Aegis’s POV
Everything here revolted me to the core. The sheer disgust was so intense it churned my stomach. The walls, the items—everything was revolting, all for one reason: it all belonged to that man.
“Master and Miss Gabrielle made love all night last night,” one of the girls working here said, her tone filled with idle gossip. “Did you see the way they looked at each other, all that affection in their eyes as they went up to the fourth floor?”
“Yes,” the other girl replied. “And then, the next morning, they were all lovey-dovey, glowing with satisfaction. It must have been an amazing night for them to look like that.”
“Well, it certainly looked that way. Aaah~ I wish Master would choose me soon,” the first girl said dreamily, her eyes reflecting her longing.
“This is nothing but brainwashing,” I thought bitterly, my eyes sweeping over the women who spoke of the man with an almost fanatical reverence. They didn’t just love him—they worshipped him with every fiber of their being, like he was some kind of god, the savior of everything they held dear.
The man they idolized, the same one who disgusted me to my core, was the very one who had ensnared the Queen, the Princess, and other members of the council. They were all wrapped up in his sweet lies, completely convinced that he was the messiah who would save our dying race.
“I want to destroy everything here,” I muttered under my breath, a burning rage simmering inside me. But the oppressive presence of those women—so powerful that even I couldn’t take them on—kept me in check. Among them was a particularly dangerous figure, a woman with golden hair and glasses. Her defenses were so impeccable, so unbreakable, that taking her down seemed almost impossible. Could she even be killed?
But more than that… that man was someone I couldn’t afford to underestimate. He was far more powerful than any of the women here. Right now, he was using them as mere tools for his firepower, but if he took matters into his own hands, it would be the most terrifying display of power mortalkind had ever witnessed.
I couldn’t stand the thought of the woman I love being ensnared by such a man—a man who not only held the Princess and the Queen of our kingdom under his control but also surrounded himself with countless women, all eager to cater to his every whim.
“I need to come up with a plan to make him fall,” I muttered, determination seething within me. “But there’s no way I can do it alone. I need someone.”
I glanced at the woman who was the latest addition to the group that the man was assembling, known as the Shadows. He had offered me a place among them, but I flatly refused. The idea of submitting to him, of becoming just another one of his possessions, was something I couldn’t stomach. I refused to become someone who would jump to his every command.
“Let’s use her,” I muttered to myself, a plan forming in my mind.
***
I approached the woman, my words carefully chosen. Perhaps because I hadn’t interacted much with others, my message seemed to barely register with her. But that was fine. The seed of doubt had been planted. From now on, she would start questioning everything around her. All I had to do now was wait.
One day, during our training, a woman in a maid uniform approached us. They called her Amon, the First Lady—the very first woman to become that man’s lover and the one who helped him build the colossal empire known as Leonamon. Her reputation was that of calm and composure, but there was a coldness in her eyes that made me wary. She carried an aura of icy indifference towards all of us, yet the moment he was near, her eyes lit up with a desperate, almost pitiful eagerness, like a puppy yearning for its master’s affection.
That’s the kind of woman she was.
“Shadows, prepare yourselves,” she commanded, her voice cutting through the air with a chilling authority. I lingered on the sidelines, listening intently. “A war is coming. Master is preparing to take on an international cult notorious for kidnapping women. He could easily annihilate them on his own, but I reminded him that this is why the Shadows exist—to prevent him from sullying his hands with bloodshed.”
The five women listened intently. One of them, however, looked particularly anxious, her unease almost palpable.
“Make sure you succeed,” Amon instructed, her voice cold and commanding. “All of you will be richly rewarded if you manage to please Master.”
“Yes…!” The five responded with fervent enthusiasm, their voices brimming with eagerness. Yet, the first member of the team, Robyn, couldn’t hide her unease.
“Um,” Robyn raised her hand tentatively, her voice trembling slightly.
“Yes?” Amon turned to her with a chilling, icy smile. “Is there something you wish to say, Miss Robyn?”
Robyn seemed oblivious to the menacing edge in Amon’s gaze, her concern overshadowed by the chilling intensity of the woman before her.
“W-War? We’re actually going to war? I-Isn’t that…?” Robyn’s voice trembled, her fear obvious as her eyes darted around nervously.
“There’s no need to be anxious, Miss Robyn,” Amon replied with a chilling calmness, her gaze piercing through Robyn. “You’ve trained hard, and nothing will bring you down easily. You’ve grown strong. Trust in yourself, and trust in Master. If you satisfy him, you might even find yourself in his bed one night.”
“Eh?” Robyn’s cheeks blazed a deep, rosy red. “B-Bed?”
“Yes,” Amon’s voice was almost purring now, filled with an enticing promise. “He’ll adore you all night long. Don’t you want that?”
Robyn’s gaze dropped to the floor, her fingers nervously fidgeting with her legs. “I-I guess I do…” she whispered, her voice quivering with a mix of shyness and longing.
So she was already brainwashed, huh? There was probably nothing I could do now.
Suddenly, Amon’s gaze shifted to me. “Oh, and Miss Aegis.”
I met her gaze head-on, my expression steely.
“Master said Princess Artemis will be going as well. He asked if you wanted to join. There’s a chance some of your people might have fallen into the hands of those cultists.”
The man was a master at manipulating emotions, skilled at finding cracks in your heart and exploiting them. He was terrifyingly effective.
I gritted my teeth and looked directly at Amon. “I’ll go.”
I knew I was walking straight into his trap, but I wasn’t about to give in easily.
