That night, after a banquet enjoyed by both hosts and guests, everyone returned to their own rooms.

As promised, Violet came to Caelan's room… and gave herself completely to him.

"Haa~"

Violet collapsed onto the bed.

Her entire body felt as if it had fallen apart, lacking the strength to even lift a finger.

Her beautiful face was tinged with a deep blush, and the discomfort from her "first bloom" made her moist eyes shimmer slightly.

Violet looked at Caelan with complicated emotions, a mix of relief and lingering anxiety.

"Caelan-sama… I entrust my life to you."

Leaning against his chest, her tone carried a sense of distance and melancholy.

Now that Doflamingo was gone, what came next?

She trusted Caelan, but would he continue to value her from here on?

"Don't worry. I won't turn my back on you. From now on, just stay with me."

Caelan gently wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes, speaking tenderly.

He understood that this was the natural fear and unease a woman felt after giving herself to someone. It was just like a man's post-climax calm.

This was the moment when a scumbag would usually start laying on the manipulation, making promises they never intended to keep.

"Mm…"

Looking at the man beside her, Violet quietly made a decision.

"Caelan-sama… are you interested in hearing my story?"

Violet traced lazy circles on Caelan's chest with her fingers, glancing up at him with a teasing gaze.

She believed that once she told this story, Caelan's favor toward her would deepen even more.

"Now that you mention it, I am curious."

"Was Doflamingo… a eunuch or something? He didn't lay a finger on a beauty like you. And in the end, I got the prize."

Caelan looked at Violet, eyes filled with intrigue.

Truthfully, he was shocked to discover Violet was still a virgin.

He'd originally approached her with less-than-noble intentions, fully expecting her to have a history with Doflamingo.

"Doflamingo's not a eunuch. He just didn't touch me. He had plenty of other women to satisfy himself."

"He's just…"

Violet blushed and hesitated, struggling to get the words out.

Even bringing up Doflamingo's twisted preferences felt uncomfortable.

"What is it? Spit it out!"

Caelan's curiosity was eating at him like a cat scratching his heart.

Doflamingo had passed up a beauty like Violet? Why?

Seeing Caelan so desperate to know, Violet shut her eyes and quickly said, "Doflamingo… thinks of me as his mother. He has a bit of a mother complex."

"…What?"

Caelan's eyes widened. He was genuinely stunned.

"Are you serious?"

Even with the information overload he'd been exposed to in his past life, this was hard to digest.

This sort of… "interest" was a little ahead of its time, even for him.

"Of course it's true!" Violet confirmed firmly, then continued, "Eight years ago, when Doflamingo took over Dressrosa, he started pursuing me. Back then, I had no choice but to agree… for my father's safety."

"But over those eight years, he never touched me. I went from a young girl to the woman I am now, completely untouched."

"I found it strange too, until one day he accidentally called me 'Mom.' That's when I started getting suspicious. After keeping a close eye on him, I confirmed it."

"He didn't lay a hand on me because he didn't think I was 'motherly' enough. But in the past couple months, his attitude started changing. I think he finally believed I'd matured into that 'motherly' image."

Violet gave a self-deprecating laugh.

Doflamingo was the one who destroyed her family and usurped her kingdom.

Naturally, she hated him deeply.

Even though she had no choice but to go along with his pursuit, she had never intended to give herself to him.

Once she realized his twisted preferences, she devised a plan.

For the following years, she played the role of a mother—gentle, serious, nurturing.

It made her sick, but it worked. She managed to keep her body safe.

Still, over the past two months, she'd noticed the change in Doflamingo's eyes—his aggression returning.

If Caelan had arrived any later… she might not have been able to hold out.

"…Tch."

Caelan sucked in a sharp breath, shocked by what he had just heard.

But the more he thought about it, the more sense it made.

He'd seen Doflamingo's backstory in the anime.

His father, Donquixote Homing, had given up his Celestial Dragon status and taken the family into the outside world.

Doflamingo grew to resent his father deeply.

And after his mother's death, his hatred for Homing reached a peak.

In his twisted filial piety, Doflamingo had even beheaded his own father to prove his worth to the Celestial Dragons.

Of course, it failed.

Still… it explained his fixation on his mother.

Caelan couldn't help but click his tongue.

So this is the kind of man Doflamingo really is?

This inner circle… it's beyond messy.

Still, Caelan silently gave his thanks to Doflamingo.

If not for his messed-up psyche, Caelan wouldn't have ended up with such a rare find like Violet—mature yet pure.

As these thoughts spun through his mind, Caelan looked back at Violet.

She was already stunningly beautiful, but after what had just happened, she looked even more enchanting.

Maybe it was just his imagination, but after hearing her story, she seemed to glow with a mysterious allure.

Caelan licked the corner of his lips and gave her a mischievous smile. "Madam… you wouldn't want your son Doflamingo to suffer in prison, would you?"

"...Huh?"

Violet's heart skipped a beat as she saw the strange look in Caelan's eyes.

She had guessed that telling the story would make him like her more.

But she hadn't expected him to get this weird about it.

Still, she had achieved the desired effect.

Violet feigned nervousness, biting her lip as she played along. "W-What are you planning?"

"Madam… you know what I want."

Caelan caressed her body, his voice soft and suggestive.

Violet first showed a hesitant, fearful expression… then firmly replied, "Caelan-sama, as long as you don't hurt my son Doflamingo, you can do whatever you want to me."

As she spoke, an inexplicable thrill coursed through her body, and her limbs began to stir again.

"Then I won't hold back, Madam."

Caelan pulled her into his arms with passion.

He had to admit, Violet's acting was top-tier.

(To be continued.)

***

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