“Your ability, how long can it last?”
“N-Not certain… Every woman has individual differences, and, and this is my first time being hit by my own hypnosis…”
The little one let out a small “Woo!” and gazed at Ye Tang with eyes brimming with tears yet filled with unbearable affection.
To the Incubus, his lover’s essence was the supreme delicacy, the exquisite wine that could drive an Incubus mad. The little Nightmare, trapped in the Magic Mirror for centuries without tasting human essence, simply could not resist the enticing aroma emanating from Ye Tang.
But he could not leave the Magic Mirror… It was precisely because humans had trapped him inside, preventing him from leaving, that he had no choice but to assist them… that he had ended up in this state.
However, however, to meet his lover because of this, to be tormented like this by his lover—perhaps it was not so bad…?
“I-I just now used all my power to hypnotize you… My sun, my moon, the one I love most—”
Ye Tang remained unmoved by the Incubus’s praises. Seeing that she seemed lost in thought and no longer questioning him, the Incubus, unable to bear being ignored by his lover, cried out, “My love… are you not going to ask me any more questions? You won’t ask who made me do this? You won’t ask what that person’s goal is?”
The Incubus pressed his entire body against the mirror surface. He writhed in agony, creating a scene that was truly indescribable.
“My love, my treasure, please don’t ignore me… I’ll die, being ignored by you will kill me… Tell me your name? I know you’re not Marinfield. I want to know your name, I want to call your name, my love—”
Ye Tang smiled faintly. Not for any other reason, but out of pity for Marinfield.
“Then go ahead and die.”
“Shall I remind you? A few hours ago, you watched Marinfield die in the same way.”
It had to be said that the golden eyes suited Ye Tang perfectly.
When she revealed a mocking smile, those slightly narrowed golden eyes carried a bewitching demonic allure. Even when belittled and mocked mercilessly by the owner of those eyes, anyone who met them could not look away.
“I-I’m sorry, my love… As long as it makes you less angry, I can do anything for you… Anything…”
Ye Tang smiled again. “What is this weak little Nightmare, who can’t even get out of the mirror, saying?”
“—”
His shoulders shuddered, and the Incubus’s breath hitched.
He watched as Ye Tang smiled mockingly at him and said, “You can’t get out of the mirror, so you have no choice but to assist humans in exchange for freedom—let me guess. The human who promised to help you gain freedom is one of Marinfield’s brothers, a prince of Saint Rubifalist. Of course, it could also be Marinfield’s father, the current king of Saint Rubifalist.”
Saint Rubifalist—from the name alone, one could tell it had deep ties to the Elves. In fact, Saint Ruby’s first king had indeed forged an alliance oath with the Elves: the most strategic and intelligent person would rule as king, for a wise ruler could prevent wars, confining all conflict to the chessboard.
As long as Saint Ruby’s king remained the most strategic and intelligent person in Saint Ruby, the Elves would continue to protect it.
This was why every king of Saint Ruby had been a grandmaster of chess.
When successive kings of Saint Ruby selected their heirs from among the princes, they did not consider age, political achievements, or the status of the princes’ mothers. What mattered was their performance on the chessboard.
The princes typically began learning chess as soon as they could speak, and the emperor made time each month to personally play against each prince and evaluate his potential.
When the emperor later felt the need for an heir, he could comprehensively review the results of their matches and choose a prince who could see a hundred steps ahead to be the next king.
Marinfield was Saint Ruby’s only princess; she originally had no need to learn chess. But her brothers said they could not play with her because they were busy, and they envied how relaxed Marinfield was, free from learning chess.
In a fit of anger, Marinfield had a servant teach her chess.
A month later, she defeated her youngest brother. Two months later, she beat most of her brothers. Half a year later, she beat her eldest brother. A year later, she defeated the brother strongest on the chessboard.
That brother, who had earned the position of Crown Prince through his superior chess skills, flipped over Marinfield’s chessboard in a rage.
He claimed his loss was because he had gone easy on Marinfield, because she was a girl and distracted him, because he had an off day, because Marinfield had cheated.
In short, his loss was justified, which drew the attention of their father.
Saint Ruby’s emperor initially scolded his son for lacking grace and made him watch from the side as he taught his daughter how to play.
In the end, Marinfield completely crushed her father. And it was not just once or twice—even when Marinfield’s father grew serious, unleashing all his proudest tactics without holding back, the trembling Marinfield still accurately targeted her father’s weaknesses, ultimately slaying the dragon on the chessboard.
After that, Marinfield’s chessboard was taken away. She began receiving a completely different education. Her mother consort told her, “You’ve grown up now. You need to prepare for marriage.”
Marinfield puzzledly retorted to her mother consort, “But Mother Consort, isn’t it said that the strongest chess player can become Saint Ruby’s king? If I become king, I won’t have to marry, and I won’t have to leave Saint Ruby…”
Marinfield’s mother consort smiled warmly and stroked her golden hair. “Your chess skills are excellent, so Father King acknowledges you as an adult. Precisely because you are already an adult, Father King wants you to prepare for marriage.”
What happened afterward went without saying. Marinfield was educated every day on how to be a good queen, a perfect helpmate. Then she was married far away to Castellion.
“—If it was Marinfield’s brother, then needless to say, Marinfield’s brother fears her return to Saint Ruby, where her chess skills surpassing his own would be discovered. Otherwise, per the oath Saint Ruby’s first king swore to the Elves, the Elves could withdraw their protection. Saint Ruby would lose its eternal spring-like climate, fertile black soil, and water forever unpolluted.”
With that, Ye Tang simply flopped onto the bed.
Her belly full and spirit weary, Marinfield’s body had enjoyed a rare hearty meal, and now she felt a bit sleepy.
“If it was Marinfield’s father… he might not feel ashamed at being defeated by his daughter, but he knows his sons would never let her ascend the throne. In that case, the faction valuing the Elf alliance would side with the daughter, while the sons court the powerful ministers—Saint Rubifalist would inevitably descend into civil war.”
“Marinfield’s father wanted to snuff out the spark of conflict in its cradle.”
Having said that, Ye Tang propped her cheek on one hand. “Is there anything wrong with what I said?”
“Nothing… My love, everything you said is correct… You truly live up to being my love…”
Hearing Ye Tang’s analysis, the faint unwillingness in the Incubus’s heart had completely vanished.
He could not even explain himself whether it was because he was under hypnosis, making him feel it was not unjust to lose to such a meticulous lover, or because Ye Tang’s incisive unraveling shocked him, realizing that even his serious scheming could not outmatch this woman, and that submitting honestly before her was the wise choice.
“The one who, who made me destroy Marinfield… it was precisely his brother and father…”
“…Her father discovered his son had bought me from a merchant. When his son proposed the deal with me, he also intervened… They promised that as long as Marinfield died, they would use the pretext of retrieving her belongings—to reminisce in the future—and have Castellion send the Magic Mirror back to Saint Ruby! Then they would have human mages release me from the Magic Mirror…!”
The torment of smelling but not tasting drove the hungry Incubus into a daze. Though he wanted to confess honestly to earn Ye Tang’s trust, he still burst into tears and pleaded with her, “I’ll obey you in everything! I’ll do anything for you! Control me with a Slave Contract, my love! With the Slave Contract, I absolutely cannot betray you! Betraying you would make me scatter into ashes… Please, please…!!”
Ye Tang did not blink. “A Slave Contract offers you no benefit, does it?”
“It does! It does! Slaves can draw a tiny bit of magic from their master! Without magic, essence can substitute! I only need a tiny bit of essence, your essence—”
The Incubus, sprawled on the mirror surface thrashing about, was nearly out of strength. This time, Ye Tang was certain he was not faking it.
This little Nightmare’s eyes were even beginning to glaze over.
“Then how does one sign a Slave Contract?”
At Ye Tang’s words, the Incubus’s face lit up again.
“Please tell me your name, let me kiss you, my love…!”
“Lying again.”
Ye Tang narrowed her eyes in a smile; she knew full well that slaves had no right to kiss their masters.
“Then I suppose I’ll just toss you into an abandoned well.”
“Unlike lakes, rivers, or oceans, the bottom of an abandoned well has no life, no scenery. You won’t wash up on shore, nor be found by anyone. To see the light of day again would require an extremely rare stroke of chance.”
“How long would that chance take? A hundred years? Two hundred? Five hundred? A thousand? Or two thousand?”
Just imagining the scene Ye Tang described drove the habitually lying Incubus toward madness.
He had been locked in the Magic Mirror for two hundred years; that loneliness and encroaching death had stripped him of reason, morals, even his willingness to submit to humans.
He did not want to live like this anymore. He did not want to vanish and perish. He wanted out, he wanted freedom, he wanted to roam human dreams at will once more!
“No name needed! Just a kiss! Anywhere is fine! As long as you press any part of your body against the mirror surface! This mirror blocks most of my power, but with even a tiny bit of essence, the Slave Contract can take effect—”
The Incubus was hoarse from shouting; his back wings strained desperately but could only open slightly. The opened wings were riddled with holes of all sizes.
Ye Tang thought for a moment, then leisurely removed her shoes and socks.
One snow-white foot extended before the wilted Incubus.