After hearing the knock, Kael pretended to sleep. Through a gap in eyelids, he spotted a blonde-haired woman who sneaked in like a thief and lit up an incense.

The smell of faint odd. Alarmed, he immediately got up, diffused it, and put the criminal evidence in his pocket.

A few moments later, another maid appeared. Looking at the expression and from incense I already had a rough understanding.

'What a marvelous ploy?'

The previous defamation of Kael molesting Elara seemed suspicious. Though many partake in supporting her, there were bound to be doubts.

Elara was already an E+ rank while Kael wasn't even awakened so it didn't even make sense.

So to cement his image as a molester, a real act needed to be done and it's here.

Pretending to be drunk, Kael decided to lead the play along.

Kael swayed unsteadily, letting Henna believe the incense was working. His silver-gray eyes remained hazy, his movements sluggish, all to keep up the act. When she reached for his collar, her fingers grazing his skin, he shivered not from pleasure, but from disgust.

A chill crept inside him.

He hated the touch but he swallowed his grievance.

"You're feeling hot, aren't you, Young Master?" Henna's voice was honeyed, coaxing. "Let me loosen your clothes a bit. You'll feel more comfortable."

He flinched, pushing her away with clumsy force. "No! I want to take a bath first!" he blurted out, slurring his words just enough to sound convincingly drunk.

Henna staggered back, barely keeping her balance. For a split second, irritation flashed across her face, but she quickly masked it with a smile.

"Let me take you to the bath, Young Master," she said sweetly, stepping forward to steady him.

Kael let himself be led into the washroom. The moment they entered, he felt a shift—fewer chances of interruptions, fewer prying eyes. He was exactly where he wanted to be.

Henna helped him settle at the edge of the massive bathtub, the water gushing from the faucet, filling the air with steam. He let his arms go limp, body slouched, keeping up the charade.

She moved closer, hands reaching for his shirt buttons. "Let me help you with this," she murmured, her fingers already working the fabric.

A whine escaped Kael's lips as he wrapped his arms around his chest. "N-No! I'm embarrassed! Uuuuwaaaahhh!" he wailed, shaking his head like a petulant child.

Henna's eye twitched. He could feel the frustration rolling off her. 'She's getting desperate.'

She turned her back slightly, taking a deep breath as if to compose herself. 'The incense is still working,' she probably thought. 'Just a little more.'

Kael watched her movements carefully, waiting for the right moment.

Then she turned—

In an instant, Karl's eyes sharpened hazy drunkenness. His hand shot out like a viper, seizing her head in a crushing grip.

Before she could react, she grabbed her head and then yanked her onto the edge of the tub.

A sickening crack echoed through the room. Henna's vision blurred as a sharp, electric pain shot through her forehead, rattling her senses. Blood trickled down her nose, the taste of iron flooding her mouth. Panic surged through her veins.

She gasped, trying to raise her arms in defense, but before she could even struggle, another brutal impact smashed her face against the wall once more. Her teeth clacked together violently, a sharp sting tearing through her gums.

"Hey!"

The word was spoken in a voice so chilling, so devoid of emotion, it sent a cold shiver down her spine. It was heavy, hoarse, and filled with an unearthly menace—a voice that felt like the devil himself whispering into her ears.

A suffocating fear took hold of her. Her breaths became ragged, her body trembling.

"Who sent you?"

"N-No one sen—"

BOOM!

A fist crashed into her face, the impact sending her reeling. A loud, guttural scream tore from her throat as a searing pain exploded through her jaw.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Kael's grip didn't loosen.

Instead, he yanked her head back by her hair, forcing her gaze to meet his. Her nose was broken, crimson liquid gushing down her face. Her eyes were wide with sheer terror, pupils dilated, her entire body convulsing in horror.

Kael tilted his head slightly, watching her with an expression so eerily calm it made her stomach churn.

"Bitches like hardcore isn't it?Then let me give you some hardcore shit."