Morning.
Adele was up before dawn, sneaking quietly through the still-dark camp to the edge, where the makeshift warehouse tent was located.
But she found the place empty—Charles and the others were already gone.
Her heart leapt into her throat, fearing she had trusted the wrong people and her actions would bring disaster to the tribe. As panic set in, her Sending Stones pulsed with magical energy.
Fishing it from her Bag of Holding, she checked the message: "Come to Matriarch Willo's tent."
Suddenly, she felt dizzy.
It's over. My mom found out!
She clenched her teeth in frustration.
Those guys—they betrayed me!
Infuriated, she still didn't dare defy the direct order, since they were with her mother. She forced herself to tamp down her anger, lowered her head, and bounded toward Willo's private tent.
She pushed aside the flap and stepped in, only to see Charles and the others already up, washed, and waiting for her.
Her mother, Willo, looked tired and stood among the group. When she saw Adele arrive, she sighed, "Adele, I know what you've been planning. But something this important—you really shouldn't have kept it from me."
"And you made our guests sleep in a place like that? That was really inconsiderate."
Face to face with her mother, Adele ducked her head guiltily. Then, snapping her head up, she shot Charles a fierce glare. "Did you tell my mother everything?"
Clearly, she thought the playboy was upset with the accommodations and tattled.
Charles didn't answer, only smiled, while Willo spoke in his defense. "Don't blame Uncle Charles. I ran into them this morning while I was getting something from the warehouse and got quite a fright. That's how I found out what was going on."
Adele's blood pressure spiked. "He's barely older than me, and you're calling him Uncle?!"
"That's not the point," Willo said gently. "Adele, whatever you're planning in the future, you should tell me first."
"Think about it—even if you fool me, can you fool all the eyes in the tribe? I know you're clever, but don't assume everyone else is dumb!"
Adele pouted, eyes down, teenage rebellion shining through—no way would she apologize to her mom, let alone admit she was wrong.
In her heart, she plastered Charles with labels like "liar," "traitor," "untrustworthy scoundrel," and "petty playboy obsessed with comfort."
Seeing her daughter slipping into one of her classic funks, Willo sighed and changed the subject. "Well, what's done is done. Let's move on."
"Your next plan is to draw Ines out, then confirm her identity, right? Tell me your plan in detail. Maybe I can use my authority to help."
Adele turned away, heading for the tent's exit. "I already told them everything. I don't need your help. I've got a plan—she'll be here soon."
"Just wait here and watch. I'll be back soon!"
With that, she ran out, leaving Willo halfway to calling after her: "Adele—"
But it was too late. Adele was gone, leaving Willo feeling defeated. "My daughter just won't listen to me," she muttered.
Anno came up beside her, gently taking her arm, but being young herself, didn't know what to say.
Charles stepped forward and quietly said, "Don't worry. I can tell she still loves you. She just wants to share the burden on your shoulders, but she doesn't know how to show it yet."
Anno nodded emphatically. Willo glanced between the two of them, a touch of envy in her eyes. "If only Adele was as thoughtful as you…"
...
After saying farewell to her mother and the others, Adele stormed off to find Ines.
Though things hadn't gone exactly as expected, she decided it was best to stick to the original plan: get Ines over, confirm her race, and deal with anything that followed.
No matter how messy things got, destroying the demons had to remain the top priority.
She'd spent days studying Ines's routines, already familiar with all her habits.
It was still early—she'd picked this time so she could debrief Charles and the others before acting, knowing everyone else was still asleep.
Sneaking into the minotaur camp, she observed for a moment before spotting her target.
It looked like any other tent, nothing out of the ordinary. Before long, the flap lifted, and four burly male minotaurs stepped out—grinning at one another, looking as if they'd shared a delightful night.
A wave of disgust passed through Adele; she forced it down, pasted an eager look on her face, and kept waiting.
She didn't wait long. Ines soon emerged from the tent, dressed and composed, her plump hips swinging like a wildcat's, full bosom jiggling with every step, face mischievous and movements shameless—making sure no one missed the fact she'd spent the night with four minotaurs.
Adele slapped her own face, forced on a nervous smile, and tiptoed after her. "Ines, can I… ask you something?"
Ines turned, wariness and confusion mixing on her face. "What's that?"
"It's just…" Adele looked down. "How do you get your boyfriend to come back to you?"
Ines looked at her like she'd grown an extra head. "What?"
"I've hit some trouble…" Adele sniffled. "The other night, I told him my mom didn't approve of us. I asked him, as a favor, to apologize to the Mountain People on his family's behalf, hoping that would fix the bad blood and my mom would stop objecting."
"But he got really upset—said his family's honor couldn't be defiled—then, in the heat of the moment, said he didn't want me anymore…"
She looked about to cry, and the mark on her cheek caught Ines's eye. "Wait, he hit you?"
Adele avoided her gaze. "Uh, well… he's usually nice. But, you know, he's from a military noble house, so sometimes his temper flares…"
Ines's blood boiled. "That's ridiculous. He should count himself lucky if you didn't kick him out the door! Why keep a jerk like that around?"
Even a succubus looked down on men who hit women.
Adele dabbed her eyes. Step one, complete. "Don't say that, Sister. I was at fault, too. I shouldn't have pushed his buttons—I said the wrong thing…"
"That's why I came to you. Can you teach me how to deal with guys like that? You're so popular—I could really use your advice."
As she spoke, she linked arms with Ines, the two of them strolling slowly toward the satyr residential area.
Ines's expression grew complicated. "What's up, Adele, are you really going to pine away for some jerk like this?"
Adele didn't quite catch her meaning, but soldiered on. "But I really love him. I don't see how I could live without him. My life would have no point without him…"
"Ines, please. Help me."
Ines massaged her temples and sighed. "You know what? You'd be better off spending tonight with a couple minotaurs—see how they treat you. I guarantee, after a few days, you'll forget all about your spineless, abusive boyfriend."
Adele just looked sad and pitiful. Seeing her like that, the Ines let out another sigh. "All right, fine. Let me teach you a few tricks about men."
"First of all, you need to realize something—at your age, you might still be dreaming about true love, but every boy your age only wants one thing from you…"
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