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Looking at the time, Yaeger noticed it was still early. Rather than departing, she decided to explore under Irene’s bed. “Ah, ‘Palace Affairs: Legend Of The Temptress’, and here’s ‘My Sister Is Kinda Naughty~’,” she exclaimed, each discovery bringing a mix of amusement and humiliation for Irene, who wished to silence her.

Yet, having exhausted all her energy in charging the Holy Spirit Shard, Irene lay powerless, unable to even lift a finger. The task had clearly drained her.

“Please, stop… Stop searching!” Irene pleaded feebly, her voice barely above a whisper.

Unperturbed, Yaeger continued her foray. “And this is ‘Domineering Sister’s Coy Kiss’.” Irene’s protests fell on deaf ears as Yaeger unearthed more scandalous titles, her smile widening with each find.

“Sob sob sob, you’re such a bully!” Irene’s frustration neared its breaking point.

Then, Yaeger pulled out an A4-sized, lightly wrapped object from under the bed. “What’s this? A lewd illustration?” she asked, holding up the mysterious item.

Irene’s reaction was immediate and intense. “Don’t open that, please! It’s dangerous!” she exclaimed, her eyes wide with fear.

Intrigued by Irene’s reaction, Yaeger’s curiosity peaked. “Now I really want to see what’s inside,” she said with a mischievous smile.

“No, I beg of you, don’t!” Irene’s plea was desperate.

“The more you resist, the more curious I become,” Yaeger replied playfully, unwrapping the item without sensing any danger.

“I hate you so much,” Irene lamented, regretting her inability to stop Yaeger due to her exhaustion.

Unveiling the fabric layers, Yaeger revealed a portrait. Her expression shifted dramatically upon recognizing the figure. “Who is this?” she asked, despite knowing the answer. The portrait depicted a stunningly beautiful woman with blonde hair and white skin, wearing a seductive purple dress. It was unmistakably Eldest Princess Alicia.

“I’m sorry, Sister Mountain Lily. I promised to keep this secret…” Irene wept, breaking her vow.

“Sister Mountain Lily?” Yaeger echoed, throwing the portrait back to Irene. “You call Eldest Princess Alicia that?”

Irene turned away, refusing to respond.

“You don’t seem to grasp your situation,” Yaeger said with a sinister smile, gently touching Irene’s shoulder. “Do you think I won’t strip and whip you?”

Irene shuddered and quickly conceded. “I’ll tell you everything!”

After a silent apology to ‘Sister Mountain Lily’, Irene confessed, “Yes, she’s Sister Mountain Lily, the author of ‘Lonely Thoughts: Please Be Gentle Tonight, Dear Sister~’!”

Yaeger was stunned. ‘Alicia wrote a s̲m̲u̲t̲ novel?’ It was hard to believe, but the evidence was undeniable.

As Yaeger flipped open the first page of ‘Lonely Thoughts: Please Be Gentle Tonight, Dear Sister~,’ which lay on the table, she wasn’t surprised to see the pseudonym ‘Mountain Lily’ as the author. The revelation confirmed her suspicion: Alicia, under her pen name, had written this book.

This realization sparked a cascade of questions in Yaeger’s mind. Why did Alicia offer her own body as payment during their initial meeting? Why did Lili behave oddly when sharing a bed with her? Why did Nectar react so distinctly upon being caught? And why did Irene’s favorability soar during their bed encounter? The answer was Alicia’s alter ego, Mountain Lily, and her influential work.

With this understanding, Yaeger connected all the dots. “You must never reveal that you’ve seen Sister Mountain Lily’s portraits. It could be perilous,” Irene warned solemnly.

Yaeger’s response was a twitch of her eyelids. She knew Alicia well enough to be confident that no harm would come to her. On the contrary, this revelation might even deepen their bond. ‘Alicia, the tomboy, writing erotic literature? That’s unexpected,’ she mused.

“Hey, are you listening?” Irene, regaining some strength, tugged at Yaeger’s sleeve.

“Yeah, I heard you. But how did you come to possess her portrait? And why would she give it to you?” Yaeger asked, setting the book aside.

Irene released her grip and pondered a moment. “I met Sister Mountain Lily at the launch of her fifty-fifth book. I painted this portrait as a keepsake. She cautioned me to keep it hidden, warning of dire consequences if it were seen by others. So, I’ve always kept it well-concealed under my bed.”

“Do you know about the succubus?” Yaeger inquired after Irene’s explanation.

Irene shook her head in ignorance.

“You’re quite out of touch,” Yaeger remarked.

“Sob… I’m a Saintess. My days are consumed with prayer. I can’t keep up with worldly matters,” Irene replied, rolling her eyes.

“Alright, I understand. You’re busy,” Yaeger replied, somewhat dismissively.

Handing back the portrait, Yaeger prepared to leave. “Take care. We’ll hang out again sometime.”

Realizing it was getting late and she had Layna’s birthday to attend, Yaeger knew she couldn’t linger.

“You’ll return?” Irene asked, surprised.

She thought the torment would end now that Yaeger had obtained what she wanted. But that wasn’t the case.

“Of course. Friends should meet often, right?” Yaeger replied, not mentioning her plan to recharge the Holy Spirit Shard during these visits.

“Please don’t come back!” Irene protested, aware of Yaeger’s motives.

“It’s beneficial for you too,” Yaeger said with a smile, turning to leave.

“You’re so mean,” Irene retorted, her regained strength evident as she threw a pillow at Yaeger.

With a flick of her tentacle, Yaeger deftly sent the pillow flying back, hitting Irene squarely in the face. Irene’s frustration was apparent.

After exiting Irene’s room, Yaeger opted not to use the main entrance, anticipating there might be a trap set by others. Instead, she employed her [Double Jump] skill, gracefully scaling the high walls and landing with poise.

Upon regaining her balance, her notification panel lit up with a message from Yunuen. Clicking on it, Yaeger’s expression hardened, and a surge of killing intent filled her heart.