In the evening, the inner circle had gathered as usual. Valentina leaned relaxed in the duke's arms while he gently played with a strand of her hair. They had found their way back to a new, cautious familiarity over the last few weeks. The rest of the inner circle also lounged about on the divans – Baron Sebastian shared a couch with Lady Vivienne, while Lady Celestine snuggled close to Master Bloomfield. Master Amadou and Countess Rosamere were engrossed in a whispered conversation.

The doors opened and the woman who entered immediately attracted everyone's attention. She was tall and stunningly beautiful, dressed in an elaborate dress of dark purple velvet. Her raven-black hair fell in perfect waves over her shoulders, but most striking were her eyes – they shimmered an unnatural purple. Around her neck was an impressive silver necklace with several purple stones.

"Madame Dolorosa," the duke introduced her, "the mistress of the Violet Delights in Bridgewater."

"The most exclusive establishment in the city," the duke explained quietly to Valentina. "Famous for its... special services and absolute discretion."

"I've heard about it," Valentina replied. Madame Dolorosa bowed with supple elegance. "Your Grace is too kind to invite me into your select circle." Her voice was a beguiling dark contralto that sent a pleasant shiver down Valentina's spine.

A pretty young woman followed her, dressed in simple yet elegant clothes. She wore a similar necklace to her mistress – ornately crafted silver with several compartments containing violet stones. Valentina also noticed a reservoir for Distilled Essence, cleverly integrated into the design.

"A little demonstration of our art," Madame Dolorosa explained with a smile. "With your permission, my lady?" She turned to Valentina.

The duke squeezed her hand encouragingly. "You will appreciate the technical sophistication, my dear."

Madame Dolorosa approached Valentina. "May I ask for a strand of your hair?"

With an elegant gesture, she cut off a small lock of Valentina's hair as she nodded. This was placed in one of the compartments of the necklace, the purple stone immediately began to pulse with Lieht and Schate Essence.

"Fascinating," murmured Vyxara appreciatively. "The mechanism it uses to manipulate the Essence is highly complex. Whoever created these artifacts... I would wager that they have also studied the Eye of Deceit. The basic principles are very similar, even if this application is far more crude and inefficient."

The young woman, apparently an Essence Weaver herself, activated the necklace with a rapidly woven activation pattern and – Valentina's breath caught in her throat. It was as if she was looking in a mirror. Every detail was right – her facial features, her posture, her ears.

"The illusion is complete, but the voice needs to be adjusted a little, of course," explained Madame Dolorosa. "The artifact consumes considerable amounts of Distilled Essence, but for our purposes, of course, the duration of effect is quite sufficient." She opened one of the necklace's other compartments. "You can also keep several... options on hand."

"A shame the necklaces are so large," Vyxara sighed. "If they were the size of, say, a ring, they'd be perfect for subterfuge. Then again, I'd be surprised if they aren't used that way regardless."

Valentina leaned forward with interest, fascinated by the technical craftsmanship. "The Essence patterns are worked into the necklace in a remarkably small size. How do you manage to keep the illusion so stable?"

"A trade secret, my lady," smiled Madame Dolorosa. "But I see you have an eye for the finer details of our art. That gives me great confidence."

Master Bloomfield had detached himself from Lady Celestine and stepped closer, his eyes sparkling with interest. "That really is extraordinary. The resemblance is absolutely perfect." He circled the transformed courtesan who resembled Valentina so completely, full of enthusiasm. "Absolutely perfect."

The young woman – now Valentina's spitting image – smiled seductively. "Do you like what you see, my lord?"

"Oh yes," purred Master Bloomfield. "Very much so." He turned to the duke. "If I may, Your Grace? I have never been able to resist temptation when a golden opportunity presents itself."

The duke laughed amusedly and pulled Valentina closer to him. "Go ahead, my friend. I myself am curious about this... special performance."

Lady Celestine giggled. "We all are."

"Oh, you don't often get to see something like that," Vyxara whispered. "A perfect copy of you, but without any inhibitions. Look closely."

Master Bloomfield had already pulled the courtesan onto one of the divans. His hands slid over her – Valentina's – body while his lips caressed her neck. "I've imagined this so many times," he murmured.

Valentina couldn't look away. It was both disturbing and arousing to watch herself squirming under Master Bloomfield's touch. The courtesan played her role perfectly – every gesture, every suppressed sigh could have come from Valentina herself.

The inner circle watched the spectacle with undisguised interest and great amusement. Lady Celestine had sat up, her cheeks flushed. Baron Sebastian whispered something to Lady Vivienne that made her laugh softly.

In the meantime, Master Bloomfield had pushed up the skirts of the fake Valentina. One of his hands disappeared underneath while he caressed her breasts through the fabric of the dress with the other. The courtesan moaned softly.

"Fascinating, isn't it?" the duke murmured in Valentina's ear. His hands stroked her waist. "The possibilities are... manifold."

Valentina could feel her face glowing. But she couldn't take her eyes off the scene in front of her. Master Bloomfield, whose breeches were hanging around his ankles by now, had turned the courtesan onto her back, spread her legs wide and penetrated her with a satisfied sigh. The face contorted in pleasure before her eyes… was her own.

"You have no idea how long I wanted to do this," moaned Master Bloomfield in bliss.

"Look how much he enjoys it," Vyxara purred amused.

When the performance ended and Master Bloomfield, grinning as if he were the luckiest man alive, put his wardrobe back in order, the inner circle applauded approvingly. The courtesan deactivated the necklace and transformed back into her original self – or at least returned to the appearance she had come in with.

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"Now me," Lady Celestine shouted enthusiastically and had already cut off a lock of her hair to the laughter of the others.

The duke stood up and helped Valentina to her feet. "Madame Dolorosa, would you accompany us to my study? I would like to discuss something with you and Valentina."

As they left the salon, Valentina heard Master Bloomfield's voice: "This illusion really is perfect. Now I can die a happy man."

~

The duke led Valentina and Madame Dolorosa into his study, while the excited laughter of the others could still be heard from the drawing room. The servants had prepared some wine for them in the study.

"Please, sit down," said the duke, pointing to the comfortable armchairs next to his heavy desk. He chose the armchair closest to Valentina for himself, a subtle gesture of closeness that she gratefully acknowledged. She was curious what this was about.

Madame Dolorosa moved with feline grace, her violet eyes sparkling in the lamplight. "Thank you, Your Grace."

"Oh, she really is fascinating," Vyxara commented with amusement. "Watch how gracefully she moves, how carefully she speaks. Every gesture is deliberate, like an actress, as if she's been practicing it for a long time."

The duke poured them wine – an expensive red wine from his private cellars. His hand trembled slightly as he handed Valentina her glass – a barely noticeable insecurity that surprised her. "Valentina, my dear," he began, his voice softer than usual. "I've been thinking a lot about your future over the last few weeks."

"My future, Your Grace?"

"You will have to return to Bridgewater to continue your studies." He sipped his wine, his gaze searching hers. "And while I hate to see you go, I certainly support your academic ambitions. Once you're a Master Weaver, the world will be open to you. However... the financial aspects until then worry me."

"Even if it's expensive, of course I could just pay for everything," he continued, his voice softer now, almost apologetic. "But after everything that's happened... that would put you in a position of total dependence on me, which would not only damage your reputation, but also..." He broke off, obviously searching for the right words. This was unusual for him.

"Interesting," Vyxara murmured. "He's trying to offer you an alternative to complete dependence on him. Maybe he does have something of a guilty conscience after all."

Madame Dolorosa leaned forward, the necklace on her neck glittering meaningfully. "If I could make a suggestion?"

The duke nodded gratefully to her. "Please, explain your offer to Valentina."

"The Violet Delights," Madame Dolorosa began, her voice like dark honey, "is more than just an ordinary brothel. We provide discreet and high-class entertainment for the elite of not only Bridgewater, but the whole realm – nobles, wealthy merchants, influential scholars, they all come to us. Our Essence artifacts, which I have just presented to you, not only provide unforgettable experiences for our clients, but also allow our employees to remain completely anonymous."

She lovingly stroked her necklace. "The illusion is perfect and absolutely safe. However, only Essence Weavers can activate the artifacts and keep them activated – which is why we regularly employ talented female students from Bridgewater. Even at this moment."

Valentina stared into her wine, her face glowing. The implications of what she was being offered here...

"I know you're not keen on the idea," Vyxara whispered gently, "but you should at least know how lucrative it could be. Ask for the details."

As if she had heard Vyxara, Madame Dolorosa continued: "The payment is, of course, extraordinarily generous. Enough for a comfortable life in Bridgewater, the best materials for your studies and considerable reserves. We will provide the Distilled Essence for the artifacts, of course – only the best quality."

The duke leaned forward, his hand gently brushing Valentina's arm. "You would be completely independent, my dear. No one would ever have to know how you financed your studies. Your reputation as a promising young Essence Weaver would remain unblemished."

"Our customers are exclusively from the upper echelons," added Madame Dolorosa. "The prize alone makes sure of that, but we are very selective. No thugs, no excessive drunkenness, absolute discretion. The illusion artifacts provide additional protection for our employees – the customers can never guess the true identity."

"Of course you are completely free to refuse," the duke said softly. His hand found hers, squeezing it gently. "I'll find a way to support your studies, even if you're not interested. But..." A warm smile curved his lips. "After your... enthusiastic participation in the private pleasures of our illustrious inner circle, I thought this might be an interesting opportunity for you. A chance for real independence."

"So that's it," purred Vyxara thoughtfully. "He wants to give you more freedom – in his own weird way. Of course, it's a subtle power play at the same time, but... it's also a kind of apology. He's a great man, but definitely a strange man too."

"I... I need to think about it," Valentina finally said.

"Of course." Madame Dolorosa rose smoothly. "Take all the time in the world. The offer stands."

When she had gone, the duke gently pulled Valentina onto his lap. His lips brushed her neck tenderly. "Don't worry, my beauty. Whatever you decide, you will remain my most precious lover."

Valentina leaned into his embrace. His familiar scent and strong arms gave her support as her head spun around the possibilities that presented themselves to her. She sensed his own uncertainty, his effort to show her a way to independence without completely relinquishing his control.

"Think about it calmly," Vyxara advised. "It's an... interesting option. But not something you need to rush into."

"Come," muttered the duke and stood up. "Let's go back to the others. I'm curious to see what shenanigans Lady Celestine is up to with this artifact."

Valentina followed him, her head still full of conflicting thoughts. The offer was tempting – practical, lucrative and surprisingly safe thanks to the illusion artifacts. But could she really...?

She shook her head, driving the thoughts away. She would think about it at another time. When they re-entered the salon, Lady Celestine was already largely undressed and engaged in stormy caresses – with herself. Valentina had to smile despite her troubled emotions. She couldn't even tell exactly which of the two was the real one.

The rest of the evening was lost in a succession of wine and laughter from the inner circle, who enthusiastically tried out the illusion artifact. But a plan was slowly forming in Valentina's mind. She would not accept the offer right now – but she would not categorically refuse it either.

~

Valentina could no longer stand to watch Jenny's slight limp. The girl had been so loyal to her over the last few months, reading her every wish from her eyes. And Vyxara had hinted back then that the botched attempt to heal Jenny's foot could still be corrected by the demon.

"Vyxara," she thought one evening as Jenny helped her out of her dress. "You said back then that you could still heal her foot, even now."

"Oh?" The demon sounded amused. "After all this time, you remember that? Touching."

Jenny hummed quietly to herself as she untied the laces. She had no idea that her fate was quietly being negotiated.

"Well, can you do it?" Valentina asked in her thoughts. "Now that I know so much more about healing, I could-"

"Of course I can help you," Vyxara interrupted her, "but I want something in return."

Valentina felt her heart beat faster. The demon hadn't asked anything of her for a long time. "What do you want?"

"Lady Celestine." Vyxara's voice became velvety. "She has made advances to you so often. I want you to finally accept them. One night with her – in return, I'll show you how to heal a crippled foot like that."

"That's it?" Valentina was surprised.

Vyxara laughed softly. "Yes, little Weaver. That's all. Just a night of... new experiences. Lady Celestine is an extremely experienced lover. And I've been wanting to know how you react to a woman's touch for so long now."

Jenny had finally untied the laces and helped Valentina out of the heavy dress. Her limp was clearly visible as she carried the dress away.

"All right," decided Valentina. It was worth it for Jenny. And maybe... maybe she was just a little bit curious how it would be with a woman. "I'll go and see Lady Celestine."

"Excellent!" Vyxara purred with pleasure. "You won't regret it. And Jenny will be overjoyed."

When Jenny came back, Valentina smiled at her. "Jenny... how would you feel if I tried to heal your foot?"

The girl's eyes grew wide. "But... but Master Wilford said it was impossible! He tried so many times. The bones are twisted too complicated and-"

"I've learned a lot recently," Valentina interrupted her gently. "Would you allow me to try?"

Jenny hugged her spontaneously. "Oh my lady! Of course!"

Valentina stroked her hair and thought of Lady Celestine in her townhouse and sighed. But the hopeful look in Jenny's eyes was definitely worth it.

"I'm afraid, my dear Jenny, you'll have to help me back into my dress."

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