The Loosened Sash
"Um, i-if that is what you wish... I-I understand. Then we shall proceed as you have commanded..."
An awkward, flustered atmosphere spread among the maids. It was only natural; the clothes Carmel preferred were already quite revealing by design. They were borderline scandalous even with undergarments, so wearing them directly over her bare skin would make her look utterly spectacular. Still, the maids didn't dare utter another word. No matter how bizarre the order, they likely feared that questioning it further would trigger one of her hysterical outbursts. Only Carmel herself stood there, trembling with humiliation, glaring at me with eyes full of resentment.
What a rebellious look. It seemed she had already forgotten the humiliation I had subjected her to this afternoon, and her defiance was beginning to flare up once more. I smiled and spoke up.
"Ah, I believe I've heard of that before, Mother. I recall there is a certain health regimen practiced by the northern tribes that involves doing exactly that. Isn't that right, Mother?"
Sparks practically flew from Carmel's eyes. But she gritted her teeth and spat out a brief reply.
"...Yes."
It sounded almost like a growl.
Of course, my chiming in didn't have much of an effect. The maids weren't fools; there was no way they would actually buy such an excuse. But at least it provided a pretext. Still, it was a bizarre situation—refusing to wear undergarments while sharing a room with someone else. To prevent strange rumors from spreading among the servants, some sort of minimal justification was necessary. That must have been why Carmel agreed with my words. However, her northern heritage was a sore spot for her. Having it brought up in such a humiliating manner must have infuriated her. Seeing her try so hard to keep my conditions was actually quite endearing. Though, of course, she had no other choice if she wanted to avoid ruin.
The maids soon finished dressing Carmel, leaving her completely bare underneath. She wore a silk gown, its sash tied as tightly as possible around her waist to prevent it from coming undone. Even so, there was no hiding the prominent contours of her body. Wrapped in nothing but a single layer of thin fabric, Carmel's body felt far more erotic than usual. Well, in terms of actual surface area covered, it might not have been that different. But psychologically, the difference between wearing underwear and not was like night and day. She was now only a single layer of cloth away from complete nudity. Moreover, the garment was full of vulnerabilities. With a dress like that, an unfortunate exposure accident could easily happen at any moment during daily life.
Following Carmel's instructions, the maids bowed politely and left the room. Only the two of us remained.
"You look wonderful, Mother. It is exactly as I imagined. Why don't you maintain this policy even after I depart?"
"...Hmph..."
Grimacing in displeasure, Carmel walked toward the sofa with strides that were bolder than usual. Her posture as she sat down was far from the demureness one would expect from someone wearing no underwear. It was a deliberate movement, as if she wanted to show me that this kind of petty harassment had absolutely no effect on her. How cute. Doesn't she realize that acting like that is nothing but a feast for my eyes? As I admired her with a natural smile on my face, Carmel spoke up.
"With this... you will keep your promise, right?"
A clear, reddish-brown liquid filled the crystal glass on the table in front of the sofa. I wondered if she had always swallowed such bitter cups late at night whenever I got the better of her. Well, perhaps she was simply in the mood for a drink.
"Of course. I will never mention that box or its contents to anyone else. I will absolutely honor our transaction, Mother."
As I spoke, my gaze drifted precisely toward the box in question. Carmel, pretending to drink, followed my eyes. Downing the glass of brandy in a single gulp, she looked straight at me and said,
"Let me ask you one thing, Sera. How did you... realize what was inside... No, how did you know there was something strange about that box?"
Perhaps because of the alcohol, she was asking much more directly than usual. It seemed she had already completely ruled out the possibility that I had stumbled upon the box by mere chance. Of course, I was under no obligation to answer. I could easily brush it off with a vague excuse, just as I had done before. However, it wasn't a bad thing that Carmel had brought up this topic herself. Since this deal made it difficult to find out the contents of the box and how to unlock it directly, deducing it from whatever information I could extract from Carmel was my best option.
"It certainly wasn't a coincidence. But if you truly wish to hear the answer, I must ask you a question in return, Mother. What on earth is inside that box?"
An offer to exchange information. I was being quite generous here, considering I was openly admitting that I didn't actually know what was inside the box. But instead of answering immediately, Carmel refilled her empty glass. Staring at the rippling, reddish-brown liquid rather than at me, she said,
"I cannot tell you that."
Hmm... Had I miscalculated? In this room, the only thing I could rely on was my own capability. I had thought she would surely accept. Well, if the contents of the box were so monumental that they could lead not just to the loss of her status as Queen but to her immediate execution, then her refusal made sense. Though I had no idea what kind of object could carry such weight. While I was lost in thought, Carmel continued to swallow the brandy, albeit at a slower pace than before. After finishing another glass, and then one more, she stood up. With the alcohol beginning to take effect, the nighttime Carmel looked even more voluptuous than she did during the day.
"—But I am willing to make a deal."
"A deal...?"
"If you answer my question just now... I will untie this sash."
"...Carmel...?"
For a moment, I doubted my own ears. A gown is, by nature, open in the front. The sash is the only thing holding it closed. Offering to untie it meant... she was willing to expose all of her private parts right in front of me. And of her own volition, no less. This was a first. Of course, Carmel had offered deals before, like during the incident with Rika. But those had been closer to threats or coercion born of circumstances. This was the very first time she had voluntarily proposed a transaction like this. Having been humiliated by me several times already, had her psychological resistance crumbled to the point where she would make such a request herself? As if exposing her naked body was no longer a big deal?
While I stood dazed by this unexpected turn of events, Carmel brushed her hair back and asked,
"Do you dislike it?"
"Ah, no, wait a moment. Let me think..."
Carmel let out the shallow, rapid breaths typical of someone who was intoxicated. Bathed in alcohol and moonlight, she was beautiful enough to make something deep within me boil. As she moved, her gown naturally parted at the chest, offering a teasing glimpse of her lush breasts. One of her long legs slipped through the opening of the gown, fully revealing its smooth, flawless shape. No, no, pull yourself together. Of course, I wanted to see Carmel naked more than anything. My sole pleasure in life was kneading that erotic body of hers with my eyes and hands. But the initiative must always remain with me. It was like training a dog. Giving a treat when the owner commands "sit" is entirely different from the dog sitting on its own to demand a treat. Therefore, I had to reject Carmel's proposal. Even if my heart bled to do so.
"Regrettably, I must decline that deal, Mother."
"Are you sure? You'll regret it..."
Her voice was so sultry it felt as if a heart symbol were attached to the end of her words. Was this what Carmel was like when she put her heart into seduction? It felt as though a seductive magic flowed through her voice. Her free hand drifted toward her sash. A confident smile played on her lips, as if she knew the exact worth of her beauty. And just as she began to toy with the sash, testing my patience, her expression suddenly froze.
"...Ah...?"
"Mother?"
Like someone waking up in the middle of a dream, Carmel stared blankly down at her disheveled body and the glass in her hand. Then, her face rapidly twisted into sheer horror.
"W-Wait... What did I... What on earth was I doing...! S-Sera, you...!"
Why did I...? Carmel glared at me, her face flushed with intense fury. She threw the glass in her hand across the room, shattering it against the wall.
"What did you put in my drink...? Or is it magic...? No, that can't be... What did you do to me? Answer me, Sera!"
"Um, Mother? I think there has been a slight misunderstanding..."
I could guess what she was misunderstanding. She probably thought I had manipulated her using mind control or hypnosis. Carmel frantically felt around her own body, as if checking to see if any other anomalies had occurred. The sight was incredibly erotic, but I simply watched her in silence.
"Magic that directly invades the mind... Unless one possesses a grimoire, such a thing is... i-impossible, it should be impossible..."
"Mother, please calm down and listen to me. If I possessed such a grand power, wouldn't I have used it in a much more direct manner than what just happened?"
I spoke in the calmest voice possible. Carmel pulled the front of her gown tightly together to cover herself, listening to me without letting down her suspicious glare.
"That is... true, but..."
Fortunately, she seemed to be gradually regaining her composure. Catching her ragged breath, Carmel asked me cautiously,
"Did you... did you really do nothing? To my body... to my mind..."
"Yes. I swear upon the Goddess, I did absolutely nothing."
"T-Then, just now..."
"Perhaps you simply drank too much, too quickly? You did gulp down three glasses in rapid succession, after all."
".........."
A long silence ensued. It was a truth Carmel couldn't deny. If I had truly done nothing, then no matter how much she blamed the alcohol, it meant she had seduced me entirely of her own accord. After sitting in silence on the sofa for a long time, Carmel finally managed to squeeze out some words.
"...Forget it."
"Pardon?"
"What I just said... what I did... forget all of it. Act as if it never happened..."
As if that would make it disappear, I thought, but perhaps this was the only way she could cope with her own behavior. I considered using her request to forget as an excuse to tease her further, but seeing her already writhing in self-loathing, I figured the timing wasn't right. Well, there would be plenty of opportunities in the future. I offered her a sweet smile.
"Of course, Mother. I will absolutely take to my grave the fact that you tried to untie your sash with such a sultry look in your eyes right in front of me."
"Ugh...!"
Carmel glared at me, her teeth grinding. I merely responded with an angelic smile.
Knock, knock.
A cautious knock sounded, mindful of the late hour. It was a maid who had heard the sound of shattering glass. Upon receiving permission to enter, the maid looked startled to see the glass shards scattered on the floor and Carmel's ferocious glare.
"Clean it up."
"Yes! Ah, yes, right away!"
While the maid hurriedly swept up the glass fragments, Carmel and I continued to stare at each other. Our minds, no doubt, filled with entirely opposite emotions.