Chapter 43: Jayde

My threat was quite effective in scaring Jayde, and she began to talk about what had happened the previous day. "Yesterday, as the sun was falling from the sky, a figure in a black robe using a staff with a large blue gem arrived at the village and demanded to speak with our patriarch. Some guards were enraged by his attitude and yelled at the visitor. With just a gesture of his hand, all the guards were reduced to ashes before the patriarch himself rushed out to greet him. Despite his attitude, the patriarch knelt, and the guest said we had to go to the Hobgoblin village to the south to get the Omaishi back, and that we had to hurry to avoid mistakes. Furthermore, if anyone found the one who had killed him and could capture him, they would be generously rewarded, but if not, just indicating his location would be enough. The elder instructed Lucien and me to come and collect the Omaishi, but upon arriving, we noticed that all nearby villages were searching before us. You know the rest, my lord. I admit we tried to kill you, but you suffered no harm. Please forgive us and let us return. The patriarch has ways of knowing when someone dies. If you kill us, the entire village will come for you. You won’t gain anything by killing us; it would be better for everyone if this ended this way." The cat woman was trying to intimidate me a bit, but she was too naive. Ever since she started talking, the erotic colors faded, leaving only one color on her. When she spoke, the color changed from blue to red. Apparently, blue was truth, red was lies, and sometimes it appeared yellow, meaning she was speaking half-truths. For example, the fact that they could see when their allies died was yellow; meaning either it was a half-truth or she wasn’t sure. For a few minutes, I considered my options, which made Jayde anxious. "I can swear no one from the tribe will pursue you, I swear by the gods," she said. Red filled her entire body. The brat was lying shamelessly. "I’ve finished considering your words and I’ve decided you have two options: become my slave and help me monitor your clan’s actions. I don’t need you to do anything to harm them, just notify me if they try to do anything or..." Jayde’s face turned white as if she was about to faint, and she trembled; I could even hear her teeth chattering. "You can die right now. Choose wisely, as I have no interest in letting either of you go free." "Sir, I cannot betray my tribe," she said. Her body turned yellow. "I love my tribe and I am willing to die for it," she continued. Her body turned red. "Besides, Lucien is my fiancé, and if he dies and I return, they might suspect something," she added. Her body turned blue. "I understand... I suppose you can both die," I said. "I respect couples who deeply love each other, and I respect your loyalty to the tribe that gave you everything. Just to be sure and not to kill an innocent person: Do you love your fiancé and do you love your village enough to sacrifice your life for them?" Jayde’s color seemed to flicker as she bit her lips. This ability was too convenient; I could clearly see her hesitation. She was nervous, insecure, and it wasn’t because I was threatening her; this came from her own heart. "I... I... I love him and I love my tribe," Jayde stammered, and her color turned red again. This was the information I wanted to get. I leaned in and whispered in her ear: "Why are you lying? You can try to lie to me, but you can’t lie to your heart. And your heart screams and begs me to save you from all that pain and suffering." Jayde’s face had a natural caution, like a child facing an adult who wants to give them candy for no reason. "I didn’t tell you, but I can hear the hearts of beautiful women." My words were like thunder in her mind. Her memories of past traumas erupted like a waterfall, causing Jayde to start crying inconsolably. The cat girl fell to her knees, covering her face with her hands. "I hate all those damn people, I hate that they treated me that way, I hate this scoundrel who killed my mother to force me to marry him, all I want is for them all to die...!" Jayde’s heart opened, speaking what she truly thought. All her words were in blue, showing her true feelings; her hatred went beyond simple resentment. With a smile on my face, I walked to Lucien, untying his bonds so he could speak. "What do you think of this? Do you have anything to say?" Despite his great pain, the cat boy managed to sit up, panting and sweating profusely. "She’s lying, I’ve never done anything against her or the clan," he said. Even though that’s what he said, his entire body was completely red: it was a lie! "I am the heir of the Shadowclaw clan. If you let me go, I will pay you. I can give you whatever you want, my clan is very rich, there will be no problem in giving you what you desire...!" Despite everything, the subject was telling the truth; every single one of his words was true. But now I was curious about what had been done to Jayde. To me, his riches and promises were worth less than shit. I rejected his offer; how much could a cat clan have compared to the wealth of the Demon King? "Jayde... your fiancé is offering very attractive conditions for me to release him. Tell me, what do you think will happen to you when you return safely with him..." Jayde’s face turned even paler as she imagined the sad fate that awaited her if she returned to her village with Lucien. "Sir, I beg you, make me your slave! I am willing to pay any necessary price to be able to kill this monster. I will be your sword, your shield, I will die for you, even... even I will give you my purity, but please, kill this beast." "You, damn it, how dare you offer your ass to another! You belong to me in this life, and if you die, your ghost will belong to me too, you’re a damn slut...!" Splat... I was sick of this guy, so I exploded his head with a single kick, mercilessly.