"Mr. Envoy, we meet again!"
A soft female voice sounded beside Abner's ear, as intimate as a lover's whisper.
Abner turned toward the voice. Sure enough, the "Demoness of Unaging" Katarina Pelle, clad in a pure white robe, came into view.
He had noticed something wrong with the carriage long ago, but he had pretended to fall under Fascination and walked into the trap anyway... After all, this was only an avatar. Losing it would disrupt his plans a little, but nothing more.
By now, he was no longer in the carriage. He seemed to have entered some mysterious space.
The space was vast, stretching beyond sight, yet it contained nothing. He could only make out a faint trace of mist in the far distance.
Recalling the passionate encounters with the White Saintess in Owen's memories, Abner adopted his tone and replied calmly, "Katarina, it's been a long time. You're as captivating as ever... In fact, the moment I escaped, I wanted to come find you."
"So you could control me again?" Katarina looked at Owen with a faint smile. "Or have you still not given up on putting the three of us—one happy family—in the same bed for your amusement?"
Don't pin that on me. I never wanted that. It was all Owen's wicked plan! Abner protested inwardly. Outwardly, he smiled and said, "Didn't you come looking for me because you couldn't bear to stay away?"
Katarina's gaze shifted as she looked Abner over again, then gave a soft laugh.
"What you gave me was certainly unforgettable, but I prefer to take the lead. I'm not used to being controlled by force... So this time, I'd like to try something different. Controlling you, for instance.
"I know you're powerful. You defeated Loen's princess and brought her under your control,