Chapter 430: The Girl Who Lived in a Cage

Colorful beams of light.

The morning sun pierced through the magnificent stained glass at the top of the castle, casting interlacing patterns of light and shadow.

One beam happened to fall upon the girl inside the iron cage.

At that moment, it was breathtaking.

The girl lay inside the cage covered with pink bedding, her stunning face and figure mesmerizing.

If anyone were to see the Saintess sleeping in a cage, they would surely be furious, wanting to tear apart the villain who locked her in there.

If the people who believed in and worshipped the Saintess saw Her Holiness like this now, it would probably cause an uproar.

Yet no one would ever imagine that the Saintess had asked to be locked in the cage herself…

Su Nian woke up in a sea of softness.

Her body was deeply sunken into the thick cushions, every inch of her skin wrapped in warmth, so comfortable she only wanted to sink further into slumber.

She turned over lazily, instinctively reaching out an arm, but it collided with a cold, hard surface.

That chill shot through her fingertips, instantly spreading throughout her body.

Su Nian’s consciousness snapped awake.

She opened her eyes.

What greeted her sight were black metal bars, each as thick as her arm.

The black prison cage completely isolated her from the gorgeous bedroom outside, which was painted with the trajectories of stars.

Everything from last night flooded into her mind.

In the underground prison, her trembling “forbidden confession.”

The humiliating image of her abandoning all dignity, crawling into this cage on all fours.

And the heavy, resolute clang of the cage door locking behind her.

Su Nian let out a soft moan from her throat, her entire face instantly turning crimson.

“Ugh…”

The shame erupted from the depths of her heart like molten lava, threatening to melt her.

She had really slept in a cage.

Like a pet kept by its owner, she had spent the entire night here.

“Ding! Congratulations to the host for completing the special mission: Night in the Cage!”

“Mission Reward: Humiliation Value 500,000!”

“Ding! Congratulations to the host for unlocking the hidden achievement: The Girl Who Lived in a Cage. Bonus 1 million Humiliation Value!”

“Achievement Reward: Mental Toughness -1. Current Corruption State: 19%.”

The system notification sounded in her mind.

Su Nian looked at the panel that appeared in her vision.

The skyrocketing Humiliation Value left her with mixed feelings.

The humiliation was real, etched into her bones.

But seeing that she had taken another big step toward the goal of 100 million Humiliation Value, the comfort that came from her soul-deep craving for power was also real.

She curled up, burying her burning cheeks deep into a soft cat-shaped pillow.

Her golden hair spread like melted gold over the pink velvet cushion.

Just then, the distant black circular archway was silently pushed open.

Footsteps approached from far away.

Neither hurried nor slow, steady and powerful.

Each step seemed to step on her heart, making it contract and race uncontrollably.

Su Nian’s body stiffened instantly.

She instinctively lifted her head and looked through the gaps in the bars.

Chu Tian’s tall figure stood outside the cage, backlit by the light.

He had already changed into a well-tailored black suit, every button fastened meticulously.

His already handsome features were illuminated like a deity’s.

The golden morning light outlined his broad shoulders and neat short hair.

He did not come closer immediately.

He just stood there, quietly watching her inside the cage.

His gaze was calm, deep, carrying the aloofness of one appraising his own possession.

But that single look made Su Nian’s heart feel like it would leap out of her throat.

An indescribable, absurdly extreme emotion broke through the deepest part of her heart and grew wildly.

She was locked in a cage, the chain attached to the collar connecting her to it.

She was completely isolated from the outside world, unable to move.

When the man who held the only key to her fate appeared, what she felt was not fear of impending punishment, nor anger at being imprisoned.

Instead, it was an illusion… of being saved.

The moment this thought surfaced, Su Nian wanted to slap herself hard.

The nerves that had been tense all night actually relaxed strangely.

It was as if she were a survivor stranded on a deserted island, struggling in despair, finally spotting a single ship approaching from afar.

And Chu Tian was the captain of that ship.

He was the only one who could open this cage door and free her from this confined prison.

This thought made Su Nian’s sky-blue eyes contract violently.

How could she have such an idea?

Clearly, the man in front of her was her enemy!

This Horned Demon Bastard, whose appearance even she found unfamiliar, was the culprit who had gradually trained her from an arrogant avenger into her current state.

She should hate him.

Instead, she felt at ease when he appeared!

The system notification hit her like a merciless slap.

“Ding! Affection +1. Current Affection: 78.”

Su Nian closed her eyes, grinding her back teeth hard.

Chu Tian finally moved.

He strode forward, his leather shoes making no sound on the white carpet, yet carrying a suffocating pressure.

He walked step by step to the cage.

He looked down condescendingly at the girl curled up on the pink cushions, as if admiring a perfect trophy.

Looking at the sleeping girl in the cage, the brutality and possessiveness that had risen in his heart due to her voluntary confession had now settled, transforming into a more complex speculation.

Her words last night, those unbelievable requests…

Was her fear of her own thoughts truly because she had been completely conquered by him, awakening some kind of desire that even she feared?

Or…

Chu Tian reviewed the girl’s various abnormal actions, and the guess in his mind became clear.

Su Nian probably knew that he could absorb negative emotions to grow stronger.

Therefore, she had done it for herself.

To allow him to accumulate power more quickly to face the approaching Demon Army, she had forcibly endured that bone-deep shame and humiliation, deliberately using this method to “feed” him.

This thought made Chu Tian’s heart tighten slightly.

He looked down at the beautiful sleeping face in the cage, his eyes growing darker.

Since she was thinking so much for him, he certainly could not let her down.

She wanted him to be strong and ruthless.

Then he would grant her wish.

In the following days.

The gorgeous yet absurd iron cage in the castle’s master bedroom was not removed.

It became Su Nian’s fixed resting place for the second half of the night.

As for the first half, she still had to serve the Horn Demon Master…

The [Lover’s Prison Collar] around the girl’s neck was never taken off.

The extra length of black leather chain became the man’s most common toy, controlling the “Holy Lady’s” every movement anytime, anywhere.

Whether dining in the restaurant or reviewing documents in the study, Chu Tian would occasionally tug gently at her neck with that chain.

The force was not strong, even gentle.

But the humiliation and sense of control it contained were like invisible giant hands gripping her soul.

Each slight pull silently declared her identity—she was no longer the radiant, worshiped Star-Moon Saintess.

She was just a docile, caged possession at the other end of his chain.

The only thing Su Nian was grateful for was that these extremely humiliating actions perfectly avoided the sight of others in the castle.

Even when unavoidable, Invisibility Magic was used to conceal the collar…

This allowed her to retain a last breath of relief amidst endless shame, and also gave Su Nian a few more chances to be “saved” by her master.

In the study.

The fire in the fireplace burned quietly, making soft cracking sounds.

Chu Tian flipped through an encrypted intelligence report from the Human Allied Army without looking up.

His slender fingers occasionally glided over the magic scroll, leaving trails of light.

On the thick white carpet at his feet, Su Nian knelt there.

She wore only a complex black corset, outlining her breathtaking curves to the fullest.

Large patches of snow-white skin were exposed to the slightly cool air, fair, smooth, and eye-catching.

Chu Tian’s fingers idly wound the cold chain, then gave a light tug.

The chain tightened instantly.

The metal ring and collar connection emitted a faint, crisp sound.

Su Nian’s body trembled violently.

She could only humiliatingly put down the thick book Origins of Holy Light Magic in her hands, pressing her pale, slender hands into the soft long-haired carpet.

Her knees rubbed against the carpet as she crawled inch by inch to the man’s feet.

“Ding! Humiliation Value 15,000!”

The system notification sounded in her mind.

Even though every cell in her body screamed humiliation, looking at the rapidly growing number in her vision made her feel that… this was not so unbearable.

Even more so.

When she gently pressed her cheek against the man’s side, feeling his occasional appraising gaze, a strange thought that even she found shuddering uncontrollably emerged from the depths of her heart.

When she was casually dominated by this man…

She felt… very happy.

“Ding! Host’s mentality has undergone a drastic change. Affection +2. Current Affection: 80.”

-Boom

An explosion rang out in her mind.

That line of cold system text struck like a thunderbolt in Su Nian’s consciousness.

“Eighty… Affection has already reached eighty!”

This was not ordinary affection.

This was the value between lovers, a dependence etched into the bone and an entanglement close to love.

From deep in her throat, a suppressed sob escaped, carrying a desperate tremor.

“Ugh…”

She was finished.

Her body, her heart—it seemed they were really going to be completely conquered by this Horned Demon Bastard.

She was truly finished.

“Ding-dong. Current Humiliation Value: 90 million. Remaining Humiliation Value to reach 100 million: 10 million.”

Just as she was about to be swallowed by despair, another system prompt cut through her chaotic consciousness like the only light in the darkness.

Fortunately…

She was not without a chance.

Only ten million left.

As long as she endured another ten million Humiliation Value, she could achieve that final goal.

When that time came…

A faint glimmer of light rekindled in the bottom of Su Nian’s eyes, in that water-blue color that had been dimmed by despair.

She would face this man, and under his shocked, incredulous gaze, instantly ascend from a submissive, yielding pet to a god who controlled the laws.

Then, she would turn the tables!