Shia met her gaze directly, ready to lay things out.

"While you’ve helped me establish a strong image, the truth is, all the girls around me have interacted with you before."

"Because of how you’ve acted in the past, Nia and the others have a pretty negative impression of you."

"Things have gotten better now, but we can’t rush it. This kind of thing needs to be done step by step. We need to completely change their perception of you first before moving forward."

Lilith’s face flushed with guilt.

"I-I wasn’t that bad, was I?"

Shia didn’t hold back.

"They’re all close friends of mine. Considering how you treated me before, it’s only natural they’d form certain opinions."

Lilith fiddled with her fingers, her eyes darting away.

"So... what should I do now?"

She glanced nervously at Shia, her voice uncertain.

"How can I get on their good side?"

"Simple."

"Step one: pretend to back off and act like you’re competing for my attention."

Lilith's eyes flickered with confusion. Something about Shia’s plan didn’t feel entirely right.

"Before, they didn’t like you because they found you difficult to get along with," Shia explained patiently.

"But if you pretend to compete for attention and integrate yourself into their group, won’t they start seeing you as one of their own?"

Lilith hesitated, nodding tentatively.

'That... kind of makes sense!'

"And once they see you as part of their group, as time goes on, won’t they get to know you better and change their opinion of you?"

This time, Lilith nodded more decisively, her eyes sparkling as she envisioned a future surrounded by exceptional girls, all revolving around her.

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Motivated by this promising vision, Lilith took the initiative to learn. She grabbed Shia’s hand, her eagerness almost palpable.

"How do I make them believe I’m competing for your attention?"

After all, this kind of manipulation wasn’t her strong suit.

"When I interact with other girls, you need to act resistant and displeased," Shia said with a straight face.

"But won’t that make them see me as an enemy?"

"You’re trying to integrate into their circle, right? It’s natural for someone to feel jealous when their love interest is with others. It’ll make your reaction seem genuine."

"That’s... true."

"So," Shia continued, "competing for attention is just a means to an end. It’ll help lower their guard, allowing you to build better relationships with them and ease their hostility."

Shia’s warm, persuasive smile made it sound as though everything he said was for Lilith’s benefit.

Listening to his careful planning, Lilith couldn’t help but feel it all made sense.

Shia, meanwhile, silently observed the gullible Mary Sue falling for his scheme. But his attention soon shifted to someone nearby.

Standing quietly at the side was Tia, the ever-loyal maid. Her tall, slender figure exuded elegance, and the slight bend of her body as she poured tea for Lilith drew attention to her curves.

As she leaned over, the lace of her white stockings struggled under the weight of her generous chest, pulling the neckline slightly downward. Her short maid skirt, already modest in length, lifted just enough to expose a tantalizing glimpse of her stockings.

The contrast between her cold, icy demeanor and the slightly seductive appearance of her maid outfit was enough to make Shia’s grin deepen with amusement.

'The time is just about right.'

"Did you get all that?" Shia asked Lilith.

Lilith nodded enthusiastically, her eyes glowing with determination.

"Then how about we practice?"

"Practice? How?"

Lilith followed Shia’s gaze, her eyes landing on Tia.

Suddenly, Tia found herself the focus of both their attention. She tensed up, her usual unease around Shia becoming more pronounced.

Her lips parted to protest, but before she could speak, Lilith hesitated.

"Isn’t this... inappropriate?" Lilith said, her tone uncertain.

After all, Tia was her personal maid. Loyal and obedient, she’d always served her faithfully. But using her for something like this felt... off.

"It’s just practice," Shia said casually. "We’re all on the same team here. What’s there to worry about?"

Lilith wasn’t actually concerned about Tia's feelings. What worried her was the unsettling sense of something being amiss.

"Practicing in advance will prevent any awkward mistakes later," Shia added.

"Your image with them is already precarious. If they find out you’re faking it..."

Lilith shuddered at the thought.

'They’d definitely hate me even more!'

For the sake of the plan, she steeled herself and nodded firmly.

"Alright, let’s practice!"

Tia looked at Lilith in shock, her voice trembling as she exclaimed, "Miss, how could you?!"

Her face was filled with panic, her eyes brimming with unshed tears.

She’d already suffered so much at the hands of others when Lilith wasn’t aware or was unconscious. To think she’d now have to endure this in her presence...

Tia couldn’t believe her beloved mistress would push her into the lion’s den like this.

Lilith, however, misunderstood Tia’s reaction. She assumed her maid was simply reluctant because of her dislike for Shia. After all, she knew Tia had never been fond of him.

But this was for the greater good, Lilith reasoned. Her dreams of a bright future couldn’t afford any hiccups!

So, she straightened her expression and reprimanded her maid.

"Tia, no matter what, he’s your master too. You need to obey!"

Tia’s eyes widened in disbelief.

'Did... did she really just say that?!'

Her tall frame trembled slightly, her despair deepening.

In the end, under Lilith’s firm insistence, Tia reluctantly agreed to participate in their so-called "practice."

At that moment, Shia wrapped an arm around Tia’s slender waist, pulling her into his embrace.

Her tall, graceful figure leaned against him, her body pressed tightly to his as they sat together.

Tia’s heart raced with tension and fear, her unease heightened by every subtle movement from Shia.

For now, they were playing the role of a loving couple.

The next part of the practice was for Lilith to barge in and "catch" her maid and fiancé in a scandalous display of affection.

Lilith pushed the door open dramatically.

On the sofa, Shia and Tia sat intimately close, their interactions radiating an air of forbidden romance.

Shock, sadness, and anger painted Lilith’s face as she stepped forward.

She stopped a few paces away, her gaze flicking between Shia and Tia with a mixture of betrayal and disbelief.

Under Lilith’s accusatory glare, Tia felt like crumbling.

But the worst was yet to come.

"He’s my fiancé!" Lilith’s voice trembled with grief.

"You, my closest maid—how could you do this?!"

Her tone was drenched in anguish, perfectly embodying the rage of someone betrayed by her most trusted companion.

But soon, her bright eyes dimmed, and her shoulders slumped.

Lilith staggered back a few steps, as if the weight of the betrayal was too much to bear.

"Forget it... forget it..."

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by lotustale.com