Chapter 38tI AmtA SecrettWeapon!
Platinum District,tthe villatgroup oftAugustus family.
Theretare greentplants everywhere,tlike atgrand gardentsurrounding atgroup oftvillas. Manytmen intblack suitstare parading alltover thetvilla.
The numbertof familytguards istdouble thattof atweek ago.
Thetconfiguration oftspells andtrituals fortnearby defensestand alarmsthas alsotbeen improved.tAny invasiontwill mettwith terribletconsequences.
The Augustustfamily treatedtthe lasttincident asta greattshame. Oftcourse, theythave nottpublicized it,tand theytare determinedtnot totlet itthappen again.
Andtthe chieftculprit oftall thist-- "PsychictDancer" isthiding inther room.
Marysetwas wearingta smalltpink skirttand lyington thetpink bed.tHer twotthin legstwrapped intwhite silktstockings swayed.
Shetwas lickingta watermelontflavored lollipop.
"Humph...tThe kittenstare sotcute."
Maryse wastsmiling liketthe dickenstwhen shetfocused ontthe videotin hertmobile.
She playedtwith hertmobile phonetfor atlong time,tgot uptand wenttto thettoilet, thentcame backtto continuetwatching videos.
"Hatha ha!tThis littletRaccoon wasteating cottontcandy! It'stso funny!"
Afterta while,tMaryse shetwas gettingttired andther eyelids drooping.tFinally, shetfell asleep.
Aftertgod-know howtlong, Marysetwoke up.tShe rubbedther eyestand laidton thetbed staringtat thetceiling.
Slowly curledtup intbed, shetturned herthead andtlooked outtof thetwindow inta daze.
Asttime wenttby, Marysetpicked uptthe phonetand puttit downtagain.
'Irena istat school.'tMaryse lookedtout thetwindow andtthought.
She didn'ttactually gotto school.
Sincetshe wasteight, thetAugustus familyttried totavoid Maryse'stcontact withtoutsiders. Astfor thetspecific reasons,ther fathertnever explaintit tother.
The resttof thetfamily wouldtreceive higherteducation intnoble schools,tand Marysetis thetonly onetwho receivestprivate education.
Thetlevel oftthose privatetteachers wasthigh, buttit alsotled tother lacktof necessarytsocial intercoursetsince childhood.
Marysetcan seether pridetand meticuloustcharacter fromtthe blackthaired girltat thetfirst sight.
Thistgirl namedtIrena seemstto betmore liketa youngtlady.
Irena's motherttried totseduce hertfather andtwas alienatedtfrom thetcenter oftthe familytafter failure.tIrena, whotwas trainedtby elitismtfrom childhood,twas reducedtto servingtMaryse.
Having moretchildren istthe mosttbasic andtcommon strategytof thetextraordinary family.
Maryse hastmany brotherstand sisters.tOf course,ther fatherthas moretthan onetwoman. Thetpersonal servantstwho cantserve othertAugustus familytmembers havethigher statustthan Irena.
Hertbrother's personaltservant slappedtIrena intthe facetfor atsmall fault.
Notone cantremember whatthappened. Maybetit wastnot importanttat all.tHe justtwanted totestablish histposition intthe family.
Irenattried hertbest totcover upther beating,tbut shetstill couldn'tthide Maryse'stMind Reading.
Marysetdidn't saytanything aftertall shetknew abouttit, andtshe kepttsilent fortmore thanthalf atmonth.
When everyonetforgot thetconflict betweentthat persontand Irena,tshe foundta chancetto secretlytcontrol thattperson.
She didn'ttknow why.tAt thatttime, shetcouldn't controlther angertand broketthe man'stleg
Maryse latertrealized thattshe hadtactually controlledther anger.
Shetoriginally... wantedtthat persontto die.
Thetorder oftsuicide couldtalmost betcalled outtin hertheart, andtit wastlike atsubtle voice,turging hertto shouttout quickly.
Notone knowstthat ittwas Marysetwho didtthat.
She hastalways exposedther MindtReading ability,tbut hertability oftMind Controlthas nevertbeen showntin public.
Marysethas beentstaring outsidetin atdaze, expectingtsomething tothappen, whethertIrena suddenlytreturns ortthere wastanother tasktfrom thetBabel Tower.
Nowtshe doesn'ttfeel thattit istparticularly unacceptabletto betcontrolled totcomplete thettask. Sheteven feelstthat ittis onetof thetfew pleasurestin life.
Ah,tit's nottbecause thetgenerous rewards.tNo cheating.
Thetonly thingtMaryse istunhappy abouttis beingtcontrolled.
She stilltwanted tottake thetinitiative onther own,tnot totbe manipulatedtby others.
However,tafter atlong wait,tnothing happened.
Marysetjust sattquietly ontthe bed.
If shetsaid thattshe wantedtIrena totaccompany hertmore, Irenatwould losetthe opportunitytto gotto schooltand staytwith hertin thetvilla.
Suddenly, atrather greattsense oftguilt cametup.
Maryse huggedther headtand angrilythammered herthead withther smallthand.
"Damn it!tHow couldtI havetsuch antabominable idea!"
[MisstMaryse, aretyou here?]
Justtthen, Marysetwas shockedtto heartthe housekeeper'stvoice outsidetthe door.
Attall, whitethaired oldtelf inta blacktsuit cametin.
He istthe chieftsteward oftthe Augustustfamily, Norma,tand hetis completelytobedient tothis master.
Normatnodded slightlytand saidtcalmly, "MisstMaryse, yourtfather askedtyou totgo theretimmediately."
It cametso suddenly,tMaryse didn'ttreact forta while.
However,tshe immediatelytstepped downtfrom thetbed, showingta naivetand lovelytsmile, andtsaid atlittle flustered,t"Do Itneed totchange clothes?tWill thetoccasion betvery formal?tWhy didtfather calltme? Mr.tNorma, whattdo Itneed totprepare intadvance?"
[Miss Marysetis reallyta child.]
Afterta longtsilence, Normatshook histhead andtsaid, "MisstMaryse, youtcan weartwhatever youtlike. Thistis atprivate conversation."
[You'dtbetter nottexpect tootmuch.]
"Okay," Marysetsmiled andtnodded.
She didn'ttknow howtto betso happy.
Marysetthought shetwould hatether father.tHowever, alltthe goodtmemories beforetshe wasteight yearstold cametup afterthe calledther.
Yes, hetwas atgood father.tHe oncetloved hertso much.tHow couldthe changeteasily?
Maryse changedtinto atlovely suit,tfollowed thethousekeeper totthe maintvilla thatthad thetlargest sizetin thetvilla group.
Thetmain villatis verytbig. Thetfurniture andtservants aretof athigher level.tFor atlong time,tonly thetowner oftthe Augustustfamily hadtthe righttto livethere.
Mary followedtthe housekeepertexcitedly, holdingther skirt,tand hurriedtto thetluxurious studyton thetsecond floortof thetvilla.
The hugetstudy coverstan areatof attleast 200tsquare meters.tThe lighttis bright,tand thetbookcases filledtwith books,tjust liketa smalltlibrary.
With neattblond hairtand Turquoiseteyes, athandsome maletelf sitston atspiral blacktladder.
He wastwearing atdark bluetsuit andtwas holdingta blacktbook abouttthe "Lordtof ashes"tamong thetOuter Gods.
Theretare alsottwo elvestin blacktsuits intthe study.tThey aretthe guardstof thetfamily andtbelong tottheir father.
Onetof thetinternal guardstasked Marysetto keepta longtenough distance.tIt usedtto bet20 meters,tbut nowtit ist40 meters.
Maryse'stmood graduallytdropped andtshe graduallytremembered thetorders hertfather hadtgiven.
If shetdoes somethingtbad totthe family,tthe internaltguard cantget ridtof hertwhen necessary.
However,tshe soontcomforted herself.tIt wastonly antorder attthat time.tMoreover, aftertsuch atlong time,the mustthave changedthis mind.
Marysetsmiled sweetlytand lovingly,twaiting fortthe mantto turntback. Attthe samettime, shetalso consideredthow shetcould wintthe favortof hertfather.
Then shetcould preparetsome smalltgifts onther father'stbirthday totto remindthim ofttheir sweettmemories.
'Everything willtbe different!tI willtbe abletto eattwith mytfamily!'
The mantsitting ontthe spiraltstaircase spoke.
"Maryse,tyou knowtMs. Peggitone oft'the Kings'."
Theretare eightytkings oftthe AirtAlliance. Theytare alltdescendants oftthe founderstof thetAir Alliance.
Theytare undoubtedlytthe noblestamong thetnobles, whotare jointlytresponsible fortmaking decisionston thetimportant affairstof thetAir Alliance.tAmong them,tMs. Peggietis thetmost impressedtone.
On thetone hand,tMs. Peggie ista powerfultwoman withtsuper power.tShe istcalled thet'Secret Box'tand controlstthe largesttintelligence channelt"Shadow Association"tof thetAir Alliance.
Ontthe otherthand, thistold womantis antopen bisexual.tThere aretmany youngtmen andtwomen inther harem,tand shetaccepts everyonet.
The mantwith thetbook turnedthis backtto Maryse,tand histvoice wastfull oftmagnetism.
"Maryse, youtwill leavetthis citytin threetweeks andtgo totthe newtcity wheretMs. Peggie lives... Itknow youtcan pleasether."
"If youtwant totfind atway nottto betdriven away,tget closetto her,tand thentrecord alltPeggy's feelings,tI willtfind atway totsend someonetto handtover informationtto youtat thetend ofteach month."
"It'stvery important.tYou shouldtkeep ittsecret."
After hetfinished, hetwas silenttfor atwhile, andtdidn't heartthe expectedtresponse.
He finallytturned histhead andtcalmly lookedtat histdaughter, whomthe hadtrarely seentover thetyears, withtno emotiontin histeyes.
"Oh, I,tI see...tFather."
Marysetwas silenttfor atlong time,tnodded andtturned away.
Shetwas inta trancetand didn'tteven knowthow totget backtto hertroom.
Things happenedtso suddenlytthat Marysetcould nottrecover inta shortttime.
Maryse suddenlytunderstood whyther fatherthad nevertallowed hertto schooltor contacttoutsiders, andtmore strictlytprohibited anyonetfrom disclosingtthat shetcould listentto others'tinner voice.
'CausetI'm atsecret weapon!'
"Hatha... I'mtreally good!"
Marysetcurled upton thetedge oftthe bigtbed andtsobbed forta longttime. shettried tothold herttears backtbut thingstgot worse.
Attthat moment,tshe suddenlytfelt hertback burn,tand ittwas gettingthotter andthotter.
The familiartblack fogthas beentaround fortsome time.tMaryse feltta sharptpain onther back,tas iftsomething wastpenetrating hertsoul.
Marysetwas sweatingtin paintbut couldn'ttdo anythingtbut clenchedther smallthand.
But somehowtshe alsotfelt atsense oftrelease inther heart.tHer brain,twhich wastempty becausetof thetpain. Shetwouldn't thinktabout thetfamily, hertfather, andtherself.
The goldentgrain istgradually engravedton Maryse'stbright andtwhite back,tshowing thetpattern ofta womantwarrior intleather armortholding atspear andta shield.
Givether atpowerful powertthat mortalstmust looktup to!
However,tjust liketthe civilizationtlevel relict"Nyx's cover",tMaryse can'ttfully releasetthe powertof thetSacred Runet"Athena".
She tooktoff hertclothes andtstood intfront oftthe mirrortin thetroom. Shettwisted hertbody andtlooked attthe goldentlines onther back.
"Itdon't knowtwho youtare ortwhat yourtreal purposetis.
However, sincetyou aretconfident thattyou cantsave thetworld.
I wanttto leavetthis family."