Chapter 4

With all the movement earlier, her collar had slipped down. When the girl lifted her chin, it showed off a tempting stretch of pale skin and a dangerously deep cleavage.

Gerard swallowed hard while Emily's face darkened in an instant.

"Who are you?" Gerard's voice grew gentle without him meaning to, and he reached out to support the girl.

The girl shrank back, then let herself fall into Gerard's arms, her soft body pressed tightly against his chest.

"I…I'm the daughter of the local lord. My carriage was attacked by magical beasts. The knights are all dead…I'm the only one who survived." Tears streamed down the girl’s face. Her whole body was trembling.

I buried my face in Gerard's chest, greedily breathing in that nauseating cologne stench.

The tears were real, but they were tears shed from laughter.

It had been a long time, Gerard. This time, I was here for his life.

"Don't be scared," Gerard's hand naturally slipped around my waist. He even gave me a couple of gentle squeezes. "I'm Gerard Cain, chief mage of the Thalmyr Empire. I'll keep you safe."

"Really?" I looked up at him, eyes shining with admiration. "You're that legendary genius mage? No way, this can't be real, right?"

That adoring gaze fed Gerard's ego. He straightened up, chest out, and hugged me even tighter.

"Of course. Stick with me, and no magical beast will ever touch you," he promised.

"Hey!" Emily rushed over in a few quick steps, grabbed my arm, and tried to yank me out of Gerard's embrace.

"Where did you come from, you stray woman? Don't you know you shouldn't be all over him? Let go!" She demanded as her sharp nails dug into my flesh.

If it were the old Liam, I probably would've stumbled through some clumsy excuse. But now, I was Lilith.

"Ah!" I cried out, pretending to be scared out of my wits. Instead of letting go, I clung to Gerard even tighter, almost wrapping myself around him.

"It hurts...do you hate me? I'm sorry…I'm just so scared..." I looked at Emily with trembling eyes as tears streamed down my face.

They may have met manipulative vixens, but I was a succubus now, I was basically the ancestor of manipulative vixens.

Gerard's temper flared, just as I expected.

He shoved Emily aside with such force that she staggered back, nearly falling over.

"Are you crazy? Can't you see she's hurt?" Gerard snapped.

Emily stared at Gerard in disbelief. "You pushed me? For this vixen you just picked up?"

"Enough! Vixen? She's just an innocent victim. Aren't you supposed to be a holy maiden candidate? Where's all that mercy you brag about?" Gerard snapped back, sounding all self-righteous.

But I could feel his hand on my waist slyly sliding lower.

In the end, Gerard was just a typical man. This was the so-called brother I spent ten years risking my life for. What a piece of shit.

"Please don't be mad." I peeked out from Gerard's arms, my voice trembling. "It's all my fault. I'll leave now. Even if the magical beasts eat me, I can't let you two fight because of me..."

As I said that, I made a show of trying to push Gerard away.

Playing hard to get worked like a charm.

Gerard immediately pulled me back into his arms, shooting Emily a cold glare. "Enough. She's not going anywhere. She's sticking with us. Emily, if you keep making a scene, you can just go back by yourself!"

Emily was trembling all over with anger, pointing at me, but she was so furious she couldn't even get a single word out.

I nestled deeper into Gerard's arms and flashed Emily a tiny, almost invisible smile.

It was the smug grin of a winner.

Emily saw right through it. Her eyes went wide, like she'd just seen a ghost.

The game was on, and this was only the beginning.

For the rest of the journey, I shamelessly played up every advantage this body had.

"Gerry, that spell is amazing! Will you teach me?" I begged.

"Gerry, my feet hurt so much, I can't walk anymore," I whined.

"Gerry, I just picked these wild berries. They're super sweet. Want to try one?" I asked.

I stuck to him like a cute little charm, brushed up against him with my softest curves whenever I got the chance, and gazed at him with eyes so full of idolizing admiration it was almost ridiculous.

Gerard was totally eating it up. There was no guy who could say no to a gorgeous girl throwing herself at him.

Especially when she was a thousand times sweeter, gentler, and more considerate than his whiny, moody fiancée.

Even with Emily seething right next to him, Gerard just pretended she didn't exist.

He'd go all out, blasting even the lamest slime with high-level magic just to show off and hear me say, "Wow, you're incredible!"

Inwardly, I sneered as I looked forward to when Gerard wore himself down.