Chapter 91

“Hand.”

The slender, delicate hand stretched out before me. I stared at it blankly for a while.

“Tina? Did you not hear me?”

Lillian looked down at me with a puzzled expression.

I, unable to comprehend the situation, stared back at her with a bewildered face.

“What… are you doing?”

“What do you mean? I’m taming you, Tina.”

“Taming… me?”

“Yes. Oh, I haven’t told you my purpose yet.”

Lillian nodded lightly, as if she had just remembered. After a moment of thought, she smiled brightly and spoke.

“I want to become your Master.”

“…What?”

“You told me, didn’t you? That someone like me, a lowly person, would never deserve your flattery.”

It was something I had spat out at her during a banquet. And whether then or now, my thoughts hadn’t changed a bit.

Moreover, even if it wasn’t Lillian, I no longer needed to flatter anyone.

There was no reason to stay here anymore.

There was no need to try to gain favor by flattering, nor was there any need to scheme to take the wealth of the noble young ladies.

“Hearing that made me determined. I wanted to become your Master and see your sly flattery. Hehe.”

“…”

…What?

You want to become my Master?

So that’s why you’re doing this?

Really?

“Pfft.”

I couldn’t help but laugh at the unexpected situation.

“Pfft, heh…! Ah, ahaha!”

I laughed scornfully at her for a while.

You want to become my Master?

It seemed like you had prepared so thoroughly, I thought you were going to perform some grand ritual or something.

But it was just that?

“Pathetic, heh, hehe, ahaha, pfft…!”

I hurled insulting words at Lillian, filled with mockery.

Watching her eyes gradually calm down wasn’t too bad.

I smiled broadly and brought my face close to Lillian’s nose.

Close enough to feel each other’s breath, the moment my face reflected in her pink eyes, I whispered softly.

“I should have seen you die that time. I regret not giving you a stronger poison. But watching you tremble and vomit blood was quite entertaining, Lady Lillian?”

“…”

“Your taste is truly low, Saintess. Wanting to be acknowledged as Master by someone who tried to kill you. Or perhaps, like the other young ladies, you want my love?”

“…You.”

“Come closer, Lillian.”

I wrapped my arms around Lillian’s neck.

Naturally nestling into her embrace, I slowly brought my lips to her exposed collarbone.

*Mwah—*

The soft sound of flesh and lips touching resonated in the space.

I kissed her gently along her neckline. Neck, chin, cheek, ear, and even her eyelids.

*Mwah— Mwah— Mwah—*

My lips tickled her soft skin, and finally, I kissed her forehead tenderly.

Lastly, I looked at Lillian with a harmless yet affectionate gaze and spoke in a pitiful voice.

“Did you enjoy it, Master…?”

“…”

Leaving Lillian, who was silently staring at me, I spat on the ground and smirked.

“Pfft, ugh, disgusting, right? I flattered you, so consider your goal accomplished. Congratulations.”

“…”

“Are you satisfied? Not many people get a kiss on the forehead. It was a special treat.”

“…Haa.”

Suddenly, Lillian slipped her hand under my armpit and lifted me up.

As we stood face to face, she wrapped her arms around my neck and hugged me tightly.

The unexpected embrace left me momentarily bewildered.

“What, is this really it?”

I didn’t expect Lillian to be so easily discouraged. With a faint smirk, I accepted her hug.

‘If I play this right, I might be able to control Lillian too-‘

*Thud—!*

“Wha—?”

A dull sound, as if flesh was being torn, and my vision blurred momentarily.

An intense, gut-wrenching pain surged through my abdomen.

Looking down with trembling eyes, I saw Lillian’s knee deeply embedded in my lower abdomen.

“Ugh…? Ha. Huh, wh-what are you doing…?”

“Tina, you shouldn’t touch your Master’s body so carelessly.”

Lillian tightened her grip around my neck. Then, without hesitation, she drove her knee into my stomach again.

*Thud—!*

“Argh?!”

Her knee struck my lower abdomen roughly once more.

A violent wave of nausea surged through me.

As Lillian released her grip on my neck, I collapsed weakly onto the ground on all fours.

“Ugh…! Ugh…!”

“There’s still a lot to teach you. But it’s okay. We have plenty of time.”

I vomited, my hands on the ground, but with an empty stomach, only hot tears and saliva came out.

“Huh…! Haah…! Ugh…! Ugh…!”

“…We’re not done yet, Tina.”

Lillian’s hand roughly grabbed my collar and pulled me up.

Despite being a Saintess, her strength was astonishing. With just one arm, she lifted me back onto my feet.

Lillian’s cold eyes scanned my stomach as she pulled her other arm back.

A stance as if to punch. At that moment, I instinctively looked up at her. Lillian’s eyes were filled with a strange mix of madness and sweetness.

A chill ran through my body. I desperately reached out to Lillian.

“W-wait…”

*Thud—!*

“Ah, ugh!!!”

This time, it wasn’t her knee but Lillian’s fist that struck my stomach.

A pain as if my insides were twisting surged through me.

But Lillian didn’t stop and pulled her arm back again.

*Thud—!*

“Guh, ugh…! Ah, it hurts…!”

Lillian’s fist struck my stomach again, causing my body to jerk back.

But Lillian didn’t stop and pulled her fist back once more.

*Thud—!*

“Ugh…!”

From then on, it was nothing but relentless violence.

*Thud— Thud—!*

“Ahh!! Stop…!”

*Thud—!*

“Ugh…!!”

Every time my body was about to fall back, Lillian’s hand firmly held me in place.

“Guh, ugh…! Stop… please…!”

*Thud—!*

“Guh, hah… please…”

By now, my face was a mess of endless tears and saliva.

“Ugh…! Huh…! Ugh…”

“…”

Lillian stared at me with cold eyes, then unclenched her fist and held her palm out in front of my face.

“Hand.”

“Ugh, hah- you crazy b*tch…”

At my words, Lillian’s hand slowly clenched into a fist again.

As her fist tightened, my body began to tremble with fear.

“Huh?! Ah, okay…!”

I clasped my hands together and, like a dog submitting, carefully placed them on Lillian’s palm.

“Please, my stomach, stop…”

Lillian silently stared at my hands on her palm for a while.

The longer the silence between us lasted, the more my lower abdomen, marked by relentless violence, began to tremble.

Finally, the silence was broken by Lillian’s deep sigh.

“Haa… I’m sorry, Tina. I didn’t intend to train you through pain, but I lost control of my emotions for a moment. This really makes me a failure as a Saintess, just as you said.”

Lillian grabbed the hem of my dress and flipped it up, exposing my stomach.

My lower abdomen, pale and covered in countless blue bruises, was revealed.

Lillian placed her hand on my stomach with a sorrowful expression. As her palm touched my stomach again, my body instinctively trembled, but this time, her hand didn’t bring pain.

A pure white light flowed from her body, gently illuminating the surroundings.

As the light slowly seeped into my stomach, the blue bruises and the pain pressing down on me disappeared in an instant.

“Don’t worry. Next time, I won’t handle you in such a violent and lowly manner… By the way, Tina, your skin is really white.”

“Huh, ugh… you… what do you want…?”

“I told you. I want to become your Master.”

Lillian gently pulled me into her embrace.

Her warm body temperature enveloped me.

Lillian tenderly stroked my head with one hand and softly kissed my forehead.

*Mwah—*

“Thank you for putting your hands up. You did really well. And I’m really sorry for hurting you so much. But… it was because I love you so much.”

“L-let go…”

“Yes, I love you. I cherish and love you deeply, Tina. This won’t happen again.”

Lillian whispered into my ear, her voice as if hypnotizing, blowing a ticklish breath.

She held me in her embrace, whispering softly, and finally, with an affectionate touch, she tousled my hair and stood up.

“I’ll reheat the soup. Please wait a moment.”

I couldn’t say anything.

The sincerity in her eyes made it seem like she truly cared for me.

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