A Night of Temptation (1)
Throughout the entire meal, I honestly couldn't focus at all. For one thing, yesterday's dinner with Gula Quebello had been the same, but sharing a meal with someone was still profoundly unfamiliar in this new life of mine. Anima had always refused, insisting that someone like her daring to dine with the Cezar—or even sharing a table with him—might invite unfavorable glances from others. As a result, eating alone had somehow become my daily routine.
But that wasn't the only reason I couldn't concentrate.
Jiggle, squish, jiggle, squish.
That enormous mass of fat swaying right before my eyes left me so distracted that I was having truly deranged thoughts. Every time I moved my spoon up and down, the elastic motion jiggled even more dramatically. I even caught myself wondering if she had forgone underwear entirely. It was truly… truly astounding. A size I had never encountered in my life. Come to think of it, among all the women I had seen, Anima had possessed the largest breasts, yet this… Perhaps demons simply had larger chests than humans on average?
This won't do.
At some point, I realized I was becoming completely ensnared by Gini Luxury. Yet even as the thought crossed my mind, I couldn't stop my eyes from drifting there. I suppose this was human instinct. Or more accurately, a man's instinct.
What made it worse was that Gini Luxury seemed to have noticed my gaze from the very beginning. Each time our eyes met—when I deliberately tried to lift my gaze—she would cover her mouth and let out a soft, melodic fufu laugh. The gesture was so seductively charming that I found it impossible to resist. At the same time, the elegance she exuded came from that unique grace inherent to her appearance.
Being caught staring was embarrassing enough that I cleared my throat with a few awkward hem hems, but what had been seen could not be unseen. From this moment on, seizing control of the situation was my highest priority.
"Is the meal to your satisfaction?"
It was all I could do to shift the atmosphere with such a mundane remark.
"Yes, the grace of the Cezar fills not only my stomach but rises all the way to my head, bringing me waves of ecstasy. Does this girl satisfy you as well, Cezar?"
"Ahem… I am satisfied."
"Then I am truly relieved. This girl was so worried she might fail to please you, Cezar. For you to find satisfaction in her is the greatest honor imaginable."
"…It is sufficient."
Was this the power of lust? I felt my mind growing increasingly hazy. Even so, my gaze kept sliding downward of its own accord, and the urge to slap myself hard for peering into the unfathomable depths between those mounds of flesh surged through me.
Fortunately, I possessed a clear way to overcome even this situation.
The note Anima gave me is definitely in this pocket.
I subtly lowered one arm and retrieved a slip of paper where Gini Luxury couldn't see it. The number 1 written on the outside confirmed it was the first strategy note Anima had prepared for me. Yet the content was far too concise to be called a strategy.
Do not get swept away by emotion. Get straight to the main point.
Yes, it was definitely written by Anima. The elegant yet sharp handwriting instantly brought to mind her face—brow furrowed, desperately trying to conceal her jealousy. This was unmistakably her note.
"Gini Luxury."
"Yes, Cezar. This girl stands ready to listen with full attention. Please speak."
"Enough with the pointless chatter. Let's get straight to the main issue. You must already know, correct? Your subordinates would have informed you. Are you prepared to bow your head before me?"
"My, how very direct. I had thought you might phrase it more gently."
"My personality doesn't allow for such detours. I tend to be rather impatient."
"Ufufu— Could that not also be considered one of the Cezar's virtues? A straightforward man possesses a charm that makes any woman—not just this girl—swallow hard and press her thighs together. In that case, may this girl dare to give her answer, Cezar?"
"You may."
Gini produced a fan decorated with a camellia blossom as if from thin air, covered her mouth with it, and smiled with upturned eyes. In that signature melodious, teasing voice of hers, she replied.
"If it is what the Cezar desires, this girl is prepared to accept not merely bowing her head, but anything at all."
"Is that so."
"However."
Suddenly the atmosphere shifted. The coquettish tone from moments before gradually cooled, the heated warmth draining away until it sent a faint chill down the listener's spine.
"This girl is also a woman who carries dreams. May I make a request of the Cezar?"
"You may."
"Your grace overwhelms me. This girl has waited ten years to serve a husband. Throughout that time—long enough for white bones to turn to dust and leave no trace—I have never once embraced a man."
"Are you saying you would even take my seed?"
"No. Though this girl bears the mantle of Lust, I have never treated my conduct lightly. Therefore, even while serving the second-generation Cezar, I have never once lost my humble purity. I would not dare make the presumptuous request to be taken into your embrace."
"Then what is it?"
"Cezar. I understand you currently have no consort."
"That is correct."
"Therefore I dare to ask. I do not seek the excessive grace of love, but… could you at least promise to take this girl as a concubine?"
"……"
The sweet fragrance no longer mingled with my breath. For a moment, it felt as if my mind had snapped completely awake. And so I met her gaze—those crimson eyes so eerily similar to my own. Even though the fan concealed her nose and lips, I could read the expression she was hiding from the look in her eyes alone.
She was a venomous serpent that had lived a thousand years. No—an Imugi itself. To swallow her was poison. To touch her was death. Yet once our eyes locked, escape was impossible. Once we faced each other, I could not spit her out.
Even so, I never doubted Anima. She would have anticipated this. She would never have demanded the impossible or steered me toward a path I could not walk.
I carefully withdrew another note from my pocket and unfolded it. Unlike the previous one, this slip had a 2 written on the outside. But its contents were so absurd that I unconsciously read them aloud.
It would be two hundred years, not ten. How dare an old serpent speak such presumptuous drivel before whom, exactly…?
"…Pardon?"
"No, this is…"
When I looked up at the somewhat heavy, resonant voice, I saw that Gini Luxury had completely frozen, even forgetting to hold her fan. Her expression no longer held any trace of elegance. It was the face of a carefully crafted mask beginning to crack.
"Wh-what did you just…"
"Even if you swear upon the black blessing or adorn yourself with that ridiculous red flower, those wrinkles will not be hidden…?"
"C-Cezar? What on earth are you saying…? What are you talking about!"
"I was merely reading…"
Little by little, Gini Luxury's face transformed from that of a delicate maiden into something far more stubborn and worldly. It was the expression of someone whose weakness had been precisely struck. I had no idea why Anima had written such things, but clearly… something had hit home.
I hurriedly pulled out the third note. Anima would surely have prepared a way to overcome even this situation. She must have. She absolutely must have. Otherwise, how was I supposed to resolve this? I couldn't handle it alone.
Maintain the current atmosphere. I have given advance notice. Share a glass of wine while maintaining a dismissive attitude, then escort her to the bedroom once she is properly intoxicated.
What kind of solution was this…?
"Cezar, you must provide an explanation. This girl cannot possibly forget such humiliation…!"
"Why? Did my words strike the mark?"
"That is not the issue! No matter if it is the Cezar, to disregard this girl in such a manner is absolutely unacceptable!"
"How amusing. So you are saying that I—the black sky of this Tenebris—should concern myself with your feelings?"
"Th-that is…!"
"I see. So even I had someone whose feelings I needed to consider."
"I-I am sorry. I have committed a mortal sin."
"Enough. It is true that I went too far as well. Attendant!"
Gini Luxury looked as though she feared I might dismiss her from the room, but to the maid who came running at my call, I gave an order entirely different from what she expected.
"Bring out one of the wines I prepared earlier. Wine was missing from the meal. For the Legion Commander to be so displeased, it seems you dared to show disrespect toward me."
"I-I am sorry! Please execute this unworthy servant!"
"Enough. Just bring the wine. I wish to calm my insides immediately."
"At once!"
After the maid hurried off, I turned to Gini with a faint smile.
"My apologies. I was rude. Otherwise there would be no reason for you to be so upset with me. Isn't that right?"
"I-I am sorry. This girl—ah, no. This unworthy one has dared to behave so frivolously before the Cezar."
"No, what do you have to apologize for? It was all my fault. Truly, it stems from my own lack of virtue."
"Please show mercy!"
Gini's body trembled violently. Her head remained lowered, shoulders rigid. The confident demeanor from earlier had vanished, replaced by a figure shaking with fear. Her mind must have been flooded with terror. No matter how small my current faction, if I used her rudeness as an excuse to kill her where she sat, no one could utter a word of protest—at least not immediately. Knowing this, she was surely reproaching herself for letting her carefully prepared mask shatter.
"Cezar, the wine has been brought."
"Pour it."
"As you command."
In the brief time we had been speaking, the maid returned with the prepared wine. Her hands shook as she poured it into our glasses. The crimson liquid filled the transparent crystal less than halfway, sending beautiful ripples of purple across the surface.
"You may withdraw."
"Your grace is immeasurable."
Once the maid had left, I held the glass out to Gini, who still could not straighten her posture, and spoke.
"This is wine I bestow upon you. It is one I particularly favor."
"Y-your grace is immeasurable."
"Indeed, it is something to be deeply grateful for. I do not offer it lightly to just anyone."
"I will remember this. Again and again."
With both hands still trembling, she grasped the glass. We carefully touched the rims together with a clear ting, then gazed into each other's nearly identical crimson eyes as we drank the slightly viscous, purple liquid. The wine was truly—astringent, yet sweet.