A Bitch's Test
Smack! Smack! Smack!
The more I strike her, the more a tickling sensation creeps deep into my lower abdomen. It is a sensation I haven't felt in a long time. Rika, too, writhes her hips with joy at every blow.
"Mmph... Ngh...! Hnghh...!"
Rika bites down hard on the bedsheet, desperately holding back her groans. Her slightly bared fangs truly make her look like a dog. Rika's body, much larger than mine, more than overflows my lap. To an outside observer, it might look quite mismatched. But that is precisely where the thrill lies.
The sheer arousal born from the situation—a large, powerful warrior receiving humiliating corporal punishment from someone small and fragile. Above all, with Rika's robust physique, my punishment couldn't possibly hurt that much. What Rika is enduring right now isn't pain, but pure pleasure.
I gently stroke the skin now marked with red handprints and speak.
"Don't think you were the only one holding back, Rika. Watching you beg so desperately with such a lewd face... do you have any idea how much patience I had to wring out of myself?"
"N-ngh..."
As I caress her buttocks, Rika arches her hips repeatedly. I don't know if it's because of my words or the sensation of her sensitized skin being so tenderly touched. But joy is already overflowing from her entire body. It seems as though every single spot I touch has turned into an erogenous zone. Or perhaps the mere fact that she is doing this with me is what brings her such bliss.
I suddenly raise my hand and strike Rika's buttocks once more.
"And yet, completely blind to my feelings...! You couldn't even endure a month or two, could you?!"
Blunt, harsh words—completely unlike the usual Princess Sera—pour out of my mouth. Perhaps it is because the frustration I've felt watching Rika lately has finally boiled over.
"Ngh, mmmph... Ah-hngh...!"
As if biting the sheet isn't enough, she grips it tightly with both hands planted on the bed. Pulled taut from three different directions, the fabric looks ready to tear at any moment. Beneath her buttocks, still burning hot from the spanking, something trickles down. It is proof of the intense pleasure Rika is feeling.
I steady my ragged breathing and command.
"Stand up, Rika."
Rika immediately rises from my lap and stands at attention. She stands perfectly still, making no attempt to cover her nakedness, her lips pressed firmly together. Yet, her posture is already far from disciplined. Her unfocused eyes, the deep flush spreading across her face, her shallow breaths, and above all, the wet trail trickling down her thigh reveal her true state.
"What is this? Don't tell me that while being disciplined by me... you were vulgarly soaking your pussy?"
"...Y-yes..."
It is a brief reply, but it hums with lewd anticipation. She is aroused by having her wetness pointed out, and on top of that, she must be hoping that I will do something to her down there.
I trace the source of the trickle with my eyes and speak.
"Your patience down there has degraded quite a bit since I last saw you, Rika. Very well. Tell me honestly, exactly what do you want me to do to your pussy?"
Rika shivers, finding intense pleasure in the mere act of uttering such embarrassing words.
"I... I wanted my... ah... my pussy to be... thrust into, deep inside the hole, with your fingers or some other object... stretched wide... so that Your Highness could punish me however you pleased... I... hngh... I thought of that..."
Even as she speaks, the flow of fluids from her pussy grows heavier and more frequent. Her face has completely transformed into that of a bitch in heat. Looking at her, I speak indifferently.
"Is that so? I understand. Put your clothes back on."
"What...? Ah, y-yes, Your Highness..."
Rika looks as if a lavish feast has just been snatched away from right under her nose. And understandably so. To do absolutely nothing when she is this aroused must feel like pure torture. Yet, without a single word of protest, Rika begins to put on the clothes she had discarded on the floor. Perhaps because the fabric brushing against her skin is agonizingly sensitive, she moves far slower than when she undressed.
"I... I am dressed..."
"Good. This is a test I am giving you. Until the next time I visit, you are forbidden from touching yourself. You won't disappoint me this time, will you?"
"Yes, absolutely... ngh... I will endure and wait only for you, Your Highness... No matter what happens, I will never..."
I will wait only for you forever. I've heard these words before. But the feeling behind them is entirely different now. Because her body is so hot with desire, the immediate urgency is greater now. However, the desperation in her eyes and voice has lessened significantly. Well, that is only natural.
On the surface, it looks like I am treating Rika harshly, but the reality is quite the opposite. Making Rika show her naked body, spanking her, tormenting her with shameful words... all of it is the result of me indulging her whims. I have already called Rika my dog just moments ago. That alone would be enough to make Rika endure any kind of waiting. After all, waiting with no end in sight and waiting with a guaranteed conclusion are two entirely different things, even if they are both called "waiting."
I have bought some time. Time for Rika's mind to return to its original state. But having tasted the pleasure of being a submissive bitch again, there is also a chance that the suggestion of the Hypnotic Incense has dug even deeper. In that sense, it was by no means an easy decision.
The gaze of the fully dressed Rika is even more passionate than before. Standing before her, I feel the weight of guilt in my heart grow a little heavier.
"The next time I come, I will truly test your heart. If your feelings remain unchanged even then... we will finish what we couldn't do today."
Those words were meant for Rika, but they were also a way for me to bring closure to my own thoughts.
Leaving Rika to rest in her room, I step outside alone. My business here is finished. It is time to return to the royal palace.
The scene of the battle has already been mostly cleaned up. Though faint bloodstains still linger on the ground, a single rainfall will wash them away. In any case, aside from recovering the corpses and securing the surviving bandits, it is a straightforward incident to handle.
A crisis striking the monastery, and the heroic deeds of a mercenary who happened to be staying there. It is a story perfectly tailored to the tastes of bards. It is best for this incident to be wrapped up in that manner. If it draws unnecessary attention, there is a chance it might catch Carmel's eye.
Until Rika can break free from the influence of the Hypnotic Incense and choose her own path of her own free will, I want to keep her existence hidden from Carmel. Well, there shouldn't be any major issues. Aside from the story being overly romanticized, there is no reason to doubt the Abbess's testimony. Although the bandits saw Rika, it was a dark night, and foreign mercenaries are not uncommon. Besides, they are men destined for execution soon anyway.
The knights who accompanied me are already preparing to withdraw. Intending to head back with them, I walk toward the monastery's main gate. As I do, it suddenly occurs to me that I haven't seen Rielia.
Strange. Even when I first arrived and met the Abbess, Rielia was nowhere to be seen among the surrounding people. Was the scene too gruesome for her to come out? As a Saintess who deals with curses, facing scenes of death shouldn't be an uncommon occurrence for her... Though, of course, a simple death is quite different from a bloodbath of scattered flesh.
News of my arrival must have spread quickly throughout the monastery. Even so, it is strange that she hasn't even come to greet me. Of course, I don't have any particular business with Rielia. It is just a shame to leave without even seeing her face.
With that lingering regret, I look around, only to lock eyes with Rielia, who is watching me from behind a pillar.
"Ah, Rielia! Wait... Hold on a moment!"
What is this? The moment Rielia sees me, she starts scurrying away. What kind of bizarre behavior is this now? The dress I am wearing is hardly suitable for running. I turn to the knight beside me and order.
"You there, chase after that fleeing person! That tiny thing in the priest's robes!"
"Yes, Your Highness! Hm? Wait, isn't that the Saintess?"
"Hurry!"
"Y-yes, Your Highness!"
The knight dashes off like a hunting hound, and the Saintess is dragged back like a caught rabbit. For some reason, the captured Rielia cannot bring herself to meet my eyes.
"A-ah, hello? Hehe..."
"You were avoiding me just now, weren't you? Since when did you start hating me so much, Rielia? To run away in such a hurry... honestly, my feelings are a bit hurt."
"H-hate you? No, it's not that at all... Um, I-I just suddenly remembered some urgent work... Yes, that's what it was! Aha, ahaha..."
Suspicious. Anyone could see she is hiding something. I speak to the knights waiting on horseback.
"...This won't do. The rest of you may withdraw first. I've just remembered something I need to discuss with the Saintess in private."
"Huh? Wh-with me...?"
She is flustered again. For some reason, it seems Rielia has found a reason to avoid me.
A room in the corner of the monastery. It is the very same room where Rielia had her little accident last time. Left completely alone with me, Rielia grows even more agitated.
"Now that there is no one else to hear, tell me, Rielia. Why did you run away? You're hiding something from me, aren't you?"
"H-hiding something...? I-I'm not?"
It seems words alone won't suffice. Leaning in close to Rielia, I reach my hand toward her cheek.
"I suppose you won't tell me easily. Will you speak if I pay a price like last time, Saintess?"
"Hiiiiieeeek...!"
Rielia recoils with a shudder that actually stings my pride a little. What is this? Has she had a massive change of heart toward me in the meantime? Whether she truly dislikes me now is something I can find out with a kiss. I gently pull Rielia's face toward mine.
At that, the Saintess cries out, her voice half-choked with tears.
"I-I know everything now! First you tempt me with sweet words, and then later, you're going to say mean things and spank my butt! Just like you did to Miss Rika! You're going to do those scary things to me too!"