Count Lecelli’s little scheme was already clear to Luke—and he certainly wouldn’t stand by and do nothing.
He activated his "Psychological Presence" ability on everyone at the count’s mansion and on Elise, making them believe he was still there. Silently turning invisible, he slipped back to Aelia’s side and followed the pair into the incense-thick room.
But don’t misunderstand: Luke hadn’t manipulated anyone’s mind.
Count Lecelli had orchestrated this entirely on his own. En route, he’d secretly swallowed an antidote to the incense and a potency-enhancing aphrodisiac, planning to give that pink-haired fraud a “thorough” welcome later.
Truth was, the incense barely affected Luke—or that pink-haired fraud. And Count Lecelli’s combat strength? Utterly negligible.
In this situation, authority was his only card left. Had he targeted Luke? He’d already be flat on the floor.
But his prey was the very pink-haired fraud famed across the land for kindness and virtue… Honestly, the persona she’d so carefully built had well and truly backfired.
Killing him? Impossible.
Beating him up? Also impossible—too many knew she’d taken this job at the count’s mansion. Luke alone would block her.
Submit quietly? Then Luke would capture footage of the Saintess behaving indecently.
Of course, Luke would intervene before anything happened. But with that leverage, the pink-haired fraud would face only two paths: submit and confess… or be utterly ruined.
(So… what will you do?)
Unshakable and curious, Luke watched the pink-haired fraud—calm on the surface, panicking inwardly.
…
Just as expected, Aelia was utterly torn.
(Kill him? No! Beat him? Also no… Ugh, so frustrating!)
Yet beyond the dilemma, she seethed at that damn Hero for doing absolutely nothing.
(How could any man be this dense? That lecherous old man lured you away—obviously scheming something vile! Is this how you protect your idol?)
In Aelia’s mind, Luke should’ve been utterly captivated by her beauty, unable to look away for even a second.
Instead, he’d cheerfully abandoned her to play with a kid… Fine, that fit his upright image.
But being straightforward didn’t mean brainless!
How could a Hero of his stature miss such an obvious trap?
Was his legendary reputation bought with paid reviewers?!
Most infuriatingly, in her perfect plan, Luke should’ve burst in heroically, pummeled Count Lecelli, then been exiled by the king…
But the plan shattered at step one. How could she not rage?
Helplessly, anger took time. When she snapped back to reality, Count Lecelli stood barely a meter away—practically ready to pounce and grope her.
Honestly, his intentions were now glaringly obvious.
Dodging, resisting, showing fear, or fleeing—all would’ve been normal.
But she couldn’t.
No retreat. No evasion.
Count Lecelli had surely prepared a smear campaign if she fled.
And if she stayed? Based on her past-life doujinshi wisdom, hidden recording magic waited for any “resistance.” Then he’d pull a Neymar-level dive and threaten her.
Even shouting him down would tarnish her Saintess image.
And submitting—becoming some adult doujinshi heroine? Never. She’d never let a man touch her.
Therefore—
“Lord Lecelli,” Aelia asked sweetly, “is this the spot requiring purification?”
She chose to ignore all filth and malice, playing dumb, clinging to her innocent, naive persona.
Gazing at her pure eyes and flawlessly saintly face, Count Lecelli grew even more excited. He subconsciously licked his lips; his breath turned ragged.
He could hardly wait to defile that pristine purity.
But haste makes waste.
Count Lecelli was no exception.
“Yes… right here. Let’s have a… *thorough* discussion…”
(Though his true intent was far dirtier.)
“Understood.”
Aelia swiftly raised her staff. A soft beam of holy light washed over him.
Setting aside her inner thoughts, Aelia was undeniably an excessively diligent Saintess.
Among the seven Grand Saintess Candidates—the Dragon Saintess, Magic Saintess, Blade Saintess… only she was the traditional Healing Saintess, master of treatment and support.
Human energy is limited. With similar talent, specialization meant supremacy.
Put simply: in healing and support magic, she was humanity’s current pinnacle.
What few knew: to survive the coming human-demon war, she never rested. She deepened her research and expanded the scope of her magic.
Like now.
After the holy light touched him, Count Lecelli froze. The lechery vanished from his face.
Only a hollow, detached emptiness remained—as if all desire had drained away.
This wasn’t mind control. He’d simply entered the so-called “sage mode”—a state every man knows.
Only far stronger. So potent that even inhaling all the room’s incense and swallowing three bowls of potency pills or Viagra wouldn’t stir a flicker.
Why not use purification and encouragement magic like with Catherine Mary?
She wished she could. But that combo required remorse and a genuine wish to change… Count Lecelli was a hopeless scoundrel. Unable to manipulate minds, she stopped him physiologically.
And she’d cast “purification magic” exactly as requested. Surveillance footage? Flawless.
“All taken care of,” Aelia reported with an utterly harmless smile.
“Th-that’s… good…” Count Lecelli nodded dully. Desire gone. Only exhaustion and deep regret remained—*Why did I go through all this just for a roll in the hay? What an idiot…*
Watching him, Aelia nearly burst into silent laughter.
(Serves you right for letting lust cloud your judgment. This is your reward!)
