After fully recognizing Fox Lian's "true nature," Emma decided she couldn't always be on the receiving end. She needed to study carefully—just how many ways did this fox have to seduce her?
Layer Five: Olfactory Trap Fox Lian always carried a cool fragrance, like pine forests after snow, with a faint sweetness. Emma once thought it was a natural fox scent—until one day she discovered rows of carefully blended perfumes in his alchemy room. "This one's mixed with moon-grass and stardust flower," Fox Lian murmured, hugging her from behind, chin brushing her hair. "Do you like it?" Emma realized even his scent was deliberately crafted—not overpowering, but enough that she had grown used to sleeping each night in that cool fragrance.
Layer Six: Gustatory Temptation Fox Lian's cooking was absurdly good. He always matched Emma's tastes precisely—today a gentle spirit-mushroom soup, tomorrow crisp hundred-flower cakes. Most outrageous were his recent experiments with cute desserts: bunny-shaped rice cakes, honey muffins stamped with tail patterns. "Try it," he'd say, tail curling around chopsticks to feed her, violet eyes sparkling with anticipation. Emma chewed the delicious bite, watching his "praise me" expression, suspecting he'd slipped enchantments into the recipe.
Layer Seven: Intellectual Overwhelm As the top of rune studies, Fox Lian's academic seduction was lethal. When Emma struggled with complex arrays, he never gave direct answers. Instead, his tail tip traced flowing runes in the air, silver hair brushing her arm. "Here," his finger tapped the parchment, breath warm at her ear, "imagine the energy flowing like my tail wrapping around you…" Emma stared at the perfect rune forming, while his real tail coiled warmly at her waist, mind tangled between knowledge and his cool scent.
Layer Eight: Vulnerability Exposure Fox Lian's slyest tactic was knowing when to appear weak. Though powerful, he curled into her arms on stormy nights, tail hugged tight, ears trembling: "I'm afraid of thunder…" Though skilled, he let her pin him during sparring, silver hair disheveled, eyes reddened, whispering: "You hurt me…" Even knowing it was an act, Emma's heart softened, pulling him close to soothe.
But the tables turned. One sunny afternoon, when Fox Lian tried to write in her palm with his tail tip again, Emma suddenly seized his wrist, pressing him against the library shelves. "Your Highness," she mimicked his usual teasing tone, fingers brushing his sensitive ear rim, "you seem rather idle today?"
Fox Lian's ears flushed crimson, violet eyes widening in surprise. He tried to resist with his tail, but Emma anticipated it, pinning it down. "Let me think…" Emma leaned close to his burning ear, voice low. "Which seduction tactic is due today, hmm?"
Fox Lian saw the rare mischief in her eyes and laughed softly. He relaxed, silver hair spilling across the ancient tomes, tail obediently curling around her wrist. "Looks like…" his voice rasped with delight, "…my little goddess has learned to play dirty."
Students hiding behind the shelves gawked. So the aloof Fox Lian… was actually the one being pinned?!