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{Chapter 19} Master and servant fall into a trap
🕑 Added 2025-09-26 12:41:01 +0000 UTC“Miss, you actually…”
Laura continued speaking, her voice as consistently calm as her expression.
This was typical of her demeanor.
But just as she was about to continue advising her young mistress, she noticed that Elena’s expression had suddenly become extremely subtle.
Having a sister-like bond, Laura instantly understood the faint hint in Elena’s eyes, and reflexively turned her head.
Then…
Then Laura froze.
Behind her, Kaelis, who had originally been sitting on her bed, had now stood up.
She had removed her hood, exposing her face that resembled a flawless treasure to the air. Her ink-black eyes were hidden beneath smooth strands of hair, appearing somewhat gloomy and dim.
Laura was startled, and then suddenly realized her words might have touched a sensitive nerve within Kaelis.
This made her flustered.
“I'm sorry, Miss Kaelis, I didn't mean to imply anything about you…”
Laura tried to apologize, but Kaelis remained silent. She quietly, wordlessly, moved closer to Laura.
Every time Laura took a step back, Kaelis advanced another.
In the blink of an eye, Laura was cornered against the edge of the tent.
With nowhere left to retreat, Laura was trapped as Kaelis kept advancing.
Their bodies were almost instantly pressed together.
It was then that Laura finally understood how Remi had felt in the arena earlier that day.
Up close, Kaelis’s beauty was not diluted, in fact, the unique aura of both allure and purity radiating from her became even more prominent. Without a word, she silently leaned her body against Laura’s.
The soft breasts possessed an astonishing elasticity. In this intimate proximity, Kaelis quietly lifted her face, allowing them to gaze directly into each other’s eyes.
Puppy-dog eyes…
Seeing the delicate beauty before her, lightly biting her crimson lips, Laura sharply inhaled a cold breath.
She nearly bit down hard on her own tongue to prevent herself from completely losing composure and pulling the adorable girl into her arms. Even so, her hands still instinctively reached out.
Due to their height difference, Kaelis had to slightly rise onto her toes to maintain eye contact.
Laura’s hands unconsciously hovered just above Kaelis’s waist, yet she dared not meet the gaze of that emotionally expressive face.
Her heart pounded uncontrollably, her breathing gradually shifting toward panting.
Their closeness bordered on the intimate, their tightly pressed bodies resembling a dance infused with subtle suggestion…
Beside them, Elena’s face flushed red. Looking at the two girls’ chests slightly deformed by the pressure, she instinctively covered her eyes with her hands, yet she spread her fingers, peering through them with eager anticipation.
She suddenly felt a bit envious of Laura.
But the approach wasn't over yet. Kaelis puffed her cheeks and continued pressing forward.
Laura forced herself not to turn away, feeling the increasingly close yet increasingly perfect face.
Their lips were almost… no, not almost.
Laura could already feel it, a faint, almost imperceptible contact…
That subtle sensation… like a silent kiss…
Laura’s heartbeat abruptly stopped.
Her trembling body was nearly beyond control.
At this point, she no longer cared about etiquette, quickly turning her head away, unable to continue facing Kaelis.
Otherwise, she truly feared doing something that would disgrace her family’s honor.
But she clearly underestimated Kaelis’s stubborn nature.
Before her head could fully turn, a cool little hand suddenly rose, cupping her face and forcing eye contact.
“Mmm~!”
A tiny nose let out a dissatisfied hum as the girl gazed at the woman before her with puppy-dog eyes.
Amid the nearly intimate atmosphere, she gritted her teeth and finally let out her first barely audible words.
“Apologize…”
“Huh?”
Laura’s eyes darted around, her mind muddled and unclear, completely failing to understand what Kaelis was saying.
Kaelis, still gritting her teeth, closed the already dangerous distance even further!
“Apologize!”
This time, Kaelis’s voice returned to a normal volume.
She stared seriously at Laura, her delicate face filled with suppressed.
“You can say anything about me, bad temper, poor personality, clumsy actions, even that I’m ugly, it’s fine! But… but not my paintings?! You haven’t even seen my paintings?!”
“…”
If anyone else had pressured her so forcefully, Laura wouldn’t have been someone to submit helplessly. To protect her family’s honor, she would have fought back fiercely.
But…
Looking at the girl before her, clearly unable to suppress her, Laura found herself unable to utter a single word.
Was she being threatened?
It didn’t seem so, since Kaelis was this.
Then… should she fight back?
Somehow, she couldn’t bring herself to do it… Kaelis was practically defenseless, even somewhat dazed as she pressed her body forward. If anything, both of them were mutually taking advantage of the situation.
Laura felt her mind almost incapable of coherent thought, chaotic thoughts flooding her mind.
Especially when looking at Kaelis, an inexplicable mixture of guilt and excitement arose simultaneously in her heart.
She… wanted to see Kaelis look even more…
No! No!
After hesitating, she gritted her teeth and spoke.
“Miss Kaelis, I… I meant no ill will… I just…”
Laura still wanted to defend herself.
But Kaelis suddenly stepped back, abruptly widening the distance between them.
“…No, there’s no need to say more.”
The sudden separation brought Laura a sense of relief, yet a vague sense of loss clouded her mind.
A feeling of emptiness made her extremely uncomfortable.
Before she could say anything, Kaelis turned and sat beside her painting tools.
“You haven’t seen me paint? Then I’ll paint one right now for you to see!”
As the only skill she truly possessed, Kaelis hadn’t relied solely on talent to reach this point.
She had invested countless efforts, tirelessly improving herself through endless day and night, often forgetting to eat or sleep.
Others could tell Kaelis where she had room for improvement or shortcomings, she would humbly accept and diligently work to correct them.
But… she couldn’t accept someone dismissing her abilities without even seeing her paintings!
Laura’s words had struck the most unbearable soft spot within her.
Now, she will use her skills to prove herself!
But Laura couldn’t take it anymore.
Kaelis’s seemingly intoxicating presence still lingered in her mind. Even after pulling away, she was still filled with images of Kaelis’s face!
Was this right?!
This was completely wrong!
If she hadn’t previously learned about Kaelis’s abilities from her mother, she would have truly believed she was being controlled by some mental-altering power.
Even so, she now felt embarrassingly uneasy all over.
In an instant, trembling, she turned and left. But before departing, she hesitated and glanced at Elena, then lowered her head to Kaelis.
“I apologize, Miss Kaelis. I was impertinent… Please, the two of you continue.”
With that, she quickly left, her fast retreating back appearing extremely flustered.
Leaving Kaelis with no chance to stop her, she could only glare bitterly at the departing figure.
“That person.”
Kaelis was very unhappy!
“Miss Kaelis…”
Beside her, Elena, who seemed to have witnessed something forbidden, approached with shy, small steps. She reached out and gently tugged at Kaelis’s sleeve, blushing as she looked at the woman before her.
Her eyes shimmered faintly, as if holding some kind of expectation.
“I haven’t seen your paintings either…”
“…Mm, I’ll show you right now!”
Having caught her breath, Kaelis had mostly regained her composure.
She was aware of her earlier behavior being out of line, but she felt no regret.
After all, if one lived in this world without knowing what they wanted or what they should persist in, that would be too aimless.
Therefore, in response to Elena’s words, she immediately began her work.
The brush was soaked in water, and Kaelis skillfully tapped it lightly against the edge of the water bucket.
Typically, these ancient plant-based and mineral pigments weren’t compatible with water… but since Kaelis only intended to sketch a rough outline, she didn’t care.
Carefully selecting her favorite black pigment, she silently diffused it before instantly immersing herself in painting.
Her mind instantly reached a state of extreme focus, so much so that she didn’t even notice her own meditation technique had begun operating autonomously.
She only knew how to paint.
Beside her, Elena, finding herself not receiving the same treatment as Laura moments ago, unexpectedly felt a sudden pang of disappointment.
But after a while, she instead found herself captivated by this focused version of Kaelis.
Watching Kaelis’s serious and mature expression, Elena froze for a moment.
She had heard before that some people behaved completely differently when working versus in daily life.
But regarding these “two personas,” she had never truly understood… After all, within her social circle, such changes were considered signs of immaturity.
But right now, Kaelis’s existence overturned her preconceived notions.
Silent, with a face calm as water, her focused eyes reflected only a professional, rational attitude.
Just this simple change, and Elena realized that Kaelis, who moments ago had seemed like a bullied little girl, now displayed a unique, mature charm.
Intellectual, rational, focused, efficient…
An air of a master craftsman surrounded Kaelis. Although she only appeared four or five years older than Elena, she seemed exceptionally mature at this moment.
She remained silent, solely focused on painting.
Yet even such a passive act, offering Elena no participation, gradually drew her in.
She obediently sat beside her, quietly watching Kaelis’s focused profile, becoming somewhat entranced.
Only when Kaelis spoke did she snap back to reality, instinctively looking toward the painting.
It was merely a simple portrait, no background, only a few sparse lines.
Clean straight lines divided the canvas; soft curves outlined the figure.
Elena stared blankly for a moment before realizing in shock, the person in the painting was herself?
Though minimal in brushstrokes, Kaelis’s technique was unquestionable.
In the image, she stood gracefully in profile, facing forward, arms extended flat, perfectly aligned with the edges of the frame.
As if the version of her in the painting was casually resting her hands on the frame…
Elena was stunned for quite a while before her eyes widened in astonishment.
“That’s amazing!”
“Right?!”
Kaelis slightly tilted her head up, revealing a small hint of pride.
Just as Elena had described, Kaelis truly was a free little cat, hissing when criticized, tail raised when praised.
Hearing the girl’s amazed exclamation, Kaelis felt her previous unhappiness instantly vanish, replaced entirely by confidence and joy.
“…It’s not just amazing!”
Elena stared blankly at her painted self.
Even without formal training, she could sense it.
This painting was more than just visually pleasing!
Kaelis had infused it with… something unique…
Though she couldn’t identify what exactly, she only knew that her gaze couldn’t look away.
Not from the painting, but from Kaelis herself.
Looking at the confident Kaelis, her eyes couldn’t look away either.
From the very first day they met, Kaelis had continuously surprised her.
Just how many secrets did this woman hold inside?
Elena didn’t know, and Kaelis had no intention of explaining.
After glancing at her artwork, Kaelis, having recovered her joy, felt a slight tinge of disappointment.
Kaelis wasn’t good at… or rather, completely lacked original creation ability. This painting’s completeness and beauty came from her lightly “stitching together” elements.
She had subtly combined impressions of Elena's Mother and Elena herself. If Elena paid closer attention, she might notice the clothing in the painting looked strangely familiar…
But these were details for later. After this interruption, Kaelis’s mood had stabilized.
A hint of embarrassment slowly rose regarding her earlier outburst.
Still, Kaelis merely reminded herself, next time, to avoid arguing.
It’s useless. Just kill when you can.
Her kindness, hating to see others humiliated, meant she’d rather eliminate threats than endure them. When unable to kill, she’d simply ignore.
A touch of aloofness was an essential trait of a mature artist… not necessarily shown, but always present.
Just like learning, it’s never as simple as accepting everything at face value.
Regaining focus, Kaelis then began her real task, teaching Elena the meditation technique.
When Elena saw the meditation diagram Kaelis presented, her small face suddenly registered shock.
She repeatedly compared it, then looked at Kaelis in disbelief.
“Huh?”
She had to memorize this entire image in her mind?!
“…That’s right~ Just remember this picture, and keep repeating it in your mind over and over. That’s all you need to do~”
Kaelis knew this was somewhat difficult for the girl… but honestly, there was no other way.
After all, Kaelis wasn’t a professional. When she originally received this meditation technique, an image had simply flashed through her mind… everything else she had figured out on her own.
Fortunately, Kaelis’s instantaneous memory was nearly inhumanly strong. Otherwise, an ordinary person might truly be incapable of this.
Seeing how earnest Kaelis was, the girl hesitated, but finally nodded.
“I understand… I’ll work hard to memorize it!”
