Chapter 53: The Peculiar Court Magician (1) The Negotiation
Mikhailis sighed, a small smirk playing on his lips as he walked further into the room. He stopped a few feet away from her, looking at her without an ounce of regret.
"It’s because of that wine you gave me," he said calmly, his tone almost casual. "I got drunk, and well… ended up making that mistake."
Serelith tilted her head back, a laugh bubbling from her lips. The sound was sharp, almost cruel, as she crossed her arms over her chest. Her eyes narrowed, her lips curled into a smirk.
"Oh, please," she drawled, her gaze never leaving his. "If there was nothing there in the beginning, you wouldn’t have ended up in that position. Be honest with yourself. You must’ve had impure intentions for the maid since the start, didn’t you?"
Mikhailis let out a deep sigh, his eyes flicking up to meet hers, his face a mask of indifference.
"It can’t be helped," he said with a shrug. "Beautiful people are beautiful, after all. And that includes you."
There was a pause. For a moment, Serelith’s expression faltered, a hint of surprise flashing across her face. But she recovered quickly, her smirk widening.
"Are you really admitting your sins now, Your Highness?" she taunted, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
Before Mikhailis could respond, Rodion’s voice sounded in his ear, the hint of concern impossible to miss.
<You are losing in the negotiation, Mikhailis. The probability of her gaining the upper hand is increasing. Recommend strategy adjustment.>
Mikhailis chuckled, shaking his head slightly. He looked Serelith dead in the eyes, his lips curling into a smile. He raised his hands dramatically, his voice dripping with mock sincerity.
"Yes, oh father, forgive me, for I have sinned," he said, a grin spreading across his face. "But aren’t you sinful as well, Serelith?"
Serelith blinked, her smirk faltering. She frowned, her eyes narrowing.
"What do you mean?" she asked, her voice still steady, but there was an edge of uncertainty there. "If you’re talking about the wine, it was given purely out of goodwill."
Mikhailis snorted, shaking his head. "Oh, please," he said, his voice full of disbelief. "Goodwill? You and I both know that wasn’t the case. But I’m not talking about the wine."
He paused, watching as Serelith’s eyes flickered, a hint of confusion crossing her face.
"You… you masturbate while thinking about the queen, don’t you?" he said, his voice dropping to a whisper, a sly grin tugging at his lips.
For a moment, there was silence. Serelith’s face turned a deep shade of crimson, her mouth opening and closing as she struggled to form a response. Her composure shattered, her eyes widening as she took a step back, her arms dropping to her sides.
Mikhailis didn’t let up, a mischievous smile playing on his lips. He mimicked her voice, his tone high-pitched and mocking, his hands clasped together in a dramatic gesture.
"My Queen, Your Majesty, please stop it!" he said, his voice filled with false desperation. He struck a pose, one hand reaching out as if in plea, his eyes wide with mock terror.
"Oh! I’m being attacked by Your Majesty!" he continued, his voice rising in pitch, his expression exaggerated as he clutched at his chest, his face twisted in a parody of fear.
Serelith’s eyes blazed, her face turning an even deeper shade of red. Her hands clenched into fists at her sides, her body trembling with anger.
"Stop it!" she shouted, her voice cracking slightly. "Stop it right now!"
Mikhailis paused, his grin widening as he watched her. She looked different now—her usual composure completely shattered, her face flushed, her eyes wide with something akin to panic. She looked almost like a child, her earlier confidence nowhere to be seen.
He held up his hands in surrender, his voice softening slightly. "Alright, alright, I’ll stop," he said, though the smile never left his face.
Serelith took a deep breath, her eyes closing for a moment as she tried to regain her composure. She opened them again, her gaze meeting his, though her eyes still held that hint of panic.
"What are you even talking about?" she said, her voice shaky, though she tried to keep it steady. "Without evidence, there’s no one who would believe such nonsense. I was just... just pleasing myself out of frustration. There are no good men here, why would I—"
She trailed off, her voice faltering as Mikhailis pulled his tablet from his pocket. He tapped the screen, the volume turned up as a familiar voice echoed through the room.
"My Queen, Your Majesty, please stop it!" the voice said, the same line Mikhailis had just mocked. "Oh! I’m being attacked by Your Majesty!"
Serelith’s eyes widened, her face draining of color as she stared at the tablet. And then, the video played—the same scene she thought had been private, her face flushed, her voice filled with desperation.
Mikhailis watched as Serelith’s face turned from shock to horror, her hands trembling at her sides. She took a step back, her eyes darting from the tablet to Mikhailis, her mouth opening and closing as she struggled to form words.
"You... you recorded me?" she whispered, her voice barely audible.
Mikhailis nodded, his expression serious now. "You can break this tablet and take it, you know," he said, his voice calm. "But I have the recording on my computer as well. And in other places too. I could show Elowen anytime I want."
Serelith’s face turned even paler, her eyes widening in fear. She took another step back, her hands trembling as she shook her head.
"P-Please!" she stammered, her voice breaking. "Anything but that! Fine! I won’t tell anyone about what happened!"
At first, she let out a disappointed sigh when she said that line.
But then, she realized that it was not enough.
Not for the person before her.
"I want something else as well," Mikhailis said without hesitation.
Beautiful skin.
Slightly Tanned, that is not as brown as Elowen but not as pale as Lira.
He could see it, and yet somehow, the smoothness was tangible.
Her body was young but well-toned, complimented by her long and straight purple hair.
Seeing the modest purple bush atop the mound, Mikhailis’s heartbeat sped up.
"What? A threat? I tell you, if you’re an enemy of the royal family, I won’t negotiate with—"
"Please give me Serelith."
Serelith stopped glaring.
"…Eh?"
"I said. I want Serelith."
Mikhailis smiled, and the bloodthirsty look in Serelith’s eyes vanished.
"Ha, haa? Y-You, what are you…"
"I’ll threaten Serelith from now on. My demand is Serelith. And I won’t tell Elowen about this,"
Mikhailis looked at her body again.
Slender but firm muscles.
Healthy tanned skin.
And yet, you could feel the softness of a woman precisely. Mikhailis had seen it earlier, and in addition, she had a captivating aura.
"I’ll keep quiet about what you did a while ago, but will you become my toy?"
"T-Toy... Ha, haa!?"
To his words, Serelith raised her voice. Honestly, Mikhailis’s heart was pounding. Even though he was in this situation, it was the first time he had confessed to a woman.
Mikhailis somehow managed to keep his expression steady—probably thanks to all his experiences this past week. Mentally thanking Lira, he tried his best to regulate my breathing.
"…Y-you. I-Think you should reconsider. What do you mean by that?"
Serelith glanced down as if embarrassed. She couldn’t guess his real intentions.
Mikhailis’s disturbed breathing and heartbeat might have been clear, but Serelith didn’t understand their implications.
"I meant exactly what I said. If Serelith listens, it could be fun."
Honestly, part of it was true.
This way, Mikhalis wouldn’t need to worry about unwanted attention for Lira and himself.
Even if it was just for a bit, living a pleasant life would be nice.
And he judged that this is the surest way to ensure the magician’s mouth sealed.
Of course, he wasn’t lying when he said Serelith was charming.
"Hmph! You think I’ll just do what you asked me to do just because of that!? I am Serelith the court-"
[E-Elowen]
Serelith’s lovely voice filled the room, and her eyes widened, her face flushing red.
"W-w-w-wha... M-my voice..."
Serelith’s ears twitched, the earlier scene replaying in the room.
"It’s not just the voice. Look. Aah, your ass shakes too much."
"Gyaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!"
With her brown backside swaying on-screen, Serelith’s voice disappeared from the room.
"What’s that?! S-stop it!!"
"Look. It’s almost time for Serelith’s performance."
"Eh?"
I raised the volume as Serelith panicked. Her voice grew louder, echoing throughout the room.
[I’m sorry, your Majesty.]
[Fufu, it’s fine, Serelith. Hey, spread your legs.』
[Aah, no good. You can’t, your Majesty.』
The moment she heard her own falsetto, her face went pale. She forgot all about trying to snatch the tablet from Mikhailis, looking dumbfounded. It was as if hearing her own voice doing such things for the first time had paralyzed her.
Hearing the imitation of Elowen whom she loved and respected, Serelith’s devotion began to falter. What she did, her actions—it all darkened her heart.
"If I’m not mistaken, there’s a rule for the retainers of Silvarion Thalor, isn’t it? I just reviewed it yesterday (With Rodion, of course). Ah, there it is. Article 14. The kingdom’s retainers should never deceive or imitate royalty. Any violation must be reported immediately.
Ooh. That’s…beheading."
"––!?"
Her body trembled.
He displayed the memo, clearly knowledgeable.
"Is it wrong? I see. But your imitation of the Queen is undeniable. Isn’t that true?"
"U-Uu... You’re wro... You’re wrong... It’s not that..."
Serelith’s voice faltered, tears forming in her eyes. My heart thudded heavily—seeing her unusual, vulnerable face.
"Please... I-I’ll do anything, j-just don’t tell the Queen..."