Eros withdrew his hand from Natalia’s chin and rubbed his own, appearing deep in thought. "Makes sense! Let's do as you suggested then."

  With a wave of his hand, Eros released the bonds on the other three on the ground. However, he didn't forget to shroud Natalia in a layer of shadow. After all, such a "spicy" view wasn't something he’d let those two scruffy men witness.

  Finding herself free, Ayesha immediately lunged forward, desperate to save her mother. Natalia, catching this out of the corner of her eye, barked a sharp command: "Run! Don't worry about me!"

  The shout brought Ayesha to a halt. She bit her lower lip, her beautiful emerald eyes brimming with moisture, her delicate face a picture of pure sorrow. Watching this, Eros muttered to himself, Man, I really do feel like a major villain right now.

  "Go!" Natalia barked again. At her second command, Ricci and Onigo—the two men—were filled with a mix of grief, rage, and humiliation. Their teeth gnashed audibly, and their fists were clenched so tight the veins on their arms bulged.

  Eros gave a light cough and decided to stir the pot further. "If you want to stay and watch what happens next, I wouldn't mind."

  At this, Ricci and Onigo looked ready to explode. Fortunately, their reason suppressed their surging emotions. Taking a deep breath, they spoke in low voices to Ayesha: "Let’s go. This is the opportunity your mother sacrificed herself to create."

  Ayesha sniffled, a soft, tearful "Mhm" escaping her nose before she turned and bolted into the dark woods. Two crystalline tears rolled down her cheeks, falling toward the ground.

  Eros reached out and caught the two tears with a wisp of shadow before they hit the dirt. He suddenly had a lingering doubt: Did I take this joke a bit too far? It seemed he had. I’ll have to make it up to that little white rabbit tomorrow.

  Once the tears were safely tucked away, Eros released the shadow tentacles binding Natalia. He sat back on the thick tree branch and pointed to the spot beside him, his tone turning strangely indifferent. "Sit."

  Natalia stared at the "Remnant of the Night" before her. For some reason, his enthusiasm had suddenly vanished. After a moment of hesitation, she began to unfasten her clothes.

  Eros watched this scene unfold without stopping or urging her. Eventually, Natalia’s curvaceous figure was fully revealed under the silver radiance of the moon. Seeing that Eros still hadn't made a move, she gritted her teeth and proactively slid into his embrace.

  Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.

  Looking at Natalia, whose skin looked even more translucent in the moonlight, Eros asked with feigned surprise, "What are you doing?"

  The question left Natalia stunned. Wasn't this what he wanted? Why is he asking me back? Seeing her confusion, Eros added in an innocent tone, "I just wanted to get some information out of you. What are you all thinking?"

  Natalia opened her mouth, her mind screaming: I’ve already stripped and you’re telling me this?! All that drama just for some intel? She suddenly felt a violent urge to crush this man’s head. If only she weren't so hopelessly outmatched. This was the pinnacle of twisted humor. Her chest heaved with suppressed rage.

  Eros coughed awkwardly. "It seems my previous actions led you all to the wrong conclusion."

  Natalia squeezed a sentence through her teeth: "Then can I put them back on?"

  "Just leave it. Putting them back on wastes too much time, and my time is precious. Every minute only has sixty seconds," Eros replied casually.

  Natalia let out a cold sneer, as if anyone else’s minute had more than sixty seconds. Suppressing her indignation, she asked coldly, "What do you want to know?"

  "No rush. Sit properly first." Eros grabbed Natalia’s thighs and pulled her up so she was straddling his lap. Since they were on a tree branch with no support behind her, she instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck to keep from falling.

  Staring at Eros—whose face remained a blur even at this distance—Natalia took a deep breath. "What do you want to know?" Since resistance was futile, she would comply with his demands.

  After a moment’s thought, Eros asked, "What organization do you belong to?"

  "The Temple of the Silver Moon." This wasn't a secret that required hiding, so Natalia answered without hesitation.

  "Never heard of it," Eros replied, searching his memory.

  "You—" Natalia’s chest heaved again in frustration. After a while, she huffed, "Have you heard of the Moon-Worshipping Cult?"

  "Oh! You mean the scientists who wanted to prove the Earth is round?"

  "What?" Natalia was bewildered. Earth? Round? A ball is already round, isn't it?

  "Never mind. Wrong channel," Eros gave a dry laugh. He searched his mind for information on this world’s Moon-Worshipping Cult and actually found a match. "So you're the cultists who worship that evil deity, the Silver Moon Goddess?"

  "The Goddess is not an evil deity!" Natalia glared at him. How does a Remnant of the Night have the gall to call the Goddess an evil deity? Didn't he know that for the past tens of thousands of years, the number-one evil deity on the Croatian continent was his own ancestor?

  "Cough! My bad. That's just how the Church promotes it. Don't blame me."

  Natalia snorted again. But after a moment, her face turned bright red, and she glared at Eros with pure indignation. Seeing her expression, Eros coughed guiltily and changed the subject. "What are you trying to steal from the academy?"

  "Something very important to the Temple!" Natalia gritted out the answer, suppressing her shame. Since the answer didn't involve specific details, she didn't hide it.

  "If it’s so important to your 'Evil Moon-Worshipping Cult,' why did they only send a few Sequence 8s?" Eros was genuinely curious. In his eyes, sending such a team to rob the academy was basically a suicide mission.