I froze in front of her question.
I knew Rosalind was intelligent, but I never thought she would figure out that I wasn't her brother—even though I hadn't tried too hard to hide it either.
I looked at her in silence, trying to read what was going through her mind at that moment.
Just as I was about to answer, she spoke again, interrupting me.
"Wait! You'd better tell me once I'm out of here. I already have too much to think about inside this place, and I think it would be better to talk about this somewhere more comfortable."
I nodded, understanding her request, but kept a serious expression that already hinted at my answer. There was no turning back.
"Come see me at the academy whenever you can. I'll tell you everything you need to know," I declared.
Her eyes darkened slightly, reflecting a mix of anguish and uncertainty, but also a growing certainty.
That doubt had been growing inside her since we were children, especially after that day… The day she noticed that all my insecurity had vanished. I didn't resemble her brother at all—the boy who used to run to her crying every time he fought with Elric.
"I'll be waiting," she murmured, lowering her gaze to her chained hands.
…
When I returned to my room at the academy, and after especially calming Margery down, I was finally able to hear what Adela had obtained from the Empress.
She was moving nervously, and her unease only grew when she saw me. She clearly wanted me to ask about what I had requested; in this situation, no delay was acceptable. Still, she hesitated.
"What is it, Adela? If you don't tell me what you discovered, you won't gain anything," I said firmly.
"But, Master…" She lowered her head in resignation. "I found something we could use…"
When I heard what she had found, I can't say I wasn't surprised, but a devilish smile crept up the corners of my mouth.
What better way for a mother to betray her son than if another, far better man, takes his place in her bed and in her mind?
…
The next day, Saturday morning, the plan began to unfold.
Adela approached Rose, the Empress's personal maid, to inform her that someone was willing to meet her lady's demands. That's where I came in: playing the role of a desperate brother who would do anything to free his stepsister.
Caelia Lothe, the Empress of Demor and daughter of the late Marquis Lothe, was waiting for me. Her long, night-black hair highlighted her seductive and relaxed figure as she sat in a luxurious armchair. Her green eyes studied me carefully.
"So, you're willing to do whatever I say?" she asked in a velvety voice.
"If that's what it takes to free my sister…" I replied, faking a voice full of sorrow.
"Mmm, how charming. Even though she's only your stepsister, it's incredible how much you care about her. Though I must say, this works in my favor… What better than the most handsome man in Demor to fulfill my desires?"
"Do you promise you'll keep your word?" I asked, trying to sound as desperate as possible, completely under her control.
She smiled, clearly enjoying her position of power.
"You know, I'm very fond of my son. Going against something he himself requested doesn't please me much, but if you manage to surprise me…"
At her words, I stepped closer to her with determination. She noticed the change with amusement, never suspecting that every movement was calculated.
"In this arrangement, you will call me 'Mommy' at all times," she commanded.
I nodded, feigning submission, and began to undress. She looked surprised when my chest—noticeably sculpted by cultivation—came into view. But she didn't let her astonishment last long; she gestured for me to come closer.
Cassian approached slowly, eyes lowered and movements somewhat clumsy, as if he were nervous and inexperienced.
But every step was calculated. He knelt in front of the armchair where Caelia sat with her legs slightly parted, her imperial dress already slipping off her shoulders.
"Mommy…" he murmured in a trembling voice, pretending to be embarrassed. "I've never done this before… I don't know if I'll be able to please you the way you deserve."
Caelia let out a low, seductive laugh, clearly aroused by the power she thought she held over him. She caressed his cheek with jeweled fingers.
"Poor thing… so handsome and so innocent. Don't worry, Mommy will guide you. Just do what I tell you and…"
Her words were cut off by a gasp as Cassian, without waiting for further instructions, slid his hands up her thighs with deliberate slowness.
His fingers were firm, yet his expression remained that of a young, inexperienced boy.
He gently parted her legs and brought his mouth to the heated skin of her inner thighs, kissing and softly biting, moving higher and higher.
"Ah… yes, slowly…" she whispered, already breathing faster.
Cassian pretended to hesitate for a second before burying his tongue, licking with expert precision that completely contradicted his "first time" face.
He explored every inch with slow, deep strokes, alternating with soft vibrations of his tongue.
Caelia suddenly arched her back, her fingers digging into his black hair.
"What… what are you doing?" she moaned, surprised.
He looked up with feigned innocence, his lips glistening with her juices.
"Am I doing it wrong, Mommy…? I can stop if you want…"
"No!" she almost shouted, pushing his head back against her sex. "Keep going… keep going just like that, my good boy…"
Cassian smiled inwardly. The Empress, used to an absent husband and quick, selfish encounters, had never been treated like this.
He played with her: licking slowly and sending hints of energy inside her, then speeding up just as her body began to tremble, stopping right at the edge of orgasm only to make her beg with broken moans.
He slipped two long, thick fingers inside her, curling them upward to hit that exact spot that made her cry out and clamp her thighs around his head. His movements were expert and precise, but his voice remained that of a submissive young man:
"Does it feel good like this, Mommy? I want to make you feel… everything you deserve."
Caelia could no longer speak coherently.
The pleasure was overwhelming, far more intense and prolonged than anything she had ever experienced.
The Emperor had never bothered to spend more than a few clumsy minutes on her; this "innocent young man" was dismantling her.
"Cassian… ahh! Mommy… Mommy is going to… !!Ahhh!!"
Her body tensed violently as the orgasm hit her with brutal force.
Her inner walls contracted around his fingers while she screamed, her entire body shaking uncontrollably.
But Cassian didn't stop. He continued licking and moving his fingers faster, prolonging the orgasm until Caelia was sobbing with pleasure, her green eyes glassy and lost.
When she finally collapsed against the armchair, panting and with trembling legs, she looked at him with a mixture of shock and budding addiction.
"You… how…" she whispered hoarsely. "No one… no one has ever made me feel like that before."
"I just wanted to please you, Mommy… Did I do it right?"
Caelia let out a weak, exhausted laugh and reached out to caress his face.
"You're dangerous… Come here. Mommy isn't done with you yet."
She leaned forward, clearly wanting more, while Cassian maintained his mask of feigned submission.
Cassian stood up with that same false shyness and let Caelia pull him toward her.
The Empress, still trembling from the previous orgasm, kissed him hungrily, tasting herself on his lips as she bit into his neck.
Her hands eagerly moved down to his pants and freed him, surprised and delighted to feel how hard and thick he was.
"Come… Mommy needs you now," she whispered against his mouth, opening herself wider for him.
Cassian entered her with one deep, firm thrust.
He began to move with a controlled but relentless rhythm: slow and deep at first, then faster, hitting exactly where she felt it most.
Although he pretended to be clumsy and inexperienced, every thrust was precise and unerring, pushing her to the edge again and again.
"Mommy… do you like it like this?" he asked in a breathless voice, as if he were holding back.
Caelia could only moan and nod, her legs wrapped tightly around his waist.
The pleasure overwhelmed her quickly and brutally. She came for the second time with a muffled cry, clenching hard around him as her body shook violently.
When they both caught their breath, Caelia looked at him with bright eyes and an expression of pure satisfaction she rarely showed in her life. She caressed his face with possessive tenderness.
"You're incredible… I'll keep my word: I'll release your stepsister tomorrow. But listen to me carefully, my beautiful boy," her voice turned more serious and dominant. "If you want her to stay free, you'll have to keep coming to see me. If you stop pleasing Mommy… you understand, right?"
Cassian nodded with a submissive smile on his lips.
"Understood, Mommy."
Cassian kept the submissive smile as he gently kissed Caelia's lips, but inside, his gaze had turned dark and cold.
I'll make sure I'm the only thing you can think about.