Marvel Magic Case Files

Chapter 1400 Deception and Seduction (Part 2)

Lorelei chose a sapphire blue evening gown to match her beautiful deep red hair—a classic color combination. But no one knew that Lorelei hadn't taken inspiration from the red carpet looks of many Hollywood actresses with deep red hair—such as Isla Fisher and Jessica Chastain—and paired it with striking and sexy bright red lips and snow-white skin. Lorelei was certain that with this simple evening gown, she would become the focus of attention at the banquet, second only to the emperor.

In contrast, Countess Katarina Karkov did not spend too much time on her makeup.

She carefully selected a black backless evening gown. The open-front gown had no fabric covering the back and left leg, only interlaced black straps, while the long skirt was made of semi-transparent black tulle and tassels. She further adorned her neck with a pearl necklace for a striking color contrast, and wore long, thin black swan-head gloves that reached her elbows, over which she wore several large gemstone rings, projecting an image of a sexy and elegant noblewoman.

Anyone could see that Countess Katarina Karkov was more experienced in choosing her clothes, perhaps partly because Lorelei's wardrobe wasn't that large. Countess Katarina Karkov was very clear about how to indirectly gain power from male rulers—a skill she had practiced and learned since adolescence, and the coordination of clothing and jewelry was just one aspect of that skill.

She understood perfectly well that the arena of power was a battlefield, and sometimes it was necessary to give male figures in power opportunities to approach her and to provide opportunities for her rivals. Only in this way could she gain more leverage in the competition. In contrast, Lorelei, who consistently used magic, seemed much more naive, or rather, much more direct. Due to the linear thinking inherent in Asgardian genes and the convenience of witchcraft, Lorelei's concept only contained the sequence of "meeting, seduction, submission," completely lacking the complex and sophisticated tactics of Countess Katarina Karkov, which involved inciting competition, making excuses, lying, and stirring up rivalry. She only used the most straightforward seduction.

This destined Countess Katarina Karkov to wield greater power than Lorelei, though Lorelei would be closer to the Emperor. The Lady of the Rhine might grumble for a moment, but she would soon realize that the Emperor's arrangements for her were far superior to those for Countess Katarina Karkov. After all, ability and loyalty were two different qualities that held varying degrees of importance for the Emperor, who had few capable advisors at the moment. Currently, Lorelei's qualities were far more valuable than Countess Katarina Karkov's abilities, especially given that she had just completed a difficult task; the Emperor would naturally grant her a better future.

But the emperor did not pay attention to the banquet.

Stephanie Malik had conducted preliminary negotiations through her various departments, totaling 16 rounds and over 50 hours, before finalizing all contract details. However, due to Stephanie Malik's special status, she could not appear in public—to this day, the people of the Yugoslav Federation still do not know who the Chief Minister of the Interior is—so the Emperor's attendance at the dinner was merely to convey that the final contract had been signed, indicating that the Yugoslav Federation was willing to affix its seal to the document, nothing more. For the Emperor, this dinner was just a formality, but for the Yugoslav Federation, it was a representative event signifying the government's willingness to open up to foreign investment after the Balkan unification war.

However, given the large amount of foreign investment already present in this region, this contract merely altered the cooperative relationship. Furthermore, many transactions were conducted privately, and the competition between various conglomerates required secrecy. The Wallenberg family wasn't the first conglomerate to secretly surrender under the leadership of the conservative Hydra family, so there was no need for a public announcement. Some tacit understandings were best maintained while the Yugoslav Federation was too weak.

After the banquet, Lorelei and Countess Katarina Karkov returned to their respective residences in the castle. Compared to the strict house arrest Countess Katarina Karkov was under, Lorelei's environment was much freer. The castle's mechanical servants would not enter her private space unnecessarily, nor would they point heavy explosives at her when she left her residence. The Emperor, as promised, built her a dressing room, filled it with the clothes she had selected on her data panel, and hired a high-class bespoke tailor to serve her.

Lorelei's task was well worth the reward; one could even say she had driven the final nail into the Emperor's vast scheme, laying the foundation for all subsequent victories. Her unwavering loyalty during her time in Asgard was the quality the Emperor valued most. The Emperor did not, as the Regent had jokingly suggested, leave Lorelei or Countess Katarina Karkov in his office bedroom, even though he knew Countess Katarina Karkov was wearing nothing under her dress.

For some reason, Countess Katarina Karkov became increasingly daring in formal settings. She even deliberately rubbed her high heels against the Emperor's calves at the dinner party, seemingly hoping to see a change in his expression. But she was utterly disappointed; her body language failed to sway the Emperor. Although the Emperor appeared remarkably gentle and smiling, completely lacking the aggression and reverence others perceived in the footage, instead resembling a kind and attentive priest, Countess Katarina Karkov could still discern his attitude towards her two female companions that evening.

That look silenced her completely after the banquet.

The Emperor's eyes were like an iceberg floating in a dark ocean under an eternal night; even the colorful aurora borealis couldn't illuminate its surface, radiating only coldness and devoid of any warmth. She tried to find any emotion in those eyes, but she failed. Perhaps there had once been some emotion in them, but it was certainly not for her. She was like a passenger on a polar cruise ship; when she spotted the iceberg, it was too late to turn around, and she could only stare into those eyes, facing her fear. In contrast, Lorelei's behavior at the dinner party was much better. She seemed to genuinely enjoy the attentive service and fine food of the fine restaurant (while being dissatisfied with the small portions provided by the kitchen). She displayed the expected arrogance towards the Wallenberg family, making her unfathomable, just like the Wallenberg family's initial attitude towards the Emperor; they simply couldn't find any information about the Emperor or Lorelei in this world.

The most terrifying enemies are the unknown, a truth the Wallenberg family had already learned in their battles with the Emperor. Countess Katarina Karkov, though unfamiliar with Lorelei, sensed the reason the Emperor had brought the red-haired woman along. Even living in the heart of the Yugoslav Federation's power structure, Countess Katarina Karkov still found the Emperor shrouded in mystery, encountering people and things she had never seen before every day.

For example, Lorelei, whom she had never heard of, was referred to by the Emperor as the Lady of the Rhine.

Whenever Lorelei asked a question, even if she maintained a nonchalant attitude, and even if the other party did not lower their guard, she would readily reveal the truth. This was something Countess Katarina Karkov could not understand. The information that clearly required multiple rounds of negotiation and even concessions to obtain, yet the representative of the Wallenberg family business attending the banquet spoke without reservation, and his companions did not even have time to stop him. Every time Lorelei asked a question, Katarina felt as if a small flame was close to a candle flame in her temples. Although it did not hurt, the burning sensation was quite obvious. This made her subconsciously believe that Lorelei, like her, possessed a secret ability that the Emperor had to use.

A spark of competitiveness ignited within Countess Katarina Karkov, just as she had instigated rivalries in the past, and an invisible competition erupted between her and Lorelei. No other means were needed, nor was there any concern about whether she realized it was a trap; she herself would be drawn in by her lust for power. Thus, the Emperor returned to his estate with complete peace of mind; he had much work to do and no time to waste on Countess Katarina Karkov.

Meanwhile, a Quinjet landed in Montana.

Alfonso McKenzie stood in the cargo hold, pressing a switch and waiting for the ramp to be slowly lowered by the hydraulic system. It was already past midnight; the winter stars were still struggling below the horizon, threatening to pierce the veil of darkness and leap into the sky at any moment. However, Alfonso McKenzie and his team did not relax because of the fresh air; on the contrary, they were all very tense. Alfonso McKenzie himself was holding a shotgun with an axe attached and a pistol, watching the grass outside the ramp with vigilance.

Daisy Jensen and Elena Rodriguez, nicknamed "Yo-Yo," stood beside him. As soon as the ramp opened to allow one person to pass, Elena Rodriguez darted off. Her speed made everything around her seem like a slow-motion film, and when she reappeared amidst a storm and a deafening roar, Alfonso MacKenzie could even smell her sweat.

"It's safe around here," Elena Rodriguez said in a thick Latin accent. "I didn't see anyone."

"Maybe Coulson has already solved the problem," Daisy Jensen said optimistically.

"Perhaps, but I won't let my guard down like that." Alfonso McKenzie frowned, cocking his shotgun. He couldn't share his concerns with his companions, knowing they would surely disagree—the communication from the Lighthouse base wasn't following the established rules. It could be attributed to intruders, but Alfonso McKenzie noticed the subtle detail.

During the Hydra rebellion, he survived by relying on clues he discovered. At that time, Victoria Hand was still on the S.H.I.E.L.D. carrier, but it was he who truly organized the loyalist agents' resistance. Now, he faces a situation similar to the Hydra rebellion, making Alfonso McKenzie extremely nervous. The fact that "Yoyo" hadn't seen any S.H.I.E.L.D. personnel to greet him filled him with an ominous premonition. Of course, even if the personnel arrived at the landing site, Alfonso McKenzie wouldn't be able to determine friend or foe; the current situation gave him less time to hesitate.

The landing site was deserted. They only needed to go through a secret passage to return to the lighthouse base and find out what was going on.

"Tell me, how did they repel the genetically modified soldiers?" Elena Rodriguez tied her hair back tightly in a ponytail. "Agent Coulson must have some secret weapon we don't know about, you know that?"

"No, I don't know." Alfonso McKenzie shook his head, looking out at the dense bushes beyond the ramp. "I don't know anything."

Perhaps Agent Phil Coulson was still hesitant at that moment, but Melinda May killed that hesitation.

As the Quinjet fighters landed one after another, the atmosphere at Beacon Base became uneasy. The list of names needed for the alien robots and genetically modified soldiers had been leaked, and many agents silently prayed that Alfonso MacKenzie and his group weren't stepping off the Quinjets. When the last Quinjet landed outside the base, Gemma Simmons, on duty in the control room, quietly breathed a sigh of relief—she believed Alfonso MacKenzie had realized something was wrong at Beacon Base—but a sudden communication request extinguished that last hope.

Soldiers from the First Secret Regiment stood right next to the computer.

The soldier gestured for Gemma Simmons to answer the communication and pointed his riot stun baton, which was flashing with electricity, at her. Gemma Simmons had seen people hit by this thing before. Although the riot stun baton had a non-lethal mode switch, that so-called non-lethal mode was designed for fully armed soldiers, not ordinary people without any protective gear. The force that even bulletproof ceramic plates couldn't withstand was still too strong for human bones. Many agents who intended to riot were hit and, without exception, ended up in the infirmary, undergoing surgery for comminuted fractures. Some unlucky ones even suffered long-term effects as a result.

"Mike?" Gemma Simmons glanced at the soldiers of the First Classified Regiment as she pressed the call button. "Agent Coulson is in the base... No, we won... I don't know, Mike. We don't know the purpose of the genetically modified soldiers yet. We only know that they took a lot of 0-84 items from the warehouse. Agent Coulson is taking inventory of the missing items... Yes, I will open a passage for you. Please be careful not to be discovered by the local police. When the genetically modified soldiers attacked here before, some local residents reported sightings of UFOs."

(End of this chapter)