Chapter 85: I Love You
"Where are we now?"
Cain asked with curiosity, looking around in utter amazement.
He and Lucy had just crossed through a complex [Dimensional Portal], only to find themselves in a vast, sprawling expanse that stretched beyond the horizon. It was entirely blanketed by an enchanting carpet of lush green grass, sweeping trees, and blooming flowers that defied description. This was the most beautiful natural landscape his eyes had ever beheld in his entire life; the scattered roses in every corner did not merely disperse a sweet, soul-captivating fragrance, but shimmered with exotic, diverse colors, harmonizing into a breathtaking aesthetic canvas.
Lucy turned to him and spoke in a calm, regal tone: "This place is called ’Snova Paradise’... an entire planet dedicated to the cultivation of legendary medicinal herbs. Every color and region here grants a specific therapeutic effect, ranging from treating a simple headache to curing insomnia, influenza, and the like."
Cain had never expected Lucy to transport them to this remote destination. Though a flicker of suspicion crossed his mind for a moment—that she might have lured him here to settle her scores and kill him in silence—he quickly banished the negative thoughts from his head; if she had wanted to torture or kill him, she could have done so in the capital without any trouble.
Cain did not have a strong affinity for interdimensional travel or navigating parallel worlds, and he had always preferred to avoid external realms to prevent any unforeseen obstacles or calculated surprises. But now, he found himself compelled to trust her to complete his treatment. Although his heartbeat hammered with a faint warning, he exerted his effort to distract himself with the breathtaking scenery, convincing himself that Lucy possessed good intentions and would never harm him.
While Cain looked away, his mind drifting as he contemplated the enchanting horizon, Lucy stood behind his back, watching his pensive features and taut, muscular physique with a faint smile of absolute mischief.
In truth... this place was not called "Snova Paradise" at all. Its real name was [The Paradise of Pleasure]!
And in this secret dimension, every colored rose represented a unique sensory experience and the complete destruction of physical and mental defenses. There were flowers from which magical pills were crafted that locked away a person’s instinctual energy, causing their lust to boil like a searing cauldron without any capacity for release, leaving them to suffer for desperate hours without reaching climax. There were other flowers that magnified the body’s sensitivity to every microscopic touch tenfold, and flowers that made the fiercest of warriors weep bitter tears from the sheer, overwhelming rush of ecstasy and longing.
This place was not an entire planet; it was a magical plot of land that Lucy had extracted with her colossal power from a remote world and transported to this secure, isolated dimension, cut off from the rest of the cosmos.
Lucy had planned for this day for a very long time, and now, seeing Cain completely submissive before her, she could hardly believe that her dream of possessing him was nearing reality. However, as a mature individual who excelled at maneuvers, she knew this thrilling "show" had to be prepared with utmost care.
She turned to him and spoke in a soft, commanding tone: "Mr. Cain... please lie down now, and take off your shirt so we can begin the treatment session without wasting time."
Cain was accustomed to this request from their previous daily sessions for flushing out spiritual toxins. Without hesitation, he removed his shirt, revealing his toned, muscular physique, and lay down on the soft carpet of grass as the cool breeze caressed his skin.
Meanwhile, Lucy manipulated her supreme [Mental Power], causing dozens of rare, multi-colored flowers to rise and float in the air around her hands in a mesmerizing visual display.
She asked in a feigned tone of inquiry as she spun the flowers around his body: "It seems the poison has found a cunning way to evolve and mutate inside your mana channels, Mr. Cain... Have you noticed any strange shift in your energy recently?"
Cain followed her graceful movements with his eyes, trying to maintain his composure as he replied: "In fact, I feel I have been recovering excellently for some time... but surely Lady Lucy is more knowledgeable about my condition and what she is doing, as the direct supervisor of my treatment."
Lucy nodded with a solemnity mixed with a suppressed chuckle that nearly gave her away. With a graceful flick of her fingers, she drew the first flower, which shimmered with a grayish-white hue, and said softly:
"Relax completely... This should be your final treatment session. However, if you experience any strange or unusual sensations coursing through your body tonight, you must endure them firmly... and consider them merely minor side effects of your difficult cure."
An apprehension crept into Cain’s heart; this was the first time Lucy had ever warned him of "side effects." If that meant anything to a mage of his high rank, side effects coming from Lucy’s hands would not be a mere minor ailment.
He asked her in a cautious tone: "And what kind of side effects, exactly?"
Lucy painted a sweet, angelic smile on her gleaming lips: "Oh, do not worry... just a very mild type of bodily itch... a minor, negligible itch. And perhaps... you might merely mutter some incoherent words."
Cain responded with a reassuring smile; he was an elite of the [Immortal Level], capable of withstanding sword slashes and dragon fire, so how could he not tolerate a mere "minor itch"? Gazing at her gorgeous face and her sweet smile—which brought comfort even in the most difficult times—he put all doubts to rest, certain that this gentle angel would never harm him.
Lucy said softly as she drew closer to his face: "Relax completely, my young Lord Cain... and inhale this fragrance."
Lucy crushed the gray flower with her mental power, transforming it into an extremely fine mist that she guided with absolute precision through Cain’s relaxed nose. No sooner had he inhaled it than she crushed another flower of a vivid, fiery crimson color, sending its magical powder to settle into his respiratory tract as well.
In a fraction of a second, Cain felt a strange, unfamiliar shiver run down his spine. A light, delicious numbness spread through his limbs, and his heart began to race suddenly, as if something had completely shifted and transformed within his spiritual genes and exhausted body. He did not have enough time to analyze this bizarre sensation, because Lucy’s sweet voice suddenly pierced his consciousness with an unexpected, abrupt question:
"Do you love me...?"
Under the enchanting effect of the flowers, which had completely dismantled his psychological defense walls and forced his tongue to speak the absolute truth without thought or filter, he answered automatically, with the utmost honesty surging from the depths of his soul:
"I love you... I love you more than anything else in my entire life!..... Wait, what?!"
Cain’s eyes widened in genuine shock and horror, and the blood froze in his veins as he processed the terrifying words that had just escaped his mouth completely against his will!