C5 How Could a Good Girl Lie to Him?

Deep into the night, within a quiet courtyard tucked away in the northwest corner of Dawn City, two stunning elven maidens sat facing each other. Melanie, with a deft use of magic, had silenced their surroundings. Across from her sat her half-sister Aylwin, the director of the Empire's intelligence department.

Aylwin's ears were a tad shorter than most elves—a trait that hadn't marred her beauty but had subjected her to discrimination and bullying from a young age. Melanie was the only sibling who had ever been willing to play with her.

Observing Aylwin's statuesque figure, Melanie felt a pang of envy. Her sister's sultry physique was so unlike that of their elven kin. The top button of Aylwin's nightgown was on the verge of popping off, revealing ivory skin and a deep cleavage that even Melanie, a woman herself, couldn't help but covet. Such a figure was scandalously alluring.

Breaking the silence, Melanie couldn't contain her curiosity any longer. "Sister, about that matter I entrusted to you a couple of days ago..."

Aylwin offered a gentle smile, her dimples adding to her charm. She toyed with a crystal cup in her hand for a while before setting it down and pouring a generous serving of a sweet, fragrant wine—a luxury favored by high-born elven ladies, affordable only to the wealthy or the noble.

She raised her glass, sipped delicately, and murmured, "It concerns your happiness, sister. How could I possibly neglect it?" From her bosom, she produced a scroll and handed it over.

Melanie snatched the scroll eagerly. Feeling its warmth and inhaling the faint milky scent, she unfurled it with a frown. Upon seeing the portrait, her brow furrowed further. "Why did you make her look so beautiful? This girl in the portrait is barely acceptable by Doyle's standards."

Aylwin's smile turned sly, and she teased, "Sister, I never quite believed that love makes a woman foolish, but now I see it's true."

"Sister, do you know how to deceive someone?" Melanie gazed at Aylwin, stammering, "I've never lied to anyone..."

With a knowing smile, Aylwin clinked her glass against Melanie's. "The most effective deception is just like yours, sister."

As Melanie's expression cooled, Aylwin spoke candidly, "Sister, no matter your methods, the first step in deception is to earn trust. Princess Franny is a Succubus—how ugly could she possibly be? If I had drawn her too hideously, it wouldn't be deception; it would be fooling no one but ghosts. Let's be frank, your beloved Prince Doyle isn't easily fooled. I drew her true to form, only thinning her lips, adding a mole, and accentuating her cheekbones to give her a harsh, lascivious look. This will ensure that anyone who sees the portrait will have a poor first impression, and they'll be predisposed to dislike her. Even if Doyle eventually meets Franny in person, he'll blame the artist's lack of skill rather than suspect he's been duped. First, we establish the portrait's credibility; then, we have room to maneuver."

Melanie remained silent, sipping her wine, the sweetness improving her spirits. "You truly understand intelligence, sister. Thank you."

Watching Melanie's cheeks flush, Aylwin said warmly, "You and Prince Doyle are fond of each other; I couldn't stand to watch someone come between you. I'm merely safeguarding your love. Princess Franny may be decent, but she pales in comparison to you. So, what I've done isn't deceit—it's steering the situation back onto the right path."

Melanie, buoyed by the conversation, perused the intelligence report with a hint of confusion. "You mentioned that to deceive, one must be believable. Who would believe such terrible things about Franny?"

"Everyone," Aylwin replied with a grin. "Franny is a Succubus from the Devil Clan. A bit of lewdness is expected, isn't it?"

Melanie laughed and nodded. "It's perfectly logical. A chaste Succubus would be the true oddity."

Raising her glass, Aylwin continued, "A lascivious, unrestrained Succubus of decent looks, and an archduchess to boot, who enjoys peculiar things like SM and wild parties—is that really too much? These notions may not be causally linked, but they're plausible."

Melanie took another gulp of wine, her emotions causing her to drink too hastily and choke. After a few coughs, she asked with trepidation, "Is it really okay to fabricate such tales?"

"What's the problem?" Aylwin reassured her. "Many in the Devil Clan also believe a Succubus can't be pure, yet they still follow Franny's narrative."

"Even if someone takes it seriously, the worst they could say is that our intelligence officers made an error," Melanie said, her face flushing slightly as she exhaled in relief. She hesitated, "If Doyle ever finds out what I've done, could he possibly..."

"First off, no one's going to find out. And secondly, I'm the one who did everything from start to finish. How does that involve you?" Aylwin reassured her.

"Sis, you knew about this?" Melanie wasn't naive; she grasped Aylwin's implication and said with emotion, "Sister, thank you, I..."

"We're sisters; there's no need for such formalities," Aylwin interrupted, her voice tinged with a bittersweet tone. "Sister, it's your love life. Of course, I'd help you."

"But what if, one day, I fall for someone who's out of reach? Would you help me then?" Melanie asked earnestly.

"We're sisters; forget the formalities. If you fall for a guy, I'll back you all the way! So, who's caught your eye?" Melanie inquired.

Aylwin replied with a huff, "You're making promises when you don't even know who I'm into? That doesn't sound very sincere to me."

Melanie placed her right hand over her heart and declared loudly, "By the Moon God above, I..."

Aylwin quickly covered Melanie's mouth, her annoyance evident. "Dear sister, isn't my word enough? Do we really need to invoke the Moon God over something so trivial?"

With their problem resolved, Melanie's spirits lifted. She shared a few cheerful drinks with her sister, then another thought struck her. "Hold on, what about the Devil Clan? If Franny is determined to honor the marriage contract, what if she travels all this way?"

"If she arrives in Dawn City, won't our lies be uncovered?" Melanie worried.

Aylwin just gave a secretive smile, leaned in, and whispered something to Melanie, causing her eyebrows to arch in amusement.

But her smile soon turned into a frown. "Aylwin, this isn't right. Why didn't you say Doyle was unattractive?"

"Do you really think anyone would buy that an upper-class elf is unattractive?" Aylwin replied coolly.

Melanie had an epiphany, biting her lip as a blush spread across her cheeks. "Still, it's risky. You said he prefers men, but you didn't specify whether he's a top or a bottom. If he's a top, the lascivious Succubus Princess might be all too eager to oblige him."

Aylwin nodded, impressed. "You're the clever one, sis. I get it now. Prince Doyle doesn't just like men; he's a bottom! Rest assured, by tomorrow at the latest, the Princess of the Devil Clan will be in the loop."

With all the details ironed out, Melanie excitedly raised her glass. "To us, sister. Cheers."

"But why are we toasting?" Aylwin asked.

Melanie pondered for a moment before replying softly, "Let's toast to us, the honest elves who never deceive."

Their glasses clinked twice, "Ding! Ding!" and they downed their drinks with smiles on their faces.