Stiletto took note of the glowing system prompt hovering in front of his face, the crimson text pulsing with its usual impatient demand. He ignored it for the moment, sliding his hand onto Mya's back and guiding her back toward the breakfast table with a slight push.
The tension in the air had thickened into something almost tangible.
Sarah and James were finishing the last bites of their now-stone-cold meal in heavy silence when Mya walked up to the table and spoke with confident poise. "I was able to get the stain out of the Young Master's clothes."
Sarah's cheeks flushed a soft pink as she glanced between them. James raised a single eyebrow, his voice carrying that lazy, suspicious drawl. "And how exactly did you manage that…?"
Everyone knew what he meant. To clean a stain that high on the thigh, she would have to either rub the fabric directly against Stiletto's crotch or take his pants off entirely.
Both Sarah and James studied Mya's appearance—dress neat enough, hair only slightly tousled—but something about her posture, the faint glow in her cheeks, felt unmistakably off. Mya answered with an innocent smile that didn't reach her eyes. "Why, dear, I simply had him hand me his pants and wait on our bed while I rubbed it out…" She let the pause linger just long enough. "…the stain~"
The emphasis on "our" landed like a slap. James's face turned a deep, ugly red as he started to stutter. "Y—you… on our bed? With him standing there half-naked? Mya, what the hell—"
Stiletto only smiled faintly at the exchange, a quiet swell of pride warming his chest. Mya had never been this bold in front of her husband before.
The way she toyed with James now, secure in the love between her and Stiletto, was intoxicating.
'Oh, shit…'
Still, realizing the four-minute window for the {Sage} conversion was ticking down fast, Stiletto quickly excused himself. "I'll be right back. I need to use the restroom now that I have a moment." Without waiting for a response, he turned the corner, feeling Sarah's curious eyes follow him until he was out of sight.
As soon as he was out of earshot, he accepted the conversion, forcing the rapidly escalating voices from near the kitchen to fade into the background of his mind.
Instantly, a thin book materialized in his hands, its cover plain and unassuming. The title read 'Thrilling Future' in elegant script. Inside was a short, vague poem:
——-
In shadows where promises twist and break,
A curious touch, a whispered ache,
Adoration blooms where it was never meant,
In the space another man once kept.
…
What is it?
——-
'Huh… a poem this time?'
Stiletto pondered longer than usual, brow furrowed. He tried the obvious. "Love?"
Nothing happened.
"Uh… a brothel?"
Still nothing.
"Dammit…"
Thinking harder for a few more moments, he eventually came to a conclusion. The system clearly had a pattern of giving him questions having to do with what he'd just experienced. {Sage} was predictable that way, and thus… the answer was simple:
"Cuckoldry."
Finally, the book glowed softly in confirmation before disappearing. Stiletto could only sigh, shaking his head. 'It's all so strange…'
But how could he be upset? He basically gained a new skill for giving nothing in return.
The reward appeared instantly.
——-
*NEW*
{Natural Lure (Passive Ability)-}
Rank: Common
Description: Married women feel naturally pulled toward the user—whether in a friendly, lustful, business-minded, or any other way is determined by the individual. The effect is minimal at current rank. The skill has the potential to rank up if another married woman confesses her love to the user. The new rank will be determined by the strength and value of that woman.
——-
Stiletto looked at the description and shrugged to himself. On the surface it seemed almost useless, but perhaps it would prove valuable someday—especially if he could get the skill to rank up significantly.
In any case, he willed the system away and rounded the corner once more.
Mya and Sarah were now deep in conversation, both of them pointedly ignoring James. It seemed the argument sparked by Mya's casual mention of having Stiletto "sit on their bed" while she cleaned his stain had either fizzled out or been shut down completely. Mya continued to stand at the foot of the table while Sarah and James remained seated.
The moment Mya saw Stiletto return, she clapped her hands together with genuine delight and leaned down to hug Sarah tightly, pressing a warm kiss to her cheek. "Well then, sweetheart, have fun at the academy! I won't be able to see you until the Young Master and I are back from Valora!"
Sarah giggled, cheeks already pink. "I'll miss you, Mom. Promise you'll write?"
"Of course I will," Mya murmured, brushing a strand of dark-green hair from her daughter's face. Then she straightened, turning to Stiletto with the same bright, innocent smile. "Ready to depart, Young Master?"
James grunted, clearly trying to reclaim some authority. "You're just going to leave like that? After what we discussed this morning?"
Finally, Mya faced him, her expression turning stone-cold in an instant. "The du Lifes will send you the money. Bye."
Then, without another glance, she patted Stiletto on the back. "Let's go."
'She's ruthless… I love it~'
Stiletto offered a slight, theatrical bow toward the table, his gaze sliding deliberately past James and settling only on Sarah. "Thanks for the delicious food. I'll be back sometime… Sare-bear~"
Sarah's cheeks ignited in an instant, the bright flush climbing from her neck to her ears. She ducked her head for half a second before peeking up at him through her lashes, a smile breaking wide across her face despite the embarrassment. "Y—You better!" she managed, voice soft but edged with playful challenge, her silver eyes sparkling.
James sat frozen, utterly caught off-guard by the casual intimacy of the nickname. His jaw worked soundlessly for a moment before he managed a strangled grunt, face darkening from confusion.
In the same moment, Mya paused mid-stride at the doorway, the faintest satisfied curve tugging at her lips. A scary yet thrilling thought entered her consciousness: 'Wow, they seem quite close already… good! Because it looks like Sarah might have a new daddy soon~' She didn't look back at her husband—didn't need to. The small, triumphant smile was for Stiletto alone.
As they stepped toward the exit, Stiletto couldn't help but marvel at his curvy maid's control. Not a single drop of his thick load had escaped her—no telltale trail down her thigh, no damp spot darkening the gray fabric of her dress. The knowledge sent a fresh, insistent twitch through his cock, the front of his pants tightening uncomfortably. He could only clench his jaw, fighting the growing ache of his erection as he followed a single step behind her, only to stop at the coat rack.
"Wait, Mya…"
Reaching aside, he lifted his white trench coat from the rack, the silver embroidery glinting under the dim hallway light. Slowly—deliberately—he stepped behind Mya and draped the heavy fabric over her bare shoulders, letting the weight settle against her skin with intimate care. His fingers brushed the curve of her collarbone, then slid down her arms in a lingering caress disguised as smoothing the lapels.
"A lady shouldn't leave her shoulders bare in the cold," he murmured, voice low and velvet-soft, pitched just loud enough for the two still-seated figures to hear. The words were courteous, almost chivalrous—yet the way his thumbs traced slow circles at the inside of her elbows carried an unmistakable claim.
Mya let out a bright, delighted giggle that rang too genuine, too carefree for the room's sudden tension. She gave a dramatic little twirl, the coat flaring around her like a conqueror's cape, hem brushing the bottom of her thighs. "How thoughtful, Young Master~" she purred, batting her lashes at him with exaggerated innocence while her body angled just enough to press her hip against his for a fleeting, scandalous second.
Sarah's mouth fell open slightly, her thoughts escaping before she caught herself. "Mom…?"
Beside her, James had gone rigid, face flushed an ugly shade of red. He stared at the coat—his wife yet again wrapped in another man's expensive garment—like it was a personal insult. The silence stretched, brittle and suffocating.
Paying them no mind, Mya turned toward the door, still smiling that perfect, innocent maid's smile, as though nothing at all were wrong.
Perhaps upset with his wife's nonchalance, James lurched to his feet so abruptly the chair scraped harshly against the floorboards. "W—wait!" he barked, voice finally cracking on the edge of panic. "Mya, you're really leaving already? Why… why don't you stay a while longer?"
Mya paused with her hand on the doorknob, head tilting just slightly. The smile never wavered, but her eyes had gone flat and cold once more. She didn't even turn fully around as she opened the door without another word.
Stepping around the table, James took one stumbling step forward, mouth working soundlessly. "Mya…?" But then…
The door clicked shut behind them, cutting off whatever desperate statement he was about to make.
Stiletto couldn't hold back his smirk. 'Damn…'
In all honesty, he was bewildered at James' actions. It didn't make any sense.
He was the one who pushed her away and basically chose a paycheck over his wife… and yet he's surprised that she wants nothing to do with him?
'What a fucking joke…'
Maybe one day he would make that bastard realize just what he's missing. Dudes like him usually don't understand their situations until they see their wife getting railed to oblivion before their eyes. Stiletto was sure Mya would agree, especially after seeing how she had reacted to his existence today. However, as they had both agreed…
James should stay in the dark a little longer, suffering without even realizing it. It was painfully obvious that unless Mya or Stiletto spelled it out for him, the husband would remain blissfully clueless about what was unfolding right under his nose—at least he wouldn't be certain beyond doubt.
Clearly, he was the sort of man who never bothered to reach for anything himself. If it wasn't served to him on a silver platter, he simply didn't want it.
'I bet that loser gave up the second the door closed…'
It was this same assurance—that James wouldn't open the door and follow them—that finally allowed the two to pause and exhale deeply the moment the door clicked shut. In that moment, they both took their first, full breath in what seemingly felt like hours.
Tension slipped from their shoulders in drawn-out, shared breaths, the apartment's stifling atmosphere loosening at last. For a few pressing moments they stood in silence on the landing, chests still rising and falling too fast, neither quite ready to speak.
Then, neither having spoken a word yet, they started down the hallway together, footsteps soft on the floor. When they rounded the corner and the apartment door disappeared from view, both instantly moved in perfect sync—clearly thinking the same thing.
Stiletto reached her first as he spun her gently but firmly, pinning Mya against the cool hallway wall. Immediately, she laughed breathlessly into his mouth as their lips crashed together, wet and hungry, tongues sliding in messy, familiar rhythm. He pressed his thigh between hers through the thin gray dress, grinding up against her soaked core. Mya moaned straight into the kiss, nails scratching down his back in erratic, needy lines.
"You're so—MmHHhn—fucking hot, Mya~" he murmured against her lips, voice rough.
"Stiletto~ Y—Your—NngGgH—cum—" she gasped back, hips rolling shamelessly against his thigh. A fresh trickle of his seed slipped free at last, warm and thick, dripping onto the floorboards in a soft pat.
They broke apart just enough to breathe as Stiletto looked down, grinning at the creamy evidence glistening on the wood before returning his gaze to meet her eyes. "Good girl~ You did so well~"
Mya's flushed face answered with a playful, dangerous glint. "Speak like that again and I'll make you fuck me right here in this very spot~"
For a couple of moments they simply stared, chests heaving, foreheads almost touching, the hallway suddenly too small and too quiet.
…
Then suddenly, the two burst into laughter, both of them covering their mouths to muffle the sound—just in case James might hear.
Yet nothing could stop Stiletto's genuine smile born from the feeling this woman gave her. Soon, the noise died down.
"We have the rest of the day…" He brushed a thumb along her jaw. "Wanna go shopping?"
In response, Mya's entire face lit up, bright and genuine. "Acerbus market~?"
He only needed to nod once, extending his hand outward. "Deal~"
Hand in hand they continued down the stairs and out of the building, stepping into the crisp near-afternoon light of Acerbus.
The rest of the day passed in a blur of market stalls and stolen touches—Mya bargaining prices while Stiletto pressed against her back, whispering filthy promises in her ear; the two of them sharing street food, her fingers brushing his as she fed him bites; lingering in narrow alleys between shops just long enough to kiss until they were both breathless again.
No one noticed the faint tremor in Mya's thighs when she walked, or the way she occasionally clenched hard to keep every last drop of him inside.
She still hadn't given up, the damn woman—resolutely committed to carrying out exactly what she'd declared. It baffled Stiletto.
'She's gonna get it when we return home~ Fuck, I can barely hold back!'
Stiletto felt they truly belonged to one another now despite the nature of their situation, and he couldn't be more happy with her…
But that's just with her. Mya.
He desired more.
More women. More love. More… thrill.
If his previous life as a gymnast pulling off bizarre, death-defying stunts for sponsorship money, the intoxicating affair with Mya, and the long hours spent edging his Goddess-now-slave had taught him anything about himself…
It was that he craved excitement.
Screw living a normal life—he had far too much potential to settle for that. That same hunger was exactly why he felt such electric anticipation about attending Valora Institute. He wanted to grow stronger, to forge the power that would let him live exactly as he pleased.
To live in the full euphoria of his life exactly as he chose—enforcing his ideals without compromise, allowing no one to stand in his way… and punishing anyone who tried.
He had already done it with Lyria.
But there was still one more person he needed to settle things with before leaving for Valora. He had considered putting it off, letting the moment pass for now—yet the urge burned too fiercely. Stiletto couldn't wait another second.
Maybe he was biting off more than he could chew, still riding the reckless high of the day. Yet even so, one truth burned brighter than any doubt:
That bitch deserved it.
+++
Continuing down Acerbus's shadowed streets, the sun sinking after a day packed with indulgence, Stiletto strolled with one arm full of clothes and jewelry bags. His other arm wrapped firmly around Mya's waist, fingers trailing down to give her supple ass a lingering, deliberate squeeze.
Mya, clutching her own brown bag of purchases, jolted slightly at the grasp, then purred with a satisfied smile, cheeks flushed rosy in the fading light.
Walking side by side, Stiletto looked down at her, their steps falling in easy sync as a broad grin spread over his face, his mind wandering.
'Now… how am I going to get back at that dark elf~?'