Chapter 749

Having received approval, Sylph took a deep breath, a flicker of guilt and struggle over her mother crossing her face—but this hesitation was swiftly replaced by a resolute determination to seize the opportunity and cling to a powerful ally.

She silently told herself: ‘Mother, you must prove yourself! This is the divine chance for us mother and daughter to escape our plight and climb to a higher rung! With your timid, fearful nature, you’d never dare resist.’

Thinking this, she no longer hesitated, pushed open her mother’s door, and gestured for Li Chen to follow behind her.

Li Chen maintained his observer’s stance, curious to see how this drama would unfold.

Inside the room, steam curled thickly; Bilotis, Sylph’s stunning half-elf mother, was immersed in the warm bath, gently wiping her smooth shoulders and arms with a damp towel.

Hearing the door suddenly burst open, she turned in shock—and when she saw her daughter enter with a man wrapped in a dark cloak, his aura mysterious and unfamiliar, her violet-crystal eyes, identical to Sylph’s, widened in utter panic and helplessness.

She instinctively tried to shield her body with the towel or her arms, but it was already too late.

Sylph, well aware of her mother’s nature, gave her no chance to think or refuse, and immediately spoke with a tone of reverence and emphasis: ‘Mother! Come out and greet him! This is a holy officer sent secretly by the Church to investigate a critical matter! He is a Saint-level being, stronger than Chief Loserma!’

These words struck like a thunderclap, precisely hitting the deepest fear in Bilotis’s heart: power and absolute strength.

The mere name of the Church was enough to inspire awe in ordinary people, but the three words ‘Saint-level’ crushed her like a mountain, far more terrifying than the intimidation of any clan chief—a thousandfold greater!

‘Ah!’ Bilotis was terrified out of her wits, no longer caring to cover her body.

She scrambled out of the bath in a frantic tumble, ignoring the need to dry herself, and fell to her knees with a thud on the cold floor, her wet silver hair clinging to her cheeks and bare back, her voice trembling uncontrollably:

‘Your servant Bilotis, unaware of the holy officer’s arrival, failed to greet you properly—I am guilty, deserving of death! I humbly welcome Your Excellency!’

From Li Chen’s elevated viewpoint, the beautiful woman kneeling on the floor had skin flushed a tempting pink from the warm bath and her current terror, dazzlingly pale.

Her figure was lush and graceful, her breasts full and prominent; in her kneeling, naked posture, every angle revealed the breathtaking curve and deep cleavage, even her smooth bare back unable to fully conceal these magnificent assets.

Water droplets rolled continuously down her smooth skin, pooling into small puddles on the floor.

Li Chen ‘cooperated’ by subtly releasing a faint yet soul-shaking aura of terror.

It was not targeted oppression, but a tangible pressure that enveloped the entire room, instantly confirming Sylph’s words and dissolving Bilotis’s last shred of doubt, leaving only boundless fear—her body trembling like a leaf in the wind.

Seeing her mother utterly cowed, Sylph pressed the advantage: ‘Mother, the officer is conducting a secret investigation—his identity must not be revealed! He has been investigating all day and is exhausted; he needs to rest in your room.’

She deliberately emphasized ‘needs to rest,’ hinting at a certain possibility.

Bilotis, as expected, could not summon even a single thought of resistance or doubt, and stammered hastily: ‘Yes yes yes! Your servant understands! I will cooperate fully! I dare not reveal a single word! You may use this room freely—I’ll leave with Sylph right away!’

‘Rise,’ Li Chen said coolly.

Bilotis felt as if granted pardon, yet dared not fully relax, rising shakily to her feet.

But Li Chen’s unrelenting gaze, piercing through his hood, filled her with unbearable shame—her pale skin flushed even deeper red.

Naked, water dripping steadily from her feet, she had never felt so humiliated and helpless.

She seemed to recall something, whispering like a mosquito: ‘M-Master… could I… please be allowed to put on a garment first?’