“Alright then, let’s have a chat.”
In the VIP room behind the extravagant banquet hall. In this tense atmosphere, Mardian’s red eyes were looking down at me.
“When did the Saint charm you again?”
Her gaze, showing a different demeanor than usual, didn’t seem particularly pleasing.
I couldn’t tell what she was thinking, but it looked like she was misunderstanding something.
“Why do you keep charming people I can’t handle?”
“It’s not like that, Mardian… I’m struggling too…”
“Struggling, you say?”
Mardian raised an eyebrow in confusion, gazing at me intently.
Lilian Eldoria.
Her actions nearly crumbled my social status in an instant.
If her question had a single added modifier, my hidden secret could have been ruthlessly exposed in front of numerous Young Ladies.
Just the thought sent a shiver down my spine, and cold sweat trickled down my neck.
How glad was I to see Mardian?
It was a brief moment, but she felt like a savior.
At least I knew that Mardian, Lilian’s arch-enemy, would never stand on her side.
“…Mardian.”
I buried my face in Mardian’s chest and gently nudged against her.
For a moment, her surprise at my sudden action faded, and her strong hands were placed on my waist.
“Tina… Why do you keep testing my patience?”
“I’m having a hard time because of that Saint…”
“…What exactly is so hard?”
“I don’t really know. But it feels like she’s constantly being mean to me… grabbing my hand painfully, throwing weird questions at me, and sometimes even saying harsh things…”
“…The Saint is being cruel to you?”
“Yes, and it makes me so anxious…”
Typically, I would have rejected Mardian’s touch, but this time I didn’t avoid it. Instead, I leaned into her more and gently placed my hand over hers.
“If the Saint weren’t around… I would like to spend more intimate time with you, Mardian…”
I looked up at Mardian with longing eyes. I could feel her body shivering slightly at my earnest gaze.
“…If our Tina is that troubled, should I just poison her? Would that help?”
Mardian made a playful joke, but I seriously considered her words.
Poison.
If it had been any other moment, it would have sounded chilling, but now it felt rather appealing.
If Mardian were to remove Lilian, I wouldn’t have to suffer like this anymore.
In fact, in the game’s conclusion, Mardian’s fate was always poison.
If she succeeded in poisoning Lilian, it would lead directly to a bad ending. If she failed, it would progress to Mardian being executed.
‘Not a bad idea.’
Initially hesitant, I now felt certain.
Lilian was trying to take revenge on me.
I couldn’t understand how the usually gentle Lilian, who never spoke of revenge in any route, could show such deep malice only towards me.
What did I do so wrong?
But the clear fact was that if I left things as they were, my hard-earned position in high society could crumble.
It absolutely couldn’t happen.
If that’s the case, then perhaps I should act a bit more boldly and eliminate her.
I gently grabbed Mardian’s hand and led it not anywhere else but to my backside.
Then, using a slight force, I whispered softly as I made her hand squeeze my rear.
“Tina, you…”
“Poison… I don’t know… But if you were willing to do that for me, I might just fall head over heels for you, Mardian.”
“What?”
I felt Mardian’s gaze deepen, and I smiled inwardly.
Slowly, I guided her hand beneath the hem of my skirt. The feeling of her cold fingertips brushing against my skin made my body shudder.
Carefully, I set Mardian’s hand on my inner thigh and whispered softly.
“…I might fall so hard for you that I want to give you everything.”
“What… What did you just say?”
Mardian looked at me with wide eyes in confusion.
It was a rare sight to see her usually seductive and composed face so flustered.
She must have been shocked by my words.
My statement was as good as a clear declaration of animosity towards the Saint.
I knew that my actions were not like me, but I couldn’t think of any other way to handle Lilian.
After all, Mardian would surely remain with me even if she discovered my dark secrets.
Her obsession with me wasn’t based on my innocent, harmless facade.
It was because of my beautifully refined appearance, which evoked her lowly and perverted desires.
Thus, even if she came to know my ugly nature, Mardian would still lust after my body.
In a perverted way.
“Tina, do you know what you’re saying?”
A dry gulp passed down Mardian’s throat.
I carefully moved her fingertips, sweeping along my inner thigh. Her cool yet warm touch made my body tremble delicately.
“Mardian, don’t you think I know everything?”
While Mardian looked at me with quivering eyes, I leaned in close to her ear and exhaled warm breaths.
“How could I not fall for someone who risks everything for me? Ever since I was a child, I’ve wanted to dedicate my life to someone heroic like you.”
At my whisper, Mardian’s gaze deepened.
She still seemed hesitant, but her eyes were mixed with undeniable longing. Before I knew it, she was pressing her hand more firmly on my thigh, feeling my flesh.
“…Tina, but the Saint has power equal to that of royalty. Trying to harm her is no different from attempting to assassinate nobility.”
“That’s exactly why I might fall for you even more.”
I casually grabbed her other hand and pulled it towards my lips.
I left a brief kiss on Mardian’s index finger, then carefully pushed it into my mouth.
“Hmph— Ugh—…”
Slowly, I moved my tongue around Mardian’s finger, coating it in my saliva.
With each time I wrapped my tongue around Mardian’s finger and served her with care, her reason gradually faded, as reflected in her eyes.
‘…Not quite yet.’
However, I could still see the hint of hesitation in Mardian’s eyes.
Swallowing a sigh internally, I pulled her hands toward my neck, then slowly guided her palm to wrap around it.
“…If it comes to that, I might just want to serve you for life, Mardian.”
“Serve?”
“Yes, any kind of service, you can unleash all your desires upon me.”
“…Any… desire?”
“Yes, any of them, it’s all okay.”
Finally, I pressed my lips against her ear and whispered softly.
“At that point, I won’t even need any drugs.”
As soon as those words left my lips, I could see the last shred of rationality vanish from Mardian’s eyes.
Her grip around my neck tightened.
“So—Gah?!”
For a moment, my breath caught in my throat, and a groan escaped my lips.
With Mardian’s hands tightening around my neck, a deep pain spread from my chest.
“This bitch… trying to test my patience?!”
“Ugh… Ha, huff—!”
“Do you have any idea how much I’ve been holding back?!”
Every time her fingers pressed against my throat, nausea surged, making me want to retch.
“Ugh… Uck…”
As I couldn’t breathe, my heart began to race, and my entire body shook as if in resistance.
With burning eyes, Mardian kept squeezing my throat, and for a moment, she bit her lip and bowed her head low.
Then she slowly released her grip, letting go of my neck.
“Hah…! Ugh, what a mess…”
“…Alright. So you want me to make sure that the Saint never appears before you again?”
Mardian took a deep breath and roughly brushed her tousled hair aside.
“Tina, I don’t know why you hate the Saint so much, but… that reason is no longer important.”
She firmly lifted my chin with her hand and looked down at me with her bright red eyes.
“You better keep that promise you made…”
With a voice like a beast ready to pounce, Mardian strode out of the room.
The VIP room of the banquet quickly fell into silence, as if swept away by a storm.
I gently caressed the marks left on my neck with my fingertips.
“…Looks like it’s bruised.”
With a mild stinging pain, I frowned and hung my head.
Lilian, our relationship might not be the best, but this time I’m sincerely asking you.
Please die beautifully at Mardian’s hands.
After all, you’ll still go to heaven even if you die.
I have no choice but to go to hell.
So, out of pity for me, I hope you step back from the spotlight just this once.
You’re a good person, so please, will you grant my request?
