CHAPTER 220: 219. INTRUDERS

The night crept in faster than ever. Asher had just changed the garlic clove on Valerie and cleaned her again with apple cider vinegar. This time, her discharge wasn’t as much, but it had a few bloodstains. Once he was done, he gently laid her back to rest. Then, he settled on the floor with Rin, lying on a few blankets. They cuddled together, though Asher remained on high alert—his system terrain scanner active and ready to notify him if any bandits, or anyone else targeting the estate he was assigned to guard, approached.

A few minutes later, Tama finally arrived. It had been three hours since she’d left, and the moment she stepped into the room, she pouted at the sight of Rin cuddled up with Asher.

"Ugh... Not fair!" she huffed. "Why does she get all the cuddles?!"

Asher smirked, patting the space on his left. "Then come join us, jealous kitty."

Beaming, she dove under the blankets without another word, nestling against him.

"So..." Asher asked, voice low and steady, "how did the investigation go?"

Tama’s face shifted, the mischief fading into a hardened seriousness. "I followed through on everything you asked." She paused—just enough to add suspense.

"And?" Asher pressed.

"That girl, Freya... she’s hiding something. When I warned her that you’d be watching everything, she started fidgeting. Her hands were trembling. It was subtle, but I noticed. She’s definitely nervous."

"So she’s suspicious..." Asher nodded. "We’ll keep an eye on her. And what about Hades?"

Tama’s eyes darkened. "That bastard." She clenched her fists, claws barely retracting. "The info I gathered... it’s bad. He’s rumored to carry a curse that affects the women he sleeps with. And he’s involved in slavery."

Asher’s brow twitched. "Slavery?"

She nodded gravely.

"Freya gave me the location of his house—it’s not even in the kingdom, just some isolated property to the west, disguised as a farm. But he doesn’t grow anything. He just lives there with his slaves. More specifically... sex slaves. And among them, there’s a black cat girl."

Tama’s ears twitched uneasily.

"Just like me. I thought my kind were all wiped out."

Asher sat up straighter. "Are you sure it was one of your kind?"

Tama opened her mouth, then closed it. She glanced away, her fingers fidgeting with the hem of her sleeve.

"I didn’t go inside," she said after a beat, then gulped. "I only questioned his neighbors until they gave me all that info. I thought it was best to report back first... before doing anything reckless."

There was a tightness in her voice. Something strained.

Asher narrowed his eyes slightly.

"You sure you’re okay?"

Tama nodded too quickly. "Yeah. Just... seeing another cat girl, after thinking I was the last—it messed with my head a little, that’s all."

He watched her for a moment longer.

Something about her story didn’t sit right.

The hesitation. The way she wouldn’t meet his eyes.

But then again... she had come back instead of doing something reckless. That counted for something.

He reached out and ruffled her hair with a small smile.

"That was smart, kitty. What does his farm do? And the slaves...?"

"He doesn’t farm at all! Theres nothing legit. No crops, no livestock. Just him and his slaves. I think he sells them.... or maybe he just enjoys sleeping with them. Either way, l should get to this blackcat girl before he sells her or does anything to harm her. And to do that, l need your help master!!."

"Right...." Asher nodded. "And what about Veyna Cosmetics!! Did you find any information about this place?..... it’s history?"

Tama began recounting everything she had learned.

Asher listened intently, but one detail disturbed him more than the rest: the belief that Hades carried a "curse"—which, in reality, was just an STI—and was spreading it to anyone he slept with. The thought unsettled him. If the man wasn’t farming or producing anything, then how did he make a living? Was he selling slaves? Or worse—was he being paid to "curse" people?

He’d need answers.

From what little information Tama had gathered, what made Valerie such a prized possession to Veyna was the belief that she had a charm blessing—something that draws people to her. Thanks to that charm, Valerie had always prospered and thrived... until she was "cursed." Now, Veyna keeps her locked away, believing her charm can still attract customers for her cosmetics. That’s also why Veyna’s rivals want Valerie—so they can use her blessing to gain wealth.

It became painfully clear to Asher: Veyna didn’t care about Valerie as a sister—only about her value. And this Hades... he likely wasn’t even Valerie’s lover. Just someone Veyna hired to infect her and keep her locked away. It was starting to make sense. By getting Valerie infected, Veyna could claim she was cursed, isolate her, even kill her guards to reinforce the lie. Such cruelty... a sister like that didn’t deserve the title.

He rested on the floor with his waifus for about two hours until his system alerted him that an intruder had entered the estate. Then another—then more, from all directions!

He shot up immediately. Despite knowing Veyna wanted him dead, he was still committed to guarding the estate. He’d play along with her game—for now. Without concrete proof, even if he brought the witch as a witness to Veyna’s crimes, she could easily deny it.

He sat up instantly, eyes narrowed. "Tama, we’ve got company. Multiple intruders. Let’s give them a proper welcome."

She bared her fangs and stood.

Asher turned to Rin. "Guard Lady Valerie. Don’t let anyone near her."

Rin nodded silently, her expression calm but deadly.

Asher and Tama split up as they moved through the estate’s shadowy grounds. Around thirty enemies had slipped through the perimeter—clearly a coordinated effort. Probably hired to abduct Valerie.

Tama vanished into the night, her black silhouette blurring in and out of shadows. Her claws flashed like silver as she teleported behind attackers, slashing throats and hamstrings. They barely saw her before she was gone again. Given her skill, the night was her domain, and she danced in it like a ghost.

Some dropped, incapacitated. Others didn’t rise again.

On the other side, Asher wasn’t holding back either. His affinity with darkness flourished under the moonless sky. He conjured spirits of the void through his imagination—formless swirls with gaping fanged maws and used them to attack.They flew at the intruders like banshees, howling as they latched onto flesh, draining the energy from their bodies. Screams echoed, followed by silence.

Blood painted the dirt.

That’s when he heard the sound of steel clashing.

Asher turned toward it and spotted the samurai girl. Her blade shimmered as she sliced through three attackers in one motion, moving like a whisper. She spun, parried, and drove her sword through another man’s chest. Blood splashed across her robes—but she didn’t flinch.

He approached her, shadows spiraling around him.

"Hey," he called out.

She turned, eyes blazing. "You’re supposed to be guarding Lady Valerie! If anything happens to her, I’ll kill you myself!"

Asher raised an eyebrow. "You care about her that much?"

She looked away, lips pressed tightly together, saying nothing.

But that silence said enough.

She knows something, Asher thought. She could be useful.

Just like the witch, this girl might be another piece in the plan. A plan that was slowly taking shape in his mind: to give Veyna the warmest, bloodiest welcome back.

A party she’d never forget.

To be continued...