No Entry Except for the Master - Chapter 53

After the tea party with Hecate, Teia ordered that the garden beneath Lilith’s balcony be off-limits. Soldiers guarded it with a grim presence, and rumors began to swirl among the castle staff — that a crime had occurred there or even that a ghost had appeared.

But Teia didn’t stop there. He stationed guards in front of Lilith’s playroom as well. In fact, he restricted the entire second-floor corridor, not just the playroom, to all personnel. He had initially planned to post guards directly in front of Lilith’s room, but disliked the idea of anyone standing by her door 24/7. So instead, he blocked off the entire hallway and stationed soldiers at both ends.

Thanks to this, Lilith had gone back to a life of walking on eggshells. Teia’s mood had always been capricious, but this was the first time he had visibly stationed guards around her (at least to her knowledge).

To Lilith, it meant that he was even angrier than when she had once disappeared without notice.

Try as she might, Lilith couldn’t recall having done anything wrong, which only made her more anxious. She would have preferred if he simply told her what he was angry about. But instead, Teia continued to visit her as usual, spending time idly without scolding her.

And so, after forgetting all about the spirit’s power and Hecate, and simply focusing on keeping out of Teia’s bad graces, the final day of the party finally arrived.

Due to the event lasting longer than expected, only familiar faces from nearby territories remained until the end.

Lilith holed up in her room, hoping that once today’s final party ended, the castle would become quiet again and Teia would be less busy.

Her arm and ankle, now only wrapped in bandages after the splints had been removed, still hurt when moved but had improved significantly. Sitting on her bed, fiddling with the bandaged ankle, Lilith wiped a bead of sweat from her chin with the back of her hand.

“It’s so hot today.”

She let out a deep breath and looked longingly at the window, which was already opened wide. The curtains fluttered, proving that wind was indeed coming in, yet the air still felt stiflingly hot. As she carefully lowered her legs to the floor and stood up—

Drip.

She felt her undergarments suddenly grow damp.

“Ah, ah…”

Lilith quickly clamped a hand over her mouth. The strange heat she felt wasn’t from the weather — it was coming from her body.

The sudden rush of slick fluid from between her legs signaled the start. She could feel it slowly dripping out, her body beginning to prepare itself in anticipation of something — a member to fill the emptiness.

Fear gripped her.

Whenever her heat cycle began, her memory would become spotty and she’d lose control of her body. She needed Teia. With her reason still intact in these early stages of heat, Lilith decided she had to find him quickly.

She hurriedly left her room and crossed the corridor.

“You are not allowed to roam freely.”

“I—I’m going to see my master…”

Hearing that she was on her way to Teia, the soldier who blocked her path let her through. She barely made it to his office, only to find Louis there alone. He told her that Teia had gone to the music hall, so Lilith forced her increasingly sluggish body forward.

“Haah… ha… huuh…”

Her breathing grew more ragged. Lilith shook her head, trying to stay focused. When she passed the occasional servant, the faint scent of a male made her lower half twitch on its own. But she didn’t want to be hated by Teia. More than anyone else, she wanted him.

The music hall was past the grand hall. Since the party hadn’t started yet, the grand hall was tidy and empty — a relief. She didn’t want to run into anyone. Lilith mustered all her strength to keep her trembling legs moving.

“Are you alright?”

But as if mocking her silent plea, someone grabbed her by the shoulders. Even the slight touch over her clothes made her hypersensitive body react instantly. Lilith bit her lip hard.

The man looking at her with concern was Hecate — the one who had said he’d return tomorrow, yet hadn’t appeared since. Not that it mattered. None of it did. Lilith instinctively tried to back away from the hand trying to support her.

“You don’t look well. Shouldn’t you return to your room?”

“No… I need… to see… Teia…”

Her vision blurred with moisture. She pushed herself forward, rejecting the vague figure of Hecate in front of her. But in her rush, she stepped wrong and pain shot through her ankle.

“Aah!”

She cried out as her body stumbled, and Hecate quickly caught her in his arms. A sweet scent enveloped her senses. Lilith felt like crying. She wanted to cling to someone, anyone, and let them take her. But she clenched her fists and pushed at Hecate’s chest, calling to mind her master’s voice.

“How amusing.”

At that moment, the voice she had longed for so desperately rang out.

And just like that, her body responded — a fresh wave of slick desire oozed out from between her legs.