Chapter 104: Words echoed Relentlessly in my Mind

The cold silence enveloped the office. A palpable tension hung in the air between the two women seated on the sofa, staring at each other.

“Did you enjoy bathing with my pet, Lady Lillian?”

Lillian’s smile carried an overt hostility, but Viviana remained unfazed, sipping her tea calmly before responding.

“Yes, it was such an unforgettable experience.”

“I recall you promising to leave Tina’s training to me,” Lillian countered.

“What I entrusted to you wasn’t training but the exorcism of a demon.”

This time, Viviana’s voice carried a subtle edge. Her serene, amethyst-like eyes pierced sharply through Lillian.

“I’m curious how forcing Tina to urinate in front of you or feeding her mouth-to-mouth ties into exorcism.”

Lillian’s eyes twitched slightly.

“…I explained before, didn’t I? It’s a process to make her depend on me more than that demon.”

“Is it the only way?”

“If that’s the case, should I truly treat Tina like a pet? Punishing her when she disobeys, starving her until she submits?”

“…You.”

“You’re gravely mistaken, Lady Viviana. Simply whispering sweet words to Tina and trying to gently persuade her will achieve nothing.”

Viviana crossed her legs, looking down at Lillian with a gaze that seemed to invite her to keep talking. Though she hated that look, Lillian gritted her teeth and thought of Tina before continuing.

“Tina is closer to a villain than a saint right now. That alone shows how deeply she’s been influenced by the demon.”

“And?”

“If we don’t thoroughly train her, Tina will ultimately choose the demon again. Whatever it did to her, she’s willing to risk her life for that being.”

“I’m aware.”

Viviana knew it well. On Lillian’s first night away, Tina had unhesitatingly bitten her own wrist in an attempt to take her life.

When she slit her wrist in Viviana’s mansion, it was undoubtedly the demon’s whispers that had driven her to such desperation.

“Tina is far past the stage of persuasion. It might seem harsh, but I need to make her depend on me so much that the demon doesn’t even cross her mind.”

“Does it have to be you alone doing that?”

Lillian blinked, caught off guard by the sudden question.

“Pardon?”

“Wouldn’t it be better to do it together rather than alone?”

Viviana’s gaze was steady as she continued.

“Well, I agree with your point. Tina doesn’t need mere kindness right now, but an unyielding affection.”

“So, what are you suggesting?”

“I plan to join in Tina’s training. Of course, my methods will be different from yours.”

Her voice was firm, unwavering. A mixture of confusion and wariness surfaced on Lillian’s face.

Viviana had gleaned a fragment of Tina’s inner turmoil during their bath together.

The confession of having killed her own mother, her despairing cry that she could never believe in love—her pained voice was drenched with regret and anguish, and above all, profound loneliness.

After hearing such raw sincerity, Viviana couldn’t remain idle.

“You intend to train Tina as well?”

“Yes. And this isn’t a request, it’s a notification.”

“…Hah.”

Lillian sighed deeply, staring at Viviana. Her resolve was solid, her determination unshakable.

All Lillian could do was click her tongue in frustration. The tension between them grew sharper, cutting deeper into the silence.

***

[Artasha misses you.]

Viviana’s words echoed relentlessly in Tina’s mind.

She left the warmth of the bath behind and returned to the damp, oppressive prison. Though her body felt cleaner and more at ease, the suffocating weight of the space remained unchanged.

“Artasha… really misses me…?”

She mumbled absentmindedly.

It was absurd.

The idea that Artasha would worry about her was far less believable than the notion that she was meticulously preparing to destroy her.

Despite everything, my feeble mind couldn’t stop the buds of vain hope from sprouting in my heart.

The thought that Artasha might truly miss me. That foolish possibility lingered stubbornly within me.

“…Lonely.”

I hugged myself tightly and curled up.

In this place where even a sliver of sunlight couldn’t reach, all a frail being like me could do was wait.

At some point, while I was suffering from the endless poison of loneliness, the tightly shut door burst open with a loud noise.

“Oh my, it smells wonderful in here.”

The one who entered was Lillian, wearing a bright smile on her face.

As always, she approached me leisurely, sat me on her lap, and began stroking my hair gently.

“Did you enjoy your bath? I put some effort into preparing it.”

“…Yes, it was wonderful.”

Recalling the moment I spent with Viviana, I answered quietly.

For some reason, however, my reply seemed to displease her, and a faint shadow crossed Lillian’s face.

“Oh, wait a moment. Let me remove this for you.”

With a faint smile, Lillian slowly removed the collar around my neck.

“More importantly, Tina, aren’t you hungry?”

“…A little.”

“Hehe, I thought so, so I brought some food. Today, it’s meat soup.”

On the tray Lillian handed over was a steaming bowl of meat soup and clear water. As the savory scent tickled my nose, my empty stomach growled in response.

“It’s very hot, so I’ll cool it down for you. Is that alright?”

“…Yes.”

I nodded weakly.

Lillian lifted me onto her lap and gently turned my body around.

Facing her gaze at such a close distance, I saw her nod lightly, signaling me to come closer.

The familiar gesture no longer evoked any resistance. It was just an accepted, repetitive part of my life now, like resignation.

Slowly, I closed my eyes and wrapped my arms around her waist. As Lillian’s scent drew closer, I surrendered myself to her without hesitation.

At last, my lips cautiously met hers.

Lillian’s lips gently parted mine, and soon, her warm tongue slid deeply inside.

Chup— Chuup—

The rich taste of the soup spread through my mouth, carried by her tongue.

The warmth of the soup was still quite hot but not unbearable. It must have been much hotter when she first held it in her mouth—was she alright?

“You did well, Tina.”

Lillian’s voice drifted low, almost like a whisper.

She filled her mouth with more soup and looked at me. Without a word, I lifted my head and met her lips again.

Once more, Lillian opened my mouth and slowly poured the soup into it.

Chup chuup—

Once, twice, three times.

As time passed, the soup in the bowl gradually diminished, and only the wet sounds of saliva and broth mingling filled the still room.

Before I realized it, the air had grown thicker, the space filled only with our shallow breaths.

“Haah… Hnng…”

“I love you, Tina,” Lillian murmured softly.

Lillian carefully poured the water from the glass into my lips, then gently kissed my forehead with a faint blush on her face.

Strangely enough, as her kiss ended, my waist began to tremble slightly.

“Ah… Lillian Sister…”

“Yes, I know, Tina.”

She softly stroked my hair as if to reassure me, then carefully cleared away the tray.

After suspending the restraints binding my hands to the ceiling, she placed her hands on my thighs and slowly lifted my legs into the air.

“Don’t be embarrassed, just relax… Is that okay?”

Lillian quietly signaled to me.

Like old lovers, she shared a deep and sweet kiss. Pressing close so our stomachs touched, she began firmly pressing my lower abdomen with one hand.

“Ah… ugh… mm…”

My body trembled as my strength left me, and soon, my underwear and Lillian’s clothes gradually became damp.

“Ah, ugh… Sister… ha, ugh…”

Shaking in Lillian’s arms for a while, the throbbing sensation in my lower abdomen slowly subsided.

“Good job, Tina.”

Lillian, as if nothing had happened, deepened the tender kiss that stained my lips.

As if in response, shame seeped out between my legs, which were spread apart while held by one of Lillian’s hands, slowly moistening both her and my legs.

For a while, strange sounds resonated in the air.

Lillian carefully placed my legs down and pulled a handkerchief from her inner pocket.

Then, slowly and gently, she meticulously wiped away the traces of urine on my legs.

“Tina, do you know? There are many people who pray at the temple every day just to obtain a drop of this water.”

“Please, don’t say things like that.”

Lillian replied with a soft smile.

“Hehe, alright.”

Lillian, with words that sounded like a joke but were far from it, dressed me in a fresh, pristine white undergarment and released the restraints that had bound my arms to the ceiling.

“You did well today too. I’ll give you a reward.”

Wearing a satisfied smile, Lillian carefully tucked the damp handkerchief into her chest and pulled out a small piece of paper from another pocket.

She then carefully stamped it with a seal.

“You’ve already collected twenty.”

Stamps given one per day. If I gather a hundred, I can leave this place.

When that day comes, I will finally be able to meet my mother in the hell she resides in. I will end everything here and go to the hell where my mother awaits.

Then, I won’t have to face the people here anymore.

But why?

Why does my chest ache more and more?

[Artasha misses you.]

Words that usually meant nothing to me now echoed in my mind, spoken in Viviana’s voice.

That one sentence, deeply embedded in my heart, reverberated relentlessly.

A dull ache began to spread within me.