She found it incredibly cute how Rossie wasn't speaking and just was staring at the ring made of shadows that rested on her finger. It was almost as if the pink-haired girl had broken a circuit and wasn't even aware of how to breathe.

 

Actually, Elizabeth could feel waves of healing mana going around her girlfriend's lungs, so maybe she indeed wasn't even breathing at the moment. That was concerning.

 

"Rossie?" So Elizabeth prodded at her arm to make sure she was fine. "Are you okay? Was it in bad taste? I can take it bac-"

 

She didn't even manage to finish that sentence before Rossie hid her hand behind her "NO!" And screamed that at her while stepping back, "I mean, no. I'm okay...This is sweet actually, but...Does this?"

 

...Cute.

 

"Yes, I managed to make the skill as you can see from the blue screen, and yes. This ring will let you control me, I have sunk the [Shadow Threads] as deeply as it will let me." Elizabeth answered while prodding at the skill and finding the [Shadow Threads] she had created go as far as it could, she could almost feel them at the level of her [Soul] even. "Give it a spin, just promise me to be gentle."

 

And then, she [felt it], Elizabeth, she had thought that at this point she would be used to Rossie's mana, but this?

 

This was different, she almost felt a panic attack when her hand started moving on its own, and it must have shown on her since Rossie stopped it and said "Are you okay? We can stop it here if you want."

 

"No, it's okay. I need this, you are okay." Was what Elizabeth said, she wanted to get over with this too.

 

The memories of how her body stopped reacting to her will were still fresh, but this wasn't like how it had been with Ethan. That time the mana was hostile, cold, and aggressive.

 

This time? It was warm and gentle, it was the stroke of a loving hand surrounding her body and guiding it with care. She felt her hand moving once more, "It is interesting...I can feel your hand moving, as if it was mine. But I know it isn't my hand." And it seemed that the feeling was mutual. As Rossie made her hand grab hers.

 

Then her other hand started moving too, first slowly, then with care and precision it grabbed the pink-haired girl other's hand. Then she felt her feet start moving forward, her body stood in front of the pink-haired girl, and before she could even think of trying anything her body moved on its own and she felt herself kiss the pink-haired girl.

 

It was different this time, unlike how most of the time their kisses were slow and measured, this time it was an experience with her body out of her control, she could feel her mouth moving and adjusting to Rossie with more ease.

 

Her hands moved and explored the pink-haired body at the same time that the other girl's hand moved on her back, Rossie moved her body to adjust them at just the right spot, and even her tongue seemed to move at the pace Rossie dictated.

 

That had been interesting for however long it lasted.

 

"So, that was fun." Was the first thing Rossie said as she felt the intimate connection between their manas faded away. "Say...Can you do the same but on me?"

 

That...she hadn't thought about that, "I mean. I can, but why?" Asked Elizabeth.

 

She didn't... She didn't want for someone else to suffer [that] it was okay for now since she trusted Rossie, how could she not? But to use her [Skill] for something like that?

 

"Two reasons, first I trust you. So I want you to have proof of that, and a matching ring is a good way for it." Said Rossie with a smile as she kissed the ring she had made for her, "And second, I want you to make full use of your skill. That is a powerful one, maybe more so than what you think. But you don't intend to use it in anyone else do you?"

 

Rossie was sharp, as always. She hadn't meant for the skill to be used in anyone else. "Are you sure? This...I don't think I can you understand how deeply this will affect you, how [deep] my shadows will sink into you."

 

Did Elizabeth want to have such a deep control over Rossie?

 

[YES, DEVOUR, CONSUME, EMB-]

 

She ruthlessly crushed that thread of thought and took a deep sigh, did she want such deep control over Rossie? It would be a lie if she said No. Of course she wanted to have a connection that deep with Rossie.

 

"You mean how my [Soulscape] is embedded into yours?" Rossie said with a smirk, "Or how our [Mana] is almost fully meshed together, do you realize we have a closed loop of mana going? I don't think I could stop it even if I wanted."

 

And to make evident it, Rossie cast a spell that made the mana thread visible, it was a closed loop of mana, her azure mana leaving her body and going into Rossie. And Rossie's golden mana going into her body.

 

Her mana returned golden in color while Rossie's mana left as Azure-tinged mana.

 

"We are way past that point Elizabeth, this is just another step in our relationship, just like how my Mana is dormant within you ready to heal you at a moment's notice." And to make a point Rossie made a healing pulse from within her body. "And how you have [Shadow Minions] hidden within my shadow, ready to come to my help at a moment's notice."

 

....Had she been found out?

 

"[When did Rossie found you?]" Elizabeth asked to her Royal Guards dormant within Rossie's shadow.

 

"[We haven't shown ourselves, we suspect Mistress Consort suspects but has no proof.]" Was the answer she got back from the [Minions] within Rossie's shadow.

 

"I know they are there, even if they don't show themselves. You are too caring to not send them my way. Besides...It was obvious when I no longer felt the presence of that [Shadow Scout] near me after your last summoning spread... You managed to either [Upgrade] them or increase their power. And the first thing you did was send them my way didn't you?" Rossie was indeed too smart.

 

So lovely smart.

 

"...Yesh....Do you want me to take them back?" Asked Elizabeth ashamed, she was aware that what she was doing was the height of privacy invasion, Rossie was in her right to be angry at her or even ask for her to be punished for it. She had, after all, violated her trust by spying on her.

 

"Of course not. This is a proof of your love for me, why would I refuse it?" Was the answer Rossie gave her, "This is just an example for my point. I want you to have full control over my body, just like you granted me full control of you. This is a relationship of equals Elizabeth."

 

Rossie was....just too lovely!

 

"So? Can you let me give you a ring like this one too?" Rossie asked with her eyes full of conviction.

 

She...she...just couldn't win, could she?

 

"Fine, but whenever you want it broken you only need to either break the connection or flood my mana away." Said Elizabeth as she materialized another blob of shadows, this one without form, then with a flick of her will it flooded towards Rossie.

 

She felt as her shadow threads expanded all over Rossaline Singh's body, each curve, each nook and cranny of the pink-haired girl was being mapped, studied, and recorded as a three-dimensional image in her mind.

 

The shadow threads explored EVERYTHING of Rossie, and when they finished expanding, they started compressing.

 

"Hnng♥" It was but for a few seconds, but afterward they sank within the pink-haired's body.

 

Elizabeth was fully focused on that, and was totally not distracted by the cute and adorable moans ♥ Rossie was doing, she wasn't sure why the pink-haired girl derived pleasure from the experience. She was sure as hell she hadn't felt like that.

 

Either way, Elizabeth decided to just focus on where her mana was going and not where her hands wanted to go. So she steeled her mind and focused on her [Shadow Threads].

 

They sank deeper and deeper, she was getting a new full picture of Rossie's body, and she didn't like what she saw. Evidence of wounds that seemed to carve straight into the pink-haired's [Soul] all around.

 

She took this chance to use her shadow threads to close them and mend them wherever she could, and while doing so her shadow threads fused more and more with the pink-haired girl's soul.

 

She half suspected this was Rossie's plan all along, especially after she saw the smile on her girlfriend's face. Even while panting and with eyes full of desire she could see the glint of a plan that had worked.

 

"And there, it's done." Said Elizabeth as she felt the skill settle on the pink-haired girl's body. Just to give it a try she tried to retract the skill, but Rossie's mana was an iron grip over it that refused to bulge.

 

"Mine" And she could see the telltale of rampant mana in Rossie, as her eyes had shone with the heart motif after so long.

 

That was adorable.

 

"I mean, it is mine, no takes-backs." Rossie smiled as a ring made of shadows manifested on the palm of her hand.

 

Elizabeth of course was the one that prompted the skill to turn like that, but even so, she felt half of the mana in the ring was made of Rossie. Evidence was the fact that the ring instead of looking obsidian like the one she gifted Rossie, this one was silver in color with golden decorations and a heart ruby-like gem.

 

A stark contrast with the obsidian gem that Rossie used.

 

"Yes, this is perfect." Rossie smiled as she put the ring on her finger.

 

And even the smile on her girlfriend's face was brimming with happiness, "Give it a try." Said the pink-haired girl.

 

So she prompted the skill and felt euphoria as a new full set of senses assaulted her mind.

 

"HNNNGGG!" And it was almost strong enough to make her kneel over panting, it was a reflex on her part that allowed her to remain standing. As she prompted the skill to control her own body and remain standing, that was all that allowed her to remain standing.

 

Even as her face flushed red and she started panting while going over the new sensations that surfaced in her mind.

 

"Rossie?" Asked Elizabeth while half glaring at her girlfriend. "Care to explain...all of that?"

 

Rossie didn't seem to be troubled by that question, "Why what do you mean Eli-Eli?" And just smiled at her, she felt the body of her girlfriend wanting to move but being unable to, not while she held the reins over it, "This is quite thrilling isn't it?"

 

And with that, she felt another round of pleasure spread over her body, Rossie was getting off by her controlling her body. It was... it was...so...thrilling?

 

It was something all right, "Hnng....how...how do you contain all of this?" Asked Elizabeth panting, it was taking all her might to not let herself be consumed in the lust that her girlfriend seemed to live with.

 

"Why it's easy. So long you want to wait I will wait, I don't want you to hate me after all ♥" Was the answer that Rossie gave her.

 

And that was like a bucket of cold water dropping on her, all her feelings and emotions came to a halt on it. She was aware that Rossie felt a more [Strong] carnal desire towards her.

 

She was aware of what she did in the bathroom and while she was away from home in their shared bed, and with some of her dirty laundry. But to be stuck in the face with all of that [CRAVING] and [DESIRE], and then be told that she took control and reined herself in just because she didn't want to be hated?

 

That was....adorable.

 

Also, it made her realize how much Rossie controlled herself, she had thought that Rossie couldn't control herself while she fondled her body or grabbed her breaths while pretending to be sleeping. But if she felt like that?

 

Yeah, Rossie was controlling herself in, no doubt about it.

 

"So?" Her girlfriend spoke, "Can you move my body besides making me stay in place?"

 

Right, she was supposed to test it.

 

"Let me see..." And so Elizabeth prompted her shadow threads and felt the extra body move, it was... surprisingly easy to do, she could move Rossie around as if it was her own body, which was weird because she was aware that Rossie had a lower amount of [Agility] and [Dexterity] compared to her. "It is quite nice."

 

And while moving Rossie's body around she noticed her girlfriend was pouting. Now what was that about?

 

"You are just making me move around, don't you want to kiss me? Like I did to you?" Asked her girlfriend while pouting at her.

 

HOW CAN SOMEONE BE THIS CUTE?!?

 

"...I will not fall for that trap." Answered Elizabeth, she was barely restraining herself as is, she didn't want to know how Rossie felt while they kissed.

 

No sir, "Besides we need to prepare, work first...pleasure later." And so, she allowed the control over the pink-haired girl's body to disappear.

 

And with it, she couldn't help but feel a void in her heart as the waves of pleasure and warmth disappeared, she also felt relief, because she was sure that her heart couldn't go faster even if she wanted. If anything she was surprised that she hadn't suffered a heart attack from that experience.

 

"What did we learn?" Asked Rossie as she started stretching once she regained control of her body.

 

"That you are mad to be able to live like that." Said Elizabeth without waiting a second.

 

"Rude." Answered Rossie in a mock tone imitating her favorite phrase. "I'm quite normal I will have you know."

 

"Rossie, half your soul had tears that my [Shadow Threads] helped mend, and they seemed to be starved for healing since they closed without letting my shadow threads leave." Said Elizabeth with a scowl on her face. Also, they made it impossible for her to remove them without rupturing said wounds again.

 

"Oh...that." Said Rossie with a strained smile, "Yeah...I have been meaning to fix them, but my magic can't reach inside my own Soul. So thank you for helping me."

 

She wasn't able to reach inside her own [Soul]?

 

But...Then "You aren't able to heal your own [Soul]?" Asked Elizabeth with horror. She had thought that Rossie was able to do that! She had healed her [Soul], why couldn't she do the same for herself?!?

 

"No, [Soul Magic] requires fine control. I need to be able to see what I am fixing, so while visiting the [Soulscape] allows one to dwell within ourselves, treading the [Soul] is harder since that means traveling deeper within. I can deal with superficial wounds to the soul that spread to the [Soulscape] but anything deeper? I can't." Rossie started explaining, horror creeping more and more on Elizabeth's face. "It's like...Can you touch your own [Soul]? I don't mean the [Soulscape] but the most deep part within your [Self]."

 

"Yes." Answered in an instant Elizabeth, "I have done it before and I think I can do it again."

 

"...bad example. You are a [Genius] of course you could." Rossie sighed while smiling, she didn't seem to be angry, "Can you see inward?"

 

Seeing inward? "As in towards the [Soulscape] or [Soul]?" Asked Elizabeth for confirmation.

 

"No, no...as in turning your eyes back and looking at your brain." Was the impossible statement Rossie gave her.

 

"No one can do that." Answered Elizabeth, that was common sense after all.

 

"It's the same for [Soul Magic], unless you are able to rip apart your [Self] from your [Soul] no one can fix themselves, and even that would require you to be able to separate the [Soul] from the [Body] first. That just isn't something a normal person can do." Rossie added to her explanation. "So as to answer your question, no Elizabeth. I can't fix my own Soul."

 

...Damnation.

 

"And no, I will not teach you [Soul Magic]" Rossie added before Elizabeth could speak.

 

"But why?" Asked Elizabeth confused, wouldn't that solve everything?

 

"[Soul Magic] is a restricted magic, it requires either a [Soul] ravaged beyond reason, for one to be able to easily break parts of your [Self] and [Soul] to study...Or to do that to other people." Was the answer Rossie gave Elizabeth.

 

And she now understood why Rossie didn't want her to tamper with that kind of magic. She had souls to spare since every shadow dragon she summoned seemed to come with one...

 

But was she willing to [Break] them just to study and learn a new type of magic?

 

"[We are willing to serve Mistress!]" Her Royal Mages spoke into her mind as if ready and she felt them shift and move as they prepared to move forward.

 

Each and every shadow dragon within her [Shadow Haven] produced an octagon-like shining object that shone with white holy-like light. She understood immediately what it was...

 

She didn't know from where they got it or how they knew what she had spoken with Rossie, but she knew one thing "[Save those things. I will not break the souls of those that work for me]" She would not.

 

She would never do something like that. "Fine." So she would need to do the second-best thing possible. "But as soon as we find someone responsible or that we can trust you are getting your [Soul] checked over."

 

"Of course Eli-Eli!" Rossie answered, and then with a smile added "Besides it isn't something we need to rush, a [Soul] can be healed naturally, you just need the right treatment."

 

Oh right, she had gotten that information before too right?

 

What did her blue screen say?

 

[It is advised for the bearer of the title to enjoy soul-mending activities, such as enjoying the world, finding and doing love, and in general being a better person to the world]

 

Oh right, [Doing Love]...

 

"We will fix this together okay Rossie? Just...hang in there..." Right....the first time she read that it went over her head what it spoke about.

 

But now? Now she understood more what it meant...And why Rossie's body seemed to [crave] for physical contact that much... Elizabeth may not survive till she was eighteen at this pace...