Kyon ordered Synergy to shake his consciousness. An electrical spark flashed in his mind bringing him to his senses. Synergy had found some strange fluid in his stomach and began to neutralize its effects.

It turned out that Kara’s saliva had already released its unlimited energy of charm through the keys into his soul. At the moment, it was nothing but ordinary liquid.

{Fuck.} - Kyon swore to himself. His heart was beating furiously like after a long sprint. His face turned red, sweat was running down his body. His whole being was inspired by a feeling that some teenagers experience when they are willing to die before the object of their adoration. He had crossed the line that separated love from mania. In his understanding, Kara became the ideal crown of creation with undeniable merits. The princess’s wonderful scent was everywhere intoxicating his mind... Her divine image had conquered his imagination. All he wanted was to relax his mind and merge with this intoxicating feeling.

{Don’t do it... No!} - Kyon closed his eyes. His willpower and Synergy worked at full capacity. He was exhausted as if he had been tortured. When he was in the mine, the goddess applied on him the formation that affected his mind through neurotransmitters. Now the situation was similar. Kara intended to make Kyon fall in love with her to the state when he completely lost his mind. In this case, there was no cure to help him.

Kyon looked into his soul with Synergy and found out that his inner atmosphere was completely saturated with the energy of charm. His insides seemed to smell the princess.

A couple of hours later, Kyon finally recovered from her captivating gaze, but getting rid of her saliva (or rather from the colossal energy it contained) was going to take him weeks...

{Am I doomed to become the slave of the arrogant evil tart?!} - If Kyon gave in to his emotions, the desire to eliminate the consequences would immediately disappear. These long weeks were going to make him crazy for years to come. “Now and forever” sounded too weird... The power of the curse can’t be so powerful.

And yet, he could not accept reality. Could the fatal girl take him into her possession without any subjugating formations, blackmail and tricks?

Kyon was sure of one thing: he would be able to hold on with incredible efforts until he ran out of Synergy that he had been actively spending to resist the curse. He must avoid Kara by all means. Otherwise, he would break loose and become a slave to her love at once.

Kyon had correctly calculated the time when he would be completely out of Synergy. Exactly an hour later, his fate would be beyond his control. He had to be extremely focused.

He had to find a solution right now.

{Any options?} - His brain was working to the fullest.

Kyon listed in his mind all the known methods to influence the soul: medicine, money, keys, elemental energy of another practitioner, and pressing with pure energy (which Kara had recently used).

However, all those options were either impracticable, or useless, or might worsen his situation. He needed purification... He had to get rid of the alien energy, to clean up his soul or release his spiritual desire to reduce its intensity.

An obvious thought came to his mind. {Sex!}

Any sexual activity, especially with a woman, is closely connected with the soul and spiritual processes. If he could “make” love with Kara there was a great chance of reducing the power of her curse and even of a partial recovery.

If he could use Synergy in such a way that it would restore faster than it was spent on healing his mind, Kyon would always maintain the fragile balance of the integrity of his personality! And his dubious fate of a slave madly in love with Kara would disappear into oblivion.

Kyon grabbed at the only chance to keep his mind sane.

He highlighted several problems that need to be addressed or minimized:

First, he needs only Kara to have sex with. Otherwise, intercourse won’t be complete. But the princess will never sleep with him. He worships her while she despises him. No matter how hard he tried to fool himself with Synergy, it would be a lie. And the effect of escaping the curse would significantly weaken if it didn’t disappear at all.

Second, he should have sex with a physically attractive partner.

Third, his "lover" must always be near him. He needs to take the weight off his soul and let off steam regularly.

Fourth, his sex partner is supposed to be defenseless against his power. Ideally, she should be a slave who can’t confront her master.

Fifth, he has to weaken the curse as much as possible and to do that he has to belittle his sex partner to the max. He must have absolute dominance over her. She will be his personal bitch, a dirty thing that he can fuck for days on end. Then the image of the majestic and impeccable Kara will descend to the ground and turn into an ordinary whore from a cheap brothel. Common sense will suppress the curse or even remove it altogether. This is exactly what he wants to achieve.

Kyon figured out that it all comes down to problem number one. He must convince himself of the authenticity of the sex partner. Otherwise, everything else will be meaningless.

Kyon lowered his head, lost in thought. Sweat dripped on the floor. The time was running out. His mind gave him a practical idea to change the strategy and imagine that everything that happened with Kara had actually happened with another girl. Theoretically, if he could convince his mind of this fact, then he wouldn’t need to imagine his copulation with Kara. That’s how he will deal with the arrogant bitch that cast an insidious curse on him.

Even if the soul dominates the brain, it still relies on the latter just like the brain relies on the body. If you break your leg, your consciousness will feel the pain and understand the impending consequences. You can pull off a scam like that with your soul as well! Kyon supposed if he could deceive his brain, his soul would also believe him! He doubted that the curse was self-aware... It will give up Kara as its creator and take on someone else.

In his previous world, Kyon had to deal with neuro programming. It’s a dangerous thing. You can convince yourself of something for the rest of your life and then prove the truth with foam at your mouth. Besides, there is always a risk of burning your brain and becoming mad.

The idea to erase Kara's memories from his mind was not an option. It was highly probable that the curse would make him fall in love with the “closest” memory of a girl or maybe a boy... It’s like a phantom pain when the brain is convinced of the presence of a torn limb. His disease in the form of the curse would certainly spread to another target. He’d better choose for himself an object to fall in love with.

{Yeah... That’s what I am going to do.} - Kyon wholeheartedly embraced his brilliant idea. If he had sex with “real” Kara that is with the girl who had “cursed” him the chance to avoid the sad fate of a slave in love would increase a thousandfold.

Which girl should he choose to make his steady sexual partner?

Isn’t it ironic? Once an emperor, he was looking for a girl for forced carnal pleasures... Everything for the sake of his free conscious life.

{Juno?} - A crazy thought darted through his brain, but he ruthlessly dismissed it at once. Kara the bitch was still likely to share the chamber with Juno. Besides, it was dangerous for him to have sex with the little hottie. If he fell in love with her she would do her best to kill him. Or Bai himself would rip off his balls and then kill him most ruthlessly.

{Anna?} - Kyon really liked the blonde maid. But he would have to get to her through Juno... And Juno was most likely with Kara. Besides he owed Anna even if not too much. It wasn’t an option.

{Marina?} - Off the mark. He owed her too much. Besides, Flitz put his life at serious risk.

{Stephanie?} - Number 3 in the Stone family was very attractive, but it wouldn’t do to subject her to constant abuse without fear of retaliation from her side. Moreover, her father was an elder.

{Dinah...} - The name sounded like a statement. What did the highest maid-killer cherish above all? What was she most afraid of? Who did she hate? She owed him a huge debt equal to the price of life...

So, first of all, the problem with self-deception was totally solvable. Second, Dinah had a beautiful and slim body. Third, the girl could always be near him. Fourth, she was in his full power, a defenseless slave. Fifth, if he took advantage of her with an effort of his willpower, if he lowered the image of an inaccessible goddess to the ground and humiliated her, Kyon wouldn't go against his principles. He would create perverse and selfish love. She was a perfect victim... He had made up his mind

Kyon's eyes expressed his unkind intentions. He picked up the sound transmitter and called Dinah.

«Speaking.» - He heard her cold melodious voice.

«Where the hell are you, Dinah? Come to me at once!»

«I… I am coming.»

Kyon took the sound transmitter away and ran his fingers through his hair. {Damn it...}

He went straight to the treasury. Back then when he was preparing medicine for unique bodies, he ordered Juno to remove the protection from the formations that opened the passage. At least one thief had been constantly using and robbing the treasures.

As soon as Kyon approached the door to the first treasury, he heard the clatter of high heels.

The beautiful killer-maid came downstairs with a spring in her step. She was dressed in a luxurious pearl-gray dress and silver shoes. Her upright posture and ample bust pleased the eye. Her slender leg flirtatiously peeking out from the long slit was the cherry on the cake. The sexual appearance of the beauty did not match her role as a cold-blooded killer. She looked more like a charming heartbreaker who could charm any man with her coldness and then rob him of his wealth and disappear without a trace.

Dinah emanated the aura that was extremely rare in women. It was impossible to ignore the deadly mixture of coldness, beauty and grace of a well-mannered lady. Her bewitching little detail was inaccessibility that distinguished the noble maid from the rest of the girls.

Her delicate and flawless pale skin was soft like velvet. Her eyebrows were gracefully arched and her piercing eyes were ice cold. Dinah glared at Kyon approaching him quietly like death.

Kyon ordered her:

«Follow me.» - He quickly went into the treasury.

Dinah's eyelids quivered. How could the servant get into the treasury just like that? She dropped all the unnecessary thoughts and followed him.

Kyon ignored the girl. As soon as he got to the hall and out of Dinah’s sight he rushed to the passage into the second treasury which was even deeper than the first one.

When Dinah was downstairs and saw Kyon leaving in a hurry she got it: {He knows!} - Her silhouette blurred, she chased the enemy. A dagger flashed in her hands. Today, she will cut off the brat’s head. The heavenly talent will be killed for all his sins and trouble that he has unleashed upon her peaceful life.

After Dinah’s first phrase on the sound transmitter, Kyon realized that all the orders he gave to her had been reset, and now she was a mortal threat to his life. If her “cage of orders” had been in order, the maid would have automatically replied: “Yes, sir,” and not: “I am coming.” Kyon didn’t waste his precious time. He decided to hide in the treasury as deep as possible, but Dinah detected him and trod on his heels...

How did she do it?! Juno was the first to delete Dinah’s “cage of orders.” The second was Bai. Who was the third? XiaoBai, of course!

The mortal danger in the form of the vengeful maid was after him! If she got any closer she would kill him in a couple of seconds. He was too weak compared to her. The fear of death inherent to any normal person unpleasantly held Kyon by the neck.

{What should I do?! What options do I have to survive?!} - Kyon calculated his chances. His fighting strength was nothing against Dinah! He had attacking nephrites but all of them could harm only the enemy who was at the beginning, at most the middle stages of the superior stage. Dinah was far above that, therefore, it’s all for nothing! But it was worth a shot, anyway.

{I have to get to the castle! I have to hold her up as long as possible!} - Kyon had a nice idea. If he got to the castle he could close the door. Or maybe not? He had no other options. But there was still a slim chance of survival.

Dinah reduced the distance between them by half in a few seconds. Her speed significantly exceeded Kyon’s. When she reached the entrance, she rushed down the stairs but they were covered with ice! The girl slipped and almost fell but with a deft somersault, she got to her feet and continued the pursuit as if nothing had happened. She was above such trifles. In her mind’s eye, she was already cutting off Kyon’s head.

Meanwhile, Kyon ran through the next passage and headed for the castle with the tomb. He gritted his teeth when heard the killer’s steps approaching him so quickly. Her aura sent a chill down his back.

Dinah ran into the dark passage, noticed the boy and gave him a predatory smile.

«You won’t get away, bastard!»

Kyon took out ten most powerful attacking nephrites and activated all of them at once. She wouldn’t dodge them in the narrow passage! It would be only for the better if Dinah died.

The techniques sealed inside burst out of the cloudy green stones and headed towards the pursuer. A jet of hot water, electric fireflies, stone spikes, air sphere-blades...

Dinah's eyes widened in surprise, but she reacted lightning fast. She spread her arms creating a translucent wall in front of herself, kind of the ether barrier.

~bang~ ~ding~ ~crang~

Bright flashes of various techniques collided with the barrier and scattered in splashes, waves, and fragments in different directions making a cacophony of sounds.

Kyon turned around with hope it was all over and saw the silhouette of the completely unharmed girl who was appearing from the clouds of smoke. An icy cold smile was playing on her lips, her eyes were burning with bloodlust.

«Silly tricks won’t save you, honey!» - Dinah disappeared from her place and rushed at relatively insane speed to the dead-to-be boy.

{What the fuck! How can she be so powerful?! She’s only in the superior phase!} - Kyon was furious. He took out a dozen more attacking nephrites much less powerful and activated them.

Without difficulty, almost playfully, Dinah blocked all his attacks and continued the pursuit. She was surprised to find out Kyon had the nephrites but she was even more amazed by his strong desire to survive.

When he activated his last nephrite, Kyon gritted his teeth frantically thinking of a plan to delay Dinah at least for ten seconds! He gave up the idea of killing her. Only a few seconds of pursuit separated him from his imminent death and it was three minutes till the castle! And he couldn’t say for sure if it a safe place.

Kyon had an idea to call Juno and order her to make Dinah freeze, for example. However, why would the maid even answer her? If Dinah didn’t hear her lady’s voice of the mistress, her formation wouldn’t get the orders. She was not obliged to answer her lady’s calls, especially as she knew that the sneaky bastard had already phoned her.

Dinah was getting closer and closer. She could feel slippery ice under her feet and knew that Kyon had created it. But she only snorted contemptuously and showed no other response.

The maid halved the distance in a few seconds when she saw a green cloud in front of her. She frowned.

{Spatial attribute? He has mastered six attributes?!}

Suddenly, a bright flash of the attribute of light dazzled the pursuer.

Dinah could hardly distinguish the walls in the impenetrable darkness of the ancient cave. The silhouette of the fleeing boy disappeared from her sight leaving only the sound of his footsteps moving away.

Kyon ran off with all his might, his heart was about to explode. Despair rolled over him with renewed vigor. He had no nephrites! Swords and other tricks were useless and wouldn’t even scratch her! trying to negotiate with Dinah would be the death of him!

{What should I do?! Think of some fucking way out!}

A second later, Dinah activated scanning and immediately felt the shape of the walls and Kyon running away. She chased him like an unyielding predator. Her curiosity had been piqued. The boy was trying hard to survive. How nice it would be to disrupt his plans and nail him to the wall! He had no chance. No one and nothing would save him. She was prepared for any surprise because she had never dared to underestimate her sworn enemy.