Chapter 435
Succubus’s Trap
“What are you looking at?” Emma asked Isabel, a mix of curiosity and wariness coloring her voice.
Isabel turned back as if nothing had happened, her brow furrowed. “There’s a flower girl, she looks so pathetic… If not for the Candle-holding Ceremony, she might freeze to death.”
“Who cares about her,” Emma said with a casual laugh. “Just a commoner.”
“Commoners are important too,” Isabel replied earnestly. “Commoners are people!”
Emma glanced at “Yulia” with a hint of surprise. She realized something. She had to admit, she was impressed. Even without the education of a monarch, she possessed the innate bearing of a true queen. That queen, Isabel, might even be a more fitting candidate for the throne than “Yulia” herself. This was unavoidable. Emma harbored resentment for Eivass, stemming from her hatred of the crow on his shoulder that had foiled her plans and its puppeteer. If not for its interference, Eivass would have been her prize upon their first meeting.
Aside from the momentary use of the “Eye of Suggestion” to implant a mark, Emma refrained from using any active extraordinary abilities. This was her habit – for someone skilled in mental manipulation like herself, leaving no trace was paramount. Any traceable evidence would mean a loophole. Subtle, traceless guidance was superior to leaving behind a mark of mental control. Currently, she was merely using her own spiritual energy to influence others. She wasn’t changing their core essence or personality; she was essentially inserting herself at the top of their list of favorable impressions. Under such circumstances, she couldn’t be too contrary to their wishes or incite overt hostility, as that could temporarily break the control.
She suspected that Eivass had broken free from her control using the same technique. However, Emma hadn’t quite figured out which of her words had angered Eivass. But that didn’t matter – she wouldn’t be seeing Eivass again anyway. She believed that after witnessing her power, Eivass would certainly not dare to meet her alone. But he would never have guessed that bringing someone with him would be digging his own grave. So, Emma relaxed slightly, shrugged, and played along with “Yulia”‘s words. “Then, when we get back, you can spare her some. Do you have any money, Yulia?”
“……No. I didn’t bring any money with me when I left,” Isabel replied softly, a hint of embarrassment in her voice. She had momentarily snapped back to reality.
“It’s alright, I’ll give you some,” Emma said with a light laugh. She opened her purse, took out a small stack of crisp banknotes tied with a string, and handed it to Isabel. “This is White Crown currency a friend gave me. I never had a chance to use it. Give her this hundred White Crowns and let her start a business.”
“Mother is truly kind…” Isabel looked up, her eyes seeming to sparkle.
Emma’s face was beaming, but her heart was filled with a devilish mischief. A young lady like Yulia surely didn’t know that for a destitute commoner with nothing, even a few silver coins could be life-threatening. Let alone a hundred White Crowns. According to Emma’s knowledge, a laborer on Glass Island could barely earn thirty White Crowns in a year. One “White Crown” was equivalent to two hundred “Copper Hourglasses,” and a serving of roasted beef cost only eight copper coins. The cheapest cup of coffee was one copper coin, and a pot of tea cost two. A house that could accommodate two people would cost one White Crown per month in rent. And she had just gifted a hundred White Crowns.
She wasn’t ignorant of the value of money. On the contrary, she understood it very well. To Emma, it was merely a few dozen Star Antinomy gold coins, insignificant. It was the amount she would spend on two doses of Drunken Dream T to ensure a good night’s sleep when she couldn’t rest. But for a commoner, it was an astronomical sum – that flower girl would definitely accept it, even if she knew the danger. Although Emma hadn’t even glance at the girl, she knew the girl wouldn’t have the strength to protect such wealth. Otherwise, she wouldn’t be wearing only a thin garment in the cold winter.
Yulia, in her misguided belief that she was helping, had unwittingly condemned the poor girl to death with this fortune. This money might even incite a small riot, causing the poor and hungry to turn on each other. For the wealthy Countess Emma, it was like tossing scraps of meat to wild beasts to tear each other apart. Perhaps they would maintain their sanity normally… but Emma had arrived. Once she reached Glass Island, it was destined that its people would become irritable, greedy, and revert to their primal instincts like beasts.
Emma closed her eyes, elegantly raising her arm like a conductor, her fingers delicately pinching the air as she wielded a phantom baton with relish. To use Yulia’s kindness as a weapon, and money that brought happiness as bullets, to create misfortune and death. To drive people to madness, reveal their bestiality, and cause them to slaughter each other… nothing was sweeter. And when it came time to sacrifice Yulia, she could reveal the truth of this event. The anger and regret then would be a sufficiently delicious seasoning. She had even prepared a contingency. If her actions were discovered by Eivass, her prepared trap could be utilized… This time, that bothersome crow wouldn’t interrupt.
With this thought, the succubus inhabiting Emma’s body and her material avatar raised their lips in unison. The curves of their eyes, the smiles on their lips – identical.
Meanwhile, Eivass had arrived at the Great Cathedral of the Candle Holder. A well-known orchestra in Avalon was performing enthusiastically on stage. Consequently, not only was the Great Cathedral of the Candle Holder packed, but a considerable crowd had also gathered outside. Some were setting up stalls to sell goods or entertain themselves. It took Eivass considerable effort just to squeeze inside. The Candle-holding Ceremony eulogy comprised three rounds, held at sunrise, nine in the morning, and noon. Between the two rounds of eulogy, local performers would entertain, or a banquet would be held. Avalon’s entertainment standards were somewhat lacking, and the Iris Flower’s Candle-holding Ceremony was an assembly of top-tier artists, an event of immense scale.
Eivass quickly inquired about Bishop Mathers’s location and rushed in to find him. He was somewhat disoriented upon entering. The receiving room Bishop Mathers was using for rest was the same deserted small chapel where he and Isabel had hidden to sing during their Ascension Ritual.
“Happy New Year, Eivass!” Bishop Mathers greeted him with a smile. “What’s wrong? You look so anxious. Did your girlfriend get lost?”
“Did you see Yulia?” Eivass asked, not responding directly.
“Ah, yes, I did,” Bishop Mathers nodded, recalling. “About two hours ago. Then she left with her friend.”
…Two hours ago? Eivass’s heart sank.
“Was her friend male or female? Do you know where they went? Do you know him?” Eivass pressed.
“Oh my,” Bishop Mathers chuckled and waved his hand dismissively, instinctively defending Emma. “It was Countess Emma, a very renowned figure. She’ll surely take good care of Yulia.”
“Do you know where they went?” Eivass repeated his question.
Seeing Eivass’s serious expression, tinged with a hint of anger, Bishop Mathers sighed helplessly and answered truthfully, “I don’t know. I only saw her from a distance.” He added, “But I don’t think Countess Emma is a bad person, so don’t worry. Yulia seemed happy too, clearly familiar with her.”
“…Alright, I think I have a rough idea.” Eivass nodded, disregarding Bishop Mathers’s nonsensical, AI-like responses. Regardless, his first stop would be the Lloyd Society headquarters. Two hours had already passed; he needed to make haste. He’d have to borrow the Grand Guardian’s Gryphon—a Fifth Tier Gryphon should be more resistant to control, shouldn’t it?
Before leaving the small chapel, Eivass turned back and offered a reminder: “I seriously suggest you offer a full prayer to the Candle Holder, requesting the sacred flame to purify your body and spirit.”
“Oh, this child…” Bishop Mathers watched Eivass hurry away, sighing helplessly. “What are you saying, as if I were under someone’s mental control…” But even as he said it, he made a prayer to the Candle Holder.
