Just before dawn, Asher had managed to squeeze so information from the witch maid who’d cursed him. She didn’t know much, but what little she did shattered his expectations.
Her orders had been clear: kill every single person assigned to guard Valerie.
And the one who gave that order was none other than Veyna herself, Valerie’s so-called sister.
Then ca the real horror.
Veyna wasn’t keeping Valerie locked in that room out of kindness or rcy. No, she refused to end Valerie’s suffering despite the girl’s constant pleading for death. Because Valerie wasn’t just her sister, she was a prized possession. Sothing to be hidden away. Soone who’s entire existence whether sick, or healthy was enough to bring fortune to her.
And Veyna had rivals, too. Rivals who knew too much, and were doing everything in their power to steal Valerie away, and use her the sa way she did.
With this little knowledge, Asher’s suspicions deepened. If Veyna always ordered the witch to curse the guards, and kill them, then she might’ve done it to reinforce the belief that Valerie was cursed, either to trick Valerie herself, or to scare off those who tried to steal her. A rumor that every guard she gets dies within three days would do the trick.
But why would she do that to her own twin sister?
As for him, being the first male to beat a female champion in the tournant, first male student in Eldoria to rise in the rchant world, raking in thousands of coins in a few weeks and even looking to buy Platinum coins, he could’ve just been her next sacrifice. Her threat to pull sponsorship from the academy might’ve been nothing but a ploy to bring him to her estate so she could get rid of him. The public will think he was cursed to death for guarding Valerie. Two birds. One stone.
Asher’s brain reeled. The dark elf, Freya, was a friend of Veyna—or at least friendly enough to chat casually with her. Could she be involved too? Freya had never truly been a friend. She’d always suspected him of working with demons, and because of that, she’s always been stalking him. It was entirely possible she was in on it, too.
Maybe she wanted him dead, and this whole thing was an elaborate trap—one that wouldn’t leave any blood on their hands. Just a clean, "natural" end.
There was only one way to find out who was an ally and who was an enemy. Who to spare... and who to kill.
Tama.
**
Given a mission by her master, Tama moved from shadow to shadow, unseen, until she reached Asher’s shop. The place was about to close for the day. A few custors loitered outside, hoping for the new dildos promised to be in stock, but Asher had been too busy to make them.
Inside the shop, Kelly sat scribbling in the ledger book when Tama appeared out of thin air.
Her gaze was cold, and deadly.
"I’m here with Master Asher’s orders," she said darkly, sitting on the table, her cat tail slowly flicking behind her. "Call the other staff mbers in. Close the shop for the day."
Kelly froze. Sothing about the cat girl’s aura scread danger. No hesitation. She shoved her chair back, tried to bolt out the door—tripped, hit the floor, scrambled to her knees, and crawled toward the main shop like her life depended on it.
Banji turned to see her crawling. "What the—what’s up with you?"
"C-co to the office... both of you. Now!" Kelly panted.
"Both of us?" Freya frowned from the entrance, standing guard with her face hidden under a black balaclava.
Kelly, voice shaking, begged them to shut down the shop—that soone sent by the boss had arrived. Her tone said it wasn’t a request.
They closed the shop and helped Kelly to her feet before following her back to the office.
Banji’s eyebrows lifted when she saw the catgirl sitting on top of the table with dark hair, cold piercing eyes, and a glare sharp enough to kill—sitting like a predator watching its prey.
Freya looked closer. "Wait... you’re that catgirl from Asher’s realm, aren’t you?"
In an instant, Tama vanished—then reappeared from Freya’s shadow behind her.
Freya gasped as she felt a hand tap her shoulder.
A whisper ca next to her ear. "Don’t ever call the master by his na again," Tama said, her voice low and threatening. "Call him boss. Or even Lord. But never ’master.’ That title is reserved for very few."
Freya swallowed hard, feeling the light scratch of Tama’s claws against her neck.
Then, without warning, Tama shoved her against the wall.
"You two. Get on the wall too," she ordered, pointing to Kelly and Banji. Then she hopped back onto the table, eyeing them all like a wolf among lambs.
"So," she began, tail flicking, "one of you has betrayed the master." Her voice carried a deadly weight. "And he sent to let you know... he knows."
All three girls gulped—simultaneously.
"Whatever you do... however clever you think you are..." She narrowed her eyes. "The master sees it all."
Freya’s heart thundered. No way that boy figured it out already. Right? But then again... he was unpredictable. Stronger than any teen she’d seen. Could he be watching her right now? Could he really have seen her? If thats the case, he wouldn’t trust her ever again. Not like he did in the first place. But....
She gulped again.
The thought sent chills down her spine.
Tama’s sharp gaze lingered on her trembling fingers. Then on Kelly, whose shaking hadn’t stopped since Tama appeared. But sothing told her Kelly wasn’t the threat—there were people who trembled just out of fear, even if they were innocent. Her instincts told her this one wasn’t a danger.
Then she looked at Banji. Calm. Composed. Not even a twitch of fear. Hard to read. That kind of calm could be dangerous.
Tama dropped from the table. Her voice dropped too.
"Hades," she said. "Do any of you know a man nad Hades?"
TBC
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