As Devi and Prata entered the dining room, all eyes turned to them, including Bara's. He gazed intently at the presence of his parents in this world, but even so, he couldn't feel the same longing or warmth as when he spoke with Terra. It seemed that in this life, he still couldn't consider his new parents as his true parents.
Devi possessed a gracefully refined and symmetrical facial structure. Her straight nose, high cheekbones, and well-defined jawline conveyed both kindness and authority, a face that made someone have to look twice to ensure the beauty they saw was a reality.
She had the typical tiger werebeast hair color, a black-orange ombre that overlapped, resembling a two-toned waterfall. Like other women in this world, Devi's hair was cut short, just above her ears, but thick, curly waves adorned her head, making Bara imagine the beautiful, flowing waves if they were to grow longer.
She wore a brown turtleneck that clearly accentuated her chest, showcasing the physical form of a tiger werebeast woman where a flat chest was a rarity. With lightning speed, Bara managed to determine the bra size that suited Devi – G.
Bara's gaze then shifted to the handsome man walking behind Devi. Prata had soft and inviting facial features, looking like a friendly librarian guiding someone to the bookshelves with a warm smile. However, his face was currently wrinkled as he looked at Bara, especially the open-chested outfit he was wearing.
Like Devi, Prata had black-orange ombre hair cascading down in loose waves to his mid-back, with a few streaks of lighter tones adding a touch of natural highlights. His sun-kissed complexion, a natural tiger werebeast skin tone, appeared reddish under the polar-themed dining room.
Prata wore regal and intricately designed garments that looked magnificent yet maintained his natural elegance. Flowing silk sarees adorned with symbolic patterns and vibrant colors draped elegantly over his figure. His clothing wasn't revealing, only slightly showing his skin, but it clung tightly to his physique, making him look both sexy and elegant.
Bara also noticed the earrings dangling from Prata's ears and other accessories like gold bracelets and necklaces. Each piece symbolized the grandeur of the wealth possessed by the Mahendra family. The importance and high status of the man within the family were what Prata was displaying at this dinner.
Prata made Bara, dressed in a revealing gown, look like a cheap whore. Bara didn't mind because he had to act like a whore this time, but it made Prata's face flush with restrained anger.
"Good evening, Father, Mother!" Bara stood up from his chair, greeting Prata and Devi.
"Good evening, my son," Devi's smile radiated, her eyes continuously fixed on Bara from head to toe as if licking him.
"Hmm," Prata merely nodded, seemingly indifferent to his son's greeting.
"You look very handsome tonight, Father," Bara complimented with a fake smile.
"Hmm... and you look..." Prata's lips lifted slightly, attempting a smile, but he frowned again when he saw Bara's attire. "Who chose this outfit for you?" he asked curtly.
"Ah, Alex selected it, Father, but I approved it," Bara replied.
"What? Why did you agree to wear something so revealing? Didn't I tell you not to choose outfits that expose too much skin? If you want to draw attention, just show your fur pattern; there's no need to reveal your skin! What you're wearing now makes you look like a cheap slu—"
"Enough!" Devi cut off Prata with a slightly raised voice. She shot a threatening glance at her husband. Seeing this, Prata fell silent, and a visible pain appeared in his eyes, but his strong heart only made him snort and walk toward his chair.
Devi approached Bara and gently stroked his hair. Although Bara tried to think that Devi was just showing motherly affection, her flaring nostrils and reddened face told a different story. Her eager eyes stared at Bara's exposed chest and handsome face. Once again, Bara felt like he was being licked by that gaze.
"You don't need to listen to your father's words, okay? You look very handsome tonight, my son, and I'm very proud of you!" she said, her hands not only caressing his hair but also his back.
"Thank you, Mother! But Father is right; my outfit is a bit revealing, and I didn't know tonight's theme was the Arctic. Maybe I should change because I'm starting to feel cold," Bara quickly stepped back from Devi's hands, which were now starting to reach his buttocks.
"Ah! You don't need to do that! Your outfit is already excellent!... Oi! Quickly change the dining room theme!" Devi snapped at the servants who were standing silently behind.
The servant who had tried to speak with Bara earlier replied, "Ah, but My Lady, the Arctic theme was Lady Amara's request."
"What? Since when did Amara become the owner of Karambit Mansion? Quickly change the dining room theme to a warmer one! Do you value her words more than mine?" Devi squinted her eyes with dissatisfaction at the servant's response.
"Ah! It's not like that, My Lady, but—"
"You still haven't carried out my orders! [Gravity Claw]!" Devi's face suddenly turned red, and her hand rose into the air. The unfortunate servant's body seemed to be pulled by an invisible thread, and her neck fell into Devi's grip.
"How dare a servant like you defy my words!" growling came from Devi's throat.
"Ah... no... I don't dare... My... Lady... Please... I'm... Sorry!!" The restrained servant tried to squirm, attempting to release Devi's grip on her neck.
However, the vast difference in their strengths made her efforts futile. Devi's large hand held tightly onto her neck, and with reddened eyes, she strengthened her grip.
"It's too late!"
*Crack!
Like a puppet with its strings cut, the servant's body immediately wilted, and the light disappeared from her eyes. Devi threw the lifeless servant's body away as if tossing out trash. She stared at the remaining servants with a cruel look in her eyes.
The servants shivered in fear with trembling knees. Despite their pale faces, they forced their bodies to stand tall, as they had been trained to do.
"Is there anyone else who will defy my orders?" Devi said coldly.
"No, My Lady! We will quickly change the dining room theme!" the servants replied in unison.
"Do it then! Make it fast; Bara is feeling cold!" Devi said flatly, her eyes glancing towards Bara as if expecting praise from him.
"Yes, My Lady!" The servants immediately busied themselves changing the dining room theme as if they had just been granted amnesty.
The incident happened so quickly that Bara didn't have time to respond. From start to finish, he could only remain silent, watching the servant lying lifeless. Although Bara had seen death many times, this was the first time he had seen someone die just because of a wrong room theme.
"Baralyn, are you okay? Just relax; the room temperature will be warmer soon," Devi said, stroking Bara's arm.
A chill sensation crawled down his spine. Bara's face turned pale instantly, but he managed to control his facial expression to make it difficult to discern. "I'm fine, thank you, Mother," he replied before quickly sitting down again, avoiding Devi's hands that were now beginning to reach his buttocks.
Devi also sat down in the chair next to Bara. "Baralyn, you don't need to worry about those servants. I know you have a tender heart, making you easily sympathize with trash like them. But you still have to show them their place, blah, blah, blah..."
Bara wasn't focused on listening to what Devi was saying to him. He just nodded occasionally, smiling now and then, but his mind was flying everywhere. Basically, at this point, he began screaming loudly in his mind.
I AM SO FUCK UP!!
Devi continued to rant about the insignificance of the servant she had just killed. The mother-son interaction was complemented by occasional sexual advances from Devi and Bara skillfully maneuvering to avoid them.
Suddenly, the dining room door swung open loudly, and three women entered. Bara's eyes instantly shifted towards them and the same was also true of Devi, not accompanied by the unhappy frown on her forehead. Each of them had distinct features, but the only word to describe them collectively was captivating. They were Amara Mahendra, Priya Mahendra, and Anika Mahendra.
Although the three of them looked very similar, telling them apart was not difficult. Aside from their different dressing styles, their body proportions were the clear distinguishing factor. Amara had a body that could be described as too well matured, with proportions of bust and buttocks inversely proportionate to her small waist. These factors made her towering figure of over two meters appear shorter from a distance. With full lips, Amara embodied the essence of bombastic.
She had high cheekbones, a straight nose, and a well-shaped jawline. Unlike Devi, Amara's hair was quite long, adorned with subtle, elegant accessories. Despite initially having short hair like most women in the world, Amara had let her hair grow and diligently cared for it.
Amara didn't wear long pants that covered her knees; instead, she opted for tight leggings, accentuating her hips and lifting her ample buttocks. Although she was often ridiculed by other women behind her back for her appearance, Amara didn't mind because this look was the result of the information Alex had obtained.
Even without his Blood Master's memories, it seemed Baralyn still preferred the look of women from his previous world over the current one.
Following alongside Amara was Priya, Bara's cousin, whom he rarely encountered compared to Anika. Priya had a face similar to Amara's but with more rational body proportions. However, it couldn't be denied that her fur pattern was exceptionally beautiful, making some male werebeasts envy her.
Priya had a cold and distant demeanor, but her eagle eyes still hinted at intriguing secrets. Her lips were sealed thin, rarely displaying a smile, always appearing as a woman with a serious demeanor. This was in stark contrast to her mother and sister, known for being playful and approachable.
Perhaps because of her cold demeanor, Baralyn was hesitant to approach her. Nevertheless, for Bara, Priya seemed like an innocent girl trying to hide her awkwardness behind a cold facade. Once again, it triggered his dominating instincts slightly.
She wore formal attire, a black suit over a white shirt, paired with trousers and black dress shoes, exuding a dark aura. Her eyes occasionally glancing towards Bara and then looking down, emitted an air of awkwardness. Bara even felt like Priya had never been in a relationship with a man before.
Behind the two of them was Anika, who had changed her clothes from when they last met. Strangely, she was now wearing a bio-suit transformed into armor mode, complete with a sword slung across her. Bara didn't understand what this girl was thinking, but clearly, she was trying to convey something. Perhaps their recent conversation led Anika to draw some peculiar conclusions.
Amara and Anika spontaneously walked toward where Bara was standing, while Priya appeared hesitant to follow her mother and sister. She lowered her head and walked toward her seat. Bara had already stood up to greet his aunt and cousin, but before he could speak, Devi rudely interrupted.
"Amara, what do you mean changing the dining room theme to Arctic? Are you starting to dare manage Karambit Mansion now?" Devi snorted, stopping Amara from approaching Bara.
"Ara?" Amara tilted her head to the side with a small questioning smile. Her seemingly innocent eyes added to the charm of her beautiful face. The sudden movement made the seductive curves of her body tremble.
Although Alex was an annoying person, he was a brilliant spy.
"What?" Devi squinted at Amara, her face wrinkling with disgust. Perhaps for Devi, witnessing Amara's behavior was like seeing a sissy guy.
"I just want to have a beautiful dinner with the rare sight of the aurora. If you don't like that theme, you can simply ask the servants to change it to another theme, right? Isn't that simple? Would any servant dare to defy the orders of the Mahendras?" Amara said with her usual innocence.
Devi was taken aback by Amara's nonchalant response. She swallowed the words she wanted to say; it seemed the essence of those words was about Bara feeling cold. Perhaps at this moment, she thought the issue was trivial and not worth magnifying. However, the problem became significant when Devi killed the servant just now.
The problem was not about killing a servant; for the Mahendras, a servant's life was easily replaceable. The issue was Devi displaying her arrogant and quick-tempered attitude toward Bara. If seven-year-old Baralyn witnessed the murder in front of him, he might not feel scared, but he would, at least, be uncomfortable. Thus, Baralyn's judgment of Devi would drop a bit, making him keep a distance from a woman who was impulsive and emotional.
Bara began to realize the anomaly he had noticed earlier. If Amara was the one arranging the dining room theme, then why did Alex choose revealing clothes for him? He, who felt cold during dinner, would blame Amara for choosing the Arctic dining room theme. But it turned out that Amara had planned to change the dining room theme from the beginning.
The servant who was just killed was likely Amara's person. Perhaps, if Devi didn't lose control, she would continue to refuse Devi's order to change the room theme. But if Devi didn't realize that Baralyn felt cold, Amara would take the initiative to change the dining room theme. This way, she could show her concern to Baralyn and touch him. At the same time, she could demonstrate to Baralyn that Devi was not a woman who cared about him.
Bara applauded and gave a thumbs up in his heart with admiration.
Well played...
"YOU—" Realizing something, Devi's face turned red, but before she could release her anger, the voice of the guard outside the dining room was heard.
"Madam Sarala is entering the dining room!!"
With that, the entire family stood up erect, gazing toward the door.
is this on hiatus?