"It's fine, as long as I can complete the spell."

Today truly broadened Wenwu’s horizons—someone actually obsessed with magic to this extent.

"Um… Princess Royal," Wenwu ventured, "may I ask what kind of magic has you so captivated?"

In his experience, only two things could hook people this hard: drugs and gambling. He was genuinely curious about a spell that rivaled those vices.

At the mention of magic, the princess transformed completely, eyes sparkling with excitement. *Hmph hmph hmph. I’m a master of Dark Magic after all.*

Dark Magic? Wasn’t that usually the villain’s domain?

"Watch closely—this is my latest breakthrough."

"Uh… Princess Royal," Wenwu asked cautiously, "just to be sure—you won’t blow this place up again, right?" He still remembered the earlier explosion.

"Don’t worry. Last time was my first success—I misjudged the power. This time’s different."

The princess raised her right hand, concentrating fiercely as if gathering energy within her body. Wenwu watched intently, afraid to miss a single detail.

"Eh? Why isn’t it working? It worked before!"

She stared at her trembling hand, utterly distraught.

"Princess Royal…" Wenwu whispered.

"It’s your fault! It has to be!"

"No—I didn’t do anything!" Wenwu denied instantly as she pinned the blame on him.

"It must be!"

Without warning, the princess began stripping off her clothes—first her top, then her skirt—until only her underwear remained. She advanced toward Wenwu with a fierce glare.

Instinctively, Wenwu took half a step back.

"What are you waiting for? Take off your pants!"

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"The spell succeeded last time because of you. If we do it again, it’ll work!"

Wenwu’s blood ran cold as he recalled waking up the next day with no sensation *down there*. She must have used some trick during… He shivered, suddenly terrified his "little brother" might meet an early end.

"Why are you running? I won’t eat you!" The princess grew impatient as Wenwu kept retreating. "I’m a Dark Magic master—you’d better obey. Or else…"

"Or else what?"

"Like this!"

She spread her fingers wide, aiming at Wenwu’s head and limbs. As her hand opened slowly, his body stretched outward against his will, pinned in a star shape.

"Princess Royal, let’s talk this over!"

Ignoring him, she knelt and tugged off his trousers.

"Be honest," Wenwu pressed, "did you use Dark Magic on me during… you know?"

"Yes."

"Will it affect me long-term?"

"Dunno. Maybe."

The memory was pleasant, but sacrificing his future happiness? Not worth it. Wenwu struggled against her grip.

"Futile. This is Puppetry—stop wasting energy."

Her hands reached for his last barrier.

"No!" Wenwu roared, thrashing harder.

*Snap.*

A sound like a broken string echoed.

"How… impossible… You broke free of Puppetry?" The princess had never seen her magic fail like this.

Wenwu flexed his wrists. The bindings were gone.

"Princess Royal, I’d help if you skipped the Dark Magic. But for my little brother’s sake—sorry."

He tried to step away, but his legs refused to move. Momentum threw him off-balance, collapsing right onto the half-dressed princess.

"Princess Royal, are you in the lab? Chief Judicator and the others are worried—"

The iron door creaked open. Knight Mirantha froze mid-sentence, sword slowly sliding from its sheath as she took in the scene: Wenwu in his underwear, pinning the princess down to her lingerie.