Lingling rubbed her nose slightly, fidgeting as she rose onto her tiptoes to press her master’s hand against her head. "The second young miss of the Cavendish Family has urgent business with you," she whispered. "Lingling saw the young mistress was napping, so I told them to return later."
Nap time was precious for maids—even diligent Lingling paused her chores to curl up on the sofa, golden tail tucked around herself. So she’d played a little trick: invoking Lenna’s name to send the Cavendishes away, earning praise from the young mistress, and securing her nap. A three-in-one win, after all!
*Heh.* Lenna didn’t call her out. The fox maiden’s slyness was endearing. *Good. Having your own thoughts keeps you from becoming a mindless puppet.*
*Unlike my past life…*
"Let’s go," Lenna said, gently stroking the fox ears.
Lingling tensed. "Where?"
*The first target for revenge has appeared.*
A cruel smile played on Lenna’s lips. "To meet the Hero’s sister-in-law—the future Holy Maiden of the Holy Arbiter Sect, Angela Cavendish."
...
Past noon, a group arrived at the Falmore Family gates. Watching the flustered Holy Maiden candidate rush toward the manor’s floor-to-ceiling windows, Lenna’s smile turned predatory. She could already taste the fear.
Beside her, Lingling’s tail twitched uneasily. "They’ve arrived, Young Mistress."
"I know. Let them wait. No rush..." Lenna strolled leisurely into her study. Her voice drifted through the door crack: "If you seek help, show proper respect. Such rudeness hardly befits a Holy Maiden candidate... But as a senior, I’m no demon. I’ll welcome guests when the time is right. Patience. Let’s play with her first."
Lenna knew the plot.
In the original story, Angela had brought her dying pure-white dragon cub here for healing—only to be humiliated and thrown out by the original owner. That humiliation became her turning point: she trained relentlessly, her influence growing deep. With a voice like honey and a face ranked top three on the Empire’s Beauty List for years, she later joined the Hero Squad as a cleric—versatile in offense and defense, unmatched in support.
And it was this very Holy Maiden candidate whose grudge against the original owner triggered a chain of butterfly effects.
*It was Angela who, as Holy Maiden, made me suffer endless torment under the Holy Arbiter’s flames.*
Lenna pressed a hand to her chest, savoring the memory of that searing pain.
*If I can claim Angela while she’s still young... it’s like stripping the Hero Squad of a core fighter.*
*Why not start with the Hero’s allies before targeting the Hero himself?*
*Hmph. Every pretty girl around the Hero is a prize worth stealing.*
*And that damned pure-white dragon... After reaching Eighth Rank, its holy power nearly annihilated my skeletal army. Even Seventh Rank Bone Dragons couldn’t scratch it.*
The thought of such power soon bending to her will sent a thrill through Lenna.
*What’s more delightful than NTR—stealing someone’s lover?*
"About time."
Lenna smoothed her robes and opened the study door. The waiting candidate rushed in, clutching a sickly white dragon cub.
"Please save Little White! I beg you!" Tears streaked her exquisite face. Pink hair cascaded to her knees, streaked with pale blue highlights, giving her an ethereal glow. Angela wept openly.
Hearing the academy’s top Necromancer lived here, she’d come seeking help—only to be blocked at the gates by a random golden fox maiden demanding they wait outside the study.
*Who gave her the audacity?*
But Lenna Falmouth...
A prodigy dominating the Necromancy Department’s rankings. At sixteen, she’d already passed the academy exams to become a Fourth Rank mage—even department heads treated her with deference.
Her only flaw? A notorious reputation for... *special preferences*.
Yes.
Lenna Falmouth: female, exclusively interested in females. Her hobbies included ruining beautiful seniors and flirting with innocent juniors—no one was safe. A born scoundrel with unparalleled magical talent.
Naturally, she was the target of every department’s resentment.
*Of course, all behind her back.*
Students feared her. They remembered their elders’ warnings:
*Never provoke the Falmore Family—the Empire’s Hand, one of the Three Imperial Axes.*
...
"So your holy pet, this pure-white dragon, was cursed with an unregistered necromantic spell. As a divine cleric, your magic clashes with necromancy—you can’t analyze it. You need a necromancer’s help." Lenna pondered Angela’s plea.
"Since it’s the Holy Maiden candidate’s wish—and you carry the dean’s personal letter—I’ll take the case."
"Wonderful!" Angela interrupted, tears drying as she beamed. Tiny droplets clung to her long lashes, making her look like a dew-kissed lotus.
*The infamous man-eating bulldozer is... surprisingly reasonable? Not pushy at all?*
*Could the rumors be lies?*
*If Lenna saves Little White, I’ll fix her reputation! A few concerts as Holy Maiden candidate should do it.*
"Can I help?" Angela wiped her eyes, glancing around the cluttered study. *Maybe sweep the floor? I did barge in...*
"No. Send your people away. I need silence." Lenna took the dragon from Angela’s nun-like robes, swept books aside, and laid the cub on the desk.
"Of course!" Angela shooed her worried attendants away without a second thought.
*So young. So easily tricked.*
*Little did she know—the abyss lay right before her.*
"Close the door."
*Slam!*
"Everyone gone?"
"Mhm!" To prove it, Angela cast a timed binding spell on the door with a magic scroll.
No one could enter. No one could leave.
Lenna nodded. "Good. Undress."
"Okay!" Angela started to comply—then froze. "Wait! Why must I undress to save my pet?"
"My mind needs... *stimulation* from a full-frontal beauty to unlock its potential." Lenna propped her chin on her hand, crimson lips parting as she watched the girl. "Don’t you want to save your pet?"
