Chapter 147

“Hey… Maria, what’s up with your hands?”

I grabbed Maria’s hand to ask for help, but at that moment, I felt something unusual.

“Hmm?”

“What?”

“Here, knuckle part. There’s some white stuff on it? Is that concrete?”

It was a bit rough. The back or palm of her hand looked fine, but the part that would hit something when she clenched her fist was slightly more calloused than usual.

I’ve seen cases like this before, but not on Maria.

“Oh… this?”

Maria shyly covered her right hand with her left, pulling away from me. But her left hand also had similar white residue on it.

“Oh, never mind… don’t worry about it.”

“Maria.”

“Yes, yes?”

“Did you punch a wall?”

“Huh…!”

“My eyes aren’t fooled so easily. How many times have I seen fists like that?”

Maria clamped her mouth shut and her eyes darted around nervously—so different from the sunny image she just radiated moments ago.

“Don’t your fists itch?”

“No, no! I…”

“I can totally tell. Your fists are screaming to hit something, but you can’t bring yourself to hit a person, so you went for the wall instead, right? Last night in the dorms?”

“Gulp…!”

“Aha, your thoughts are written all over your eyes: ‘How did he know?!’”

Maria, the spinster, is dependable. She has a mature charm, and being around her makes me feel like she’ll always guide me. Sure, she gets jealous of other females sometimes, which is funny.

But young Maria is fresh and innocent. In other words, she’s easy for me to tease and rile up. Which makes her adorable.

“What were you thinking hitting a wall with bare hands? You could hurt yourself, you know.”

“I have divine power.”

“Is that so? Still, Maria, it breaks my heart to see you punching walls. It hurts my pride.”

“Does it bother you, Mr. Evans? Why?”

“Why?! Because you’re holding back! My stomach is way softer than any wall you’d want to hit!”

I even let my guard down when I get hit by Maria on purpose! I relax my abs because if I tense them too much, her hand might hurt!

It’s frustrating, so frustrating! Here I am caring so much about Maria, yet she prefers hitting walls over me?!

“Oh, no! Mr. Evans just said it himself! It’s not that I dislike him—it’s just that hitting people feels burdensome…”

Am I not a person? I’m a demon!

…If I say that honestly, I’ll probably get expelled from the academy.

So I adjusted the conversation tactfully.

“Maria, does that matter right now? I told you to only punch my abs! Only I can take punches from Maria!”

“Yes, yes, yes? What do you mean by that?”

“It means exactly that! I’m the one who taught you how to punch, and here you are using those skills on random hard things while ignoring me completely!”

“Ignore? I haven’t ignored you for a single moment, Mr. Evans!”

“But that’s how I feel!”

Of course, that last part was a lie. I just felt warmth from Maria moments ago; there’s no way she’d think such things.

But lies sometimes become truths when you wish for them to be.

“Ugh… Did I really upset you that much…?”

“Maria, I’ve told you countless times—I really want you to hit me.”

I want to see Maria throw punches. I want to witness the spectacle of the Saintess assaulting someone.

That dream will likely never fade. It’s far too stimulating for me.

“Why hit random walls when I’m right here?”

“But…”

“I won’t force you, Maria, if you’re hesitant. But clearly, your fists are itching. You want to hit something, right? That’s why you punched the wall.”

“Uh…”

“If you keep doing this—ignoring me and hitting weird stuff—I’ll genuinely feel hurt.”

This is coercion without being coercive.

What I mean is, my tone is clearly a request, but every word is calculated.

Maria is perceptive. She’s great at reading others’ emotions and empathizing with them.

That’s an advantage in human relationships. However, for Maria, it can sometimes be a disadvantage.

Maria cares deeply. Her warm heart can’t ignore when others feel uncomfortable.

“That… shouldn’t happen… uh…”

“So, what are you going to do? Are you going to leave me feeling neglected?”

“Do you really want me to hit you, Mr. Evans? You’re not just saying that to comfort me, right?”

“Saying it twice makes my mouth sore. How many times do you need me to repeat myself?”

“Alright… Gulp…”

If I were in Maria’s position…

I wouldn’t obediently follow along like this.

That’s why Maria and I are fundamentally different.

“I’ll… stop hitting other things and only hit you, Mr. Evans. Is that okay…?”

“Of course! Maria, thank you so much! That must’ve been a tough decision!”

“Gulp…! You really want me to hit you, right? You’re not lying…?”

“Obviously!”

In my excitement, I almost started rolling up my shirt before quickly stopping myself, remembering the bruises already marring my stomach.

Thankfully, we’re in a secluded park surrounded by trees, so there’s no one around. If there were, Maria would’ve been conscious of prying eyes.

“Well then, Maria! Let’s do it now!”

“Now? Right now?”

“Are you trying to delay again? We need to head off to pick our club soon!”

“Gulp…! Alright. But please don’t make too much noise! People might gather around!”

Heheh… Maria’s face is turning bright red with embarrassment.

“Moooh… Crazy human… Foolish girl…”

Aru, who had been watching us, gave a judgment filled with disdain. Normally, I’d scold him for his cheek, but today I have the grace to forgive him.

Who cares! Maria finally decided to hit me!

It’s annoying that I can’t take off my shirt because of the bruises. I’d love to feel Maria’s punches directly against my skin. Stella owes me a lecture later.

“Gulp… Is it really okay if I hit you? Even though you’re a person…?”

“Hurry up!”

“Stop pressuring me! I’ll hit you properly, alright!”

She roughly rolls up her outer clothing. With a pounding heart, I wait as Maria throws an awkward punch.

Punch!

It’s a plain, unpowered girl’s punch. If I hadn’t deliberately relaxed my abdomen to make it soft, it wouldn’t have connected at all. She might’ve even injured her wrist.

Of course, it doesn’t hurt. Even if there are plenty of bruises, it doesn’t truly hurt.

No, it kinda does, but it’s not real pain. It’s a pleasant kind of pain, if anything. A thrilling desire spreads through my body, making me want more.

“Ah, ah…”

“Why are you doing that? Does it hurt? Should we stop immediately…?”

“It’s not that. Just keep going without worrying.”

Maria hesitates but continues throwing punches, seemingly enjoying the sensation of hitting a human body. Her frail fists repeatedly land on my abdomen. Pffft, pffft, pffft—a cute little pain.

Maria is definitely the best. Even though I’m not a masochist, she makes me feel pleasure from getting hit.

I’d love to lick her fists clean, but she’d hate that, wouldn’t she? I’ll have to ask the Night Saintess later. She grants all my requests, after all.

“Gulp…!”

“Ah, ah… kick!”

“Why are you making such strange moaning sounds…?”

“Because it feels good.”

“Mr. Evans… You’re a really nice person, but also quite strange. You’re the strangest person I’ve ever met.”

Haha, really?

If Maria wants me to be this bizarre, I’ll gladly oblige. Maria is special, after all.

Punch, punch, punch, punch.

The sound of punches continued for quite a while. I indulged in the strange thrill for a long time.

***

“Seriously… That’s such an obvious lie, Mr. Evans.”

The noble girl of the Holy Order is currently engaging in an unfitting act of violence.

Carefully concealing her guilt and discomfort.

“How many people in the world feel pleasure from getting hit? I heard that’s a mental illness. Of course, Mr. Evans must be lying…”

The girl is throwing punches with as little strength as possible, hitting the soft abdomen hidden beneath the boy’s school uniform.

“To go this far for my sake, enduring pain and pretending to enjoy it… Such a good person is rare, even in the church.”

“Ah, ah… kick!”

“The moans too… obviously from pain. I can see you forcing yourself to endure it. Your veins are even bulging…”

Actually, the boy was genuinely enjoying himself and letting out moans of pleasure.

But the innocent girl, unaware of the world’s eccentricities, couldn’t imagine such a scenario.

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