"My Lord, Lord Lucius!"
"Siri. Come in. How are the thief siblings doing these days?"
"Well, I haven't heard from them since they last came to church... They seemed to be adjusting to village life, though."
I took Siri's hand. She looked at me, flustered, her face turning bright red. I pulled her closer and said,
"Come with me for a moment. Today, the knights and guards clashed with a band of thieves."
Siri's expression turned serious, and she followed me. She probably thought it was about tending to the wounded or offering prayers. But what I was about to show her wasn't anything so innocent. I led her toward the mountains. A few scattered coins and traces of a frantic escape lay in the grass. As we ventured deeper into the isolated area, Siri grew visibly uneasy.
"My Lord?"
I ignored her question and pulled her further into the wilderness. Along the way, a narrow dirt path appeared through the overgrown foliage. Siri wrinkled her nose at the foul smell coming from beyond the path. Hesitant, she clung to my clothes.
"My Lord."
"It's okay, Siri. I'm here."
If I asked her to call me Lucius now, I'd seem insane. Determined to leave a good impression, I smiled and continued pulling her along. She followed, taking small, hesitant steps. The putrid smell grew stronger as we approached. Siri realized the bodies strewn on the ground were corpses and clung to me, trembling.
"My Lord?"
"Siri, look here."
"My Lord... What is this?"
The bodies were of four villagers and another man, presumed to be a thief. All my handiwork. I feigned a somber expression and asked,
"Do you recognize them?"
Siri, fighting her fear, slowly examined the bodies. Their identities were obvious—I hadn't touched their faces, and one had a gaping wound in their chest. Flies clung to the vacant stare of the second victim. Siri's expression shifted from fear to shock, then to sorrow.
"It's them... Why... Were they attacked by thieves for revenge?"
"They ignored my kindness, sold the fields and homes I provided, and tried to rejoin the thieves."
"Why...?"
"By the time my informant reached me, they were already dead here. I had no choice but to kill this thief, who tried to silence me too."
"Why... This is..."
Siri seemed shaken by my story.
Of course, it was all a lie. I'd orchestrated it from the start. I had A.A. threaten the siblings, and even if they'd risked their lives to inform me, I never intended to help them. Why go through all this? I needed to stop Siri from interfering with my inhumane methods, even before she could grow fond of me. I stroked Siri's head, wrapped my arm around her shoulders, and said,
"Thieves are like that, Siri. They think differently from us. While we live for God, they live for their leader and gang. We can't understand people who steal from others."
"But... We should still try to understand them..."
"Siri, if I'd been weaker and died to that thief, what would happen to this domain? Would the kind lord from the neighboring domain take over?"
Mentioning Eve made Siri shudder. I feigned sadness and said,
"I'm a religious leader, but also a lord. Sometimes, I must act against the teachings of the Grand Archangel Church. I wanted you to know this, Siri. Not everyone is good, and such foolish tragedies happen because of it."
"Did you know this would happen?"
"Let's say I didn't expect it to be this horrific. Siri, I don't want you to hate me."
"Huh?"
"Running this domain, I may have to be crueler than you think. But it's to protect us. You see? We must face those who break the teachings. If I show weakness, people will exploit it."
"I... see."
Siri nodded. Flies buzzed around the bodies, now bloating in the heat. The stench of damp earth and decay filled the air. I hugged her tightly and said,
"No matter how cruel my decisions, I hope you won't hate me."
"I... won't."
She nodded. Yes, this was the response I'd worked so hard for. I could've ordered her to stop interfering, but then I couldn't have seduced her. Only by convincing her my actions were justified could I win her over. I felt her trembling. The grim scene had taken its toll. I took her hand and said,
"Let's go."
"Yes, my Lord."
"Siri."
"Yes?"
"Can I... act spoiled sometimes?"
"Spoiled?"
"When my actions weigh on me, I need a place to rest. Will you be that for me?"
"If... if you wish..."
Siri blushed and nodded. Before we reached the village, I said,
"Will you call me Lucius?"
"Lu... Lucius..."
"Good girl."
I hugged her again and we moved on. I instructed a passing guard to retrieve the bodies and display them in the streets. For three days, the corpses of the thieves and siblings hung in the marketplace. The thief leader's body, taller than the rest, bore a sign: [Leader]. The others: [Conspired with the leader to rob the village].
The siblings' bodies were displayed separately, with a sign:
[These four were pardoned by Lord Lucius Peta, given land and homes, but betrayed him by selling them to rejoin thieves. They were killed by their own kind—a pathetic end. Let this be a lesson: No more pardons for thieves in Peta Domain.]
That evening, I pulled Siri into my room. She wore light sleepwear, her soft skin visible through the thin fabric. Her childlike pajamas—short pants and a floral top—highlighted her innocence. I locked the door and hugged her tightly. She struggled, blushing.
"My Lord?"
"Siri, today was hard. I saw the thieves' cruelty and had to act brutally to protect us. Balancing lord and religious duties is exhausting."
Siri stopped struggling, listening. I held her from behind, savoring her softness. Her slender shoulders and waist felt like a doll's. She awkwardly tried to comfort me, turning and hugging me tightly. Her sweet scent overwhelmed me, and I adjusted myself, embarrassed.
"My Lord... You can lean on me..."
"Siri, come here."
I led her to the bed, sitting her beside me. Her face turned bright red as our hands touched. I stroked her orange hair and said,
"Siri, I need your help."
"How...?"
Siri was a virgin—confirmed by her traits. I cupped her cheeks and kissed her lightly. She stared, touching her lips.
"You know I care for you, right?"
"Yes..."
I kissed her again, gently. Her lips tasted of sweet mille-feuille, a church staple. She trembled but didn't pull away.
"So, I want you to help me more."
"How...?"
I placed her hand on my lap. She felt my size and hesitated. I guided her hand, her softness sending shivers down my spine. I sighed, then tugged at her pants. She resisted, embarrassed.
"Siri, comfort me. I'm in pain."
"But... This is..."
"You care for me, right?"
She nodded but clung to my hand. I wasn't planning to push her tonight. My size was abnormal, and Siri was slender. I might accidentally hurt her. I rubbed her waist, slowly pulling down her pants. Her white underwear came into view, but she pulled them back up.
I held her hand on me and said,
"Siri, please comfort me."
"I don't understand what you want."
"Will you do what I ask?"
I persistently tugged at her pants. Her affection hadn't dropped, so she was just embarrassed.