Getting confirmation from the Arch Fiend that lingered around me was enough for the Wisp and I to continue preparing the surrounding area for the immediate future, weaving various spells together before moving towards the bed, where the troubled young Lady of House Renacla lay, snoring softly and unaware of two potential killers standing above her.
Unsurprisingly, the Lady of Vulpine Manor inside Vulpe City was - in fact - a Foxkin woman, though she was a tad more unique than the other Foxkin we had seen so far.
Whereas most of the other Foxkin had the signature russet colored fur that people tended to think of with Foxes, the young Lady in front of us had midnight black fur and hair, smooth as silk and such a deep shade of black that it felt like one was looking into the void and not into the messy bedhead of a sleeping Lady.
Smooth dark olive skin only made that hair seem darker, and Lady Vitra was just about a shade lighter than Anput with her skintone, giving her a rather 'exotic' look from my point of view and striking a very beautiful image based on just that alone.
High cheekbones and a narrow nose made her look rather serious even as she slept, while her plump lips and sharp brows made me curious to what she would look like awake.
Every bit the sleeping beauty, Lady Vitra was a stunning woman through and through, and that extended to her body that was covered by the linens; two supple mountains were barely concealed beneath the sheets, and as she rolled onto her side, the curvature of her hips came into view, making me nod appreciatively for a moment before I focused on the Wisp, who had finished preparing everything on their end and reached forwards to shake the sleeping beauty awake.
With a soft gasp, Lady Vitra shot up before frowning, her brilliant green eyes losing their sleepy haze in a second as she stared at us curiously, her hands pulling the sheets further up her body as she looked between the Wisp and I.
"Breaking into a young Lady's room... am I to assume that you both are unscrupulous? That my chastity is in danger?"
Like the rest of her, Lady Vitra's voice was beautiful, flowing from her lips as smooth as silk and containing a gentleness that belied the calculating gleam in her emerald eyes.
"No, you needn't worry about that. Instead, you should worry about the thing around your neck, as well as the crime for consorting with Fiends."
Understanding dawned in her eyes, and she smirked at us as she slipped one hand from the sheets towards her throat, stroking the silver chain that rested against her olive flesh, contrasting her warm appearance with its cold shimmer.
"Hm~? To know about Fiends, you two must be rather important... but how important? Considering you broke into the Manor without blowing yourselves up or alerting the guards... I'd wager your skills are up to snuff. Not a Barony, nor a County... perhaps a March or a Dukedom? Or maybe higher..."
Lady Vitra's smirk widened as she searched our expressions, an amused chuckle leaking from her lips as she leaned back into her pillows, tilting her head curiously as she said "And considering the lack of emotion and little I can glean from your expressions and body language... well trained in social environments as well. My other theory - that you're cultists of some other Fiend - seems to be false, since I've yet to meet or find anyone in a cult with an ounce of social acumen. So some higher Noble's sent you here... Well, I might not be the genius of geniuses, but I'd wager quite a bit that you work for March Asmodia~?"
She continued to look over us both, before grinning as she said "Oh, I just knew~ that'd work! Really, curiosity sometimes kills, doesn't it~? You couldn't help but wonder why this 'lowly' Noble would be so daft as to target the rising star Jahi Asmodia? Ha! The bait had been cast, and it would seem I reeled in exactly what I wanted..!"
Lady Vitra chuckled some more as she looked between the two of us, before stretching as she added "I was tempted to send another set of assassins after her again, y'know? Make it something that wounded her pride in her House; a surefire way to rope in any Noble. We preach that we're different from one another, and yet we all act the exact same at the end of the day."
"So you being unsound of mind was just another ruse? One to lure us in and snag us easier?"
Letting out a sharp peal of laughter, Lady Vitra continued to grin as she shook her head, those emerald eyes gleaming dangerously as she leaned forwards, hissing "Oh no... before, my mind was muddled. Cloudy. I saw the world through the lens of an idiotic mortal thinking of only the here and now. Maybe a few hours in the future, perhaps a few days. Now? Now I can see everything clearly... what needs to be done for a better tomorrow. For a better future. Better for me, anyways.
Imagine being told constantly that you were never enough to take over, to be told by your own Mother that your dream was impossible and that you should give up, all because your dearest sister is perfect in every single damn way. Beauty, brains, brawn, charisma... she has it all, and comes by it naturally. You work as much as her, yet it isn't enough, so you work more, and more, and more... all for her to begin working harder as well, furthering that gap between the two of you more and more... Your efforts for more, to no avail.
Why should I accept that? It's mine, not hers. She mingles around and talks of an easy, peaceful life of status quo's, denying risks and sticking to safety instead of trying to uplift this County into a March! Perhaps into a Dukedom... She's unfit for the title Countess with that mentality, so I should be the one to take it over! I should be the next Countess, not her!"
She ended that with a shout, leaning forwards and giving the Wisp and I a crazed look as she clung to that necklace, her fingers curling over the metal and digging into her flesh as she glared at us both.
"So now... now that you are here, I can begin what I need to... What I need to take what is mine and bring about a new age for the Renacla Family, for MY Family..."
Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!
Use arrow keys (or A / D) to PREV/NEXT chapter