Chapter 163: An Apostle

The soft sound of a pen scratching spreads faintly through the quiet silence.

As I slowly open my heavily closed eyes, the familiar ceiling of my mother’s office comes into view.

Rubbing my eyes, I try to grasp the situation.

‘Did I… faint?’

My mother’s coat was draped over me.

I desperately sifted through my memories.

I had teamed up with Renihelto provoke my mother’s jealousy.

I was sure I just needed to push a little further, so I teased her mischievously.

After that, my mother grabbed my head, then removed her skirt while…

“…Ah.”

My face burned as the memories resurfaced.

The sensation of my mouth being completely filled came back vividly.

No wonder I had been feeling persistent physiological signals from my lower abdomen—I had been full.

‘I never knew Mother had such a dominant personality…’

The image of my mother looking down at me flashed in my mind.

A cold, merciless gaze without an ounce of pity.

It was a side of her I had never seen before.

And the old Tina would never have faced such an expression from her.

The thought that I had seen a side of my mother the old Tina never knew made my heart race.

Perhaps Mother was even more dominant than Viviana or Lillian.

“Awake, my daughter?”

A low, graceful voice seeped into my ears. I jolted and turned my head.

Mother was reviewing documents at her desk as usual.

But there was a clear change in her appearance.

Her once-pale skin now looked smoother and more vibrant.

The shadows under her eyes had vanished without a trace.

Compared to when she was bedridden, she looked undeniably healthier.

“…Mother.”

I hesitantly approached her.

Not knowing what to do with myself, I quietly knelt beside her chair and rested my head against the armrest.

Mother naturally reached out and gently stroked my hair.

“Are you alright? I wonder if I was too harsh on you.”

“N-Not at all! Seeing Mother so pleased… made me really happy.”

Mother’s blue eyes seemed to shine brighter than usual.

Whenever she smiled faintly, her long, elegant lashes fluttered downward.

It was a sight so breathtaking it stole my breath away.

I held her hand resting on my head and nuzzled against it gently.

“And… I never knew Mother had such a commanding side. I liked it.”

Her fingers, tangled in my hair, trembled faintly.

“Tina.”

I looked up at her.

She quietly cupped my chin and lifted my face gently.

Mwah—

As Mother leaned in, our lips met naturally.

The soft touch and warm body heat lingered on my lips.

Dazed, I touched my lips with my fingers.

My face burned, and my heart pounded wildly.

It was the first time—Mother had initiated the kiss.

“My daughter, I won’t hold back from now on. Is that alright?”

Mother smiled with a bewitching, decadent charm.

A mature smile that even Viviana and Lillian hadn’t yet mastered.

Captivated by that smile, my face flushed crimson as I nodded shyly.

“I’d love it if Mother did as she pleased…”

“Hehe, thank you.”

Mother pressed another brief kiss to my forehead.

“Um, Mother…”

“What’s wrong?”

“Um, I need to go to the bathroom…”

At my words, Mother rested her chin on her hand and let out a soft chuckle.

“Alright, let’s go now.”

Her strangely changed demeanor was utterly captivating.

***

Drip—

Below, a transparent stream of liquid shot into the air.

Above, Mother’s tongue tangled with mine, entwining and melding together.

“Ah… Hah, Mom…”

“Huu… slurp— I’m right here, sweetheart.”

Mother’s kisses were more skillful than anyone else’s.

Like a serpent, her tongue glided smoothly through my mouth.

“Hng, M-Mom, your kisses are amazing…”

Like a hungry baby bird, I opened my mouth wide to accept her tongue.

Her tongue work was on a completely different level from Lillian or Vivian.

Because of that, every time Mother’s fingers pressed below my navel, a considerable stream shot into the air.

“You must’ve been holding it in for a while, dear.”

Her words made me feel oddly embarrassed.

“W-Well, it’s because you’ve filled me with so much nourishment…”

“……”

“I-Isn’t that right…?”

Mother smiled faintly as she watched the clear stream.

“It’s holy water.”

“Y-Yeah, so…”

I pressed a light kiss to her neck and murmured:

“Ah, if you ever need it in the future, you can always use my mouth…”

“……”

Mother silently gazed at me. After chewing her own lip a few times, she looked at me with deep, enigmatic eyes.

“…Then, may I ask for it now, daughter?”

“Hehe, I’ll be filled with you again, Mom.”

“I’m sorry.”

“No, I really love it.”

Compared to all the grace Mother has given me, this is nothing.

I knelt obediently before her.

Rubbing my nose gently against her lower body, I then boldly opened my mouth wide—

“Please… use me as you like, Mom…”

Mother looked down at me with intense eyes.

Slowly, she placed a hand on my head.

With the sound of rustling clothes—

And so, for a while, only the meaningful sound of liquid filled the bathroom.

***

After finishing some errands with my mother, we were leisurely drinking tea under the sunlight when it happened.

“Lady of the House, the Saintess has come to see you.”

Lillian had come to find me.

Come to think of it, it had already been two weeks since I last went to the temple to offer prayers. Maybe that was why Lillian had sought me out.

“Tina!”

Lillian’s expression looked quite urgent. She was dressed in priestess robes, as if she had just come from the temple.

“Lady Lillian?”

Both my mother and I looked at her with puzzled expressions.

“Ah, greetings, Baroness. My apologies for the sudden intrusion.”

Lillian first bowed politely to my mother.

“This is quite unexpected, Saintess. What brings you here?”

“Well…”

Lillian hesitated before speaking.

“The Goddess has delivered an oracle.”

My mother’s eyes widened in shock. I, too, mirrored her reaction, my own eyes going round.

An oracle.

It was exceedingly rare for the Goddess to actively speak to the mortal world.

The last time an oracle had descended was when Lillian was proclaimed the Saintess.

Because it was such an uncommon occurrence, I could understand why she wore such an expression.

“I see. It’s been five years already.”

“Yes… But the content of it…”

Lillian fixed me with a sharp gaze.

Her pink eyes seemed to demand an explanation right then and there.

“Tina, be honest with me.”

“Huh?”

“Did you really only offer prayers to the Goddess?”

It was a sudden question.

What else could I have done besides pray to the Goddess?

“Yes… Didn’t we pray together, Lady Lillian?”

“Sigh… Then just how did you pray to bring about an oracle like this?”

Lillian let out a deep exhale.

Baffled by the incomprehensible conversation, my mother and I exchanged glances and tilted our heads in confusion.

“What kind of oracle was it that has you so worked up?”

Lillian took another deep breath in and out to steady herself.

“Congratulations, Tina.”

“…What?”

An out-of-nowhere congratulatory remark.

“I have no idea how you managed it… but you’ve become the Goddess’s Apostle in record time.”

An unexpected statement.

Those words were more than enough to shock me.

“Wait, what? An Apostle? Me?“

“Ahem.”

Lillian cleared her throat a few times before continuing with a solemn expression.

“The silver-haired, blue-eyed maiden of House Blanc. I hereby take her as my Apostle. Henceforth, she shall offer prayers to me without fail each day. Should she ever neglect her prayers, I shall withdraw all the power I have bestowed upon this land.”

“…Lady Lillian?”

“That was the content of the oracle. It’s the first time She has ever mentioned a family name so directly.”

When I looked closely into her eyes, there seemed to be a flicker of anger in them.

Almost as if she was mad at me.

“So now it’s your turn to explain, Tina.”

“Me?”

Lillian gripped my shoulders firmly.

Her sharp gaze bore into me, as if demanding an explanation right this instant.

“Just what did you do this time? How did you wag your tail and pray so fervently that you even earned the Goddess’s obsession?”

“…Huh?”

An explanation?

What was there to explain?