The chair slowly turned to face him completely. The Duchess carefully examined Maximus from head to toe without speaking. Eventually, she placed her pipe onto the desk before gracefully rising to her feet.
A faint trace of surprise appeared inside her beautiful eyes. The special curse she had secretly planted upon Maximus had completely disappeared.
That should not have been possible naturally unless someone had intervened.
Someone inside the academy had not only discovered her curse but had deliberately removed it. That realization concerned her far more than the curse itself.
Several possible names quietly surfaced inside her thoughts. A handful of individuals possessed the knowledge required to accomplish something like this.
Still...
It was too early to decide which one of them had interfered. For now, speculation alone was meaningless.
Her elegant footsteps echoed softly across the study as she approached him.
"Aww..." Her lips curved into a warm smile.
"It’s been so long."
She slowly spread both arms open.
"Come here. Give your mother a hug."
The gesture resembled neither warmth nor affection. Everything about her felt calculated.
The subtle sway of her hips. The relaxed movement of her shoulders. The deep slit running along one side of her robe exposed one long smooth leg as she walked toward him. and her collar that was too deep to show to a child,
Every movement carried the intent to seduce him.
Maximus felt nothing except disgust. There had never been respect for this woman inside his heart.
After everything she had done to him, her image could not possibly sink any lower. Nothing about this display surprised him.
Without waiting for his permission, she closed the remaining distance and wrapped both arms tightly around him.
It was not the embrace of a mother welcoming her son home.
She slipped one hand behind his head before gently pulling his face between her ample exposed bosom.
The sweet and seductive scent surrounding her immediately became stronger, almost intoxicating.
Her intentions were perfectly clear.
Although the mental curse had disappeared, she understood Maximus’s personality better than anyone else; after all, she was the one that had shaped him. She had spent years breaking him.
Years convincing him that he possessed no value. Men carrying such shattered self-worth often became the easiest people to manipulate.
If words no longer worked...
Then Lust often succeeded. Maximus was the age of 16 now; he had become an adult.
Naturally, he possessed the instincts and desires of any grown man. He too must be wanting to taste the pleasures of a woman.
She believed that with enough physical intimacy, subtle manipulation, and the assistance of her own abilities, he would eventually become no different from the Duke himself, who had surrendered himself to her.
Once Maximus willingly gave up himself to her influence. Extracting every piece of information inside his mind would become effortless. One night in her bed was enough to turn him into her dog.
Clink.
A quiet metallic sound interrupted her thoughts out of the blue. The Duchess looked downward.
Maximus remained pressed against her bosom exactly where she had forced his face.
Yet his face carried no embarrassment; he was not blushing, nor was he aroused; the temperature of his body was cold. There was no excitement in his breathing.
Only cold eyes calmly looked back at her.
Then she noticed it.
The handle of the Serpent Fang Sword rested firmly against the skin of her slender waist. the waist that men drooled for.
She had expected his thoughts to remain trapped elsewhere.
Instead...
His hand had instinctively unsheathed the sword partially as a silent warning to her. There was not even the slightest trace of lust inside his gaze.
For the first time since Maximus entered the room.
Her confidence wavered.
Maximus calmly stepped backward, slipping free from her embrace.
"I’m sorry." His tone remained completely detached.
"My hand slipped."
The Duchess observed him carefully. His eyes never wandered over her body at all.
Not even once.
That confused her far more than she wished to admit. Still, she refused to show it.
"It’s alright, son." Her smile remained gentle.
"I know you could never hurt me." She slowly reached forward before softly brushing her fingers against his cheek.
Inside her mind, however, she had already begun planning her next attempt. If her natural scent had failed...
She would simply prepare something stronger.
Perhaps a more potent aphrodisiac. Perhaps something far more bold.
Eventually, every man broke.
At least...
That had always been true until today. "Now that you’re here..."
Her voice softened into an almost hypnotic whisper.
"Would you like to help your mother with a few important matters this evening?"
She smiled invitingly. "My private chambers would be much more comfortable."
The invitation carried meanings that required no explanation. Even experienced men would have struggled to remain composed after hearing such words spoken in such a tone.
Maximus remained completely expressionless. "I only came to inform you that I’ll be leaving for House Draconia in a few hours."
His voice sounded almost mechanical. "I’ll be staying with my friend Alfred for several days."
After delivering his message, he calmly stepped farther away. The Duchess seemed incapable of understanding the concept of personal space.
Maximus clearly preferred keeping as much distance between them as possible.
He offered a brief bow. It was noticeably shallower than proper etiquette required. Without waiting for permission to leave...
He simply turned around. Within moments, he disappeared through the doorway.
The Duchess remained standing silently inside the study. Her beautiful face gradually lost its smile.
She had spent centuries refining herself into the perfect poison for men.
Her appearance, her scent, and her voice.
Every movement she carried and every cut in her dress was tailored to induce lust and desire in the hearts of men.
Everything had been cultivated until almost no ordinary man could resist her.
Yet today...
A boy she had personally broken since childhood had rejected every attempt without hesitation. That was impossible.
Something much greater and stronger had interfered in her matters; she was sure of it.
Someone had changed him. Her curiosity steadily transformed into suspicion. Slowly, she returned to the Duke’s chair before picking up the pipe once again.
Without looking toward the entrance, she calmly ordered the servants waiting outside.
"Let no one enter. Not even the Duke."
The maids immediately obeyed. Within minutes, the study had been completely sealed.
Silence returned to the study. Only then did the Duchess slowly untie the loose robe covering her body.
The expensive fabric slipped down onto the floor.
She calmly reached behind her back. Her fingers dug beneath the skin itself.
With a slow, painful motion. She peeled away an entire layer of skin.
What emerged beneath was no longer beautiful. It was rotting blackened flesh.
Twisted veins pulsing with thick demonic corruption.
The unbearable stench of decay filled the sealed room as overwhelming demonic energy poured outward.
The Duchess trembled violently.
A low moan escaped her lips as pain spread throughout her entire body.
The beautiful eyes that had captivated countless men slowly turned crimson. Not the red of an ordinary vampire.
But the unmistakable red is carried only by demons.