Villain Simulator, Ch 126
Though her face was concealed behind a mask, Lucas could sense her hesitation. Trying to be considerate, he suggested, "If it's too difficult, we can just skip it…"
"No, there's no difficulty."
With La Signora's pride, she would never admit defeat, especially not over something like this. Clutching the menu, she declared, "Wait here for a moment—I'll go prepare the props."
Props, too?
The thought stirred a bit of anticipation in him.
Watching Number Eight's figure disappear through the door, Lucas couldn't help but feel a flutter of excitement.
Outside, Hong Jie was still standing by, not expecting La Signora to emerge again so quickly. Could it be that the man was that quick?
"Hong Jie," La Signora handed the menu over to her. "He selected these options."
"I understand," Hong Jie nodded. "I'll send someone in right away."
"No." To her surprise, La Signora shook her head and said, "Show me…how these things are supposed to be done."
"W-wha…what?" Hong Jie's expression froze, momentarily wondering if she had misheard.
"Do you not understand plain language?" La Signora replied with a hint of irritation. "I said, teach me how to perform these options, and as quickly as possible."
Goodness, was their leader really going to get hands-on?
"Understood!" Hong Jie answered immediately. "Please, follow me. I'll… do my best to teach you."
---
Lucas had expected he'd only need to wait a moment, but before he knew it, half an hour had passed, and he was nearly dozing off when the door finally opened again.
La Signora entered, carrying an elegant little box, her face tinged with a slight blush. "Sorry to keep you waiting."
"It's...it's all right." Lucas quickly perked up. "I took the chance to rest a bit."
"Very well, let's... begin."
She opened the box and took out a small, quivering lump of translucent gel. "We'll start with Crystal Romance. This is slime gel. Which type would you like to try?"
Slime gel?
Lucas couldn't help but recall his past experiences with La Signora, remembering all the things they'd done with slime gel.
"You mean I can pick different types?" he asked casually.
"Yes," she replied, putting her recent crash course to use. "Electro Slime has a tingling sensation, Dendro Slime feels entwining, Anemo Slime has a cooling effect, Geo Slime has a gritty texture, and Hydro Slime is more slippery," she continued, reciting like a pro. "As for Cryo and Pyro Slimes, they're typically used together."
Wasn't that the famed "double element delight"?
Lucas remembered his friend Shen's line: See that? Now that is what you call professional!
"Which one would you like?" she asked again.
"Only kids make choices," he grinned. "I'll take them all."
"Then...then let's start." La Signora took a deep breath.
Even now, she could hardly believe she was actually going through with this.
Here she was, the proud Number Eight of the Fatui Harbingers, performing such a task in this dimly lit booth.
Yet, the stark contrast between her esteemed identity and the nature of her current task stirred an unusual thrill within her.
And to top it off, the man before her was the one she had shared her life with in her dreams.
In battle, La Signora was a seasoned warrior—she had seen countless formidable foes fall beneath her ice and fire.
Today, "ice" and "fire" were still her tools, but this time, her techniques were rough, unpolished. Clearly, many of the skills she'd once mastered in her dreams were now just hazy memories.
But to Lucas, her earnest efforts only made her all the more charming and endearing.
The feeling of being wrapped in all seven elemental types brought Lucas an unprecedented sense of comfort.
"How does it feel?" La Signora asked, somewhat muffled, as she spat out the Cryo and Pyro Slime gel from her mouth.
Lucas didn't answer her question directly. Instead, he smiled and asked, "Do you want the honest answer or the polite one?"
"Of course, the honest answer," La Signora replied immediately.
Truthfully, she already knew what he'd say. After all, the *Ring of Manipulation* was still firmly on Lucas's wrist, proving that everything she'd just done had been for naught.
"It was a bit painful," Lucas answered honestly. He reached out to wipe a bit of residue from the corner of her mouth and added, "But it's not your fault. A mouth as pretty as yours wasn't meant for this."
"This is just the beginning," La Signora replied, her pride flaring up. "I'll show you what I'm really capable of next."
"I look forward to it," Lucas nodded. "Please, continue."
---
As it turned out, a crash course was hardly enough to master these intricate techniques, and half an hour of lessons didn't quite equip La Signora to handle such specialized tasks.
For the remaining activities, her performance was, at best, passable. While Lucas enjoyed himself, it wasn't enough to bring him to a point of release.
However, the faint pink glow in the *Ring of Manipulation* burned ever brighter.
Finally, after going through every item on the menu, the exhausted La Signora collapsed onto the bed.
This ordeal was a hundred times more taxing than any of her most difficult missions.
In her mind, she couldn't help but recall the way she had once described Lucas in her dreams.
A beast.
"Hah…" Lucas let out a low growl, like a bull in spring, restless with pent-up energy.
La Signora lightly patted him on the shoulder and asked, "Are you all right?"
"I… I'm just a little warm," Lucas replied, his voice dry.
"Then let's rest for a bit," La Signora sighed, "I could use a break too."
But just as she lay down, Lucas's hand suddenly clamped around her wrist.
At her current level of strength, she could have fought him off, but she was already exhausted from the previous activities and didn't have the energy to resist.
More than that, she didn't actually want to resist.
After a brief struggle that amounted to nothing, La Signora finally gave in.
"Do whatever you want," she said calmly. "After all, you are my guest."
"I'm not your guest," Lucas replied, looking down at her. "I haven't paid, so that doesn't make me your guest."
It wasn't that Lucas intended to dodge the bill; he had more than enough assets to buy a lifetime membership here if he wanted.
He just didn't want to be "a guest" of Number Eight.
And he didn't want anyone else to be her guest, either.
[Effect of "First Glass of Red Wine" Activated][Reward: Increases Cryo Elemental Mastery by 50%, Pyro Elemental Mastery by 50%]
---
The heated encounter finally concluded an hour later.
To his surprise, Lucas found out that this wasn't just her first day on the job—she seemed inexperienced in other areas as well.
But La Signora was even more astonished.
She discovered that the *Ring of Manipulation* on Lucas's wrist hadn't loosened at the crucial moment.
To verify if something had gone wrong, she even suggested a "round two."
But the result was the same. Despite focusing all her energy, she hadn't detected any signs of the ring's control taking effect.
Moreover, trying to stay focused in such a situation was already extremely difficult.
Damn it, she had been tricked by the Doctor!
By rights, the discovery should have made her furious. But as she lay in Lucas's arms, her emotions were strangely complex.
This was, after all, just a fleeting affair, and the man before her was nothing more than a "substitute" for her real lover.
After tonight, there would no longer be a "Number Eight."
"It's time." La Signora gently nudged Lucas's shoulder and said, "You should go."
All good things are fleeting and bittersweet.
Lucas didn't say much. He simply got up in silence.
Watching him leave, La Signora felt a cold chuckle rise within her. As expected, he was just another heartless man after all.
But then, instead of heading for the door, Lucas suddenly asked, "How much?"
"Didn't you say you wouldn't pay?" La Signora smirked. "It's fine. My service wasn't worth it, so I won't charge you."
"That's not what I mean," Lucas turned back, his expression serious. "I meant, how much to buy you out of here?"
La Signora froze momentarily, then let out a derisive laugh. "Typical. Men always want to play the hero, trying to 'redeem' women. How hypocritical."
"You're right. I am hypocritical," Lucas admitted. "So, how much?"
"You want to buy me?" La Signora extended five fingers and laughed. "Fifty million Mora, and I'm yours."
She hadn't meant the number seriously.
Who in their right mind would make such a foolish investment?
"Fifty million?" Lucas's eyes widened slightly.
"Too expensive?" she sneered. "Then hurry up and leave."
To her shock, Lucas pulled out the black card that Diluc had given him. "This card's limit is a hundred million. Let's make it official—hand over the contract."
"Are you sure?" she asked, eyes wide. "That's fifty million Mora!"
"I'd already planned to take out a loan," Lucas replied, completely earnest. "Didn't expect it would only cost fifty million—I got lucky."
"You…"
La Signora, fully aware of the card's value, muttered in disbelief, "You must be insane."
---
The door to the booth opened once more, and Hong Jie, who had been nodding off outside, quickly stood to attention.
Seeing the complicated look on La Signora's face, Hong Jie asked, "Is there anything else you need me to handle?"
"Draft a contract," La Signora muttered, rubbing her forehead. "And charge fifty million on this card."
"What's that for?" Hong Jie asked with a puzzled expression. "Is the business up for sale?"
"No," La Signora replied darkly, her gaze cold. "I'm the one for sale."
What in the world?
The business was running just fine, and now the boss had suddenly decided to sell herself?
Could it be that her esteemed boss, The Fair Lady, was such a prodigy that after only half an hour of practice, she'd managed to captivate this man enough to make him spend fifty million just to buy her out?
"The contract is now in effect."
After pressing her fingerprint onto the document, La Signora handed the so-called "release contract" to Lucas.
However, when he saw the name on the contract, Lucas's eyes widened in surprise.
"Your…your name is Rosalyne?" he murmured.
"That's right," she nodded. "Do you know me?"
---
Author's Note: Okay, last extra chapter I am posting before we actually reach the goal now.