Chapter 59: Tweaking Her Fur

"Ten billion? Is that woman out of her mind?"

Underneath the gloomy, drifting clouds, the silhouettes of twin moons hung faintly. Charles loosened the top button of his collar, taking deep, sharp breaths of the chilly, biting air.

As the "Trade Manager" of the Kingdom Financial Consolidated Savings Bank, he attached immense importance to the massive two-billion-gold order from the Welcome Chamber of Commerce.

If he could secure it smoothly according to plan, his standing within the conglomerate would undoubtedly advance further, and a promotion from P40 to P42 was entirely within reach.

Yet, he had been played for a fool by a mere woman.

"Oh, Mr. Charles, surely you don't still think that woman is interested in you?"

"Pfft, what a bottom-feeder~"

At that moment, an unsparing, mocking chuckle suddenly echoed from inside the swiftly moving carriage.

Who is it?!

Under the hazy moonlight, Charles wore a look of astonishment, quickly scanning his surroundings.

Before he could even make out the scenery outside the window, someone tapped him sharply on the right shoulder.

"I'm right here. Where are you looking?"

Along with the voice, Charles jerked violently as if startled, and then snapped his head around to see a woman wearing a half-face mask.

She possessed sharp, inverted triangular teeth like a shark's, and beneath her black robe, a shark tail swayed aimlessly.

"Lady Number Six."

The instant he laid eyes on the shark-girl, the anger vanished from Charles's face, instantly replaced by a polite, professional and hollow smile.

Only when his gaze swept across the woman's shark-like tail did a trace of disdain and disgust briefly show.

A notorious debt collector, a lapdog exclusively belonging to the conglomerate's leaders—no, a hound!

What a bunch of disgusting creatures. Look at their tails; they're just like loaches in the mud, and they even emit a sickening, fishy stench...

Charles cursed inwardly, yet maintained a respectful facade on the surface.

"I wonder what business Lady Number Six has with me? My financial review and capital turnover for the last quarter seem to be entirely in order..."

"Is that so?" The shark-girl tilted her head. "You seem quite unwelcoming of me?"

"Eh... How could that be?"

"I'm just—I was just so excited to see you all of a sudden!"

Although Charles was the chief representative of the Consolidated Bank in the royal capital, in the face of an internal auditor wielding immense power and external might, he dared not act too presumptuous.

Watching Charles, who was so frightened he was wiping away cold sweat, the shark-girl seemed to be in quite a good mood as she said:

"The conglomerate attaches great importance to the 'Welcome' Chamber of Commerce, but now you've made a complete mess of it. Your professional competence doesn't seem to be very strong."

"No, Lady Number Six, please give me some time. A week—no, three days! I only need three days to make that woman obediently submit..."

However, before he could finish, he saw the auditor before him impatiently wave a hand to cut him off.

"Mr. Charles, if that woman were dead, wouldn't the 'Welcome' Chamber of Commerce become very cheap?"

Such an unprofessional remark left Charles stunned, and he nodded blankly.

"Splendid, let's go with that!"

The shark-girl wagged her thick tail and nodded in satisfaction.

Having posed as a witch for so long, merely dealing with a few deadbeat debtors in the royal capital who hid behind noble titles was something she had long grown tired of.

"Even if I can't lure out the witch, I might as well collect some interest.

Elina, Elina, what a lovely name. You seem to have some indescribable relationship with that Stardust President~

Then let's start with you. I wonder if killing you will expose that President's flaws, allowing me to seize the medium that belongs exclusively to her..."

Number Six vaguely remembered that truth-artifact within the conglomerate recorded on the "Unknowable" list.

It completely transcended the logic of the real world and was enough to alter everything in reality. In certain aspects, it was terrifyingly potent; even possessing detailed knowledge of it would corrupt one into a part of the forbidden truth.

More importantly, the death of the previous Stardust President had also been brought about by the power of that artifact.

The conquest of the New Continent was imminent, and some within the conglomerate had already begun proposing plans to clear out the Old World. She had to act quickly to eliminate these two stumbling blocks.

Otherwise, countless gold lions and cheap laborers would be wasted by then.

***

*Click*—

Accompanied by the crisp sound of a door latch, the door to the parlor was double-locked from the inside by the villa's owner.

"Lady Elina, the President is still squatting outside. Is it really a good idea for us to do this..."

Elina's utterly tone-deaf remark left Ron utterly astounded, but the idea of getting intimate after drinking was something he didn't even dare to imagine.

"Ah~ You mean Olivia? Hmph♪, wouldn't it be even more thrilling if she saw us drunk and getting intimate in bed?"

Inside the parlor, the woman's soft humming grew even more delighted.

Elina's blue eyes, resembling spring water, lazily cast a glance toward Ron, the charm and enticement in her brows and eyes no longer concealed.

Under the light of the magic crystal lamp, her nightgown slipped away quietly, leaving the baroness clad only in a smooth silk lace slip.

Although the hem looked loose and covered Elina's plump and soft figure, only Ron, who had been invited to sit on the leather sofa, could clearly see just how alluring the silhouette cast through the hem by the bright light truly was.

There was nothing underneath.

As if completely unintentional, Elina dropped heavily onto the blonde young mage's robes. Looking at the youth who was startled like a little white rabbit, she said with a smile:

"Phew~ Little one, you are just too cute. You're making me lose my self-control a little bit~"

At that moment, Ron felt as though his arm had sunk into fluffy cotton, and the mature, delicate fragrance once again playfully drilled into his nostrils.

For a moment, the youth felt a bit dizzy, because the strap of that down-to-earth woman's dress had somehow slipped from her shoulder, exposing her exquisite collarbone and a large portion of snowy-white slime-like mounds.

*Gulp...*

Ron swallowed hard. Before he could react in any way, he felt Elina wrap her arms around him, the mature woman's body pressing heavily against his shoulder.

At the same time, something soft and wet was licking and nuzzling his neck.

The woman's breathing and gentle warmth blew against the youth's blonde hair, making Ron acutely aware of the overwhelming importance of the situation.

"Hmph♪~ Little one, you seem awfully nervous?"

Suddenly, Elina abandoned her intimate posture, shook her smooth black hair, and casually rested her head on the youth's lap.

"No, lady, you misunderstood. I'm not nervous at all," Ron said calmly.

Hearing this, Elina's blue eyes seemed even more moist, the coquettishness and gentleness within condensing into a layer of mist about to slide from the corner of her eye.

"Little one, you're really not nervous?"

"Relax, everyone's like this the first time. With me here, you really don't need to be so nervous~"

At those words, the blonde youth blankly shook his head. "Lady Elina, I'm really not nervous."

The baroness fell silent, then the corner of her mouth twitched, almost laughing in exasperation at Ron's feigned ignorance.

"If you're not nervous, why are you pulling out my hair?!"

She cried out loudly while suppressing the stinging tears welling in the corners of her eyes.