"So, they just try to steal you from right under my nose?"

Lilith's voice carried a hint of irritation, but Shia smiled warmly. His hands, which rested on her shoulders, began to knead gently.

In a soft, coaxing tone, he began to reassure her.

"Why get angry over something so small?"

"Think about it—they admire me, doesn't that just prove how amazing I am?"

"And since I'm so amazing, doesn't that mean I'm a perfect match for you?"

"The better I am, the more it shows your excellent taste."

"After all, I’m yours!"

Lilith felt a sense of comfort wash over her with these words. But outwardly, she couldn't let him off that easily. Shooting Shia a sidelong glance, her expression carried a touch of playful arrogance.

"Sweet words, but they’re literally digging up the wall in front of me! Aren't you going to do something about it?"

Shia smoothly slid closer to her, his hand finding its way to her shapely legs. The black stockings she wore were silky to the touch, her soft and warm skin beneath adding to the sensation.

Grinning, he scooped her black-stockinged legs onto his lap, his hands starting to massage them with practiced ease.

"My bad—how could I let my fiancée feel unhappy?"

"Let me make it up to you. How about a nice, relaxing massage?"

Lilith's pride swelled. As expected, she was still as sharp as ever.

Just a little feigned jealousy was enough to get her loyal dog bending over backward to please her.

"Hmph, I suppose that’ll do."

Lilith tilted her chin upward slightly, trying to maintain her air of superiority.

Shia's warm smile remained as his hands moved deftly over her legs. The pressure was just right—alternating between light and firm—and she couldn’t help but feel her tension melt away.

His accommodating demeanor left Lilith deeply satisfied.

'Hah, you women chasing after him—this genius prodigy is my personal dog!'

As Shia kneaded her legs, he chatted casually with her.

"How's the pressure? Is it good?"

"Feeling better now?"

"Since we're still pretending for the show, I'll need your cooperation a bit longer, but you know this—my heart has always been yours alone."

"As long as you're happy, I'll do anything."

Lilith, soaking in the endless stream of compliments, started to feel completely enchanted.

She truly believed she was the most important person in Shia's life.

The fact that he was subtly taking advantage of her escaped her notice entirely. Instead, she felt smug, even triumphant.

Shia continued to enjoy the feel of her perfect legs. Their proportion was flawless—long, shapely, and with just the right softness. If there were a design for "legs worth worshipping," Lilith's would certainly fit the bill.

Though deeply pleased, Lilith still tried to maintain her haughty façade.

Every time Shia asked for her approval, she'd respond with something like "barely acceptable," "decent," or "not bad."

Yet, she failed to notice the subtle shift in his actions.

While the touches still seemed innocent, the nature of their contact had grown a bit more intimate.

Shia's face lit up with a sunny, satisfied smile as he spoke again.

"As long as you're happy, I'm content."

His apparent concern for her feelings made Lilith even more self-assured.

'He cares about me the most. As long as I hint at a little discontent, he’ll drop everything to please me!'

Confident she had Shia wrapped around her finger, Lilith believed herself to be firmly in control.

But Shia was operating on a whole different level.

Did she think he couldn't see through her little manipulations?

Having long mastered Mary Sue's bratty tendencies, Shia was more than capable of playing along.

'Sure, I'll pretend to be swayed. In reality, you're the one walking right into my hands!'

Though the words sounded sweet, Shia was fully enjoying himself under the guise of giving her a massage.

Lilith, basking in her pride, had entirely missed the subtle changes in sensation in her legs.

She glanced at Shia, feeling it was finally time to reveal her true intentions. Today’s performance was just a prelude for what she really wanted.

"Do you really think that way?"

"Of course! After everything we’ve been through, don’t you know me by now?"

Lilith thought of the scenes of Shia surrounded by admiring girls, and her heart began to race with anticipation.

"Our plan was for me to help you appear more popular with those girls, right?"

"Now that you're a total heartthrob, isn’t it time to move on to the real plan?"

"After all this time pretending, when do we start for real?"

Her eager eyes sparkled as she looked at Shia, nearly overflowing with excitement.

To achieve this, she'd played the role of the perfect fiancée for so long. Surely, it was time to reap the rewards.

When surrounded by all those admirers, she had felt a bit annoyed. But every time she reminded herself that 'he belongs to me,' she could barely contain her excitement.

'Once he brings those girls under his wing, they’ll all become mine in the end!'

Lilith's mind involuntarily conjured images of the girls around Shia:

The innocent, busty elf senior; the cold and noble princess; the seductive and mature school dean, Diana; the obedient little maid...

Even the sword saint senior Sistine seemed to be on good terms with him.

The thought of all these beauties as her "trophies" had her practically salivating.

But so far, she hadn’t truly claimed her prize.

'Even just holding him in my arms would be a start!'

The beast within her was roaring to be unleashed.

Hearing Lilith's eager demands, Shia maintained his calm.

'So she wants me to cheat on her?'

That was definitely out of the question. But keeping his loyal fiancée properly trained was essential—after all, even a loyal dog can bite if pushed too far.

Shia lowered his gaze, deep in thought.

Lilith waited for a response, but as the seconds dragged on, her expression started to shift. Suspicion crept into her tone.

"What, you don’t want to?"

"I just think it’s not the right time yet."

Lilith frowned.

"And when will it be the right time?"

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by lotustale.com