Alchemy Conference (15): A Fox's Desperate Temptation
Even as midnight approached, the hotel after the banquet hadn't lost its energy, buzzing with mages enjoying their after-parties. Except for one person.
Thud, thud—the irregular rhythm of feeble footsteps echoed, shoulders slumped as if drenched in a downpour, fingers and arms trembling intermittently like they'd been caught in midwinter's chill despite being indoors. Everything betrayed the mood of the one shuffling along so slowly.
I was wandering aimlessly down the hotel corridor. With dried tear tracks stark white on my cheeks marring my face, I pulled my hood low and just kept walking. Not knowing where to go or where I should go, I roamed at random. I had to keep moving. Staying in the room with Terria any longer would drive me insane.
A drunk sprawled asleep in a corner of the hall, lovers kissing passionately on the stairs after locking eyes, rowdy drunks laughing boisterously at who-knows-what. Their noise drilled into my ears, pounding my skull. Feeling like an outsider in this world, I fled toward somewhere quieter.
'I'm stepping out for some air.' That's what I'd spat at Terria after unleashing a torrent of pent-up frustration. He'd said nothing, as if our business was done. Whether he was truly exhausted from all the drinking like I'd told Clechia, or something else, Terria had just collapsed onto the bed. Slamming the door hard enough to make a bang was the most defiance I could muster. Pathetic, really.
I wandered endlessly until I reached the hall in the middle of the third-floor corridor. My reflection stared back from the floor-to-ceiling glass window lining one wall.
"……"
The woman gazing back with an expression like she was about to kill herself was still beautiful, even so. Terria's words suddenly resurfaced.
'You think, in that body, you can just go fuck whoever you want?'
Terria didn't seem to care much what I got up to. Watching me as he stripped away Ariel's possessions one by one—that must be what he wanted. So what if I made it impossible for him to watch?
This wasn't even my body anyway. If I gouged out my eyes, I'd never have to see his vile deeds again. If there was a sure way back to normal, it might not be a bad idea. Lost in such deranged fantasies, I kept walking.
Then a room number caught my eye. 413. The one Cain had told me to drop by whenever I felt like it.
I hadn't realized it consciously, but deep down, had I been heading for Cain? The mind is influenced by the flesh. In my old days brimming with self-confidence, I'd have dismissed it as nonsense. But now, in this state, I felt it bone-deep. My mind had grown frail.
And he'd been kind even to me in my wretched state. The warm hand he'd held during our dance, the gaze that had enveloped me so gently—they came back to me. And right now, I needed that warmth. Not much, just a handful. Like how a flower can bloom in a cliffside handful of soil, that little bit of warmth would be enough to revive my spirit.
Just one floor up, and the corridor felt like another building entirely—unnaturally silent. Of the dozens of rooms lined up in a row, only one I could enter. I stood before the firmly shut door, hesitating long, then knocked as if entranced.
—Knock knock.
The sound made me flinch. I'd acted on impulse, doing the very thing I despised most: moving without a plan. I hoped Cain was asleep. A premonition told me entering his room would lead to something irreversible, but still, I knocked again.
—Knock knock.
"Who is it… Terria?"
Cain opened the door, fresh from a bath in his robe.
"What brings you here alone? Where's Ariel…?"
"Cain, may I come in?"
He hesitated at first, surprised, then nodded for me to enter. He'd probably pieced together that Ariel had gone off to find his fiancée. Not true, but it wasn't suspicious for me to be alone.
The fragrant shampoo scent wafting from Cain's body mingled with the humidity, tickling my nose. Like a butterfly chasing nectar, I slipped inside. The dimly lit room was quiet. But an inexplicable sense of relief washed over me.
Cain must have been drinking before his shower—half-eaten snacks and booze sat on the table by the dark window.
"Care for a drink?"
Quick on the uptake. He'd guessed something happened just from my face. Anyone who abstained knew booze was called for in times like these. His gentle tone nearly brought back the tears I'd swallowed, so I forced strength into my choked throat.
He was a good man.
"Yes."
The bottle he'd been drinking from was nearly empty, so Cain fetched apple brandy with glasses. Pairings: smoked cheese and jerky. Things we'd scarfed down together on the battlefield back then. He'd had a fair bit before I arrived; he seemed pretty tipsy. But he said nothing, just filled our glasses. Waiting for me to speak first, probably.
We drank in silence for a while, several glasses. When the not-so-large bottle was nearly gone, I finally spoke.
"Cain… why are you so kind to me?"
An out-of-context question. Cain pondered briefly before answering.
"…Sometimes when I look at Terria, I think of a comrade. I was just drinking and thinking of him moments ago."
I'd never heard that before. I knew who Cain's comrade was.
"Had he been thinking that all this time while looking at Terria?"
"A comrade… or you could call him a disciple. I taught your master magic when he was young. There were others I taught besides Ariel. Is this news to you, Terria?"
I nodded, pretending ignorance.
"Ariel was a genius, but the others were sharp too. It was fun teaching them. Show them one thing, and they'd grasp ten."
I wasn't the only one Cain taught. Three others besides me.
"Watching them grow day by day, I knew they'd achieve great things. They had talent and worked hard—it was a natural expectation."
Cain took a sip.
"Teaching them was the joy of my life. They started as disciples, but once they matched my skill, I called them comrades. We were that close."
"But seeing me reminds you of him…?"
I cut in. I didn't want to hear the rest. I knew the ending.
Cain's expression darkened slightly.
"Ah, it's nothing serious. Your blue eyes resemble one of them. Fabian. Come to think of it, the golden hair matches too."
"You look pained… you don't have to talk about it…"
But Cain continued. I lifted my glass with trembling hands, spilling a bit.
"Fabian had the best personality of the bunch. Even I learned from him. If only your master had half his temperament."
I knew. That eternally positive guy annoyed me so much I'd tease him with my magic prowess every time. Fabian was weirdly kind even to strangers—such a pain.
"Fabian died three years ago."
"Ah… I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked…"
"It's fine. Anyway, he was the first to charge into the beastkin rebellion and fell. If I'd known, I'd have treated him better. So when I see you, Terria, I just want to be kind."
Yeah. Not just Fabian—the others died too. Only Cain and I survived that battlefield. That's why I'd tormented Terria. But if I'd known I'd end up like this, I should've killed him then. Shouldn't have spared him.
Who could've predicted it? No one imagined a slave drugging her master and stealing his body.
And Cain didn't know Terria's true identity, so he was kind. He probably didn't know Terria was beastkin—or a princess. I was still hiding with an artifact.
What if, just what if, Cain accepted me as I am? If he stayed kind even knowing I'm beastkin, maybe living by his side would be better than enduring humiliations with Terria.
On impulse, I deactivated the artifact, revealing my ears and tail. And instantly regretted it.
Who reveals they're beastkin—at this timing? The enemy who'd killed his disciple? A real beastkin would hide it and stay quiet.
Too late. Damn alcohol. Tense, I said,
"I… I'm actually beastkin."
"Oh, um. I see."
Cain seemed a little flustered, but no resentment. Emboldened, I pressed.
"You don't hate me for it?"
"Huh? Why would you think that?"
"Because I'm… from the enemy nation that killed your comrade…"
Cain smiled softly and stroked my head. The weight brought comfort.
"What sin have you committed? Fabian might've lived if he'd been wiser. Blaming someone doesn't change anything."
"Ah…"
It felt like he was speaking to me too—my eyes welled up. My mentor was consistently good. That's why I wanted to stay by his side even more. It'd be easier to find a way back to normal that way too.
"Terria, you look prettier like that."
"Uh… thank you…"
Cain said it casually, glancing at my fox ears. Realizing how it sounded, he gave a small smile. We fell silent. Only the clink of glasses broke it now and then.
Like at the banquet, we gazed at each other. I stared into Cain's turquoise eyes, vivid even in the dark. Some hard-to-read emotion flickered there faintly. His flushed cheeks—mood or alcohol? In the silence, my heartbeat thundered.
How could I leave Terria for Cain? The slave brand's commands prevented revealing my identity, and begging Cain to "buy me from Ariel" was absurd.
A ridiculous yet not impossible thought struck. Despite his looks, Cain was late thirties and single—no lovers even.
At the same time, I wanted to stick it to Terria using Cain. Even if he'd discarded his old body, not reacting to this would prove he wasn't human.
Right now, I felt succubus-charmed. No other explanation for this madness. Like a lunatic, I whispered to him,
"Want to have sex with me?"