My doubts were not ill-founded: they were literally on the mark. "Wee to my humble abode."


    We had arrived in his chambers. It was kingly if nothing else.


    "I thought we''re going to see some art?" I still had a smile on.


    Oh, shit.


    But I did expect this to happen sooner orter. Definitely not this soon though.


    "I have art right here," he said yfully as he unzipped his pants. This guy had patience issues. Scratch that. This guy had a hell amount of issues.


    But my mission was aplished as it was. The decoy mission and the whole n itself was a decoy. I never trusted anyone of them, not even Susan. After being betrayed countless times, I didn''t have the luxury to trust someone I just met, even if they were from my world.


    And now I have the perfect hostage.


    Beforeing here I checked my ring, and I still had my cane, and though I didn''t know how to use it, I could certainly break a bone or two with it.


    This yboy won''t know what hit him.


    "Oh, how artistic," I winked, closing the door and locking it. But there was nothing artistic about it though. He was hairier than the amazon jungle.


    The two of us walked closer and when our eyes met, I looked away bashfully. He might have mistaken it as embarrassment. But I was just disgusted seeing his vulgar smile.


    I wrapped my hands around him and he started to massage my bosom with his face. It felt weird and tinkled. But I didn''te here for pleasure hunting. I was on a mission. My eyes burned with anger and disgust.


    I clenched my teeth and poured mana into the ring.


    The time has finallye.


    Meanwhile, he was yfully unzipping my dress.


    How about-


    I removed my bangle and he stopped. He stuttered and moved like a badly oiled machine as he looked up.


    Did my t chest startle you?


    "Surprise!" I shed a rather dashing grin. The best one I could aplish.


    Before he could react, I hit his head with the cane so hard that blood frenzied out. I gasped and panted. Boy was maintaining that farce took a lot out of me!


    He let out a shriek and fell on the ground with his hands on his head. He hadn''t passed out yet. Oh, and his jungle''s one and only tree had risen.


    "Maybe you should think this through the next time." My heelnded on his jungle and stuff happened.


    He screamed hard and went to dreand. It wasn''t enough to kill him but I was pretty sure he wouldn''t be moving around anytime soon.


    It felt good.


    "My- my lord. Is everything alright?" A soldier knocked on the door. I gulped.


    Isn''t that a bit too soon?


    "It-its fine." They must have been by the door this whole time.


    "Open the door! Who are you!"


    I tried mimicking his voice but the guard saw through it immediately. I guess I should have been a little more realistic.


    The hell am I doing?


    I really needed to get my shit together.


    I tried lifting the guy''s body but he was heavy. And my wounds weren''t helping. Maybe I shouldn''t have hit him so hard?


    No matter how I thought about it, things were pretty bad for me. The number of shouts increased. The guards kept on knocking and tried to break in. The door was pretty solid but it wouldn''t havested another minute. I had to think of something- something fast.


    I sighed.


    I really didn''t want to waste anything on you. Suppose I have no choice.


    I fed the duke a little of my potion and he started to regain consciousness. Upon opening his eyes he stared at me nkly. He must have not fully awoken or did I hit his head a bit too hard?


    "Lady Daphne? What am I doing on the floor?" He stuttered with every word. The concussion must have been a little too much for him.


    I almost wanted to feel bad for the poor guy, but I didn''t have sympathy for such sleazebags.


    I didn''t have the luxury to fondle around with words either. "Stand up!" Imanded and he obliged with a terrified face. My cane still had fresh blood on it. He seemed to understand what it meant.


    "So it was you. What did you do with thatdy?" I guess he was on the denser side.


    I was still in the dress. So it should have been self-exnatory. Was he really that dumb? "It''s none of your business."


    Speaking of the dress, it was already tight in mydy form and now, it was squeezing me a lot tighter than necessary: and tearing here and there. I looked worse than a certain crossdresser.


    The door sted open. From the looks of it, someone cast magic: fire magic to be precise.


    "Rewally? But now you''re a rat caught in a trap! I''ll mawke you regret it!" The colors seemed to return on the duke''s face: his speech didn''t.


    Did he seriously think a few measly soldiers would be enough to save him from me when he was in my point-nk range?


    And though I didn''t have weapons, I certainly still had my magic to rely on.


    But a secondter all his hopes turned to dread and all the colors drained from his face yet again as a beautiful elf walked into the room.


    "I figured that was you, "I said.


    "Well, after I saw you, I weighed my options. Besides, she helped me, "Lianne said. Susan entered right after her.


    Both Lianne and Susan stood by me. The duke shivered as he understood what was going on.


    "I believe this belongs to you?" Susan gave me my swords: both of them. Lianne handed me the knife. I guess it was also a symbol of our friendship. But did I really think of her as a friend?


    Honestly, I didn''t know.


    "Wh-what are you doing to the duke!" There was a group of soldiers just outside the door. They stared at us from the ming doorway. They weren''t dumb or brave enough to confront us directly. They already knew what they were dealing with.