The Only One Who Doesn't Find Me Disgusting #8
It was a truth he didn't want to admit, but after listening to Pidea's advice, his life as Leni's exclusive priest had become astonishingly comfortable.
"Good morning, my lovely Lady Leni. Did you sleep well? It's another delightful morning."
"Well... it's not delightful because you're here."
He woke her each morning with those words. Her grumpy reply didn't matter.
He immediately caught her wrist and pressed his lips to the back of her hand.
She tried to yank it away in alarm, but it was futile. He held her hand firmly and smiled.
"I hope you're feeling happier now."
"Ugh... Have you lost your mind? You've been doing these weird things since yesterday..."
"Oh? Perhaps I've gone mad from your beauty, my lady. Would you like to check for yourself?"
An endless barrage of sweet words.
Every time Leni spat out a venomous remark, he countered with three honeyed replies.
"Get your filthy hands off me... It's disgusting."
"I wish I could, but look. Your hand is so beautiful that I simply cannot let go."
When he gently stroked her hand, she could only glare at him with her lips pressed tightly together.
"Ugh..."
This was the most entertaining part.
At first she would fire back with sharp insults, but the more he pressed her with endless flattery, the sooner she fell silent, unable to say a word.
In those moments, the emotions hidden behind her cold, expressionless face would peek through—flustered, confused, embarrassed.
In those ways, she seemed no different from any other child her age.
Another time, while Leni was reading, she glared at Emil and spat out:
"Looking at you makes me irritated. It would be better if you just disappeared from my sight."
He answered immediately.
"My, I thought you were reading your book, but you were watching me? I believed I was the only one gazing at you."
The expressionless girl snapped back in frustration.
"Your nonsense is what irritates me... spouting things you don't even mean... You just want to make things difficult for me... I know exactly what you're doing."
This time her response was rather long.
Emil shrugged and replied.
"Nonsense? The gods created you so beautifully that I am simply praising their creation according to their will. If you command me not to praise your beauty, my lady, then oh, I suppose I have no choice but to obey."
"Yes. That kind of nonsense. Beautiful, you say... You think I'll believe that garbage?"
Leni resisted, but it was useless.
"Ah, was that too obvious? Yet that is precisely why it's the truth. Just as the sun's name is brilliant and the rose's name is fragrant. As a priest, I merely speak the truth."
"Nonsense. Everything you say is... just nonsense. Nonsense, nonsense..."
Leni repeated the word over and over until it became a mumble, then hung her head low.
It was a technique he had perfected while dealing with noblewomen.
Clumsy flattery only made things awkward, but an endless stream of sweet words—if backed by the right expression, tone, and velvety voice—actually added persuasive power.
When flattery was delivered so grandly and confidently, it somehow sounded more sincere.
It was a technique that dug precisely into that psychology.
[AHAHAHA, HAHAHAHA!]
Pidea clutched her stomach, laughing hysterically at the sight.
Normally he would have thrown a sharp word at her, but he didn't feel like it.
After all, Pidea's advice had been helpful.
"Is it that funny?"
[Oh, absolutely. Look at that girl hanging her head, completely speechless! She's trying so hard to control her expression, but she has no idea her ears are turning so red they're about to burst!]
Pidea was right.
Leni was desperately maintaining her blank face, but every time Emil showered her with sweet words, she grew flustered and embarrassed.
[By the way, Emil. Every single word that comes out of your mouth is no joke. I thought honey was flowing instead of saliva in there. I guarantee you—if you talked to any of the maids like that, they'd spread their legs for you in no time.]
"Well, I could get a maid to spread her legs without going this far."
[Oh my, what a perverted beast you are.]
Pidea giggled with delight, and Emil smiled inwardly as well.
"Still, I'm honestly surprised myself. I didn't think this approach would work on her. Leni... doesn't like me very much."
[That's exactly where you're mistaken. If there's anyone that girl can become weak toward, it's you.]
Pidea spoke with absolute certainty.
But why?
[Because you carry a demon inside you, and she carries a curse.]
"I don't quite understand."
Pidea gave a dark smile.
Sometimes this demon girl wore this expression, and the indescribably chilling sensation it gave off made him truly feel her ancient nature.
[A curse makes one crave affection.]
"Affection?"
[Yes. Affection. A human burdened with a curse is an unstable being. They possess demonic power, but it's nothing more than incomplete scraps. That's why they constantly yearn for a demon's touch. A touch, in other words, is affection. These people are starving for a demon's love.]
As she spoke, Pidea began to chuckle with amusement.
[Of course, demons don't have anything like affection, do they? Yet cursed humans fall for the demon's whispers. That's why the Holy Order calls those afflicted with curses witches and hunts them. Because they can become a demon's servants at any moment.]
"So you're saying Leni craves my affection?"
Pidea scoffed.
[That girl herself would never admit it. That's why even as she repeats that your words are nonsense, she keeps getting drawn to you. The sweet things you say sound like the most sincere love confession in the world to her.]
Pidea stopped there and fell silent.
Honestly, hearing the truth behind it didn't feel very good.
In short, the curse was toying with the girl's heart.
'So what? Isn't that exactly what I've done to countless women until now? Pretending to love them, toying with their innocent hearts, trampling them with muddy feet, and taking only what benefits me...'
Emil let out a small sigh and said,
"My lady. It's time for you to eat."
"I already ate earlier..."
"I mean the cake. Lemon cake."
Leni answered without lifting her eyes from her book even a fraction.
"I can eat it later... It's not like stew that gets cold."
While cake didn't get cold, the lemon cake that had been left untouched for nearly an hour probably didn't taste any better.
"But my lady..."
As he was speaking,
Leni snapped her book shut and turned her head.
"...Fine."
"Will you eat it?"
"No. Bring me another book."
As expected.
He felt like sighing.
"My lady. Since you've finished that book, why don't you have some cake now?"
"...Bring me another book."
Leni stubbornly repeated herself.
She was not one to easily yield.
Emil found himself pondering again.
[Emil, what are you worrying about?]
Pidea's voice floated through the air.
"Can't you see? I'm worried because she won't eat the cake."
[Just do what you did earlier. Slather that honeyed tongue of yours all over the lemon cake and shove it into that tiny mouth.]
That's exactly why he didn't want to.
As if she had seen straight through his thoughts, Pidea smirked and said,
[Hmm, I know what you're thinking. But even if you shut your mouth now, it won't help that girl. It would only prove that everything you've said until now was a lie.]
She was right.
After telling her she was beautiful and lovely, if he suddenly went silent now, it would only mean that Emil was a liar who spouted nonsense.
'Damn it.'
Emil clicked his tongue softly and turned his head.
Sigh. No helping it.
If there is a god, please forgive me!
"My lady."
"...What."
Leni turned her head with clear irritation at his call, but
"Here it is. Please eat."
She looked visibly flustered by Emil's action.
She stared at the fork held out before her with an incredulous expression.
"W-what... are you doing?"
"You seemed busy, my lady."
Emil smiled gently.
"So I will feed you."
Leni looked at the fork before her eyes in shock.
The lemon cake had been cut into a perfect bite-sized piece and speared on the fork.
"Ah, no... I'll eat it myself..."
"There's no need to refuse, my lady."
He held out the fork with a soft smile.
This smile had the power to overwhelm people.
Emil gently cupped Leni's chin and said,
"Open wide."
When he tilted her chin up, her lips parted slightly.
As he slid the cake between those small lips,
It slipped inside almost by reflex.
"...Mmph."
"Mm, well done."
"Ah... ugh."
It looked like Leni had swallowed it without even chewing properly.
That wouldn't do.
"My lady, you must chew thoroughly."
"Ugh..."
Emil speared another piece of cake with the fork, still smiling. Leni shook her head, her expressionless mask completely shattered.
"I-I can... eat by myself... I want to eat alone..."
"Is that so? Then while you eat, I'll go fetch another book."
He placed the fork in Leni's hand,
then turned and walked toward the bookshelf.
The moment he closed the door, he heard violent coughing.
She must have choked while eating in a hurry.
"Are you alright, my lady?"
"Don't come in...!"
Leni was determined to reject Emil's help.
After that, whenever Leni tried not to eat, Emil would pick up the fork, and she would turn deathly pale and snatch it from him immediately.
'This is going to become a habit at this rate.'
It was far too convenient.
It seemed that demon girl Pidea had successfully corrupted him.
A curse makes one crave affection. Those afflicted are unstable beings filled with incomplete demonic power. They constantly yearn for a demon's touch—for affection. They thirst for a demon's love.