The Price of Mercy
In the end, it seemed Carmel had given up on resisting. The way she meekly lowered her hands made her look like a prey animal that had accepted its fate after being caught. I slowly moved my hand and rested it on the soft fabric of Carmel's clothes. It seemed even Carmel's dark magic couldn't transform her underwear into something plain. The luxuriously designed panties did not suit the status of a low-ranking maid at all. But thanks to that, they felt wonderful to the touch. After all, it was top-tier lingerie fit for a queen. Even the sensation of stroking over the fabric was delightful. Groping over her underwear like that, I found Carmel's cleft. Then, I lightly parted it with my finger.
"Ugh, ah..."
Carmel, flinching with her fists tightly clenched, was quite adorable. Was she pretending to be an innocent, plain maid who knew nothing? Or was this Carmel's genuine reaction, stripped of all her bravado? I whispered into her ear.
"What is the matter, Sophia? Your breathing has grown quite rough. Surely you haven't hidden something here, have you?"
"N-no, Your Highness... absolutely not..."
It was an excellent performance, but there was a single flaw. Those eyes. While her aggrieved expression was near-perfect, the gaze in Carmel's eyes betrayed an unmistakable, hidden hostility. Relishing that insolent glare, I placed two fingers against Carmel's cleft and began to move them slowly.
"P-Princess... ah..."
Through the soft fabric, I could feel something even softer. Warm and wet to the touch, Carmel's pussy still felt exquisite. Of course, compared to thrusting into her bare flesh to my heart's content like last time, it lacked that soaring, electric thrill. However, the sheer excitement of this situation was immense.
Carmel could not reveal her true identity. Even in the face of this absurd violation, she had no choice but to comply. It was impossible for her to put on airs or protect her pride. She had to endure it all as the helpless Sophia. Furthermore, Carmel didn't know that I was seeing right through her. She was treating me with the face and attitude of Sophia, looking as if she were on the verge of tears—a sight the real Carmel would never have shown. This complex situation brought me a dark, burning ecstasy.
In a way, it was close to the pleasure of voyeurism—the thrill of looking at Carmel, stripped bare and exposed while hidden inside Sophia. Moreover, all of this was happening right in front of men. The three men before us were all knights serving the royal family. Knowing Carmel's personality, she undoubtedly looked down on even the knights tasked with her protection. To have her breasts exposed and to be toyed with in a state no different from nudity before such men—Carmel's feelings must have been utterly shredded by humiliation.
Of course, because Carmel had used Shimasa's Spell, they currently perceived her as Sophia. But that fact wouldn't completely shield her from the shame. As proof, Carmel's clenched fists trembled violently, and her tightly gritted teeth made her cheeks bulge. This was fun. Truly delightful. What could be more enjoyable than teasing and playing with this proud, peerless villainess? Even as I relished this moment, I found myself anticipating what would happen next, and the moment after that.
My fingers sank into her soft flesh. Before I knew it, I had pressed my body against Carmel's back in a posture that resembled a back hug. The warmth of Carmel, clad only in her underwear, transferred to my entire body. Carmel didn't dare commit the insolence of pulling away. She simply accepted the teasing with her back, her buttocks, and her pussy, exactly as I wished. Reacting sensitively to the movements of my fingers, Carmel lightly twitched her body—a sight so captivating that even the three knights stared, utterly spellbound.
Wait, the three knights? Filgret was already looking this way, clearing his throat. Had he finished inspecting the maid uniform she had been wearing?
"A-Ahem."
"Did you find something, Sir Filgret?"
"Yes, I did. It appears to be a white powder. As expected of the Princess."
Filgret unfolded a piece of paper, revealing the white powder wrapped inside. His eyes shone with deep admiration for my discernment in exposing Sophia, who had smuggled such a thing in. Was it Carmel's plan to slip that into the guards' food or drinks? Whatever the powder's ingredients, it was surely meant to cause physical distress. However, upon seeing it, Carmel's eyes widened to the size of saucers.
"P-Powder? I really don't know! N-No, I... I truly don't know anything about that! I swear!"
If this was an act, it was incredible. Carmel's eyes were wide and trembling wildly. She looked as if she truly knew absolutely nothing about it.
"Filgret, where did that come from?"
"From a hidden pocket inside the chest area."
"I-Inside the chest...? In such a place..."
Her reaction suggested she hadn't even imagined such a thing would be hidden there. It was starting to look genuine. Had she really stolen the real Sophia's maid uniform? Well, that would be a much simpler method than going through the trouble of making an identical replica. In that case, the white powder might actually belong to the real Sophia.
"What was her intention in trying to smuggle this in... This is a serious matter, Princess. For the time being, the Knight Order will take custody of her until the Festival of the Sword is over."
Filgret said as he wrapped the white powder back in the paper. His eyes were dead serious. But that was a bit problematic. If they thoroughly interrogated Carmel disguised as Sophia, it would only be a matter of time before her identity was exposed. Then, things would spiral out of control. That was not the outcome I wanted. I leaned in and whispered secretly into Carmel's ear.
"Just say it's stomach medicine, Sophia. I'll make sure we can let this slide at a reasonable level."
A lifeline thrown to her in the midst of her trembling anxiety. Hearing my words, Carmel nodded with her eyes.
"T-That's just stomach medicine."
"Stomach medicine hidden away so tightly? Is that the best excuse you could come up with, you wench?"
At Filgret's words, sparks momentarily flared in Carmel's eyes. However, she did not voice any protest. I spoke up to back her.
"Filgret, I believe it really is just ordinary stomach medicine. The medicine I was prescribed by Reynard last time looked exactly like that."
"Exactly like that? But even so..."
"Filgret."
I stared into his eyes with a gentle smile. Filgret immediately lowered his gaze and replied.
"Understood, Princess."
Quick-witted as always. Maintaining my smile, I turned my gaze back to Carmel. She seemed relieved, having already forgotten that she was being toyed with just moments ago. Of course, this didn't mean Carmel would be genuinely grateful. If someone showed her mercy, Carmel's first thought would be how to exploit it. Just as she had done to Princess Sera in the original novel. Therefore, I had no intention of showing Carmel actual mercy.
"I am glad the misunderstanding has been cleared up, Sophia. However, even if it was a misunderstanding, it was your fault for raising suspicion in the first place. You must receive a small punishment."
"Y-Yes...?"
Her eyes seemed to protest, asking if the things I had just done weren't already punishment enough. Yet, she didn't actually dare to argue. It was only natural. The power dynamic in this room was crystal clear. The only reason Carmel, captured as Sophia, could avoid having her identity exposed was because I had backed up her absurd claim. Conversely, it meant that with a single flip of my hand, I could corner her. Carmel, too, must have understood this situation perfectly. Thus, she could never defy me now. No matter how embarrassing or humiliating a punishment I declared.
"There is no need to be so frightened, Sophia. As a reminder to watch your behavior, let us settle this with a light spanking."
"Eh... A-A spanking...?"
Ah, what a priceless, blank expression...! Carmel, who usually seemed so impenetrable that not even a needle could pierce her, momentarily wore a completely dazed look—perhaps because she was in Sophia's form, or perhaps because she had heard something so utterly unexpected. Of course, even that face was highly to my liking.
"Yes. Now, come over here."
I moved to a chair, brought my knees together, and patted them. I wore a light smile, as if it were no big deal. Well, in truth, physical discipline was not considered a major issue here. Since social hierarchy was absolute, it was treated as a natural right of a superior. Thus, Carmel's frequent whipping of Sinia was nothing extraordinary in the eyes of others. Of course, doing so out of mere whim without any wrongdoing was crossing the line.
"What is the matter, Sophia? If you just stand there, the number of hits will only increase."
But that was only the case when royalty disciplined a maid. Though she wore the guise of a maid, Carmel was ultimately royalty equal to me. No, nominally, we weren't even equal. Carmel was my stepmother, the Queen of this country. If anything, she was my superior. I could understand why she hesitated, and why her face flushed with humiliation. A grown adult, the Queen of the kingdom, exposing her buttocks to be spanked by her most hated rival. Perhaps it was even more humiliating than being sexually violated. But that was exactly what I wanted.
"What are you doing, you wench