Behind the wheel sat Lorraine Zane, thirty-one years old, and C.E.O of Zane Construction.

She was a woman who of great beauty, enough to be a prize wife, with her mature looks.

Her long, straight black hair draped across her shoulders like silk; her skin was smooth and fair, unblemished despite the hours she spent under office light's.

Though a little on the softer side, as she was little bit chubby, and her figure only added to her allure, full hips, a generous bust, and prominent curve.

But it was her green eyes that represent her, as all Zane's share one pure trait, their green eyes.

assessing, they measured the world in numbers, profit margins, and hidden opportunities.

Simple at a glance, but all Zane family members where born with special eyes that can slow down time around them, mentally speaking of course, as such they where capable of high speed calculation, and analysis.

It because of this, they where a family of opportunist, and intellects in their own right.

At this moment after getting the go ahead from Nier, she slowed the car, glancing through the tinted glass at the property unfolding before her.

"...Good lord."

She murmured.

The sheer scale of the property before her, made her draw a long breath. Even after years in the industry, after inspecting estates for some of the wealthiest families in the FAA, this land stunned her.

By rough estimation, it was easily twice the size of the Zane family's Main private holdings in Sector-3.

That alone should have been impossible due to the state laws of the F.A.A.

By F.A.A law, private property within populated sectors was capped at twenty acres top, and hardly any family had that much land to begin with, a regulation enforced by the three ruling families to prevent power imbalances and unchecked monopolies.

Exceptions existed only for agricultural zones deep in the countryside, where farmers sometimes managed hundreds of acres. But even then, they were farmers, not patrons of multimillion-dollar architectural projects.

Her grip tightened on the wheel.

"Nier Featherburn Augustus, I am finally going to meet him, if my information didn't come from the State Archive, I would have never believe someone like you still exist in this modern age."

Lorraine said to herself.

She wasn't this suprise about the man just till now.

No, the surprise hadn't begun today. It had started last night, when Zane Construction's offices received an unexpected down payment of five million Carlees.

At first, the staff thought it a mistake.

Clients with that kind of capital usually came from the central cities, from names she already knew...magnates, politicians, or members of the ten great families themselves.

In fact, Zane Construction's own system filtered requests to exclude anyone with a net worth under three million Carlees. The company did not waste its expertise on small projects.

But then the address loaded onto her terminal.

[003 Lukos Street, Sector-7]

[Neir Featherburn Augustus]

[Age 36]

[ETHNICITY (Old System) - Aelorian (Legally) - Romanian: 50% Russian: 12% German: 27% [Redacted]: 11% (Classified)]

[Race: Human (Royal Blood)]

...

...

...

...

The name meant little at first.

But when the system cross-checked the legal documentation tied to the land, the office had gone silent.

Lorraine still remembered the shock that rippled through her as she pulled visit the National archives herself, as it has information going back to origin of this great nation.

The reason she went was to uncover the truth behind Nier and his family, line by line, family by family.

If what the Old System said was true, that he has Royal Blood, it would mean this boy, was a bastard of some kind.

At first it was curiosity, and the habit of always knowing the background of her clients.

But what she found utterly shocked her.

The land belonged to the Augustus line.

To her, it meant nothing, hell it was the first time she ever heard of such a family before.

But the more she dig, the more horrified she became of the truth of her new clients family.

The August family before Aeloria converted into its semi democratic ways, was apparently nobles of old Camelot, the old name of the nation.

But even more shockingly it was a branch family carved directly from the Aeloria royal family. Centuries ago, in a strategy to preserve their bloodline in the off chance it was destroyed, the Aeloria had divided into cadet branches, each founded by siblings and cousins who separated from the main house.

Sixty-nine times this safeguard had been attempted through out the course of history. But sixty-eight times, those branches had withered away, lost to war, politics, or the danger and lawlessness of those simpler times.

As such only one remained.

The Augustus.

Lorraine felt her chest tighten even now, recalling the files. In today's modern world, the Augustus were ghosts, stripped of relevance, their once-glorious title reduced to little more than ceremonial ink.

The family was thought extinct, forgotten even by the Aeloria themselves. Yet the land records told a different story.

One descendant lived.

Nier Featherburn Augustus.

The name alone unsettled her. If, by some impossible twist of fate, basically the more civilization developed, the more irrelevant the Augustus became.

But why would Nier be important.

Well it is simple.

It's no secret that the Aeloria family are hardcore purist, that has master the art of inbreeding.

From antiquity to now, they have only ever mingled with their own.

But since the F.A.A. abides by old and new laws set by the Family Heads. If the Aeloria family were to suddenly vanish overnight, inheritance law dictated that every estate, every asset, every shred of authority would funnel to the last living bloodline.

In layman terms, this young man as result of the Nation Law.

"Heh… A fallen noble family, who would have thought? I wonder though... do the Family Heads know and simply ignore it out of pride and unnecessary interest, or has the Augustus line sunk so low that history itself naturally erased them due to the course of time of them being extremely inactive, and out of touch with politics? If not for the State Archives, this secret would have stayed buried forever. Heh… If I take this to Uncle, as a Family Head he’d surely reward me. Ahh, Lorraine… it seems you’ve stumbled onto a jackpot."

Said Lorraine as she eased the wheel of her Rolls-Royce Ghost toward the sweeping driveway, the car plush interior muffling beyond within the estate's walls.

As she approached the villa, she couldn't help but let her eyes drink in the scenery. The garden was immaculate, by the looks of it mini robots where taking care of it with meticulous care.

Sculpted hedges curved with an almost artistic precision, lawns stretched like green velvet, and fountain showcasing it's soft arcs of water that sparkled in the morning sun.

Here, at least, someone had maintained order. One of the few things in this giant property that seemed untouched by neglect.

She brought the car to a stop near the front steps, the Ghost’s door opening with a soft hydraulic sound.

Lorraine stepped out, heels clicking softly against the polished stone, her breath catching just slightly at the sight before her.

The villa was impressive, although something about this place made her feel uneasy.

But she did notice one thing when she came here.

"I don't know if this is a bad sigh... But why am I sensing Flux energy."

She said to herself as she looked at Villa, she can sense the presence of Flux inside the place.

"...Is Mr. Augustus a corrupt user perhaps!?"

Lorraine thought to herself.

"Sigh, let's sit down for the time being."

Lorraine said as her green eyes swept across the garden once more.

And saw a table with some chairs.

This was where she would sit, and wait for Nier, and discuss the reconstruction plans. She hadn't yet considered the possibility that the man before her might already know more about his own lineage than she did.

But for today, she was a contractor, here to see a client, finalize a down payment, and map out renovations.

But as she sit down, her phone began to ring.

Pulling her phone from her purse, she saw a familiar name light up the screen, with an incoming call.

[Elliot ❤️]

Her husband.

She smiled when she saw it.

As her thumb hovered over the screen before tapping to answer.

"Hey, my love."

She said, her voice softening.

"Lorraine! How is my favorite CEO today?"

His tone was warm, teasing, utterly unbothered by the world outside their home. Elliot had chosen a different path.

As a man he was a house husband, dedicated to their home and their one-year-old daughter, and their 16 year old son at.

He had no idea of the unusual clients Lorraine sometimes dealt with. For him, one such example was Lorraine client today.

Nier Featherburn Augustus was just one of many name that didn't exist.

"I am doing well... I just arrived at my new clients villa. It is… impressive."

She laughed lightly, looking around at the pristine grounds.

"I'm sure it is."

He replied.

"Don't work too hard, alright? Remember, the baby is waiting for her favorite lullaby tonight."

Lorraine's smile softened.

"I won’t, Elliot. Just sitting down to discuss some construction plans. Nothing crazy today. How is my little girl doing?"

"She is perfect, as always. And she asked for you twenty times already.... Momma... Momma ahh she is just so cute."

"Fufu... Tell her I love her, and I'll be home soon."

Their brief exchange left Lorraine with a warm flush, a reminder of the life she had built outside the endless contracts, profits, and expectations.

With a final soft chuckle, she ended the call, slipping her phone back into her purse.

But she soon came out of her stupor.

When she heard a soothing and hot but equally masculine voice coming from behind her.

"Hey, sorry to keep you waiting Ms. Zane."

The villa's grand doors opened with a low groan of polished wood and iron hinges.

Lorraine instinctively straightened in her chair, smoothing the hem of her pencil skirt, prepared to meet the her hidden gem of a client who had dropped five million Carlees without a second thought.

But when the man in question stepped out into the light, her green eyes widened.

His hair was a dark maroon, the color catching faint streaks of light as the sun kissed it. It spilled down past his neck in a slightly unruly fall, yet somehow elegant.

He carried a muscular, lean frame, having a body build often seen someone in military job like Public Safety... it look as if it was honed not by mere gym hours but by a life of constant training.

His height was the first thing to strike her, towering easily at six-foot-four, maybe six-five. Taller by far than her husband, Elliot, whose modest frame barely reached her shoulder when she wore heels.

Lorraine's breath caught as she registered the rest. His skin was clear, unblemished, unnaturally so.

The records had said thirty-six, but his body belonged to someone in their mid-twenties. And his face… God help her, his face was nothing short of devastatingly handsome.

She blinked, forcing herself to look away, trying to recover her composure before she made a fool of herself.

She had met magnates, politicians, models even one of the Aeloria family golden heirs candidates, but none of them had struck her like this.

There was something wrong, about his beauty, it transcended mere looks.

When his eyes found hers, Lorraine froze.

The garden seemed quieter, the air heavier, as if time itself had slowed. She couldn't explain it, couldn’t understand why her heartbeat had quickened, or why a warmth spread from her chest down into her stomach.

Her rational mind scrambled for purchase.

'What the hell are thinking Lorraine I have a husband. I love my husband. He is waiting for me at home with our daughter... Get your head out of the gutters.'

She thought, no she told herself. ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ꜰʀᴏᴍ novel[f]ire.net

As she began to feel hot and bothered down there.

Yet, for reasons she couldn't comprehend her own behavior, a flicker of want threaded through her thoughts foreign, intrusive, but undeniable.

'What am I doing?'

She thought, averting her gaze, clutching at her purse like it was a lifeline.

"Miss Zane, I presume?"

Nier's voice rolled across the garden, smooth and commanding without needing to raise in volume. It wasn't arrogant; it simply was.

Lorraine swallowed, standing a little too quickly, brushing down her skirt again as though to cover her sudden nervousness.

"Y-Yes. Lorraine Zane. C.E.O of Zane Construction. It is a pleasure to finally meet you, Mister Augustus."

Her voice cracked faintly on his name.

She couldn't explain why her chest felt tight, why she had to consciously resist the urge to stare at him longer than was appropriate. Her green eyes darted to the fountain, the flowers, anywhere but him, yet no matter how hard she tried it always drifted back against her will.

'W-What's happening to me!?'

And underneath it all, a confusion bubbled, rising with every second she spent in his presence. She should feel professional, detached, calculating. Instead, her body reacted with a warmth she couldn't reason with, as though her very instincts betrayed her.

She forced a smile, professional, and poised.

"Shall we… discuss the reconstruction you had in mind?"

But even as she said it, Lorraine realized she was already fighting something invisible. Something that made her wonder how long she could keep her balance in this man's orbit.

Seeing her sudden behavior he smiled, content with ever progressing change, amused even. Inside, Nier let the thought drift through his mind.

'My, my, the little kitty is already slipping under Ishtar's touch.'

It was the first time he had actively used the curse like this, and a small thrill curled in his chest.

Kaly's voice chimed inside his head, sultry and delighted.

'Isthar is one sick bitch.'

She bluntly said.

Then continued.

'But I gotta admit, I would be lying if I said I didn't love the results. Mmm…even without the curse, I get it. My man is dangerously handsome. Keep falling, sweetheart. Soon enough you'll be spreading those pretty little legs and loving every second. Hehehe.'

Nier rolled his eyes, slightly annoyed but mostly amused.

'You really are a cuck queen, Kaly. Say one more thing like that and you'll make me riled up.'

'Oh hush, darling, I am merely stating a fact.'

She replied with a teasing lilt.

'How can an opinion be a fact?'

He asked.

'Because I said so.'

She shot back immediately. Then her tone turned serious.

'But listen, I finally understand how Ishtar's curse works. And I gotta to say, it is terrifying. But understable since each generation it only gets stronger... Still I expected nothing less from, Ishtar Authority is quite troublesome.'

'What is her authority!?'

Nier asked, but Kaly said truly made him weary of Ishtar and other apostle.

'Bearer of the highest authority beneath the Negative Concept of Dark Lust, she wields a power called The Imbalance of Love. The Authority itself allows Ishtar to see the world as if it were a love letter, and by reading, and rewriting that letter she can alter the script of reality itself. Wherever purpose already exists, she can twist it...change its intent, erase it, or graft a new one in its place.'

'Think of a girl's first love...pure, defining, and formative. To her, that moment is a lever. The Imbalance of Love lets her manipulate such levers endlessly, bending hearts, minds, objects, souls, ideas, rules, meanings anything you can think of really, until the world itself no longer behaves as it should henceforth causing imbalance. Among known apostles, it is one of the most disruptive and terrifying power among the 9 apostles, with you being the 10th since your newly born.'

'We Outer Gods prefer to keep our apostles gifts hidden, but my little sister has never been one for subtlety, she craves the spotlight like the attention whore she is.'

Hearing this Nier close his eyes and said.

'...I need to get stronger... But how do you win against something like that... No, I can't falter here, in Unlimited I trust, when the time comes I will beat her... I will win no matter the cost.'

'And you will, Ishtar is strong, no doubt... But never forget that their was a time when I was stronger than my little sister. Unlimited is the strongest ability I could give you in my weakened state in that moment, however it is not the perfected version.'

'Wait you have something stronger than Unlimited?'

Nier asked.

'Of course I do, but I need to be free from my seal to give it to you, as you are now you have to make use of Unlimited.'

'... And what power is that?'

'It called #¥€£ §||#∆....

"Ahhhh...

Nier groaned slightly holding his head in pain.

'What the hell did you just say.'

'I said it is called #¥€£ §||#∆...

Pain hit Nier head again, seeing his reaction Kaly realize her mistake.

'I see... You can't hear me, or rather you can't comprehend it's true name... It means the skill is rejecting you.'

'Rejecting me?!'

Nier asked mentally.

'Yes, it make no sense to explain what it does, like Unlimited it has a Will of it's own, my strongest authority is basically my true daughter, made from my horns, and the strongest power I can give to an apostle, if I explained what it does you, despite the clear warning, it will unborn you from existence, she is clearly telling me that it's mere existence is beyond you right now, meaning you are not ready.'

'Unborn from existence... What the actual fuck... Ahhhh... Sigh, let's just forget about it then, I don't want to figure out what that even means. I am happy with Unlimited anyways, it suits me well.'

Nier said and then he continued the conversation by saying.

'Anyway's back to the curse... you see according to the old tomes, the original version mainly drew irrational women to the accursed. Over time, it evolved, now something as simple as mere eye contact alone, three to five seconds can begin to induce a yandere fixation.'

'That is true.'

Kaly agreed.

'But your version is worse than that.'

'Why?'

Nier asked, not even aware till now, that his curse ha something new to it that he was unaware of.

'You don't just make them obsessed.'

She explained.

'You gradually corrupt a woman's natural rationality. The curse rewires her conceptually you see, and to them you as person becomes a living drug in a woman's brain. The further she is from you, the more she craves you; desperation grows into a kind of madness. And it doesn't stop at emotion either, the curse can awaken, or rather, continuously mutate a woman's abilities. If she lacks strength, she'll push herself until she gains it. If she lacks ruthlessness, she'll learn it, even if she has to push a belief aside. If she lacks talent, the obsession will force her to develop one. The result is a woman remade to serve their fixation on you if needed.'

Nier's expression darkened when he heard this as he said back to Kaly.

'So they become stronger, smarter, and more determined, all for me. And if I can't meet their need's of loving them back, what the hell is going to become of me?'

Kaly's voice softened, but her warning was clear.

'Then they will spiral out of fear, and become mad. Love becomes obsession; obsession becomes pain. As the great man Fleece Johnson put it: ‘You can do this the easy way, or the hard way.’ Once the corruption completes, escaping is nearly impossible. You'll have to tame them. Treat the curse like an addiction, structure their way of thinking by making a rewards system, set boundaries, and make your affections scarce and earned. That is how you keep your Yandere Harem under control. Otherwise… you'll be fucked up, down, sideways, back and front darling.'

She sighed theatrically.

'With Ishtar's curse twisting it all, you're a once-in-a-never-again existence, a true anomaly. Perfect for my purposes and terrifying for anyone willing to fuck around and find out.'

'...'

Nier remained silent but his mentally nodded and said.

'This has gotten a lot more dangerous that I was expecting, I would have considered running away if I wasn't the way I was now. But I will just take this as a massive win, if it means getting my dick wet everyday just to tame these crazy bitches then so be it, I will be a pimp that manage his own harem, for his own sake.'

'Hehehe... And I will be here with you each step of the way darling... Now then, shall we corrupt this cutie even more my love.'

'Yeah, let's start mind fucking her rationality to oblivion, I want to see just how useful this curse truly is when used the way I am using it now.'