The Damned Demon

As Asher settled into the plush seat, his eyes surveyed the room, taking in the refined furnishings and tasteful decor that spoke of Naida\'s discerning taste. 

She stood poised and graceful by the table, picking up a delicate jar and pouring its contents into two exquisitely designed cups. Lifting one to her lips, she took a sip and then, with a warm smile, extended the other cup towards Asher, "You\'ll find this tea quite enchanting, I assure you. I prepared it myself."

Asher scrutinized the cup, bemused. It seemed to contain nothing more than ordinary water. Bereft of any aroma, and lacking even a wisp of steam, how could it possibly be tea?

Naida, discerning his thoughts, emitted a soft, melodic chuckle, "I see your confusion, but I encourage you to look beyond its deceptive appearance. Give it a chance."

With an air of cautious intrigue, Asher acquiesced and brought the cup to his lips. The moment the liquid touched his tongue, his eyes widened in astonishment. The taste was beyond anything he could have imagined. Was this woman a master of the art of brewing?

Unable to contain his curiosity, Asher inquired, "What\'s the magic behind this extraordinary tea? I\'ve never tasted anything quite like it."

Naida\'s smile deepened, her eyes sparkling, "The secret is actually quite simple. The taste you\'re relishing is an illusion. The magic woven into the tea allows you to experience the flavors that would delight you the most. So far, I haven\'t met anyone who hasn\'t been utterly captivated after drinking it."

Asher marveled at her ingenuity, her ability to infuse illusion magic into something as ordinary as tea. It was a testament to her versatility with illusions. At least she puts it to use for pleasant things like these, unlike her daughter.

"So…I take it you and your House has been faring well?" Asher asked as his tone became a bit friendly. Since it didn\'t seem like she was waiting to confront him, he decided to act diplomatically.

Naida responded with a dreamy smile, her eyes gleaming with intrigue, "Oh, my House has always been one to adapt and thrive in changing times. We are like our beautiful bloodvine flowers," she gestured towards the plants surrounding the balcony, "strong, resilient, and ever-blooming."

She paused for a moment, allowing her words to sink in, "Of course, we understand that true strength is not just in ourselves, but in the bonds we forge with others. We value alliances that can weather any storm, and we\'re always open to new possibilities."

As Naida spoke, her gaze locked onto Asher\'s, as if trying to read the thoughts hidden behind his eyes, "The world is constantly shifting, and those who are able to adapt and grow with it will always come out on top, don\'t you agree?"

Asher\'s eyes glowed with a shrewd understanding as he slightly shrugged his shoulders and said, "I have no doubt about that."

Naida took a slow, thoughtful sip of her tea before delicately setting the cup back on the table as she said, "But a bond with grudges is no different than having no bond at all."

Asher pulled together his brows while Naida looked at his eyes and let out a faint sigh, "I know how rude and disrespectful my daughter has been to you."

Asher subtly raised his brows, wondering which direction she wanted to take this conversation by saying this.

"I know what happened after you conquered the 2nd floor, and it pained me to learn how my daughter tried to provoke you for no reason. It\'s my fault. I told her to make acquaintances with you, but it seems like she isn\'t ready to do so. It also shows how much I have failed as a mother," Naida said with a hint of vulnerability in her eyes.

Asher didn\'t say anything as he wanted to let her say whatever she wanted to say. However, he was a bit surprised that a powerful lady like her was not shying away from saying that her daughter was in the wrong.

Which powerful noble in this world would risk losing face by saying that?

Her gaze lowered, as if it still pained her, "I\'ve tried my best to guide her, but there are times when her actions are beyond my control. Maybe I pampered her too much, sigh."

Asher regarded Naida thoughtfully, noting the vulnerability in her eyes, yet not fully letting his guard down. He responded with a measured tone, "No one is infallible, Lady Naida. We all have our shortcomings, and as much as we try, we cannot control the actions of those closest to us. The fact that you acknowledge the situation and are willing to discuss it openly speaks volumes about how much you care about what happened."

His eyes narrowed as he added in a difficult tone, "But…I don\'t know if I can forget about this situation," Asher didn\'t care if she was being sincere with her words or not. He wasn\'t going to let go of what Silvia did to him just because her mother gave him a delicious tea.

Naida looked into Asher\'s eyes, and nodded solemnly, her voice carrying an air of genuine remorse, "I can see that my daughter\'s actions have left a deep impression on you, and I would never ask you to simply forget what happened. That is why I know a simple apology from her or from me wouldn\'t make you feel better."

Asher\'s eyes narrowed as he finally felt interested in what she was about to say next.

"You know, I\'ve heard through the grapevine that you have quite the penchant for purchasing unique masks from our House\'s affiliate shops. I never would have guessed you enjoyed sneaking around so much," she teased lightly, a hint of amusement in her voice.

Asher leaned back in his seat, allowing himself a small chuckle at Naida\'s remark, "Well, I must admit, I do prefer to keep a low profile," he said with a wry grin.

Naida studied him for a moment, her eyes filled with appreciation, "You truly are one of a kind," she said softly. A puckish glint appeared in her eyes as she continued, "And I believe I have just the gift for someone with your... unique tastes."

Asher\'s curiosity was piqued, and he couldn\'t help but lean forward slightly, wondering what she had in store for him.

With a graceful gesture, Naida brought her hands together and then slowly pulled them apart, magically revealing an exquisite ring box resting on her palm. 

She glanced at Asher\'s hand, her gaze lingering on the dull ring he wore, and smiled knowingly. "I\'ve noticed you have a penchant for rings," she said, offering the box to him, "I believe you\'ll find this one particularly useful."

Asher didn\'t expect her to observe such things closely, but fortunately, nobody would think too much about an old stone ring.

Still, he reached out to accept the gift, and couldn\'t help but feel a thrill of anticipation. 

[ Item Name :  Specter\'s Ring ]

[ "A replica of the long lost ring of the powerful dark mage named Specter. Even if this ring doesn\'t come close to power compared to the original one, it is still powerful enough to make you a ghost" ]

[ Grade : Legendary ]

[ Level : 30 ]

[ Effect : Disguise yourself into anyone and your mana as well || Using mana won\'t break the disguise  ]

[ Durability: 3000 / 3000 ]

[ Status : Unlinked ]

-

\'This is insane…\' Asher mumbled in his mind since most of the artifacts used for disguise would break the disguise if the owner uses mana.

However, with this, he can use his mana without worrying about losing his disguise.

But the fact that astonished him even more was that this ring could disguise his mana as well. This would mean that even if he used his powers, people won\'t be able to tell its him unless he entered Hellbringer form of course.

"It seems like the ring did catch your eyes," Naida said with a pleased smile and added, "Why don\'t you try putting it on and linking it to yourself?"

Asher put it on and linked the ring. The moment he linked it his eyes widened as the ring suddenly became invisible on his finger, "Oh…"

"No need to worry. It is invisible for your own good since you don\'t want people trying to rob a fancy looking ring, right? You can still use it even without seeing it," Naida reassured.

Asher nodded as he felt that this ring was definitely god tier when it comes to disguising oneself. He didn\'t expect to receive such a powerful artifact as a \'apology gift\'.

He didn\'t know if nobles from powerful houses were this generous but could it be that this gift comes with hidden meaning? Whatever it was, Asher didn\'t care as long as there were no other obvious signs.

However, now he had no choice but to forget about Silvia since he got back more than he expected.

The corners of Asher\'s mouth lifted into a smile as he looked down at the impressive ring in his hand. He glanced back up at Naida and said in a tone of gratitude, "Lady Naida, I can\'t thank you enough for such a generous gift. It\'s a testament to your graciousness, and I\'m truly appreciative. I\'m more than willing to consider this moment as the sign of a new beginning between us."

Naida\'s eyes sparkled with satisfaction as she gracefully responded, "I\'m delighted that we could resolve this matter amicably, Consort Asher. And please, remember that the ring\'s durability can only be restored by me. Should you ever need assistance, don\'t hesitate to come to me. The doors of my humble abode will always be open to you."

Asher nodded with a subtle smile and couldn\'t help but feel that she mentioned \'her humble abode\' instead of \'castle\' for a reason.