When the lyrics ended and the music faded, Grey stood still, trying to catch his breath.
He didn't fully understand what he was feeling at that moment. The emotions were indescribable. It was as if he had surfaced after a long dive underwater, taken a breath of fresh air, and then sunk back down to the bottom.
It was confusing and frustrating at the same time.
No matter how much he thought about it or racked his brains, he simply couldn't understand why he had stopped feeling positive emotions after reincarnation. Junior had no such problem, which meant the issue wasn't with the body, but with Senior himself.
Then why had his emotions felt so vivid just now?
Grey was utterly bewildered. He couldn't even come up with a remotely reasonable theory.
His thoughts were interrupted by applause.
The night butterflies had been so impressed by his performance that they rushed toward Grey, all eager to speak to him at once. They wanted to know how such a little boy had come up with a show like that. What had he meant by the lyrics? Who had he dedicated the song to? When would he sing again?
The chorus of voices was so deafening that Grey regretted not escaping while he still had the chance.
"How exactly am I supposed to answer this endless stream of questions? After all, I didn't write this song in the first place. I shamelessly stole someone else's work.
Did I just violate copyright law?
It doesn't matter. You can't prove anything! Patent law has no legal force in a world of swords and magic. The courts and the police can't get to me here!" Grey justified himself righteously before his own conscience, but felt a chill run down the back of his neck when he uttered the last sentence.
At that very moment, someone grabbed him by the ear and dragged him out of the crowd of women.
Lady Veronika had finally found a way to vent her pent-up anger.
Of course, no one dared to stop her. This was her establishment, and she could do whatever she wanted here.
"Follow me, brat!" she ordered, then strode up the stairs.
Perhaps he was imagining things, but Lady Veronika's rounded hips seemed to sway more than before. Her gait radiated the graceful confidence of a woman who was absolutely certain of her own attractiveness. No matter how hard he tried to control himself, Grey couldn't help swallowing nervously.
Of course, Veronika noticed his reaction without even turning around.
'Hmph, how dare this little brat tease me...' she snorted inwardly. 'I'll show him what true temptation means! Guard your heart, brat. Where you studied, I taught. I won't let some little boy play with my emotions...'
Grey's behavior had dealt a serious blow to her pride.
After all, she had been playing with men's feelings long before the boy's parents had even begun thinking about his birth. The fact that he had managed to make her heart beat faster, even for a moment, was already an achievement. But the nerve he had to brazenly tease her like that was simply beyond the pale!
Lady Veronika had never felt so humiliated before.
She firmly decided to get even with him.
She had even managed to come up with a rough plan for revenge.
Drawing on all her accumulated experience and charm, Veronika planned to tease Grey to death. She would tempt the boy for as long as she could, fill his head with the boldest fantasies, and fan his most primitive desires to the limit, but never let him cross the line.
'Hehehe, this should be fun... Let's see how he sings a different tune when his arousal reaches its peak and he has no way to release his pent-up lust.' Lady Veronika chuckled wickedly.
She was absolutely confident in her victory and was even prepared to involve her subordinates in her revenge plan.
As they climbed the stairs, she deliberately caught her toe on a step and pretended to stumble.
Trying to regain her balance, Veronika used wind magic. Any powerful practitioner in her position would have done the same. However, that very wind 'accidentally' lifted her thin dress, revealing the slender lines of her legs.
Grey followed directly behind Veronika, two steps behind her. His chin was held high, and his gaze was arrogantly fixed upward.
He had no shame about admiring her backside, but he had never expected to get a much better view. The sight before him left poor Grey breathless, his throat suddenly dry.
'Good heavens, did I really just see that? Or is my imagination playing a cruel trick on me?' he thought, freezing in place like a statue. 'She looks like a juicy peach... No, a tender mango... So plump, so firm...'
Grey didn't even notice that his breathing had quickened as he greedily inhaled the alluring scent of her skin.
Her perfect calves were smooth and pale as cream. Her alluring thighs were soft and utterly flawless. And the thin panties he had glimpsed for just a moment, concealing her most intimate parts. All of it was etched clearly into his memory.
Veronika glanced over her shoulder at Grey and smirked. Her eyes were full of mockery and mischief.
She knew perfectly well that he was watching. She wanted him to watch. She controlled every tiny movement, making each one deliberately seductive and alluring. She wanted him to understand that she was far beyond his reach.
Lady Veronika didn't find her behavior strange. Trading suggestive remarks and flirting with an adolescent going through puberty was nothing more than a game to her, one that simply couldn't develop into anything more.
As a priestess of love, she viewed every interaction with the opposite sex as a battle of wits, much like a game of chess. Who would capture the other's attention? Who would maintain the initiative? Who would lose control first?
She found this game of playing with human emotions highly amusing, but she hated losing. And Grey had already gained the upper hand in their conversations several times.
Lady Veronika felt a thrill of excitement and failed to realize that the more engrossed she became in this game, the deeper it drew her in. Perhaps, at some point, she would no longer be able to regard their flirtation as just a game.
Meanwhile, Grey couldn't tear his eyes away from her full, rounded buttocks, which continued swaying in an exaggeratedly rhythmic motion.
A memory of their little game flashed through his mind, reminding him of the time he'd been forced to kiss her feet. The recollection brought his already heated blood to a boil.
'How vindictive can you be... You've been playing with me all this time, but the moment you lose a single round, you get this angry...' he cursed inwardly. 'One day, you'll definitely be mine. Let's see if you'll still dare to tease me then...'
After returning to the upper floor, Lady Veronika lazily reclined on a chaise longue. She crossed her legs and deliberately took her time opening a fresh jug of wine, accidentally spilling a few drops onto her chest.
Such a trick might have seemed cheap to Grey, who had been seduced by society's most alluring women more than once in his previous life. But there was something strangely magical about Veronika's execution. No matter how hard he tried, he simply couldn't look away.
Her smooth shoulders, delicate neck, clearly defined collarbones, and very deep neckline were so beautiful that even the clumsiest gesture would have been a feast for the eyes.
Grey realized that things couldn't go on like this...
Lady Veronika wanted revenge, and he had no chance of winning this battle of seduction. There was no point in pretending to be shy and averting his gaze.
"Well, it's her choice. Why should I object? I'll simply continue enjoying her performance..." Grey licked his dry lips.
He casually leaned back against the chaise longue opposite her and brazenly gave Lady Veronika an appraising look, as if he wanted to examine every part of her body in greater detail.
"Tsk," she clicked her tongue, noticing his behavior, and stopped playing around. "Congratulations. You've managed to impress me. You really know how to make an impact. I hope you can do the same for more than just women."
Grey smiled smugly.
"Rest assured, I won't disappoint you."
"Good. I'll place an order with the Magic Tower. The device should be ready in about a month. I hope you'll be ready to work by then," Lady Veronika gave him an appraising look and promised, "If your plan succeeds and the temple starts generating more faith energy for Aphrodite, I assure you that I'll do everything in my power to heal you."
Grey's eyes gleamed.
Her promise was quite tempting. Although, according to Junior, numerous Sky-dwellers had already tried every possible method of healing him and failed, Senior himself hadn't yet lost hope.
First, he had never wielded mana in his previous life and didn't understand all the intricacies involved. Therefore, what others might consider impossible, he saw as a challenge.
Second, Lady Veronika was a follower of a true goddess. Perhaps she had methods at her disposal that were beyond the reach of "ordinary" mortals.
"I'm very grateful to you," Grey bowed before making another request. "I hope you'll help spread the news in your name. I really want to attract as much attention as possible to the opening date."
"Why?" Lady Veronika decided to hear him out.
"The power of first impressions," Grey explained calmly. "You're very influential in the city, while nobody knows who I am. Right now, this place only interests men, and that's a big problem... To fulfill Aphrodite's wishes, we need an equal number of men and women..."
"Isn't the number of female workers we already have enough?"
"Definitely not. We need to attract other women, give them a chance to open up and meet potential suitors. Music will help everyone loosen up, while the slow dance will be the highlight of the evening. I'm sure you'll immediately notice a change in what's known as the power of faith."
Lady Veronika casually tossed her hair back and shook her beautiful head.
"Don't get carried away. I admit that I underestimated your idea, but now I'll expect even more from you. So work hard, little demon."
Grey winked at her.
"I'll do my best."
He thought their conversation would end there, but to his surprise, Lady Veronika carefully examined him from head to toe. Then she clicked her tongue softly and began drumming her elegant fingers against the armrest.
Grey raised an eyebrow.
"Is something wrong?"
"No, you're quite handsome. I think that one day, you'll grow into one of the most beautiful men I've ever seen," Lady Veronika replied calmly.
There was none of her usual playfulness in her tone. She spoke seriously, as if stating an obvious fact.
"Wouldn't I be the most beautiful?" Grey asked with a smile, trying to test his limits.
She smiled back and smacked her pink lips several times, as if trying to imagine what he would taste like in the future.
Seeing that casual gesture, Grey felt a jolt of electricity run through his body. He had absolutely no idea how she managed to pack so much unspoken meaning into such a careless movement.
Her talent for seduction was simply beyond anything he'd ever seen. All it took was for him to lower his guard and relax a little, and this wicked woman would seize the opportunity.
"Perhaps..." Lady Veronika drawled. "You have the potential, but you're still far too inexperienced. Tell me, are you willing to acknowledge me as your master?"
Grey awkwardly cleared his throat. He had absolutely no idea how their casual flirtation had suddenly turned into something else. It wasn't that he looked down on Lady Veronika, but for several reasons, he had no intention of accepting her offer. So he replied playfully:
"I didn't know you had such peculiar... fetishes."
The moment he uttered the last word, he immediately covered his head with his arm, trying to block the jug flying toward him.
Lady Veronika's gaze was so furious that it seemed capable of burning holes through his clothes.
"Brat, I'm being completely serious, so you'd better listen carefully," she gritted out through clenched teeth.
"You're very talented, and I'll admit that. But you're still a cripple, and you don't understand how innate charm can be converted into actual power. All priestesses of the Goddess of Love are entitled to learn these techniques, but only women can become priestesses. Of course, teaching outsiders is strictly forbidden. That's why I intend to become your master and establish a master-disciple relationship between us. Do you understand what I mean? Do you realize what kind of advantages I'm offering you?"
"The seduction techniques I'm going to teach you might not allow you to fight your enemies directly, but you'll be able to manipulate women many times stronger than yourself with ease, relying on your charm."
"Take your pretty face, add a few coquettish gestures, adjust the pace of your speech, and most women will consider it an honor to become your playthings. And if you learn charm magic, your life will become much easier."
Lady Veronika fixed Grey with a piercing gaze, making it clear that she was serious and would tolerate no jokes.