A Deal for the Night
Carmel, who had been glaring at me as if she wanted to kill me, walked straight toward me. She stopped only when our faces were nearly touching. Just hearing her ragged breathing was enough to tell me how furious she was. Her head was probably spinning. I met her murderous glare with a relaxed gaze, a gentle smile playing on my lips.
Carmel suddenly whipped her right hand up. It was a passionate, emotionally charged gesture, but I didn't even flinch. Carmel froze in that raised position, her arm trembling violently. Would she actually strike me? I was confident she wouldn't.
"...Ugh..." With a look of sheer frustration, Carmel slowly lowered her arm. As expected, she can't do it. Her unresolved anger seemed to boil over, churning violently inside her mind. In a voice that barely managed to suppress it, she spoke.
"Sera, you... do you really have to see me like that? Me... apologizing to that old man...?"
"But of course. Nothing brings me more pleasure than watching you suffer humiliation and shame, Mother. Isn't it nice to have a little variety once in a while?"
Part of me did want to keep Carmel all to myself, without sharing her with anyone. However, to Moot and ordinary people, the sight of Carmel apologizing would merely look like a heartwarming scene of the Queen practicing the virtue of humility. Even if her voice trembled unnaturally, they would attribute it to guilt. I was the only one who would find pleasure—exquisite, ultimate ecstasy—in that spectacle. Therefore, this was well within my acceptable limits.
While I was lost in these thoughts, Carmel's breathing gradually returned to a relatively steady rhythm. Has her anger subsided already? No, knowing her personality, that was impossible. Carmel simply stood right in front of me, staring silently. She looked deeply troubled, as if lost in thought. What is she thinking so hard about? The choices I gave her were simple: apologize or don't. Only two options. There shouldn't be much room for hesitation. Yet, her expression was strange for someone merely trying to compose themselves. Could she possibly have a countermove up her sleeve?
Though I kept my face blank, my mind was racing. I quickly reviewed the trap I had set, searching for any mistakes or loopholes that might allow Carmel to turn the tables. But then, Carmel did something completely outside my expectations.
"...You told me... to get on my knees... didn't you...?" Carmel dropped to her knees. Before me. Why? I was bewildered. The situation made no sense. I had indeed mentioned kneeling, but that was only as an example of what she would have to do when apologizing to Moot. There was no way Carmel had misunderstood that. Then why...? What on earth did this mean?
"Mother...?"
"I would rather die... I absolutely cannot beg forgiveness from a man who serves the Goddess... Sera, if it's you... you can manipulate that old man however you want..."
A thrilling shiver ran down my spine. My entire body tingled, as if static electricity were dancing across my skin. From Carmel's words, I finally understood her psychological state. Apologizing to Moot while harboring such resentment was psychologically impossible for her. To Carmel, it was literally something she would rather die than do. Therefore, she needed an alternative. And the alternative she chose was me. In her own way, Carmel had made a rational decision. Since apologizing was out of the question, she had to find a way to escape the binary choice of apology or ruin. The path she chose was to rely on me.
"Mother..." The electrifying excitement wouldn't stop. Elation welled up inside my heart like an endless spring. However, I couldn't let her realize how ecstatic I was. If I did, I might ruin this precious situation. Forcing myself to control my voice, I spoke.
"That... might be difficult. Moot seemed incredibly angry. If it isn't an apology from you directly, I'm afraid..."
My lukewarm response provoked Carmel. "Liar...! You're Sera! You can do anything, by any means necessary! Manipulating a mere old man like him should be nothing to you...!"
It seemed the anger she had forced down earlier was bursting out again. I smiled gently and said, "My, how terrifying... But Mother, aren't you the one begging for a favor right now?"
"Ugh...!" Watching Carmel's expression shift in an instant was highly entertaining. Even now, she must be suppressing an immense amount of anger. After all, she had to beg the very person who had trapped her to pull her out. But knowing this was her only lifeline, she had cast aside both her pride and her rage.
"But this is strange. If you were going to kneel anyway... wouldn't it be better to apologize to Moot?"
"That's..." Carmel lowered her head, avoiding my gaze. But even so, I already knew exactly what she was thinking.
"Fufu... May I take this to mean that you would rather kneel to me than to anyone else?"
"..." Carmel remained silent, still refusing to meet my eyes. But I could read her agreement in that silence. My heart fluttered once more. If this were a situation where I could express my emotions freely, I probably would have let out a loud cheer. In other words, Carmel was okay with being humiliated, as long as it was by me. Granted, compared to the disgraceful displays she had shown me so far, merely kneeling was incredibly mild. But this time, Carmel had rejected the choices I laid out and instead chosen to be humiliated by me. In a scenario even I hadn't anticipated. The pleasure derived from that fact was truly immense. I had to consciously suppress the dark, wicked laughter bubbling up inside me. Forcing my voice to remain calm, I spoke.
"It seems our roles have reversed. Usually, I am the one proposing a deal... So, Mother, why don't you be the one to bring it up this time?"
Carmel's eyes trembled. She seemed to fully grasp the meaning behind my words. In a voice slightly different from her usual tone, she parted her trembling lips.
"I... I want to make a 'deal'... Sera..."
Between us, a "deal" meant exchanging Carmel's body for my terms. Right now, Carmel was kneeling before me, offering to sell her body, practically begging me to ravish her lewd flesh.
"Yes. You want me to persuade Moot, correct? In exchange, what can you offer me, Mother?"
Carmel fell silent for a moment. She either hadn't thought that far ahead, or she was agonizing over how much she needed to offer for me to accept. After a long hesitation, she finally managed to speak.
"F-for one night... you can do whatever you want with my body... Will that... do...?"
Ah... My heart felt like it was going to explode. Just being alive felt like a blessing. To hear such words directly from Carmel's own mouth...! I felt like I might climax right then and there. It felt as if something warm and sticky were crawling deep inside my lower abdomen. Struggling to calm my racing heart, I spoke.
"H-hm. Very well. I accept that 'deal.' Come to my room tonight. Of course, make sure no one sees you. Understood?"
"Yes..."
"It would be best if you wore something thin. Oh, and don't wear any underwear. It will be much more convenient for both of us."
"...I... understand..."
Just discussing these preparations was incredibly stimulating. Keeping the dark, wicked anticipation out of my voice was the hardest part.
"Now, please stand up, Mother. Such a pathetic appearance doesn't suit you at all."
I took Carmel's hand and pulled her up. Unlike me, who wore a vibrant, beaming smile, Carmel's face was a complicated mess of emotions.
"Then, have a peaceful night, Princess."
As the maid was about to leave, I made a request.
"Ah, wait a moment. I'd like to have a drink before bed. Could you bring me some wine and a glass? I'm sorry to ask this just as you're about to rest."
"Not at all, Your Highness. What kind of wine would you prefer?"
"I don't know much about alcohol, to be honest. Please ask the sommelier to choose something suitable for a nightcap."
"Yes, Your Highness. I will bring it right away."
The maid scurried out of the room. She would move quickly, knowing that the sooner she finished, the sooner she could go off duty.
"Phew..." I couldn't easily calm down. My original plan was to trick Carmel into wearing the Tentacle Patch, then watch her apologize while writhing in pleasure and resentment. I truly hadn't expected things to take this turn. Not that I was complaining, of course. It just felt like finding a winning lottery ticket on the street.
One night was a long time. I couldn't use the entire night since she had to be back in her room before anyone woke up, but for at least a few hours, Carmel would be entirely mine. Ah... if only the item I requested from Juliana were finished...! A pang of regret washed over me at the missed opportunity. But there was no use crying over what I didn't have. The important thing was to make good use of what was already in my possession. I stood up and walked toward the corner of the room where a chest was kept.