“Hand”

Before me stretched a delicate, slender hand. I stared at it blankly for a while.

“Tina? Did you perhaps not hear what I said?”

Lilian looked down at me with a puzzled expression.

Not understanding the situation at all, I met her gaze with a dumbfounded look.

“What the… what is this?”

“What do you think I’m doing? I’m taming Tina.”

“Taming…?”

“That’s right. Ah, I haven’t mentioned my purpose yet.”

Lilian nodded lightly as if she had just remembered. After resting her chin on her hand and pondering for a moment, she soon broke into a bright smile and spoke.

“I’m going to become Tina’s master.”

“…What?”

“Tina told me, didn’t she? That someone as lowly as me would never get to be spoiled for a lifetime.”

Those were words I had spat out to Lilian at a banquet long ago. And just like back then, my thoughts hadn’t changed even a bit.

Furthermore, even without Lilian, I no longer had the need to curry favor with anyone.

Because I had no lingering attachments to staying here.

There was no need to desperately try to win someone’s favor, nor did I require the plan to steal the wealth of the affluent young ladies.

“I felt motivated after hearing that. I absolutely want to become your master and witness Tina’s cunning flattery. Hehe.”

“…”

…What?

She wants to become my master?

Is that why she’s doing this?

Really?

“Fuh.”

In this unexpected situation, I couldn’t help but let out a laugh.

“Fuhaha, heh…! Ah, hahaha!”

I burst into sneers full of scorn for quite some time, mocking her.

To think she wants to become my master.

With how prepared she seemed, I thought it was something grand and ritualistic.

But it was just that?

“Such a joke, haha, heh, ahaha, fuhuh…!”

I threw insults at Lilian alongside my derisive laughter.

Watching her gaze slowly settle into calm was quite satisfying.

I beamed widely, leaning my face close to Lilian’s.

Our breaths nearly intertwining, in that moment when my face was reflected in her pink eyes, I whispered softly.

“I should have seen you dying for sure back then. It’s a shame I couldn’t use a stronger poison. But it was quite the sight to see you trembling and spitting blood, wasn’t it, Lilian?”

“…”

“Your taste, oh Holy Maiden, is truly lowly. Wanting to be recognized as a master by someone who tried to kill you. Or could it be that you, Lilian, are just like the other young ladies and wish for my love?”

“…You.”

“Come here, Lilian.”

I wrapped my hands around Lilian’s neck.

Naturally, I sank into her embrace, softly kissing along the exposed collarbone.

Smack—

The soft sound echoed as our flesh met.

I gently left kisses trailing along her neck, jaw, cheeks, ears, and even around her eyes.

Smack— Smack— Smack—

I teased her tender skin with my lips before finally placing a gentle kiss on her forehead.

With a harmless yet affectionate gaze, I looked at Lilian and spoke in a heartfelt voice.

“Did you enjoy that, Master…?”

“….”

Leaving Lilian, who silently stared at me, behind, I spat on the floor and flashed a smirk.

“Fuh, ugh, how disgusting. That’s enough, right? Since I’ve flattered you, I guess I’ve achieved my goal. Congratulations.”

“…”

“Were you satisfied? Not many people offer you a kiss on the forehead. It was quite a special treatment.”

“…Haa.”

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

As we stood facing each other, she wrapped her arms around my neck and pulled me into a tight embrace.

Caught off guard by the unexpected hug, I felt a sense of bewilderment.

“What is this, is this really all it takes?”

I hadn’t expected Lilian to be so deflated. I accepted her embrace with a slight smirk.

‘If this works, maybe I can handle Lilian as I wish—’

Bang—!

“What the—?”

With a sound like flesh splitting, my vision blurred for a moment.

An intense pain rose through my abdomen like I was being twisted inside out.

Looking down with trembling eyes, I found Lilian’s knee deeply embedded in my lower belly.

“Ugh…? Hah, what the hell is this…”

“Tina, you can’t just touch your master’s body recklessly, you know?”

Lilian pulled my neck tighter with her hand. Then, without hesitation, she drove her knee into my stomach again.

Bang—!

“Ugh?!”

Her knee harshly battered my lower belly again.

A wave of nausea surged as I felt like my insides were twisting.

When Lilian finally loosened her grip around my neck, I helplessly collapsed to the ground on all fours.

“Ugh… Ugh…!”

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

I leaned down, trying to heave up the nausea. But with my stomach empty, what came up were only hot tears and saliva.

“Hah…! Hah…! Ugh…!”

“…You’re still far from it, Tina.”

Lilian’s hand harshly yanked at my collar as she pulled me up once more.

With such strength for a Holy Maiden, she got me back on my feet with just one arm.

Lilian’s cold gaze swept over my abdomen while her remaining arm lifted behind her.

That stance seemed poised for a punch. In that moment, I instinctively raised my head to look at her. Her eyes were a mix of strange madness and an odd sweetness.

A chill ran down my spine. I desperately reached for Lilian.

“J-Just a moment…”

Whack—!

“Ah, ugh!!!”

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

Agony like my insides were twisting pounded through me, making me feel nauseous again.

But Lilian paid no mind and drew her arm back once more.

Whack—!

“Ugh, ugh…! Ah, it hurts…!”

As Lilian’s fist slammed into my belly again, my body hunched backward, almost lifting off the ground.

Yet Lilian didn’t stop and continued to pull her fist back.

Whack—!

“Uuugh…!”

What followed was an unrelenting storm of violence.

Whack— Bang—!

“Ugh!! Stop…!”

Bang—!

“Ugh, uuh!!”

With every time my body bent back, one of Lilian’s hands kept me firmly in place.

“Stop… please…!”

Whack—!

“S-Stop… please…”

My face was now drenched in a mix of unceasing tears and saliva.

“Ugh…! Hah…! Huh…”

“…”

Lilian stared at me with cold eyes, then relaxed her fist and extended her palm towards my face.

“Hand.”

“Ugh, huff— insane woman…”

At my words, Lilian’s hand slowly curled back into a fist.

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

“Ugh?! Alright, alright, I get it…!”

I carefully placed both my hands on her palm, like a dog obeying.

“Please, just… no more to my belly…”

Lilian silently gazed at my hands resting on her palm for a long while.

The silence between us made my abdomen, marked by that merciless violence, begin to tremble.

Finally, it was Lilian’s deep sigh that broke that silence.

“Hah… I’m sorry, Tina. I didn’t intend to use pain to train you, but I got carried away with my emotions for a moment. At this rate, I truly will fail as a Holy Maiden.”

Lilian grabbed the hem of my dress and flipped it up to reveal my stomach.

Numerous dark bruises decorated my pale, snow-white abdomen.

With sorrowful eyes, Lilian placed her hand on my belly. As her palm made contact, my body instinctively trembled, but this touch did not deliver pain.

A pure light spilled from her body, softly illuminating the surroundings.

As that light slowly seeped into my belly, the pressing pain from the bruises faded away in an instant.

“Don’t worry. I won’t handle you this violently and lowly next time… Speaking of which, your skin is really so white.”

“Ugh, jeez… What on earth do you want…?”

“I told you. I want to become Tina’s master.”

Lilian gently pulled me into her embrace.

Her warm body enveloped me.

Lilian affectionately stroked my head with one hand and softly pressed her lips against my forehead.

Smack—

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

“Let go of this…”

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

Lilian whispered as if hypnotizing me, blowing a tickling breath into my ear.

Holding me tightly, she quietly whispered and affectionately tousled my hair before standing up.

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

I found myself at a loss for words.

Because the seriousness in her eyes looked as if she truly cherished me.