Chapter 99: I want to take a bath

“Here, Tina~ Say ‘Ah.’”

Lillian offered a fork with a gentle smile.

Hesitating by the fork, I slowly opened my lips.

A small piece of tart slipped into my mouth.

As the tangy sourness of lemon and the soft sweetness of sugar spread across my tongue, an inexplicable sense of comfort washed over me.

They say eating something sweet when you’re upset can improve your mood. Maybe it’s true.

“Does it taste good?”

Lillian asked softly.

Her warm gaze settled on me.

I no longer avoided her eyes. After all, even if I did, she’d persistently follow me. What was the point of resisting?

“Yes… sister.”

I nodded timidly.

Hearing my words, Lillian’s face flushed slightly, her eyes sparkling.

Without a moment’s hesitation, she pulled me into a tight embrace.

“I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you.”

“I—”

Her whispered words echoed in my ears without pause.

“Now I understand why you’re so popular with the ladies, Tina. Who could resist someone as lovely as you?”

Her touch stroked my hair gently, but the obsession in her glimmering eyes sent chills down my spine.

“Of course, from now on, you’re mine alone.”

Her suffocating possessiveness tightened around me. Just yesterday, I would have pushed her away with all my might, but strangely, I didn’t feel the urge to fight her off anymore.

Fighting back would only hurt me.

“Thirsty? Let me get you some water.”

Lillian picked up a glass of clear water. But instead of handing it to me, she took a big sip herself.

With a radiant smile, she leaned closer.

It was still unpleasant.

But at this moment, the only thing I could do was open my lips and accept the water she let drip from her mouth onto my tongue.

“Ah… Ugh…”

In this room, there was no form of resistance left for me.

Thick iron shackles bound my arms and legs tightly. Even if I managed to break free of these restraints, there was no way I could escape the suffocating presence of Lillian that filled this room.

I set aside my pride deep within my heart.

Strangely, after doing so, Lillian no longer tormented me excessively. She merely showered me with affection in her own way.

‘…If I collect 100 stamps, I can leave this place.’

If I earned two stamps a day, it would take about two months to escape this hellish confinement.

Assuming I followed Lillian’s words obediently, of course.

“You’re surprisingly compliant today. Is something wrong?”

I kept my mouth shut and avoided her gaze.

“Are you feeling unwell?”

Worry painted her face. The strange tension from earlier dissolved, replaced by genuine concern as she placed her hand on my forehead.

A pure white light flickered briefly before warmth radiated from her hand.

The soothing warmth seeped into every corner of my body, spreading gently.

“Um… It doesn’t seem like you’re hurt or anything, right, Tina?”

Why is that?

The aversion I felt toward her still lingered, yet I found myself hesitating to hurl insults at her face as I used to.

[No matter what kind of disgrace Tina shows, I’ll love her until the end.]

That statement had been endlessly echoing in my mind since yesterday.

It was hard to believe. It still was, and it would remain so.

Reality isn’t a fairy tale.

The claim of eternal love is nothing more than a sweet lie anyone can utter.

Nothing lasts forever, especially not intense emotions, which fall into oblivion all the more sharply.

Like a once-burning flame extinguished by the gentlest breeze.

If love were truly eternal, my biological father wouldn’t have left my mother.

If love didn’t fade, my mother wouldn’t have looked at me as if I were a monster.

Her cold, chilling gaze haunted me to this day.

Would Lillian be any different? The words she uttered now must also stem from fleeting desires.

Caught up in a yearning even she couldn’t manage, her words were merely hollow sounds wasted on her whims.

I wasn’t foolish enough to believe them.

“Tina, your hand.”

When Lillian extended her palm, I calmly placed both of my hands atop hers.

With a faint smile, she gently patted my head, then looked at me with a determined glint in her eyes.

“Tina, is there anything you want to do?”

“…Something I want to do?”

“You’ve been so well-behaved today, Tina. If there’s something you want, I’ll grant you one wish.”

“…Then…”

“Of course, harming your body or leaving this mansion is out of the question.”

I wanted to ask if I could die here, but Lillian preemptively blocked my words with her resolute tone.

Lowering my head, I pondered for a moment. What could I possibly ask for in this situation?

Fortunately, there was one thing I had been wanting to ask of her.

“…I want to take a bath.”

How long had I been trapped in this dark prison?

In this place with no clocks, I had no way of knowing if it had been days or weeks.

From the first day I awoke in this prison until now, I hadn’t bathed even once.

The mark Lillian inscribed on me cleansed the impurities inside my body with some mysterious power, but it couldn’t wash away the dirt and grime clinging to my skin.

The unpleasant stickiness on my skin was suffocating. It was more than mere discomfort; it was a torment that grew to a peak of unbearable irritation.

‘I just want to wash.’

My head felt heavy, my body sluggish and weighed down, aching all over.

On top of that, the spot I was sitting on was where I had relieved myself yesterday.

Lillian had claimed it was holy water, but to me, it still felt like nothing more than the waste my body had expelled.

“Is bathing… not allowed?”

My voice grew thinner and thinner. A deep yearning welled up from the depths of my heart.

For a moment, Lillian stared at me, seemingly captivated by something. But it was fleeting, as she quickly shook her head vehemently.

“I’m sorry, Tina. It must have been so uncomfortable for you. I was too inconsiderate.”

She approached with a faint smile, gently embraced me, and softly brushed her hand through my hair.

“Let’s go together. I’ll help you wash.”

Her words froze my chest in an instant.

“…Help me wash?”

“Of course.”

Lillian looked down at me with a smile lingering on her face.

“Isn’t it a master’s duty to bathe their pet?”

Her tone seemed calm, but there was a subtle possessiveness beneath it.

Thinking about it, it was to be expected.

In this place, I couldn’t even eat by myself. Why would they allow me to bathe alone?

Besides, going into the bathroom with her wasn’t a big deal.

After all, I’d already relieved myself in her presence—what else was there to be embarrassed about?

It’s not like it’s uncommon for women to share a bathroom together.

I used to do it sometimes with my mother—or rather, Artasha.

And it’s not as if Lillian harbored any perverse, psycho intentions toward me like Mardian did.

What Lillian wanted from me was simply complete submission as a pet to fulfill her sense of revenge.

So, I could just think of this as a bath between two women.

“I should have them warm the water. Maybe light some candles and add flower decorations, too.”

Her voice was slightly higher than usual, almost excited. With a faint blush, she hugged me close and left a soft, brief kiss on my forehead.

“Just wait a little bit. I’ll let the maid know to prepare the bathwater.”

“…Okay.”

Lillian smiled gently, opened the door, and stepped out, leaving the room in silence once again.

Left alone, I cautiously slid my hand under my skirt.

“…Ugh.”

Even after some time had passed, my underwear, damp with sweat and discomfort, clung unpleasantly to my body. Spending the entire day in this state had been unbearable. If Lillian hadn’t allowed me to bathe, it would’ve been pure agony.

Still, the thought of washing up in warm water made me feel slightly better.

Bathing had become one of the few pleasures I had since finding myself in this world, and the chance to escape this stifling, gloomy room even for a moment was enough to lift my spirits.

After a few minutes, the door opened once more, and Lillian entered with a radiant smile.

“Tina, it’s time to go.”

She approached me, holding a circular leather strap in her hand.

Lillian took out a key from her pocket and began unlocking the restraints on my arms and legs one by one.

As the cold, heavy restraints were removed, my limbs, which had felt endlessly weighed down, were finally freed.

A sense of liberation spread throughout my body, so profound that, for a fleeting moment, I thought living in this state of release might not be so bad.

“Tina, in exchange for taking off the restraints, you’ll need to wear this.”

Lillian tucked the key back into her pocket and held up the circular leather strap she had brought.

The leather strap she spread open clearly resembled a collar.

On closer inspection, it was unmistakably a dog collar.

No, it was a dog collar.

“Tina, don’t misunderstand.”

Lillian showed me the center of the collar.

At its core, there was a translucent jewel radiating a soft, iridescent glow, embedded in the black leather.

“This is to ensure that the entity inside doesn’t come out and hurt you.”

“…You know about my friend?”

Come to think of it, she had spoken as though she knew about that existence before.

How could she know?

My childhood friend had crossed over with me from my previous life. She couldn’t be something a mere game character would understand.

Could it be that Lillian, as a saint, instinctively sensed something?

“Tina, remember this. That being is not your friend. It’s a very wicked and evil existence.”

Lillian’s gaze grew serious as she stared at me.

Her two pink eyes seemed to pierce through me, as if they could see into my very soul. The rebellious thoughts I had been suppressing began to rise to the surface.

“…What do you know?”

It’s the being that stayed by my side when I was alone.

In that cramped one-room space where I merely managed to get through each day, it was always there, comforting me with a bright smile and a warm voice.

“I know, Tina. You think of that companion as someone more precious than anyone else, don’t you? That must have been their intention all along.”

“I’ll make sure Tina can’t live without me. Don’t worry, I’ll make you forget all about that woman. It’s okay.”

Lillian placed a collar around my neck, tightening it just enough not to cut off my breath.

Then, she stared at me for a while before gently stroking my head with her eyes gleaming faintly darker.

“…Tina is truly dangerous. Showing such a tempting sight makes it hard to resist.”

“What?”

I felt bewildered at her sudden remark.

What had I done to deserve this?

The absurdity of hearing such words from the person who had put a collar on me was staggering.

“Now, shall we go wash up?”

Lillian stood up and extended her hand toward me.

I had a lot to say, but instead, I silently took her hand and got up from my seat.

I simply wanted to wash up for now.

I wanted to get rid of the damp feeling from the fabric clinging to my lower body and the dust that had settled on my hair.

I took Lillian’s hand.

With a faint smile, she wrapped her arm around my waist and gently guided me toward the door.

Finally, I was about to leave this suffocating space.

But just as we were about to step out, the door opened from the opposite side, not by Lillian’s hand but by someone else’s.

And the person standing there was someone I hadn’t expected at all.

“…Lady Viviana?”

Long, flowing black hair.

Amidst it, amethyst-like eyes shimmering with subtle brilliance.

Viviana stood at the door, staring intently at me.

“…My Lady?”

Lillian, too, seemed taken aback.

Viviana shifted her gaze from me to Lillian, then, with a faint smile, swiftly pulled me out of Lillian’s embrace.

“Eep?”

A high-pitched sound escaped my lips.

Instead of Lillian’s arms, I found myself embraced in Viviana’s.

Viviana’s embrace felt stronger and more solid compared to Lillian’s slender frame.

“I’ll take care of Tina’s bath.”

Her voice carried a tone that didn’t sound particularly pleased.

Viviana spoke, her eyes darkened, addressing Lillian.

Lillian, meanwhile, stared at her own two hands, now empty and aimless, furrowing one eyebrow as she glared at Viviana.

“…What did you just say?”

For some reason, the atmosphere between the two didn’t seem very amicable.