The Return Of The Exiled Villain

”Oh damn...”

[Heh… See? It was all thanks to my Blessing of Beauty. You finally let your heart feel something real, and look what happened. The mark appeared. Your left eye changed color. You’re even more beautiful now. You’re welcome~]

Gray didn’t move.

He stayed buried against Elárien’s chest, his eyes half-closed.

’…You sound way too proud about this.’

[Of course I am. I told you my blessing was special. Most people need decades, sometimes centuries, to awaken the Mark of Beauty. You did it in one night because you finally let yourself feel pain. Real pain. That’s how it works. The deeper the emotion, the stronger the beauty.]

Gray let out a tired breath against Elárien’s skin.

’So you’re saying… me being heartbroken is what made me prettier?’

[Exactly. Beauty and pain have always been connected. The more you feel, the more you shine. And right now, you’re shining brighter than ever. Even I’m a little jealous.]

He could practically feel her smirking in his mind.

[Don’t look so annoyed. You should be thanking me. With this mark, your charm is on a completely different level now. Women will literally lose their minds when they look at you. Men too, probably.]

[That also means the Authority is fully activated, so if you have an enemy who is a woman, you can probably seduce her with a simple wink.]

Gray didn’t reply.

He just closed his eyes tighter and pressed his face deeper into Elárien’s chest, trying to drown out the noise in his head.

That action made Elárien quickly snap out of her trance.

”A-ah... are you o-okay…?” she asked softly.

Then, sensing something was off, she gently ran her fingers through his hair again.

Gray didn’t answer her out loud. He simply nodded once against her, his arms tightening around her waist a little more.

[Don’t worry too much about the mark. It’s not like it changes who you are. It just… makes the outside match what’s already inside. You’ve always been dangerous, and now you look it too~.]

Jasmine’s smug voice came back.

’If I’m already the most handsome man in this world... why isn’t the skill maxed up?’ Gray suddenly asked.

Jasmine let out a small hum before answering.

[Mhm... well… your charm is still a bit far from that of a true god. And by charm, I mean more than just your face. Beauty is actually split into four different aspects.]

She paused, like she was organizing her thoughts, then continued.

[First is Appearance. That’s the one you’ve basically maxed out now. Your face, your body, your eyes... everything on the surface. The Mark of Beauty pushed that part to its limit. You’re already at the point where people lose their breath just looking at you.]

[Second is Presence. That’s the aura you give off when you walk into a room. The feeling people get when they’re near you. Right now, your presence is… too ordinary. You don’t have that elegant, cold, or even strong air that high nobles or powerful people usually have. Instead, you feel like a normal person. Like someone who doesn’t belong to any important family at all. That’s why your beauty hasn’t fully peaked yet.]

[Third is Temperament. This one is shaped by your inner nature. Thanks to the Law of Seduction you cultivated, your temperament has become naturally seductive. It’s not cold, and it’s not lively either. It’s the kind that draws people in without them even realizing it. It makes others feel warm, wanted, and a little addicted to being around you.]

Jasmine’s tone turned slightly teasing.

[Fourth is Demeanour. That’s how you carry yourself... your attitude, your posture, the way you speak and act. Yours is ultimately cold, distant and almost emotionless most of the time. That cold demeanour mixes with your seductive temperament and creates something… confusing, but in a good way. Two extremes are balancing each other out. It makes you unpredictable. People can’t easily figure you out, and that pulls them in even more.]

She paused again, letting it sink in.

[So right now, your Appearance is maxed. Your Temperament and Demeanour are already working together nicely and will only get stronger as you grow. The only thing holding your full beauty back… is your Presence. You still feel too normal, too damn plain. You need to develop that ”I am someone important” aura. Once your Presence catches up, your beauty will be complete.]

Gray stayed silent for a moment, processing everything she said.

He never expected beauty to have different values.

He always thought being handsome was just about the face and body.

But now it made sense why some people who weren’t the most good-looking still drew others in like magnets, while some extremely attractive people felt… empty.

He thought about it quietly, then asked inside his mind.

’Do those other aspects really matter that much? Besides appearance?’

[Pfftt...!]

Jasmine let out a soft laugh in his head.

[Of course they do. Appearance is important, but it’s only the first layer. The other three, Presence, Temperament, and Demeanour, are what actually make people fall for you.]

She paused, then gave a simple example.

[Let’s say one person has 90 points in appearance, but only 60 in temperament. Another person has 70 points in appearance, but 90 in temperament. Most women would feel more attracted to the second person. Why? Because high temperament overshadows the looks. It makes the 70-point person feel much more handsome than he actually is. His personality, his way of carrying himself, the feeling he gives off... it all pulls people in deeper.]

[On the other hand, if someone has a very high appearance but a low temperament… people will notice how beautiful they are at first glance. But they won’t feel truly attracted. They might admire them from afar, but something feels missing. Unless the person is very shallow and only cares about looks, of course.]

Jasmine’s voice became a little more serious.

[That’s why your current situation is interesting. Your appearance is basically maxed out now, thanks to the mark. Your temperament is seductive because of the Law of Seduction. And your demeanour is cold and distant. Those two extremes are balancing each other in a strange but effective way. It confuses people in a good way; they can’t easily read you, so they keep wanting to get closer.]

’I see...’

He nodded lightly.

”Agh~”

The small movement caused Elárien to let out a soft, involuntary moan.

His hot breath had brushed directly against her breasts, and his nose had lightly grazed her right nipple through the thin fabric of her clothes.

Her body tensed for a split second, then relaxed again, a faint blush coloring her cheeks.

Gray paused.

For a moment, he simply looked at her... more exactly at her flushed cheeks, her slightly parted lips, and those golden-green eyes that were watching him quietly.

Slowly, he lifted himself up, propping his body above hers. Elárien’s breath hitched as she stared up at him.

Without saying a word, Gray leaned down and kissed her lips softly.

”Mhm~??”

His lips brushed against hers with a tenderness that surprised even him.

He cupped her cheek with one hand, his thumb gently stroking her soft skin as he deepened the kiss just a little, slow and careful.

Elárien’s eyes widened in shock at first, her body tensing beneath him.

But then… her eyes fluttered.

They slowly closed as she let out a quiet, cute whimper.

”Mmh~…”

The sound was soft and shy, almost innocent. Her lips trembled against his as she shyly kissed him back, her hands hesitantly rising to rest on his shoulders.

”Chu… mmm~…”

Another small, sweet sound escaped her as Gray tilted his head slightly, kissing her with a little more pressure, but still keeping it gentle and slow.

Her cheeks burned hotter, and a tiny, breathy groan slipped out when his thumb brushed along her jaw.

”Nnh… mmh~♡”

Elárien’s fingers curled slightly against his shoulders, holding onto him as if afraid he might pull away.

Her breathing grew a little faster, warm puffs of air brushing against his lips between each soft kiss.

”Pwa~”

Gray suddenly pulled back, causing a bridge of saliva to fall between their tongues. At this, Elárien half-liddedly opened her eyes with a hazy gaze towards Gray.

She didn’t care and directly grabbed the back of his head and pulled him into a deep kiss.

”Mhmm!~ G-Gray~”

She moaned his name against his lips, her voice soft but trembling with need.

Her long, pointed ears fluttered cutely, turning a deep shade of red at the tips.

Acting purely on instinct, she extended her tongue, sliding it into his mouth and eagerly intertwining it with his.

”Chuup… mmmph… slurp… haa~♡”

Elárien kissed him like she had been holding back for years.

Her tongue moved with surprising boldness, licking and curling around his, tasting him greedily.

Soft, needy whimpers escaped her throat as she pressed her body up against his, her massive breasts squishing warmly against his chest.

She wasn’t shy or nervous anymore.

Her legs wrapped around his waist, pulling him closer as if she wanted to melt into him.

One of her hands slid down his back, nails lightly scraping over his skin, while the other stayed tangled in his hair, holding him in place so he couldn’t pull away again.

”Mmmh~♡ Gray… more…” she breathed between kisses, her voice turning husky and desperate.

”Don’t stop… please…”

She tilted her head, deepening the kiss even further, her tongue exploring his mouth with growing confidence.

Her hips shifted beneath him, rubbing against his body in slow, instinctive movements, clearly wanting more than just kisses.

At her eager actions, Gray was a little shocked.

’Is she on heat or something?’