For now, Little Fear had no need to hide his surprise. He stared fixedly at the maid standing beside them.
This exchange seemed to have gone off course from the very beginning.
In the breeze blowing through the mountain woods, Lady Fire narrowed her eyes slightly and spoke calmly:
"I thought you already had some suspicions—Willow is one of my people. More precisely, she is someone I control. After all, we have dealt with each other far too often over the years. Even though she has always been on guard, prolonged exposure inevitably led to erosion.
"When I return here, her thoughts tend toward 'polarization,' causing her to interpret and think according to scenarios I have preset.
"For example, right now, she believes you harbor abnormal curiosity and desire toward Wei Su Yi, and that this curiosity and desire stem from a rebellious impulse stirred up by my deep control over you.
"So, in her report to her superiors, she should recommend using desire-based inducements on you in order to gain control over you."
Little Fear raised an eyebrow but did not respond immediately.
Lady Fire continued unhurriedly. "In truth, my methods of control do not go beyond the Power Framework of Pitfall Fire Hell.
"This is one of their common methods for controlling human hearts. It looks impressive, but it is actually rather ordinary, because it lacks precise control.
"With me here to make real-time adjustments, it is better. But if left unattended for too long, Willow's thinking will likely go seriously astray. By then, anyone would be able to tell that something was wrong with her condition.
"So whenever I leave, I also give her free will a period of relaxation. Maintaining this balance of tension and release will make the control relationship between us last longer."
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