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Inside the bedchamber, a deathly silence reigned.
In the charcoal brazier, the scroll had already turned to ash.
The last wisp of smoke dissipated, and the crimson charcoal fire flickered erratically.
Shin's face still held that look of infatuation, dominated by lust.
His voice was so gentle it could drip water.
"My beauty, have you been waiting long?"
"Come, let's continue!"
He reached out, as if to pull Mei Terumi back into his embrace, to continue their unfinished intimacy.
Mei Terumi looked at him.
She looked at the exquisite acting on his face, at the blurred eyes he feigned.
An uncontrollable fear rose within her.
Humiliation?
Anger?
No.
These emotions had long been replaced by terror.
In this man's eyes, she was nothing more than a clown for his amusement, from beginning to end.
He didn't even bother to expose her, but rather played along with her with great interest.
Enjoying how she preened and how she thought herself clever.
Then, at her most triumphant moment, he would shatter all her hopes and dignity.
Mei Terumi's body trembled uncontrollably.
She raised her hand, pulling the nearly transparent silk dress on her body tighter, little by little.
This action was the last defense she could make.
The flirtatious smile had vanished from her face, and her pupils were icy.
She stared at Shin, her voice trembling as she asked, "What exactly do you want?"
As her words fell, Shin glanced at her, then shed the infatuation from his face.
The speed with which it vanished was swift, without any lingering trace.
His eyes also returned to their usual calm.
Shin leaned back on the soft couch, adopting a more comfortable posture to observe Mei Terumi.
However, his face showed a look of disappointment, as if regretting that a good show had been interrupted prematurely.
"Boring," he softly uttered two words. "Not acting anymore?"
"I thought you liked acting."
This posture was more humiliating than any venomous words.
"Do you think this is fun?" Mei Terumi gritted her teeth, asking each word distinctly.
"It's fun, yes."
Shin admitted without hesitation, laughing. "Of course it's fun."
He stretched leisurely, his posture languid.
"Life in the deep palace is incredibly boring."
"Every day is either dealing with government affairs or handling those old foxes."
"I've almost forgotten when was the last time I encountered something so entertaining."
He paused, his gaze falling back on Mei Terumi, the amusement in his eyes growing even stronger.
"Especially an elite jonin from Kirigakure, who would actually think of approaching me in this way."
"Willing to offer her own body, just for a few pitiful weapons and some food?"
"Tsk tsk, truly commendable courage."
Boom!
Mei Terumi's mind went blank with a buzz.
He... he knew her identity clearly!
She had always been very careful, believing she had never exposed her identity.
Even that scroll didn't specify who the supplies were for.
There's an insider!
Mei Terumi immediately came to that conclusion.
But what good was knowing the answer?
Now, she was the fish on the chopping block, and he was the butcher.
All her secrets, all her plans, had been completely seen through by the other party.
And she, on the other hand, knew nothing about this man.
This absolute asymmetry of information made her feel an unprecedented sense of powerlessness.
"You... you..."
Her lips moved, wanting to ask something, but the words caught in her throat.
Seeing Mei Terumi's distraught and hesitant look, the smile on Shin's face deepened.
He didn't press her further, but instead threw the question back at her.
"Don't ask me what I want."
"Shouldn't I be asking you what you want?"
This question made Mei Terumi slightly stunned.
What did she want?
She wanted to take the supplies back to Kirigakure to save her comrades struggling under the Bloody Mist policy.
But now, everything had turned into a bubble.
She herself had become a prisoner.
When all pride and dignity are crushed, what remains is only the most primal instinct for survival.
"...Let me go." Mei Terumi's voice was very soft, carrying a plea that she herself hadn't noticed.
"Let you go?" Shin retorted as if hearing a joke. "Why?"
He sat up straight, leaning slightly forward, his piercing eyes fixed on Mei Terumi.
"Because you're beautiful?"
"Or because you pleased me with your preening earlier?"
Shin's voice remained calm, but every word he spoke was like a knife.
Stabbing Mei Terumi, making her face grow even paler.
She forced herself to calm down.
She seemed to want to regain some of the composure befitting a top shinobi.
"I am a shinobi of Kirigakure. If you capture me, it will cause a diplomatic dispute between our two countries."
This was the only bargaining chip she could think of in her desperation.
"Diplomatic dispute?" Shin laughed, his smile full of disdain. "A dancer in an enemy daimyo's bedchamber, attempting an assassination with a honey trap?"
"Do you think, even if this matter gets out, Kirigakure will stand up for you? Or will they immediately distance themselves from you?"
Mei Terumi's heart sank completely.
Yes.
Her identity tonight was Shizumi, a civilian woman of the Land of Fire.
Even if she died, it would have no connection to Kirigakure.
All her paths were blocked.
Watching the last glimmer of light in her eyes extinguish, Shin knew that this thorny Kirigakure flower, her proud thorns, had been plucked clean by him, one by one.
He stood up and walked over to her.
His tall figure completely enveloped Mei Terumi in shadow.
Then he bent down and pinched her smooth chin, forcing her to look up and meet his gaze.
Shin said softly, "Don't get it wrong, Mei Terumi."
"I'm not the one who wanted to play this game."
"It was you who voluntarily walked into my palace, trying to make me your prey."
"Only, you overestimated yourself and underestimated me."
"So don't think you're innocent."
"Now, the game is over."
"The roles of hunter and prey should be reversed."
His thumb gently stroked her jaw.
His fingertips felt the touch of her delicate skin, and the uncontrollable trembling of that body.
"You're right, you are indeed very beautiful, and your identity is very interesting."
"So..."
"From tonight onwards, you, your life, everything..."
Shin's face revealed a malicious and possessive smile.
"...are mine."
Shin's voice was very soft.
But it cut off all of Mei Terumi's escape routes.
They are all mine.
This domineering declaration sent shivers down her spine.
The trembling was uncontrollable, not from fear, but from the anger and humiliation burning within her.
But she was Mei Terumi.
She was the woman who could stand out in the cruel environment of the Bloody Mist and lead the resistance.
After a brief blankness, her brain began to churn furiously.
Threats?
The other party didn't care.
Begging?
That would only make him more pleased.
Then there was only... a transaction.
Mei Terumi forced herself to calm down.
She took a deep breath, and her rationality returned somewhat.
She looked directly at the man in front of her, her voice a little shaky, but no longer betraying panic.
"Good."
She uttered a single word.
This answer surprised Shin somewhat.
He raised an eyebrow with interest, waiting for her to continue.
Mei Terumi supported herself on the ground and slowly stood up.
Despite being in a desperate situation, she still held her back straight, maintaining the posture of a strong person.
"I can serve you."
As these words left her lips, she trembled uncontrollably.