Chapter 59: Endless Struggles, Mary Sue Ultimately Chooses to Compromise (1)
“Any request, really?”
Lilith’s eyes brightened slightly, the excitement flickering across her stunning features. She nodded repeatedly, her golden hair cascading around her shoulders with the movement. The sunlight kissed her hair, sending radiant highlights onto her flawless, doll-like face, enhancing her already mesmerizing charm.
“Then, how about you please me a little?”
Before Lilith could answer, Shia interrupted with a smug smirk.
“Like a little puppy—wag your tail for me.”
Lilith’s smile froze. Her wide, shimmering eyes filled with disbelief as she stared at Shia, stunned into silence. It took her a moment to process what he had just said, but her body stiffened with indignation.
“Absolutely not!” she snapped, shaking her head vehemently.
Although she couldn’t pinpoint where everything had gone wrong recently, Lilith was sure of one thing: she could not afford to make another mistake. As a trainer, she knew how to coax loyalty, reward obedience, and maintain control, but pandering to the whims of the "dog" would only confuse the natural hierarchy. It would lead to the unsettling possibility of her “dog” thinking it could rule over her.
Her pride as a top-tier trainer wouldn’t allow it.
“If you like watching a dog wag its tail so much, then… why not let Tia do it?” she offered with an almost dismissive tone.
When Tia arrived at her lady’s summons, she was utterly perplexed. Her cold, aloof demeanor gave way to visible confusion as her sharp eyes landed on Shia.
“Why is this annoying nobody here?” she muttered under her breath.
After listening to Lilith’s “plan,” Tia’s eyes widened, and her usually frosty expression cracked into outright disbelief. She turned toward her mistress with visible distress.
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
“You want me to… for him?” she began to protest, her voice faltering. But Lilith’s doe-eyed sorrowful expression immediately silenced her.
“Tia, I know this is difficult for you,” Lilith said, her voice tinged with helplessness. Her hands reached out to clasp Tia’s, her delicate fingers trembling slightly. “But right now, only you can help me.”
Lilith leaned closer, her gaze soft and full of vulnerability. Her large, tearful eyes seemed to plead with Tia, her soft, pink lips trembling ever so slightly. The closeness made Tia painfully aware of Lilith’s scent—a faint floral perfume that was both intoxicating and comforting.
“There was a misunderstanding between Shia and me,” Lilith continued, lowering her voice as her eyes darted toward Shia standing a few feet away. “He mistook my kindness for malice. You know, Tia, that he’s the academy’s new top student, someone even the headmaster respects greatly.”
Lilith’s tone turned somber as she added, “If I don’t mend things between us and he decides to retaliate later… I’ll have no way to protect myself.”
Her words were laced with desperation as she looked back into Tia’s eyes. “Tia, you are the one I trust the most. You’re my closest, most loyal companion. Please, you’ll help me, won’t you?”
Tia’s icy composure melted entirely under her mistress’s plea. Her knees felt weak, and her heart raced as she tried to steady herself. She could feel her legs trembling, as if standing on clouds, while her head swam with a single, overwhelming thought:
'My lady is in distress, and I’m the only one who can save her.'
Tia swallowed hard, nodding fervently, her resolve unshaken. Her devotion to Lilith burned brighter than any indignation she felt toward Shia. If this was the price to protect her goddess-like mistress, she would bear it without hesitation.
From a distance, Shia watched the exchange, his arms crossed as a bemused smile played on his lips.
'This poor, deluded maid… she’s being played so easily, and she can’t even see it,' he thought, barely suppressing a chuckle. 'Lilith’s manipulation is almost impressive.'
Yet, despite his amusement, Shia refused to accept the offer. Lilith’s attempt to pass the responsibility onto Tia was, in his eyes, a transparent dodge.
“No,” he said flatly. “She’s not the one I want. It’s you.”
Tia, who had mentally prepared herself for the worst, froze at his words. Her head whipped around to look at Lilith, her expression frantic and uncertain.
“My lady… what do we do now?” her wide, tearful eyes seemed to ask.
Lilith’s own composure faltered, a rare crack appearing in her carefully constructed facade. She hadn’t anticipated Shia’s unwavering stance.
'This bastard… he dares reject my solution?' she thought, her fists clenching by her sides. 'Does he truly expect me, the proud heiress of the Guen family, to stoop so low?'
Tia, her trusted personal maid, was someone Lilith considered a high-caliber asset, a reflection of her own prestigious status. To have Tia grovel in such a degrading way should have been more than sufficient to appease Shia. But no—he wanted 'her' to do it.
“Shia, you’ve changed,” Lilith said, her voice tinged with indignation.
Shia’s expression remained unyielding as he crossed his arms. “You’re the one who made the mistake, not her. I want 'your' apology.”
His tone left no room for negotiation, and Lilith knew she was cornered. For the first time, she felt powerless in a situation where she had always held control. She bit her lip, struggling with her pride, before finally stomping her foot in frustration and storming off.
---
Lilith’s retreat didn’t signify defeat. Shia knew her too well—she was too stubborn to give up entirely. Instead, he waited, confident that she would find another angle to approach him.
As expected, Lilith soon sought out an alternative method to sway Shia. This time, she turned to Ella, her respected mentor and one of the academy’s esteemed figures.
Lilith’s plea was laced with manipulation, painting herself as the victim in a tragic misunderstanding. Through her teary voice, she spun a tale that portrayed Shia as the cold-hearted one, accusing him of discarding their long-standing bond for the allure of newfound power and attention.