A Sore Awakening
When Rose opened her eyes in bed once more, it felt as if her entire body had been shattered. Her breasts and groin, used without restraint by the men, still throbbed with a deep ache that made them feel like they no longer belonged to her. Yet at the same time, a strangely refreshing sensation coursed through her. She ran her hands over her skin and discovered that, despite the previous night's deluge of semen, it was impossibly soft—fluffy and delicate, like a newborn's.
Rose quietly studied the maids, who stood with heads bowed like living ornaments still decorating the room. They must have washed her and changed her clothes while she lay unconscious. Even under their watchful eyes, she slipped a hand between her legs. The place that had been invaded by countless cocks and driven wild by cruel caresses was now calm and pristine, as clean as if the whole ordeal had been nothing but a fevered dream. But the faint ligature marks on her wrists dragged her back to reality.
"So," Rose asked, making no effort to hide her hostility, "what are you going to force me to do today?" If they hadn't used that aphrodisiac to reshape her body, things might have been slightly more bearable. Of course, she knew better than to hope for such mercy.
"There were no orders for today," one replied. She had the day to herself. Yet it was hardly cause for celebration; the longer her mission dragged on, the longer she remained trapped in this nightmare. Even so, her exhausted body recoiled at the thought of enduring another night of that hell.
A knock sounded at the door. At Rose's nod, a maid opened it.
"Captain!" Nelia burst in like a whirlwind and threw herself into Rose's arms. "Captain, are you all right? I really thought I was going to die yesterday!"
Rose's heart plummeted. So she hadn't been the only one to suffer.
"What? What on earth..."
"I spent the whole day carrying food and washing dishes in the dining hall! I swear my shoulders were about to snap off!"
Rose let out a long breath. The sting of knowing only she had been violated paled beside the overwhelming relief that her crew was safe. She glanced at Sara, who stood at perfect attention with her usual stoic, iron-hard expression. It seemed they'd simply assigned her manual labor.
"And you, Sara?"
"I hauled cargo at the loading dock. Completing even one task against Nostrum counts as getting off lightly."
Rose nodded. She understood Nostrum's cruelty better than most. What she herself had endured yesterday was far more in keeping with their vile reputation.
"Captain! Let's go shopping!" Nelia cried, bouncing with excitement.
"Shopping?" Rose blinked in confusion. Their pirate crew was penniless, and what little funds they'd possessed had been seized by Nostrum.
Nelia flashed a mischievous grin and fished something from her pocket. A heavy pouch spilled a small fortune in gold coins onto the table.
"This is..."
"I scraped it together while I worked yesterday. It's too unfair to slave away with no reward at all."
It was far too much money to call mere compensation. In other words, she'd stolen it. The maids showed no reaction whatsoever. They likely wouldn't report it. Rose was slowly learning how to handle them.
They changed into plain clothes and left their quarters. Even in simple attire, the three of them were stunning enough to turn every head on the street.
The first place Nelia dragged her to was a restaurant. Rose took one bite of the grilled meat—its origin a mystery—and her eyes flew wide. The flavor was nothing short of miraculous, unlike anything she had ever tasted.
"This is incredible!"
"Of course it is! The Captain can't eat just anything, so I found the best restaurant in all of Arcanos!"
"It must cost a fortune."
"Don't you worry about that. And if it comes down to it, Sara and I can always pay with our bodies."
Rose and Sara both froze. Given Nelia's personality, the remark probably meant something closer to violence than seduction, yet Rose couldn't stop the memories of the previous night from flooding back.
"Haa, that was satisfying," Nelia declared, patting her full stomach with a contented smile. Just then a waiter arrived with three glasses of wine and set one before each of them.
"The gentlemen at that table insisted on treating you."
Following his gesture, Rose saw three men in naval uniforms seated several tables away. When their eyes met hers they smiled warmly and waved.
"Wow! This is top-shelf wine!" Nelia cheered. She took a sip, then flashed the men a dazzling smile. Emboldened, they rose and approached.
"A pleasure to meet you, ladies. I was in an unusually fine mood today—now I see it must have been because I was destined to encounter such beauties."
Nelia returned the smile sweetly, but Rose and Sara wore expressions so frigid that icicles might have formed in the air.
"If you'd be so kind, perhaps we could enjoy afternoon tea togeth—"
"Fuck off." Sara cut him off mid-sentence.
The men faltered, glancing nervously between the two cold women. Unlike the friendly Nelia, the other two made no attempt to conceal their hostility. Unable to retreat with so many eyes on them, the men shifted their attention to Nelia.
"Your friends seem to be having a rough day. Spend some time with us and those worries will vanish. What do you say?"
They were sorely mistaken. Nelia kept her bright smile as she answered.
"Didn't you hear her? She said fuck off, you ugly bastards. Oh, and pay for our whole table on your way out. Consider it the price for bothering us!"
Rose picked up her wineglass and upended it onto the floor at their feet. Red wine splashed across one's shoes and trousers. "You bitch!" the man snarled, raising his hand, but his companion stopped him.
"Don't. Too many witnesses."
When they looked around, the other patrons were openly snickering. In the end two of them stormed out, red-faced, while the most polite of the trio gave a stiff bow before following.
"I deliberately chose plain clothes so vermin like that wouldn't swarm us, but it seems nothing can hide the Captain's beauty. If I'd known, I would have dressed you in the most extravagant gown imaginable."
Rose shook her head. The other diners continued to stare and whisper about the women who had so bluntly rejected the naval officers.
"The mood is ruined. Let's go somewhere else."
"Of course. We actually came out today to resupply. Let's visit the sailors' guild and find some new crew. This time we need people who are actually useful."
Nelia drained her wine in one swallow, then finished Sara's as well before standing. As they headed for the door, a flustered employee blocked their path.
"Excuse me, you haven't paid yet."
"Paid?" Nelia rounded on him with theatrical outrage. "Are you blind? Didn't you see how those rude pigs harassed our Captain? You let that happen in your establishment and still have the nerve to demand money?"
She thrust out her chest and loomed over the man, turning the accusation back on him. When a dark elf threatened in earnest, the effect was terrifying; the employee shrank back, barely able to meet her eyes.
"Enough. We're leaving." Only after Sara's calm command did Nelia snort and step back. She flicked a single copper coin at the man's chest.
"There's your tip. Keep the change."
Outside the restaurant, Rose stretched with genuine pleasure—until a familiar voice called from behind.
"Hey." The same three men were waiting beside the door. "You bitches think you can humiliate us and walk away? Come with us. We'll teach you your proper place."
At the word place, Rose's body locked rigid. Memories of the so-called "education" at the spa and casino flashed through her mind. As the men advanced as though ready to seize her by the hair, she remained frozen.
"My goodness. Are you truly suggesting you'd resort to violence against ladies?" Nelia stepped smoothly between Rose and the men. Despite her talk of ladies, she wore a delighted grin and slipped a hand toward her waist.
"Nelia, people are watching. We have to stay here longer."
"Tch." Nelia abandoned her dagger and settled into a bare-knuckle fighting stance.
"Who the hell do you think you are? You really want to fight us?" The men's bluster wavered; their voices trembled as they registered the danger in Nelia's posture.
"This isn't a fight. It's an education in exactly where you belong."
Nelia launched forward like a cannon shell. The men flailed desperately, but it was useless. In the blink of an eye she shattered their jaws and crushed their ribs.
"All that tough talk, and they're nothing but weaklings."
She methodically emptied their wallets while they writhed on the ground like worms. Sara remained utterly indifferent to the crowd's shocked stares.
Well, they are pirates, Rose thought. Modern sensibilities had no place here.
"This area isn't promising either. Everyone's so frail. At this rate I'm not sure we'll find any worthwhile sailors."
Nelia returned to Rose with a disappointed sigh. The fact that Nelia—who possessed the lowest combat ability among the three senior officers—could so easily demolish three naval officers only underscored how powerful Rose truly was. The only reason she had suffered yesterday was the choker; there had been nothing she could do. Rose comforted herself with that thought. If she stayed cautious and avoided obvious traps, she might never endure such humiliation again.
By the time they returned to their room, the sun had already set. Yet Rose's day was far from over. The maids stood lined up inside, and the head maid she had encountered at the spa waited among them. She had been instructing the others while awaiting Rose's return. The maids' upper bodies were bare; the head maid toyed with their nipples as though playing a delicate instrument. Stiff peaks earned gentle rolls and praise, while those that failed to rise sufficiently were pinched as punishment.
"You've arrived," the head maid greeted without pausing, twisting one maid's nipple between her fingers. The maid flushed and breathed hard but never pulled away.
"The schedule has changed. Lady Rose will be attending a ball this evening."
The head maid's tone remained imperious.
"Does this count toward my mission quota? Otherwise I'm not going."
"It will be deducted, of course. You won't simply be attending—you'll have a specific task."
At her signal the maids dressed and approached Rose. While they stripped her for changing, she glared at the head maid. Someday I will kill her. For now, resistance was impossible.
"One moment. There is something to verify." Sensing Rose's defiance, the head maid halted the process. Rose stood nearly naked, wearing only her panties. The head maid approached exactly as she had the others and traced a fingertip lightly around one nipple. Having anticipated this from the moment she saw the woman, Rose's nipples were already rigidly erect.
"I've heard the rumors. You rebelled against your masters and received proper education, yes?" The head maid pinched the nipple in reprimand, then released it to tease, working both peaks until they stood out painfully before offering a satisfied smile.
Rose kept her lips sealed and continued glaring, refusing to show any reaction, but she could not control the way her body answered on its own. The head maid's hand slid lower, past her belly to her groin. She tugged the panties down to Rose's thighs and spread her folds open.
"They've maintained it well. Such a lovely shade of pink still."
She slowly pushed her middle and ring fingers into Rose's entrance, savoring the tight heat that clenched around them.
"Nngh... ah..." No matter how hard Rose tried to stay silent, moans escaped as the fingers began to move. The woman knew the female body intimately and had already mapped every sensitive spot. When her fingers emerged glistening with arousal, she withdrew them.
"Because of you, Lady Rose, I was scolded by the chairman. He has ordered your re-education."
At her words the maids fastened a massive dildo harness around Rose's hips once more.
"Kneel."
Rose obeyed slowly, silently vowing to kill this woman one day. Resistance would only invite harsher punishment. The head maid held the dildo before Rose's lips and waited—not forcing, but demanding willing service. Rose parted her lips and took it into her mouth.
"No teeth. Use your throat."
The head maid lifted a riding crop. Crack! While Rose devoted herself to pleasuring the dildo, the whip lashed across her buttocks.
"Mmph—!" The pain was searing, as though her flesh were being torn open. At the same time another maid beside her spread Rose's folds and began tormenting her clitoris. Whip strokes rained down on her ass while unbearable pleasure surged from her clit. Focused on her oral service, Rose could only accept the contradictory sensations with her whole body, letting them carve themselves into her soul.
"Hngh... haa..." When the whip struck again, Rose finally came hard, squirting onto the floor.
The head maid stroked her hair. The re-education was complete.
"Well done. Remember this whip. If you rebel against your masters again, I will return at any time."
The dildo slid from Rose's mouth.
"Haa... haa... I will kill you. I swear it."
"I look forward to it. We shall see whether I die first or you break first, Lady Rose."
The head maid discarded the harness and left with an arrogant sweep of her skirts. The remaining maids cleaned Rose's body and began dressing her in fine undergarments. When they finished, she no longer resembled a pirate at all. She had become the most beautiful noblewoman in the world. The blue evening gown clung to her figure, its color a vivid contrast against her crimson hair. The off-shoulder cut and daring thigh-high slit revealed smooth skin that would steal any man's breath. Even Rose, gazing into the mirror, was stunned by her own reflection. This was a beauty so profound that even the sadistic head maid and the men who had tormented her could not have looked away. She felt a mad urge to reach out and seize the exquisite woman staring back at her.
"The carriage is ready."
Her mission this time was simply to attend the ball. The mention of additional orders had already faded from her mind. Instead, with a mixture of dread and strange anticipation about how the guests would react to her appearance, she stepped into the luxurious carriage.