Chapter 61: Endless Struggles, Mary Sue Ultimately Chooses to Compromise (3)
“Since you invited me to act as the mediator, it’s my duty as a teacher to guide my students,” Ella began, her voice calm but authoritative.
“Shia is your fiancé. How can you harbor such doubts about him?”
“When you start with suspicion, it’s only natural that everything will seem like his fault.”
“But as a young woman, you should learn to rely on others and show more gentleness.”
“If you made a mistake, you need to apologize sincerely and admit your wrongs.”
“Shia isn’t unreasonable. If you show the right attitude, he’ll forgive you…”
Lilith’s eyes widened as she listened, her breath catching in her throat. This sudden turn of events was beyond anything she had expected.
'My mentor is refusing to side with me?'
'Not only that, she’s scolding me… and defending Shia?!'
Lilith’s gaze turned hollow, and her body swayed slightly as if struck by a thunderbolt.
Her thin, silken dress clung to her trembling form, amplifying the sense of vulnerability that overtook her.
'How could this happen?' Lilith thought bitterly. 'All these years of being her student, and yet it doesn’t compare to the short time she’s known him?'
Tears threatened to well in her eyes, though she quickly blinked them away. The betrayal she felt cut deep. She clenched her fists beneath the table, the delicate fabric of her dress tightening over her thighs as she shifted uncomfortably.
---
Shia, observing this, was silently thankful for Ella’s unintentional support. Never one to waste time, his gratitude quickly translated into action. Beneath the table, his foot slid closer, brushing lightly against the smooth black silk covering Ella’s legs. The sensation of her stockings’ silken texture brought a smirk to his lips.
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Ella immediately stiffened, her already upright posture becoming even more rigid. Her earlier reprimands carried an air of severity, but now, with this unexpected contact, her composure began to falter.
Her voice, though still firm, carried a faint tremor as she continued addressing Lilith. “You need to reflect on your actions, Lilith,” she said, her tone taking on a sharper edge, a direct consequence of her tense state.
Lilith, pouting and on the verge of tears, glanced up at Ella with an expression of betrayal.
'You’re my mentor. Why are you being so harsh on me?'
'Why are you defending him so strongly?'
She couldn’t help but wonder, 'Could Ella have feelings for Shia too?' The thought sent a wave of bitterness coursing through her.
Ella, meanwhile, was internally panicking. Shia’s “gratitude” beneath the table was relentless, and despite her best efforts to maintain her composure, she found it increasingly difficult to focus. Her slender legs, clad in glossy black stockings, pressed together tightly in a futile attempt to resist.
Her gaze flicked toward Shia, her eyes pleading for him to stop. Yet the moisture shimmering in her pupils and the slight parting of her lips betrayed a conflicted response that lacked any real authority. Shia’s smirk widened.
“Don’t overthink it. This is just my way of saying thanks,” he mouthed silently.
Ella’s fingers gripped the edge of the table until her knuckles turned white. She felt powerless—unable to retaliate with Lilith watching her every move. A single misstep might expose the compromising situation under the table.
'Why is he so shameless?' she thought, her mind spiraling. 'How can he do this with such confidence?'
---
Lilith, meanwhile, misinterpreted the entire scene. To her, Ella’s stern demeanor only reinforced the belief that her mentor was siding with Shia for personal reasons. The bitterness in her heart deepened.
“Lilith,” Ella called out sharply, her voice cutting through the younger woman’s thoughts. “Do you still fail to see your mistakes?”
Lilith bit her lip, struggling to suppress her anger. 'What mistakes?' she thought indignantly. 'Shia’s demands were unreasonable!'
Her original plan to use Ella as an ally had completely backfired. Instead of chastising Shia, her mentor had turned against her, leaving Lilith feeling isolated and betrayed.
---
Ella’s body, however, betrayed her further. The unrelenting pressure beneath the table caused her resolve to waver. Her legs, trembling from exertion, eventually relaxed, and a faint flush crept across her cheeks. She felt a pang of shame as she realized how accustomed she was becoming to Shia’s unconventional methods of “gratitude.”
'It’s just a massage… nothing more,” she tried to convince herself. 'It’s not as though he’s crossed any serious lines… right?'
Her thoughts drifted as she clung to these justifications, allowing Shia to continue his covert actions undeterred.
Meanwhile, Lilith’s frustration reached its peak. “Fine,” she muttered under her breath. Lowering her head, she typed furiously on her phone. Her slender fingers hovered over her thighs, the delicate fabric of her stockings wrinkling slightly with each motion.
'If this is what it takes, I’ll agree… for now,' she thought bitterly.
---
Shia’s phone buzzed, and he casually glanced at the screen. Seeing Lilith’s message, he smirked.
[Your conditions, I agree to them.]
He looked up at her, his dark eyes glinting with satisfaction. Beneath the table, his actions stilled for a brief moment as he allowed Ella a reprieve. His gaze locked with Lilith’s, who avoided his eyes, her expression a mix of anger and reluctant submission.
Shia’s fingers danced over his phone screen, crafting a response. Moments later, Lilith’s phone vibrated again.
[See? That wasn’t so hard.]
Her heart burned with indignation as she read the message, but before she could respond, another text arrived:
[However, your attempt to escape the consequences has displeased me. The conditions have now escalated.]
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