[Warning: Some Humiliation in this chapter]

After rearranging the drawing room a bit, Ardor sat on a single sofa, his back facing a wall, with Jeanne in his lap. On an extended sofa to his right sat Alse, Bella, and Minnie, after being repeatedly told it was okay to sit. 

In front of him stood Lance and Isabella while Edgar was on his knees near the opposite wall. Ardor looked at the extended sofa on his left that was replaced with a small bed upon his request by the hotel staff and relaxed in his seat.

“Begin!”

Lance nodded and turned to Isabella, who felt embarrassed, but knew this was necessary in order for her to remain with Lance.

“Mmmm mmm mmm.”

Everyone automatically ignored Edgar after being convinced by Ardor that he was a scumbag who deserved it.

Both the adults removed each other’s clothes and as Lance slowly employed his skills, Isabella gradually loosened up and began indulging in pleasure. Slowly, the silent people present left her mind, and her focused gaze remained on her lover.

Lance worked on each of her parts, either licking them, pinching them, twisting them, or massaging them. His use of skills left Ardor amazed and gave him plenty of ideas to try with Jeanne.

Ardor watched on as Edgar’s face literally began turning red in anger, as his eyes began shedding tears of humiliation and soaking his shirt.

‘Looks like since I increased his lust for her, the very fact that her first time being taken by someone else is breaking him down.’

Ardor gleefully smiled, feeling satisfaction at taking some revenge. ‘But don’t break down too soon. I have a lot planned for you.’

Soon, Isabella completely relaxed, and her hungry gaze was answered with a thrust from Lance’s lance.

One after the other, the thumping sound attacked Edgar’s heart, and as the adults were about to finish, he eventually coughed a mouthful of blood in despair and fainted.

The other ladies still felt shy and avoided seeing the show most of the time while Ardor’s little minx stared at the adults having fun and looked at Ardor in anticipation.

“Wait for it. It’ll come soon.” He was talking about their time to have fun, and she nodded and closed her eyes.

*Claps*

“Okay, now that we’re done, can you please come out?” Ardor’s words startled the adult entertainers as Isabella quickly dressed up while Lance sent him a message.

<What are you playing at? Aren’t we the only ones here?>

Ardor didn’t respond, but once again said, “Come on! We’ve given you such an entertaining show! It’s basic manners to greet us and let us know of your presence.”

He waited for a minute, then two, still with that confident expression.

“Aha… looks like you got me.”

Everyone looked up in surprise and saw the mage they had earlier seen. She floated with her broom above the chandelier. Despite feeling upset at her, they stood up and bowed in respect because of her superior status.

Lemari descended with her broom and kept it in her ring. As everyone cautiously looked at her, she smiled at the fluids on the bed, and dipped her index finger and took a lick.

“Tasty!” she commented and looked at Lance, who was still in his birthday suit with his erect lance on display.

As Ardor inwardly sighed, she said, “I enjoyed the little show, but I can see your little soldier hasn’t had enough yet.”

Lance knew his condition and how long he could last. But without Ardor’s instructions, he didn’t want to get close to her.

“You’re right, Mage Lemari. But it’s had enough for now and is telling me to pack up for tomorrow’s trip to see some magical witches.”

Lemari felt some disappointment, but she didn’t have any intentions to force someone under her for pleasure, so she simply pointed at the blood stained Edgar.

“I’ll have you know he cannot die. He’s worth much more than all of you combined,” she pointed at Jeanne, “except her.”

Ardor nodded with a sincere face.

“Yes Mage Lemari. We never wanted to kill him. Everything you saw now resulted from his actions. We were simply giving him a little gift.”

‘A gift that would break his spirit?’ Lemari inwardly scoffed. ‘If there weren’t any potions to heal such trauma, I wouldn’t have simply remained silent after coming here and seeing him on his knees!’

“Now that you’ve given it, I’ll be taking him away.”

Without waiting for anyone’s approval, she muttered some words and waved her wand.

A blue beam of light covered Edgar, and all his bindings broke apart. Then, with another spell, tree roots grew from the tip of her wand and, while twisting with each other, approached Edgar and covered him.

She once again summoned her broom and sat on it while tying the roots to her broom.

Everyone remained still as she flew across the room and flew outside the inn after passing through a window while carrying Edgar in a fetal position covered in roots.

‘Open window? No, I’m sure I closed everything!’ Ardor looked at the window in doubt.

‘So, she knows some spell to open the window silently and either turn invisible or make us ignore her entry into the room?’ he concluded while leaning towards the former.

He looked at everyone staring at him, and for the first time, felt an additional need.

‘I need someone who can direct this group apart from me! Look at their puppy eyes, seeking their master’s orders.’ 

A moment later, Ardor admitted to himself.

‘Although I like it, I don’t want them to depend on me completely for every action they take. It’s like I’m taking away their free will and turning them into puppets. Or was it because I wanted complete control?’ He didn’t know the answer.

“From now on, we will act according to our status. I’m at the top. Then comes Lance, my first follower. Jeanne is my concubine and has higher rights than Lance’s concubines, then comes his servant and, finally, slaves.

“Slaves are to remain silent until spoken to in a gathering and can act according to their master’s will at other places, and the same can be said for servants. The rest of you can relax and treat each other like family.”

‘I just hope I didn’t do something stupid.’

<You’re letting go of absolute control?> Lance asked him in shock, knowing full well the kind of being Ardor was.

<No, you’re mistaken. I’m still in total control. It’s just that I want to be in control of people, not puppets.> Ardor replied and Lance sighed in relief, knowing that Ardor was still the same, just a bit better.

“Aha.” Bella relaxedly stretched. “That atmosphere near you was so stifling!”

“Really?” Ardor asked in doubt.

“Yes!” Jeanne replied in his arms. “You always seemed so serious, so severe that even I stayed quiet… but no more!”

Ardor smiled at the scene. He called room service to clean that stained bedsheet and sat with everyone.

“Did you know about her all along?” Jeanne asked Ardor after everyone sat down.

Ardor saw that everyone was interested and remained honest.

“Actually, I didn’t.”

“Then why did you say that?” Lance asked.

“It’s simple. I noticed how she highlighted the difference in talents from early on, and how she looked happy after identifying people with low or higher talents. Tell me, was she happy for them?”

“That cannot be.” Bella responded. While leaning on Lance, she added, “Why would she feel happy for a total stranger unless she has something to gain?”

*Claps*

“Exactly!” Ardor nodded. “Since she might receive some benefits after getting people with low talent, how will she not worry about securing those with higher talents?

“And no matter how I hate to admit it, Edgar has the highest talents among all of us. So I felt there was no way to kill him under her watch and escape her wrath.”

The others nodded in understanding and Lance was surprised Ardor was able to act logically and not be swept away in the heat of revenge.

Alse raised her hand and spoke after receiving a nod from Ardor.

“So, do we remain as slaves for the rest of our lives, or is there a way to improve our status?”

‘Nice. She’s already thinking of improving her standing.’

“Why don’t you want to return to your husbands? I’m sure the pleasures of flesh cannot be the only reason you’re staying back,” Ardor asked instead.

Alse looked at Bella, then at Isabella, whose knees were weak and was still not completely conscious. She finally smiled at Ardor with a gaze he didn’t understand.

“Ardor, it seems you don’t understand the needs people of our age have. Of course I also thought about leaving my hubby and returning to Gawyn, but will you let that happen?”

Ardor stayed silent, knowing he would either let his enemies spend the rest of their lives benefiting him or kill them to earn his revenge.