Pyris glanced at Emilia, instantly recognizing the playful glint in her eyes. A familiar smile tugged at her lips—the kind that always made him brace for what was coming.
"Can't the world's top genius guess something as simple as this?" she teased, stepping closer, her arms sliding around his neck. The warmth of her playful taunt reached deeper than just words—it struck right at his heart.
"Emilia, you're going to be the death of me, you know that?" he groaned, taking the opportunity to snake his arms around her slender waist.
His hands seemed to find their rightful place, holding her close as the heat from her body seeped through the fabric of her dress, setting him alight. With a firm grip, he pulled her even closer, savoring the moment.
But Emilia, ever the tease, wasn't about to let him win so easily.
With a mischievous glint in her eyes, she expertly slipped from his grasp, creating a frustrating distance between them. Pyris was left standing there, his arms empty, longing for her touch.
"As always, you won't even try to guess. I hate it!" she pouted, feigning disappointment. Pyris knew better—her act was designed to lure him in further. And as always, it worked. Seeing her adorable, wronged expression made him want to move mountains for her. He'd defy the world, let alone give in to her harmless teasing.
"Not true! I was just thinking about why you might be at the academy. Let's see…" Pyris pretended to ponder, enjoying the sight of her excited smile as she waited for his response.
"A peck if I guess right—deal?" he added with a sly grin. After all, he was no genius for nothing. Why miss out on the chance for a reward from just a simple guess?
"Deal! But it wouldn't be fair if I didn't get something in return too. And I'm not taking 'no' for an answer!" Her challenge told him everything he needed to know.
This wasn't going to be a simple matter, and her reason for being at the academy had layers he wasn't seeing yet. So, he played along, deliberately failing a few guesses while she gleefully watched him squirm.
When he finally gave in, Emilia revealed the truth he had been waiting for. She had been invited to become the academy's new tech assistant teacher, a role she had considered accepting. She would've taken it, too, if not for Emberly's different plans for her.
"I was going to do it, you know," she said, her tone light yet regretful. "Would've been a nice excuse to see you more often. But now… I'm not interested. Thanks to Emberly!" Her words hung in the air, her smile still teasing, still holding him under her spell.
Emilia made sure to get the last laugh, as usual. Before he could process her revelation, she took the game one step further, teasing him until his frustration built to a painful peak.
When she finally fled, leaving him in his pent-up state, Pyris cursed under his breath. Being left with a hard-on and nothing to satisfy it was a torment she knew all too well how to inflict.
With no other choice, Pyris let nature take its course as his body slowly calmed down. Once the tension eased, he returned to the academy building for the final event of the day: the Obsidian Roar.
____
Emilia, meanwhile, arrived at the mansion. The helicopter touched down softly on the heripad at the back, where a familiar trio waited for her—Emberly, Anastasia, and Pyris' maid, Rose, dressed in her charmingly adorable uniform.
The late-afternoon sun bathed them in golden light, their clothes rippling and hair dancing in the wind stirred by the helicopter's blades.
They stood in silence as Emilia emerged, walking with calm confidence, utterly unbothered by the windy chaos around her.
She had dressed the part for her arrival—an elegant white dress that hugged her body gently, the hem falling just to her knees. Her purse dangled in one hand, while the other clutched a white envelope. Unfortunately for her admirers, there were no men around to witness her allure today.
Anastasia was the first to break the silence, shouting playfully over the fading roar of the helicopter. "Emilia, are you sure you're okay in that outfit? I'm worried!"
Her words found their way through the wind, reaching Emilia's ears with ease. The succubus smiled, a soft, innocent expression, directed particularly at Emberly. "I don't know what you're talking about, Annie!" she replied sweetly as she approached the group.
The moment she stood before Emberly, Anastasia, and Rose, she bowed slightly to Emberly. "Greetings, Master," Emilia said formally, though Emberly barely reacted, rolling her eyes at the unnecessary formality.
"That's enough of that," Emberly snapped, extending her hand impatiently. "Hand it over." Without further ado, she snatched the envelope and briskly retreated to the house, leaving Emilia with the others.
With Emberly gone, Emilia turned to Anastasia, her smile vanishing into a look of mild distress. "Hey, Annie, you're not trying to get your mother to kill me, are you? That's not your goal, right?" she whispered anxiously, clearly not wanting Emberly's sharp ears to pick up on their conversation.
"No, no, I just hate seeing you in uncomfortable clothes every time you meet her. Just act natural around her. She's not going to bite," Anastasia reassured her with a playful smirk.
"No way! I don't even want to imagine what she'd do if she found out how I dress when I'm around her son!" Emilia shivered, a mix of fear and amusement.
Emberly was known to be protective of Pyris, and the thought of being on her bad side wasn't a pleasant one.
"But your outfits have nothing to do with Pyris," Anastasia pressed, trying to ease her friend's nerves. "So there's nothing to be afraid of. Just be yourself."
Emilia, however, stayed silent, her lips sealed as if refusing to risk even a small slip. Rose, who had been quietly watching, chuckled to herself, clearly understanding what Emilia didn't want to admit.
As Pyris' maid, she had seen enough to know exactly what was going on.
"Nice to see you again, Assistant Emilia," Rose greeted her warmly, offering a polite smile.
"Hoho, if it isn't our One Lucky Maid," Emilia teased back with a playful bow, making Rose blush.
"Don't tease me like that!" Rose replied, laughing softly.
Watching the two interact, Anastasia couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. "Wait… How did you two get so close?" she asked, her curiosity piqued.
"It's your loss for not being home much, Annie," Emilia quipped, clearly unwilling to spill the details.
"Whatever," Anastasia huffed, before her curiosity resurfaced. "But what's this 'One Lucky Maid' thing?"
Rose, clearly embarrassed, quickly excused herself, fleeing toward the house. Emilia laughed softly before explaining. "Rose is famous among the other maids. She's known as the 'One Lucky Maid' because she's Pyris' personal attendant. You wouldn't believe how popular she's become now that she's going to follow the young lord to his new place."
Anastasia's eyes widened in amusement, and the two of them laughed, watching as Rose disappeared into the mansion.
*****
We're soon stepping into politics and business intertwined with magis, power, control, lust, immortals and gods! Buckle up!