Chapter 1185 - 188: Lady Bayonetta’s Restless Heart and the News from the Speaker, Generous Gifts_2

Chapter 1185: Chapter 188: Lady Bayonetta’s Restless Heart and the News from the Speaker, Generous Gifts_2

Her rebuke was spoken with an authoritative finality, each word as sharp as an ice pick. The imposing aura she had cultivated over years in power, holding authority, served as an invisible barrier, attempting to keep Su Li’s scorching gaze and blatant intentions at bay. She slightly raised her chin, revealing a swan-like, elegant neckline, her fair skin gleaming with a pearly luster under the light, contrasting starkly with the dark gown; both noble and seductive, yet exuding an icy, unapproachable air.

However, Su Li’s gaze did not waver due to her rebuke; instead, it lingered even more unabashedly on her chest, gently heaving with anger, with a deep, penetrating look that seemed to pierce through fabric, carrying a burning tangibility. Bayonetta could vividly feel that gaze like a tangible caress, passing by and causing an indescribable, shameful shiver beneath her icy defenses. She struggled to maintain a cold expression, but the silent blush creeping up her earlobes and the slight tremor of her fists, unconsciously clenched under the wide sleeves, betrayed an inner turmoil not as calm as her outward demeanor suggested.

The feeling of being openly coveted and scrutinized like prey mixed with anger, humiliation, and a hint of undeniable, shameful thrill at being drawn to a powerful presence, wound around her nerves like a Poison Vine. The strong, masculine aura from Su Li, emanating from the bloodstained battlefield and blatant ambition, was an utter affront but also a dangerously intoxicating poison arousing terrifying ripples in the depths of her frozen heart.

"Affront?" Su Li said in a low, slightly amused tone. Not only did he not retreat, but he leaned slightly forward, his overwhelming presence growing even stronger. "Madam, I am merely stating a fact and... expressing my preference."

His gaze was still fixed steadfastly on her, as if appreciating a rare treasure, filled with a desire for exclusivity. "City Lord, you are repulsive. But you, Madam..." He paused deliberately, his eyes lingering for a moment on her tightly pressed, beautifully shaped red lips, their heat almost scalding. "...are captivating."

This remark was like the last straw, completely igniting Bayonetta’s anger and that unspeakable sense of shame. She abruptly stepped back as if trying to distance herself from this dangerous source, her deep purple gown tracing a cold yet elegant arc with her movement.

"Enough!" Bayonetta’s voice was icy and determined, cutting with a decisive edge. "Lord Su Li, it seems that between us, aside from necessary transactions, there is no other topic worthy of discussion! The cooperation between the City Lord’s Mansion and the Hesse Territory is limited to the exchange of spoils and equipment! As for anything else..." She took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the tumultuous waves inside her, using all her strength to maintain the last vestiges of her shaky dignity and coldness. "Please, control yourself! Good day!"

Finishing her words, she did not look at Su Li again, turning and briskly walking away as if fleeing the eye of a storm. Her figure remained poised, her steps still graceful, but the slightly hurried pace and somewhat rigid shoulders bespoke the turbulent emotions within her. The hem of her deep purple gown silently brushed across the glossy marble floor, leaving behind a faint trace of an elusive fragrance unique to a mature woman and an atmosphere thoroughly disrupted and charged with dangerous tension.

Su Li stood motionless, watching her leave, her back elegant as a swan yet touched with a hint of panic, a deeper flicker of amusement at the corner of his mouth. This thorny rose, the colder and more resisting it was, the stronger his desire for conquest grew. He seemed to envision the flame igniting beneath her icy shell and the impending storm.

As for the intentions regarding collaboration with the City Lord’s Mansion, he had no change in plan. But the premise was that he must suppress the Mansion’s arrogance and seize the upper hand in this alliance. And Lady Bayonetta was undoubtedly an excellent breakthrough point.

In fact, Su Li was far from the lecher he pretended to be. After all, in terms of aura, some of his female courtiers were not inferior to Lady Bayonetta, this young matron. Besides her Moon Priestess’ lunar effect, Bayonetta did not have an overwhelmingly superior charm.

So Su Li merely used a slight violation tactic to shatter the carefully crafted facade and defenses of Bayonetta.

And undoubtedly, it was incredibly effective. Lady Bayonetta nearly fled back to her rest room. Only after closing the door and leaning against the cold carved wooden door did she allow herself to breathe heavily. Her chest rose and fell violently, her cheeks burning, Su Li’s scorching gaze and blatant words seared into her mind like a brand, indelible. A strong, invasive sense of humiliation, mixed with a frightening voidiness forcibly awakened deep inside her, left her feeling weak all over.

She walked to the ornate dressing mirror, the woman in the reflection stunningly beautiful, her eyes still panic-stricken with a hint of... an unnoticed, hazy sheen. She looked at her flushed cheeks and slightly moist eye corners in the mirror, a wave of strong shame and resentment surged in her heart.

Su Li... this Barbarian from the frontier! This arrogant nouveau riche! How dare he! How dare he look at her with such eyes! How dare he utter such desecrating words! Ever since she became the Lady of the City Lord’s Mansion, no one had dared to speak to her this way for a long time.