One week had passed since the intense showdown between Gwendolyn and Morgana during the announcement of the upcoming tournament. Tensions were still thick in the air as Oliver made his way to visit Gwendolyn. He knew that he needed to talk to her and clear the air.
He was careful enough not to alert Morgana about his little walk, so he wouldn't cause another battle.
The guards stationed at the entrance of the noble faction base didn't even bother to stop him, but they did check his body for any weapons. Their inspection, however, seemed more intrusive than necessary, and their leering expressions were unmistakable. Oliver couldn't help but smile at their old tricks.
"Just a routine check, you know." Noticing his gaze, one of the guards muttered showing her perverted smile.
"Yeah, Lady Gwendolyn ordered us to check everything." Another girl also supported her words, but she looked rather scared knowing they were trying their luck rather hard.
"Of course, Ladies. Carry on. But I might as well tell Lady Gwendolyn about this, so next time you won't have to touch my chest and behind."
The guards quickly withdrew their hands, embarrassed by Oliver's response. They opened the heavy door, allowing Oliver to step inside the base. The tension was palpable, and he knew he had a lot to discuss with Gwendolyn.
'Hmm~ this looks nothing like the prison. Just as I expected, she gets more support and money than Morgana. No wonder, these bitches stick with her despite all the insults she throws at them.'
As Oliver walked along the hallway, he noticed a half-opened door with intricate designs, indicating that it belonged to someone special.
Oliver couldn't resist his curiosity as he approached the half-opened door. He peered inside discreetly, and there he saw a half-naked blond-haired woman diligently doing push-ups, sweat glistening on her forehead. It was unmistakably Lady Gwendolyn, and she seemed completely engrossed in her exercise.
"Hmm~ she is quite sexy," Oliver muttered to herself observing her boobs, which kept jiggling every time she moved up and down.
Instead of barging in, as a noble should, Oliver decided to knock politely on her door. The sudden sound of the knock interrupted Lady Gwendolyn's workout, and she rose to her feet, clearly surprised. When she laid eyes on Oliver, her expression transformed from confusion to a bright, welcoming smile.
Gwendolyn quickly wiped the sweat from her brow with a towel that was nearby and walked over to the door after putting it over her shoulder covering one of her nipples. She opened it with an air of regal grace, her blonde hair cascading elegantly around her shoulders.
Most women around this world don't find it strange to be partially unclothed, so they don't hesitate to do so even in front of men.
"Oliver! What a pleasant surprise," she exclaimed with genuine interest in her voice. "I wasn't expecting to see you here. Please, come in."
Oliver stepped into her room, taking in the opulent surroundings and the evident signs of her status within the noble faction.
But as soon as he entered the room, his whole face changed, and he started to look more like an abandoned dog with how weak he looked.
Gwendolyn couldn't ignore the sudden change in Oliver's demeanour. Concern etched across her face, she approached him with grace and empathy. Placing a gentle hand on his trembling shoulder, she guided him to sit on the edge of her luxurious bed.
She wouldn't have done this to anyone else, but knowing Oliver is the son of Lady Victoria, a great noble, Gwendolyn knew that being kind to Oliver was the way she wanted to deal with him. After all, she valued noble blood more than anything, despite hating the royal family.
"Oliver," she spoke softly, her voice laced with genuine worry. "You don't look well. Please, sit down, and let me fetch you some water."
She hurried over to a nearby table, pouring cool water into a bronze goblet. Returning to Oliver's side, she held the glass out to him, her gaze filled with confusion and interest.
Oliver accepted the glass with trembling hands, taking a few sips to quench his thirst before setting it down on a nearby side table. He looked up at Lady Gwendolyn, his eyes filled with a mix of gratitude and pain.
"I... I didn't know where else to turn," he began, his voice barely above a whisper. "After I saved Isaac from those women, the harassment I've been enduring... It's gotten even worse, Lady Gwendolyn. They seem to think I've crossed some line by interfering."
Gwendolyn's expression hardened with a mixture of anger and determination. She took a seat beside Oliver, her elegant posture a stark contrast to his hunched figure.
"That is absolutely intolerable, Oliver," she said firmly. "No one should suffer such treatment, especially not someone as kind-hearted as you. You did the right thing by helping Isaac. Now, tell me everything. Who has been tormenting you, and what can I do to help?"
While she was trying to calm him down, she was thinking about the rumours she heard, which almost made her suspicious of Oliver.
'I guess the rumours about him dominating Captain Serena were just made up. They just want me to reject him from my faction, so his only option would be that vile woman.'
"Lady Gwendolyn! You don't have to do anything, If you personally try to attack them, they will harm Issac since he is in their faction, so I will join your faction to ensure my safety." Oliver's tone was almost as if he were the most innocent man in this prison, and Gwendolyn, being the sadistic woman she is, really liked his innocent attitude.
Her perverted smile lingered for just a moment imagining her dominating this 'innocent boy', hidden beneath her facade of concern and determination.
"Does that mean you will join our noble faction?"
Hearing her words, Oliver nodded his head showing his approval.
"That's the wisest choice you could make, Oliver," she purred, her tone dripping with honeyed assurance. "You'll be safe with me, and we will ensure that Isaac remains unharmed as well."
She extended a sweaty hand toward him, a symbol of the alliance they were forming. "Welcome to our faction, Oliver. You won't regret this decision. I will make sure you get what you want. Your revenge and the position in the empire that is suitable for a man like you,"
Oliver knew speaking too quickly would cause problems, so he decided to be satisfied with this for now. However, he knew his interests were solely on the power Gwendolyn held, and so far, he hasn't been able to see what she is capable of.
"Lady Gwendolyn, I would be glad if you don't publicly announce my joining," Gwendolyn looked at Oliver with confused eyes, but hearing his following words, she knew his reasons were somewhat true.
"Morgana would do something extreme if she knew about it, so until you win the tournament, I want to keep this a secret,"
"That's fair, but don't worry. This time I'm going to ruin that woman and finish her, We don't need two leaders in this place. If I want to plan a rebellion, she needs to be gone."
"Gwendolyn was thrilled to see Oliver placing his trust in her to win the tournament, and the more she looked at his vulnerable expression, the more her past habits of trying to dominate innocent men emerged.
'Hold back, hold back for now, Gwendolyn. You have to earn his trust first before scaring him off. I need his family's power if I want to be accepted as the next Empress,'
She thought as she tried to avoid looking at Oliver's chest and groin. However, Oliver didn't miss any of her movements.
'Well, it looks like it's hard for her to hold back against me like this. I really need to stick with my act, or this woman will kill me.'
"If you want to rest, you can stay in my room since those prison cells are annoying. I will go and wash all this sweat. Don't worry about your safety since my faction will now protect you," Gwendolyn said those words and got up to leave.
Oliver kept looking at her and couldn't help but appreciate her beauty. At the same time, he knew that hidden behind that beauty was a power-hungry and arrogant woman who would act like a psychopath if she were in a relationship.
"Thank you for everything, Lady Gwendolyn," Oliver said showing his gratitude, Gwendolyn just smiled and took her towel and left the room leaving Oliver inside it, and he just fell on the bed with a tired look on his face.
"A crazy woman that can only get aroused by dominating innocent men that act tame and by completely controlling their lives,"
"Another crazy woman, who only gets aroused by strong men that will challenge her dominance,"
Oliver thought about which of these two types would be better for his goal and realized that neither of them was better.
"I need to act intelligent or my head will fly from the double game I'm going to play," Oliver thought and got ready for his next step, while enjoying the premium wine to relax his mind.