Star sat facing the mirror as his hair was being combed out by the female handler who couldn’t stop blushing behind him.
[Your hair seems to have gotten longer,] Jezebel chid softly in his mind.
Star gave the smallest nod, careful not to move too much. A months had passed since the night of the poisoned petals. And Three months of playing the perfect consort has also passed. He had beco exactly what Lirien wanted attentive, seductive, emotionally supportive, and politically useful. Every smile, every touch, every whispered and gestured Acts of praise had been carefully calculated.
And tonight was the royal gala.
The biggest event of the year, according to Elara.
The handler finished brushing his silver hair until it shone like liquid moonlight and stepped back with a shy bow. "You look breathtaking, Lord Star."
Star offered her a gentle smile. "Thank you."
As soon as she left the room, he let the smile drop. His eyes hardened as he stared at his reflection.
[You have beco quite the actor,] Jezebel noted. [Even I am impressed with how well you have played this role.]
[And to think you did all these solo without my help, I feel quite useless]
"I had no choice," Star replied quietly. "But tonight everything changes."
"... probably" he added as the thought of failing surfaced but Jezebel imdiately chid in with her words of encouragent
[Be for real, that man is literally head over heels for you. You have succeeded Host. There’s no deny it]
"I hope so"
He touched the golden restriction bracelet on his wrist. It had beco lighter over the past month, but it still blocked most of his power. Jezebel’s voice had returned fully, but her abilities remained limited.
Tonight, he would make Lirien remove it, no matter what it takes. Just then a new set of handlers walked in with his clothes in hand.
He stood up and spread his arms for the fitting.
Lirien arrived shortly after the handlers finished dressing him. The prince wore formal royal robes in silver and gold, looking every bit the powerful heir to the High Elf Kingdom. His long moonlight hair was tied back neatly, but a few strands still frad his very sharp face. Which looked even more sharper now.
When he saw Star, his violet eyes softened with visible affection.
"You look perfect," Lirien said, stepping closer. He reached out and gently adjusted the midnight blue silk robe that clung to Star’s body, accentuating every soft curve. "No one at the gala will be able to take their eyes off you."
Star stepped forward and placed a hand on Lirien’s chest, looking up at him with warm, practiced eyes. "I only care about your eyes, Your Highness."
Lirien’s breath caught. Over the past three months, Star had slowly dismantled the prince’s emotional walls. He had listened to Lirien’s burdens, offered comfort during stressful nights, and used every bit of charm at his disposal to make the prince feel truly seen.
Lirien caught Star’s hand and held it tightly. "I have been thinking about this for a long ti. Tonight, before the gala begins, I want to give you sothing."
He reached for the golden bracelet on Star’s wrist.
Star’s heart raced, but he kept his expression soft and grateful. "Lirien... are you sure?"
He said trying to mask the growing warm excitent that welled up from his stomach into his throat and face.
"I trust you now," Lirien said quietly. "You protected with your life. You have stood by my side these past months without asking for anything in return. You have beco more than a consort to . You are soone I genuinely value."
He unlocked the bracelet with a soft click. The golden band fell away from Star’s wrist and clattered onto the table.
The rush of power was imdiate and overwhelming.
Star gasped as mana flooded back into his body like a broken dam. His senses sharpened. His strength returned. And most importantly, Jezebel’s presence exploded fully into his mind. It was so hard that he almost fainted.
[Finally!] Jezebel’s voice rang loud and clear, full of her usual teasing energy. [Three months of being muffled like so cheap side character. I was starting to get annoyed.]
Star had to fight to keep his expression neutral. The joy of having his full power back made his knees weak as hell. But he struggled so hard to stabilize himself.
Lirien mistook his reaction for emotion and pulled him into a deep kiss. When he pulled back, his eyes were intense.
"I have one more thing to ask," Lirien said. "After the gala tonight, I want to make our relationship official. I want to marry you as my partner. I do not care that you cannot give birth to an heir. This is a world of magic. Anything is possible. I just want you by my side."
Star smiled softly, though inside he felt nothing but cold calculation and a need for the man before him to exit .
"That is a big decision. I am honored, your highness. I will give you my answer during the gala tonight."
Lirien looked pleased. He kissed Star’s forehead one last ti. "I will see you at the entrance. Do not be late..."
".. please" he added imdiately. Star chuckled and waved at him as he opened the door and stepped out of the room.
As soon as Lirien left the room and the door closed, Star’s gentle expression vanished completely.
He flexed his fingers, feeling the full flow of mana coursing through him once again.
[Welco back to the land of the living,] Jezebel said cheerfully. [How does full power feel?]
"Like I can finally breathe," Star replied. His voice was low and dangerous. "Jezebel, we do not have much ti. The gala starts in two hours. I need a plan."
Jezebel’s tone turned serious.
[I have been analyzing our options while suppressed. The original plan of seducing ten different targets for SSS Rank skills is too risky and ti-consuming. Especially since you refuse to have sexual intercourse with them and that option cannot be pulled off technically too.]
Star nodded. "Exactly. I want power, not to beco a whore for it."
[Then we use a variant skill,] Jezebel said. [I have developed and unlocked a new branch of your power while you were playing house. It is called Appeal. A charm-type power that creates intense, hands-free ecstasy in the target. They will salivate, lose control, and sotis even orgasm on the spot just from your presence and a few targeted words. It works on most people, though stronger wills can resist it.]
Star’s eyes glead. "How many can I extract from at once?"
[Up to ten at the sa ti if you activate it properly. The gala is the perfect hunting ground. Nobles, mages, warriors many of them will have high-rank skills. You can drain them without ever touching them intimately.]
Star smiled darkly. "Good. That is exactly what I needed."
He looked at himself in the mirror. The midnight blue and silver robe made him look ethereal and deadly beautiful. His silver hair flowed down his back like moonlight.
[Rember,] Jezebel warned. [You still need to maintain the perfect consort act until the right mont. Do not let Lirien suspect anything.]
"I know," Star replied. "I will dance with him. Smile for him. Make him believe I am completely his. And while I do that, I will start collecting power from everyone else in the room."
He touched his now-bare wrist, feeling the full strength of his abilities surging beneath his skin.
For the first ti in months, Star felt truly excited.
Especially because this excitent was tied to the thought of eventually killing every single person who had treated him like a prize and that included the attendants of the gala.
***
The grand royal gala was in full swing when Star arrived at the entrance of the magnificent hall. Crystal chandeliers floated in the air, casting rainbow light across hundreds of nobles dressed in their finest attire. Music played softly as couples danced in the center of the room.
Lirien waited for him at the top of the stairs, looking proud and possessive. He offered his arm.
"Ready?" he asked.
Star smiled beautifully and took his arm. "With you by my side? Always."
As they descended the stairs together, every eye in the hall turned to them. Whispers spread like wildfire.
But inside Star’s mind, a different conversation was happening.
[Target acquired,] Jezebel said. [The tall duke on your left has an SSS Rank Fire Manipulation skill. Shall we begin?]
Star’s smile never wavered as he leaned closer to Lirien.
"Yes," he whispered under his breath. "Let’s begin."
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