*Pa!*
*Pa!*
*Pa!*
As Lucian slapped Cipher's butt again and again, a steady rhythm echoing in the room, she had completely gone limp, as if all the strength had been drained from her body, her frame softening as she draped herself over Lucian's lap without resistance.
A misty sheen filled Cipher's blue eyes, and her cheeks were flushed an intense red as the burning sensation on her butt brought her a strange sense of satisfaction. Her mind gradually went blank, thoughts dissolving into a hazy void, yet instead of resisting, she only wanted to sink deeper into that sensation, letting it consume her bit by bit.
Just as she felt she was on the verge of being completely melted by this strange 'punishment,' her body growing softer with each passing second, the spanking stopped abruptly.
Cipher raised her head in a daze, movements slow and unsteady, her watery eyes still carrying a lingering haze along with a faint, unhidden trace of... wanting more?
"Looking at you like that, this doesn't feel like punishment—more like a reward."
Lucian remarked, a slight smile forming as amusement flickered in his gaze.
"It's not a reward!" Cipher, feeling her dignity compromised, retorted, placing a hand on her backside and rubbing it lightly. "You gotta stop after hitting, seriously!"
Lucian had not slapped hard—it was controlled, measured, just enough to produce a mild sting without crossing the line.
Each strike was deliberate, never excessive.
What Lucian did not know was that it was precisely because of that near-perfect control that Cipher's hidden kink had been stirred—only that precise balance between pain and restraint could produce such an effect on her.
Lucian had never been on the receiving end of such treatment, so he naturally would not understand it, but as the one experiencing it firsthand, Cipher was acutely aware of the strange pleasure interwoven within the sensation.
"If you wanna get your butt spanked again next time, you don't have to tear my clothes—just say it, and I'll satisfy you."
Lucian teased Cipher, his tone laced with amusement as his palm came down in a casual pat against her butt, as if the earlier moment had been nothing more than playful banter.
"Who'd be bored enough to ask for a spanking? Yeah, definitely not me."
Cipher twisted her waist slightly from her prone position, her movement smooth and unhurried, her legs wrapping around as she shifted like a languid water snake, effortlessly repositioning herself until she settled onto Lucian's lap.
With that, as Lucian sat firmly on the chair, Cipher rested comfortably on his lap—the atmosphere between them remained strangely harmonious, never once turning awkward despite the earlier spanking, as though such intimacy was already second nature.
"Oh, right! I came here to drop off a letter. Almost slipped my mind."
Cipher suddenly seemed to recall her purpose. Reaching into her exposed cleavage without the slightest hesitation, she pulled out a slightly crumpled letter and slapped it lightly onto Lucian's exposed torso, the paper brushing against his skin.
"Why didn't you just give it to me next year?"
Lucian joked, rolling his eyes with exaggerated disbelief.
From the moment they met to actually getting down to business, a full one to two hours had already slipped by unnoticed.
Seeing that this cat had been rubbing against him for nearly two hours, even going so far as to receive a round of affectionate 'discipline' before finally remembering the actual matter, it seemed she truly had no sense of urgency.
If anything, it only proved she might still need more 'discipline.'
"Hey, it's not even that important anyway. What's wrong with being a little late?"
Cipher giggled softly, her voice light and unconcerned as she naturally leaned back into Lucian's embrace, her body fitting against his as though it belonged there, clearly intending to read the letter together with him.
In that instant, a faint wildflower fragrance drifted into Lucian's nose, delicate yet distinct, suggesting that Cipher had been among flowers not long ago. But layered beneath that gentle scent, his keen sense of smell picked up something far more familiar—her own natural body fragrance, subtle yet unmistakable, lingering close against him.
No need to ask how he knew.
Being stuck together every single day, sharing the same space and time, how could he not be intimately familiar with it?
Lucian opened the letter and took a careful look.
After reading it for a while, his eyes narrowed slightly as he realized it had actually been sent by Cerydra herself.
Needless to say, for someone like her to personally write to him, rather than delegate the task to a subordinate, clearly showed that she valued him quite a bit.
In the letter, she stated that not only should Okhema and Dolos increase their exchanges and deepen their interactions, as if laying the groundwork for a more stable relationship, but she also suggested that he join the Flame-Chase Army, granting him the title of 'Dux Coronafurti.'
'Dux Coronafurti…? Doesn't that mean crown thief?'
Lucian frowned slightly, the corner of his mouth twitching with faint displeasure.
'Tch, what a messed-up empress, calling me a thief right to my face.'
Making him submit to Cerydra was out of the question, but now that he thought about it more carefully, perhaps he could turn the situation around and have her work for him instead, managing Dolos in his stead?
It was not a bad idea at all.
At the end of the letter, it also mentioned that Okhema had sent Aglaea as part of the exchange, clearly acting as an envoy, as if to further solidify their intentions.
"Mm, so she's sending me a free worker?" Lucian muttered, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "Imperator really is a good empress."
"Lucian, I heard this Imperator's really amazing. Is that true? I heard she ended the Chrysos War, and someone like her actually took the time to write you a letter?"
Cipher asked curiously from Lucian's arms, her voice full of both admiration and surprise.
"Obviously, that just proves I'm the most amazing."
"Yep, you're the most amazing!"
Cipher immediately agreed with Lucian's confident statement with a warm smile, her eyes curving gently as she lifted both hands to clasp his wrist and guide his hand onto her stomach, allowing him to wrap his arm around her waist in a familiar and intimate gesture.
"And Aglaea, huh... I've heard that she's a famous seamstress in Okhema, and every piece she makes is worth a fortune. If she really comes, we should keep her in Dolos, make her work for us, and have her sew clothes for the kids at Hearth Mansion!"
If Aglaea in reality learned that this cat was actually planning to turn her into a laborer without hesitation, who knows what she would think or how she would react?
"Sure..." Lucian replied casually, not giving it much thought as he waved a hand. "Well, when the time comes, just sack her up and bring her to me. I'll persuade her myself."
Cipher did not respond, but silently etched his words deep into her mind, committing every detail firmly to memory.
===
A few days later, Okhema's diplomatic delegation, led by Aglaea, finally arrived in the city-state of Dolos.
Upon seeing the city with her own eyes, Aglaea had to admit that this place was different from what she had imagined.
Before coming, her mind had been filled with the long-standing stereotype of a 'City of Thieves'—chaotic, filthy, poor, with decadent nobility and scenes of commoners being treated like grass—but now what she saw were wide and clean streets stretching into the distance, with neatly arranged residential houses standing in orderly rows on both sides.
Flower beds lined the roads at regular intervals, planted with hardy wildflowers that bloomed vividly in clusters of color, and there was none of the foul smell she had expected. Instead, a faint freshness of grass and vegetation drifted through the breeze, mingling with the scent of freshly laid stone from the newly paved roads beneath the evenly spaced, newly erected street lamps.
Surprisingly, there was even a large, neat square paved with smooth stone, where a group of children in clean clothes were chasing and playing freely, their laughter crisp and bright, their cheeks rosy with health, clearly not lacking food or clothing.
"I-Is this really Dolos?"
One of the officials beside Aglaea could not help but speak, his voice tinged with disbelief as his gaze swept across the orderly streets.
"Wasn't it supposed to be... the City of Thieves? Why does it look... even better than our Okhema?"
At the official's words, the guards around nodded repeatedly, their eyes filled with amazement as they looked around.
"You're right, sir. Look at those kids. Do they look hungry at all?"
"And look at the streets. They're so clean, and there are even flowers planted along them."
"Hmm, the ruler of this city must be incredibly competent..."
"Actually, I heard from some bard that this city's called the City of Rogues now instead of the City of Thieves."
"Hmm, the City of Rogues? I honestly can't tell the difference."
Hearing their words, Aglaea did not speak, but within her serene eyes, the same shock and admiration flickered quietly as her gaze lingered on the unexpectedly thriving city before her.
'It seemed I'd holed up in Okhema for too long. I couldn't even keep up with the times anymore...'
In just a few short years, Dolos had steadily climbed out of its once-notorious mire, casting off the decay that had long defined it.
Imperator was right—this Lucian was indeed different from other rulers, a man of genuine ability who had brought about tangible change.
Just as Aglaea was carefully considering how to properly discuss cooperation with this 'competent' city lord and persuade him to join the Flame-Chase Army, a sudden and unexpected change occurred!
*Whoosh!*
A huge sack descended from above—no, to be precise, it shot out like lightning from the shadows of a narrow alley beside them, as if it had been lying in wait for the perfect instant!
It was incredibly fast and precisely targeted, rushing straight at Aglaea and swallowing her whole, covering her from head to toe in a single, seamless motion!
"Wh-What?! Who?!"
Aglaea's muffled voice came from inside the sack, her words immediately smothered by the thick, coarse fabric.
As her vision went black and a strange smell mixed with dust and fishiness rushed sharply into her nose, she instinctively struggled, her body twisting in alarm, but the mouth of the sack had already been swiftly tightened and tied into a dead knot, the movements frighteningly efficient and practiced.
Immediately after, a strong force lifted her clean off the ground, and then she felt herself being carried away at speed, the motion jostling and unsteady.
Had she known she would be kidnapped so suddenly, she might as well have first undergone the Romance Titan's trial and become a demigod before coming.
"Heehee, the seamstress is Lucian's now, meow!"
Everyone only saw a black-clad figure dash into the depths of the alley, cloak fluttering faintly, so fast that only a fleeting afterimage remained in their vision.
From the sudden appearance of the sack to the complete disappearance of the person, the entire process took less than three seconds—so quick that most people hadn't even registered what had happened!
Fast!
Precise!
Ruthless!
Professional!
Truly professional!
""Lady Goldweaver?!""
Finally realizing what had just happened, the officials and guards who came with Aglaea were all stunned, their expressions frozen in disbelief.
What had they just witnessed?
Dux Goldweaver Aglaea, representing Okhema and the Imperator's dignity—in broad daylight, in full public view—had been kidnapped and taken away without the slightest resistance!
"Quick! Contact Dolos's guards—we must rescue Lady Goldweaver at once!"
Hearing the urgent shout of the delegation's deputy officer, the delegation immediately rushed toward the nearest patrolling guards, anxiously explaining the situation in hurried voices.
After hearing the account, however, the patrolling guards merely exchanged peculiar glances, their expressions oddly calm.
"It seems Lady Cipher took their envoy…"
"Be honest, what immoral things did Dux Goldweaver do?"
"Since Lady Cipher personally made the arrest, Dux Goldweaver must have done something bad."
"Men! Arrest these people as well!"
Seeing this unfold, the delegation was completely dumbfounded, unable to process what they were hearing.
What was going on here?
Instead of catching the kidnapper, they were arresting the victims?
Had the law completely lost its meaning in this city?
Was there no justice left at all?
"How dare you!"
Suddenly being surrounded on all sides, the deputy officer shouted in anger, his face flushed with outrage.
"Do you know who stands behind us?! It's Okhema's ruler—the Imperator!"
Unfortunately for him, upon hearing his warning, the patrolling guards remained expressionless and unmoved, as if his words carried no weight whatsoever.
===
[A bonus chapter for every 300 Power Stones.]
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