Chapter 25: A Passionate New Magic

For Lady Aldous, she naturally hoped that Zohan was not one of Mahait’s men, as that would mean everything he was doing now was based on his own will—and even more so, based on the pact between them.

This relationship, solidified by carnal intimacy, also satisfied her romantic fantasies of lovers entwined.

But if he were Mahait’s man, it would plunge Lady Aldous back into anxiety. What exactly was this suitor from her youth plotting from the shadows? Was she merely waiting to transition from being a vase for Lord Aldous to a collectible for Mahait? She did not want that.

She clutched his neck nervously, her soft, supple waist tensed, and the fearful trepidation of their first day returned to her eyes.

"Your cleverness has its limits. Your talent for pleasing me far exceeds your logical thinking and analytical abilities."

Having confirmed the identity of the middle-aged man, Zohan discarded the paper. He reached out one hand to adjust her skirt; although it had only been a fleeting glimpse when she had lifted it earlier, it was enough to confirm that this damned, gorgeous woman had come up with another trick to stir his desires. Zohan realized then that a man’s appetite is never truly satisfied.

"If I were Mahait’s man, would I still need to ask you who he is?" Zohan gave her thigh a firm slap. Hearing her delicate, startled whimper, he told her about the monster tracks found near the camp.

"He must be looking to take revenge on the Aldous family."

Lady Aldous’s fair, rosy face turned pale. She shifted from sitting sideways to sitting upright, pulled up her hem, straightened her posture, and placed her hands on Zohan’s shoulders, her expression grave. "He might even bathe the manor in blood, make the residents of Red Hazel Town pay the price, slaughter everyone here, and turn the beautiful Uruer River as red as blood."

Fortunately, confirming that Zohan was not one of Mahait’s men kept Lady Aldous from feeling hollow and defenseless. She leaned her soft body against Zohan, feeling like a vine winding around a sturdy tree—a truly wonderful sensation of companionship.

"Would he really do that?" Zohan knew that Mahait was definitely up to no good, and leading an army of monsters was no small matter. But this was Mahait’s hometown; what deep grudge could he possibly have against Red Hazel Town? In terms of human nature, since Mahait had become a big shot, it was likely he just wanted to show off his power in Red Hazel Town. Lady Aldous’s perspective seemed a bit too radical.

"Hmph—" Zohan’s indifferent attitude calmed Lady Aldous slightly. "I haven’t seen him in a long time, so my impression is a bit hazy, and my initial feeling wasn’t too bad, but..."

Lady Aldous cast him a soft, lingering glance, unable to bring herself to continue. Ever since he had used the "Clam Cleansing Technique" on her last night, it felt as if her brain had been cleansed as well, and it seemed to be functioning better.

"I’ve remembered many things from my childhood. This man is actually narrow-minded and vengeful. I now suspect that several of the strange and accidental deaths in the village over the years had something to do with Mahait," Lady Aldous said, focusing her thoughts.

Zohan asked, "Were those who died people who had crossed him or had some conflict with him in the past?"

"Yes. Back then, no one would have ever associated these events with Mahait, who had already left the town." Lady Aldous sighed deeply. "He was also particularly good at pretending. From time to time, he would send people to bring gifts to express his sympathy for the old butler, Linde, who had treated him well."

Zohan smiled faintly; Lady Aldous was being a bit extreme. Human nature is complex; Mahait sending gifts to the old butler didn't necessarily mean it was a ruse.

"I heard he is a big shot now. What is it that he actually does?"

"I don’t know. I’ve only heard it from others, mostly through Linde’s private remarks. Shall we call him over and ask?"

Zohan shook his head. "No. The old butler seems like a decent man, but we don’t know if he’s had the opportunity to leak anything to Mahait." He preferred to be cautious; the old butler, beaten half to death by Lord Aldous, was pitiful, but being pitiful did not necessarily mean he was trustworthy.

"Our current relationship..." Zohan felt a slight headache. "It’s a bit like the adulterous lovers often mentioned in novels, isn't it? Perhaps not? In any case, a man and woman in this kind of relationship will always unite and help each other until extreme pressure forces them to flee for their lives, right?"

Lady Aldous couldn't help but let out a giggle. Most people, even if they knew their actions were wrong or disgraceful, wouldn't be so blunt about stigmatizing themselves. It made her feel a mix of shame and dismissiveness.

"Anyway, leave this matter to me—after all, I intend to stay in this town waiting for news, and I don’t want to be disturbed." The main thing was that Yeye still needed to raise blood pigs here. If Mahait slaughtered everyone in Red Hazel Town and Yeye ran off with Celiyade, what would he do?

"Alright, so I just need to do my part?" Lady Aldous was in the mood to sway her skirt, revealing a length of skin as white and tender as snow. With the embellishment of her peep-toe heels, the sensation was like a perfectly seared steak sprinkled with salt—the finishing touch, and the key to both color and flavor.

"I quite like the word 'unite'... though you shouldn't use such ugly terms. Would you like to see my favorite serialized novel? The protagonist often does exactly what you do—flirting with various noblewomen and socialites." Lady Aldous imagined lying in bed with him reading such a novel, with its ambiguous and sensuous bedroom scenes, and found it incredibly exciting.

"Come on, let’s go read the novel."

"Wait... I also wanted you to perform the cleansing technique again..."

"Why? It’s a waste of magical energy."

"Oh, right—there’s one more thing—" Lady Aldous led Zohan to the servants' kitchen and dismissed the respectful kitchen staff. To Lord Aldous, the servants' kitchen was just a place to boil food for livestock. The sanitary conditions were naturally poor, and the air was filled with a scent that, while not necessarily foul, was certainly unpleasant. Lady Aldous rarely came here, but she knew what the servants' ingredients usually consisted of. These things had to be accounted for, and Lady Aldous would review them.

"Look... these are the innards and intestines of livestock. The servants like to clean them and stew them all in one pot..." Lady Aldous couldn't help but show her disgust, lifting a hand to cover her nose and lips. "These things need to be carefully cleaned and treated with spices and seasonings. Hmm? Why did you bring me here?"

Could it be that she wanted him to show off his cooking skills? Zohan knew these things could be delicious. Unfortunately, despite the long history of the Roland Continent, they hadn't unlocked very advanced culinary skills.

"No—I read it in a book—it’s just—that is—sometimes nobles try some unusual things." A shameful flush appeared on Lady Aldous’s face, but she was clearly intrigued. She continued, "Would you like to use, say, a pig’s intestine to develop a... cleansing technique or something?"

Huh?

Zohan understood what she meant. This woman really had no bottom line when it came to pleasing him. However, this was quite good. The key was that, as a doctor, he really did have a bit of a germ phobia.

"You really are foolish. The reason I developed the Clam Cleansing Technique was because we were in the initial stage of testing each other. Now that we know each other deeply, some steps can be omitted." Zohan waved his hand. "Let’s go. We can spend the morning reading novels and researching a new spell—the Localized Cleansing Technique."

Lady Aldous was thrilled, her face glowing with a blood-red flush. To be used as an experimental subject by a young mage—how romantic!