Chapter 287 - My OC Stash #87 - Iwatani Naofumi – BitchSlayer by SmutWithPlotAO3 (RisingOfTheShieldHero)

-Post-nut clarity the story? An interesting concept that although frowned upon I still continued on and read it. It's truly satisfying, the author made the BitchSlayer quite the convincing ship~

Sypnosis: Naofumi got suspicious of Myne during their dinner, and, after a heated confrontation, her scheme got unveiled, leaving Naofumi with two options: To keep hating her and to blame the Shield for everything OR To embrace it, help her become Queen, and marry her, ruling over the fools who feared and vilified him. The choice was obvious. Smart!Naofumi. AU(Medea and Waves are different).

Rated: M

Words: 96K

Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13442615/1/Iwatani-Naofumi-BitchSlayer (SmutWithPlotAO3)

PS: If you're not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can't copy links on mobile (´ー｀)

-I'll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan't more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)

Chapter 1-3 (exceptional)

This will be a very long fic (500k+) with some smut here and there because it's a core element of the premise, and also, "why not?". Also, Malty and Naofumi's relationship is very physical; I feel it wouldn't work otherwise. There will be plot. Keyword: Medea (eventually). And I mean eventually (see below).

I guess I should point out that this is AU. Expect changes (especially concerning Medea, and by extension, Malty).

You can skip chapter 2 (which is completely smut/****, although the **** part is very short and ambiguous) and continue without a problem if that kind of stuff isn't for you.

I've listed the story as Angst simply to display that it has some dark themes. Not sure what else the Angst genre typically entails, but whatever that may be, don't expect the story to follow that to the letter (opposite to the Romance, which I take very seriously).

The story will be long and I'm planning to split it into "books" to make it easier to plan and to follow. Each "book" will be 100-200k words (although the first "book"—which contains basically everything from anime season 1—will probably be a little longer). Anything romantic happening with Raphtalia will only start in "book" 2. Until then, this is purely Malty/Naofumi (and obviously one-sided Rapthalia/Naofumi). Also, I'm planning to make this a true three-way relationship, meaning that there'll be both Malty/Raphtalia and Naofumi/Raphtalia development. Medea Plot will build up throughout all "books" and will probably come to a head somewhere in "book" 4 or 5, which then marks the end of this fic (after a little epilogue). Although, I've been known to get ahead of myself, so I'll just focus on writing "book" 1 for now. In theory, "book" 1 can be regarded as an independent (Naofumi/Malty) story with a semi-open ending. So, no matter what happens (be it a lack of motivation or simply real life getting in the way), I want to at least complete that.

"Aren't you going to drink your wine?" Myne leaned forward and lightly chinked her full goblet against his own, and for the briefest moment, Naofumi thought he'd seen a strange flicker in her green eyes—some hidden intelligence, a sort of hunger that so greatly contrasted the open, friendly, and innocent person he'd thought her to be.

He was so shocked that any reply as to how he didn't usually drink alcohol died in his throat as his breath hitched, his mouth hanging open slightly.

"If you haven't noticed, Melromarc is a matriarchy," Myne went on, smiling sweetly at him again, though her posture was a little dejected. "It is quite unheard of a man denying an invitation to a drink. But you couldn't have known that. So, drink with me?" she asked hopefully, batting her eyelashes.

He was suddenly feeling quite warm, and, clearing his throat, he shook himself out of his stupor as he stared into her striking face. His hand had already reached toward his goblet, and her face brightened up in a wide smile when he remembered whatever it was he'd seen in her gaze a few moments ago. He stilled, his fingers gracing against the cold glass while an insane thought flickered through his mind: What if she has poisoned the wine?

No, he immediately brushed it off. Myne would never do that. His eyes flickered back and forth from the red wine—swirling ominously in the goblet, daring him to drink it—to her hopeful, innocent expression. His hands were suddenly sweaty and his throat felt constricted while doubt and nervousness began to consume his whole being.

Out! He didn't get any air. I need to get out of here! He abruptly stood, nearly knocking his chair over, drawing a few stares of the other patrons as he rocked their table, spilling some of the wine.

"S-sorry!" Naofumi croaked.

"Are you alright?" Myne asked with concern in her melodic voice.

"I—I... I have to go the bathroom," he said hurriedly and fled, not chancing another glance at her. He half-stumbled, half-walked as he somehow managed to find the tavern's restroom without knocking over anyone. Bursting through the door, he found the small room thankfully empty and managed to draw a few deep, calming breaths as his rapidly beating heart began to slow down, now that he was finally alone.

What just happened? he wondered in mild horror, running a shaky hand through his wild hair while he inspected himself in the restroom's mirror. One moment he was having a lovely dinner with a sweet, beautiful girl, planning the next few days of their joined adventure, and the next he was sitting across a silver-tongued viper wearing a human's face, watching him with hopeful eyes that barely concealed some hidden hunger as he had his last meal in front of her.

Shaking his head, he knelt down in front of the washbasin and splashed his face with a handful of cold, refreshing water, then rested his hands onto the rim, taking another handful of deep breaths to steady himself

This is insane, Noafumi told himself, my imagination is getting the better of me. He didn't have any proof for his sudden paranoia aside from a brief flicker in her eyes, which could have very well been a trick of the light.

"But she's been suspiciously insistent that I drink my wine," he tried to convince himself. He flopped down on the wooden floor, leaned against the wall, and closed his eyes while he tried to make sense of it all. He thought back to how it all started, going over every interaction between him and his companion.

He'd first seen her when they'd been called to meet the adventurers the king had assembled. Myne had stood among them, and he remembered quite clearly how their eyes had met and how she'd smiled while he'd blushed and averted his eyes. She'd definitely sought him out there; Motoyasu had been walking beside him, but her eyes had only met his.

"So, she'd planned to join my party from the start, huh?" If that was the case, why didn't she join his party immediately? Why make a show of first joining Motoyasu, then him, acting as if she'd only done so out of pity? He had no idea.

After saying goodbye to the other heroes, they'd then ventured into the city and visited the weapons shop. A shop she chose, he reminded himself. She'd said that it was a shop of her trust, but the owner hadn't known her. Although, he had made a strange comment on how she seemed familiar. Odd.

Then they'd gone to slay some monsters. She had killed quite a few, but sadly, her kills hadn't given him XP. Now thinking about it, wasn't it normal for a party to share XP? He didn't have the extensive knowledge of the other heroes, who had played games similar to the world he now found himself in, but he knew that much. After all, what was the point of a party, if not to help him level up?

The stronger I am, the more loot we'll get from monsters, Myne's voice echoed through his head as she'd sweet-talked him into buying her new equipment. As if he'd care about the loot! He needed XP and levels if he wanted to survive the coming Waves. A thing, Myne apparently couldn't help him with. Or a thing, she'd conveniently forgotten.

God, I'm an idiot, Naofumi thought, swiping a head down his wet face. I have been so absorbed by this new experience and her sweet, open demeanor that I didn't question anything! She didn't need that armor—that was what his shield was for. A new sword maybe—even if that—but everything else was just unnecessary. And he hadn't even give it a second thought, blinded by her beauty.

"F.u.c.k." He wiped his face dry and stood up, intent on confronting her, but then hesitated. Was that even a good idea? What would it accomplish? If Myne was indeed playing some sort of game here, he'd only give himself away. Should he just leave? Make a run for it while he could? But where would he even go... He didn't know anything about this new world. And at the moment, he was dependent on the king for his income. Throwing that away would be foolish.

No, he decided, I need to find out more. I'll act as if nothing is the matter. And I better return now before she gets suspicious—I've been in here for a while.

Mind made up, Naofumi exited the restroom and made his way back to their table, barely managing to maintain a calm facade on the outside while his nervousness reached new heights, and he had to physically restrain himself from letting his eyes roam around the room, looking for some conspirators or hidden figures that only waited to leap out of the corners and shadows.

"Sir Hero!" Myne greeted with her usual cheerful demeanor, waving at him from the spot he'd left her.

Watching her lovely face, a grin automatically spread across his own despite himself. "Myne. Sorry I kept you waiting. I had to refresh myself." He took a moment to study her and realized how sweet, innocent, and perfect she looked. Almost too sweet. He made to sit down when his eyes fell onto the two still full goblets of wine, and his heart leapt into his throat.

F.u.c.k! He had totally forgotten about that! What do I do? What do I do? He had to come up with a solution, and fast, lest—

"Are you alright, Sir Hero?"

He just realized that he'd paused half in the motion of sitting down. Suddenly a stupid, risky plan crossed his mind, but he decided to not question his gut feeling and go with it. So, pretending to stumble, he let himself fall forward, and, while trying to steady himself onto the table, he gave his plate of unfinished food a quick shove in what he hoped wasn't too obvious. It had, however, the desired effect, and he managed to send it flying in Myne's direction, missing her by a fair margin and shortly after shattering onto the floor.

Myne gave a startled squeak and turned around, looking at the mess he's caused, and Naofumi used this moment to quickly grab both goblets and swap them, then took his place. He chaced a glance at the goblets, in which the wine was dangerously oscillating.

"Sorry, I'm really clumsy sometimes," he immediately apologized as she turned back to face him again.

Don't look down! Don't look down! he chanted in his head, locking eyes with her.

"Don't worry about it." Myne smiled, waving a careless hand before she leaned forward and rested her forearms onto the table. His eyes flicked toward her armor-covered cleavage, to the sizable ruby sitting there atop her sternum, to her luscious red hair falling onto the bare skin around her collarbone, then back to her lips, which span into an even wider smile as she noticed his scrutiny.

He cleared his throat and chanced a look at the goblets, sagging in relief to notice that his sleight has gone unnoticed.

"So," Myne spoke quietly, "about that drink..."

Now, without irrational fear, Naofumi immediately reached out and took his goblet—her goblet, the one without anything in it!—and brought it to his nose, taking a small sniff. He then swirled his glass like he'd seen a.d.u.l.ts often do and watched the red liquid intently, trying to come up with the best course of action to get some information out of Myne.

"Say," he suddenly said, looking up with a smile to see her frozen in motion with the goblet an inch away from her lips. "Why don't we take our drinks and head upstairs?"

The corners of her mouth minutely shifted into a smirk before returning to her usual sweet smile.

Caught red-handed! She was good, he had to give her that, but since he knew what he was looking for, he'd caught the brief break of her act.

"Of course, Sir Hero. I'd love to talk a little more...privately," she replied, the last word coming out a little breathy, and he saw that minute flicker in her eyes again.

Luckily, the smirk that had shown on his face as he'd caught her smirk could be excused as him just being happy that she'd accepted. After all, who wouldn't want to be alone with a girl like Myne, ulterior motive or not? It could, of course, be the case that he was overreacting and that Myne simply had a crush on him. Maybe she's obsessed with the Shield Hero, not me? It didn't really matter. "Great." Grabbing his goblet, he stood, and Myne followed suit.

Wine glass in hand, she took the lead, swaying her h.i.p.s as she slowly made her way toward the stairs. Naofumi followed close behind as they climbed the steps and searched the corridor for their rooms.

"Ah, here it is." Myne procured a key from somewhere within her armor and opened the door.

Her room, he idly noted. Though it didn't really make any difference, their rooms being virtually the same. Still, same as when they'd gone to the weapon shop or when chosing which tavern to spend the night, she'd taken the lead. Something that she apparently liked to do. For someone who acted like a sweet, innocent girl, she certainly was confident. Or arrogant.

Naofumi closed the door behind himself and took a moment to observe the room. It was quite small but homey, the walls, floor, and ceiling made entirely out of wood. A bed big enough for one person stood to the far side, some simple wooden furniture—a garderobe and a table with a set of chairs—took up the rest of the room.

Myne was already sitting on a chair that stood next to her bed. She took a sip of wine and placed her goblet onto the bedside table, then leaned back and smiled at him.

He wasn't quite sure what to do. He hadn't really thought past the getting-to-her-room phase. His only real plan was to get her drunk enough that she'd reveal her intentions or secrets.

"Why don't you have a seat and join me, Sir Hero?" she asked, apparently having noticed his hesitation, and patted a stop on the bed beside her.

He gulped. "Sure." Heart racing and hands starting to get sweaty again, he took his place on the bed, warily watching Myne out of the corner of his eyes.

"I thought you were going to drink with me?" she asked, managing to sound vulnerable and small.

"Y-yeah, sorry." Naofumi grimaced, irritated by his nervousness, and brought his goblet to his lips, then tentatively took a sip. The taste wasn't too bad, and, holding eye contact with Myne, he continued to take a few gulps, the alcohol burning in his throat and warming his stomach.

She made a cute, happy sound as she watched him with slightly darkened eyes, drinking as well. As the one who definitely didn't have the poisoned wine, he continued to chug down until there was not a drop left in the glass, never breaking eye contact.

"Ahhh," Myne gave a content sigh and replaced her empty glass onto the bedside table.

Naofumi placed his own glass onto the ground before facing her again. They were in touching distance, and the wine was already getting to his head, his gaze lingering on her full lips as she licked some last drops of wine off them. His pants were getting uncomfortably tight, and he had the urge to reach out with his hand and touch her—to take her hand or run his fingers through her beautiful hair. The room was only sparsely lit by a few candles, creating a very intimate atmosphere, and her crimson hair and emerald eyes seemed to almost shimmer in contrast to the rest of the room.

"Myne," he began, his voice coming out husky but luckily not slurred, "I just realized that I don't really know anything about you. How long have you been an adventurer?"

"Hmm?" She tilted her head to the side and steadied herself with a hand on the bed, appearing deep in thought for a moment. "How long have I been an adventurer? For a while, but there's not much to tell." She yawned and stretched herself, then resumed her previous position, her hand coming to rest a little closer toward him. "I'm tired, and my armor is grating my skin. Can you help me take it off? I don't think I can manage without dropping something and waking the whole tavern." She stared at him with hopeful, sleepy eyes.

His heart was hammering wildly in his chest now, and he felt like he was burning up inside his armor. Could this be it? Did she really just want to seduce him without any ulterior motive? He cleared his suddenly—despite the wine—dry throat. "Just...let me take my armor off, it's not as easy to move in it as it looks," he made a shitty excuse to which she hummed noncommittally.

He fingered desperately with the fastenings of his armor, trying to stop his hands from shaking and bringing his breathing back under control. Am I really getting laid?! his mind seemed to scream in his head as he finally managed to free himself of his armor, pulling it over his head and carelessly discarding it onto the floor. He then faced Myne. "Where...where should I start?"

She flicked her hair over one shoulder and turned away, facing him with her back. "My b.r.e.a.s.tplate...and my throat." She sighed. "I feel like...I can't...breathe."

Nodding despite her not being able to see it, Naofumi reached out with shaky fingers and got to work. The mechanism securing the piece of armor around her throat and shoulders was quite simple, and with a quick movement of his hand, he held the armor piece in his hand and gently set it onto the ground. When he looked up again, his gaze got briefly drawn toward her now bare shoulders and creamy skin—the urge to touch it was almost insurmountable—but he managed to rip his eyes off her.

It occurred to him that quite some time had passed since Myne had drunk her glass of wine, and there were no signs of any form of poisoning happening. Releasing a relieved sigh, the tension that had occupied his body since his little breakdown in the restroom finally left his body, and for the first time since then, an honest smile spread across his face. Seems I've been paranoid after all. Well, better safe than sorry.

Myne took a few deep breaths as if to confirm her previous claim, then leaned back into him with a content sigh. "So much better."

Time seemed to slow down as her body neared his, and his hands instinctively shot out and grasped her shoulders to steady her. Her skin was soft and cool against his hot, sweaty fingers and he barely resisted running them over it, exploring every inch of exposed skin. He grimaced, his now rock-hard erection being almost painfully restrained by his trousers.

"Are you alright...Sir Hero?" she asked quietly with the hint of a slur in her voice.

Sir Hero. The words pierced his dazed state of mind, and he withdrew his hands as if burned. She never called me Naofumi. Not once, he suddenly realized in suspicion and disappointment. "Y-yes." Shaking the sudden doubt off his mind, he resumed his efforts on her armor and started fingering with the mechanism of her b.r.e.a.s.tplate. He'd just help her get out her armor and into bed, then retreat to his own room and sleep the alcohol off. The thought of taking advantage of her drunken state of mind left a vile taste in his mouth, and he didn't really like the idea of only getting lucky because Myne had some sort of unhealthy infatuation with the Shield Hero.

Plan in mind, he rapidly freed her from her b.r.e.a.s.tplate, then moved to remove her bracers and greaves, kneeling on the floor in front of her when dealing with the latter. She sat silently during his endeavor, her head sagging and shooting up from time to time and only vaguely moving her arms and legs while he freed them of their armor.

"Only one piece left," he said gently, standing up and holding a hand out to her." Though you'll have to be standing for me to remove it."

She grasped his hand without question. Ignoring the almost electrical shock surging up his arm by their touch, he drew her up, then went to remove her sword and the armor covering her h.i.p.s. He was now quite familiar with the design and had it removed in a matter of seconds. The moment he let go of her and set the armor piece on the ground, she started to sway and fall.

"Myne!" Naofumi lunged forward and managed to catch her before she hit the ground. Holding her almost bridal style with only her feet touching the ground, he peered down at her confused expression with worry.

Myne—now only clad in a purple strapless bra and knickers—looked around as if trying to orientate herself, then stared intently at him. "How can you still stand?" she murmured.

"Don't worry, I'm not that drunk." He helped her back into a standing position but continued to steady her. "The fighting today must have been tiresome. I'll help you to bed."

He gently steered her toward the bed, but suddenly, she shrugged his arm off quite violently, then pointed an accusatory finger at him. "You! You did this to me!"

"What?" He saw her swaying and made to reach out to her, but she shrank away from his touch, stumbling backward, nearly stepping onto her discarded b.r.e.a.s.tplate, and coming to a rest against the bedframe.

"You swapped our glasses!" she shrieked, sounding as if he had committed a crime when apparently, she'd been the one who'd put something in his goblet. Her façade was completely off now, and she was glaring at him with a hateful, ugly expression on her face—every trace of the sweet girl he'd spent the day with had vanished.

He'd been right, every bit of paranoia paying off, and had beaten her at her own game. "I did." He smirked. The disappointment of having his worst fears confirmed got overshadowed by being right and the adrenaline that suddenly surged through his veins, clearing away the haze of the alcohol. This wasn't over yet, and he'd have to find out why she did it if he wanted to come out on top of this situation.

Her eyes widened briefly, then a contemplative expression crossed her face. "How?" she demanded, watching him with something in-between anger and intrigue. "How did you know?"

"I'll tell you if you tell me why you did it." He took a step forward.

She sneered at him. "Whatever. It doesn't matter." Then, she lunged sideways. "Help!" she screamed. "He—"

He was onto her before she could finish her second scream, surrounding her midriff with one arm and clasping a hand over her mouth, muffling her screams. Being half-lifted off the ground, she struggled against his hold, lashing out with arms and legs alike, but her efforts were uncoordinated and her strikes weakened by the wine and whatever she'd put into it.

"Bitch!" Naofumi cursed when she bit down on his hand, and he withdrew it on instinct.

"Hel—hhhhmmmmm..."

He grasped her throat and pushed down harshly, silencing her screams effectively this time. "Shut up!" he hissed harshly. Where he'd previously treated her as a precious glass doll, now, that she'd shown her true colors, he had no such reservations. He knew exactly what her plan was: If someone were to happen upon them at this moment, it was obvious who they'd make out to be the villain—him. He had no proof that she had been the one who'd put something in her drink, so it would look as if he'd drugged her and was now trying to **** her. That they were in her room and that she was almost completely undressed didn't help that fact either.

They continued to struggle and bumped against the table, knocking over the candles standing atop of it, casting the room in almost complete darkness. A few seconds later, and Naofumi managed to get a good hold of her and shove her harshly into the wall with an audible thump—head-first. Her struggles seized almost completely, and Naofumi used this opportunity to turn her around so that she was facing him, back against the wall. He then grasped her throat with one hand again while he pressed his body against hers, holding her in place and preventing her from struggling further.

He took a moment to catch his bated breath and waited for her to regain her bearings, idly noting how there was no blood or imprint on his hand where she'd bitten him—his high defense had protected him. "Talk!" he instructed.

Myne opened her mouth to scream again, but Naofumi, having foreseen this, tightened his hold, and only a scratching sound left her throat.

"What did you put in my glass?" he tried again, loosening his grasp.

She kept her mouth shut and glared at him with such hatred that he wouldn't have been surprised if suddenly fire erupted from her eyes. Then, as if suddenly remembering that she was the one holding all the cards, her expression turned triumphant and haughty, and she smirked at him. "Release me now and I'll forget this unprovoked attack on my person." Where she'd previously looked at him with wonder and sounded sweet and friendly, she now looked at him as if he were the dirt on the floor, and her voice was condescending and grated on his nerves.

He was suddenly overwhelmed with anger and wanted to choke her, to silence that ugly voice forever.

"You have already lost, you just haven't realized it yet," she explained, as if talking to a small child. "Whatever you do, you cannot win. Better to give up now before you make it worse."

"Yeah?" he scoffed. "So that you may run away and scream how I've r.a.p.ed you?"

She smiled her bight Myne-smile again. "Precisely."

"And why would I do that?"

"Better to beg for forgiveness now than being caught later, don't you think?"

"This was your plan all along!" he accused.

She gave a simpering laugh and winked.

"Bitch! Tell me, what is the punishment for ****?" He had no illusions that the people of this world would take his word over hers. He was already regarded with caution because he didn't know about this world, not to mention how the king was already disliking him for seemingly no reason at all. And considering that Myne had planned this from the start, she wouldn't have done so if she had doubt that it wouldn't work. Depending on the punishment—

"Death."

He blinked, staring at her. "Repeat that for me," he said slowly. Dangerously.

"Death, although—"

Naofumi saw red. This bitch was trying to have him killed! For no reason at all! He grasped her throat with both hands and choked her with such force that he was surprised he didn't just snap her neck.

Her eyes widened in surprise and fear as she unsuccessfully gasped for air and began to struggle again, hitting him with her hands and scraping his face with sharp fingernails. But he ignored the pain, and his high defense prevented her from doing any damage.

He was going to do it. Whether she lived or not, his life was forfeit, and he'd have to run or die. And for what? For her amus.e.m.e.nt? He'd do the world a favor to get rid of this psycho.

"P... ple...ase." Her struggles weakened while she desperately clawed at his hands and tried to say something. "Y...you...wo...nt...die."

He paused and slightly relented his hold. "Explain."

Myne greedily sucked in the air and coughed a few times. "They can't...have you killed," she said in a disgusted voice, glaring at him. "Because you're a hero."

"Well, if that's the case." He began to choke her again. "I might just save me the trouble and get rid of you now."

"W...wait." she managed to squeeze through his hold. "If...you kill me... Papa will...have your head."

Papa? It suddenly all fell into place. Papa, the shopkeep noticing that she was familiar but not recognizing her, and Myne clearly not being her real name. She was the bitchy princess from the book he'd read before he'd been sucked into this world!

And he hated to admit it, but she was right. He may get away with whatever she would accuse him of. He might be able to flee. But if he killed her, he knew that the king wouldn't rest until he had his head, regardless of where he ran or hid.

Naofumi released her, and she immediately gasped for breath again.

"I see you've finally accepted your loss," she said in that infuriating voice of hers, and his anger returned tenfold.

He wanted to grasp her hair and bash her head into the wall until she was silenced. He wanted to choke her, crush in her windpipe that she may never speak with that ugly voice again. But he couldn't do anything. She had him cornered, and he was powerless. The dark room seemed to darken even further as he glared at her with such hate he didn't know he was possible of.

Maybe they wouldn't kill him, but they could still imprison him. Best case scenario, he would remain free but get stripped of all his possessions. Still, this freedom would be short-lived—his already tarnished reputation would be so bad that he would never find another party member, and with no money, he had no chance to hire anyone. He would be left alone, with pathetic attack stats that made it almost impossible to level up until the next Wave hit. In essence, he was as good as dead.

Maybe she couldn't kill him directly, but she sure did so regardless, and judging by her victorious expression, she knew it as well.

F.u.c.k this! I refuse to go down without a fight!

He couldn't let her get away with this. He refused to let her get away unscathed! Then, like an epiphany, the solution occurred to him. Not the solution, but a solution.

Maybe it was the wine that made him foolhardy. Maybe it was the knowledge that his life was likely to be over or very miserable—the point of no return where any and all consequences become obsolete. Maybe it was the strange, foreign presence in his head, spurning his hate on a hundredfold, urging him to succ.u.mb to it.

But the solution came to him and didn't go away, and Naofumi didn't have the strength or will to question it. He wanted it. He wanted to hurt. He wanted to make her regret. He wanted to make her feel what he felt: Helpless. Powerless. Weak.

Maybe he couldn't hurt her physically—any injury or bruise would just increase his crime—or kill her. Maybe he couldn't escape whatever plan she'd in store for him.

But he could hurt her. He could inflict the worst pain and crime imaginable on a woman—the one she would accuse him of, regardless of whether he committed it or not. He would scar her forever, taint whatever twisted view of self she had, take away her dignity, and leave a painful reminder for the rest of her life. He'd drag her down with him.

He'd **** her, the princess of Melromarc.

The disgust he'd expected to feel at that decision didn't come. Instead, he only felt righteous anger at the bitch that continued to taunt him with her condescending look and smile. She deserved it...and so much more.

Her eyes widened when he leaned in with his head and forcefully took her lips with his own.

My muse got the better out of me, and this got way longer than I'd intended. Well, the good stuff is coming next Chapter.

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Chapter 2

First explicit smut I've ever written, hope you like it.

Her mouth had opened a little as she'd sucked in a surprised breath, and Naofumi immediately too her lower lip between his teeth and bit down, not hard enough to draw blood, but with enough force to inflict some pain, judging by her pain-filled, muffled shrieks.

He found himself chuckling darkly, enjoying her panic.

Myne put her arms against the sides of his torso and tried to push him away, but he barely even noticed her weak efforts, pressing his whole body against hers.

He reached out with his left hand—the right was still grasping her throat—and cupped her right b.r.e.a.s.t, kneading it and feeling the soft fabric of her bra.

Despite the overall bad spot he found himself in, he now had her at his mercy. The power he held over her was intoxicating, and the feeling that he needed to do this—that this was right—was overwhelming his mind in addition to her physical allure: the soft, warm flesh that pressed against him was impossibly arousing, and her round, full b.r.e.a.s.ts were wonderfully soft and perfect as he slipped his hand under her bra, digging his finger into them. He was already rock-hard, his almost painfully restrained c.o.c.k pressing against her h.i.p.s.

When he finally let go of her mouth to look at her, she was crying and deathly still.

"Please," she rasped, her bottom lip quivering as she stared at him with vulnerable, teary eyes.

A brief flicker of doubt ran through his hate-and-l.u.s.t-consumed mind before he remembered who he was staring at: the bitch who wanted to ruin his whole life in this new world.

He leaned in, mouth hovering beside her left ear. "You think you can take away everything from me?" he hissed, his voice sounding strange and distorted to his ears. "You think you can condemn me to death and then laugh while I lay down and await my doom. And you honestly expect me to just accept it?" he snarled, facing her again, their faces only a few inches apart, hot breath brushing him.

The sad, pitiful look from just a few moments was gone now and had been replaced by a hateful yet slightly frightened expression.

"You're right," Naofumi growled, digging his digits harshly into her throat. "I can't win. But I won't allow you to win either. So I'll make it a tie and take something in return!"

He grinned cruelly as her eyes widened in panic and she resumed her struggles from before, trying to hit him in any way. But whatever she'd put in the wine was still weakening her quite heavily—her efforts proved futile and her screams came out low and raspy through his grip. No one was going to rescue her. He'd make her feel helpless and abused, just like she did him. He'd make her regret.

He slid his left hand downward, across her belly, and in-between the fruitlessly kicking legs, coming to a halt on her panties. They were soaking wet—the sick bitch had apparently been getting off on tormenting him, relishing the power she held over him, just like he was now. He put his fingers flat against the soaked material and began to rub them up and down for a few moments before slipping his hand underneath and repeating the motion. He then slit two fingers into her and started to finger-f.u.c.k her at a fast rhythm, all the while grounding his h.i.p.s into her.

Myne, meanwhile, had given up on hitting and scratching his eyes out and had buried her hands in his hair, pulling harshly on it. The pain was worse than before, but it barely broke through the other sensations that dominated his mind, and after a while, the strength behind the occasion tug on his hair weakened and was not hurting anymore. Instead, it heightened his arousal.

Naofumi lowered his head onto her rapidly rising and falling chest, and began sucking on her skin that was already damp with sweat and the fake tears she'd spilled. He moved onto her b.r.e.a.s.ts but quickly grew frustrated when he was unable to move aside her strapless bra with only his mouth.

Stopping and retracting his left hand, he grabbed the irritating piece of underwear and ripped it off, then resumed where he took off, f.u.c.k.i.n.g her with his fingers while sucking and licking on her full b.r.e.a.s.ts, nipping and biting her hard n.i.p.p.l.es. Her attempts at screaming for help had seized at this point. As had her hair pulling, and her hands were now fisted in his wild hair, pressing his head into her tits while she arched her back into him.

He was panting heavily from exertion at this point. Same as Myne, only that her breathing came out as heavy wheezes through the steady grip he had on her throat. The muscles in his fingers were slowly giving out, and he didn't want to suffocate her. So, stopping once again, he grasped her panties and ripped them off as well. Though this time, he didn't discard the piece of underwear. He briefly increased the pressure on her throat, and when Myne opened her mouth in a silent cry of pain, he shoved her soaked panties into her mouth.

She glared defiantly at him, her green eyes glinting in the candlelight, but didn't try biting down onto his fingers as he'd expected she would while he effectively gagged her.

Finally able to use both hands again, he grabbed her and dragged her over to the bed, then forced her onto her knees and pressed her torse onto the mattress, her ass facing him. He proceeded to hold her down with one hand while fingering with the fastening of his trousers with the others. Myne, apparently having given up on resisting, simply out of energy, or ultimately succ.u.mbing to her accidental drugging, didn't struggle and simply lay there, face down.

Shoving his pants down, he managed to free his throbbing c.o.c.k, aligned it with her opening, and then slowly—inch for inch—thrust into her.

"F.u.c.k!" Naofumi groaned loudly as he fully slid into her, warm, wonderful tightness encompassing his whole shaft while intense pleasure flooded his mind. He let himself fall forward onto her back, briefly regained his bearings, then reached out with one hand to grasp a fist-full of red hair, pulling her head back. His other arm went around her torse, holding her against him and squeezing her b.r.e.a.s.ts.

After taking a few deep breaths, he withdrew and started to thrust into her—slowly at first, then picking up speed.

"F.u.c.k! Myne!" he panted against her neck, and after few more thrusts, the pleasure became too much, and he climaxed. Losing all control over his body, they fell forward onto the bed in a heap of limbs, his lower body twitching while he came inside of her.

A mild sense of peace began to flood his mind, casting away the tension and built-up aggression, and he just lay still for a couple of moments with not a single thought disturbing him, panting heavily against her smooth skin.

Eventually, the tranquility faded, and Naofumi went deathly still as he realized what he'd just done.

I've r.a.p.ed her. Horror and disgust hit him with such intensity that he'd have stumbled, were he not already lying down. It was like a nightmare he'd just waken up from. Everything from the moment she'd revealed her true colors was like a fuzzy haze in his memory—as if he'd been somehow possessed or bewitched—and he couldn't understand how he could have done what he had. It was unforgivable and something he'd have said with confidence he wasn't capable of.

But I did it. I wanted it. I wanted to make her suffer. But it was repulsive and wouldn't help his situation one bit. He couldn't understand himself. And despite what Myne had or would do to him, she didn't deserve this. No one did.

Myne, below him, was, aside from the weak heaving of her chest when she breathed, stock-still. Had he damaged her irreparably? Had she given up and retreated out of her body like he'd heard some **** victims described their experience?

I'm sorry. His words got caught in his throat. Not for the first time in the past day, Naofumi felt utterly helpless and out of his depth. Blinking back tears he didn't know were for himself or Myne, he pressed his mouth to the small of her back and began kissing her skin in a silent apology. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. He brought his hands onto her back and began running them tenderly over her smooth skin, feelings the outlines of her bones and muscles.

He continued to kiss his way up her spine, tracing her shoulder blades with his hands. "So beautiful," he breathed. Even her back was utterly perfect—well-muscled but not overly so and just the right amount of fat that covered her bones and sinews, creating a perfect aesthetic balance.

A mixture of sadness, regret, and pity ran through him. Why, oh why did you have to betray him? Why did you have to taunt and humiliate me so? No matter how much disgust he felt at his actions, at the core it was still her fault, and a flicker of anger reignited within him. Why did you have to be such a twisted bitch? She was a goddess, and he would have worshipped the ground she walked on had she not betrayed him.

Maybe he was projecting, but she was certainly not innocent either. Renewed anger and frustration flooded his mind, chasing away his guilt, and his hands became more insistent as they roamed over her body, kneading her hot skin. The kissing suddenly wasn't enough anymore, and he stuck out his tongue licked along the hollow of her spine, tasting her sweet and salty sweat.

"Ahh," Myne gave a little squeak—one that wasn't muffled by her panties-turned-gag. "Did you just lick me?" she asked with outrage and amus.e.m.e.nt in her voice.

Briefly dumbfounded, he wondered how she could be amused when he'd just violated her, but, reminding himself with who he was dealing with, he honestly wasn't sure why he was even surprised in the first place. "Yes. Did you like that?" Not waiting for an answer, he resumed said licking.

"Y-yes," she gasped, her muscles twitching below his caresses. This, in addition to heavy smell of s.e.x and the cute, little sounds she continued to make while he licked, kissed, nipped, and stroked her skin, was insanely arousing, and he found his c.o.c.k fully erect in a matter of seconds.

"Aren't you going to scream?" he murmured, working his way up toward her neck.

"You'd have to try a little harder to accomplish that," she sniped haughtily.

Naofumi chose not to question the turn of events and chuckled, then began to move his h.i.p.s in a slow rhythm against her again. He had made his way all the way to her neck now, and, brushing her hair aside and tilting her head, he began to kiss the sensitive skin near her pulse.

"Ahhh," Myne gasped, her breathing taking up speed alongside with his thrusts.

He had the sudden urge to completely feel her against him. So, grabbing his shirt at the hem, he harshly drew it up over his head and threw it away. He then surrounded her body with his arms—one around her stomach, the other around her chest—and drew her up and against him. He'd stopped his thrusts at this point and was simply bathing in the sensation of her warm, breathing body laying flush against his.

"Do you want me to stop?" Naofumi whispered, nuzzling her neck.

"No." The gasped reply came instantly.

"Good." Whatever had happened or would happen in the future wasn't important at that point. He wanted her, desperately so, and she wanted him. That was all that mattered at the moment.

He cupped both her b.r.e.a.s.ts in his hands, first surrounding them completely, then taking her n.i.p.p.l.es between finger and thumb, twisting.

The cute mewl that escaped her was the hottest thing Naofumi had ever heard, making his c.o.c.k jerk. He began to thrust against.

"Faster," Myne ordered.

He obliged instantly, and Myne started to meet his thrust with her h.i.p.s, creating loud slapping sounds as flesh crashed against flesh.

"Ahhh." She arched her back, reaching with her hands behind her to find purchase somewhere on his body.

"F.u.c.k," he groaned, grimacing. "Myne, I can't keep going any longer."

This proved her keyword, for she instantly turned around and pushed him away, extracting herself from his hold.

"Hey!"

Myne chuckled and aimed an evil, teasing grin at him, then slowly climbed into bed. "Take your clothes off," she instructed without looking at him.

Watching her shapely ass as she crawled on top of the bed and repositioned the pillow against the headboard, Naofumi slipped out of his shoes, then discarded the rest of his clothing.

When he joined her in bed, she was already leaning against the headboard with the pillow positioned behind her back. Her legs were spread, and she was rubbing her clit while the other hand was fondling her b.r.e.a.s.ts.

He took a moment to admire her in the sparse, flickering light the solely burning candle standing on the nightstand provided. Her pubic hair was neatly trimmed in the shape of a crown and shone in the same striking red color as the rest of her hair, and her thighs looked inviting and perfect—like the rest of her body.

"What are you waiting for?" she demanded. "F.u.c.k me already!"

Where her haughty, arrogant tone had infuriated him earlier, it was a major turn-on now, and, chuckling, Naofumi did as told and positioned himself on top of her, steadying himself with a hand on the headboard. He aligned his c.o.c.k with her v.a.g.i.n.a and slid into her warm folds again. Only this time, the different angle allowed for an even deeper penetration, and the pleasure momentarily made him dizzy.

"Damn." He rested his forehead onto hers, their mouths only inches apart.

"Kiss me," she whispered.

Almost shily, he closed the distance between them. He hummed contently as their lips met, this time gently and with consent, and began f.u.c.k.i.n.g her again.

"Hmmm!" His outcry of pain got swallowed by her mouth as she bit into his lower lip. He stopped his thrusts and immediately brought a hand to her throat, trying to get her to release him.

Myne didn't. Instead, she grabbed his ass with both hands and pushed him fully into her again while talking unintelligibly through the teeth that were still digging painfully into his flesh.

Naofumi vaguely interpreted the words as "keep f.u.c.k.i.n.g" and did so, though maybe with a bit more enthusiasm than was necessary.

M.o.a.ning into his mouth, she didn't seem to mind his hard thrusts and repositioned her hands onto his head, pulling and pushing on his hair, sending sweet pain through him. He, in turn, kept a weak grip on her throat while the other hand fondled with her b.r.e.a.s.ts.

"F.u.c.k," he cursed when she finally released his lip. They were both gasping heavily for air. "That hurt."

She smirked. "Payback." It was all that needed to be said, and Naofumi immediately attacked her mouth again.

There was a certain sweetness to their lovemaking—maybe as an apology for what they'd done or would do to the other—but at the same time, it was also aggressive, lashing out at the other in any way they could or simply because they wanted to: Myne dragged her sharp fingernails along his back and ass; he choked her and pulled her hair; they nipped at each other's tongue and lips while they kept kissing animatedly.

The bed was creaking under their passionate f.u.c.k.i.n.g, and the bedstead was banging against the wall on the occasional extra hard thrust. But Naofumi didn't care; all the mattered were her heady m.o.a.ns and sinful body writhing beneath him.

It was over way too soon, and without warning, Naofumi exploded inside of her. He withdrew from her mouth and rested his head against her chest for a few moments, waiting for the orgasm to cling off and catching his breath, then rolled over sideways, flopping onto the bed beside her. He ran a hand across his sweaty face, just lying there with his eyes closed.

The weight on the bed shifted around him, and suddenly, his still hard c.o.c.k was enveloped in warmth again.

Gasping, Naofumi opened his eyes and stared at Myne, who had positioned herself on top of him. She put her hands against his chest and started to slowly move up and down.

"What–aaahh!" He grimaced in a mix of pleasure and pain—the sensation of even her slow movements was way too intense for his still hypersensitive p.e.n.i.s.

"I'm not done yet, Sir Hero," she said sweetly but breathily.

He pressed his eyes shut and fisted his hands into the bedding, exhaling in shaky breaths as his lower body twitched from the overwhelming stimulus. After a few more agonizingly slow up-and-down movements, the intensity lessened somewhat, and he managed to pry his eyes open again.

How the positions have turned, he thought, not entirely upset about it. Where he'd started this whole mess with the intention of having her at his mercy, she was now—quite literally—on top again. And where he'd previously described her as a goddess, the image was now truer than ever as she rid him—slow, painful, and utterly incredible, holding eye contact, gazing at him with a hunger he returned wholeheartedly. Her hair, which was now completely loose and illuminated by the candlelight, shone like a crimson halo around her. And her perfect, full b.r.e.a.s.ts were bouncing up and down while she dug her fingers into his pecs.

"F.u.c.k." The slow tempo was killing him, and he knew he couldn't keep this up for much longer—for his sanity's sake. He removed her hands from his chest, halting her, and surrounded her back with his arms—she hugged him in return—holding her close while lying on the bed. He then put his feet up against the mattress and, after searching for the right position, started to thrust into her, which soon turned into a consistent hammering.

She squeezed him with her arms and buried her head in the crook of his neck, m.o.a.ning hotly against his skin while his hands came to rest on her back and the back of her head, pressing her against him as he continued to pound into her with abandon.

It was still a bit painful yet insanely pleasurable, and Naofumi couldn't decide whether he wanted to keep this up forever or have it end as fast as possible. His heart was racing so fast, he was afraid he may die any second from a heart attack, and his c.o.c.k was in a constant state of threatening to lose its rigidity and finishing off any second yet never quite crossing the edge.

"Ahhh...this...is too much!"

"More!" Myne m.o.a.ned. "Harder!" She dug her teeth into his skin at the base of his neck and pulled on his hair.

"F.u.c.k!" He let the pain fuel his thrusts. His ass cheeks were burning from exertion, and the thought of giving up became ever more appealing by the second.

"Yes! So close!" she screamed, biting down harder.

Tears were clouding the edge of his vision while he mustered the very last of his strength to just keep pounding. "Aaaahh!" he screamed through clenched teeth, more in desperation than pleasure.

"YESS! NAOOFUMIIII!" Myne's whole body started to suddenly shake uncontrollably against him as she continued to shriek out in pleasure.

He pressed his eyes shut, focusing on the smooth, sleek skin pressing and slapping against him, her wonderful tits, her sounds of joy, and the delightful pain her teeth continued to elicit. "MYYYNE!" It was finally enough to bring him over the edge, and he lost all control over his body and mind. His body began shaking alongside hers as they held onto each other, panting and twitching like mad while an orgasmic bliss he'd never experienced before floated his senses.

Heaven, Naofumi decided. This is Heaven, and Myne is the Devil. Or the Snake and I'm in...some garden? His brain didn't work properly.

His orgasm was the first to subside, and suddenly, all the exhaustion came crashing down on him, and he relaxed back into the soft bed, letting his heavy eyelids fall shut.

"Ho-ly shit," he mumbled, still breathless, running a hand with barely-there strength through her damp hair. "I can die happy now..."

Myne, finally stilling as well, snickered tiredly against him. It was a nice, pleasant sound and the last thing he heard before sleep claimed him.

Anyone here who's reading this not for the first time? I know I am.

Chapter 3

May the OOC-ness being. Not really, but some people may think so. Either way, it's my story and not supposed to be in character or canon-compliant.

Edit: My thanks to the guest who pointed out my temporal/temporary typo.

When Naofumi regained consciousness, it was still dark outside. He took a few moments to get accustomed to his surroundings while he gathered his thoughts.

Myne was still sleeping soundly, resting partly atop of him: The bedding was drawn up their h.i.p.s; her left arm lay across his chest, reaching up over his right shoulder; his right arm was slung around her midriff, and he daren't move a muscle; his left arm was numb down from where some body part of hers was digging into it—somewhere around his elbow.

He could feel her cheek resting on his chest, could feel the soft breathing tickling his fine chest hair, could feel the slight rise and fall of her body with every breath she took, could feel the minuscule movement of her hair that was sprawled over his chest, neck, and left shoulder.

The single window situated in the slanted roof atop the bed was closed. Yet, a soft wind was audible outside. The last candle they hadn't knocked over had apparently burned out a while ago, and the room was almost completely dark aside from the sparse starlight that shone through the window, giving Myne's crimson hair an ethereal glow.

The air smelled of s.e.x, sweat, alcohol, and some flowery scent that he suspected was her shampoo or perfume. He inhaled deeply, and the smell alone was enough to send images of last night's activities through his mind.

I've r.a.p.ed her. The disgust he'd felt the last time he'd had the same thought didn't come. Instead, he only felt acceptance and anger. Anger at her, for bringing him in this situation in the first place, and for continuing to taunt and mock him, which had ultimately led to his actions. But mostly anger at himself, for being such a naive and useless f.u.c.k, for hanging on her beautiful lips' every word without question, for not questioning anything, for allowing himself to be brought into this position.

Now, after what had happened, he felt like a completely different person. Where he'd looked with wonder and awe at the world, he now only saw corruption and people wearing façades and false smiles, who had it out for him.

All his life, he'd lived a sheltered life—a good and privileged life. He'd never come into contact with anything remotely criminal, had never really wanted for anything or feared for his life. And most importantly, he'd never done anything outside of his comfort zone. A comfort zone which he'd now undeniably and irreversible left. He was one of the bad guys now. Like her.

Were he to be brought back to his world this instance, he doubted he could go back to the life he'd lived. To a naive and simple life. To a vulnerable life. He just now realized how dependent he was on a lot of things, and how he never thought about scenarios where those things would be taken away. Or how he never really thought about anything that didn't belong into his calm, ignorant otaku lifestyle and worldview.

And he had made the same mistakes in this world. He was completely vulnerable here, totally reliant on other people for knowledge of this world, and he'd put all that trust in Myne. A grave mistake. And in terms of resources, he was obviously reliant on the king. That had to change as soon as possible as well.

Never again, he vowed, looking down at Myne's peacefully sleeping form. You wanna f.u.c.k me over? Maybe you won this round, but I'll not make it that easy the next time. Despite their shared passion, he had no illusions as to what kind of a person Myne was. The brief glimpse behind her façade has told him as much. Even if she would wake up and act as if she'd suddenly changed her mind, he wouldn't—couldn't—believe her.

She was a liar—and a good one at that—and had it out for him from the get-go. He had to admit that he was almost impressed by her acting abilities.

True, he didn't know much about her, but there was either a real reason she had for framing him, which meant that she would still do it, or she was simply a psychopath, sadist, masochist, or something else he didn't know. Or any combination of the above. Maybe she'd wanted him to **** her? Sadly, he couldn't put it past her. He sincerely hoped the first case would hold true. If there was some reason behind her action, then he could understand them and do something about it—either come to a compromise or straight-out outsmart her.

If he wanted a chance against her, he'd have to be and act like her: deceive, manipulate, lie, and cheat. Minor crimes, really, compared to what he had and nearly had committed.

He'd act accordingly to how she chose to. And if there was nothing to be done, then he'd try to run. He still had some money left—200 silver pieces if he remembered correctly. From the little grasp he had on this world's economics, it wasn't too bad of a sum. He also had his armor, and could potentially take Myne's armor and sword as well to bargain with. The sword most likely—it was the most valuable piece and the easiest to carry, not to mention the universally most useful, meaning that it would likely be of more interest than some random b.r.e.a.s.tplate. Even to people that weren't adventurers or even remotely connected to the weapon business.

Thinking about her armor made him grimace and feel embarrassed of himself. He'd been so easily manipulated when she'd batted her eyelashes and pushed her sizable b.r.e.a.s.ts against him. Not anymore.

The smartest thing would probably be to simply run away right away. According to the king, the prophecy affected the whole world, and there were Dragon Hourglasses in each country. Did that mean that there were summoned heroes in each country? It didn't really matter. He doubted any country would turn away a hero that was willing to defend it from the Waves.

The only thing that really kept him was Myne, who still clung closely to him. He doubted he could manage to disentangle their bodies without waking her. He could potentially try to put her in a headlock and choke her until she lost consciousness, giving himself a headstart. But he could always do that once she was awake and revealed her intentions. He'd wait until then before making his move.

He didn't really want to wake her up yet, so he just lay still, listening to Myne's rhythmic breathing while he stared out of the roof's window, gazing at the small area of the bright, starlit sky that was visible.

The stellar constellation was, of course, different than what he was used to. Though, he reasoned, that could be because of the angle of view, not because they were different stars. The simple fact that magic existed in this world and that everything was like a game spoke against it, but it could be possible that his world and his Earth were part of the same universe or even galaxy.

Maybe he was staring at his Earth right now without realizing it? Would it be daytime at home? Night? He wondered what his family was doing right now.

Oh god. My family. Would they be searching for him? They were probably sick with worry. He, as opposed to Itsuki, Motoyasu, and Ren, hadn't died when coming to this world. One moment he'd stood in the library, and the next he hadn't. No, his family likely hadn't noticed his absence yet—he, after all, lived alone and wasn't one to go out much.

What would they be thinking of him—a rapist, and nearly a murderer? Would they be ashamed—more so than usual? Probably. Disgusted? Definitely. They'd likely cut ties if they knew. Maybe it was better that he'd never see them again.

"Be strong, little brother," he murmured, and if Naofumi was honest with himself, it sounded almost like a goodbye. A goodbye to his family and to the life he used to live.

"You awake?" Myne murmured.

Had she heard him? Momentarily surprised, he didn't answer.

"I know you're awake," Myne said, and he felt her jaw moving against his chest as she spoke. "I can feel your heart rate speeding up."

"Yeah, so?"

She remained in her position, not moving her head, and Naofumi didn't look down, continuing to stare at the night sky. "So," she continued, "I was just wondering why you're still lying there. I'd have thought you'd make a run for your money the moment you woke up."

Naofumi grunted noncommittally. "Why are you still lying there? I'd have expected the same from you, plus some screaming, of course" he countered instead of answering.

"Maybe I like it."

"What? You like what?" he asked dumbfounded.

"The way you're caressing me."

The what? He suddenly realized how his right hand lay on her lower back, fingers spread with his thump resting on her spine. He must have unconsciously started moving it. "How long have I been doing that?"

"For a while."

Likely since he'd started gazing out of the window. Which meant that she'd most definitely heard him. It didn't matter either way.

Mentally shrugging, he continued to caress her. It wasn't a gesture of affection. He simply liked the feel of her skin against him, and the repetitive motion was calming. Also, she was most likely lying. And even if not, he couldn't care less about whether she liked it or not. But if it made her more talkative, then he'd keep it up.

"And the real reason you're still here?" Naofumi asked after a while.

"Maybe I simply like cuddling?"

He snorted. "Sure."

She chuckled, sending small vibrations through his body. As if to fortify her claim, she snuggled a little deeper into him, then started drawing little circles on his chest with her left hand.

Thankfully, this freed up his left arm, and slowly, feeling returned into it. Deciding to play along with her, he put his newly functioning arm around her shoulders and held her like that. It would also prevent her from making a fast escape.

They were silent for some time, only the faint breeze and their breathing audible.

"Say," Naofumi spoke up again, "what do you have to gain? From claiming that I r.a.p.ed you, I mean."

"You did ****," she pointed out in amus.e.m.e.nt.

"A fact you don't seem too upset about."

She hummed. "I did, or rather will do it, because I wanted to."

"Obviously. I'm sure there's another reason."

"Maybe there is, maybe there isn't. Why should I tell you?"

He chuckled despite himself. "Good question. Though...why shouldn't you? It's clear that you've planned this whole thing to work with just your word standing against mine. So, since everyone's obviously gonna side with you, no one will believe anything I say anyway."

"Hmmmm... true," Myne conceded. "But it's still information that you could use against me." She paused. "I guess I can give you a hint. I did it...because it brings me closer to my goals."

It wasn't much, but at least it assured him in the fact that she had a real goal and wasn't simply a psychopath. Little victories.

Truth be told, he hadn't really expected her to say anything, or to simply remain in bed with him in the first place. He guessed that as long as it was dark, she could always make a run for it, screaming that he'd r.a.p.ed her. And even so, her father was the king. She would always win, no matter how bad her accusation was constructed or whether there were witnesses or not. Maybe she was gathering information, just like he was. Maybe she was playing at a totally different angle he just didn't or couldn't see. Maybe she was simply basking in her victory and wanted to see him suffer some more.

"What goals?" he asked, not really expecting an answer.

"It's not really a secret anyway, and you'd figure it out sooner rather than later, so I might as well tell you." She finally raised her head off his chest and repositioned herself, so that her head was propped up on one hand, her elbows put up against his chest. He had loosened his hold a little to allow her to maneuver but still kept his arms dr.a.p.ed around her. He stopped gazing at the stars and observed her face. She tilted her head sideways as she observed him in return, a small grin on her face. "You've realized who I am, correct?"

"The princess," he said, trying to keep his eyes locked on hers and not have them flicker down toward her b.r.e.a.s.ts, which were nearly exposed from where they were pressed against his skin.

"A princess."

"A-what?"

"A princess. Not the princess."

"So...you have a sister?" Naofumi asked, unsure where this was going.

Myne huffed. "Yes, unfortunately, that little brat is still around," she groused.

"Oooh..." Realization suddenly dawned upon him. He surmised that she was talking about a younger sister. Which would mean that Myne had been skipped as the heir. A decision Naofumi wholeheartedly supported. He obviously didn't know her sister, but he couldn't imagine her to be worse. "She's next in line to the throne... which you want."

"Yes, because of mother," she spat, her face morphing into a hateful expression, though she still managed to look beautiful, maybe even more so because he knew that it was a genuine expression.

Wow, someone's seriously having issues. Or someone's a really shitty mother. Considering how f.u.c.k.i.e.d up Myne appeared to be, the latter was likely true in some shape or form, be it intentional or not. It was probably the king's fault, he decided. He could relate to being ignored in favor of the younger sibling though...

Did I just relate to her? Even so, he wasn't like her, not one bit. Maybe he was a little bitter that his parents didn't think highly of him and favorited his younger brother. But that didn't mean he hated them. He hadn't minded, in fact. He had liked his calm otaku lifestyle. It had only stung a bit that his parents didn't seem to understand that.

Well, he couldn't understand it himself anymore, so maybe they had had a point, after all.

He vaguely remembered Myne saying something about Melromarc being a matriarchy. Which he guessed meant that her mother had the final say. Considering that Myne relied on the king to have him framed, it was rather obvious that he wasn't behind the decision to have her younger sister as heir. A fact that only confirmed that guess.

"So, why did your mother do that?" He figured that she would like badmouthing her mother, especially if he pretended to take her side.

"Because she's a bitch! Always hated me. Meanwhile, Melty was her little angel that couldn't possibly do anything wrong."

Naofumi barely managed to refrain from snorting when the bitch had called her mother a bitch. The other thing, he was skeptical. He'd believe it when he saw it. If he saw it, his mind grimly corrected.

Instead of answering, he resumed to caress her, running his fingertips lightly up and down her spine. He wasn't really sure what he tried to archive—she looking at him oddly certainly wasn't it. But if he could maybe win her over, somehow convince her that he'd help her regain her status as heir. Maybe, just maybe, he could escape the sticky situation he found himself in.

"I'm going to help you."

"Help me?" Myne stared at him skeptically. "With what?"

"With becoming heir again."

She regarded him for a few moments before breaking out in a mocking laugh. "You, help me? How?"

He scowled. "I don't know, I'll think of something."

"You just want to escape your fate."

"Yeah." No point in denying it. He shrugged, continuing to run his finger alongside her spine, feeling the individual bones. "Was worth a shot. Though I'm still not quite sure how you f.u.c.k.i.n.g me over will help you with that goal."

"Simple. There are...certain people who dislike the Shield Hero, and who...don't agree with how mother is running things."

He considered asking why they disliked him, but since she wasn't going to name them, she wasn't going to explain their dislike either. He'd have to find out by himself. At least he knew about it now.

"Okay, so they try to gain influence by pushing you into a position of power. In essence, they'll rule through you." That made sense, although... "Did it ever cross your mind that they're just using you? That you'll be discarded the moment you're not useful to them anymore."

Myne glared. "They wouldn't," she simply said.

Now it was Naofumi's turn to laugh. "Sure." He deliberated for a moment. "Anyway, let's say that those people fail. That you fail."—she looked scandalous at this insinuation—"Okay, obviously you don't fail, but they do. And your involvement comes to light. You'd probably die, or the chance of you regaining your rightful position would be almost null."

She smiled briefly when he said 'rightful position', but then scowled and, after a few seconds, she nodded reluctantly. "What's your point?" she grated.

"Let's say they fail, but instead of falling with them, you'll come out on top. If, let's say, you could claim that you've been working against them the whole time. Like a spy."

"A spy," she murmured and regarded him intently, her gaze something in-between suspicion, intrigue, and hunger. "And why would I do that, turn against them? Risk everything without any guaranteed return? For you? Because we f.u.c.k.i.e.d?"

Naofumi laughed, but it was a humorless laugh. "You wouldn't have to turn completely. I'm merely suggesting that you keep the option open. Like a fail-safe."

"Fail-safe?" Myne asked, puzzled.

He was confused as well for a moment before realizing that the word 'Fail-safe' likely hadn't been coined yet, automatic translation notwithstanding. "An insurance, for the worst case. And for the record: I'd never suggest you do something out of the goodness of your heart."

She smiled at that, the corners of her mouth twisting up and turning her smile into an almost smirk. "I like you better every moment," she said and reached out to pat his cheek.

"My heart warms at that confession," he replied sardonically.

She burst out laughing, and it sounded like an honest laugh—not quite so forcibly sweet as when she'd been Myne and not belittling and cruel as when she was Bitch, although there was still a slight edge to it. It sounded carefree—almost melodic and nice���and Naofumi wondered how many people existed that had heard this laugh of hers.

Doubling over in laughter, she rested her head against his shoulder, and Naofumi resorted to awkwardly rub her back while she was shaking with laughter. Eventually, she calmed down, and, swiping some stray tears out of her eyes, her expression turned serious again. "I see your point, but that wouldn't work."

"Why not?"

"Because...you cannot lie in a trial."

"Huh? That's convenient. Sooo...then how are you going to get me convicted?"

"Who said there will be an official trial?" she taunted, clearly amused by his question. "And besides, such measures would only be taken if I were to be the accused. And, as a hero, you're immune, so there's no chance for anything like this happening for you." She regarded him with a sad expression that was obviously fake. "Pity."

He actually found himself chuckling at that, honestly amused by her antics. "And how does this work? The truth-telling part?"

"You get a temporary slave crest."

"Slave crest? You have slaves?" he asked, momentarily surprised before realizing that he should have anticipated that.

She sighed, likely annoyed that he knew so little of this word and that she had to explain it all but did so anyway. "Yeah, but they're quite rare. Really, only some Demi-Human and Beast-Man filth." She gave a one-shoulder shrug, her face a mask in-between contempt and indifference. "But that's beside the point. You get that crest applied, and then you can't lie. Or rather, you're told that you can't lie, and the magic of the crest forces you to comply."

"And if you don't?"

"Then you hurt...until you do...or you die."

"Sounds rather barbaric."

Myne shrugged again.

"So, unless you'd truly worked against them the whole time, you would be found out," he concluded.

"Essentially."

Naofumi was silent for a moment, contemplating what information she'd offered him so far and trying to come up with something of value he could offer her. He was kind of glad that heroes were immune to being slaves. If that were possible, that would have likely been his sentence for the ****. They needed him to fight against the Waves, after all, which was the reason he assumed that he wouldn't die for it.

"Who would be asking the questions? And who would adjudge?"

She frowned. "Probably mother, and mother."

"Probably?"

"I suppose anyone of import would be allowed to ask."

"Especially someone who had been wronged by the accused," Naofumi reasoned. "Which, in your case, would be me. And even if you'd be found guilty, I could demand that you'd get off scot-free." He couldn't know whether this would work, but it was all he could offer.

They shared a conspiratory grin, though Myne's was quickly replaced suspicion. "Even if that happens, which is very, very unlikely, what would stop you from simply betraying me?"

He thought that over for a moment. Then, on a whim, he reached out with a hand and brushed some stray strands of crimson hair behind her ear, his hand lingering there.

What would stop him from simply betraying her? He could think of some reasons. That despite her deceitful personality, she was strikingly beautiful, and that he wouldn't mind having a repeat performance of yesterday's events—**** excluded—happening every day in the foreseeable future. Or that having her as an ally would help him tremendously.

Regarding her stunning face while she looked at him with a frown, he couldn't manage to muster the hate he'd felt yesterday. He figured that most of his hatred had stemmed from the fact that she had seemingly had it out for him for no reason except cruelty. That everyone had it out for him, and she had been the focal point of all that hate.

But now that he knew her motivation—even if he not necessarily agreed with it—and still thought she was a rather terrible person, he could at least understand where she was coming from. It made it easier to relate to her and maybe not hate her by default. On the contrary, he found himself rather thankful that she'd shaken him out of his naive self and made him aware of the fact that there were certain people that had it out for him.

Maybe she was a little damaged. Maybe she was a lying and cheating bitch. But maybe she could be his bitch. That thought sounded and felt a lot better than he'd assumed it would. If he helped her and she managed to restore her status as heir, he could potentially marry her and secure his position in this world. That thought sounded so good, it momentarily took his breath away.

He would be untouchable.

And his high defense values would protect him from potential assassination attempts or backstabs. It was almost beautiful.

Further, she could be his slave bitch. Now that sounded like an appealing idea without any drawbacks... except that the idea of owning a slave—and thus condoning slavery—was in itself a little sickening, not to mention that it would give others an easy excuse to condemn him, but depending on how harsh she planned to f.u.c.k him over in the future, he might reconsider.

He lowered his hand that had lingered beside her ear and traced her cheek with his thump before coming to rest on her chin, holding the tip between finger and thumb. "I don't know, I think you've got a pretty good case going for you."

"I suppose you're right." She smirked, then took his hand and removed it from her person. "But I also suppose you're only saying this to try to get on my better side."

"Maybe..." he admitted. "Is it working?"

"Hmmm... No."

"I wouldn't have believed you if you'd said it did."

She granted him an honest smile again, and he felt a strange tightness in his stomach and his chest heat up a little while the corners of his mouth involuntarily formed into the hint of a smile.

"Okay," she said. "Let's say I take you up on your offer, to give me an out should things not go my way. What do you want in return?"

"I want to live," Naofumi said instantly. "Frankly, I don't care about this world or defending some people that I don't know. I just want to come out of this alive. So, maybe you could just try a little less to kill me, and we have a deal?"

She gave him a devious smile, then leaned in next to his ear and whispered, "Deal."

"One last thing," he said once they had returned to their previous position. "You said that I wouldn't die for the ****. What exactly will happen?"

"Nothing," she replied lightly and shrugged.

"Nothing?"

"Your reputation will, of course, be tarnished forever, but that's about it."

"No other punishments? Confiscating my money or such?"

She chuckled, and her fingers idly drew some figures on his chest. "Now that you mention it." She granted him another devious smile. "I had actually planned to rob you blind. But I'll let you keep your money. Consider it my first favor for our deal."

"How gracious."

"Although...it's rather more convincing if you show up in just your underwear. That's my condition for keeping your stuff."

"And what is to stop you from simply having someone take it while I'm in custody?"

She simpered and said, "Nothing." As if it was obvious, which it was.

"I guess that would be good enough." And wasn't that just an understatement. He was taking her word for a lot of things, but most of her claims sounded logical, and he didn't see a reason for her to lie. At least he was sure that she'd told the truth about the 'not-dying' part. Otherwise, he would never even consider this. And even despite all the unknowns, the possible power and security he had to gain should things go his way, outweighed any concerns he may have.

He'd stay in Melromarc. And he'd play her game.

"What now?" Naofumi eventually asked.

"Now...we wait." She let herself fall back onto him and made herself comfortable. "The trial is to happen after dawn, so there's no reason to get up yet."

Spoken like a true spoiled and selfish princess. He immediately resumed his caresses and repeatedly ran a hand through her hair.

It was strange, being so intimate with the woman who had condemned him without a second thought or an ounce of regret and yet not knowing her at all. Come the next day, he would be on his own—as an outcast—so he might as well enjoy the last moments of peace and warmth, committing the feeling and outline of her beautiful body to memory. He supposed that he should feel disgusted or repulsed by her. But he wasn't.

He was intrigued.

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