Rainbow at the Corridor's End
"Master! Are you all right?"
Chief Butler Percival braced himself against the wall and dragged his body upright. He managed to stand, but walking properly was still beyond him.
When he looked out the window, every servant was the same. Eyes unfocused, they had all collapsed to the ground.
"We've been hit…."
Rounding the corner of the corridor, he saw the lord's study. Ten high-ranking saintesses stood guard before it.
One of them spotted Percival, the corner of her mouth curling into a smile as she approached.
"Not bad for an old man. To think you'd still be fighting the Great Saintess's Dream."
"What are you doing to the Lord?"
"What else? The Adult Ceremony."
"He is a count of the Empire and the lord of this land. I will not permit such a vile act."
"Even a lord has to renew his citizenship. You're the chief butler and you don't know that? Do I have to teach you myself?"
A saintess beside her covered her mouth and giggled.
"So that's the Chief Saintess's type? I never knew. From now on we'll leave all the old men to you, Chief Saintess."
"Don't call him an old man. Experience piles up the more you use it, you know? Look at his age. How many women do you think he's made happy over the years?"
"You're right. The air he carries isn't ordinary. He must have been quite popular in his youth."
"Experience begets wisdom, and wisdom begets technique. Chief butler of the Marcus Territory… my appetite is thoroughly whetted. I'll personally perform this one's Adult Ceremony. Girls, lay out the bedding."
"My! Right here?"
One of the saintesses pulled a blanket from the bag she carried.
"Elder, receive this as an honor. Our Chief Saintess's technique is extraordinary, you know? She can satisfy a man three times in a row. Though—if he collapses from overexertion after that, what then?"
The saintesses rushed Percival. One of them stroked his forearm and looked to the Chief Saintess.
"His muscles are incredible! And his thighs are so thick!"
The Chief Saintess hiked her skirt and tied it around her waist.
"Lay him down. I'll finish before the Great Saintess comes out."
"Yes, ma'am!"
Laughing, the saintesses dragged Percival away. His strength gone, he could not resist and toppled face-first onto the floor. While the others peeled off his trousers, the Chief Saintess removed her shoes.
Her pale foot pressed down on Percival's cheek.
"You can still move your tongue, can't you? Lick. Then I'll make you feel even better."
Crunch—
"Aaaagh!"
Percival bit down on the Chief Saintess's toe. Bright red blood sprayed in every direction. The saintesses lunged to pry his mouth open, but it was useless. Eyes bloodshot, Percival glared at them and clenched his jaw even harder. The toe tore free and the Chief Saintess toppled backward.
The saintesses shrieked.
"Heresy! How dare he bite the Chief Saintess! We'll kill him at once!"
"Quiet. The Great Saintess is performing the Adult Ceremony inside."
"But a man this far fallen—"
"It's exciting me. Hold his limbs and lay him flat."
"Ohh, as expected of the Chief Saintess. Even in this situation you never forget the Goddess's mission and carry out the Adult Ceremony. Your Holy Power is so beautiful and radiant I simply cannot hide my excitement."
"Compared to the Great Saintess it's nothing. This won't do. This old man is no ordinary opponent. Seize his arms and legs."
"Shouldn't you stop the bleeding first? Blood keeps pouring from your foot, Chief Saintess."
"Just grab him! I refuse to lose this feeling, so hurry!"
"Yes, Chief Saintess!"
Five saintesses charged Percival. One each clamped onto his face, arms, and both legs, clinging tight.
"You may proceed now!"
"Good."
The Chief Saintess squatted between Percival's legs.
"Shall we begin?"
Percival let out a groan and looked up at her. What sort of woman had she been when she first entered the Saintess Order? She must have joined with a fluttering heart, thinking of divine providence. Overflowing with the sense of mission to become a tool of the gods, illuminate the world, and protect justice.
And now that woman was doing this.
The Lord had been right. The world had gone mad, and the Saintess Order was especially mad.
"Hrrk…."
Percival bit his lip. The shame was unbearable; he could endure no more. He poured every ounce of strength into his body and thrashed.
The Chief Saintess stroked his head.
"Don't struggle. This is a blessing. You are becoming a true citizen of the Empire."
She hiked her skirt higher and prepared to climb onto him when—
Shaaaaaa—
A shining rainbow unfurled from one end of the corridor to the other. Flower petals drifted from the rainbow and spread like mist. A fragrant breeze rolled down the hallway.
Percival tilted his head back and stared toward the far end of the corridor.
"Young miss…?"
The demon-race girl. The child who had once been a bedroom slave and then become a servant. Rumors said she was a dragon's daughter, but the Lord had never explained. When asked, he had only smiled.
That very Satin was coming this way, holding the end of the rainbow.
"Chief Butler. I'm sorry—I arrived far too late."
"Are you unharmed?"
Without thinking, Percival raised his speech. He had never gone so far as to speak down to her, yet until now he had always spoken casually.
"You look the opposite of unharmed, Chief Butler, so I'm worried. But where is our Master?"
Satin looked at Percival, then whipped her arm in a wide arc behind her. The rainbow cracked like a whip and struck the saintesses. As if electrocuted, they screamed and convulsed.
"All of you stay still for a moment. I'm busy looking for Master right now."
Percival shouted.
"The study! The Lord is in there right now! Hurry!"
Satin sprinted for the study. She stretched a hand toward the door. The tip of the rainbow coiled around the knob and, with a thunderous bang, wrenched it open.
Had that child's eyes always been so beautiful?
Satin burst inside with a scream. My ears were ringing so badly I couldn't make out the words. I drove my knee upward with everything I had and shoved Helena. She didn't move. A breeze brushed my forehead—a grateful wind wiping away the sweat. The entire study glittered in rainbow light. Slowly, sound returned.
"Master, what do I do? Because of me—because I was late—I came too late—"
Satin lunged at Helena. Two small white hands seized Helena's hair. Helena toppled backward with a shriek. Tears in her eyes, Satin roughly yanked and shook the woman's hair.
"He's my Master, Satin's Master—who do you think you are to—"
Naked Helena thrashed and twisted, but Satin refused to let go. Still gripping the hair with both hands, she dragged her across the floor.
"Master promised me—he said he'd perform my Adult Ceremony—the one who's supposed to do the Adult Ceremony with Master isn't you, it's me—"
Satin burst into full-throated sobs.
"Master's Adult Ceremony is mine!"
She seemed to be under some misunderstanding, but this was hardly the moment to correct her. After all, I did intend to look after Satin's Adult Ceremony eventually. Strength gradually returned to my limbs. I braced myself on the chair and rose.
"Satin."
"It's the Dream. That woman spread the Dream. I was so dizzy I couldn't find the way, so it took forever. I'm sorry—I came too late, didn't I?"
Whenever Satin panics, the word "Master" tumbles out of her mouth. I really ought to get her to use a different form of address.
"How is it outside?"
"Everyone's awake. There's no Dream left in our house."
Chief Butler Percival came gasping into the study.
"My Lord, are you unharmed?"
"Lock up every last saintess and give them nothing but water."
"Understood. The Great Saintess as well?"
"Well, she is the Great Saintess," I said, cracking my neck with a dull pop. "Give her a solitary cell and put shackles on her ankles."
"Yes, My Lord."
Percival exhaled a long breath and looked at Satin.
"I owe the young miss my life. The Lord's words were correct. She is every inch a dragon's daughter. You have inherited your father's power."
"It's from my mother's side."
"Oh, is that so? Then I must offer thanks to the young miss's mother."
"No need for that."
Because this whole mess was her mother's fault. The Succubus Queen was the one who had beguiled Helena and spread the Dream. She knew I couldn't kill her. That was why she dared pull a stunt like this. If I killed Satin, total war with the demon race would erupt. Yet if the Demon King himself moved, Satin would die. Satin now stood on a razor-thin boundary line—a hostage of both worlds at once.
Satin ran over and pulled my head into her arms.
"Master, I was so scared."
Wasn't there some form of address that felt more like family than "Master"? "Uncle" was out, and "Ahjussi" wasn't much better.
"Satin. From now on, when you call me, just use my name."
"Yes! Juin-nim."
"…."
Fine. What did the form of address matter, really?
Satin clung to my waist, still crying.
"I'll never leave you alone again. Satin will protect our Juin-nim. I promise."
Satin, daughter of the Demon King. Bringing her home had been the right decision after all.
Three days had passed since we locked up the saintesses.
I stopped in front of the bars. It was Helena's solitary cell.