CHAPTER 95: REVEALING THE TRUTH!

"How? Just... how???"

Celeste stared down at herself, utterly appalled.

Her voice came out strangled, caught between disbelief and something she refused to name.

She had spent years—years—trying to understand this maddening thing everyone else seemed enslaved by. Lust. Desire.

The obsession that had humanity and every other race alike wrapped around its little finger.

She’d tried everything to feel it.

She’d pictured men she found vaguely attractive—nothing. Not even a flicker.

She’d imagined women, beautiful, graceful—still nothing.

They were good people. Worthy of respect. But never worth... this.

So eventually, she’d concluded it simply wasn’t for her.

That whatever itch drove everyone else was something she’d been blessedly born without.

She’d left lust behind, filed it away in the irrelevant nonsense category, and never looked back.

And now... now this.

A goddamn monster—a green, leering bastard who made her hand over her panties like some sacrificial offering—he was the one to awaken it.

He’d made her humiliate herself, and somehow, in the pit of her core, she felt it: hot, unignorable, crawling up her spine.

For the first time in her life, she understood why people lost their minds over desire.

Her cheeks burned, and she pressed her palms over her face, wishing she could peel the feeling right out of her body.

"Damn it... damn it... why now?"

...

"You think... that her...?"

Gear started, but the rest of the sentence withered on his tongue.

His gaze was locked on the panties in his hands like they were a divine relic, some sacred offering from a lust-crazed goddess.

He’d tasted plenty—goblins, of course, but also the occasional human whore eager to trade her flesh for coin or safety.

But none of them—none—had ever smelled like this.

The others had thrown themselves at him out of desperation or fear or ambition.

Their scent had always been thin, stale, already mingled with too many other men to be worth savoring.

Maybe they’d been too used up to ever smell truly aroused.

Or maybe they’d never felt a drop of honest, shame-laced desire in their lives.

But this...

This was different.

This was potent. Rich.

The raw, unspoiled aroma of a virgin—an uptight noble who’d only ever known clean linens, fine meals, and the pampered life of someone kept far, far from the dirt and hunger of the world.

And now here she was, her pristine flesh betraying her, her body offering up the most intoxicating proof of what she felt inside.

’I want this.’

Gear’s throat worked as he swallowed.

"Yes...She’s horny. She’s aroused. You can smell it, can’t you? Perhaps this is her kink..."

He spread his arms wide.

"To be humiliated. To be ordered around like a common little toy."

"Ha! Would you look at that. The noblest of nobles... Celeste the Ice Princess... has a volatile, dirty little kink."

He threw his head back and laughed, loud and triumphant, the sound rolling across the clearing like a victory bell.

What a twist indeed.

Rae had only ever intended to humiliate her, to fluster her enough that she’d lose that perfect, icy composure.

He’d imagined she’d put up a fierce, sputtering fight—her pride too big to surrender anything so personal without a struggle.

In his mind, it had been a delicious scene:

Celeste glaring daggers, torn between her towering dignity and the safety of her comrades.

Unable to draw her blade because Gear stood at his side, looming like a quiet threat.

Cornered, shamed, and finally forced to peel off her panties with trembling hands—humiliated beyond repair.

He’d replayed that fantasy a dozen times in the space of a heartbeat.

’So she’s smart like this too, huh?’

He found himself grudgingly impressed by her acting.

The way she’d blindsided them both, spinning the situation so fast it felt like he was the one caught off guard.

She’d slipped away not as a victim, but as if she were doing him a charitable favor.

’No matter.’

His grin stretched, slow and feral.

’She still felt that humiliation.’

’She still got flustered.’

’Ha ha ha... that’s a good thing.’

All he had to do now was make sure he played his cards exactly right.

Because next time, he wouldn’t let her slip through his fingers so easily.

He looked over at Gear, who was still gazing down at the panties in his hands like they were a holy artifact descended from the heavens.

"Keep it for yourself."

"Huh? But—"

"A small token from your liege."

Rae said with a lazy grin, clapping a hand on Gear’s shoulder.

The young goblin looked up at him with wide-eyed reverence, the kind of expression that belonged in the worship of saints, not lunatic panty heists.

Rae managed to hold his smile, but inwardly he cringed so hard he felt something in his spine twinge.

’Shit. I still can’t get used to that look.’

Outwardly, he wore a perfect mask of calm amusement. But then—

[Time remaining: 45 seconds.]

’Shit!’

Panic jolted through him.

If he had more time, he would’ve simply disappeared into the trees without so much as a farewell.

But there wasn’t enough left on the clock—and besides, he was about to try something he genuinely believed was worth the risk.

’I don’t want to rely on this skill forever.’

This was a gamble. A stupid, reckless, glorious gamble.

’Yeah, I know... but I’m a gambler. He he he...’

Then he remembered the time he’d been caught peeking at a noble’s affair and stomped to death by half a dozen angry guards. His grin twitched.

’Maybe I’m not a very good gambler after all.’

"I believe you now trust me. I believe you’re finally sure that I am your liege."

He raised an eyebrow, watching Gear with the bored superiority of someone inspecting a particularly dumb pet.

Gear’s reaction was immediate.

He dropped to his knees so fast it looked like his joints had just given out and slammed his forehead into the dirt with a wet thunk.

"Forgive this fool for ever doubting you, my liege!"

"You can have my head if you wish."

"Or... or... you can have my only remaining balls!"

Rae sucked in a sharp breath between his teeth, fighting the full-body cringe that threatened to seize him like a seizure.

"Eww..."

Who in all the hells would want a goblin ball?

Even one?

If Gear were a woman, sure—he might have tried something else entirely.

He might have graciously offered his balls for her to play with.

’He he he...’

His brain skidded right off that track before it could get any weirder.

But then again, he’d never in his life considered a goblin in that way.

Not even close.

’They’re just... ugly...’

His face contorted in fresh disgust.

Indeed, goblins weren’t to his taste. Not even slightly.

If there had been some tall, busty, milfy goblin matriarch around, maybe—maybe—he’d have thought about it.

But every goblin woman he’d ever laid eyes on had been exactly what you’d expect:

Ugly as sin and unmistakably goblin.

But then again, if there was a tall, muscled goblin mommy, she’d basically qualify as an orc.

And Rae had to admit—he didn’t like orcs at all.

’Man, that’s just racist.’

He shook his head, unbothered.

’But who cares. He he he.’

Indeed, he was a goblin. He was allowed a few preferences.

"Stand up, Gear."

Rae said, flicking his fingers.

"There’s something far more important than your...uh...ball tribute."

"Something I have never shown anyone before."

"Something I am trusting you with."

Gear’s head snapped up, eyes wide as saucers.

He scrambled to his feet, chest swelling with pride.

His liege, his mighty liege, was about to reveal a secret.

One he’d never shared with anyone else.

He was the first. The chosen.

’I am really the chosen one.’

’I am the only one that he...chose to reveal this...’

Gratitude and devotion pooled in Gear’s eyes.

Whatever his liege was planning, he would be part of it.

He hoped so, with all his heart.

His eyes began to tear up again.

’What the—’

Rae nearly laughed aloud, rubbing his temple.

’This guy...’

Gear sniffled, voice wobbling.

"What is it, my liege?"

"In about a few seconds..."

Rae said, voice dropping to a low, conspiratorial tone.

"you’re going to be flabbergasted. And doubtful."

"That’s understandable. But I want you to remain calm."

"Can you do that?"

"Anything for my liege!"

Gear slapped a palm to his chest with a solid whump.

This was a perfectly reasonable request—whatever it was.

’So he’s about to reveal something big... What is it?’

Excitement buzzed through him like a fever.

’Is it going to be something like what we just did?’

’A new way to humiliate and degrade the other heroes?’

He licked his lips, eyes glinting.

’He he... my liege is the best.’

Rae gave a single, solemn nod. And then—light.

Golden light, bright as the sun, burst outward from his body in a sudden, blinding wave.

Gear threw both hands up to shield his face, squinting between his fingers as the brilliance flared and pulsed.

And then—just as fast—it faded.

Gear blinked hard, eyes watering. And when he looked again, his mouth fell open in raw confusion.

Standing exactly where his liege had been was... a smaller goblin. Ordinary-sized. Practically scrawny.

"Who? What the hell?!"

He lunged back, almost tripping over his own feet, and whipped his spear around, aiming the gleaming tip right at the real Rae’s chest.

"Identify yourself, imposter! I’ll cleave you in half, you stupid goblin!"