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Honestly, when I threw her onto the bed, I had other thoughts.

But I couldn’t just give in to those other thoughts.

I didn’t want to rape Vivian.

No matter how much I hated her and how annoying she was, I didn’t want to hurt her that badly.

…No, in fact, I didn’t want to hurt her at all.

If it were up to me, I would treat her with care until the very end.

That was my honest feeling.

But I now knew that was also impossible.

Just protecting her would leave me with nothing in the end.

Vivian made that clear when she stopped me from going to my mother’s grave.

If I stayed still, I would just look like a fool.

Even the thought that I should get something out of this was just from earlier.

I had no intention of giving up that something already.

Standing by the bed, Vivian looked down at me, frozen in place.

Her tightly clutched fist was trembling.

I couldn’t push her anymore and just quietly observed her shaking fist.

Was that disgust?

While I was observing her condition more closely than she was, I wanted to ignore it for now.

For now, I could feel hatred towards her.

She kept interfering in my life, criticized me for my desires, and while doing so, pushed me away…

She called me a scumbag even though I was working hard to keep my distance from other women… I was just angry.

After all, I could easily give in to my desires if I wanted.

I truly didn’t understand my own feelings.

As much as I hated Vivian, the temptation of her kiss was one I couldn’t refuse.

I was curious about that sensation. I wanted to know the feeling of Vivian’s tongue.

I wanted to taste her saliva. I wanted to see what kind of expression she would make.

Even if she showed a face full of disgust, I thought that would still be good.

I could just tell her how satisfying that would be, since I’d be kissing someone I hated.

It was a perverted thought, but my feelings towards Vivian were all sincere.

“…Hurry up.”

I urged Vivian.

Unlike before, she replied in a slightly more weakened tone.

“…I said I’d do it before today ends, I didn’t say I’d do it now.”

“You promised you’d do it after treating your wounds.”

I looked up at Vivian, who was obviously rejecting me.

And I mocked her.

“No matter how long you delay this, there’s no moment it’s going to get better.”

“…”

“It would just be easier to get it over with quickly.”

Vivian frowned.

That stung my heart, but it was also somewhat refreshing.

Now even the pain she inflicted on me started to feel good.

Vivian finally shook her head and said,

“…No. I don’t want to do it right now. Let’s do it after I sleep and wake up-”

“-Do you think you have a choice right now?”

This room was small.

Even if she tried to run away, she couldn’t escape.

The door was only an arm’s reach away, and Vivian was even closer than that.

When you strip away power, position, and status… in the end, what matters is just physical strength.

I had no intention of forcibly holding Vivian down… but if she really started to cry and make a fuss, I wouldn’t be able to force her anymore… but I decided to definitely convey that threat.

I said,

“…I’m not forcing you. I saved your life.”

“…”

“If it weren’t for me, I don’t know what kind of fate you would have faced… Is it really that hard? You surely accepted this contract.”

Vivian’s fist started to lose its strength.

It seemed like she was realizing I was right.

Looking down at me, she swallowed hard and spoke in a trembling voice.

“…I, I want to do it with someone I love later-”

“-Shut up.”

Her childish interruption unleashed a bizarre anger that quickly enveloped my body.

I snapped and let out some harsh words toward her without even realizing it.

My fist had also tightened, and blood began to trickle from my stitched wound.

“…Shut up, just do it to me now.”

I commanded.

“If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t have met your future ‘loved one.’”

Vivian seemed to finally realize she couldn’t escape this situation.

She took a few deep breaths and then said to me,

“…C-Could you please stand up?”

I shook my head while sitting on the bed.

“You sit in front of me.”

With those words, I paused for a long moment.

Eventually, the one feeling more uncomfortable locked in this small room was Vivian.

She hesitated but slowly made her move.

Though I was the one pushing, it felt strangely odd that she was yielding to me and moving according to my will.

Vivian knelt before me, pushing her hair back.

Her expression was oddly relaxed for the intimate action about to take place.

“…”

“…”

After squatting, adjusting her legs, and touching the bed, Vivian finally knelt in front of me, frowning.

That action made my heart race.

This proud girl was kneeling before me.

Of course, it was the most natural position for her if she wanted her face at my eye level.

I couldn’t understand why she looked so beautiful kneeling between my legs.

All the feelings of hatred I had felt so far had made it hard to acknowledge my emotions, but that was genuinely my heart’s intent.

Now that we had gotten so close, the poison in Vivian’s expression completely vanished.

Like her armor had been stripped away, the haughty demeanor she had cloaked herself in disappeared.

The weak personality of the 13-year-old Vivian that I had first seen was revealed.

Now she was 16, but that initial persona of hers was showing up again.

After three or four years, a huge change in our relationship was about to unfold.

I began to feel an odd shiver filling my chest, but I didn’t want to show it.

To provoke Vivian even further, I said,

“…Show me just how well you learned from that old hag Linne.”

Vivian flinched.

“…How do you know that… And stop rushing me.”

“…”

A silence followed.

If I felt Vivian wasn’t going to take any action further, I had no intention of speaking again.

Whether it was awkward or not, I was ready to stay quiet.

After staring into each other’s eyes for a long time,

as if she realized I wasn’t going to give up, Vivian broke the long awkwardness by grabbing my face.

My heart was pounding like it was about to burst.

It was a completely different reaction from the earlier situation with Serena.

Vivian’s eyes trembled near me.

I could feel just how much she loathed what was happening.

“…”

Unable to stand the sight any longer, I closed my eyes.

Vivian’s face moved closer to mine, and as I waited for it,

-…smooch.

“…?”

After a long wait, Vivian pressed her lips to mine.

But it was different from what I had expected.

There was no sensation on my lips, but the warmth of her touch lingered on my cheek.

That alone made my heart race, but I felt the need to question it.

“…What was that?”

When I opened my eyes, I saw Vivian’s face filled with shame.

“Who asked for a kiss on the cheek? I meant on the lips-”

-smooch.

The second time.

It seemed Vivian wanted to silence me, pressing her lips to my cheek once more.

I stood there dumbfounded, unable to respond to her second kiss.

I never expected to receive two kisses.

Yet, as if she thought I might act strangely, she held my hands tightly in hers.

Both of my hands were locked in her small grip.

But that gesture just became another stimulation for me.

Holding my hands so I couldn’t move, kneeling before me, and kissing my cheek.

Just a few years ago, she had said she’d show me a life harder than death.

“…”

But no matter how much I thought about it, my desire was only growing stronger.

This wasn’t the promise we made.

When we kissed, I needed to see what kind of expression she made.

I wanted to be the first to witness it over any other man.

I wanted to be the one to defile and trample upon her purity for the first time.

“…What are you, a kid? What kind of game is this-”

-smooch.

The third time.

But every time I spoke, Vivian would respond by kissing my cheek like a woodpecker instead of answering.

As if she was trying to shut me up.

I looked at Vivian’s face.

Her expression was already red enough to burst.

She looked like she couldn’t believe she was doing this to me.

It felt good to see her like that, but my filthy desire wouldn’t come to an end.

Seeing my expression stiffen, Vivian continued to hesitate, bringing her lips closer to me.

Her face was filled with humiliation, shame, and some indescribable feeling.

-smooch.

As she kept doing it, it seemed like she was getting more accustomed to it, or perhaps trying to convince me… she pressed her lips more intensely and deeply against my cheek.

Left, right, alternating, she showered me with kisses.

“…With something like this-”

-smooch.

“…Our promise was-”

-smooch.

“…I killed a person for you-”

-smooch.

I was receiving kisses more than I could count.

Avoiding my lips entirely, she acted that way.

“…”

What was annoying was that her plan was working.

With each kiss she planted on my cheek, my heart loosened a little more.

That strange feeling of indulgence she was providing sent shivers down my spine.

If a woman were to do such things to a man she detested, it could only be called surrender.

“…K-Kael.”

Could I have imagined that Vivian would be this affectionate?

The Duchess of Rondore mentioned that Vivian had a lively personality… now it seemed I was confirming that.

“…T-That’s enough now.”

Vivian pleaded.

Now that we were alone, it felt like she was speaking more honestly.

“…I-I still can’t…”

-smooch.

“Just once… let me see your lips once.”

-smooch.

“…I don’t want to do it until I turn 18. I have no mental preparation…”

-smooch.

“…I don’t want my first kiss to be taken by force…”

I finally couldn’t hold back any longer and burst into laughter.

Then I bit down on my lonely lips.

I truly didn’t understand it.

I wanted to protect her when she was in danger, but when she revealed her true self to me, I wanted to hurt her.

Whenever I thought about all the hardships I was going through because of her… thinking that the burden piling up in my chest and the ongoing troubles were all because of her… I wished for her to suffer even more.

I wanted her to stand proudly before others, not to fall behind.

…But I also wanted her to show her weakness only before me. I wanted her to surrender to me.

Vivian, hating to see me happy by winning another woman’s affection… was treating me like a woman who held feelings for me, making me feel joy.

To think she had to engage in a behavior she deemed forbidden.

I couldn’t help but feel an inexplicable happiness from that situation, feeling perverse yet unable to deny it.

It might have been because I hadn’t properly wrapped up my mother’s affairs yet.

This was my own revenge I was delivering to her.

Her expression remained tense.

Each time the candle flickered, it revealed how red her cheeks were and how immense her shame felt.

Her disgust towards me didn’t sit well with me, so I couldn’t help but mock her.

“…Why does your disgust look so good?”

Vivian hesitated for a moment before leaning in to kiss me again.

But once again, she tightly held my hand and planted kisses upon my cheek.

Vivian, who had been acting so cute, finally couldn’t hold back her emotions and said,

“…This is disgusting.”

I chuckled again.

“…That’s why it feels good, I’ve said it countless times.”

I spent a long while receiving her kisses.

Vivian continued, giving me longer kisses on my cheek.

 

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