Before Ian could even take a seat on the sofa, a beautiful red-haired woman moved with remarkable agility and, without the slightest hesitation, threw herself into his embrace.
Unlike the girls closest to Ian, such as Rose or Cecilia, the woman before him was far more mature.
From the contours of her face to the curves of her figure, everything about her radiated the charm of a fully grown woman rather than that of a young maiden.
Thanks to the Transformation Ninjutsu he employed to alter his physical structure, height, and facial features, Ian's current appearance had undergone a rather drastic change.
He used that simple technique to conceal his true identity from others. It was the same method he had once used when dealing with Baron Glutherz.
At present, there was nothing about his appearance that resembled a thirteen-year-old boy.
Even so, Charlotte had recognized him with ease.
The same held true for those closest to Ian, people who shared an instinctive familiarity with him. They could draw their conclusions simply by noticing one crucial feature he had never bothered to alter.
It was an unmistakable trait.
That physical characteristic was so rare that anyone familiar with the Wieser Family's bloodline would immediately realize that the grown man currently trapped in a red-haired woman's embrace possessed a strong familial connection to James Wieser.
The combination of long black hair and a matching pair of black eyes was an exceptionally rare genetic anomaly. Even throughout the recorded history of the Continent of Vanaheimr, no such phenomenon had ever been documented.
The red-haired woman's embrace was tight enough to become increasingly uncomfortable for Ian. To make matters worse, the pressure against his chest only grew more noticeable with each passing moment.
Ian attempted to create a little distance between them.
However, as though she had read his intentions, the woman merely leaned closer and lowered her voice near his ear.
"It has been a long time since we last met, Mister Raven. Did you miss me?"
"You have not changed at all, Grace."
"Not everyone changes, myself included. Even so, there are a few things about me that are different now. What do you think of my current appearance?"
"That is hardly an urgent matter worth discussing."
"As cold as ever. That is precisely what I like about you."
"That is because you are strange."
"I do not mind."
"Let go, Grace."
"And what if I refuse?"
"You are exceedingly troublesome. I dislike sudden physical intimacy."
Grace let out a soft chuckle. Her warm breath brushed against the side of Ian's neck, sending a faint ticklish sensation across his skin and causing the hairs at the nape of his neck to stand on end.
Ian had always struggled whenever he found himself dealing with aggressive women like Grace.
He had even once suggested to his Father that she be removed from her position as the leader of the Nightshade Guild.
Yet at the same time, Ian could not ignore the fact that Grace's abilities far surpassed those of most of the guild's senior figures.
Not only did she possess extraordinary talent in espionage and information gathering, but her tenure as Nightshade's leader had also proven considerably more successful than that of any of her predecessors.
With movements deliberately laced with temptation, Grace's fingers began to wander along Ian's side.
"What is wrong with your body's reaction? Why do you seem so tense, Mister Raven?"
Grace was not entirely mistaken.
Ian's body still responded naturally as that of an adult man. Although he could maintain an expression as calm as the surface of a tranquil lake, the subtle tremors running through his body seemed to move beyond the reach of his conscious control.
Throughout his life, Ian had absorbed an immense amount of knowledge, allowing his mental maturity to develop far beyond the limits of his age.
It was not merely a profound understanding of continental history, noble politics, the structure of magic, or the tales of heroes from ages past, but also detailed knowledge concerning the biological anatomy of both men and women.
All of it had shaped a logical and orderly mindset within him.
Ironically, that very mindset often left him feeling awkward whenever he had to deal with bold advances from women like Grace.
"That is enough, Grace. This is not the time for games."
Ian exerted a bit of force and firmly pushed the woman away.
Indulging Grace's antics would only drag the situation out endlessly without accomplishing anything meaningful.
"Are you impotent?"
"Do not cross the line."
Grace pursed her lips, clearly dissatisfied at receiving the same rejection once again.
"I do not care, Mister Raven. Do as you please, and I shall do as I please."
"As long as it makes you comfortable, Grace."
"Then I shall spend the entire day holding you."
"That is an exception."
"What a liar."
While observing Ian as he settled onto the long sofa, Grace called for her personal maid, who promptly entered the study.
"Nana, bring me a bottle of my favorite wine and some sweet refreshments."
"At once, My Lady. I shall return shortly."
Grace gave a brief nod before Nana left the room.
Once the door had closed again, her gaze returned to Ian.
She had no intention of wasting such a rare opportunity.
It had been far too long since their last meeting.
Moreover, the man before her was notoriously difficult to track. Information regarding him rarely left behind any clear traces.
Difficult, however, did not mean impossible.
As the leader of a guild specializing in information and espionage, Grace possessed several theories regarding certain identities that might be connected to Ian.
Analyzing a person's characteristics, gathering clues, and drawing conclusions was hardly difficult for her.
"May I sit down?"
Ian looked at the woman standing before him.
He knew perfectly well that Grace was plotting something.
"This is your private room. Do as you please."
"Truly?"
Ian offered no reply beyond a faint smile.
A moment later...
"Hm?"
Ian found himself briefly bewildered.
Without any warning whatsoever, Grace dropped herself onto his lap.
The woman settled comfortably atop his thighs while wrapping both arms around the back of his neck in an overly dramatic pose.
If someone happened to walk in at this very moment, they would undoubtedly assume the two shared a relationship far closer than reality suggested.
"What are you doing, Grace?"
"My desire. Were you not the one who told me to do as I pleased?"
Ian could only fall silent, momentarily at a loss for words before the twisted logic of the woman sitting on his lap.
He released a long sigh.
Whenever he spoke seriously, Grace occasionally found ways to exploit his words in the most unexpected manner.
Grace's personality was easy enough to understand, but her actions were much like Charlotte's.
Entirely unpredictable.
***
Grace Miller.
She was a remarkable woman blessed with a strong personality and an unwavering ambition to obtain whatever she desired.
When James first seized supreme authority over the Nightshade Guild, Grace stood out among all the guild's senior figures as the most exceptional individual in the fields of espionage and intelligence gathering, even without considering her combat abilities.
She was vastly different from the other Nightshade executives, who had chosen submission not out of competence or loyalty, but out of greed.
James moved swiftly to eliminate the useless officials who might become obstacles in the future, leaving behind only those he deemed worthy.
Given Ian's limitations when it came to gathering information independently, despite having stationed shadow clones throughout the various regions he had visited, his Father had once suggested that he establish a new organization focused on espionage and reconnaissance.
To Ian, however, such an option was nothing more than a waste of time.
Building a mature intelligence organization was not something that could be accomplished within a few years. It required a solid foundation, a structured system, and a rigorous selection process for recruits who would need to be trained from the ground up to perform their duties effectively.
Furthermore, a specialized methodology was necessary to ensure that every operative could produce intelligence of the highest quality.
And such methods were not easily obtained.
Stealing them from another guild would only create unnecessary conflict.
His Father later proposed an alternative: teaching the fundamentals of chakra utilization and ninjutsu to promising individuals with a talent for reconnaissance.
Ian rejected the idea without hesitation.
The risks were simply too great and could easily create problems in the future.
Aside from those he considered family or individuals who had earned his absolute trust, Ian had no intention of allowing anyone to learn chakra or ninjutsu.
After all, betrayal could arrive at any moment without warning.
That was why, among the many information guilds operating within the Capital, Ian chose a far more efficient approach.
There was no need to recruit new members.
No need to build an organizational structure from scratch.
The optimal solution was to take control of an already established faction.
His choice ultimately fell upon the Nightshade Guild, the Capital's foremost secret organization and one of the finest intelligence networks within the Thronheim Empire.
The acquisition process proceeded rather smoothly.
James's power was not something anyone on this continent could afford to underestimate.
He executed the previous leader and then conducted a thorough purge of the guild's entire leadership.
Among all the available candidates, Grace Miller stood above the rest.
She was not extraordinary merely because of her leadership abilities.
What truly made her frightening was her individual combat prowess.
She was far stronger than Lucas.
Moreover, her fighting style, which revolved around a pair of short blades, was genuinely lethal.
The combination of close-quarters combat and the deadly poison coating her weapons was enough to bring down an Expert-ranked Auror with ease.
Even a Magician could lose their life if caught off guard.
In addition, the composition of Nightshade's membership had also captured Ian's interest from the very beginning.
***
The scent of this woman's perfume is incredibly strong.
I am not sure whether she deliberately chose such a fragrance because she knew I was coming, or if it is merely a coincidence.
The low-cut neckline of her dress draped loosely, leaving the soft, breathtaking curves of her breasts completely exposed to my view. From this breathtakingly close proximity, the sheer contrast of her skin was impossible to ignore, shattering my focus as my eyes were drawn to the heat of her chest.
I immediately shifted my gaze and stared toward the still-closed door.
Nana would return within a few minutes.
If she happened to witness this awkward situation, the misunderstanding that followed would be difficult to explain.
Grace was undoubtedly beautiful.
Yet that was not what attracted me.
More importantly, romantic rumors involving their highest-ranking leader would only invite suspicion and division within the organization.
Before I could speak, Grace beat me to it with another tease.
"Do you truly have no intention of removing me from your lap, Mister Raven?"
Both of her arms were wrapped tightly around my neck, making it difficult to move her without creating even closer physical contact.
If I insisted on removing her now, I would first have to lift her entire body.
"Get down, Grace. You are heavy."
"Would you care to repeat that?"
Grace's tone abruptly turned cold.
Her voice did not rise, yet a clear threat lurked beneath those simple words.
Suddenly, I recalled Charlotte's advice.
My sister had repeatedly warned me not to be excessively honest when offering opinions about a woman's appearance.
I once criticized her for eating too many sweets and remarked that she had become slightly plump.
Although what I said was objectively true, she immediately became furious because her pride refused to accept such an assessment.
Grace now appeared to be in a similar situation.
And the wisest course of action was not to prolong an unnecessary dispute.
"My apologies."
"I do not accept it. As punishment, I refuse to share any valuable information with you today."
"That is hardly a problem. I have my own methods of obtaining the information I seek."
She immediately fixed me with a sharp stare.
Our gazes locked along a single line. Grace leaned forward, closing the distance until only a few inches remained between us, our noses nearly touching.
The warmth of her breath brushed against my face, creating a strange ticklish sensation that was difficult to describe. Irritation was written plainly across her features, as though she already knew exactly what I was about to do next.
"Do not use that technique on me again. I will truly hate you if you do. I am not joking."
So that was it.
I had been using the influence of Sharingan genjutsu to obtain information whenever she became uncooperative. Yet this was the first time Grace had spoken with such gravity. The emotion in her voice was unmistakable. Her eyelids trembled ever so slightly as we continued staring at one another.
I was the first to look away.
Interacting with a woman like her always stirred a strange feeling within me.
She was different from both Rose and Cecilia in many ways.
"You win, Grace. Now get down."
A low laugh escaped her lips.
Both of her hands cupped my face, forcing my head forward again until my eyes met hers once more.
"I have not yet accepted your apology, Mister Raven. Therefore, as compensation for your earlier insolence, I have decided to remain seated on your lap a little longer."
"Ask for something else."
"Really?"
I immediately regretted the implication behind my own words. I was familiar enough with the traps that appeared whenever I left openings like that.
"Forget I said anything."
"Hm... I am rather enjoying the compensation you have provided."
Her arms slipped around my neck once more. The longer this continued, the bolder she became whenever I showed even the slightest tolerance.
"Nana will be coming in shortly."
"And what of it? At worst, Nana will spread a delightful rumor tomorrow that the guild leader is no longer single."
"You are attempting to legitimize your personal desires by exploiting the possibility of that rumor."
"An excellent analysis. Well then, are you interested in making it a reality?"
"No."
"I refuse to give up."
"Forget it, Grace. I did not come here to indulge your ridiculous jokes."
"I am in much the same situation. I am not joking about the prospects of a relationship between us."
"Stubborn."
Then something I had not anticipated in the slightest actually happened.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
The girl had already arrived.
"My Lady, it is Nana."
Nana's voice sounded from beyond the door. She was standing right outside the room.
Meanwhile, Grace displayed a victorious smile while seated on my lap.
"Get down."
"I refuse."
"Tch. What exactly do you want?"
Her expression brightened instantly. Her honey-brown eyes sparkled before she leaned closer again, bringing her lips near my ear.
"A wish of equal value. Go ahead and guess what I want."
"This is hardly the time for guessing games, Grace."
"I am serious. I will not get down even if you decide to run me through with a sword. And do not even think about taking back words you have already spoken."
I was certain she had planned all of this from the very beginning.
For this particular confrontation, I realized that yielding was the most efficient option. Grace felt different today. Her attitude made it seem as though she were wagering her entire pride on this matter.
The sheer proximity of our bodies felt incredibly intimate.
I could feel the sensual fragrance wafting from her, far more intoxicating than before—a potent sensation that temporarily shattered my focus for a few fleeting seconds.
My gaze then drifted to her bare neckline exposed right before my eyes, the skin there looking impeccably flawless and pale.
As if driven by a sudden, primal instinct, my eyes wandered lower to the upper edge of her gown, which now draped even looser, offering a much clearer view of the deep curve of her breasts.
Staring at a woman's physical form from such a breathtakingly close distance was a firsthand experience that had never once occurred in my entire life.
"Tell me what you want."
"Hug me."
"Huh? That is all?"
"Indeed. Why do you look so surprised? Do not tell me you thought I was going to ask for something outrageous."
"That is not it... Very well. I accept your request."
"Highly suspicious."
I chose to ignore the small bit of cynicism she threw my way.
The next moment, I pulled her firmly into my embrace.
My hands, which had been clenched stiffly until now, settled around the middle of her back. Her red hair felt soft against my skin. The fresh scent lingering in those crimson strands, reminiscent of fine soap, mingled with the warmth of her body and created a distinct contrast.
I could feel Grace's body tense for a brief moment at the unexpected embrace. The reaction did not last long before she gradually relaxed again.
Beyond the door, Nana continued knocking and calling out repeatedly. Yet Grace seemed far too comfortable immersed in this position to offer any response at all.
Realizing that, I whispered softly to her.
"This is more than enough, is it not?"
"I should have taken advantage of this opportunity and asked for far more profitable compensation."
"Honor your promise, Grace."
"Hmph. Very well."
There was a trace of disappointment in her words.
Even so, after a few moments had passed, she kept her promise. Grace climbed down from my lap and skillfully straightened the folds of her luxurious dress that had become slightly disheveled.
The red-haired woman then took a seat beside me before finally granting Nana permission to enter the room.
Grace Miller truly was the sort of woman who defied prediction.
In some respects, her personality resembled Charlotte's.
Yet in other ways, she reflected characteristics remarkably similar to my own.
What a troublesome woman.