No Entry Except for the Master - Chapter 33

Waaaaah!

The crowd roared. Glancing to the side, she saw that the female challenger had just barely maintained her balance and avoided falling, successfully landing.

But the male challenger had misjudged his leap, failing to even get a foothold and ended up sprawling backward after crashing into the stage.

“Ooh! Too bad. Only two contestants succeeded. Let’s give a round of applause to Miss Bunny and the successful challenger!”

Cheers grew louder at the emcee’s smooth commentary. Lilith high-fived the successful challenger. The man who had fallen sat on the ground, bowing his head in embarrassment.

Lilith cast a concerned glance in his direction, wondering if he was hurt.

“Wait a sec. Aren’t these two totally rigging the match?”

As Lilith was about to step off the stage, a man suddenly began yelling.

The man had actually been scanning the crowd out of embarrassment after his disgraceful fall. At that exact moment, he heard someone behind him snicker and make a mocking comment.

His temper flared, and his face flushed red. He leapt onto the stage, pointing accusingly at Lilith and the successful challenger as he began making baseless accusations.

“Did you cheat or take d***s or something? How the hell did I lose to such a weakling?!”

“Excuse me, challenger? Please calm down…”

The emcee tried to soothe the agitated man, but it was no use. Mistaking the murmurs from the audience as signs they were agreeing with him, the man grew more brazen. Lilith’s childish-looking mask seemed to bother him, and without warning, he lunged at her.

“You’re hiding something, aren’t you?! That’s why you’re wearing that stupid mask and playing around!”

He violently reached out to grab both the mask and her hair. Lilith quickly leaned back to dodge him—but just then, someone stepped in between them.

“No need to cheat.”

Teia caught the man’s wrist in one swift motion, halting him. His slow, deliberate gaze scanned the man from head to toe—then lingered conspicuously between his thighs.

“Just by looking at you, it’s obvious you’re not built for strength. If it’s that thin down there… how unfortunate.”

It was a very suggestive remark. Was he referring to his thighs, or another “important” part? With a deliberately lazy, mocking tone, Teia chose words that would humiliate the man the most.

Laughter erupted from the crowd before Teia had even finished speaking. The man gritted his teeth and tried to shake his hand free, but Teia refused to let go.

“And if you wanted to touch my bunny, you should’ve gotten the master’s permission first. Hm?”

Teia murmured in a low, menacing voice and gave a chilling smile. At the madness glinting in Teia’s eyes, the man turned pale. When Teia abruptly released his wrist, the man stumbled backward and hurried off the stage.

“I don’t know who you are, but thank you for—”

The emcee tried to regain control of the situation, but Teia ignored him and left the stage with Lilith in tow. Lilith, held firmly, was dragged out of the venue by him.

Thick curtains blocked out the bright sunlight streaming through the window. The room was filled with a cold, heavy silence. Standing guard by the door, Cesar sighed quietly. Teia sat deep in an armchair, one leg crossed over the other, wordlessly leaning back.

“I give you a bit of freedom, and you get all excited, huh?”

At his words, Lilith, who was kneeling on the floor, flinched. His sharp gaze stabbed downward from his seat in the plush chair. Lilith fidgeted with her toes on the floor, nervously glancing up at him.

She had no excuse—she had disobeyed his order to stay put.

“That’s why I’m in such a foul mood right now. I told you to wait, but you ignored your master’s command and got busy playing with other people.”

His sweet tone cut like a knife, accusing her sharply. His large hand forcefully grabbed Lilith’s chin, lifting her head. As he expected, her wide eyes were already brimming with tears.

“I’ve been too lenient, and now you think you can cry your way out of everything. Seems I’ve spoiled you.”

Lilith bit her lip to keep from crying, but her tightly sealed lips kept quivering as the sobs threatened to break free.

“So? Why did you suddenly act out like that? Did being left alone make you crave freedom? Or did you want attention, affection, to be told how pretty you are by others?”

Teia’s once-calm heart began to boil. His grip on her chin tightened. Even as he looked at her tear-streaked, pained face, he didn’t feel any relief.

What am I so angry about? Teia couldn’t figure it out himself.

Was it because she disobeyed and left the room?

Because she mingled with others so naturally?

Because she laughed and looked happy even without him?

Each reason he considered only stoked the fire in his chest. It was a different heat from the icy dread he had felt when he thought she was gone.

Perhaps it was because he acted more on instinct around her, without the usual mask—now emotions he didn’t even recognize in himself were rising to the surface.

Why won’t you do as I say?

You’re supposed to move according to my will. Why are you acting on your own?

“Do you want to get away from me?”