"I lost," Thalassa said, lowering her gaze, depressed.
These past few days they had spent their time playing strategy games. She hated that she always lost, but at the same time she was grateful that, ever since Xana arrived, the atmosphere had become much lighter, making it possible to pass the time like this.
"How do you do it? It's like you can read my mind every time I plan something."
"Maybe I can," he replied. "You should learn from Elizabeth how to keep a less obvious expression."
"I'm not that obvious…"
"Woohoo! Xana wins again!"
Thalassa looked toward the wolf woman with an even more dejected expression. "And her? How does she win?"
"She's obvious all the time," Cassian answered, rubbing the back of his head helplessly. He really wasn't trying to lose to her on purpose… His eyes narrowed as he looked at Xana, who was happily claiming the small "bet" they had agreed on: the gold coins and the "vouchers" they had given her out of pity, which she now guarded carefully.
"I can't believe it…" Thalassa murmured again, still struggling to accept it.
Xana approached and hugged her, giving her comforting pats. "Don't worry! Xana will treat everyone in the next town!"
"I think you're going to keep that for yourself," he said.
The moment he finished speaking, the carriage came to a stop. The two women glanced at each other for a moment before turning their gazes toward the vehicle's window. Xana moved closer with excitement, and Thalassa followed behind her. When they opened it and poked their heads out, the sea breeze hit their faces, tousling their hair.
Thalassa was used to the sea, but she had never been away from it for so long. She couldn't help but show a nostalgic look as she gazed at it. For Xana, however, it was completely different. She had never seen the ocean before. Though she didn't fully understand it, the endless blue, the sound of the water crashing against the sand, and the smell of the wet shore instantly won her over.
"Waaah! Waaah!" Xana quickly jumped down from the carriage, her bare feet touching the sand directly. "Woohoo!" She moved forward even more, but when the water was about to touch her feet, she stepped back hesitantly.
Thalassa and Cassian got down as well.
He looked out at the sea on his own. Contrary to what one might think, this could very well be his first time facing something like this.
In everything he could remember of his past, his visits to worlds containing such vast bodies of water had been minimal, if not nonexistent. The sisters had once wanted to take him, saying it was something fun to do as a group, but the outing was postponed and never happened.
Cassian adopted a serious expression as he contemplated the sea. He walked toward the shore and sat there, ignoring the discussion between Xana and the other woman.
"It's just water. You drink water, right?"
Xana's brow furrowed. "Xana has swum in lakes, but this… it's too big. It's scary."
"Come on, Xana. We have to go inside. Azure isn't far, and there are places without water once we arrive."
"But…" The wolf woman turned her gaze toward the man sitting not far away. "Owner!" she called out, trying to look pitiful.
Thalassa finally paid attention to what the man was doing. Seeing him sitting there so grounded, she was momentarily surprised. Her words trying to convince Xana died in her throat, and both women seemed to realize it was better to say nothing. They walked over and sat beside him.
The afternoon passed in silence until the chill of night arrived. Cassian finally stood up and headed back to the carriage. The two women looked at each other, confused, and followed behind him.
When they entered, the vehicle began moving once more—straight toward the water.
With the window still open, Xana had already started circulating her aura, thinking the water would rush in and flood the place. However, an invisible barrier seemed to be blocking it while also propelling the vehicle forward.
The wild-looking woman, seeing they were inside the water but not getting wet, began wagging her tail excitedly. When she saw a fish swim past the window, she reached her hand out trying to grab it and shouted with joy when she succeeded.
Thalassa remained quiet.
Even though they were about to reach the place she had longed to return to for so long, the excitement wasn't there. She felt… she felt that she would miss everything she had experienced during this time. She looked at Cassian with mixed feelings, then let herself be carried away by Xana's genuine excitement.
…
"Lilith!" the man directed a glance toward the two hooded figures behind him and shouted, "Raymond! Maxim! I thought you weren't coming back." He turned his gaze back to the woman in front. "What took you so long?"
"We brought the materials. Raymond and Maxim are tired from the return trip."
The person frowned, but quickly understood.
"Liliana," he called to one of the servants. "Take Raymond and Maxim to their rooms so they can rest."
But the figure called Raymond showed some hesitation when "Liliana" began to lead them. Her gaze landed directly on Lilith, who seemed to tell her with her expression: Leave it to me.
Xingyue, beneath the robe, clenched her fist. This succubus… we barely arrived and she already wants to get rid of us? she thought angrily.
Lilith seemed to notice her distrust and spoke again: "Raymond, don't worry. I can handle informing and delivering the batch properly. You can go rest."
The man who had received them looked at Lilith strangely but let it pass when Raymond turned and followed the woman. Once both figures disappeared, he asked, "What's going on with them? They're acting weird…"
Lilith's eyes grew cold, showing an expression devoid of emotion or care. "Virgam, let's go to the office."
"Yes, Madam!"
She walked past him and advanced confidently ahead. When they saw her arrive, two women opened the door to the "office" without her needing to say a word. Inside, a velvet throne in pink with black details and ruby accents awaited her.
Lilith sat down with total calm and elegance, rested her head on her hand, and looked at the people who had followed her. The man, in particular, asked uncertainly, "Madam?"
"Raymond and Maxim are dead."
"Huh?"
The women who had opened the door and followed her inside showed an expression not much different from the man's, who couldn't hide his astonishment.
"Treat 'Raymond' and 'Maxim' as if they were the two most important people here. Especially Raymond—he is the leader of the three, and you are the informants for the 'superiors.' Understood?" Lilith's gaze swept over everyone present.
"But Madam, this…"
"I think I've found a way to recover what that brother of mine stole from me, Virgam. And I will definitely use it well."
"Valvradis continues his slave trade directly to the demonic continent, the ruler of Serphes wants nothing to do with his people, and your brother only grows stronger," Virgam began to speak with clear frustration. "Madam, I followed you here because I truly trust you, but I hope you're not playing a game that ends with all of us dead. We managed to infiltrate Valvradis's court—we don't need to rush!" His emotion eased slightly after saying this, but he quickly added, "If Raymond and Maxim are dead, that means the two people who came back are not friendly toward us. Let's proceed with the material sale as planned. It will give us enough liquidity to move comfortably. In a few years, with your talent, we'll be able to recover what belongs to you…"
Lilith's eyes lifted and fixed on him. She didn't need to answer; he knew her well enough to understand that she had already made her decision.
Virgam left the room defeated, while the two women who had remained standing in silence approached the woman on the throne.
"Lilith~" came their voices, as one positioned herself behind her and began giving her a massage, and the other knelt at her feet, offering a suggestive smile.