An Impatient Hound's Punishment
Truth be told, I hadn't intended to meet Rika again so soon. I had planned to give her at least a fortnight, if not a whole month.
The time it takes for the effects of the Hypnotic Incense to fade varies from person to person. It depends on countless factors—how deeply the suggestion has penetrated the subconscious, whether the victim is aware they have been brainwashed, and so on. I wanted to wait long enough before checking Rika's true feelings once more. That was why the current situation was highly problematic for me.
"P-Princess... by 'precious,' do you refer to the Saintess...?"
I could still feel a deep, thick affection for me in her voice. The way she had rushed to the Orbin Monastery upon hearing news of the bandits, and how she had subtly kept her distance even while thanking me. She must have realized that I hadn't come here for her sake, which prompted her to ask this.
"Rika..."
The joy that had filled her face just moments ago had now dissolved into a look of profound sorrow.
"Yes. Rielia is very precious to me. She is someone I absolutely need for my future."
To completely possess Carmel, I absolutely needed Rielia to dispel the Mistylia curse. But it wasn't just about that anymore. Beyond her utility as a Saintess, I desired Rielia as a woman. I wanted to make her small, cute body and pure heart mine, just as I had done with Carmel.
"Then... have you completely turned against Lady Carmel?"
"No, that's not it. I simply don't want to hand either my stepmother or the Saintess over to anyone else. I am quite greedy, you see."
It was a shameless declaration that I intended to play around with multiple women. Yet, hearing this, Rika didn't even frown. If anything, she seemed to find a sliver of hope in my words.
"Then... could you not take me in as well? I may not be as feminine as Lady Carmel or the Saintess... but surely I can still be useful as a toy for you to play with at your whim. Just as you did back then, no matter how roughly you treat me, I..."
Her voice was restrained, but her eyes were not. A desperate, pleading intensity burned within them. Yet, the more genuine and heavy her feelings seemed, the less I could bring myself to accept them. This devotion was manufactured by the Hypnotic Incense. It did not belong to the real Rika.
"I cannot, Rika."
"Why? Why is that, Princess?"
Because your feelings are fake.
I couldn't bring myself to say those words. With a heavy heart, I shook my head and turned to leave. But at that moment, Rika uttered something that made me freeze.
"...Is it because of that suspicious scent? Is that why... you believe my feelings are not genuine?"
I whirled around in shock.
"You knew? Since when...? Don't tell me..."
"No, I only recalled it after coming here. I remembered that every time you summoned me, Princess, you burned that sweet incense. I assume some sort of charm magic was woven into it?"
Strictly speaking, it wasn't magic. The effects of the Hypnotic Incense were chemical rather than magical, though in a broader sense, one could call it a form of magic. Since Rika had already figured out that much, there was no point in making excuses. I admitted it frankly.
"Yes. It is called Hypnotic Incense. In order to make my stepmother submit by showing her your fallen state, I toyed with your mind as I pleased. I conditioned you to drown in pleasure and harbor a deep, absolute loyalty toward me."
Rika's face stiffened. The moment her suspicion turned into certainty, the sense of betrayal must have grown as vast as the trust she had tried to maintain. I steeled myself to face whatever reaction she might have.
"Do you believe that because the beginning was fake, the end must also be a lie?"
"What?"
Rika grabbed my hand. Before I could even register my surprise, she pulled it to her chest. Beneath my palm, I could feel her heart hammering wildly.
"My heart has raced like this from the very moment I saw your face again, Princess. This is by no means fake. Even those moments when you deceived and violated me... I cherish them as my happiest memories."
"Rika..."
The suggestion engraved into Rika was powerful. I had witnessed firsthand how she perceived hatred, responsibility, and pain as pure pleasure. There was no way she could shake it off after spending a mere few days at the monastery. Rationally, I had to assume she was still under the influence of the Hypnotic Incense. If I were to act logically, pushing her away firmly was the right thing to do. But...
"A day may come when you bitterly regret these thoughts. You might feel an intense rage when you realize how thoroughly I toyed with you. Are you truly prepared for that?"
"Such a day will never come."
Those unwavering, honest eyes. That steadfast gaze shook my resolve. Even though I knew it might just be blind devotion born of hypnosis... I made my decision and spoke.
"Then strip off everything you are wearing right now."
"Princess... d-do you truly mean it...?"
"Do you intend to make me repeat myself?"
"N-No, of course not! I-I will do it at once! Please, let me..."
Rika began to undress, her movements hurried yet disciplined. Her shirt and trousers were neatly folded and placed on the floor. Though I hadn't ordered any specific posture, she knelt before me in her nakedness, bowing her head submissively.
She truly had a magnificent body. Of course, my absolute ideal was Carmel's. Soft, voluptuous, and yielding a heavenly sensation no matter where I touched—Carmel's body was the pinnacle of feminine beauty. Yet, Rika's body was splendid in an entirely different way. Her toned muscles and feminine curves were in perfect, striking harmony. There were undoubtedly those who would consider her physique the absolute ideal.
Rika lifted her flushed face toward me. It was a face that practically begged to be treated roughly, to be thoroughly ruined. The gap between this and her usual serious demeanor was staggering. No one would ever expect the stoic, dignified Rika to make such a thoroughly submissive, heat-addled expression.
Damn it, this is exactly why I tried to hold back.
Once you lay a hand on someone, it becomes impossible to stop. Stopping halfway is far harder than never starting at all. Suddenly, a surge of irritation welled up inside me. Who did she think I had been holding back for all this time?! I made no effort to hide my annoyance as I spoke.
"Rika, I believe I explicitly told you to wait, did I not?"
"U-Uh, y-yes, Princess...!"
She was absolutely thrilled. Her eager attitude only made her look more irritating. I raised my voice, letting my anger seep through.
"I told you I wasn't abandoning you, and that I would surely return for you. Yet, you couldn't even obey a simple command to 'wait,' and instead had the audacity to press your master the moment she arrived. Do you even understand your place as my dog?"
At the mention of being my dog, Rika's eyes widened. Forcing her voice low, she whispered:
"I-I am terribly sorry, Princess..."
She didn't sound sorry at all. Speaking in such a blissfully breathless tone made her apology ring entirely hollow.
"No, words are not enough. You will show your sincerity with your body."
I walked over to the bed in the room. Sitting on the edge, I patted my lap, gesturing for her to come up. Crawling on all fours, Rika approached the bed. She climbed onto the mattress, then straddled me, resting her hands on my shoulders in a posture that resembled a tight embrace. I looked at her and spoke in a cold, flat voice.
"What do you think you are doing?"
"Y-Yes...? You... you told me to come up..."
"You are a dog, aren't you? Such a human, lover-like posture does not suit you. If you are a dog, then lie down like one."
Upon hearing my words, Rika looked as ecstatic as if I had just asked her to be my lover. Though her facial expression didn't change drastically, she couldn't hide her ragged breathing and melted, adoring gaze.
"H-Hngh... Y-Yes, Princess..."
Rika barely managed to control her trembling body as she climbed back onto my lap. This time, she did it properly like a dog, draping her stomach across my thighs. Well, truth be told, she looked less like a dog and more like a child about to be spanked. She, too, seemed to anticipate exactly what was coming.
"This is your punishment for failing to wait, for your lack of patience. Do not make a sound. It would be troublesome if anyone heard us."
"Y-Yes, Princess..."
Draped over my lap, Rika's body wouldn't stop twitching. Watching her, I let out a heavy, deliberate sigh for her to hear, raised my palm, and brought it down hard on her buttocks.
Smack!
Rika's flesh quivered with a satisfying sound. A sharp sting tingled in my palm. Deep within my heart, a dark, insidious pleasure welled up. A pleasure fueled by guilt. Perhaps that was why it felt so intense. After all, a sense of transgression always serves as the perfect catalyst for such depraved ecstasy.
I raised my hand and struck her again and again. I didn't bother holding back my strength. With my slender arms, there was no need to.
"Ugh... Mmph...!"
Rika's groans sounded a bit strange, muffled as if she were gagged. When I glanced down at her face, I saw that she had stuffed a corner of the bedsheet into her mouth to stifle her cries.
"Honestly... what an impatient dog..."
Before I knew it, a twisted smile had carved itself onto my lips. I gently caressed her reddening flesh, only to deliver another sudden, stinging blow.
