Dorian sat with his arms and legs folded as he stared intensely at Tai Hun.

"So you're going to answer my questions then?"

"Yes~"

"..."

"..."

"Alright then, first question," Dorian raised a finger, getting ready to ask.

He was still contemplating why she would willingly accept so quickly.

He had planned to bribe her with money and other things most prisoners would want, but this worked too, in its own way.

At least, that was what he thought.

"I'll start with this: elves are highly intelligent creatures, introverted, and also very protective of their people. I refuse to believe you and the baron just waltzed into their forest and snatched them so easily. That sounds like a lie if you ask me."

Tai Hun nodded her head, though she didn't say anything.

Dorian continued, "The fact they refused to leave this barony, even though there is no security keeping them in, also begs the question: how did you capture them, and how did you do it?"

"The same way I saw how great of a person you are. With my illusion magic, I just had to put them in a loyalty trance and they did as I said. There was no abduction whatsoever."

Dorian listened, a slight frown forming on his face.

'So my theory was right. I figured this had to be the case after what happened in the theater with the nobles. Good thing I didn't visit the elves. Well, now that I know, I can see them with a cure, that is if this woman is even willing to lift it.'

"Are you-"

Before Dorian could complete his words, Tai had leaned forward on the table, her gaze slowly fixed on his lips as she tried to reach out and touch them.

Grab!

Dorian caught her hand. "What are you doing?"

Tai Hun smiled. It was a crazy smile, her eyes shifting from his lips to his hand—the hand which held hers.

"It's just as she said. Just a touch from you is enough to drive me insane. Ahh~ I thought she was exaggerating, but it's true."

Dorian narrowed his gaze. "She? Who are we talking about here?"

Glancing to the side, he could see Maria glaring at him from in front of the cell house, her arms folded with her back resting on the wall.

He tried to release his hold on Tai Hun, but she grabbed his hand back and pressed his palm to the side of her face.

When she did this, Dorian was instantly shocked, watching as Tai Hun closed her eyes, a slight moan leaving her mouth.

"Just having you on my cheeks feels so familiar, so warm. I feel cold all the time, but this… this warms my body so much."

'What the fuck is she talking about?' Dorian was so shocked he could only shift his body back, afraid of anything worse happening.

Even from a distance, he could tell Maria was losing her patience just observing from the front of the cell house.

Pa!

Dorian pulled his hand away.

"I don't know what you think you'd accomplish by doing this, but if you don't answer my question, it's back to the cell house for you. How do I cancel the obedient trance you've placed on the elves?"

Tai Hun was quiet for a while, a bit sad Dorian had pulled his hand away, but she quickly sat back down on the chair and locked her attention back on him.

"I just have to cancel it and it's done. Do you want me to?"

'Just like that?' Dorian was still suspicious.

[The skill Analysis has been activated.]

[The target has been acquired.]

[The target is feeling happy and obsessed.]

'Nothing that hints at her telling a lie or trying to deceive me. But if she's obsessed, could it be with me? Well, that wouldn't make sense since I basically damaged her face the last time we met. Something along the lines of hate would have made more sense.'

He closed his eyes and tilted his head to the side.

'Even if she cancels the spell she has on them right now, what are the chances a fight won't happen once the elves are back to their senses? I guess I have no choice but to see them now and make sure it doesn't go south.'

Dorian sighed. Then he stood to his feet.

"I have no interest in meeting a village full of elves waiting for a new master to serve, so, if you agree to come with me and-"

"I'll do it!" Tai Hun jerked up from the chair at the same time, her face only a few inches away from Dorian's.

Caught off guard once again, Dorian barely managed to remain unfazed.

"Look here, w-why exactly did you resort to working for a lousy baron? With your power, no doubt you would fare well in the royal army. Other than the need for a quick buck, surely there is another reason for you choosing to use your power like this."

Tai Hun glanced to the side, then back at Dorian.

"My hatred for elves. Elves slaughtered my people all because we chose to take in an injured elf. That race deserves nothing but to suffer. Of course, since you seem to care about them for some reason, I have no hatred towards them."

"Why does my opinion matter here? We've only just met. There is no way you think so highly of me so suddenly. What are you playing at here?"

"Fear. Love. Obsession. They are all the same if directed at one person. I feel all of that when I look at you. Besides, she said so herself: when I look into your eyes, my illusion will mean nothing compared to the type of love I will feel from you."

Dorian pulled closer, his lips barely far from hers.

Tai Hun's face turned red, her veil hiding the blushed look on her face.

"This is the second time you are mentioning this 'she.' Who is she? Is she the one behind the whole thing?"

"Too close~" Tai Hun heaved heavily for a while, then she fell down, her hands covering her face.

"S-sorry, my heart was about to rip out of my chest if I kept my stance there. Have mercy on me. There is only so much I can handle at my tender age."

Dorian leaned back, a conflicted expression on his face.

He had expected answers, not this strange, intense obsession.

The mention of "she" again, and the cryptic messages about love and illusion, made his gut churn.

This was far more complicated than a simple interrogation.

"Who is she?" Dorian pressed again, his voice firm, trying to cut through the bizarre atmosphere. "The one who told you these things. The one who spoke of my eyes and your illusion."

Tai Hun slowly uncovered her face, her eyes still holding that unsettling intensity, though now tinged with a hint of fear.

"I... I don't know her name. She appeared to me in a vision after the baron found me. She told me of your arrival and what I must do."

"A vision?" Dorian raised an eyebrow, skeptical. "What did she look like?"

Tai Hun shivered slightly.

"Her face was always shrouded, but her voice... it was like a thousand whispers and a single scream all at once. She spoke of a destiny, of a powerful connection between us, and how my magic would be meaningless against it."

Dorian rubbed his temples. This was getting increasingly bizarre. A mysterious figure manipulating Tai Hun, foretelling his arrival, and planting these strange notions of obsession. It felt like he was a pawn in a much larger, unseen game.

'A powerful connection? Destiny?' Dorian thought, exasperated. 'This is even worse than a simple power-hungry mage.'

He looked at Tai Hun, who was now watching him with a mixture of awe and trepidation.

"So, you're saying this 'she' told you to use your illusion magic on the elves, that I would be the one to break it, and that you would become obsessed with me?"

Tai Hun nodded slowly.

"She said you were the one. The one who would free me from the baron, and the one who would... understand me."

Dorian sighed, running a hand through his hair.

This was a mess. A full-blown, magical, destiny-fueled mess. He had come here for information about the elves, and now he was embroiled in a prophecy and a mage's unsettling obsession.

"Alright," Dorian said, pushing himself away from the table.

"This 'she' is obviously a critical piece of this puzzle. But for now, we deal with what's directly in front of us. You will accompany me to the elves' village, and you will lift the trance you placed on them."

Tai Hun's eyes lit up. "You'll take me with you?"

"Yes," Dorian confirmed, though he wasn't thrilled about the prospect of having a magically obsessed mage by his side.

"And if anything goes wrong, if you try anything, you'll regret it."

He glanced towards Maria, who was still glaring, though now with a hint of concern.

He knew he had to get to the bottom of this, not just for the elves, but for himself.

This mysterious "she" and her grand design were starting to feel very personal.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.