Chapter 32
Written by Bayzo Albion
"You bastard! I'll never give the Holy Sword to your filthy hands! Go to hell!"
In her rage, she was stunningly beautiful, and a pang of regret hit me for pushing her further.
"Is she always like this?" I wondered aloud, unable to suppress the thought.
"First time seeing her this way," Iris shrugged.
"Fine," I raised my hands in mock surrender, "keep your Holy Sword, just don't be mad." I ran my palm gently over her head. "I'm not some rapist, after all."
The Baroness froze, a subtle pink tinting her cheeks, but she turned away abruptly, pretending nothing had happened. Yet her breathing deepened, betraying her composure.
*Truth is, I respect loyal women. And you intrigue me more than you know...* I thought, keeping it to myself.
Instead, I turned to Iris and Siesta:
"But what I don't get... Why agree to be slaves to a monster?"
They didn't get a chance to reply—the Baroness snorted:
"Simple. They're ugly." She waved dismissively, not bothering to soften the blow. "No one in the village notices them. Even monsters steer clear."
I looked at the girls. Their faces remained stoic, but pain flashed in their eyes, a silent wound that twisted something in my gut.
*So that's why they agreed so easily... No one wants to be unwanted.*
I stepped closer, holding their gazes, and said softly:
"Nonsense. You're not ugly. You're mine."
Iris trembled faintly, Siesta's lips curving into a subtle smile.
The Baroness ground her teeth:
"Ugh... you're such a creep."
I just smirked.
*And yet... I want to tame her too.*
"Don't bully my girls," I said evenly, steel threading my voice.
The Baroness flashed a predatory smile:
"Or what?" Her eyes sparkled with challenge. She knew she'd found my weak spot. "What'll you do to me, huh?"
I let my eyes roam over her form, closing the distance slowly, like a predator stalking prey, the air between us humming with anticipation.
"Girls, what should I do with her?" I asked, never breaking eye contact with the Baroness.
"Could gag her via the slave mark," Siesta suggested with a sly grin.
"I'd win her heart," Iris mused thoughtfully. "If she bears your child, her hate would melt... and she'd love you wholeheartedly."
I leaned in close, my breath warm against her ear, whispering:
"So, which option appeals more?"
She huffed, turning away sharply, but I caught the quiver of her lips.
Iris continued, watching us with intrigued curiosity:
"The issue is, impregnating a strong woman isn't easy. Only a truly powerful man can manage it. In our village, only her leader could."
I wrapped my arms around the Baroness, drawing her close until she could feel the full weight of my warmth and strength enveloping her like a protective shroud. Her breaths deepened, her heartbeat stumbling into an erratic rhythm against my chest, a subtle tremor that betrayed the walls she tried so desperately to maintain. I leaned in, my lips brushing the delicate shell of her ear, my voice a low, intimate whisper that carried the weight of temptation:
"If you bear my child... would you switch to my side?"
She said nothing, but her body betrayed her, melting against mine in a silent surrender. I sensed the shiver racing across her skin, her heart fluttering wildly in her chest like a caged bird sensing freedom.
"Come on..." I murmured, my lips trailing to her neck, where I nipped gently but firmly at the soft flesh, a possessive gesture laced with tenderness. The faint metallic tang of her skin mingled with her natural scent—wild and intoxicating, like storm-tossed roses. "Answer me, my wicked princess."
Her resistance crumbled before my eyes. The sharp edges of her features softened, the fire of anger flickering out, replaced by a haze of confusion... or was it the spark of something deeper, a reluctant desire blooming in the ashes of her fury? Her eyes, once sharp daggers, now held a vulnerability that pulled at me, stirring a complex swirl of triumph and unexpected affection.
I let my hands glide slowly over her skin, tracing the firm, resilient curves of her body, channeling life energy through every deliberate touch—a cascade of warmth that seeped into her like sunlight piercing storm clouds. Each brush of my fingers sent ripples of sensation through us both, her form responding with involuntary quivers that echoed in the quiet forest air.
The Baroness trembled in my grasp, her composure fracturing.
"Ah..." A soft, stifled exhale escaped her lips, hovering on the edge of a moan, raw and unguarded.
I smiled inwardly, a quiet satisfaction blooming in my chest.
*You're mine. All that's left is for you to realize it.*
"Girls, you don't mind?" I asked, turning to them with a raised eyebrow, the air thick with anticipation.
"We're all for it!" Iris replied eagerly, her eyes sparkling with mischievous excitement, as if this were the climax of some grand adventure.
"If the Baroness joins our side, it'll be a true victory," Siesta added, tilting her head and appraising the captive with a thoughtful gaze. "Do your best to claim her fully—fulfill that hidden dream of hers."
I opened my mouth to respond, but a warm hand pressed against my chest, halting me mid-breath. It was the Baroness, her touch surprisingly gentle, almost hesitant.
"Wait..." Her voice had softened, warmed, carrying a tenderness that caught me off guard, like sunlight breaking through after a relentless downpour. "I'm already overflowing with your energy."
She lifted her gaze to mine, looking up from beneath long lashes, a faint blush staining her cheeks like the first blush of dawn on pale snow.
"If I fulfill your dream... will you forgive me?"
She averted her eyes then, but her expression laid bare her inner turmoil—embarrassment warring with caution, and beneath it all, a timid yearning that hung in the air like unspoken poetry. In that vulnerable moment, I found myself captivated, realizing how much I cherished these fragile turning points: when an adversary ceased to be an enemy and began transforming into something profound, a connection forged in the fires of conflict.
Her earlier venomous words, the curses that had once stung like barbs, now held no power over me. They dissolved into nothingness, unable to pierce the armor I'd built from hard-won wisdom. Reflecting on my old life on Earth, I saw the futility of it all—letting the petty jabs of narrow-minded people burrow into my heart. It was all empty noise. Only genuine emotions carried weight, raw and unfiltered, capable of reshaping worlds.
With a snap of my fingers, I invoked my divine power. In an instant, a spacious tent materialized before us, large enough for four, its canvas walls shimmering with an ethereal glow that whispered of safety and comfort. Around its perimeter, four magical trees sprang from the earth, their trunks twisting upward like ancient guardians, roots delving deep into the soil. Their leaves emitted a soft, pulsating light, casting a protective aura that repelled monsters for a kilometer in every direction—the air humming with a subtle energy that warded off the encroaching night, filling the space with the faint, reassuring scent of blooming night jasmine and charged ozone.
*Using divine powers like this will lead us straight to boredom and despair. You get that, right?* my second self's voice echoed in my mind, quiet but laced with a hint of judgment, like a mentor chiding a wayward pupil. *Why chase more when you already have everything? Laziness is our real enemy, my friend. Promise you won't waste divine energy on trifles anymore.*
*Why the sudden shift? You used to push me toward darkness and sin,* I retorted, narrowing my eyes inwardly.
*If you die, I die too. Remember: chasing pleasure corrupts the soul.*
*Maybe come up with something original instead of stealing my 'wisdom' from my past life?* I smirked mentally.
*Well... I'll try to separate from you. If that's even possible,* he replied after a pause, his tone uncertain, like a shadow flickering at the edge of light.
I closed my eyes, drawing in a deep breath of the crisp night air, laced with the earthy richness of moss and distant rain. The forest around us seemed to hold its breath, the rustle of leaves a distant lullaby.
*Hah... just try.*
When I opened my eyes again, they fell on the Baroness. Her shoulders remained tense, a remnant of her guarded nature, but the hostility had ebbed away like a retreating tide. Her eyes tried to cling to their icy detachment, but her body told a different story—exhaustion etching faint lines around her features, confusion softening her posture, and beneath it all, something elusive, a fragile thread of connection weaving between us. Pride and stubbornness still chained her spirit, yet the air hummed with an invisible bond, fragile and new, promising depths yet unexplored in this tangled web of fate and desire.