Chapter 74
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 74
Chapter Title: 73. The Duke Becomes the Slave of Two People
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While kissing Philia, I sneak a glance at Iris.
Even though she had volunteered to become a slave herself just to free Philia from me and restore her freedom, Iris is visibly overwhelmed by a turbulent mix of emotions akin to bewilderment as Philia obeys my command, clings to me, and kisses me.
Right now, Iris's face is neither the ecstatic cry of a slave lost in pleasure nor the dignified visage of the Duchess of Venezia.
It's the expression of someone who has no idea what face to make while watching Philia—a look I've never seen on her since we met.
Such an expression, with the semen she'd been holding in her mouth until now dripping from her lips... it's incredibly erotic.
"Chuuup...♡ Hau...♡ Churu...♡ Chu...♡"
Iris's mind right now is utterly unimaginable. Philia licks at my tongue and the inside of my mouth, pressing herself even closer to me.
Even with Iris right there, she's fully switched on, wearing the face of a bitch in heat craving my affection.
"Hoo... Philia, you need to get a grip with Iris here?"
"Chuuu...!"
Philia, who had been clinging to me and kissing me so lewdly, slowly turns her head upon hearing Iris's name, as if snapping back to reality a bit, and looks at her.
"M-Mother..."
"...I released you from the duel’s penalty, so why..."
Iris spoke to Philia with a face that had grown incredibly pale and sorrowful.
"Th-That’s..."
Having heard Iris out, Philia hesitates to respond right away, perhaps feeling a pang of guilt for doing this now.
Though it was a misunderstanding, Iris was the one who ruined Philia’s childhood... Does she really need to feel guilty?
"Hng...! Chu... Chu...♡"
I force another kiss on Philia, intertwining our tongues before pulling away and looking into her eyes as I speak.
"Even if Iris did it for your sake... that doesn’t justify what she did to you, Philia."
"......"
"You don’t need to feel any guilt. You’re just returning to Iris the same pain she inflicted on you all this time."
"As much pain as I received... to Mother..."
Philia closes her eyes, recalling what Iris had done to her.
She had been slightly moved by Iris’s show of care and felt guilt, but remembering what Iris actually did to her seems to sour her feelings toward her mother once more.
"For my sake, huh..."
Philia lets out a small scoff and gazes coldly at Iris.
"Were everything you did to me truly for my sake, Mother?"
Iris’s face flushes with slight panic at Philia’s question.
"Yes, Philia... I know now that it was wrong, but... it was all for you..."
"Even if it was wrong, does calling it 'for my sake' mean I have to forgive you?"
"Ph-Philia..."
"It might have been nothing to you, Mother, but the pain I endured... I think it’s hundreds of times what you’re feeling right now watching me."
"......"
Iris has no words, simply staring at Philia with a sorrowful face.
Philia pays no mind to Iris’s expression, places her hand on my chest, and continues speaking while looking at her.
"You’re wondering why I’m not trying to break free from this man even after you released the duel’s penalty, right, Mother?"
Iris nods faintly at Philia’s question.
Philia flashes a mocking smile and replies.
"Because I love this man... no, my darling..."
"!!!!!!"
Iris’s eyes widen in shock at the endearment of "darling" and the declaration of love for me.
"The duel’s penalty... it doesn’t matter anyway. It was all just a lie I made up on the spot to deceive you, Mother."
She rubs her face against my chest, looks up at me adoringly, and says with a smile.
"You fell for it so perfectly..."
"......"
Iris lowers her head at Philia’s words, her body beginning to tremble faintly before she slowly speaks.
"Why... why did you deceive me like that, Philia...?"
Her voice trembling, she asks Philia, but Philia doesn’t answer.
Instead, she looks at me, as if telling me to respond myself.
"If you’d just told me to atone for the past with words, I would have..."
"I told her to deceive you."
Iris flinches in surprise at my words, lifts her head, and glares at me fiercely.
"Is a slave allowed to give me that look...?"
At my playful remark, Iris even emanates killing intent.
But thanks to the contract on the goddess’s paper, she can’t harm me at all, so that murderous aura just comes off as cute.
"Why... why on earth...?"
"Because I wanted to make you mine, Iris."
"For such a petty reason, you even used Philia..."
"Used Philia? She offered to help me herself..."
I stroke Philia’s hair once, then deliberately stomp toward Iris with a grin. She instinctively steps back.
I grab her retreating shoulder firmly and meet her eyes as I speak.
"Because you’re such a bitch... Iris Venezia, the mother who abused and tormented you—you hated her so much that you came to me for help yourself."
I bring my face close to her ear and lightly lick it with my tongue.
"Hng...!"
"You think of yourself as a mother who cares for her daughter... one who could even become a slave for her sake, right?"
I whisper into her ear, and though Iris tries to pull away from my grip on her shoulder, she can’t reject my actions. No matter how strong she is, she can’t shake off my hand.
"But you know what? That’s just masturbation. Convincing yourself that you’d do anything for Philia... that you’re a good mother. It’s all just self-pleasure."
"Sh-Shut up...!!!"
Iris screams at my words—no, screaming is all she can do.
"Did you expect that by freeing Philia and reconciling with your daughter, then becoming my slave and drowning in pleasure to live happily ever after, Iris?"
"Did you think abusing your daughter and trying to kill your current master would be so easily forgiven?"
I pull Iris into a tight embrace and squeeze her ass so hard it feels like it might burst.
"Heut...!"
"Not a chance, Iris... You can’t be forgiven... Do you really think what you did could be so easily... so sweetly overlooked?"
As she hears my words, the killing intent fades from Iris, and despair gradually clouds her face.
"Becoming a slave beneath me and Philia... atoning that way... That’s the only path for you to earn forgiveness from us."
"......"
I release my hold on Iris, and she collapses to her knees as if her legs had given out.
I turn my back to the silent, seated Iris and call out to Philia.
"Right, Philia?"
Philia, who had been silently watching us, approaches and looks down at the kneeling Iris.
Iris meets her gaze with hollow, despair-filled eyes.
As if to deepen that despair, Philia responds to my words.
"Yeah."
...Thud! With Philia’s confirming blow, Iris feels as if her heart is crumbling.
She didn’t want to accept that man’s words about her deception... but now even her beloved daughter affirms them.
Affirms the command to become a slave and atone...
Seeing even Philia agree makes that man’s words ring true.
Becoming that man’s slave would be humiliating, but with her mind warping under that pleasure, she’s just been indulging in self-delusion... a selfish bitch who never intended to suffer as much as she inflicted...
"Haha..."
Iris lets out an involuntary laugh.
What is this... Acknowledging it wipes away the betrayal and such from being deceived by that man and Philia, leaving only guilt and remorse toward them, growing ever stronger.
The humiliation and shame of becoming the slave of her own daughter and a commoner don’t weigh heavily on Iris anymore.
All that swells within her is the desire to become their slave and atone, just as that man said.
Bound by that contract anyway, she was practically a slave already... Maybe this is for the best.
The emptiness in Iris’s eyes and the despair on her face gradually fade.
That face slowly transforms into the obedient visage of a slave ready to atone as their possession.
"From that look, it seems you’ve made up your mind?"
The man—no, my true master now—smiles as he speaks, and Iris responds.
"As your slave... as the slave of both of you, I wish to atone for my sins."
Iris said, looking at me.
"Philia says so... Shall we accept her as a slave?"
"Hm... Taking Mother as my slave..."
Iris watches Philia with anxious eyes as she ponders.
Seeing Iris’s face, Philia grins and replies.
"Not a bad idea."
Philia’s smiling face as she looks at Iris... In that moment, it resembles the Philia described in the novel more than any expression I’ve seen so far.
Or perhaps... her true nature, altered by me, is finally emerging?
I may have pushed her, but like her mother Iris, Philia’s quite the madwoman too.
That’s why I like her.
I grin lecherously at Iris and say.
"If you’re becoming a slave, Iris, you should declare it properly, like you did for me last time?"
At my words, Iris blushes, squirms slightly in her kneeling position, and replies.
"...Yes."
She slowly removes her clothes, folds them neatly, and places them beside her.
Now naked, Iris kneels before us both, extends her hands forward, rests her forehead on them, and bows deeply to us.
"I shall become the two of you’s... slave and atone..."
The mother of Philia and the Duke of the Empire, Iris Venezia, was no longer there.
All that remained was one obedient slave belonging to me and Philia.