In the chaotic alleys of Grantville, I saw that child.
At dusk, the blood-red setting sun spilled over the noisy lower city.
An old woman's corpse lay beside the gutter. Her hair was gray, her body covered in wrinkles, and her bones were twisted. She was a bloody, mangled mess, barely recognizable as human. Beside her lay a smashed lyre.
The boy knelt before the corpse, shedding tears and letting out low whimpers, his thin shoulders trembling incessantly.
I originally didn't want to meddle.
Tragedies played out in this city every day, long since rendering people numb.
But when he raised his head, I saw that face covered in blood and bruises. Even though I had seen many beautiful men, I couldn't help but stare at this moment.
His hair was raven black, his features exquisite, and his eyes were like red agates washed by tears, brimming with heavy sorrow, yet still so beautiful.
I took a piece of dry bread from my bag and tossed it to him.
He caught it but didn't eat it. He just clutched it tightly in his hand, then stumbled toward me and fell to his knees.
"My lady," his voice was hoarse and trembling, "I beg you... please buy me."
I frowned, beginning to regret my actions.
"I've learned a little battle aura, I can work, I can eat just one meal a day. I, I can also play the lyre. I know over a hundred songs!"
He pointed to the gruesome corpse behind him, tears welling up again.
"I want to buy a coffin for my adoptive mother, and set up a small tombstone that can have her name engraved on it. She was beaten to death. The people from the Church refused to save her; those two priests took my money and kicked me out..."
I remained silent for a moment. "Do you know what kind of business I do?"
"Anything is fine, my lady. I can do anything. I learn fast! I'm not afraid of hardship!"
"Alright, you said you can play the lyre?"
— Prequel to the Pantheon Era: The Nightingale on the Black Strings
-
Xiao Lan was still immersed in some kind of conflicted emotion.
"Uh-huh," Su Cheng was no longer in the mood to listen to what he had to say. "That's normal too. Sometimes you might just feel an affinity at first glance. If you like them, go after them. I'll be taking my leave."
She could have used the power bestowed by the God of Joy to control or even seduce him.
But he wasn't indispensable, and since his heart already belonged to someone else, such actions would be pointless.
Xiao Lan was stunned once again.
Her behavior from beginning to end was a bit bizarre—affection without any warning, and an overly decisive abandonment—
Of course, upon hearing that he had a sweetheart, this reaction wasn't strange.
"You came to the auction," Xiao Lan said in a low voice, "you must be looking for something, right? Perhaps I can help you? If you are willing to tell me?"
Su Cheng hesitated for a moment, pondering whether she should let him get involved. Just as she was about to speak, someone else came onto the balcony.
Those people had obviously followed Xiao Lan here, probably wanting to discuss business with the Silver Wing Mercenary Group. Upon seeing an outsider, they immediately looked somewhat displeased.
"Miss Kahn," one of them sized up Su Cheng, "I heard you are Viscount Kahn's daughter?"
The surroundings instantly fell silent.
Clearly, not everyone knew about the Circle of the Silent, and even if they did, they might not take the organization seriously.
At the very least, the person in front of her couldn't hide the mockery in his tone.
Su Cheng actually knew why the other party was making things difficult.
Vanessa's parents were both nobles, but both had their own families. She was the result of an affair between a married man and a married woman, so her identity was rather awkward if one went into details.
Because she was a dual-attribute high-level elemental resonator, and because of her parents' connections, she was given as an adopted daughter to a viscount who had lost his own daughter.
Viscount Kahn's title was for life and not hereditary, so after his death, the title could not be passed down.
Vanessa could only hold the empty title of a viscount's daughter.
Like the other members of the organization, she was engrossed in magic research and didn't care about these things. Anyway, the portion of the inheritance she received was enough for her to focus on her studies without having to worry about making a living.
"...Yes, is there something you need?"
Su Cheng said casually, but her feet didn't stop as she walked straight outward.
"A mere adopted daughter of a viscount—"
The man was about to say something more, but realizing he was being completely ignored, his face fell in embarrassment.
He couldn't help but reach out to stop her, "Hey!"
"Your Excellency!" Xiao Lan grabbed the man's wrist. "I believe you came looking for me?"
The man tried to pull his arm away, but it was clamped tightly by slender fingers, unable to move a single inch.
Su Cheng slipped out of the banquet hall in a flash, returned to the corridor, found the previous room, and braced herself as she pushed the door open and entered.
The God of Lust had returned at some point and was sitting on the sofa with his legs crossed.
Beside him sat a person in a luxurious dress wearing a feather mask, discussing business with him, though her gaze couldn't help but linger on the man's face.
The deity raised an eyebrow slightly upon seeing the young woman standing at the door. "...I don't think that will be difficult. Lord Earl, you may leave now."
The feather-masked person stood up with a smile. "That is wonderful, Mr. Lusha. If you have any further thoughts, you are welcome to visit my estate at any time—"
She seemed to expect the man in front of her to give more of a response, but the black-haired man merely waved his hand, his gaze constantly focused on the face of the girl at the door.
The person turned and left in disappointment.
The room fell completely silent.
Su Cheng pursed her lips. "So, good evening?"
The black-haired man looked at her with a faint smile. "I thought you didn't know me?"
Su Cheng slowly shuffled over. "We just met once, so I guess we know each other now."
He stared at her for a few seconds, then suddenly broke into a smile. "In that case, just call me Lusha."
Su Cheng kept staring at the floor, unwilling to look at any part of him, not even a sliver of his sleeve.
Even though she had come to lift the curse with him, she didn't want to lose her head in the process, lest she wake up to find herself lying in a Church prison.
A scoff suddenly sounded in her ear.
"Is this it? The chosen vessel of three deities is actually a coward, afraid to face me, and even more afraid to face her own desires—"
He spoke very slowly, every word as if ground against his teeth with the tip of his tongue before he was willing to let it out.
Su Cheng barely even dared to breathe.
Every inch of the thick air was filled with a strange sweetness. With every breath, she felt dizzy, yet her heartbeat grew faster and faster.
"...Your Highness," Su Cheng spoke softly, "this is nothing more than the instinct of flesh and blood, not something I can control. Just like sweating when it's hot, or tearing up when it hurts. You use your power to trigger a certain reaction. Even if I were frigid, which, of course, I shouldn't be, it would be the same as it is now. So I don't feel there is anything to be ashamed of, and naturally, I am not afraid to face it. I just think it delays things. Of course, you are very beautiful, which in a sense is quite enjoyable."
The deity in front of her snorted softly. "Now that we aren't in Church territory, you finally speak the truth?"
Wasn't that obvious!
Asking when he already knew the answer!
Su Cheng couldn't help but glare at him speechlessly.
Then, she met those black-and-red eyes, like dark jade reflecting fire.
Those beautiful eyes, fractured with golden veins, were filled with an eerie, non-human quality, yet they were so deeply alluring. They looked like a vortex forged from dark fire, ready to suck the beholder into the abyss at any moment.
Su Cheng: "..."
She wanted to look away, but found even that had become incredibly difficult.
Forget it, so what if I look.
She walked over with a taut face and sat on the small sofa beside him. "I'm here for our date."
The man watched her in amusement, leaning over in a very relaxed posture, resting his chin on one hand with his elbow propped on the armrest.
"Is that so?" he said casually. "After being rejected by someone else? Am I some sort of second-best option to settle for?"
Su Cheng puffed out her cheeks. "Why were you eavesdropping on other people!"
"Can't I listen?" He looked at her with amusement. "Or have I ever claimed to be a person of high moral character?"
Su Cheng: "..."
She suddenly felt that it wouldn't matter even if this curse wasn't lifted.
It would just hurt for a while, and she hadn't planned on fighting here anyway.
Su Cheng: "...That's too bad, I like people of high moral character. Maybe I should just leave?"
She silently stood up.
Just as she was about to turn around, her wrist suddenly tightened.
Under the influence of the curse, her body temperature had already risen significantly, yet the fingers wrapped around her wrist were still scalding hot, as if they were going to burn right through her skin.
The next second, she was yanked backward, stumbling before falling right onto the man's lap.
Her spread skirt was like a blooming orchid, covering their intertwined calves. The buckles on their leather boots bumped and caught against each other, making soft metallic clinking sounds.
"Do you really want to leave?"
His searing breath brushed against the side of her neck, as if it could melt her very hair.
"Tell me the truth, darling, is there anyone around you who is a person of high moral character?"
The man rested his chin on her shoulder, speaking in a slightly dissatisfied, almost coquettish tone. "The liar who left a brand on your palm, the paranoid lunatic who left a mark on your arm, or—"
He suddenly cupped her face, forcing her to turn her head to face him. His gaze fell upon the young woman's snow-white cheeks, which were tinged with a faint blush.
The deity's fingers caressed her prominent cheekbones. "The old drunkard who kissed you here?"
They were inches apart.
Sitting in his embrace, Su Cheng felt as if she were inside a furnace.
The touch of his skin was like a consuming flame. She felt herself being scorched from the inside out, her silk skirt rubbing and catching on his belt.
"Your Highness—"
Slender, beautiful fingers abruptly pinched her cheek.
"Call me by my name."
He tugged at her cheek, pinching it twice neither too lightly nor too heavily. "Or else I will punish you."
The deity's voice was deep and melodious, yet his tone still sounded soft, carrying a hint of a pout, seemingly lacking any real deterrence.
But one could figure out with their toes that this so-called punishment would be nothing decent.
Su Cheng blinked. "How is Your Highness going to punish me?"
"Hmm?" Lusha glanced at her. "You seem quite excited?"
Su Cheng's heart fluttered under his gaze. She completely forgot what she had originally intended to say and just sat there in a daze.
A few seconds later, she snapped back to her senses, wishing she could bang her head against the wall.
Su Cheng: "...If you act like this, we won't be able to talk!"
"What's wrong?" The man curled his lips into a smile. "Isn't it just the instinct of flesh and blood? Doesn't it mean absolutely nothing?"
Su Cheng massaged her forehead. "It still ruins things! Look, I've even forgotten what I wanted to say!"
Lusha tilted his head. "That is your own problem. By the way, let me remind you, you seem to be looking forward to my punishment."
"...That's just your own interpretation."
Su Cheng stretched out her arms to wrap around his neck, unable to resist touching that silk-like, smooth black hair.
"I'm just curious what other tricks you have. After all, judging from our last experience, you seem to only know how to lie there—"
She said with feigned dissatisfaction, "Leaving others to do all the exhausting work."
The arm around her waist suddenly tightened.
"That is a truly ruthless accusation."
That low voice brushed past her ear, like a feather dipped in hot wine sweeping across the most sensitive skin.
Su Cheng subconsciously wanted to break free, involuntarily exerting a bit of force with her hands.
"...That was just a test," the man said righteously. "If I took the initiative, no human would be able to reject me, and you would have scored a zero, just like all those others who drowned in the illusions. Would you have preferred that ending?"
Su Cheng rolled her eyes at him. "Who says so? I heard that the Blessed of the God of Purity could—"
The deity pulled back slightly, and the tension gathered in her arms abruptly dissipated as she crashed completely into his embrace.
"Perhaps they could."
His nose nudged against the young woman's ear. "But do you want to be his Blessed? That arrogant, foolish donkey cannot understand the human instinct to appreciate and crave beauty. He refuses to acknowledge that humanity's ability to enjoy spiritual and physical pleasure from the union of flesh is a symbol of our belonging to highly intelligent races, and instead solely views it as a filthy, sinful lust that must be discarded. He does have a passable face, but physical vessels are merely manifestations of a deity's power. Our true forms are conceptual manifestations. Just like how if you tore me to pieces right now, I could instantly create a new body. You couldn't possibly just be infatuated with this illusion—"
The last bit of distance between them completely vanished.
They were pressed too closely together.
The seaweed-like, curly black hair scattered and tangled, weaving into a dark cage, and they were both captured birds caught within the net.
"If that were really the case, I would already be your Blessed, right?"
Su Cheng said this while tilting her head up to look at him.
In the dim room filled with the scent of incense, amidst the flickering, swaying candlelight—
His skin displayed a breathtaking texture.
His thick, ink-black hair contrasted with his snow-like skin, yet it wasn't an anemic pallor, but rather a translucent, flawless hue.
His lips, as red as agate stones, curved upward in a semblance of a smile.
And there were those demonic, enchanting eyes, shimmering with a non-human luster.
That overly intense allure instantly seized one's sanity.
Su Cheng could hear the sound of her own heart pounding wildly.
Su Cheng: "...Wait, that doesn't seem right either. I've always felt that you aren't a very superficial person, um, god."
The deity raised an eyebrow slightly. "Superficial?"
Su Cheng felt the word wasn't quite fitting. "No, what I actually meant to say is—"
"Many people hold the exact opposite thought as you," he said in a subtle tone. "They believe I ought to be a shallow and vulgar entity."
"Why?" Su Cheng subconsciously retorted. "You are a musician, you can dance, you are an artist—"
"Because they are lords, sons of wealthy merchants, or at the very least, chefs, whereas I am a slave sold into the guildhall."
He lowered his eyes to look at her, speaking slowly. There seemed to be little emotion in his voice, as if he were telling someone else's story.
"...Of course, there are other reasons as well. For example, by comparison, I was always the one with the worst comprehension. Some people always felt that I wasted the Divine Lord's favor."
Su Cheng listened silently, only to realize that he had suddenly stopped talking.
Su Cheng: "Look on the bright side. No matter what grievances your colleagues might have, there is nothing they can do to you right now. Besides cursing you out, they cannot do anything else."
The deity fell silent for a few seconds before suddenly letting out a soft chuckle. "...That does seem to be the case."
"Right? Since they are miserable, you get to enjoy yourself."
Smiling, Su Cheng unbuttoned his shirt, her fingers brushing against his firm, lean chest and tracing the powerful, beautiful lines of his muscles.
This explosive, palpable strength formed a bizarre yet fascinating contrast with that stunning face and its fragile beauty.
The urge to explore and touch him was further ignited in her chest, and she could not help but reach up to stroke the man's cheek.
Her fingertips traced the curve of his brow bone and eye sockets, slowly trailing down the bridge of his nose.
The deity watched her quietly.
The next second, her fingertip was taken into his mouth, enveloped by those petal-pink lips.
Su Cheng stiffened.
A numbing jolt of electricity seemed to explode from her fingertips, spreading up her arm and down her spine as the warm, slick sensation continued to wash over her.
It felt like being submerged in boiling honey. Every gentle suckle bloomed against the sensitive skin of her fingers, bringing with it a dizzying wave of pleasure.
Then, she felt the tip of the deity's tongue.
That agile, powerful muscle meticulously licked every inch of her knuckles, from the whorls of her fingertips to the edges of her nails.
Su Cheng felt lightheaded. Every spot he touched erupted with an unparalleled sense of bliss.
It was a purely physical stimulation, yet it was so intense that it affected her nerves, her consciousness, and even her soul.
Drifting in a warm, viscous sea of honey, she could barely think, nor did she want to.
She simply surrendered to her instincts, enjoying the endless surges of pleasure.
Her fingers were still held in his mouth. The alternating hot, wet suction and gentle nibbling shot through every nerve ending like fine currents of electricity.
That pure, carnal pleasure left her arms and spine melting into a tingly puddle—
In a daze, hazy and chaotic images flashed before her eyes.
At a grand banquet filled with joyous songs and fine wine, someone was dancing gracefully among the guests. Their curly hair, shimmering with gold and flowing silver, fluttered in the wind. When they turned back, they revealed a pair of eyes brimming with endless joy.
They were like two dazzling stars twinkling in the night sky.
Then, they slowly reached out a hand toward her.
Su Cheng's heart pounded wildly.
A sudden ecstasy, struck and echoing from the very depths of her soul, instantly consumed her consciousness.
Her soul seemed to break free from the shackles of her body, flying toward that joy-filled banquet.
Subconsciously, Su Cheng reached out her hand as well.
The moment their fingers intertwined, the deity bathed in soft light smiled.
He lowered his head, his gold and silver hair brushing against her cheek.
Su Cheng could even feel an illusory tickle, and then, a kiss as light as a feather landed on her cheek.
The kiss had no physical form, no heat, no moisture, yet it was more earth-shattering than any real physical intimacy.
It was a touch upon her soul, an infusion of pure, joyous energy.
Her entire spiritual world lit up, and she was immersed in an indescribable sense of happiness and fulfillment.
Su Cheng heard a sound ring out beside her ear.
Like the crisp shatter of crystal or glass, the illusion before her eyes suddenly fractured, shattering into countless fragments.
Su Cheng snapped back to reality.
"So greedy."
The dark-haired man in front of her stared at her, a fiery light seemingly igniting in his dark eyes that were marbled with cracks of gold.
"...Enjoying the pleasure I give you isn't enough; you still had to establish a connection with Him."
