Chapter 50: My Lady, Have a Cup of Hot Tea to Warm Your Body~

As soon as she finished speaking, Lady Vanessa, standing behind her, furrowed her brow.

“Eluse, watch your manners and your words. Eliana is doing her duty faithfully; you shouldn’t react this way.”

She turned to Eliana, her tone softening.

“This child has been confined for too long and is a bit out of sorts. Take her back to her room to rest first, and look after her well.”

Eluse paid no mind to her mother’s words. In her eyes, the woman had already become Eliana’s puppet. Now, it seemed the entire Duke’s mansion was unsafe.

“My Lady…”

Eliana interrupted Eluse’s thoughts.

“Then where do you think I should be?”

Having said that, Eliana offered Eluse a smile.

Eluse did not answer. She simply stared at Eliana, still trying to find a flaw that would prove she wasn’t the real Eliana. But whether it was her expression, voice, or movements, everything was identical to her previous self.

“Alright, take Eluse back to her room now,” Lady Vanessa said, waving them off.

“My Lady, this way. Do you need me to support you?”

Walking out the door, Eluse was naturally weak after staying in the confession room for several days, and her steps were unsteady. Eliana tried to step forward to support her, but she pushed her away.

“No, I don’t need it. Stay away from me!”

Eluse’s voice was trembling. Once she finished speaking, she quickened her pace, seemingly wanting to flee from Eliana’s side as quickly as possible. However, Eliana followed unhurriedly behind, a smile still hanging on the corners of her lips.

To Eluse, that smile looked like it was mocking her.

“Oh, by the way, My Lady, please slow down. You must be careful of these stairs. Falling down could cause major problems.”

At that moment, the two women arrived at the very stairs Eliana had rolled down previously.

Eluse ignored Eliana’s soft reminder and instead sped up. She knew these were all words the demon used to shake her heart. She… she wouldn’t listen.

Upon returning to the room, Eliana walked in from outside carrying a pot of hot tea, using the exact same rhetoric as last time.

“My Lady, the cellar is damp and cold. Have some hot tea to warm your body. I brewed this special blend just for you~”

Looking at the teacup on the table, Eluse’s face turned deathly pale once again. Was she unable to escape this time? Even Lady Vanessa was on Eliana’s side; there would absolutely be no one to save her in a moment of crisis now.

Under Eliana’s gaze, Eluse tremblingly picked up the teacup, causing some tea to spill over.

‘Maybe I can pretend my hand slipped and break the cup.’ Just as the girl was about to do so, Eliana gripped the teacup along with her small hand.

“My Lady, be careful. This hot tea was just brewed and is still quite hot. You mustn’t spill it.”

‘She still wants to…’ Eluse’s eyes widened. Before she could react, Eliana had already applied pressure to bring the teacup to her face.

“My Lady, open your mouth. Quickly, have a taste~”

The woman’s words seemed to possess magic, causing Eluse to actually lift the cup. As it drew near, the familiar aroma of tea mixed with a faint, elusive fragrance lingered at the tip of her nose.

Eluse’s eyelashes fluttered violently. Her captured wrist was ice-cold, yet she could clearly feel the irresistible, warm strength coming from Eliana’s fingertips.

“I can… I can drink it myself.”

She tried to make a final struggle, her voice as thin as a mosquito’s buzz.

Eliana’s smile deepened. In those pale gold eyes, Eluse’s terrified face was clearly reflected, along with a hint of… playfulness.

“My Lady, your hands are shaking so badly. What if you get burned? Her Ladyship would blame me for not taking good care of you.”

Her words remained considerate, yet every syllable felt like it was hammering on Eluse’s taut nerves. The rim of the cup pressed against Eluse’s lower lip; the sensation of the warm liquid was clear.

At that moment, Eliana increased her strength again, and the warm tea immediately flowed past her lips and into her teeth. The girl was forced to swallow a large mouthful, and the teacup in her hand fell to the floor with a clatter, having fulfilled its mission.

“Oh my, My Lady, are you alright? Don’t let yourself get scratched.”

Eliana’s voice grew increasingly blurry. Eluse felt as if she were lying in water; the woman’s voice reached her as if through a thick barrier.

‘As expected, there was something else in that tea!’

Gradually, Eluse’s vision vanished, and her hearing followed. All that seemed to remain was her sense of touch. It was a bizarre experience; although her physical body in reality had slumped into the chair, she could feel it, yet she had no way to control it.

‘Eliana… what is she going to do to me?!’

Eluse’s consciousness felt like it was sinking into the deep sea, her limbs filled with lukewarm lead. Now, her only connection to the outside world was her sensitive sense of touch.

The rough texture of the chair back rubbed against the skin of her neck and spine through her thin clothing. Then, a warm breath slowly brushed over her forehead and eyes, finally lingering by her lips. That breath did not belong to her; it carried the unique fragrance of Eliana’s body.

Cool fingertips touched her jaw, gently but unquestioningly tilting her face higher. Then, those fingertips slid slowly down the curve of her neck, tracing over her prominent throat bone and sparking a faint shudder.

“Heh~”

In reality, Eliana let out a wicked laugh. This was the moment she had been waiting for. Although the little lamb still needed to grow a bit more, a profound lesson was absolutely necessary.

The tie of her collar was undone. Cool air suddenly pressed against the exposed skin of her collarbones, and Eluse recoiled silently in the depths of her consciousness. Then, she felt more and more coolness; Eliana truly couldn’t help herself! Gradually, the cold enveloped her.

Expensive fabric slid over her shoulders and piled up at her waist. She felt like a carefully unwrapped gift, and the gaze directed at her was full of surprise and anticipation.

“…Mm.”

The girl let out an unconscious groan because Eliana’s hand, like a hot iron, came to rest on the side of her waist. The temperature of those fingertips seared through the skin, causing a wave of contraction deep in Eluse’s consciousness.

The hand was in no rush to move; it simply drifted slowly along the curve of her waist, as if measuring a long-lost treasure. The rustle of friction was magnified infinitely in the silence. Eluse felt herself being turned over; the other person seemingly wanted to see more.

She wanted to curl up, to hide herself, but her body betrayed her, sprawling limply in the chair for inspection. Before she could think further, she felt her body being moved again and placed onto the bed.

Simultaneously, her waist was firmly supported by one hand while the other pressed down on her shoulder, pinning her to the large bed in an even more stifling position…