmur, “Mother, don’t leave me.”
El still hadn’t woken, mumbling in his sleep.
Ivena froze. She knew these words weren’t meant for her, not even uttered consciously. Yet they struck the softest part of her heart.
“Hey, what do you think you’re doing, stop—”
Angel Ivena tried to stop her, but at that moment, Demon Ivena appeared.
“You seem pretty cocky when I’m not here.”
Soon enough, Angel Ivena was elbowed away again.
Ivena shed her maid uniform, put on a thin gauzy nightdress, exposing large swathes of snowy skin.
She slipped under El’s covers, wrapped her arms around him, and drew him into her embrace, pressing his face against her heaving chest.
At this moment, she felt no lust. Ivena simply didn’t want to see El so anxious; instinctively, she wanted to comfort him.
Platinum hair scattered around her, making Ivena appear especially holy, casting a maternal glow upon her.
Ivena couldn’t say exactly what kind of feelings she had for El, but one thing was certain: she didn’t want him to suffer.
Whenever she saw him like this, her heart felt as if it would break.