Chapter 288: Esmeralda Finally Gets Shocked

Cynthia calmly opened her palm.

Resting above it was a set of slender black-green needles, each one almost weightless, with faint venomous mist curling around its surface.

At first glance, they looked elegant, but the aura radiating from them was anything but delicate.

The moment Esmeralda sensed it, her entire expression changed, and her pupils contracted sharply.

The aura she felt right now... she had encountered something similar before, but only once in her entire lifetime.

It was the aura of the weapon carried by her own family patriarch, a weapon that transcended the Royal Grade, something that even a Nascent Soul cultivator might never see even once in their lifetime.

Esmeralda looked back at Cynthia, her expression turning serious. "This... is this King Grade weapon?"

Cynthia’s lips curved upward as she gently rubbed one of the needles between her fingers. "Hehehe, you’re quite knowledgeable, Esmeralda."

Esmeralda was visibly surprised, and when Cynthia noticed her reaction, her grin widened even further. "This is the King Grade needle set, [Silent Venom Rain Needles]."

Silence filled the room.

Esmeralda’s eyes remained locked onto the weapon.

Cynthia continued, "And you know who gave them to me?"

Esmeralda slowly came back to her senses, but her expression changed once again.

Deep down, she desperately hoped that the conclusion she had reached was wrong.

However, the smile on Cynthia’s face told her otherwise. "It was Young Master Damian who gave it to me."

The moment those words reached her ears, Esmeralda froze.

Her expression shifted dramatically, and her voice became noticeably sharper. "No... no, that’s impossible! Are you saying Damian? The same Damian who just walked out of here?"

Cynthia’s grin widened. "Yes. The very same Damian you looked down on as nothing more than a client."

Esmeralda slowly sat back down, still visibly shaken. For the first time in a long while, she genuinely felt as though her understanding of people had completely failed her.

She had always known that Damian was wealthy, but she had never imagined that his background could be this terrifying. To casually give away a King Grade weapon to a member of his harem...

Just what kind of person was he? A faint chill crept down Esmeralda’s spine.

Cynthia noticed the troubled look on her face and grinned, clearly deciding to make things even worse. "And it’s not just me, you know."

Esmeralda’s gaze immediately sharpened. "What do you mean?"

Esmeralda stared at Cynthia in complete shock, her expression frozen as if she could no longer process what she was hearing.

Cynthia grinned and slowly raised three fingers. "He also gave King Grade weapons to my other three friends."

Esmeralda’s mind went completely blank.

A single King Grade weapon was already enough to be considered a priceless treasure even within her clan. Yet Damian had possessed four of them and had simply given them away as gifts.

Cynthia watched Esmeralda’s stunned reaction with obvious satisfaction before casually placing the needle set down in front of her, allowing her to examine it for herself.

She leaned back, took a slow sip of her tea, and continued. "Let me tell you this. At first, I didn’t really want to accept you into Master’s harem, but..."

Her eyes slowly swept over Esmeralda from head to toe, and a faint grin appeared on her lips.

"Knowing that Young Master seems to like you, and considering that you’re quite beautiful, have a good figure, and are also intelligent and talented..."

Her tone then became noticeably firmer. "I can accept you into Master’s harem. But if you do join, there is one thing you need to understand."

Esmeralda’s expression immediately turned serious. She leaned forward slightly, listening carefully to every word Cynthia was about to say.

Cynthia leaned forward slightly. "You won’t receive something like this just because you decide to join."

Esmeralda raised an eyebrow.

The smile on Cynthia’s face gradually faded. "The four of us sacrificed a great deal to reach this point, you know."

Her voice grew quieter. "We’ve essentially entrusted our entire futures and our loyalty to him. And yes... we’ve already been intimate with him as well."

Esmeralda’s eyes shifted slightly, but she remained silent.

Cynthia continued, her tone blunt and unwavering. "So, in a way, you could say that we already belong to him completely. If you wanted to put it more harshly... we’re practically his slaves."

She folded her hands. "If you’re thinking about joining only because you saw a King Grade treasure..."

Her gaze became sharp. "Then just forget it, because if you want what we have, the real question isn’t whether Master Damian can afford to give you something incredible."

She leaned slightly closer. "It’s whether you’re willing to trust him with your entire life."

Cynthia raised one finger, emphasizing her next point. "And what I mean by that is simple. Young Master Damian has his own way of knowing whether someone is truly loyal to him."

Her expression became noticeably colder. "So if you’re thinking about using some despicable trick, pretending to love him, or joining us just to take advantage of his treasures... forget about it."

A moment later, that coldness faded, replaced by a faint, knowing grin.

Cynthia leaned back comfortably in her seat, her eyes still fixed on Esmeralda. "Now then... what do you think, Miss Esmeralda? Care to join us?"

Esmeralda did not answer immediately.

Her gaze drifted toward the [Silent Venom Rain Needles] resting on the table, then toward the storage ring where she had placed Damian’s talismans.

For once, there was no teasing smile on Esmeralda’s face. She was genuinely thinking it over.

Cynthia’s proposal was simply too fucking abrupt.

Several moments passed before Esmeralda finally let out a soft breath. "Let me think about it a little longer."

Cynthia raised an eyebrow but remained silent.

Esmeralda leaned back in her seat. "We still have an entire week before the festival."

She folded her hands elegantly. "During that time, I’ll be meeting Sir Damian several times anyway."

Her eyes became thoughtful. "Perhaps by then, I’ll understand him better... and understand exactly what kind of relationship I want with him."

Cynthia studied her for several seconds.

Esmeralda continued calmly, "You can’t seriously expect me to hear about your [Forbidden Immortal Harem], see one King Grade weapon, and immediately decide to devote my entire life to a man."

Cynthia paused for a moment before giving a small nod. "That’s fair."

Esmeralda’s brows rose slightly, seemingly surprised that Cynthia had agreed so easily.

Cynthia calmly stored the [Silent Venom Rain Needles] away. "I wasn’t expecting you to answer immediately anyway."

She then rose from her seat and adjusted her robes before giving Esmeralda one final reminder.

"Let me make one thing clear. You have until we finish dealing with whatever happens during the festival to give me your answer."

Her voice remained calm. "By then, we’ll probably know whether you actually want to stay around Master Damian or whether you’re only interested in doing business with him."

Just as Cynthia was about to leave, she paused and glanced back one final time. "Think about it carefully, Esmeralda. And remember... Young Master Damian may act like an idiot most of the time, but..."

Esmeralda remained silent.

Cynthia continued, her tone becoming more serious. "Once he considers someone one of his own, he treats them ridiculously well. And Damian isn’t nearly as weak as you seem to think."

Esmeralda’s eyes slowly drifted toward Cynthia’s storage ring. She had already seen more than enough evidence of that.

Cynthia opened the door and gave her a final wave. "Anyway, that’s all I wanted to say. Bye-bye."

With that, she stepped outside and closed the door behind her.

Esmeralda remained alone in the room, and for several seconds, she simply stared at the closed door.