Charlie focused on blocking her pheromones while waiting for the woman to come out of the room and Tanner to follow.

The scent that wafted out every time the door opened after s*x was quite exciting.

A very luxurious and sexy male scent.

A scent she had never smelled anywhere else.

No, it was a scent that could never be replicated by perfume.

So good that she wanted to bury her face in it all day long.

Leon and Tanner. And other superior’s pheromones each had one scent, but Hector felt like he moved an entire perfume shop.

Some days it was really strong and rough, other days it was heavy enough to feel oppressive.

But the base was the same.

An insane charm and decadent sensuality.

If a Zero like herself felt this much, how much more would other women feel?

Charlie understood why women went crazy for Hector.

She too had often wanted to grab him by the collar and sniff him.

‘But why isn’t she coming out?’

Normally, the door would open shortly after going in.

But it was too quiet for too long.

Then it happened.

Crash—!

The sound made Charlie’s back shiver.

“Miss Charlie!”

Oh, God….

* * *

“…….”

The room, shrouded in darkness, was a mess at a glance.

A n*ked woman was lunging at Hector with her eyes turned, and Tanner was busy trying to stop Hector from killing her.

Calling the knight would be quicker, but the opponent was a female Master whose pheromones had gone berserk.

Moreover, today was Leon’s day off.

Charlie met Tanner’s eyes and nodded with a determined expression.

‘I’ll drag this woman out quickly, so please spare me.’

Charlie hurriedly grabbed the woman clinging to Hector.

“Just once more… Just once….”

Oh, she must be crazy.

The sight of the woman clutching Hector’s robe with her br*asts bouncing was utterly insane.

“…Let go.”

“…!”

Hector’s low voice weighed down the entire room.

At that moment, the air became so thick it was suffocating.

It felt as if all the oxygen had been sucked out, leaving only carbon dioxide behind.

‘No, your dark ability is a secret.’

Charlie mustered all her strength to pull the woman away. If Hector’s ability was exposed, she, as a servant, would not be left unscathed.

How long had they struggled with the woman?

Smack—!

The woman’s hand struck Charlie’s face.

And then…

“Ah, f*ck.”

It was a curse that Charlie spat out without realizing it.

In that instant, the dark energy that seemed ready to choke the woman suddenly dissipated.

But Charlie, consumed by rage, didn’t notice.

“Argh—!”

The woman grabbed Charlie’s hair.

“This woman is crazy.”

Not to be outdone, Charlie grabbed the woman’s hair as well.

“……?”

Normally, a Zero would tremble just at the sight of a Platinum.

No, it was normal for anyone to feel awe before someone of a higher rank.

But a Zero, with no rank, grabbing a Master’s hair? And with murderous intent in her eyes?

It was such a shocking sight that even Hector’s blazing anger subsided.

“M… Miss Charlie?”

Tanner called out, but there was no way Charlie, who had lost her mind, could hear him.

“You b*tch.”

“……”

That’s right, Charlie had a very nasty temper.

Moreover, how many grievances had she accumulated over time?

“Where do you think you’re grabbing, you crazy b*tch.”

“……”

Unable to contain her anger, Charlie spat out curses. Then she yanked the woman’s hair and slammed her to the ground, dragging her.

At that moment, the woman regained her senses and used her magic to fling Charlie away.

“……!”

Charlie’s body floated in the air.

Why was she flying towards Hector?

No, why was Tanner standing away from Hector?

‘No, if I touch him, I’ll die!’

Charlie curled her body to avoid colliding with Hector and quickly changed direction.

The human instinct to survive was strong, and she displayed superhuman strength.

Thud—!

The result was a close call, but she safely landed on the floor, narrowly missing Hector.

“……”

Hector gazed intently at Charlie, who was crouched on the floor, not moving an inch.

─ A few moments ago ─

“A guide?”

Hector, having finished his bath, looked back at Tanner.

The way he slicked back his wet hair exuded a decadent aura.

The well-defined muscles visible through his open collar were enough to stimulate the senses.

Even as a fellow man, Tanner found him incredibly attractive, and a faint smile spread across his face.

“According to prior cases, the imperial family has used Zeros with holy power as purification guides.”

Purification guide.

Lacking sufficient holy power to perform purification rituals, meaning ej*culation and knotting through s*x, they served as assistants by spreading pheromones to help contact guides.

“Is that why? She’s been spreading pheromones all over the mansion.”

As someone sensitive to pheromones, Hector couldn’t have missed Charlie’s presence.

How many doors had Charlie touched, and how many hallways had she walked through?

While airborne pheromones would soon dissipate, those left by contact were more intense and lasted longer.

A stranger in his home. It didn’t take Hector long to notice her pheromones.

He had merely observed, wondering what Tanner was up to this time.

Moreover, despite being clearly female pheromones, they didn’t disgust him, which was strange.

When a similar scent wafted from Leon, Hector often felt an inexplicable discomfort.

“Did you know?”

Hector casually sank into a chair.

“Considering you’ve been slathering it around, asking to be noticed, you sure talk a lot.”

“……”

Moreover, after lessons with Charlie, Tanner often met Hector without washing off the pheromones.

Gradually, he even increased the intensity, going so far as to pin a pen Charlie had touched to his chest.

Tanner smiled at Hector’s words.

“It takes time to get used to.”

Creak— The large chair enveloping Hector’s body turned towards the window.

“There’s no one more snake-like than an old man.”

“I’m still quite young to be called an old man.”

A figure hopping across the garden on tiptoe pierced Hector’s view.

“Consent.”

It was Tanner, who had practically kidnapped Leon.

“…It’s stated in the contract.”

Of course, whether he checked it or not was another matter.

Tanner quietly averted his eyes to the air.

“She said he would do it…”

The ice in the on-the-rocks glass Hector was twirling with his fingertips clinked, making a chilly sound.

As if reading his thoughts, Tanner spoke.

“There’s no possibility of her being a spy.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. It’s confirmed that she’s never left the village of Daymond in the Heron Mountains. Also, since her holy power is low, no reports were made, so there has been no contact with the imperial family or the temple.”

Originally, if a Zero had holy power, they would all go to the imperial family.

However, the old priest of Daymond village omitted the report to prevent Charlie from being sent to the imperial family. Charlie’s mother did the same.

If a Zero with less than Master-level holy power went to the imperial family, their life would be very miserable.

They would fall as the Emperor’s plaything and disappear without a trace.

Moreover, Charlie’s beautiful appearance would undoubtedly land her in the harem.

It was indeed true that Zeros with holy power were extremely rare.

However, the reason they were practically nonexistent and unaccounted for was due to circumstances like these.

But Tanner kept this silent.

This was the most confidential of secrets even within the imperial family.

Furthermore, if Kaisis found out that the imperial family monopolized Zeros with holy power and covered up all related records, a confrontation would be inevitable.

“A Silver-level purification guide, huh…”

“Regardless of holy power, isn’t there enough reason to keep her close?”

Tanner slightly bowed his head toward Hector, who was scrutinizing him.

“Isn’t it the only pheromone that doesn’t disgust you? If it helps with purification even a little, that’s good. And without contact, too.”

Hector let out a wry smile.

“If she has holy power, she’ll feel other people’s pheromones too.”

Tanner smiled faintly at Hector’s self-deprecating reaction, implying she would be like the other women.

“I think differently.”

Hector’s red eyes fixed on Tanner.

“We plan to practice Charlie’s pheromone release at the training ground soon. If you’re skeptical, why don’t you observe?”

“You’re well-prepared.”

“As the butler of the Hunt family, this is to be expected.”

Hector’s gaze persistently followed the hopping figure until it disappeared.

* * *