Chapter 197: Chapter: 196 A lustful woman’ desire.[5]

The cold evening wind flowed gently across the large balcony as the golden light of the setting sun covered the mountains in the distance.

Endless forests stretched far beyond the eye could see while long rivers curved around the land like giant silver snakes resting between the cliffs.

The entire territory looked wild and untamed, yet strangely beautiful at the same time.

Standing near the edge of the balcony, Ciel proudly spread her arms dramatically as if she personally owned the heavens themselves.

"You see this entire forest?" she asked proudly while pointing toward the distant mountains. "Everything all the way over there belongs to our territory."

After lunch had ended, Ciel had dragged both Cecilia and Uriel toward her room under the excuse of "having drinks together peacefully."

Of course....Knowing Ciel, peaceful was probably the most dangerous word possible.

Uriel stood quietly beside Cecilia while lightly holding her arm for support.

His silver hair moved softly in the wind while his calm expression remained completely relaxed as always.

"Lady Ciel," he said with a soft chuckle, "you have not forgotten that I cannot actually see any of this, correct?"

For a moment, Ciel froze. "...Ah."

She blinked twice before slowly biting her lower lip in embarrassment. It seemed she genuinely forgot.

Ciel quickly recovered herself however. Placing one hand on her chest dramatically, she winked confidently with one eye.

"My apologies," she declared proudly. "Your beauty distracted me so much that it completely slipped from my mind."

Cecilia’s eye twitched.

Uriel simply laughed helplessly.

The balcony itself was enormous, almost large enough to be another room entirely.

Soft couches surrounded a polished stone table at the center while expensive lanterns hung from the ceiling above.

On top of the table rested two luxurious wine bottles decorated with gold patterns alongside three crystal glasses that probably cost more than several villages combined.

Cecilia carefully guided Uriel toward one of the couches before helping him sit down properly.

Meanwhile, Ciel gracefully walked toward the table and picked up one of the wine bottles.

"Our territory is surrounded by mountains from every side," she explained while slowly pouring wine into the glasses.

"There are rivers everywhere too. During winter the fog covers everything and the entire land starts looking like some ancient hidden kingdom."

As she spoke, the deep red wine flowed smoothly into the crystal glasses.

Now truthfully...Any sane person who knew Ciel properly should have immediately questioned anything she personally handed over with that smile on her face.

Unfortunately for the world, Cecilia and Uriel both belonged to the category known as completely unaware victims...though that’s how they wanted to be perceived.

Cecilia casually accepted one glass.

Uriel accepted another.

Meanwhile, Ciel stared at Uriel’s glass with the expression of a suspicious villainess who had absolutely done something illegal five seconds ago.

The exhausted maids standing near the door quietly lowered their heads. They had seen that smile before.

Usually terrible things followed afterward.

"The rivers wrap around the mountains beautifully," Ciel continued while slowly sipping her own drink.

"From above they almost look like giant snakes sleeping around the cliffs."

Every now and then her red eyes would quietly lift toward Uriel before shifting toward Cecilia again. Her smile slowly became stranger each time.

Cecilia narrowed her eyes slightly. She did not trust that face at all.

"What about those mountains over there?" Cecilia suddenly asked while pointing toward the far distance.

Ciel turned her gaze toward the massive dark mountain standing far beyond the forests.

"Oh, that one?" she replied casually. "That is where the tombs of our ancestors are kept. Every Duke from the Scarlet family is buried there. Apparently the place becomes haunted during storms or something."

"Our family has protected this territory for generations," she continued proudly before suddenly pausing mid sentence.

"Hm...?" Cecilia blinked slowly.

For some reason, her vision had started becoming slightly blurry.

At first she assumed it was simple exhaustion from the journey earlier, but the strange heaviness in her body slowly became harder to ignore.

A deep yawn escaped her mouth before she could stop it.

"Haaah..." She rubbed one eye softly before leaning slightly closer toward Uriel.

"It truly is beautiful here," she murmured softly, her voice becoming slightly slower than usual. "It would have been nice if you could see all of this yourself."

As she spoke, her hand gently held his chin affectionately.

Uriel smiled faintly.

"You think so?" he asked quietly. "Then perhaps someday with my mind’s eye I might be able to see."

Cecilia laughed softly.

Meanwhile....Uriel himself had also started noticing something strange.

A slight heat slowly spread through his body while unfamiliar desires quietly stirred inside his heart. Unlike Cecilia however, his expression barely changed at all.

Instead, he calmly understood the situation almost immediately. ’...This woman definitely put something in the wine.’

His thoughts turned toward Ciel instantly.

And just as expected...The red-haired woman was currently sitting across from them while pretending to look innocent.

Unfortunately for her, the expression on her face looked less innocent and more like a hungry wolf patiently waiting for dinner.

Ciel quietly observed Cecilia for a moment before softly calling her name. "Cecilia..."

Cecilia slowly looked toward her. Her eyelids were already beginning to drop repeatedly.

Ciel gently reached forward and softly brushed Cecilia’s hair with an unusually tender smile.

"Are you feeling sleepy?" she asked sweetly.

Cecilia frowned slightly while trying to stay composed. "...No."

Another yawn escaped Cecilia’s mouth immediately afterward, and this time even she could no longer hide the heaviness spreading through her body.

Her eyes slowly opened and closed while her head gently leaned against Uriel’s shoulder for support.

Across from them, Ciel’s smile widened ever so slightly.

There it was. The medicine was finally working properly.

Not just any sleeping medicine either. She had specifically prepared the strongest one she possessed, something powerful enough to knock a person unconscious almost instantly. 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

Of course, the effect would not last very long, but that hardly mattered to her. She only needed a little time.

Just enough.

Cecilia was slowly losing the battle against sleep, and once the princess finally passed out, there would no longer be anyone standing between her and the treasure she had been dreaming about ever since Uriel entered this castle.

Her red eyes slowly drifted toward him.

Uriel still looked calm and composed on the outside. His expression remained peaceful while his posture stayed elegant despite the strange situation.

However...Ciel’s gaze slowly lowered.

And unlike his face, one particular part of him looked significantly less calm.

A dangerous grin appeared on her lips. "Hehe..." It was working perfectly.

The arousal drug had clearly done its job.

Ciel almost felt proud of herself at this point. She had planned everything carefully from the very beginning.

She had distracted the guards watching over Uriel, arranged for privacy, prepared the medicine herself, and even made sure no one would interrupt tonight.

Honestly, if this failed after all that effort, she might actually cry.

Meanwhile, Cecilia’s condition worsened rapidly. Her head slowly slipped further onto Uriel’s shoulder while her breathing became softer and slower.

"Uriel..." she murmured sleepily while trying very hard to keep her eyes open. "I think... something feels strange..."

Uriel turned slightly toward her. "You should rest," he said gently.

Unfortunately, his own voice sounded a little slower than usual as well.

The heat inside his body was becoming harder to ignore now.

His thoughts remained clear, but the strange burning sensation spreading through him refused to calm down.

Across from him, Ciel slowly lowered herself onto the carpeted floor.

Then...Like a hunting cat slowly approaching its prey, she quietly crawled toward him with frightening focus.

"It’s finally time..." she whispered softly while her cheeks turned slightly red.

Her breathing became uneven from excitement as she slowly lifted part of her dress to move more freely.

Honestly, she no longer looked like a noble lady. She looked like a starving wolf that had just discovered an entire buffet.

Without hesitation, she suddenly threw herself toward him.

The couch shook violently from the impact as Ciel wrapped her arms around Uriel and immediately tried to capture his lips in an aggressive kiss, moving with the energy of someone who had completely abandoned shame, dignity and logic.

However...Right before her lips could touch his... Uriel finally spoke.

His voice remained soft and gentle...Yet strangely firm at the same time.

"It is useless," he said quietly.

Ciel froze.

Uriel slowly lifted his face toward her despite his dazed state.

"Unless I allow it willingly," he continued with a faint smile, "no one can take my body."