When Ayano left for the imperial capital, I could tell just by watching Lilly that they had had the sort of conversation that Lilly did not want to hear. I wasn’t exactly able to pry any information out of her, though- Not that I tried to force the topic. This was because Lilly had spent a few days not working due to catching a cold, so she stayed in her room. Beth decided to stay with her during that time. They’d really grown to enjoy reading together, which was good. I think. Lilly needed more close friends, and it would serve as good practice outside of our tutoring sessions. Still, I couldn’t help but feel just a tiny twinge of jealousy.

 

About halfway through the week, it was my turn to bring some soup up to Lilly’s room. Her condition didn’t seem to be improving much, so I had organised a doctor to come visit so that he could check her condition and offer her appropriate medicine. But it was as I was about to knock on the door to announce my presence that I heard a muffled conversation on the other side of the door.

“... I’m sorry Beth. I’m not in the state to be thinking about that sort of thing.”

 

“... But… Lilly, you just told me yourself, Lady Ayano is done with you, right?”

My ears perked up at that. Was Ayano really pulling another Georgia? I gently placed my ear to the door and continued to eavesdrop.

“She didn’t say that… She just… Doesn’t know how she can manage both me and my work… That’s all… She still loves me so we can make it work… I’m sorry Beth… I shouldn’t have confided in that with you. It’s something between me and her and… We haven’t fully figured it out yet because she’s in the capital right now… I shouldn’t have made you think that you had a chance with me because… My heart lies with her… But I still consider you a close friend Beth, I-”

“Lilly! This might be selfish of me to say but, you need to let go of her! It’s not going to work out. As a nation, we’ve all known that the Queen could die at any moment… She could survive for years, or she might die tomorrow, her life is in such a fragile condition… Ayano is right, it won’t work, and… Even if she wasn’t the future Queen, Lady Ayano just… Listen, everyone knows that she just doesn’t love the way someone like me or you does…”

“In what way?”

“... She doesn’t stay with people for long. She always eventually puts people at arm's length. Or never lets them in at all. I wasn’t even working here at the same time as Georgia, you’re the first relationship I’ve seen her in, but… Hearing the stories, looking at how she acts, it’s obvious. It’s obvious to everyone but you. Everyone who sleeps with her is just happy to get a chance to spend a night with the crown princess herself. Nobody in their right mind expects anything more than a cheap thrill like that-”

“Don’t call Ayano cheap!” Lilly exclaimed, before descending into a coughing fit.

“S-Sorry Lilly, I shouldn’t have riled you up like that… Here, have a glass of water…”

“T-Thank you. Don’t apologise to me though… Listen, Beth, I think you should-”

It was here that I decided to knock on the door.

“Priscilla here. Have some soup here for you, Lilly! Want me to come in with it?” I cheerfully asked, pretending that I hadn’t heard their conversation.

In a few moments, Beth opened the door, trying to hide her teary eyed face as she pushed past me and quickly walked away, not saying a word. She nearly caused me to spill the soup!

“... Ah, seems I came at a bad time,” I said, placing the tray of soup down on Lilly’s lap, who was sitting upright in bed, wearing her nightie.

She had a very pale complexion, and even though she wasn’t crying, I could tell just by looking at her that she was under a great deal of emotional stress.

“Want me to stay and help you eat, or-”

Lilly interrupted me with a sneeze, sadly getting some snot into the soup. She reached over to her bedside table and picked up a very crusty looking handkerchief, which she used to blow her nose again. She grimaced at what she had done to the soup before trying to fish out the snot onto the tray with a spoon. Only then did she finally take a sip of the mildly spicy, hearty chicken and vegetable soup.

 

“How much did you… Hear?”

Now that her voice didn’t sound muffled to me, I only now realised that her voice was very weak and hoarse. Seemed like she might have a proper flu. Beth was probably going to pass it along to everyone else in the manor at this rate, me too, for that matter. Even though I rarely got sick, I could easily still carry the virus.

 

“... I won’t lie to you, Lilly, I heard all of it. I wasn’t trying to spy on you and Beth though.”

 

I wasn’t going to bring it up if Lilly hadn’t asked. I felt a little guilty, because in addition to my natural curiosity, I had spied on the conversation for my mission, too.

“... Well, knowing you, it was probably obvious what was going on between me and Ayano anyway. As for Beth, though… I didn’t think she would… Tell me that she loves me. She’s always been so harsh to me. I’m used to people not liking me. I thought Ayano was the only person in this world who could like scum like-”

 

“- Lilly, you’re a very attractive person, in every sense. I like you too. I love you, even.”

 

“Oh. Jeez… A-Another one…” Lilly coughed, “L-Listen, I don’t know where all this is coming from, but my heart-”

 

“- Belongs to Ayano, yes. I wasn’t about to say that you should return the feelings to me. You didn’t let me finish at all, Lilly.”

 

“... Sorry…”

 

“It’s okay. I was going to say that… You’re a very attractive person, and I’m happy to cheer you up when you’re ill and feeling vulnerable, but… Neither Ayano nor anybody else is going to love you if you keep travelling down a path of self hatred.”

 

“... Priscilla, you know, I won’t get too deeply into it, but… All my life, people have treated me like something dangerous. Like scum that needs to be beaten down. Sometimes I’ve been treated badly for no reason at all. My earliest memories are of children telling me I’m disgusting, because they heard that I did something as a baby that I cannot remember and that they were not there to witness. I try to be nice because I don’t like being cruel. I don’t like being cruel because I still vividly remember those decades of suffering at the hands of the Leywoods… But it honestly feels like this very power that I’m maligned for is the only worthwhile thing I have. To be honest, I… Could cure this illness anytime I like… But I don’t, because I promised myself I’d stop using my Monstra powers unless Ayano explicitly asked me to use them… And also because… I want an excuse to not have to face the world right now…”

 

“I know you’ve dealt with prejudice and abuse in the past, but nobody here maligns you. Just… Lilly, I… Want so desperately to remind you that you’re cute. That you work hard, that you learn, that you’re polite and funny and easy to talk to and confide in. And we all know that you’re trying to maintain all these positive qualities about yourself despite your history, despite your nature. But your nature, the… Monstra side of you, is still you. It’s not your only positive quality… And maybe it’s only been a negative your entire life. But it can be a positive quality, if you want it to be. You could use it to do so much good in the world. And I don’t just mean defeating other Monstra.”

 

“... I mean… Maybe I could still use my Monstra powers more… It’s pretty dumb that I don’t use them in situations such as minor illnesses, but… I don’t really trust myself with them…”

 

“People might be afraid of you if you use them too much. I get that. But that’s why it’s also important to deepen your relationships with those of us here, so that we will trust you. Instead, you’re hiding them and pushing people away because you’re pursuing what I can promise you is a lost cause. Do you expect your devotion to Ayano to impress me? Impress anyone?”

 

“... Maybe not, but… My devotion, as you say, has really helped me be a better person… I haven’t felt my blood boiling in months, I feel *genuinely* happy, I don’t feel like I’m putting on an act, my urges have calmed down significantly, I really, truly, do not feel like hurting anyone, and just… She’s really improved me…”

“... Or maybe the manor did. Think about the environment as a whole, and everyone in it, not just one person. And think, you are still under slave contract, but you have been living more freely, am I right?”

 

“... Yes. I suppose. But were it not for Ayano, I… I may have killed everyone here, just to stick it to the nobility, because I-”

“You’re not that sort of person, Lilly. Even if you had total freedom, I don’t think you would hurt anyone.”

She shuffled uncomfortably in reaction to that question, averting her gaze from me.

 

“Perhaps not. But I am capable of killing. I’ve killed before. I killed Gloria Leywood and her innocent handmaid. Just because she pissed me off-”

“And you feel guilty about it. If you actually were a Monstra, you wouldn’t feel that sort of guilt.”

“... I think you’re offering me too much charitability.”

“I think you’re not offering yourself enough.”

I sat on the bed and placed my hand to her cheek, moving her head to face me.

 

“I understand that your life experience has been very narrow and very awful, Lilly… Ayano is the first person to truly love you, isn’t she?”

She nodded.

“But there’s a world of possibilities out there. Billions of people, thousands of whom could fall deeply in love with you, if you’d just let them. You don’t have to cling to what you have. You don’t have to be chained down by the past. You can strive for something better, even if moving outside of your comfort zone is scary. Want me to show you that there are other people out there besides Ayano?”

“... There might be other people out there, but nobody is as special as Ayano. Peasant or Princess, she is-”

 

I interrupted her with a kiss, tasting the flavour of the soup as my tongue locked with hers. She weakly tried to wrestle away, but I forced the dance of tongues to continue on for a few long, luxurious seconds. As she gave in and returned the kiss, I realised that her technique was an exact mirror to Ayano’s. Lilly had been taught well by the Princess, and I knew exactly how to be a good partner in this particular waltz of tongues. Eventually, I pulled away, letting a thin trail of saliva connect our mouths. It was sexier when it was a little messy.

“... You’ll get sick…”

 

“Not if you cure yourself. And then we can have a lot more fun.”

 

“... Priscilla, I… I really don’t want to use it…”

 

“That’s a shame. Because *it* is just you. Do you need more convincing?”

“No I don’t- Ah! Priscilla! This is too sudden!”

 

<3 <3 <3

 

I moved the soup to the bedside table and buried myself underneath Lilly’s duvet, crawling between her legs and pulling up her nightie. Even when sick, her pussy was already beginning to get slick with arousal. I wasted no time, extending my tongue to kiss her lower set of lips. I licked up and down the slit, having a proper taste of Lilly’s delicious lewdness, my nose completely enveloped by her scent. I’m not sure why, but the handmaid was just completely intoxicating, more enjoyable to lick than anyone else I have ever given oral to, even Ayano. I had only intended to tease her a little, just enough to test the waters, but soon, I was completely addicted, my lips clamping around her pussy, using every technique at my disposal. Swirling my tongue around her clit, lightly nibbling it with my teeth, massaging circles into her clit with my thumb whenever my tongue found itself dragging across her slit. Soon, my face was practically buried in her slender thighs, cushioned by that silky soft skin, as my tongue began to lightly penetrate her passage. I could feel her legs clamp around me, as did her vaginal walls as they tried to suck my tongue in deep, directing me straight to Lilly’s sensitive spots in dire need of my loving attention.

 

“P-Priscilla… Why are you doing this… It feels wrong…”

I popped my head out of the duvet, grinning as I looked up at her. I must have looked so different compared to how serene and composed I usually was, and, frankly, I wanted to drive that dissonance home as much as possible, show Lilly a side of my self that not even Ayano got to see, given how tense, quiet, and decidedly lacking in playfulness my sexual encounters with her were.

 

“What’s wrong about it?”

 

“... W-Were you really just waiting on the sidelines for this to happen, Priscilla, were you rooting for my relationship with her to fail?”

 

“I want both of you to be happy, Lilly. If that happiness isn’t found with each other, then… I can support her as a maid, and you as a tutor and as a lover. Ayano has experience and she… Knows how to find connection when she needs it. You, however, lack that right now.”

 

I offered her another lick, I felt her body quiver as an involuntary moan escaped her lips.

 

“P-Please stop, it feels t-too good…”

 

“Hmm? So you admit it then…”

 

“Yeah but… It’s n-not as good as when Ayano does it…”

 

Well, Ayano really must like Lilly. I wasn’t aware that Ayano liked giving oral, I thought she was more into receiving it.

 

“You say that, but… If you really didn’t want it, you could easily stop me.”

 

“I don’t want to hurt you though…”

 

“Who says you have to hurt me to stop me?”

 

“... I’ve said over and over that I don’t want to use my Monstra powers…”

 

“Monstra this, Monstra that… You’re just making excuses. Please, lay back and enjoy it… I’m giving you a gift…”

 

Her body heating up, I decided to push the duvet completely aside, and I decided to stand back up again. By now, I was an expert at taking off this otherwise poofy and complicated dress, and I let it fall to the ground in a heap. Feeling much more comfortable in just my underwear and stockings, I returned to the bed, running my hands all across her sides and legs. We were both cold from the weather, but I don’t think that was why her body suddenly shivered before falling still once again. Her gasps were loud, she was trying to hold it in, and I could tell how attracted to me she was just from the way her eyes were glued to me, her gaze gliding across my body, taking in every inch of me. She may have been sleeping with Ayano a lot, but at this moment, she still seemed like a virgin, utterly shocked that this was happening.

 

“Did Ayano ever tell you how good you taste?” I asked as my licks resumed.

 

Even I was beginning to purr now, just from the taste. She just tasted more and more divine with each lick- Cum wasn’t normally this addictive.

 

“Y-Yeah…”

 

I smirked, I was unsure of the truthfulness of that statement.

 

“Did she tell you that it’s a flavour more divine than anything Hugo has ever cooked or ever will cook? That I could lick gallons upon gallons of your fluids, and never grow tired of it?”

 

“... No, uh, she hasn’t told me that…”

 

She looked a bit weirded out at that statement, and finally averted her gaze from me. I took this as a moment to try and step things up- I hadn’t had this kind of fun in years. I finally had the opportunity to do something with someone who I really admired- She was adorable, and so much more fun to tease than Ayano!

 

I raised her nightie up and over her head, leaving her completely naked. I soon followed as my underwear was swiftly removed. The sight of my bare breasts seemed to get her attention again. I wasted no time- We were both wet and ready for it. I leaned myself across her body, taking in just how good her smooth skin felt to the touch, jealous that Ayano had been hogging such a beautiful person all to herself for so long. Everywhere I touched released a glowing feeling inside me, more comforting than any fireplace, more relaxing than any bath. I could hug her for an eternity and feel satisfied. But I wasn’t aiming for just a hug right now. I raised her leg, running my hand across it as I put myself in position to have her womanhood meet with mine. Just from their mere touch, it was like a spark of electricity shot up through our bodies as we both shivered in response to this unison.

 

“A-Are we really doing this, P-Priscilla? This feels like I’m betraying…”

“Let’s stop talking about her for now, shall we? This is about us… The last I’ll say on the matter, Lilly, is that this is what she would want…”

 

“B-But… Ahh! Priscilla! Mmm! Priscilla Priscilla Priscillaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!”

 

As I began to grind my hips against hers, she finally lost full control over her voice. I was only gently grinding against her, but I didn’t exactly blame her- It felt amazing for me too. I delighted in how sensitive she was as I rocked back and forth, playfully twisted my hips in circles, switching up the pace of my thrusts, learning her rhythm, learning exactly how to kiss her with my lower lips. But I was in no rush to make her cum. I wanted to make this last. I leaned down to take her nipples into my mouth, slobbering all over them as I swirled my tongue around them, switching back and forth between both of them whilst my hand massaged the other breast. No matter how much I taught her, no matter how much advice I gave, no matter how much I tried to help her when she was sick- Nothing would make me feel better than being able to provide her with the gift of sex.

 

It was as I was about to resume making out with her again, however, that her demeanour suddenly changed. Our faces were inches away from each other when I saw her eyes turn purple, and before I knew it, she was on top of me, effortlessly using her hands to pin me to the bed by my wrists.

 

I watched in real time as her sickly, pale complexion gained a bit of colour. I smiled. She didn’t.

“Looks like I won!”

 

“... You did, so I have to get my revenge, don’t I? I think you deserve a bit of punishment after pulling this little stunt…”

 

It was only now that she finally smiled. Really, it was more of a smirk. And her tone of voice, well… It simply sent me. She had a way of sounding so seductively powerful when she was in this sort of mood. Looking into those purple eyes, feeling her strength as she had me pinned, I could only describe it as her Monstra instincts being utilised in the most sexy way possible. I had been on top, but it seemed that Lilly, illness freshly cured just like that, was ready to take charge. I was all for it.

 

“Mmm. I suppose I have been a little naughty, haven’t I?” I mused, egging her on.

 

“Very.”

 

But, just as she was about to resume, another thought popped into my head. I had only a split second to say it before she rocked my world- And in a panic, I decided to shoot my shot.

 

“H-Hey, here’s a thought…”

 

“What?”

 

“Wouldn’t it feel more like punishment… If… If you had a dick?”

 

“... Priscilla…”

 

Her tone of voice sounded genuinely upset. I did regret bringing it up, but I was in too deep now. I had to save face.

 

“... You can change your body however you want, right? It should be easy to-”

 

And before I knew it, it was inside me, something hard and hot, giant and almost way too much. I didn’t even see it change, but it was already inside me, a freshly grown, hot member. And not only that, but… F-Fuck, what were those? They felt amazing! They were expanding from her cock, reaching places inside me that I didn’t even know existed! They felt like tiny little fingers, or perhaps tentacles of some sort, protruding from this freshly grown cock.

 

My voice was stolen away from me, replaced only by gasps and moans and screams as Lilly began to roughly thrust into me. I could see the veins on her body bulging as that fearsome blood pumped through her body, she only seemed to get larger and larger inside me the hornier I got, my body wasn’t just warm, it wasn’t just glowing, it was on fire, it felt like I had become a burning hot sun, and I was just getting hotter and hotter, I would soon surely set the bed on fire, right? Well if not, eventually it would feel so amazing and so incredible that I would surely explode and-

 

Then I did. Her penis seemed to explode inside me too, as she seemed to pump her thick, liquid love into me seemingly without end, my own arousal completely soaking the bed as it leaked out of me. I screamed so loudly that I didn’t hear her reaction. My pleasure reached its peak, and before I knew it, I was unconscious.

 

~~~

 

I woke up sometime later to see Lilly stepping out of her bathroom. Her eyes were green once more, and in her nakedness I could see that her genitalia was back to normal, almost as though that whole thing had simply been some sort of amazing, incredible fever dream.

 

“Good. You’re awake,” Lilly said curtly, beginning to get dressed into her maid uniform.

 

“... Going back to work already? C’mon Lilly, let’s take the rest of the day off… Just lay in bed with me…”

 

“The bed is filthy. I’m not laying down or sleeping or doing anything in it right now. Don’t worry, I’m not going back to work. Hugo won’t want me in the kitchen for now, Lizzy excused me from taking care of the plants, so… I’m just gonna do my laundry, grab a snack, and… Guess I’ll apologise to Beth. Thanks for the soup by the way. It was good.”

 

“You ate it already?”

 

“You came once and passed out for an hour.”

 

I turned to the bedside table, and, low and behold, the bowl was empty.

 

“Oh… So, um… Want me to help you with the laundry? Or…”

 

“... Priscilla, please, just stop. I really don’t want anything from you.”

 

“A-After what we just did? What do you mean?”

 

Lilly took a moment to finish dressing before turning to me, a fierce scowl on her face.

 

“... I’m not going to pretend that I had ‘lost control’. Monstra or not, you’re right, that… Was still me. I wish I had been possessed, but… I wasn’t… You took advantage of me when I was sick and emotionally vulnerable, and… I betrayed someone I care about… I’m… Going to ask Ayano if I can switch tutors…”

 

“L-Lilly I’m sorry I, I was only trying to help, I thought it would help you feel better about yourself, I thought you were enjoying it, I-”

 

Lilly grabbed the sheets I was laying on and roughly tugged at them right from under me, I yelped as my hands flailed about looking for the bedframe, holding onto it just in time to prevent myself from tumbling onto the floor. Lilly bundled the sheets up into a ball and looked at them, scrunching up her face.

“... I think I might actually burn these, and grab some spares…” She grumbled.

 

“P-Please, Lilly, was it really that-”

 

She snatched away the pillow cases from right under my head.

“Just be quiet Priscilla, this has nothing to do with how good the act itself may have felt… Please… Listen… You… You were only thinking of yourself, and you know it. I know I’m culpable too, but… I simply don’t want to be friends anymore. I’m leaving now. Leave whenever you’re ready. You’re welcome to use my bathroom. You have an image to maintain.”

 

With that, she grabbed the duvet, stuffing all of her bedding into a basket, carrying it by one hand as she hurried out of the room, slamming the door behind her. The room shook a little from the force.

 

I looked down at myself. Naked, crusted cum all over me, a heavy odour in the air, the mattress partially soaked and stained, and now that I was alone, I realised I was bloated. Very bloated, like I had just eaten a large seven course meal. I tried to get to my feet and immediately I felt myself aching all over, especially in my abdomen. I saw something begin to dribble down my leg. It was thick and white, it had the same sort of consistency as whipped cream. It was unnatural to look at. Was this what Lilly had pumped into me an hour ago? I gave it a taste. Awful. It was sour, rancid, and… It had the faint taste of blood to it.

 

I probably spent two hours just on the toilet, getting rid of the ‘Monstra cum’, before I even had a shower. When I was finally out of Lilly’s room, clothed and groomed and more or less looking and feeling myself again, it was already dark. I simply went straight back to my room. I was supposed to have been working today, I was just meant to take the soup up to Lilly and spend no more than five minutes on that simple task. But oh well. I had built up plenty of good will. I just had to tell them I wasn’t feeling well, and… Well, to be honest, that would barely even be a lie.

 

I was already starting to sneeze by the time I returned to my room, and I had a bit of a headache. I’d made myself some late night tea when… I heard a tapping at the window.

 

*Tap. Tap tap tap. Tap tap. Tap. Tap.*

 

My blood ran cold. That was code. I had new orders.

 

Every step felt heavy as I walked over to the window and opened it, to find a crow with a rolled up piece of paper attached to its leg with string. My heart dropped as I carefully retrieved it from the docile bird, who was all too happy to comply. They were trained well. Once the note was mine it flew away. I closed my window, unrolled the note, and spread it out across my desk.

 

A cipher. Simple enough to solve. I had everything I needed to solve it embedded thoroughly into my head, as though branded by a hot poker. In about five minutes I had the message deciphered.

 

“Kill Princess Ayano.”

 

My blood ran cold. Kill her? Right now? What? Why? What the fuck was happening? Why on Terra would they want Ayano dead, and even if her death would bring them a benefit, was this really the right time?

 

My head was swimming with thoughts and I felt nauseous. The headache I already had didn’t exactly help matters. This was the end. Of her life and of mine. There was no chance that I was escaping Selician jail. Even if I ran, I would be caught, jailed, tortured, and likely put to death. I knew how seriously their forensics would examine the case, and how smart the country's best detectives were. No matter how sneaky I was, I would be caught. This was the Zeerian play. They were simply trading their pawn in for the enemy Queen. An easy decision for them to make. And if Ayano died, then… Lilly would be unbound by her contract. She already hated me, and with Ayano dead… Would she simply rampage? Destroy Selicia? Was that their true aim? But how could they know Lilly so well? I had tried to avoid talking about her!

 

I needed to put an end to this. I needed to show Ayano this note and- Fuck. I was already grabbing my lighter. Screw this conditioning. Screw the way they played with my fucking life, the way they used me like some toy!

 

I was never meant for happiness. I was never meant for a relationship with Ayano nor Lilly, nor even fucking Cedric! This was my fate from the very start, wasn’t it? I burned the note, then opened the window and scattered the cinders to the winter winds. No evidence remained. No way to stop myself from what I was about to attempt. Even if I was going down, then… I could only hope that my assassination attempt would fail.

 

I wanted to say that I had at least one good memory to part with. But I didn’t. Lilly was right, I had selfishly taken advantage of her feelings, I had fucked her under the guise of trying to help her. I’d made her alter her body in ways that she wasn’t comfortable with. Maybe I really was a dick fetishist. Why else would I ask for something so selfish?

 

I threw my face into the pillow and screamed and sobbed at the top of my lungs, trying to muffle my voice as much as possible. I wish someone would hear me, that they’d come in and try to console me, but it wasn’t happening. This was the end. I had lived a terrible life of performing terrible deeds and I was about to do the most terrible thing of all. How on Terra was I going to keep my composure until Ayano returned from the capital?

 

As though in answer to my question, I was reminded of the state I was in as I sneezed once again, thin snot dripping from my nose. Ahh. Yes. Looks like I was going to be bedridden. Fantastic. I was simply going to be alone yet doted on for my final few days of peace.

 

Just as well. I hated this world, I hated this goddamn world. The only thing I now had to look forward to was leaving it for good.