65. Pruning (2)
65. Pruning (2)
"You, you're the imperial princess?"
At Hera's question, I hesitated slightly before nodding.
I had actually been the prince, but well, even if I wanted to go back now, it wasn't possible anymore.
The 2nd Prince would remain missing forever while a princess suddenly appeared out of nowhere, but they'd figure something out.
So when I vaguely nodded as if confirming I was indeed the princess-
Tsk, she must have some filthy pride.
-Hera's muttered words reached my ears.
Even though the person in question was listening right in front of her, she just spat out what she wanted to say as if it didn't matter.
"Since the master has permitted punishment, I suppose we'll manage somehow."
Hera approached while skillfully swinging a slender discipline cane through the air.
"Now, shall we try repeating after me first?"
####
To get straight to the point,
-Smack!
"Kya?!"
"Don't stammer! Can't even do something that simple, princess?!"
Within less than five minutes, I was being punished.
The maid uniform seemed to be full of Bloodius's tastes - the neckline plunged deep enough to show my nipples at any moment, and the skirt was so short that my thighs were almost visible.
Thanks to that, I was getting hit with the discipline cane on my inner thighs in real time.
The fact that a full-grown adult was being punished with a cane brought considerable shame along with it.
But the most humiliating part was that the reason for my punishment was being forced to say only what sounded good to Bloodius.
"Now, again! Master, please cum inside me."
".....Master, ah, inside...euk."
As I hesitated again at words I couldn't possibly utter with a clear mind,
-Swish, smack!
"Hya?!"
Hera swung the cane from behind.
If I hesitated and didn't answer properly, Hera would swing the cane and punish me.
But realistically, having spoken informally my whole life, I couldn't switch to formal speech overnight, and the vulgar, lewd words expected of a 'female' were even more impossible to utter.
Thus, the battle of nerves between me and Hera continued.
-Knock knock knock.
Until just before someone knocked on the punishment room door.
####
"Hera, it's time for the master's meal."
".....Ah."
When another maid spoke, Hera shrank back as if struck with dismay before answering.
".....Understood, I'll be there shortly."
Hera returned all the tools to their places, gave me a quick once-over, then began heading out.
I could have asked what she expected me to do, but that single glance contained mixed emotions.
And one of them seemed to be telling me to follow.
So I quietly rubbed my red, burning thighs and followed behind Hera.
".....Sigh."
Hera, standing before the door, let out a worried sigh.
-Knock knock.
".....Master, it's Hera."
As Hera knocked and announced herself, Bloodius's voice came from inside saying 'Come in.'
At that moment, Hera opened the door and bowed deeply.
".....I apologize, Master. I failed to properly educate her."
Hera confessed her failure to educate me and begged for Bloodius's mercy, but-
"Hmm. Well, I had a rough idea."
Bloodius gestured for Hera to come closer.
As Hera approached,
"Still, it's quite disappointing, Hera."
".....Ah."
"It seems you won't avoid punishment after all."
"Ah, no, Master... Please, just once, give me one more chance.....!"
What kind of punishment could make Hera so wretched?
I saw Hera kneeling with her head pressed to the floor.
But Bloodius gave the command without the slightest hesitation.
"Irene. Insert it."
"Understood, Master."
Then Irene, who stood about 170cm tall and had the most mature appearance among the women, approached Hera.
"Ah, aah! No, Irene! Not that...!"
At that moment,
Click.
With a sound, something sinister was inserted into Hera's lower body.
I didn't know exactly what it was, but I'd heard of it during history studies.
'.........A chastity belt?'
Though it was my first time seeing one in person.
"Now, come here, hoho."
Irene grabbed Hera's head and forcibly pulled her in for a kiss-
Huh?
'...K-kiss?'
Between women...?
"Uwek, n-nooo!"
"Hup, chup, swallow it hasoseo. It's the master's command?"
Apparently it wasn't just a simple kiss.
When Irene invoked the master's name, Hera shuddered and reluctantly swallowed whatever was passed through the kiss.
It wasn't like it was some poison that would kill her if swallowed, so why force it when she clearly didn't want it?
As I wondered if Bloodius truly loved these women-
-Whoosh.
Gasp.
Irene's cold gaze pierced through me.
As if she could see right through what I was thinking-
"Hoho."
Irene's gaze was more predatory than I expected.
####
A short while earlier.
When Hera took Jaina and headed to the punishment room.
Bloodius had a small concern.
"Hmm."
"Master! What troubles you?!"
Raysha smiled brightly and clung to him.
She looked like such a cute puppy that just watching her was pleasant.
Of course, the massive twin mounds visible beneath her clothing were anything but puppy-like.
"I was thinking about that woman from earlier."
"Heeing."
Raysha made a displeased sound at the fact that her master's mind contained another woman instead of her.
"Master, do you think that woman will follow Hera's 'education' well?"
When Irene spoke from beside him, all eight maids looked at her.
Their gazes were all questioning.
An innocent wonder if perhaps their master had made the wrong choice.
"Hmm, of course she won't break that easily."
Think about it honestly.
The status of princess means everyone except gods and family exists beneath you.
Naturally, she'd be arrogant and strong-willed.
Moreover, the scope I permitted Hera was merely the discipline cane in the punishment room.
To truly break that princess, she'd need to be confined in the torture chamber in the basement for at least a week.
Of course, it wasn't actual torture but a sex torture chamber filled with Bloodius's tastes.
Anyway, putting that aside, Hera isn't the right person to educate someone.
To give a small hint - Hera is the main user of that sex torture chamber.
Her use of informal speech among the maids and her somewhat prickly personality were both ambiguous manifestations of Hera's true nature that actually wanted to be dominated.
"So, you knew Hera would 'fail,' Master?"
"Indeed."
I never intended to have the maids educate the princess from the beginning.
Handing over the pleasure of breaking and submission training that haughty woman with her sky-high status to someone else?
That would be completely insane.
"Sorry to Hera, but everyone keep quiet about this fact."
"Yes."
And a few minutes before Hera returned.
"Hmm, good. I've decided."
Bloodius spoke, having endured the maids' service while thinking for quite some time, unlike his usual self.
"First, we break that bitch thoroughly. Irene, I'll need your help."
When Bloodius explained the plan to everyone including Irene, Irene smiled brightly.
"Good, I don't mind beautiful women either. But isn't it a bit arrogant that she's not subservient to you like we are, Master?"
As Irene, who always assisted closely by Bloodius's side, began to ponder if there was any method-
-Slap!
"".....?!!""
A loud sound suddenly came from Irene's cheek.
"I won't allow any actions deviating from the plan for this matter, Irene. That bitch is destined to become the Demon King's concubine. If even a trace remains and the Demon King becomes angry, from that moment I cannot exist in this world. Are you trying to kill me, Irene?"
At those words, the eyes of all the maids including Irene widened.
But among them, Irene wore the most shocked expression.
Not because her master had slapped her cheek.
Whether cheek or breast, being hit by the master was no shock at all.
It was just that the fact that her selfish desire had nearly endangered her master's life struck her with indescribable shock.
".....I apologize, Master. It seems I'm still a stupid bitch who becomes utterly foolish without you."
"As long as you understand. Instead, carry out the plan diligently."
Bloodius then handed Irene a certain pill.
A medicine well-known to the other maids.
Its identity was none other than an aphrodisiac.
On days when they took it and had sex with the master, it created such ecstatic experiences that they'd lose consciousness at least five times.
Of course, there were no side effects.
Since their master, being a True Ancestor vampire, would discharge the accumulated narcotic components from their bodies simply by drinking their blood as maids and servants.
And what Bloodius handed to Irene next was Hera's chastity belt.
"Ah."
Seeing this, even Raysha momentarily felt sympathy for Hera.
As someone who shared a bedroom with Hera, Raysha suspected she'd have sleepless nights for several days.
Though compared to Hera, it would be heaven.
"Master, it's almost meal time. Shall I prepare your food?"
A maid with an expressionless face who had been checking the time from behind spoke.
Indeed, it was about time to feel hungry.
"Prepare it."
"Understood. Will twelve plates including the new person's portion suffice?"
"No, prepare only ours as usual."
Of course, he wasn't planning to starve the princess to death.
Perhaps because she was also a woman after all?
As the maids privately worried about the child that might be in the princess's womb, Bloodius chuckled softly at her question.
"Our lustful princess apparently eats something other than food."
"?"
Bloodius had heard much from Lilith, who had personally modified her body.