2 A dream come true

Oliver squirmed and tossed one side onto the other as he refused to open his eyes, unwilling to let his dream end.

Yesterday was definitely a dream, I am sure of it he thought time and time again as he recalled the events of said dream.

Not only did he accomplish his family's long dream of breaking through level 4, but he also got to test it on a noble. On Elena Bluepearl no less, the head of the most powerful house in the kingdom and the right hand of the queen. While keeping his head on his shoulders.

But the strangest thing about this dream was how we acted throughout the whole ordeal. He just stood there behind the counter looking as the situation unfolded. Normally he would go and receive his noble customers while guiding them through the store, but this time he remained motionless.

He barely even talked, not a single welcome nor goodbye left his mouth which estranged him to no end. His father and mother had ingrained in his brain how to properly receive a noble to their store, yet this time it seemed as if he had forgotten all about it.

It never occurred to him that his excitement added up to the fact that a noble of the caliber of Elena Bluepearl was his lab rat, contributed to his unusual behavior.

"It was definitely a dream," he murmured as he finally got off his bed.

As the owner and only employee of Green Florist, he performed daily pre-opening duties, which were composed mostly of cleaning and tending to the plants and their flower's well-being. Due to how he could just command the plants to be the best they could be, he merely just glanced at them to see if the parasite was still working as it was supposed to as well as providing the nourishment the flowers needed.

After his parent's death, he was left alone to manage the business and although he didn't like it that much it is his family's heirloom so he made sure to maintain it properly.

Taking care of Green Florist was his job and familial duty, but his true passion lay on his unique magic. The thought of having magic that was unique to his family and no one else struck him deeply as a child and ever since he has been studying, practicing, and documenting it.

This led him to become the most powerful parasite mage there has ever been and accomplish that which no other family member had ever accomplished. After, testing some commands on new flowers he obtained the other day he decided to document his research before opening the store.

He was about to write down today's testing results, but right before he did he stop cold and stared wide-eyed at what he wrote last night.

It was not a dream! He howled in joy in his head. Everything that happened was real, his breakthrough to level 5 alongside his successful takeover of Elena.

"I gotta get ready for today," he said as he smiled from ear to ear and retreated upstairs towards his personal quarters.

While he knew Elena was under his control to the point where she would follow commands he still didn't know to what extent he could command her. So as to play it safe he prepared as if she wasn't under his control by cleaning and decorating his personal quarters with his most luxurious furniture.

Having finished his preparations he officially opens the store for the day before moving back to his position behind the counter as he usually does.

Not long after he heard a commotion behind the front door, the type that only a noble would make. Filled with excitement at that thought of it being his esteemed guest. Like a child heading towards his unopened gifts, he beelined towards the door with sparkles in his eyes.

The door opened revealing a brunette beauty wearing a white fur coat, whose sapphire-like eyes bored into Oliver. Sweat trickled down his face as Elena slowly took off her coat, uncovering an elegant yet slightly revealing black dress. Leaving her left leg naked for Oliver's eyes to see.

In a quick motion without parting her gaze from Oliver, Elena handed her coat over to Lucas, who was standing behind her.

Lucas stood there stunned at his lady's sudden seductive and unnatural behavior. Receiving the coat brought him back to his sense but before he even opened his mouth Elena shut the door in his face.

"Wha-a. Milady! You know it's my duty as your knight to-"

"To keep me safe," Elena finished his sentences as if she knew it from memory while she walked towards Oliver.

"However, it is also your duty to obey me and I order you to stay outside and keep guard there. Am I clear?" Said Elena in a commanding tone making it clear that no was not an option.

"Yes, milady," replied Lucas, who unwillingly turned around facing the noisy streets filled with commoners that were already gossiping about what just happened.

"Milady what's gotten into you... This isn't like you," he thought out loud in an almost inaudible voice, that no one but Elena and Oliver heard just because they were right there behind the door.

Having dealt with her knight, Elena focused back on Oliver completely ignoring Lucas' remarks adorning herself with a gentle smile that enhanced her beautiful and mature face.

Oliver, still frozen in place from the exchange they had, met eye to eye with Elena who extended her hands towards him. However, instead of welcoming Elena, he was lost in thought at what Lucas' just said.

Was everything she did just moments before done by the parasite? Did the parasite change how she sees me? He pondered.

"Come on now, you aren't going to leave a lady like myself hanging like this. Are you now?"

"Oh my, where are my manner!" Oliver replied waking up from his thoughts and wearing his best smile as he delicately kissed the back of her hand. Soon after he guided her through his store towards the location where he had his most luxuries and exotic flowers.

Everything is running smoothly, Oliver thought as his confidence resurfaced. Throughout the entirety of the tour, he casted multiple commands on her. He started small with menial commands such as "ask me about this flower" or "stare at the ceiling for 10 seconds" and slowly proceeded to more complex and less subtle commands. Furthermore, regardless of how silly and out of character the command was she followed through with it to a "t" every single time.

Thanks to the tests he deduced that the parasite had control of her on a subconscious level, making it so the host would carry out every command as if it willed to do them from the start.

Despite knowing that she was already under his control there was one thing that puzzled him and it was what did her brain make up for her to follow his commands. He could command her to kill her daughter and she would follow through with it, but when asked why she did it. Would she say that she didn't know why or will her brain make something up?

Bothered by this problem, Oliver asked her why she came to his store and entered alone without her knight. To his relief, she replied telling him that she actually wanted to buy an exotic flower and that she wanted to spend some private time with Oliver whom she found quite charming. It was totally a lie fabricated by her brain just to justify the command given to her.

While the fact that the brain found a way to justify his commands eased his mind a little. He recognized it to be a double-edge sword that could hide his commands or attract suspicion as the subjects could act in ways unlike themselves.

Moreover, that wasn't everything, the host kept their original personality, values, memories, and goals intact, superficially nothing about them changed aside from the fact that they were now puppets for Oliver.

How did he know this despite not knowing Elena as a person before their fateful meeting the day before? Well, he wasn't fully certain about it but she behaved exactly as the rumors surrounding her were aside from that first exchange at the door.

The realization of this brought forth something from deep within Oliver. A long-forgotten feeling he only experienced when he first learned about his magic, an intoxicating feeling of absolute control, the irresistible power of domination.

His chest heaved and warm air left him as he eyed Elena from head to toe. Her immaculate and sensual form, unbecoming of a mother of twins in her forties had done nothing more than constantly arousing him.

"There is one last flower I would like to show you, however, it is deep within the storage room on the underground. I must warn you that it isn't the cleanest of places in the store but the flower over there is my most valued treasure, that I keep locked there far from prying eyes only meant to be shown to my special other. Having said that are you still interested in it?" Oliver asked as he intended to take her to the basement where no one will be able to eavesdrop on them. Obviously, the flower he was talking about wasn't the same kind he sold but one that bloomed and pollinated through special occasions.

"If it truly is as dirty as you say then I'd rather you bring it all the way here. I wouldn't want to dirty my dress," Elena said as she looked at her attire and then at Oliver with a face that screamed: "Do you really think I am willing to dirt my expensive, with the finest, softest, and most comfortable fabric just for one flower I have never seen in my life that probably doesn't even exist?"

His heartbeat fastened, she gave him the exact answer he was fishing for, excitement filled him as he readied to change her mind about it.

You want to follow me and obey me! He commanded her.

"On hindsight, I am quite curious about the said flower of yours," she said as her once unwillingness turned into interest, disregarding everything to follow Oliver, who wore a smile from ear to ear. Barely, containing his excitement at the thought of everything he will do to her.