Chapter 44
That’s right! She can forget about being smug then. We’ll see if I don’t scare her to death! As for the reason… only I know.
But Lian Qi actually seemed unfazed?
“Scare you to death? You just mean you’re going to ‘top’ instead of ‘bottom,’ right? I advise you not to even dream about it. The one on the bottom will definitely be you—”
I was overwhelmed with shame when she said that. She pointed at me, and I pointed right back at her indignantly— “What nonsense are you spouting?”
And just like that, we stood in the great hall of the royal palace, pointing at each other.
I told her Lian Qi doesn’t understand anything at all, and I truly couldn’t explain it! In the end, we parted on bad terms…
“Anyway, this whole confession turned out terribly.” I sat on the edge of the bed, expressing my deep helplessness after feeding Qifeng a mouthful of white fungus soup.
The sky was already growing dark; more than half a day had passed since that scene at the palace.
Qifeng swallowed the soup and looked at me with a smile. “You two fought again?”
“Isn’t it all because she misunderstands me?” I said sullenly. “In her eyes, I only got close to her to defeat the Demon King. It seems like she thinks I’d do anything just to defeat the Demon King.”
“Fei’er, you’re not that kind of unscrupulous Saintess.”
“…Could Lian Qi already think that I’m compromising and letting her… uu… just to please her so she’ll defeat the Demon King? After all, she asked me before why I was so willing to be bullied by her, and I couldn’t answer. To be honest, I don’t know what’s wrong with me either, but it definitely has nothing to do with defeating the Demon King.”
“Ah~”
I was so focused that I spaced out. Qifeng had already been waiting with her mouth open for me to feed her. While saying, “You don’t need me to feed you, do you?” I stuffed a spoonful of soup into her mouth.
Qifeng chewed with a blissful expression, then swallowed with a gulp. She smiled and said to me, “I don’t think Lian Qi really thinks that. The fact that she’s willing to stay and continue her mission means she still believes you. She listened to what you explained.”
“Is that so?”
I thought, if Lian Qi truly believed from the bottom of her heart that I was using her, and felt disgusted by me, she definitely wouldn’t have proposed that I marry her, right?
Although, I did have that worry before. Could Lian Qi be trying to get revenge on me through marriage… For example: “Since you’re willing to do anything to defeat the Demon King, then give me your body!” and then after marriage, she’d madly abuse me or give me the cold shoulder or something.
No, no, no. Lian Qi might be a bit domineering, but she’s not a bad person. She wouldn’t be that twisted… right?
Besides, I didn’t agree to it, and I also proved to her that I still have boundaries.
“But… Qifeng, what do you think I should do now? You know I’m the impatient type. I can’t stand the cold shoulder!”
“…You suddenly told her you’re the Saintess. She probably can’t accept it all at once, right? If you want to resolve this now, you naturally have to make her feel that you’re still the same you as before, that you haven’t changed.”
“But I am the same as before! I haven’t changed at all! What exactly do you want me to do?”
Qifeng waved me closer, like a maneki-neko.1
“I’ll help you.”
“Eh?”
Immediately after, she activated her magic on me.
“Hey, hey! Qi… Do we have to do this?”
“Of course. This way, you’ll seem more sincere.”
“Sincere…”
Right now, I was sitting on the bed, unable to move, with my hands and feet bound by golden chains. Does this look sincere? This appearance of mine reminds me of that time I was kidnapped by the student council. Uuu… How shameful!
Qifeng sized up her masterpiece, cupping her face with an intoxicated smile. “Fei’er, you’re finally all tied up by me~”
“Wait, are you tying me up for your own sake or to help me!?”
Qifeng doesn’t have ulterior motives, does she? I can’t help but feel a creeping horror. Lian Qi and I are fighting right now, so she probably won’t come looking for me on her own. And then, what if Qifeng ties me up hand and foot and locks me up for three days and three…
“To help you, of course,” she said, blinking at me with an innocent expression.
“Then stop saying such weird things,” I said, blushing and looking away. “Honestly, don’t you only like self-bondage? Why do you have to tie me up too?”
“Oh, stop it. Don’t expose me,” she said bashfully. She’s hopeless. Right now, being tied up just makes me feel ashamed; I’m not going to get excited like her.
“First, let’s get down to business. I’ll call Lian Qi in in a moment.”
My face flushed red. “Wait—! You’re doing this just to let Lian Qi see me like this?”
“That’s right.” Qifeng gently stroked my cheek and said with boundless affection, “When she sees you looking so pitiful, she’ll definitely soften up.”
“Eek…”
What am I doing? Seduction?
“To prove that you’re the same as before and haven’t changed, the next step is to say this to her: ‘Um… would punishing me make you feel a bit more balanced? I’m the Saintess, you know. Don’t you think bullying me would give you a greater sense of accomplishment?’”
…Those words are just dripping with an M-vibe.
“Fei’er, I’m afraid you won’t remember. Why don’t you repeat it once for me to hear?”
“No way! How could I say something like that? It’s too shameful!”
“Fei’er, I’m doing this for your own good.”
“Are you sure you’re not setting me up? Is there… no other way? Lian Qi and I are already fighting, so it’s awkward to see each other. Won’t tying me up and having me meet her make it even more awkward for me?”
“No, trust me, it won’t be awkward. This is all I can do to help you. The rest is up to you, okay? I’m going to find Lian Qi right now.”
“Hey…? Wait—! You… first…”
Qifeng left.
Leaving me all alone on the bed.
Because my hands and feet were bound, I felt like I was being subjected to ‘neglect play.’2 It felt especially helpless.
When people feel helpless, they try everything to get free. I tried to twist my wrists, but the chains were wrapped too tightly and I couldn’t break free at all. It was the same for my feet. Looking at my own feet, clad in white stockings and bound by golden chains, gave me a… subtle psychological reaction. Qifeng’s golden chains are kind of… pretty? Completely different from the rough hemp ropes from before.
Just thinking about Lian Qi… appreciating… this side of me soon… I felt so ashamed I could barely breathe. Uu… Besides, being tied up and handed over to someone else like this makes me feel so insecure. What do I do?
Just as I was suffocating from shame, Lian Qi pushed the door open and came in. I lifted my crimson face to look at her. She stared, shocked, at my bashful appearance with my hands and feet tied. …I really want her to stop looking at me! But I was too embarrassed to say a single word.
“…Thud.”
Lian Qi suddenly turned her head, only to find that Qifeng had secretly closed the door. Seeing her frantically twisting the doorknob but unable to open it, I already guessed…
“…It’s no use… Qifeng locked it from the outside,” I said, blushing.