Chapter 12: An Uncomfortable Audience

As agreed, I arrived at the door of the Lord’s bedroom.

It was the largest room at the top of the manor, its door crafted from heavy oak and adorned with exquisite carvings.

On either side of the door stood suits of guard armor, their gleaming metal a symbol of the Lord’s status and authority.

My hand hovered over the door for a long time, but an internal struggle prevented me from knocking.

In my current form, in this woman’s body, I had no idea how I could face them.

Those who knew my true identity inside and out.

I could already envision their twisted gazes, their cold mockery, their malicious conjectures, and their quiet alienation.

Yet, I knew I had no way to stop my forced march forward.

Life simply propelled one onward, even if the path led to an abyss.

“Knock, knock, knock…”

The door finally yielded to my knuckles, and a slightly languid voice drifted from within.

“Come in.”

Following the sound, I stepped into a remarkably spacious room.

The room’s walls were constructed from massive stone blocks, adorned with tapestries woven from brocade, their colors vibrant under the sunlight.

A colossal fireplace dominated the left wall. The charcoal within had long since died, and thin wisps of blue smoke ascended, swirling around a mounted deer head above, twisting like the souls of the slain.

Opposite the fireplace, at the very center of the room, stood an enormous four-poster bed.

The bedposts were carved from the finest oak, intricately etched with complex patterns and the family crest.

Heavy velvet drapes hung from the canopy, interspersed with deep crimson tassels, lending an air of solemn mystery.

The supreme authority of the manor lay naked upon the soft bedding, one arm embracing a young woman who was equally unclothed.

Both bodies were slick with sweat, their faces flushed with exertion. A faint, sour scent, heavy with depravity, permeated the air.

As the former steward of the manor, I naturally understood this to be the aftermath of Lord Axas’s “morning exercise.” Though he was past fifty, his desires seemed like those of an insatiable wolf.

Lady Kachel was no longer youthful, long unable to satisfy his needs.

Consequently, he kept many women within the manor, either for his own pleasure or to bestow upon others.

This was common practice among lords; after all, in this medieval-like otherworld, beautiful women, much like gold dragons, were commodities that could foster friendships.

I recognized the woman beside him as Aisha, the notoriously flirtatious one.

She possessed beautiful red hair and a proud bosom, having undoubtedly attracted the covetous gazes of countless guards. Yet, in my memory, she had only recently arrived at the manor. I hadn’t expected her to be in the Lord’s bed so soon.

Just as my thoughts wandered, Lord Axas’s gaze finally landed on me.

Or rather, upon this equally alluring female body I currently inhabited.

“Ugh…”

His gaze was intensely domineering, like a viper tightening around my throat, making it difficult to breathe.

I instinctively lowered my head, staring at my toes, silently praying for this scrutiny to end quickly.

I did not reveal my identity at that moment, but knowing this lord, I was certain he would have already guessed.

“Hmm?”

Just then, Aisha also awoke. She yawned, her crimson lips emitting a drowsy murmur.

“Who’s here? Get out! Your lord isn’t done yet…”

Lord Axas abruptly cut off Aisha’s rambling, his voice devoid of any lingering affection.

“Huh?”

Aisha seemed to fully awaken, a bewildered expression spreading across her face.

I wasn’t surprised by this. I knew this man; though he harbored the desires of a younger man, he would always regard young, beautiful women as mere tools for gratification.

Once they had served their purpose, they would be cast aside. Only that elusive thing called “power” could ignite an eternal desire within him.

“But Master, my legs are still a bit weak…”

Aisha, seemingly eager for more affection, pressed herself against the man beside her like a caterpillar, rubbing her chest against him without a trace of shame.

“You were just too rough this morning…”

Watching her fawning display, I felt a surge of nausea and instinctively turned my face away.

“Hmph—”

Lord Axas, accustomed to such situations, dismissed her with ease.

“Go find the new steward and collect ten silver wolves. Tell them I sent you.”

At this reply, Aisha’s voice immediately brightened with surprise.

“Alright!”

Her legs were no longer weak; she quickly dressed and rushed out to claim her reward.

“Tsk—”

As she passed me, however, I felt a distinct glare.

At first, I was momentarily confused, but after a moment’s thought, I realized Aisha probably mistook me for a woman like herself.

A woman who sought to gain favor through flattery.

A primal urge made me want to retort, but then I remembered my own mission.

‘Becoming the Moon Island Lord’s lover—how is that different from what Aisha is doing now?’

As I looked at the residual moisture on the large bed, a sorrowful thought formed in my mind.

‘Will I eventually become just as despicable?’

Perhaps even more so than her.

However, Lord Axas’s simple, authoritative voice cut through my contemplation:

“Is that you? My former steward.”

I frantically refocused my attention on him.

“Yes…”

Anxiety made me unconsciously hug my arms, my head slightly bowed, breathing heavily.

“I… I have come here as per our agreement. The time… I shouldn’t be too late.”

“You are as punctual as ever. Good, I am pleased,” Lord Axas remarked, his tone laced with amusement. “I never imagined the witch’s power would be so wondrous. I thought you would look quite ordinary after becoming a woman, but you are more captivating than any woman I’ve ever seen…”

“You… you flatter me…”

I truly didn’t know how to respond to such “praise.”

I felt entirely awkward, restless.

After all, not long ago, I was a man, and now my identity had shifted, to be so overtly scrutinized by another man.

“Come here.”

Suddenly, I heard the Lord command.

“Eh?”

“Are you deaf? I told you to come here.”

The Lord commanded me again, and his gaze indicated he was not joking.

Fear instantly coiled around my heart.

‘Come over? To do what?’

I swallowed hard, my legs feeling a little weak.

‘Surely, the Lord wouldn’t be interested in someone like me, neither fully man nor woman?’

‘After all, there are so many young and beautiful women in the manor.’

Lost in my thoughts, I found myself by the Lord’s bedside and stopped.

Before me, the luxurious bed still bore the lingering moisture from the previous woman’s lovemaking, the depraved scent so strong it was almost sour.

I thought this would suffice, but the Lord seemed unsatisfied with my compliance.

For I had not received his affirmative response.