NOVPUB"Where did that guy disappear to?"
In a relatively narrow pathway, Morgana mumbled anxiously while clutching her voluptuous chest, her breath hitching as waves of heat rolled through her body.
Her face was now flushed with restlessness, her cheeks a deep red as she bit her lip, struggling to suppress the effects of the aphrodisiac now coursing through her veins.
"Why at this time? This damn poison!"
She thought she would be able to control the onset of the poison for a while after consuming the petal given by Ian. Unfortunately, her guess was wrong, as she was already having a hard time.
She didn't know why, but the Sinner's Bloom seemed to have strengthened somehow, suddenly flaring up while she was waiting for Ian's return.
"Should I go back and look for him? I can't wait any longer."
She mumbled as she grew more and more restless. From the heat, she was already visibly sweating, beads of moisture trailing down from her face to her chest.
And with the undulating curves of her peaks, she looked quite seductive. Truly, this poison was one of a kind.
"Looking for me? Why?"
Just when Morgana had decided to return to the volcanic region, she heard a soft male voice right next to her ear asking curiously.
"You..."
Morgana quickly turned around after hearing the voice, only to see Ian's tall figure right next to her. She didn't know when, but he was already quite close, looking at her interestingly.
However, after experiencing it once, she wasn't surprised to see him appear suddenly a second time.
"Thank God you are finally here. Otherwise..."
Instead, Morgana breathed a sigh of relief after seeing Ian as she took a deep breath, trying to calm down a little.
Then, she looked at Ian and pleaded for help.
"Can you give me one petal of the Lustbane Lily? No... two—yes, two should do. Please?"
She asked, looking at Ian with hope in her dreamy, moisture-laced eyes. They were already a beautiful pair, but with that seductive and enchanting gaze, they nearly captivated Ian completely.
However, Ian controlled his thoughts quite well as he looked at Morgana's pleading look and asked curiously,
"What happened to you? Weren't you fine before?"
Although Ian knew that Morgana couldn't get rid of Sinner's Bloom with just a petal, he still knew that one petal was enough to calm her down for more than a day.
Then, why did she look like she was about to lose her mind? No matter how he looked at her, she looked like a girl in need.
"I don't know. It just... suddenly flared up. Can you please help me?"
Morgana was also confused. However, she had other things to care about.
So, she once again asked Ian for help, as only he could help her now.
Honestly, after his help the first time, she had kind of become dependent on him.
"Oh? That's bad. But... why should I help you?"
Ian was a little surprised that the poison flared up so suddenly. But putting aside those things for now, he suddenly smirked at Morgana and asked while getting closer to her little by little.
"What do you mean?"
Morgana noticed his strange behavior and him closing in, and suddenly asked, a little on guard.
However, Ian noticed that even when he came quite close, she didn't walk back nor did she try to attack him like before.
Instead, he heard her heavy breathing and saw her dreamy eyes fixated on him, as if, if he really came close, she would eat him alive.
"I mean... why should I help you? You haven't repaid your earlier debt, and you want my help again?"
Ian asked, finding it quite interesting how Morgana didn't even flinch as he stood face to face with her.
However, he had to admit, those ember eyes with dark pupils on her flushed face, her lips bitten, and her heavy breathing were quite seductive.
"Then... what do you want? I can trade some treasures of mine or help you with something in the future. What do you think?"
Morgana asked a little unnaturally as Ian's close presence had made the poison in her body even more restless. But it also suddenly managed to calm her down in a strange way, as if the effect of the poison was getting reduced somehow.
It was a conflicting feeling, but also a little satisfying.
Although she didn't know if this was just her psychology in play, she did feel that way. That's why she didn't back down when Ian came close.
"Oh? What do you have? Or, are you offering yourself to me?"
Ian said with a smile, lifting her chin with his fingers just like he had back in the Alchemy Lab. Since he had already taken off his mask, Morgana could see his face clearly up close.
"Tch... didn't you say I am not your type before? Why? Did you change your mind after seeing that I'm helpless?"
She already realized that Ian was playing with her. So, she didn't back down or show any weakness but asked with a pout.
Besides, now she was sure that the poison's effect was indeed getting reduced somehow, the longer she stayed with Ian. Instead, she was now having some strange thoughts in her mind, which she quickly curbed.
"Oh? Now you're talking back? Aren't you afraid I might not help you?"
Ian was amused by Morgana's brave front, as she didn't try to pull her face away from his hand but chose to argue instead. So, he simply played with her soft chin and asked with a smirk—after all, no matter what, he wasn't the one losing anyway.
Morgana flinched a little as she felt the touch on her face, but still controlled herself and acted a little pitiful,
"But... c-can you really abandon a girl like this? Aren't you afraid something might happen to me if you walk away now?"
She asked, pouting a little with a bit of aggrievance as if she was wronged by him. Honestly, even Ian twitched the corner of his mouth seeing her acting like this.
'Wasn't she the one who attacked me at every turn before? What happened now?'
He thought, feeling that maybe the effect of the poison altered her mood.
But since he was having fun, he considered continuing the play when he saw the figure of Arvhael approaching this place rapidly, followed by his shout.
"Sir Ian, I completed your task perfectly!" He seemed quite happy.
'Damn, this guy had to come at the wrong time.' Ian thought, annoyed by the intrusion, not at all happy.
But he wasn't an exhibitionist.
So, he suddenly lifted his thumb and rubbed the red lips of Morgana to her surprise and said,
"Okay, let's stop this act for now. I can help you one last time. Next time, you need to think about what benefit you can bring me before asking like this shamelessly."
After saying that, Ian quickly left her alone, distancing himself while tossing two petals of the Lustbane Lily in her direction as he walked away.
From the moment he played with her lips, admonished her, and then left her side while giving her the petals she desired, everything Ian did was so smooth that Morgana reacted a step too late.
But when she came to her senses, she quickly turned bright red—redder than before, and cursed.
"You... jerk!"
Caressing her chin was one thing, but playing with her lips like this. Morgana almost went haywire and only calmed down when she saw two petals in front.
"Hmph, let's consider this as a payment for this time... if you do this next time..."
Since she needed his help, she could only endure his transgression. Or, maybe, she didn't feel that repulsed, who knew?
"Oh? Does that mean I can do something like this as long as I pay enough?"
But hearing her warning, Ian instead laughed and joked, playing with words.
"You can try. Let me control the poison in my body first, then you will see..."
Seeing his teasing look, Morgana gnashed her teeth with a look of hatred and quickly walked away towards a corner without looking at him.
Arvhael was already closer, and she didn't want anyone to see her like this.
"So much for not my type. In the end, aren't all men the same?"
She didn't forget to chide him, though. After all, Ian did say he wasn't interested in her, saying that she looked quite ordinary.
And now he was taking advantage of her like this. Wasn't he playing both sides?
However, unfortunately for her, her sarcasm didn't get through as he basically ignored her and looked at Arvhael, who was practically running to his side.
"Sir Ian, fortunately, I completed the order you gave. None of those guys are left alive."
Once Arvhael arrived near, he quickly confessed his deed with a little more pride, his eyes clearly looking for praise.
He didn't even notice Morgana in the corner as he was fully focused on what Ian would order.
What a proud noble he was before, but now he became like this in a moment.
If Carl saw him like this, his eyeballs would pop out for sure, literally.
'Isn't this too powerful?'
Ian also felt a little uncomfortable seeing those gazes from Arvhael. He was about to reprimand him for interrupting his good deed before, but now decided to let it go for now.
"Good! You did a good job. I am quite happy that you took my order seriously."
What could he say? He could only praise, as he indeed saved him a headache.
"Haha... no, no. That's what this subordinate should do. If you have any other orders, you can always ask me."
Arvhael was visibly delighted by hearing his praise, smiling from ear to ear. He even seemed eager to run another errand.
"Okay, calm down. There is nothing to do for no—"
Ian was about to dismiss this overly enthusiastic guy when suddenly he heard a telepathic voice in his mind, stopping him midway,
"Ian, come to this place fast. I found something incredible."
