NOVPUBCompared to Tata appearing here, what she found even more incomprehensible was why the examiner would be brought out by Tata as well.
Even.
Tata was dragging the examiner by his tie, as if coercing him to obey her every command.
This familiar feeling made Carlen reminisce for a moment about that day at the Cardmaker’s Association, where the amiable man was similarly dragged away by Tata by his collar.
"No, you are not him, you can’t possibly be him!"
Carlen’s eyes widened, a trembling smile on her face as she shook her head slightly.
A flurry of clues crossed her mind in an instant, and terrifying thoughts began to surface.
"I’m not."
The examiner could only comfort her, hoping she wouldn’t be discouraged.
But this gentle tone, like that used with a child, only made Carlen’s mental state crumble further.
"No, no..."
Carlen began to shake her head desperately, as if unable to accept the reality.
Gone was her usual vitality and smile, replaced by a look that seemed to doubt the authenticity of the entire world.
All the mockery she had directed at Lanci back at Ichrite Academy, along with each of Lanci’s gentle responses, haunted her like a curse, lingering and inescapable.
She wanted desperately to find an escape from reality, but was unable to find any direction!
"Then do you remember our wager?"
Talia was devoid of pity for Carlen and continued to question her.
"What, what are you talking about?"
Carlen asked, lost in a daze as she looked at her.
Talia nodded.
Seeing Carlen in this state, she probably did indeed want to renege on the deal.
Yet, Talia had never actually expected Carlen to honor such a verbal agreement.
To Talia, promises were of utmost importance.
All the more so for someone from the Demon Royal Family like Talia.
"If you’re thinking of reneging, I’ll make public all those mocking words you said to him, the taunts you hurled at him in the Sage Academy Tower Library, and your secret reporting of him. I suppose you wouldn’t want to fall from your heavenly seat at Royal Arolan Academy and become a clown, would you?"
Talia’s voice softened as she whispered her Demon Sound into Carlen’s ear.
Her voice had become somewhat mesmerizing, causing Carlen to feel dizzy and as if the world was spinning.
"No, don’t do that."
Carlen hastily grasped Talia’s leg, looking up at her as she pleaded.
"Alright, then fulfill your promise."
Talia’s voice slowed down further as she spoke.
Just for that instant, seeing those golden eyes gave Carlen a chill, and her tears almost froze.
Fear spread through her heart; she felt that this woman named Tata possessed a dangerous magic power that could destroy her at any moment.
She was truly like a demon.
But Carlen couldn’t accept it; having just become a Platinum Level Card Maker, if she did such a thing, it would also make her life unbearable!
"Out of pity for you, I’ll allow you to wear a mask."
Talia squatted down, looking at Carlen with tenderness as she spoke.
Carlen trembled all over, as though she was naked in a frozen wasteland, every gaze from the gray-haired, gold-eyed woman piercing her flesh, and she struggled for a long time.
"I agree to your terms."
A fragmented voice drifted faintly from the corner of Carlen’s mouth.
"Hmm? What should you call me?"
Talia asked again.
"Lady Tata..."
Carlen’s voice was so faint it was almost vanishing.
"Very well, then let’s choose the day of the Fireworks Festival. Come to the entrance of the Cardmaker’s Association in the morning, and I will arrange your costume."
Suppressing her fear and tears, Carlen nodded and ran off.
Not until Carlen was out of sight.
"Tata, don’t you think you have a bit of a wicked taste?"
Lanci said, puzzled.
He now truly felt that Tata seemed like a Demon Queen.
Carlen hadn’t realized a serious problem yet.
Tata’s concession was in fact creating space that allowed Carlen to barely accept, forcing her to comply with Talia’s terms step by step.
It seemed as though Lanci had read Tata’s mind; she intended to have Carlen wear a men’s swimsuit.
At that point, Carlen would have nothing but the sign to clutch at, covering her last shred of dignity.
But he believed that Carlen had already compromised the first step, and she would continue to make more concessions to Tata, until she was completely trained by her.
"Hah, that sanctimonious green tea bitch deserved to be trained like that."
Talia spread her hands, looking quite pleased with herself.
"You’re terrifying, have you started to pick up on Lan Fu’s character traits?"
Lanci felt that the Great Love Poet’s abilities seemed to have been completely absorbed by Talia, and these sadistic ideas were typically the Great Love Poet’s preference.
"Don’t worry, Lanci, I wouldn’t do that to you."
Imitating the Great Love Poet’s tone, Talia said to Lanci.
For a moment, Lanci couldn’t quite distinguish whether it was Lan Fu who had returned or if it was Talia impersonating her.
That being said.
Lanci had never considered the possibility of a First-order Great Love Poet biting back.
But now.
The Eighth-order Mad Love Demon King, for the first time, made Lanci sense that possibility.
The more Lanci thought about it, the more excited he became!
"No, are you sick or something?"
Talia had thought she could scare Lanci into trembling, and she would have laughed at that sight.
But reading this guy’s brainwaves, she now wanted to punch him!
"Tata, the more you behave like this, the more excited he gets. This fellow will only wallow in you, the you who could possibly kill him; instead, if you’re kind to him, he’ll lose any interest in provoking you, meow."
Cat Boss, emerging from the shadows, finally commented.
"Ah ah..."
Talia clenched her fists unwillingly.
She was beginning to understand.
Good.
Next time she got the chance, she would treat Lanci with kindness for a whole day, just to see if she could disgust him to death!
