Chapter 60 The Cunning She-Wolf

Zohan is an experienced adult.

In the adult world, there is no simple good and bad, black and white. A young lady of high birth like Talissa cannot be called strictly bad or good; she can only be described as a person with a normal temperament.

Most people are like this—pursuing the benefits they desire without exceptionally clear bottom lines and rules, drifting with the current without pondering too much about right and wrong, yet feeling a sense of guilt when their facade is stripped away.

Ordinary people are simply like this. Those who always demand themselves to meet lofty moral standards are exceedingly rare, but those who constantly use such standards to demand things of others are, by contrast, very common.

Seeing Talissa's hot, flushed wolf face, Zohan knew it was the ideal moment to emotionally manipulate this she-wolf.

He had Nina pause for a moment, then stood up and walked over to Talissa.

He did not rip off Talissa's uniform outright; instead, he unbuttoned two buttons and slid his hand inside.

Talissa snapped back to reality instantly. She felt a mix of surprise and familiarity.

He was, after all, a man completely devoid of taboos and obsessed with lust; her doing such a thing was well within Talissa's expectations.

Yet for so long, he had never molested her, and now he did it so suddenly—what was the meaning of this?

Talissa bit her lower lip fiercely. She was a virgin; lacking any cleansing spells, barrier enchantments, or various magical experimental props, her natural state was one of amplified, unprecedented neurological reactions.

"Your heartbeat is very fast. This shows you still possess a sense of shame, that you don't feel what the Clement family is doing is entirely justified." Zohan met her gaze calmly.

Having explained the reason behind his action, he withdrew his hand.

Truly a young and athletic body. Visually it looked similar to Madame Aldous, but the actual tactile sensation was still quite different—though there was no real need to rank them. Adults may not necessarily be able to have everything, but they can certainly like it all.

"I am a soldier, and my vocation is to carry out orders. As for right and wrong, justice, or moral character, those are not my primary considerations," Talissa said, finally loosening her bite and seizing the opportunity to breathe and catch her breath inconspicuously.

Just now, she had bitten her lip so hard not only out of shame, but even more so to prevent herself from making ugly sounds—similar to the shameless, melodious cries that Nina and Madame Aldous often made, sounding like cats in heat during spring.

Fortunately, he did not prolong it. Was it just to test whether she possessed a normal—no, did he really just want to know if she had a sense of shame? Talissa suddenly realized she had almost been tricked by him, and fortunately, she reacted cleverly in time.

Talissa glared at him resentfully once more.

However, with the residual flush still lingering on her cheeks, this glare carried very little fierce momentum. Instead, it made Zohan feel that his long-term conditioning was finally showing some effect, and this she-wolf was slowly transforming into the shape he desired.

"Must a soldier necessarily be a killing machine devoid of thinking capacity and moral constraints?" Zohan shook his head and stood up. "When a soldier uses such words to excuse themselves, perhaps the upper echelons of that military have already developed problems."

Talissa was startled, staring at him blankly.

She had not expected this young mages, who seemed only to know how to dally with women, to utter words that made her soul tremble. They might not have been profoundly deep, but they precisely exposed a problem she had sensed yet dared not ponder deeply.

Perhaps she needed to understand him on a deeper level; viewing him solely as a powerful and lustful archmage was rather superficial.

"Darling, continue reading to me." Zohan lay back down, utilizing the comfort brought by Nina to restore his magical power while listening to the reading to broaden his knowledge and experience. Such an immersion was truly a pleasure one could easily lose oneself in.

"Why won't you let me read it to you directly?" Talissa suddenly realized that Zohan was simply making unnecessary extra steps.

"Hmph, this is something only I get to do. What makes you think it's your turn?" Nina glared at Talissa angrily.

What a lack of discipline! If she were not already being held in Mr. Zohan's arms, feeling languid and lacking physical strength, reluctant to move because she was so enamored with his embrace, Nina would definitely have beaten her black and blue.

"Right, that is precisely the logic." Zohan gently stroked Nina's slender waist, which sloped down into an exaggerated curve that always reminded Zohan of the canyons and towering mountains on either side within the Grandis mountain range—a magnificent landscape formed by sheer elevation drops that always left him sighing in immersive awe.

He continued, "When you are working for me, a subconscious sense of obedience and compliance with my commands will gradually grow—it won't be etched very deeply, but as long as a seed is buried in your heart, that is enough."

Talissa was struck with sheer terror. So he harbored such deep scheming all along! Fortunately, although she hadn't reacted in time initially, her willpower was firm, and she hadn't... no, she definitely hadn't developed any subconsciousness of obedience.

"At the same time, it is also to let Nina properly discipline you and establish a superior-subordinate relationship between the two of you." Zohan wasn't undertaking some grand enterprise, so naturally, he didn't care about appointing people on merit rather than nepotism; whoever he favored more would naturally be granted greater benefits and power.

Though he hadn't really bestowed anything yet, isn't being happy the most important thing? Besides, Nina was very happy right now.

She proudly raised her chin, looking down disdainfully at Talissa, who wore a defiant expression as she lay on the carpet.

"On what grounds is she my superior?" If Talissa hadn't been devoid of physical strength, she would surely have let out a howl-like loud protest.

She would rather have that little maid who occasionally showed up, looked terrified every time she saw her, and then pretended not to see her—named Gwen something or other—act as her superior.

"First, you are currently a prisoner of war, and Nina is my woman; naturally, she is your superior. Second, Nina came to pledge her loyalty to me of her own accord, whereas you came to assassinate me. What do you say to that?" Zohan shook his head.

This young lady of the Clement family must have been far too self-absorbed in the past; up until now, she still hadn't adjusted her mindset or grown accustomed to her identity as a captive.

Talissa was momentarily at a loss for words, her mind racing with the thought that she must find a way to reverse their respective statuses. She would rather die than become Nina's subordinate. If Nina used Zohan's backing to flaunt her power and lord it over Talissa with increasing severity, the moment Talissa got a chance, she would undoubtedly bite her until she was a bloody mess.

Having made up her mind, Talissa closed her eyes, too lazy to pay any more attention to this disgraceful pair of scoundrels, Zohan and Nina.

Yet even with her eyes closed, her pointy ears stood straight up.

She heard Nina shamelessly humming once more, presumably because Zohan was getting hands-on again.

Without a doubt, because Zohan had unbuttoned Talissa's collar earlier—regardless of his original motivation—it had made him realize that Talissa was younger and more exquisite than Nina, surpassing Nina no matter how they were compared.

Yet held back by certain reasons—for instance, wanting to make Talissa submit to him, which made it inconvenient to make blatant advances toward her—he had no choice but to transfer the romantic desires stirred up by Talissa onto Nina to vent them.

Heh, Nina, you are ultimately just a foolish woman. Even unable to move, Talissa had still achieved victory in certain silent battlefields.

Of course, there was nothing particularly proud about this; Talissa had merely noticed the fact, yet didn't really care.

Nina glanced sideways at Talissa, whose eyes were tightly shut while her ears twitched incessantly. She felt a slight urge to suggest that Mr. Zohan's magic should bind Talissa's ears as well so they couldn't move.

However, catching a glimpse of Mr. Zohan's youthful, handsome face resting quietly and gently, Nina lacked the heart to disturb him, and thus continued reading the heroic deeds of Lady Edestellen.