The Master of Manipulation

Heise angrily swept everything off the table in front of him. He hated it when things didn't go his way. His plan had been a good one. He had successfully managed to keep Claude away from Ru. Moreover, Ru would be protected from demon attacks until he reached adulthood.

"My plan deserved praise, not insults," he said through gritted teeth, tapping his fingernail against the table.

Tap! Tap!

And he continued this for a while.

Tap! Tap! Tap!

"Did you get the jinn's sigil?" he asked, looking at a bloodstain on the wall that seemed to pose like a painting.

"No," said the painter, flowing down from the wall and pooling on the floor.

"You're useless, Jasper," Heise said, standing over the puddle of blood.

Jasper, the painter, quickly took on his humanoid form and stood before the sorcerer. "Don't rush to judgment on me! I captured Ru and brought him to you."

"Then where's the sigil? Nowhere!" Heise said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"He doesn't even remember the genie. How would he know about the sigil?" Jasper asked, tilting his head and looking at Heise with his candy-pink eyes from behind his cat mask.

"So he doesn't remember the jinn." Heise rested his hand on his chin. "Hmm..." He began pacing slowly around the room he had just trashed. Soon, he stopped and said, "Then we'll just have to remind him."

"How do you plan to do that?" Jasper asked, straightening his jacket. "His mind is already a mess because of the mind transfer. Plus, you just revived his body, so he's completely exhausted."

"I designed a dream for Ru, set in a golden palace, and I've already planted the seeds of it in his mind. He'll remember," said Heise, standing with his hands behind his back, gazing out the window at the sky.

"But you put him in a hospital. Lord Dekaris didn't order it that way, "Jasper began.

Heise raised his hand and glanced at him over his shoulder. "I had to ask the witch for help to revive his body, and at her request, I admitted him to the hospital. The reason for this is due to an inheritance from the Thargata family."

"Lord Dekaris doesn't know about this," said Jasper, walking over to Heise.

"Does he need to? I'm not sure," said Heise, looking out at the garden and the red-haired woman standing in it.

Jasper panicked and pointed at the woman. "Is that the witch?"

"To describe Anaxarete as merely a witch would be an understatement," Heise uttered, addressing Jasper. "She's far more dangerous and powerful than any ordinary witch."

"What kind of power does she have?" Jasper asked, already pulling out his sketchbook and charcoal pencil to draw her.

"It takes her three seconds to enchant you and make you her slave, for example," Heise said, noticing Anaxarete's gaze and waving at her.

"If she's that dangerous, why is she in your garden?" Jasper asked, continuing to sketch the woman.

"Let me remind you, she knows about jinn and can communicate with them," Heise said, stepping away from the window.

"Right. You said she was the one who sold Ru to the jinn," said Jasper, sketching enthusiastically.

"Stop that, or you'll get enchanted," said Heise, grabbing the sketchbook.

"The only thing enchanting me is you," said Jasper, reflecting the pink light in his eyes into Heise's.

"Is that so?" asked Heise.

Jasper nodded.

"How strange," Heise said, sliding her hand like a snake from Jasper's shoulder to his arm. "You never painted me."

Jasper's swallow was heard behind his mask. "You are special, very special..."

Jasper's gaze lingered on Heise, who moved with enchanting elegance. As Heise walked, the ground beneath him seemed to turn into a soft, flowing river that embraced his every step. Star lights cascaded from his long hair, tenderly brushing against his skin, radiating a warm glow that wrapped around him in a seductive embrace.

"So?" Heise whispered. His fingers glided over the intricate silk belt of his hanfu, the fabric shimmering like liquid moonlight beneath the gentle glow of the room's lanterns. In one smooth movement, he released the belt, allowing the silk garment to flow down his shoulders.

The hanfu, embellished with intricate embroidery of dragons and clouds, appeared to come alive as it gracefully fell away, unveiling Heise's chiseled physique. It gathered at his feet like a cascade of silver and gold.

Heise's skin, pale as jade and touched with an enigmatic sheen, held a captivating allure. His broad shoulders tapered into a lean waist, his frame both powerful and elegant, like a warrior-poet carved from the finest marble. His unique perfume, infused with subtle hints of sandalwood and lotus flower, was euphoric.

Jasper's breath caught, his charcoal pencil pausing mid-stroke. His candy-pink eyes grew larger behind his cat mask. He had always admired Heise's beauty—but this was a completely new experience. This was a masterpiece that no amount of ability or creativity could ever fully capture.

Jasper found himself irresistibly drawn to Heise. His fingers quivered as he set his sketchbook down.

"Heise..." Jasper muttered, his voice barely audible, as if speaking louder would ruin the moment.

Heise turned to face him, his ocean eyes gleaming with something deeper, something unspoken. His lips curved into a faint, knowing smile, and he took a step closer, the silk of his undergarments softly brushing his skin. "You wanted to draw me, didn't you?" he inquired, his voice rich and velvety, like the hum of a guqin string. "Then draw me, Jasper. Capture this moment, if you can."

Jasper reached for his sketchbook again, but his hands were shaky, his mind a whirlwind of emotions. He had always maintained control, effortlessly manipulating others. But here, in Heise's presence, he felt as if he were tied by invisible chains.

"I..." Jasper started but stopped, ensnared in a web of emotions. He let the sketchbook fall. "You are..." He swallowed, his eyes anchored on Heise. "You're an impossible figure. It's like...like trying to paint the sun."

Heise's smile deepened, and he reached out, his fingers brushing against Jasper's mask. "Then perhaps," Heise said softly, "you should stop trying to capture me and simply... feel me."

Jasper's breath faltered, his mask slipping as he leaned into Heise's touch. It was as if his dead heart had come to life and was pumping excitement instead of blood.

"Heise," Jasper whispered, scarcely audible. "I... I don't know if I can."

Heise's hand glided to the back of Jasper's neck, his touch both assertive and tender. "You needn't worry about knowing," he said, his voice a gentle murmur. "Leave yourself to me."

In that moment, Jasper did. He removed his actual and metaphorical mask, allowing himself to be vulnerable and visible. His cat mask fell to the floor with a faint clatter, showing his entire face for the first time. His candy-pink eyes locked onto Heise's deep ocean, penetrating gaze.

Heise's smile softened as he leaned closer, his lips lightly brushing Jasper's ear. "You're beautiful," he said softly, his gaze shifting over Jasper's shoulder to the witch in the garden."More beautiful and dangerous than any masterpiece I've ever seen."