Leyvi continued questioning her about many more things, and to his growing surprise, she told him everything she knew without any hesitation or reservation. She even explained how she managed her territory, describing in detail how she manipulated weak-willed men by promising them enticing, fake rewards.
What they believed would be a night with her turned out to be a night with her spirit beast, all while they lost their valuable treasures in the fraudulent exchange.
Leyvi could not help but feel a chill as he listened. She could have simply left them fooled by an illusion, letting them believe the fantasy was real. Instead, she went out of her way to orchestrate a more elaborate, physical deception. It was a level of calculated wickedness that was frankly disturbing.
Yet, this was precisely what made her current attitude so baffling. This was damning information, the kind that could destroy her entire operation and even put her life in danger. Why would she confess it so freely? If he revealed the truth to those men, they would likely hunt her down with a hatred that lasted a lifetime.
Of course, he had no intention of telling them. Their misfortune was not his concern. They had put themselves in that situation through their own blind lust. Furthermore, with the curse now binding him to protect her, it would be incredibly unwise to incite a mob against her. He might end up dead, killed while unwillingly defending her.
Leyvi stared at the wicked beauty, his expression a mix of suspicion and utter confusion. Her behavior defied all logical sense.
Earlier, he had asked to see the treasures she had collected from those men. Now, nearly two dozen items lay on the ground between them. Among them was the Special Ice she had used against him during their confrontation.
Did she really have to go this far to make me believe her act? he wondered, still deeply skeptical.
Then, something among the scattered treasures caught his eye.
Eh? That stele...
It was an ancient stone slab, its surface covered in a familiar, indecipherable script and accompanying drawings.
The language inscribed on the stele was the same unknown language he had seen on the steles within The Land Before Time Museum back in Holy Cat City.
Leyvi remembered what Anda had once told him.
The people of their current world had originally come from this place. Something catastrophic had happened in the distant past, forcing them to escape through the portals. The alchemy civilization that once thrived here eventually arrived at the Cloud Continent, carrying their knowledge with them and continuing their legacy.
That was why the Cloud Continent possessed so many ancient alchemy relics.
With the help of his Universal Language benefit, Leyvi began to read the stele's contents.
A Tier-5 Alchemy Formula! And a complete one at that!
In the Cloud Continent, Tier-5 Alchemy Formulas were strictly monopolized and controlled by the Alchemy Association. None were ever for sale. Access to such knowledge was only granted to alchemists who joined the Association outright or agreed to be bound by a severely restrictive contract.
So far, Anda had managed to collect a respectable number of Tier-4 formulas, but a Tier-5 formula had remained frustratingly out of her reach. If he could secure this ancient stele, she would finally have one.
This meant that if Anda wished to raise her level to that of an Alchemy Princess in the future, she would not have to rely on the Alchemy Association. She could advance freely, unburdened by the heavy obligations most alchemists were forced to accept.
This, after all, was exactly the kind of treasure they had come to this Mystic Realm to find.
Leyvi wondered how many more such formulas might be hidden here. But since they had arrived so late, most of the ancient relics had likely already been discovered by others. It was a true shame.
"Holy Maiden Rose," Leyvi began, his tone becoming noticeably more polite. "Is it possible for you to sell me that ancient stele? You can name your price."
A chance! The Pink Enchantress Rose's eyes sparkled with sudden hope. This was her opportunity to win a fragment of Leyvi's favor. Even the tiniest bit would be a start.
"Don't say such things, Darling. If you want anything, you can simply take it," she said, her voice sweet and yielding. "How could I ever sell something to my beloved? What is mine is naturally yours, including me. Fufufu~ Here, take it, Darling." She guided a strand of her pink silk to lift the ancient stele and float it gently toward Leyvi. "Although I am not sure what it says, someone told me it is definitely a precious alchemy formula based on the diagrams."
Leyvi took the heavy stone slab, but he was utterly speechless.
Her acting is getting ridiculous now. For free? What is even the point of all this?
"Kekeke! Human Leyvi, I can feel that you are very confused right now. You must be wondering why she is acting like this, yes?"
Lapin's voice suddenly echoed in his mind through their private mental connection.
"Eh? You know what happened, Senior Lapin?" Leyvi responded internally.
"I watched the whole thing, of course I know. Kekeke."
"So... what is it? Are you saying she is not acting?" Leyvi asked.
"That is right," Lapin confirmed, amusement clear in his mental tone. "Her spell most likely backfired on her. When you expelled that pink mist, it turned golden and was forced directly into her own sea of consciousness instead. From that golden mist, I sensed the same unique power as the Golden Spiritual Imprint you left in my mind. I am confident she cannot fight it at all. So, what she intended to do to you has been completely reversed. Kekeke."
"You mean..." Leyvi finally connected the dots, understanding dawning with startling clarity. This explained the complete, 180-degree reversal in her behavior toward him.
The pink mist had been meant to assimilate with his sea of consciousness, becoming a part of his very being and forcing him to love her with utter devotion. But when he expelled it, transformed by his mysterious golden mind power, it had instead assimilated with her sea of consciousness. Now, it was she who was bound to love him deeply and devotedly.
"Congratulations, human Leyvi, you have managed to gain another lover," Lapin mused, his tone teasing. "How many human ladies have you attracted already? What a lucky human. I hope I can meet a female Celestial Cloud Rabbit with a big, round tail very soon. Kekeke."
Leyvi was dumbfounded.
"Senior Lapin, what do you mean, congratulations?" he argued mentally. "This wicked woman is absolute trouble. There is nothing to celebrate at all! Who knows how deep this so-called love is supposed to be? What if she loves me so deeply that she cannot tolerate any other woman around me? That would be dangerous for my wives."
"Kekeke, don't worry," Lapin replied, his tone still amused. "You already saw her reaction to human Ava earlier. Was she not begging for her forgiveness as well? Obviously, whoever created this spell considered that aspect. I am certain if you asked her to do anything, she would do it, including dying for your sake."
Leyvi looked down at the ancient stele in his hands, then back at the Pink Enchantress Rose, who was watching him with a charming, utterly foolish smile.
Sigh... this is fake love. Not real. There is no way I could ever be happy about this. It did not change the core fact that she had tried to ruin his life, an act that had crossed a line so definitively he had felt no qualms about killing her.
Right. She tried to destroy my life, to the point where I was ready to end hers. Since I cannot do it because her spell still somehow affects my body, then let this be her punishment instead. What an irony. Everything she said would happen to me will now happen to her.
Leyvi knew with cold certainty that he would never be able to accept her. Her fabricated love would remain forever unreciprocated.
However, he felt no pity for her. He had never tried to be a villain, but he would not play the saint either.
Since things had ended up this way, he would make use of her to his benefit. This would be her lifetime sentence.
He stored the ancient stele away and then asked her, "Do you know where I can find more of these steles?"
"Darling, you need more of them?" she replied, her eyes lighting up with purpose. "Don't worry. My men have found quite a few over the past two years. I only kept one because I did not think I needed more. I'm not an alchemist, after all. But if Darling needs them, I will take the steles from them right away!" She turned sharply to her left, as if ready to immediately fulfill this new mission.
"Wait, wait," Leyvi said, grabbing her shoulder to stop her. "I need the steles, but I am not trying to rob anyone. You can tell them you are willing to buy the steles with top-grade spirit stones."
"Ah..." A dreamy sigh escaped her lips. "My Darling finally touched me. What a strong hand." The Pink Enchantress leaned her cheek against Leyvi's hand, nuzzling it gently.
Leyvi rolled his eyes and pulled his hand back from her shoulder.
It seemed she had not heard a word he had just said, so he had to repeat himself.