Ilus’s body stiffened instantly, as if the words had nailed her in place.
The whisper in her ear was like the flick of a venomous snake’s tongue, carrying a damp warmth that seeped into her every pore.
‘What is she talking about? I am not some cat in heat!’
Shame was not a new sensation for her, but this time, it was mixed with a strange, unspeakable shiver triggered by the touch deep within her body, pushing her to the brink of a breakdown.
She bit her lower lip, trying to use pain to suppress the sob that was about to escape, but a faint, weak gasp still leaked from the back of her throat.
This tiny sound was magnified infinitely in the silent room, falling into Iliana’s ears as further evidence that brought her pleasure.
Ilus naturally realized she had just lost her composure. She simply gritted her teeth and closed her eyes, trying her best to block out Iliana’s words.
“Not speaking?”
Seeing Ilus’s attitude, Iliana let out a low chuckle. The hand that had been resting on the small of her back suddenly reached toward her soft, flat abdomen.
After all, a kitty’s belly felt quite good to pet.
“Ngh…”
A short cry of surprise escaped uncontrollably. Ilus’s entire body tensed, her toes curling. She quickly bit the back of her own hand to stop any more shameful sounds.
“See, Young Lady? Your body is still the most honest.”
Hearing those words was the final straw for Ilus. She tried to break free from Iliana’s embrace, but the other woman’s strength was surprisingly great.
Iliana felt the intense reaction of the body in her arms with satisfaction. She didn’t increase the pressure any further, simply maintaining the current posture as if enjoying her prey’s final, powerless struggle.
Her other hand reached around to the front, loosely encircling Ilus’s waist and pressing her even tighter against herself, creating an embrace of absolute control.
“Young Lady—”
“Iliana, stop insulting me.”
Ilus’s voice was as faint as a mosquito’s buzz, but it still reached the maid’s ears.
“Insulting? But Young Lady, this was your own choice. Now that we have swapped identities, you are the maid and I am the Duke’s daughter. Do you think you are in any position to say such things to me?”
Iliana leaned her face closer, almost burying it in Ilus’s hair.
She playfully twirled a strand of the girl’s hair around her finger and then took a deep breath, seemingly teasing her on purpose.
Feeling the delicate body in her arms trembling—whether from anger or fear—Iliana extended her tongue to lightly graze Ilus’s earlobe while she spoke.
“Don’t be angry, Young Lady. Didn’t I promise to go get that cake for you tomorrow?”
‘Yes, Ilus, don’t be angry. She’s going to die tomorrow anyway.’
Iliana’s words reminded Ilus that as long as she held out, victory would be hers tomorrow.
Time was running out for her. She had to be ruthless—not just toward Iliana, but toward herself as well.
Having thought this through, Ilus took a deep breath and tried her best to ignore the despicable bastard behind her.
She forced her breathing to level out and relaxed her body slightly, even though the palm resting on her abdomen still brought a shivering heat and sensation.
She gave up her futile struggling, acting like a soulless puppet allowed to be held in Iliana’s arms. Only her tightly closed eyelashes, still fluttering slightly, betrayed her inner turmoil.
Iliana noticed the change. The girl’s sudden obedience felt abrupt, carrying a cold sense of resolve.
This injected a subtle hint of displeasure into her originally joyous mood, as if she were being met with silent defiance.
“I don’t like this attitude of yours, Young Lady.”
Of course, Ilus did not respond. She simply kept her eyes closed and remained motionless.
Before they knew it, dawn was approaching outside, and the Identity Swap Game had come to an end. Iliana finally released Ilus, stretching her limbs without showing the slightest sign of fatigue.
Since Ilus had basically given up resisting last night, she had eaten her fill.
As for Ilus, she hadn’t slept either. At this moment, the girl’s waist felt slightly collapsed, and her face was flushed to a worrying degree. Although she still had her eyes closed on the surface, her heart was a whirlpool of emotions.
Last night, after Iliana noticed the change in her attitude, she had suddenly started being mischievous. Having resolved to endure it, Ilus hadn’t put up any defense, so the Guan-Yuan Point, Shan-Zhong Point, and Hui-Yin Point became the targets of Iliana’s fierce assault.
As a result, her waist felt like it was about to break when she got up in the morning.
“Be a good girl and sleep a little longer. I’m going to get that cake for you.”
“Wa-Wait, Iliana. How about wearing this? It looks better.”
Ilus struggled to sit up and personally pinned the butterfly hairpin on her.
“Yes, thank you for the gift, Young Lady. I’ll be back in a while.”
‘Heh, you probably won’t be coming back,’ Ilus sneered inwardly.
As Iliana turned to leave, she gave Ilus a meaningful smile. In Ilus’s eyes, however, this was merely a sign that she was still immersed in last night’s victory.
‘Hmph, don’t get ahead of yourself. Once you step out that door, just wait for your death!’
The door clicked shut. Ilus remained propped up in a sitting position until the sound of footsteps in the hallway completely vanished.
Slowly—extremely slowly—she let out a breath. The trembling in her chest, which had been forcibly suppressed all night, finally spread unchecked throughout her entire body.
She slid off the bed, her bare feet stepping onto the cold floor as she walked to the window.
Pulling back a corner of the heavy curtain, she saw Iliana’s slender figure crossing the courtyard, heading toward the small path outside the Duke’s Mansion that led to the market.
The morning mist had not yet dispersed. The maid’s back gradually became blurred, eventually vanishing into a patch of grey and white.
“Goodbye, my dear Iliana. May we never meet again.”
After Ilus whispered those words, a smile gradually blossomed on her face. She wanted to laugh out loud, but she forced herself to hold it back.
Now only the final link remained, depending on Old Sila’s side. With her skills, killing Iliana before she could use Hypnosis Magic should be an easy task.
Thinking of this, Ilus stood up and gathered her long hair behind her. She also needed to prepare and head to the meeting place to see Sila.
She hoped the woman would give her a surprise then.
Thinking of this, Ilus clapped her hands and called out.
“Heda, I know you’re outside. Come in.”
“Yes, Young Lady.”
Heda answered and walked in.
“Help me change. Take the breakfast away for now; I’m going out.”
“Eh? Young Lady, but you have an etiquette lesson this morning.”
“What does that matter? I’m in a good mood today, so I’m skipping it.”
Ilus waved her hand, a bright smile on her face. Heda was momentarily dazed; she had never seen the Young Lady smile like that before.
“Alright, don’t go tilling Mother on me, Heda.”
Ilus stood up, put on her hood, and excitedly ran toward the direction of the Dark House.
Perhaps by the time she arrived, she would see Old Sila already waiting for her.
However, when Ilus arrived, she did not see the figure she was looking for inside the tavern.
‘It makes sense. After all, she is killing a demon. How could it be that fast?’ Ilus sat in her usual spot, silently comforting herself.
There were basically no people in the shop in the morning. Perhaps the next person to push open the door would be Sila?
Just as Ilus was thinking this, the shop door opened…