When the blade was about to touch the maid, who lay on the floor with an expression of delight and adoration, she disappeared.
Her agility, enhanced by Mana from the eighth circle, was something Adela could not keep up with.
Mina's eyes shone with pleasure; between the enhanced abilities of her race and the new power she had recently obtained, she felt capable of anything.
Adela looked at the smile Mina gave her, provoking her to attack again. The maid's fist clenched with fury.
This time the room filled with a thick black mist; Adela took small steps toward Mina, rematerialized her stakes, and smiled without humor.
All the while, Cassian watched with amusement.
He had no interest in stopping them, at least not yet.
But when Mina cut her hand and began to control her blood, strengthening it with her Mana, his eyes narrowed, and he was about to take a step forward to end the little tantrum.
However, it seemed it wouldn't be necessary.
Instead of using the blood as a weapon, it began to envelop Adela, who tried to dodge it at first but couldn't match its speed.
The stakes in her hands tried to cut the blood—which should have been liquid or weak given how it moved and melted into her body—but sounds like striking iron echoed in the room.
And when the blood completely bound her, she could no longer move.
Her face was red with fury and, as if she had remembered something, she looked toward Cassian with puffed cheeks and slightly red eyes, expecting him to help her.
He shook his head; then focused his attention on Mina, who looked at her masterpiece on Adela with a twisted happiness.
Afterward, she turned her gaze to him and looked at him as if asking for praise.
"It's fine, you can release her. And Adela, don't attack her anymore; it's not what you think."
Mina's shoulders dropped in disappointment.
She began to release Adela, allowing her to move again.
Once freed, Adela ran toward Cassian and stood beside him, watching the woman with vigilant eyes.
"Go back with Bethany, Mina."
"Huh?" But the effect of Cassian's blood seemed stronger, because although she showed reluctance, she started heading toward the door. But just as she was about to leave, she turned around for a moment, regaining a bit of lucidity from her previous state. "Is it real? Did they lie to me?"
"Mmm," only a slight nod came from him.
Her eyes looked at him for a moment, trying to see if there was any doubt in his answer; but seeing none, with cold and determined eyes, she turned around, leaving only a dry:
"I understand."
"What was she talking about?" Adela's curious voice asked immediately.
Cassian shifted his gaze toward her with amusement, as if reminding her of what she had just done.
She avoided his gaze, feeling guilty for a moment; and right then she remembered what she had been doing all that time he was gone.
The guilt worsened in a way that did not go unnoticed by Cassian.
His brow furrowed.
"I was joking, Adela," but seeing that his words didn't seem to cheer her up, his expression became even more confused. "She's an Unliving, Adela. She needs to drink blood to survive; I was just helping her," he explained now, hoping this angle would bring his maid back to normal.
But seeing that her gaze still showed unusual concern, he approached her and lifted her face with his hand.
"What's going on?"
Her eyes avoided his; while his darkened.
He hated when someone hid something from him, or when something caused this kind of look in the people he cared about and he didn't know why.
That time was the same…
He supposed this world was spoiling him; it was always easy for him to know what was happening here or just solve it later if not.
In his "past life" it wasn't very different either.
Then he remembered that time Adela had brought Elizabeth and Sylvia to be with him; maybe it was something like that again? He quickly shook his head.
No, she wouldn't feel guilty if it was like that.
He refocused on her.
His hand, still holding her face, began to slide down, making direct contact with her body, all the way from her chin downward.
He lifted her skirt. Adela, feeling this, finally snapped out of her guilty state; with surprised eyes but an expression that hid happiness, she let out:
"Master~!"
"You weren't answering; I thought maybe this way you would," he gave her a look with a sly smile. "Looks like I wasn't wrong."
Adela's face flushed, her mind now focused on something else.
"Master, let me serve you…~"
But Cassian had other plans.
He grabbed his maid by the waist, causing her to let out a small squeak as she was lifted, and carried her straight to his bed.
With a smile that knew exactly what he was about to do.
Adela's work clothes disappeared the moment they touched the sheets.
A small shiver from the cold ran through her; she fixed her eyes on Cassian and used a devoted and pleading voice:
"Master…~!"
Ropes of energy materialized after that lament, just like how Mina had bound her moments before, but now naked.
Cassian took his time admiring her.
Adela lay completely exposed on the dark sheets.
Her breasts were tightly squeezed, her nipples erect and reddened by the constant friction.
Adela moaned, pulling uselessly at the bindings. Her body arched as much as it could, seeking more contact.
"Master… please… I need it…" she pleaded, her voice broken.
Cassian removed his own clothes with a simple gesture.
His member was already completely hard, thick and throbbing. He climbed onto the bed and positioned himself between her spread legs. Instead of penetrating her immediately, he rubbed the head of his cock against her pussy, sliding it upward to torture her.
Adela let out a choked cry, the pleasure coursing through her like electricity.
"Ahh! Master… inside, please!"
He smiled with malice and pushed only the tip in, stretching her.
The tight heat of her cunt welcomed him greedily. But he didn't go further. He stayed there, still, enjoying how she contracted desperately around him.
"Tell me what you were hiding earlier," he ordered softly, while one hand moved down to pinch one of her nipples. "Or I'll stay like this all night."
Adela sobbed in frustration, moving her hips as much as the ropes allowed, trying to impale herself deeper.
"It's… it's nothing… I just… I just got scared… I thought maybe…"
Cassian pushed another inch deeper, tormenting her. His thumb found her clit and began rubbing it with playful movements.
"Keep talking," he demanded, his voice darker.
Adela was on the edge, the pleasure building dangerously.
"I thought that… maybe you were… ahh! Master! I'm cumming!"
Just as her body began to tremble on the verge of orgasm, Cassian stopped completely, denying her release.
"Finish what you were going to say".
Adela looked at him with teary eyes, her mouth slightly open, about to speak.