God-Tier Villain

Chapter 29: Chapter 29

In that moment, Victoria’s composure detonated entirely.

Soren struck while the iron was hot. "If you don’t want to wear it, I won’t force you."

"A shame, though, it’s a beautiful dress."

"Ah well. I suppose I’ll have to give it to some other woman..."

Victoria’s eyes flared, then eased, her hand shot out toward him, though she refused to look at him, staring fixedly ahead. "Give it here."

"You want it now?" Soren’s smile was faint and knowing.

"Mm..." She said nothing more, her heart pounding out a drumroll.

"Don’t force yourself."

"I’m not." She snatched the Emperor-tier dress out of his hand, as though one second’s delay would cost her the chance forever.

"It’s only putting on a dress, why should this Empress act coy about it?"

"I’ll change into it for you to see, right now."

The words came out breezy, her heart was lodged in her throat.

She had lost her mind, agreeing to change clothes right here, in front of Soren, judging by every sudden attack he’d launched so far, the man was absolutely going to seize the opening and strike.

But she didn’t dislike it.

"There’s still time to back out."

A faint, shallow smile curved Victoria’s mouth. "This Empress doesn’t fuss over trifles."

"But if you dare try anything dishonest, don’t blame me for turning hostile."

Soren knew the shifting weather of Victoria’s heart like the back of his own hand.

She was about to change clothes with him in the room, with no idea whether he would pounce midway, that live-wire tension was itself half the strategy.

"Turn around," she said, working hard to sound calm.

Soren shrugged and obediently complied, behind him came the soft rustle of fabric, though what stage things had reached, he couldn’t tell.

What he could tell was that this was a prime opportunity. If he did nothing at all, his seventy-five million became a donation.

He let a moment pass, then he used instantaneous movement and appeared directly in front of her.

"What are you doing!"

"I knew it, you absolutely harbored ill intentions!"

Victoria scrambled to cover herself, flustered beyond salvage. In the next second, Soren gave a faint, cold smile and caught her wrist in an unbreakable grip.

He still needed to intercept Grant, and soon, so he had no intention of lingering, he controlled the tempo with precision.

He did nothing truly beyond the pale, but he left three or four bite marks along that jade-white neck and lower, where no outsider would ever see, crisp, unmistakable marks, like brands that would not fade.

Victoria slumped into the soft chair like a punctured balloon, glaring at him through humiliation and fury.

"Shameless bastard!"

"And to think this Empress trusted you."

"And you... you did such outrageous things to me."

Soren admired the lingering daze on her face. "Oh? I was under the impression you’d tacitly permitted it."

"Who tacitly permitted anything?"

"If you hadn’t, why didn’t you push me off? You even wrapped your legs around my waist."

Victoria was so angry she was shaking.

"If you want me to take responsibility, I’m willing."

"Absolutely not. This Empress’s reputation took a thousand years to build, I won’t have a crowd of irrelevant strangers wagging their tongues behind my back."

"Ahem. Well, if you’re unwilling, forget I offered."

Soren checked the Strategy Encyclopedia, entirely unbothered, the tier Deep Affection and Righteousness had lit, fully and officially.

More than that, his methods had been forceful enough that even Absolute Loyalty had begun to give off a faint glow.

He had what he came for, that Victoria hadn’t reached Absolute Loyalty didn’t mean she would ever betray him.

It only meant that, weighed against Soren, her own life, or perhaps the whole of the Violet Jade Immortal Domain, still sat a shade heavier on her scales.

At Absolute Loyalty, Soren would outweigh her life, outweigh the entire Immortal Domain, crossing that final hurdle would likely take some tremendous act, at some critical hour.

"When did this Empress say she was unwilling?"

"I only feel that... things between us are moving too fast, I haven’t had time to catch up to any of it."

"Soren. I think we settle our relationship in private first, and make it public once you’ve broken through to Upper-Tier Demon Emperor."

"Two Upper-Tier Demon Emperors, an alliance of the strong, far fewer wagging tongues that way, what do you say?"

Soren agreed readily. "Works for me, I’ve no interest in being labeled a kept man either."

"And... when no outsiders are present, I can permit you to do some things, but nothing more excessive than today."

His entire strategy for her hung on one word, Dominance, and since the road demonstrably worked, it meant her words and her heart pointed in opposite directions, she liked being overpowered by him, she liked being conquered, inch by inch.

Seeing that he had no intention of agreeing, Victoria could only sigh in defeat. "Fine, first things first, Grant stays in my domain, permanently."

The two left the room, Bruce fell in behind them at once.

Elvis, finished with the post-auction affairs, came trotting up to see them off, his first glance landed on the dress Victoria was wearing, a beat of surprise, and then a great many things became clear in his mind.

Soren had bought that dress, and Victoria now wore it, several distinct marks stood out on Victoria’s neck, adding the signs together, Elvis understood everything perfectly.

Given that intimacy, the Commerce Guild’s dealings with Soren were certain to multiply, Elvis intended to leave an excellent impression.

At minimum, he could not afford to offend him.

Elvis also came bearing useful information, Grant had rushed out of the Commerce Guild the instant the auction closed, without pausing a single breath, but Elvis had already put a tail on him.

He offered up a circular disc with both hands, bowl-sized, etched with intricate formations, a dot of light blinking on its face.

A Breath-Tracking Compass, it paired with a bead the size of a fingernail, wherever the bead traveled, the compass displayed its precise direction and position, Elvis had planted the bead on the man tailing Grant.

Follow the light, find the target.

Elvis read a room no worse than Arnold did, and his speed of execution was formidable, Soren found himself genuinely satisfied with the man.

The dot moved at a modest pace, then stopped inside an ancient forest.