Seeing Lumian remain silent, Jenna smiled and said, âDoesnât a good team leader need to care about the personal needs of the team members and balance internal conflicts? Sure, when you Hunters reach a high sequence, you can easily subdue people and turn them into puppets without worrying about these things. But now, you canât do that yet.â
Jennaâs eyes flickered slightly as she added with a smile, âThis benefits you as well. You once said that the emotions and desires suppressed by the Ascetic wonât disappear completely. Some will accumulate little by little, and if they reach a certain level, they must be vented, or theyâll become a hidden danger. And it seems you havenât vented in a long time.
âKilling people isnât enough to fully release these emotions, and there arenât enough bad guys for you to kill all at once.â
At this point, Jenna looked at Lumian with clear eyes, teasing, âAlright, Iâve finished explaining my reasons, the benefits, and possible consequences of this. Captain, you need to make a decision.â
Without waiting for Lumian to speak, Jenna pursed her lips and added in a low voice, âAlso, thereâs another reason. Weâve been through many dangerous things. We donât know when weâll die or lose each other. I-I donât want to bid farewell with regrets.â
After a moment of silence, Lumian sighed and said, âYouâve become quite an excellent Instigator.â
Jenna blinked. âDoes that mean you agree?â
Lumian nodded solemnly. âOnly while youâre a Demoness of Pleasure.â
Jennaâs slightly leaning body suddenly pulled back, and her shoulders, supported by her hands, dropped a little.
The emotions she had been suppressing finally released a little.
She lowered her gaze to her knees and smiled, half self-mockingly, half wistfully.
âWhen that happens, I can digest the Affliction potion.â
Lumian remained silent.
After a few seconds, he said, âIâll find an opportunity to inform Franca about this as a sign of respect.â
Jenna fell silent for a moment before saying with a smile, âI thought youâd seek Francaâs opinion before making a decision.â
Lumian sighed again.
âThis is a sign of respect towards you.â
He had sighed, having sensed the true emotions hidden in Jennaâs words. Jenna knew that Franca was an unavoidable issue in this matter, but she hoped that whatever the outcome-good or bad-it would only concern herself and her partner. As for Franca, she would deal with that separately. Thatâs why when she was asked about Franca earlier, she suddenly became angry and irritated, spitefully saying it would help her digest the Affliction potion. Lumian only realized this through her response, and in that moment understood the mood behind their current banter.
Lumian changed the subject. âYou are one of the most proactive people Iâve ever met.â
âThe good way of putting it is âdecisive and courageous,â the bad way is âimpulsive and reckless,â Jenna said, her eyes like the waters of an autumn lake, now fully exhibiting the charm of a Demoness of Pleasure, smiling slightly, âNow, shouldnât we talk about something else?â
She removed the fake mole from the bridge of her nose and asked Lumian with a smile, âDo you remember what I told you about the different meanings of the fake mole when we first met?â
Lumian smiled wryly. âThat was our second meeting.â
âI didnât see you the first time, so it doesnât count,â Jenna said, her hand holding the fake mole slowly sliding down, past her beautifully curved jaw, her long white neck, and the floral decorations on her chest, stopping at the second button of her blouse.
She smiled brightly and asked, âWhat does this mean?â
Lumianâs gaze involuntarily followed Jennaâs hand. He closed his eyes and said, âIt means secrets.â
Jenna laughed. She stood up slowly and walked over to Lumian, who was sitting at the desk.
Her voice turned low, as if it was scratching Lumianâs ear.
âI know itâs hard for you to take the initiative right now, that youâre hesitating to take that step. Itâs okay, Iâll guide you.
âAs expected, youâre still a virginâŠâ
Jenna chuckled softly and walked up to Lumian, placing her hands on his shoulders.
After a second, she lowered her head and pressed her lips against Lumianâs.
Lumian smelled the fragrance and felt the softness and sweetness, along with the slight coolness and trembling of her lips, and the nervousness and apprehension.
âŠ
Inside Apartment 702 at 9 Rue Orosai.
Franca studied those characters late into the night and finally received a reply from Madame Hela, who agreed to convene a full gathering of the Curly-Haired Baboons Research Society soon.
Phew, Franca entered the room, sat at the small analyzer, and shared with the telegraph group members that she had come across some ancient characters that seemed to predate their transmigration. She then chatted with 007 and the others until after one in the morning.
The next day, she woke up around eight.
The habits she had developed recently and the matters on her mind kept her from sleeping in.
After washing up and having breakfast, Franca hesitated about her next move.
Should I find Lumian first to tell him about the Demoness of Black and the oracle bone script, or should I find Anthony to see if heâs heard anything about the mineralogist, Jasmine, from the adventurers and smugglers who frequently enter Underground Trier?
After a few seconds of deliberation, Franca decided to find Anthony first because the Hypnotist usually left early and returned late, busy collecting intelligence and advancing his membership in the Psychology Alchemists. If she missed him now, sheâd have to wait until the evening.
Besides, proactively seeking out Lumian could expose his current residence to the Demoness of Black. She planned to wait until the evening when Lumian would come to her.
âŠ
With the curtains slightly parted, Lumian stood there shirtless, silently gazing at Ludwig who was savoring a meat pie from the shop across the street. He seemed somewhat refreshed and invigorated.
To his side and slightly behind him, Jenna lay on her stomach in bed, the covers draped diagonally across her. Her lower legs were drawn up and swaying gently in the air, while her face still bore a faint flush.
She gazed at Lumianâs side profile and chuckled softly. âAre you embarrassed?â
Lumian let out a derisive snort. âLast night, who was the one embarrassed in the end? First, you insisted on drawing the curtains, then you wanted me to create a wall of spirituality to block the noise, then you said the wall of spirituality wasnât enough and demanded a Bottle of Fiction, then you suddenly got scared and wanted to do a rain check, perhaps another timeâŠâ
Jenna laughed softly. âThat was to make you eager, to unleash the emotions and desires youâve been suppressing with the Asceticâs tolerance.
âI must say, you performed well yesterday, much better than I expected. Of course, at first, your performance was quite in line with your state of innocence.â
Lumian chuckled in amusement and replied, âAre all you Demonesses so stubborn with words, insistent on getting the last word?â
âLearned from the best, you.â Jenna nodded emphatically, indicating that it was true.
She then laughed. âWhy wonât you look at me? Are you really embarrassed?â
She seemed to have regained the feeling she had when she first faced Lumian.
Lumian tsked. âI have serious business to do. I need to keep an eye on Ludwig and secretly follow him later.â
âWhy?â Jenna asked in confusion, âDidnât you let Lugano take Ludwig around when we were in places like Port Santa?â
âBack then, I didnât know he was a sealed Angel, and there are many heretics in Trier,â Lumian explained in detail, âWhen I went to Morora, I made sure Ludwig stayed indoors as much as possible. As long as there was food, he could stay at home. My concern is that if he wanders around Trier, he might run into other followers of the Devouring Whirlpool. Lugano is only a Sequence 7 and not particularly good at combat.â
âIn that case, Ludwig might follow the Devouring Whirlpoolâs followers, and heâs crucial for you to complete the ritual soon.â Jenna suddenly understood.
Lumian withdrew his gaze, bent over, and tried to pick up his clothes from the floor.
After scanning the area, he decided to take out a new set from the Travelerâs Bag.
Jenna watched him change clothes with a grin, then walk to the door.
Lumian paused at the door, hesitated to turn around, then held back, and said with a hum, âLudwig is about to leave this street. You should rest well.â
Jenna laughed. âCan you say that while looking at me?â
Seeing Lumian open the door and walk out, she laughed even more wantonly.
âAre you afraid to look at me because you canât resist, donât want to leave, and will be delayed?â
Jenna laughed happily the entire time until Lumian transformed into a shadow and left the apartment when tears seemed to well up in the corners of her eyes.
She looked at the full-length mirror in the room and saw a beautiful, enchanting woman with a smile on her lips and sadness in her eyes.
Anthony took a sip of strong black coffee, raised his head, and said, âI was just about to find you.â
âGot something?â Francaâs eyes lit up as she sat down.
She habitually glanced around and noticed many people looking her way, but no one dared approach to overhear her conversation with Anthony.
I might need to disguise myself and go out looking less attractive at times. Each Sequence in the Demoness pathway significantly enhances feminine charmâŠ
Sequence 4 onwards, the greatest increase in charm is from Demoness of Pleasure⊠Franca withdrew her gaze and looked at Anthony thoughtfully.
Anthony took out a stack of papers and said, âBased on the time and place you provided about mineralogist Jasmineâs recent appearances in Underground Trier, Iâve been searching for adventurers, smugglers, and students who passed through those areas during the corresponding times. In the past few days, I finally made some progress.
âThere are three people who fit the conditions, but they didnât encounter Jasmine nearby. However, they did meet someone else. Based on their descriptions, I made corresponding sketches and found they all seemed to have met the same person, who happens to be someone youâre looking for.â
âSomeone else Iâm looking for? Another Mirror Person?â Franca was puzzled.
Anthony unfolded three sheets of drawing paper and pushed them to Franca.
Franca received it and turned it around, quickly glancing at them.
Just one look, and her eyes froze.
Although the sketches on the three sheets had differences, it was clear they depicted the same person:
That person had short hair, soft facial contours, and features that werenât deep.
They had a distinctive appearance, not resembling anyone from any Northern Continent country, nor the darker-skinned people of the Southern Continent.
Franca recognized this person: It was indeed someone she was looking for!
He was suspected to be Harrison from Resurrection Island!