Chapter 418: Suspected Individual

*Efficiency is not bad at all. After being reminded, they discovered the problem and found a lead so quickly... Not verifying or confirming it themselves, but telling me directly—is this their way of conducting a final background check? No wonder they wouldn't answer when I asked when the screening would be finished... * Franca's thoughts raced, and she roughly understood the true intentions of Bronse Solomon and the Demoness Sect she represented.

She admired the beauty and temperament of the demoness opposite her while smiling and asking in return:

"Just 'suspected'?"

This was her way of telling the other party to be more specific.

Bronse Solomon tucked a strand of orange-red hair behind her ear, her expression turning slightly gloomy as she said:

"Ever since I learned from you that the 'Felicity Society' was contacting participants of the joy parties, I began observing my friends. I discovered two members whose behavior was somewhat abnormal."

"One of them has fallen in love with a man again, has a lover, and has started to reject attending the women-only joy parties. Another has met a new woman, was seduced by her into bed, and has developed a sense of guilt for betraying us."

*Friends? Girlfriends! * Franca couldn't help but mutter to herself.

She asked with a smile:

"Who do you suspect is a member of the 'Felicity Society'?"

"That woman," Bronse Solomon maintained her dark, oppressive aura. "She took the initiative to ask about the joy parties and told Adena that there was no need to feel guilty, that everyone has the right to control their own body and freely enjoy all kinds of desires, without needing to care about the opinions of others, social evaluations, moral restrictions, or religious constraints. She also said that only gods and churches that truly acknowledge human free will, free bodies, and free desires are worth following."

*Free bodies, free desires... It really is the style of the 'Mother Tree of Desire' believers. The core members of the 'Felicity Society' are indeed excellent 'Actors' with a rich and outstanding background in drama. They actually packaged indulgence and depravity so beautifully, equating desire with will, and covertly replacing the importance of reason, clarity, and reflection... * Franca sighed with emotion in her heart.

For a "Pleasure Demoness," this set of rhetoric was actually quite useful. As long as the humans around her believed it, she could bring them extreme pleasure in the short term, letting them sink into an ocean of indulgence. As for the long-term consequences or the impact it would cause, most "Pleasure Demonesses" wouldn't consider it for those people—they would have finished digesting their potions by then anyway.

But Franca could see that Bronse Solomon had a clear possessiveness and did not want her girlfriends to mess around with anyone outside the joy party participants.

"It does sound very much like someone from the 'Felicity Society'," Franca evaluated objectively.

Bronse added with a gloomy expression:

"As for the other lover, he mainly cares about money, houses, banquets, vacations, and all kinds of luxury goods. At a glance, he's the type of male socialite who understands women very well and has a silver tongue."

"How do you plan to handle it?" Franca asked curiously.

She felt that just giving up and blessing one of her girlfriends for finding a new lover wasn't Bronse Solomon's style, especially since that new lover was clearly unreliable.

Bronse Solomon hesitated for a few seconds before saying:

"I've met him. I could tell he has an abnormal desire for me. I plan to teach him a lesson, letting him indulge in pleasure while remaining unable to touch true pleasure. Once his body and mind are completely submissive to me, I will discard him."

*Wow... Did you learn that without a teacher? Do you even remember what you were like originally? * Franca's eyes widened, and she finally found an object she could mock.

Bronse looked at her and said with a hint of sarcasm:

"Just counting the ones I've discovered and confirmed, you have two male lovers—one mature, one young. You really know how to enjoy yourself."

Her implication was: *What right do you have to mock me? I'm just planning to give that man some pleasure and won't actually have a relationship with him, whereas you have long forgotten your own gender, tossing and turning in the beds of different men! *

*Half of my reputation was ruined by that guy, Charles! * Franca didn't fly into a rage. She smiled and said:

"I just see this as a special experience."

"Since I've become a woman, how can I not experience feelings completely different from the past? If I don't try now, there won't be a chance in the future. Don't you want to change back to your original self? Do you know how to change back?"

She was hinting that she knew the corresponding occult knowledge, laying the groundwork for revealing her true purpose for infiltrating the Savard Party later.

Bronse opened her mouth, unable to refute Franca Roland's twisted logic for a moment.

Franca continued:

"Life is only a few decades long. Why confine yourself to such a small range? As long as you don't indulge or become addicted, and always remember who you are, why not see the scenery in different places while you're just experiencing it?"

Speaking to this point, Franca suddenly had an epiphany:

*Pleasure isn't just giving pleasure to others; it's also letting oneself experience pleasure! *

*Is this my first acting principle... No wonder my digestion speed hasn't been slow at all recently, it could even be called fast... It's called 'Pleasure,' so what kind of pleasure is it if I'm still being coy? * Franca thought with a hint of joy.

Bronse was silent for a few seconds before saying:

"Your mindset is beyond my imagination. But with this mindset, whether it's holding rituals, advancing to 'Pain,' or experiencing pain and inflicting pain, it will be very, very difficult."

"I'm only considering 'Pleasure' right now. I'll worry about 'Pain' in the future," Franca answered indifferently.

*It'll take months, half a year, or even longer to digest this, so why worry about so much? *

Bronse stared at Franca for a few seconds, feeling both instinctively repulsed and a little envious.

It wasn't that she yearned for it, but the demonesses she came into contact with—whether they were high-sequence or had just finished drinking the "Witch" potion—all lacked this kind of calmness and brightness. Each of them was twisted, conflicted, painful, and some were even nearly insane.

Bronse didn't continue discussing personal philosophy and pulled the topic back on track:

"Adena met that suspected 'Felicity Society' member at an art exhibition. The other party calls herself Theresa, claims to be from a former noble family, and is now an art dealer."

"I've investigated. Her identity and name are real, but they don't belong to her. In other words, there is a real art dealer named Theresa, and she is impersonating her, having modified her appearance to appear more charming."

"This matches the 'Actor' characteristics you mentioned. When Adena had intimate contact with her, she also experienced the 'Sex Addict' ability."

"I tried to tail her before, but I had too many concerns and lost her."

"Adena has a date with her tonight."

Franca listened quietly and asked thoughtfully:

"Can Adena be trusted right now?"

Bronse's expression twisted:

"She can be trusted."

Franca didn't ask for details and specifically reminded her:

"Then when she goes on a date with Theresa tonight, will she show any abnormalities? She's facing an 'Actor'."

"Perhaps she needs a 'Psychiatrist' or a more powerful 'Spectator' pathway Beyonder to give her some 'suggestions' or 'hypnosis'. This will help her maintain a normal state so she doesn't arouse Theresa's suspicion."

"If you can't find one in a hurry, I can introduce one, but it will cost money."

Bronse's expression softened, and she nodded slightly:

"Your experience is indeed richer than mine."

After sighing, she curled her lips and asked with a smile:

"Is that 'Psychiatrist' also a man?"

Franca froze for a moment:

"Yes."

*Hey, what kind of image do I have in your mind! *

Both of them tacitly avoided discussing which side would handle the aftermath once the fake Theresa was locked down, as if there had long been an answer to that question.

…………

7:00 PM, Opera House District, outside the Delan Concert Hall.

Franca, wearing light-colored culottes, held Lu Mian's arm as they walked toward the main entrance.

Both of them had used "Lie" to adjust their appearance and height, so they didn't have to worry about being recognized by any potential acquaintances at a glance.

Seven or eight meters away from them, the pair of ladies entering the concert hall were the targets of this operation.

Among them, Adena, a participant in the Red House women's joy parties, had pale yellow long hair with thin, inward-curling bangs. Her face was powdered, her eyes were light blue, and her nose was straight and delicate. She looked quite decent. As for the art dealer Theresa, her brown long hair was like a waterfall, unadorned, and her flaxen eyes shone with brilliance as she looked from side to side.

This lady, suspected to be a member of the "Felicity Society," had overall hard features that weren't soft enough, yet she possessed a strange charm.

Lu Mian and Franca entered this small concert hall, found their seats, and quickly locked onto the area where Theresa and Adena were. They naturally glanced at them a few times from back to front.

Seeing Adena and Theresa sitting close together, behaving intimately, Franca watched with great interest.

It was a shame to say, but although she had always claimed to like women, her limited experience was entirely concentrated on "teasing" Gardner Martin's other lovers, and she had rarely had the chance to watch from the sidelines.

"Pay attention." Lu Mian sighed and reminded her.

Franca said dismissively:

"As Trier citizens, this attitude is normal. Look at the others around us—aren't they also looking openly?"

Lu Mian gave a "heh" and didn't try to persuade her further.

His and Franca's current goal wasn't tailing, but observation. Gathering information to confirm the target's situation before actually making a move was a necessary task.

A "Hunter" who turned ambushes and surprise attacks into encounter battles was definitely unqualified.

The information Lu Mian most hoped to obtain was the approximate sequence of Theresa—whether she was a Sequence 7 "Actor" or a Sequence 6 "Honored One," Lu Mian could guarantee a quick resolution in a surprise attack. However, if the other party belonged to a "Fallen Tree Spirit" of some tree, and her life state had changed, the effect of the "Hum-Ha Technique" might not be as effective.

Although Franca suggested using "Magic Mirror Divination" to gather this information, Lu Mian still hoped to see it with his own eyes. The desires of the "Mother Tree of Desire" pathway Beyonders couldn't be hidden!

(End of chapter)