The Grellhart dining gallery sprawled like a cathedral of decadence, its tall windows spilling sunlight across polished mahogany, glinting off silver cutlery arranged with precision.
High-backed chairs stood sentinel along the banquet table, their velvet cushions mute witnesses to the tension brewing in the air.
Lemon wax and lavender oil scented the room.
Lady Seraphina Grellhart circled him, her midnight silk gown rustling, hugging her full breasts and flaring hips with a grace that mocked her rigid control.
Her ash-blonde hair gleamed under the chandelier, her ice-blue eyes sharp but shadowed with the memory of her moan.
Her velvet gloves, dark as sin, flexed subtly, their sheen catching the light like a whispered challenge.
Her voice was calm, almost bored, but Takuya's pervert brain caught the tremor beneath.
"Your back should not resemble a lounging poet's," she said. "Straighten your spine."
Takuya complied, slow and deliberate, his spine aligning with a theatrical snap, his eyes never leaving her.
Her gloved fingers touched between his shoulder blades—firm, not harsh, the velvet's warmth seeping through his thin linen shirt, a whisper laced with forbidden meaning.
The contact sparked through his nerves, his cock twitching in the trousers.
The system flared, crimson text flickering:
SYSTEM ALERT
Target: Seraphina Grellhart
Arousal Spike: +11%
Symbol Contact: Gloves (3.2 seconds)
Restraint: 62%
Symbolic Leverage Progress: 10%
Seraphina moved to his front, her scent—violet, amber, winter silk—flooding his senses, making his head swim.
"Now," she said, her voice steady but softer, "bow."
Takuya bowed, the motion flawless, but at its nadir, he let his eyes rise, locking onto her ice-blue gaze, a fleeting challenge that made her breath catch.
"And rise," she commanded, her tone faltering for a heartbeat.
He rose, their faces hovering inches apart, the air crackling with unspoken desire. Her ice-blue eyes flickered, betraying her.
"Eyes should remain downcast during a bow," she said, but the words lacked their usual bite, her gloved hand twitching at her side.
"Apologies, my Lady," Takuya murmured, voice low and suggestive, leaning just close enough to graze her aura's edge. "I forget myself when the view is so… compelling."
The system pinged softly.
SYSTEM LOG
Target Micro-expression Detected: Lip Purse
Emotional Conflict: Active
Arousal: 65%
Restraint: 60%
Seraphina turned sharply, her gown swirling, a shield against his gaze.
"Your hands," she said, voice tighter. "Let me see the stance."
Takuya raised his hands into the nobleman's reception pose—palms open, shoulders square, his posture a taunt.
She stepped forward, her velvet glove closing around his wrist, warm and firm, adjusting the angle with refined precision.
"Too tense," she murmured, her breath brushing his skin as she moved to his other wrist, the velvet's heat seeping into him, his cock straining painfully.
SYSTEM NOTICE
Symbolic Contact Sustained: Gloves (3.2 seconds)
Arousal Spike: +6%
Social Mask Integrity: Cracking
Symbolic Leverage Progress: 20%
She released him, stepping back, her ice-blue eyes flickering with something—anger, desire, fear of losing control.
"Place settings," she commanded, voice sharp but trembling at the edges. "Let's see if you can follow orders."
Takuya followed, his smile barely contained, his pervert brain scripting her unraveling—gloved fingers trembling, ice-blue eyes begging, velvet armor crumbling in public view.