Emma was lying lazily on her soft bed, dressed in black lingerie that hugged her curves and made her already bold gyaru figure stand out even more. Normally, she would have admired herself in the mirror or taken pictures from her newly bought camera to tease her friends, but today her seductive face was twisted with frustration.
She used to be the carefree type, laughing loudly, saying whatever came to her mind, and never letting worries tie her down. But recently, everything was changing. Her friends were moving ahead, gaining strength. Meanwhile, she felt like she was being left behind, her own fire dimming little by little. That thought pressed heavily on her heart, and she bit her lip.
"I wanna be as strong as them too…" she whispered, gripping her pillow.
As if her wish had been heard, the world around her blurred for a moment, and she found herself in a strange, dazzling place. Right in front of her stood a breathtaking woman. She looked almost human but more radiant, her flawless brown skin glowing warmly. Her face was so beautiful that Emma couldn't look away, and her smooth body had cracks running through it, like earth splitting open. From those cracks grew green vines, colorful flowers, and tiny plants, making her look like a goddess who carried life itself.
The woman smiled softly, her voice warm yet commanding.
"I am Mother Earth, Terra. Goddess of the Earth, with authority over earth and partially harvest, fertility… and even seduction."
Emma's eyes widened. The goddess gave her the same kind of offer as the constellations had given Sylvania and Violet. But unlike them, Emma didn't even try to hide her excitement. Her body trembled slightly as her lips curved into a thrilled smile.
"Yes! Of course, it would be my pleasure!" she said quickly, almost breathless with joy.
———
At the same time, far away, Cassandra was not resting in her quiet room. Instead, she was traveling in a carriage. The dress she wore wasn't too flashy, but it had an elegant charm that made her stand out wherever she went. Not overly luxurious, yet anyone could instantly guess she was from a wealthy family.
Her long hair swayed gently as the carriage rolled on, but her face remained blank, like a porcelain doll—cold and unreadable.
Finally, the carriage came to a halt in front of a tall building. It was the police station—or more accurately, the guard headquarters. Without a word, Cassandra stepped out gracefully. She slipped two bronze coins into the driver's hand, her movements delicate and precise, and then turned toward the building.
The guards at the entrance stiffened the moment they saw her. One of the constables rushed inside, and moments later, the head guard himself hurried out, practically running. His boots clicked against the ground as he bent forward in a swift bow.
"My lady," he said nervously, almost sweating, "you could have come tomorrow! There was no rush. I would have brought him to you personally!"
Cassandra's eyes, calm and cold, stayed fixed on him. Her delicate face didn't shift even a little. With a voice that was soft but carried weight, she replied,
"No need. I had some free time."
The head guard led Cassandra through the cold, dimly lit prison halls until they reached a small cell. Inside, a man was shackled in heavy iron chains, his body slumped against the wall. He still wore the torn and dirty uniform of a guard, though the badge on his chest revealed he wasn't just any guard—he had once been a group leader.
It was Caelum Nyvari.
The same man who had once arrogantly arrested and questioned Esdeath about the death of Eldon. But later, when Esdeath began revealing his own dark secrets, he had been forced to back off. In the end, he had cowardly shifted all the blame onto a helpless child—the very child who had been the victim in the first place.
The head guard glanced at Cassandra before speaking with a stiff voice.
"He has confessed everything… but you may hear it again with your own ears, my lady, if you wish."
Cassandra gave a small nod and entered the cell. She moved gracefully, her footsteps echoing against the damp stone floor. Without hesitation, she sat down in front of the chained man, her calm gaze fixed on him.
"Speak," she ordered softly, her tone cold enough to freeze the air.
Caelum didn't hesitate for even a second. His eyes widened with panic as he quickly began spilling the truth.
"I don't know how she knew about my secret… about me killing my own children… but to keep it hidden, I had no choice! Since the case involved a noble, I had to cover it up somehow, so… so I placed the blame on the child!"
His words spilled out like poisoned water, desperate and trembling.
If Ethan had been the one sitting there, his fists would have been burning with anger, his rage overflowing, and he would have already punched the man across the face. But Cassandra… remained completely expressionless. Her face showed no trace of pity, no anger, no disgust—nothing.
"Can you repeat what you just said," Cassandra's voice was steady, almost frightening in its calmness, "in front of everyone? If you do, I'll make sure you don't receive the death penalty. You'll spend the rest of your life in prison, I'll also make sure to give you three meals a day."
Truthfully, she didn't even need to make such an offer. With her powers, she could hypnotize him into saying anything she wanted. But the place where she wanted this truth to be revealed was one where no magic, no essence stones, no tricks were allowed. If he spoke under influence, it would be discovered immediately.
Caelum's face lit up with desperate hope.
"Of course, of course! I'll say everything! But my lady—" his eyes darted around nervously, his voice turning into a harsh whisper, "that girl… she's a witch, for sure! She even seduced your elder sister! She should be burned alive, or else the Goddess will never forgive our sins!"
He let out a broken chuckle, the sound desperate and disgusting.
BAM!
Cassandra's boot connected with his face before he could finish another word. Two of his teeth went flying, blood spilling from his mouth as he choked on his own scream.
"You better not talk about sins," Cassandra said coldly, standing tall and glaring down at him. "Just be ready when the time comes."
Without sparing him another glance, she turned and walked out of the cell.
The head guard was still standing there, waiting nervously. Though he hadn't heard the exact conversation, he could easily guess what Caelum had confessed to. And that confession involved Esdeath Mariette.
Esdeath—Lortell's one and only wife.
Almost every high-ranking official knew how dangerously obsessed Lortell was with her. If word of this reached him, there would be chaos.
The head guard wiped the sweat from his forehead, his lips curling into a bitter, self-mocking laugh.
"Hahaha… I think I should inform the Arch-Duchess about this. She might actually be of help to you."
But before his laughter could fade, Cassandra slowly turned her head toward him.
Her eyes locked onto his, sharp and merciless, radiating pure killing intent. The deathly cold stare made his knees tremble violently, his breath caught in his throat.
"If my sister finds out anything about this…" Cassandra's voice was soft but carried the weight of a death sentence. "You and your family will be the first to die."
------------
The next day at the academy, Ethan and Sasha walked side by side through the hallway. Because of their height difference, they looked like a strange pair. Ethan was so short compared to her that he barely even reached Sasha's chest, let alone her shoulders. The contrast between them was almost comical.
Ethan held a notepad in his hand, scribbling small things as they talked.
"You've already learned most of it," he said, his tone calm but satisfied. "I don't think I need to teach you Hermes anymore. You'll pick up the rest just by talking with others, and soon you'll be fluent."
Sasha smiled warmly at him. "Great! You're actually quite good at teaching," she praised, and she meant every word. Even though she had refused to join Ethan's team against Lortell, she never stood against him either. Her position was clear—she was neutral. Sasha was here because of her father, and she would never make decisions that might clash with his will.
Besides, joining Ethan's side would mean stepping directly into the dangerous political conflict between Cassandra and Lortell. That wasn't something she was willing to gamble on.
At that moment, Cassandra appeared in the hallway with Violet, Sylvania, and Emma walking together. Their little group approached Ethan and Sasha with smiles on their faces. Ethan noticed immediately that Sylvania, Violet, and especially Emma seemed unusually cheerful, almost glowing with happiness.
"Did something good happen?" he asked, raising an eyebrow curiously.
"N-no," Sylvania quickly shook her head, though her face turned pink. "It's just… my mood has been really good lately!" She looked away shyly, biting her lip. Deep inside, her heart pounded. "I really want to tell them… but I can't. Kyaa~! I wonder how they'd react if they found out I actually spoke with a goddess!"
"She's right," Violet jumped in, nodding quickly. Outwardly she looked calm, but inside she was hiding her own thoughts. "I know it's wrong to keep secrets from friends… but it's necessary."
Ethan decided not to press the matter any further. But then his gaze landed on Emma, and he froze. His eyes lingered on her longer than he expected, and his chest tightened.
"Why… why is she looking so irresistible all of a sudden?" he thought, his heartbeat racing. "She was beautiful, but now… it feels different."
What Ethan didn't know was that Emma was no longer just herself. She had become the incarnation of Mother Earth. With her, partial authority over seduction and fertility, she naturally stirred the hidden desires of those around her, Of course it couldn't match a high ranking succubus's charm or fallen dragon's, They are embodiment of seduction, Desire and pleasure.
Emma noticed the way his eyes betrayed him, and a small, teasing smile curled on her lips. Slowly, she leaned closer to him. Her fingers tugged at her shirt, stretching the fabric slightly. The top button was already undone, and she pulled it just enough to show more of her skin.
"Wanna see what's inside?" she whispered, her voice sultry and dripping with temptation.
Ethan's face instantly turned scarlet. His throat felt dry, and he quickly turned his head away, coughing to cover his embarrassment. "C-cough…!"
Both Sylvania and Violet glared at Emma with burning fury in their eyes. Their jealousy was clear—if looks could kill, Emma would have been torn apart on the spot.
Sasha, on the other hand, narrowed her eyes slightly. Her expression wasn't anger but disappointment, as if silently judging Emma's behavior.
"I'm going," Sasha suddenly said flatly, turning away from the group. Without waiting for anyone to respond, she started walking down the hallway.
Her steps, however, came to a sudden halt when she noticed Maruti coming from the opposite side. For a moment, both of them froze in place, their eyes locking. The air grew heavy, and Sasha opened her mouth softly.
"Mei—"
But before she could say anything, Without saying a word, maruti spun around and bolted in the opposite direction as fast as she could.
Sasha stood there, stunned. Her lips twitched twice in frustration. "Why such an exaggerated reaction? That girl really needs a scolding to learn how to behave better…"