Chapter 26: Privilege of Discipline

Ah.

I’d said it aloud…

I hadn’t meant to say that…

Causing a scene now would do me no good.

But?

Why?

Whenever my mood sours, this strange feeling always surfaces. I shouldn’t be thinking these things, and yet… looking at her… I just… I just want to tear her to pieces. It’s so strange…

****

“What?! What did you just say?!”

Beni trembled instinctively at Xiamiya’s words.

She couldn’t seem to believe her own ears.

She could never imagine the timid Xiamiya speaking to her like that.

But after a moment of stunned disbelief, a furious rage ignited within her. The marquess’s daughter gritted her teeth, glaring at the Third Holy Princess with unrestrained fury.

“You!!… Huh?!!”

However.

The instant her eyes met Xiamiya’s, Beni froze, the words dying in her throat.

At that moment, Xiamiya’s rainbow eyes—a symbol of curses and sin—held none of the timidity and fear Beni was accustomed to. Instead, they were filled with a chilling emptiness.

Just meeting that gaze gave Beni the illusion that her very soul was about to be devoured. She knew perfectly well how fragile Xiamiya was, but her body began to tremble instinctively.

It was completely beyond her control.

A wave of unease, like a bursting dam, flooded Beni’s heart in an instant.

This…

This feeling?

Wh-what the hell is this?!

For a moment, Beni lost all her previous composure and grace, instinctively backing away. The two noble girls beside her, though unsure of what was happening, could vaguely sense a shift in the atmosphere, and their hearts began to pound with anxiety.

Still, as the daughter of a marquess, Beni had seen her share of tense situations. She swallowed hard and forced herself to speak with a semblance of calm.

“Are you… Are you threatening me? Are you threatening the Roberitz family?”

At her words, Xiamiya tilted her head and blinked with an air of innocence.

“And what if I am?”

As Xiamiya’s voice faded, a strange ripple spread through the surrounding garden of pure white orchids… As if summoned by their master, eerie figures began to emerge from the shadows, their cold, grim gazes locking onto Beni and her companions.

These were the Shadow Soldiers, called forth by Xiamiya’s emotions.

As servants of Starfall Palace, they would eliminate any existence that displeased their master, no matter the cost.

****

No, I can’t!!

I can’t be reckless!

I can’t kill them!

Just as the Shadow Soldiers were about to strike, Xiamiya’s consciousness suddenly returned with the clarity of a final, fleeting breath. Light returned to her empty eyes. She pressed a hand to her chest, a lingering fear washing over her as she reeled from her own thoughts.

‘What… What was I thinking?’

To kill someone just because their words were harsh? How… How could I even think that?!

Insults aren’t a capital offense, are they?

Besides, if I actually did something here, the Calamity Demon’s existence would be exposed… At that point, there would truly be no turning back.

****

Meanwhile, as Xiamiya’s consciousness returned, the terrifying aura pressing down on Beni and the others dissipated into thin air.

Snapping out of her daze, Beni saw the familiar, seemingly weak Xiamiya clutching her chest and gasping for breath. Instantly, Beni’s expression turned cold.

Recalling her own terrified retreat just seconds before, her emotions reached a boiling point.

Damn it.

She was just an insignificant Child of Curses?!!

How dare she scare me?!!

At this thought, Beni bit her lip in fury, her face flushing with anger and her eyes glinting with an impending outburst. Driven by her emotions, she abruptly raised her hand, intending to give Xiamiya a resounding slap to vent her frustration and humiliation.

“Xiamiya!! You little wench, you spent a year in the Holy Sanctuary and grew a spine, did you?!! I think you need to be taught a lesson!”

With Beni’s furious shout, her palm sliced through the air, hurtling toward Xiamiya’s face.

Still reeling with fear and caught completely off guard by Beni’s audacity, Xiamiya couldn’t react in time. By the time she sensed the approaching threat, Beni’s hand was already looming large before her eyes.

Again…

Again…

Am I going to be hit again?

****

However, just as Beni’s palm was about to connect with Xiamiya’s face, a sudden turn of events left everyone stunned. Not just Beni and her two followers, but even Xiamiya herself, were frozen in place.

“Huh?!”

Under everyone’s astonished gaze, a slender, fair hand shot out with incredible speed and precision, seizing Beni’s wrist.

The hand’s strength was astounding, locking Beni’s arm firmly in mid-air. No matter how hard she struggled, she couldn’t break free.

“Wh-what is this?! Who’s there?!”

Beni cried out, her head snapping around in shock. Her eyes followed the arm and landed on the blonde maid standing beside Xiamiya.

The next moment, as the blonde maid came into full view, Beni and her two companions stared, momentarily captivated.

The reason was simple.

This blonde girl, who had appeared from nowhere, was simply too beautiful.

Her lovely golden hair shimmered with an almost unreal light in the sun, and her silver eyes were calm and profound. Her expression was utterly devoid of emotion, her flawless face like a masterfully carved work of art.

Without a doubt, in her seventeen years of life, Beni had never seen such a beautiful woman.

Indeed, the one who had appeared at Xiamiya’s side was Youka, who had just rushed over from the Snow Lotus Palace.

On the other hand, while Beni and her entourage were stunned by the blonde girl’s appearance, Xiamiya was shocked by Youka’s attire.

Youka’s clothes were a world away from how she had looked emerging from the Black Coffin.

The doll-like maiden’s attire was exquisite and elegant, perfectly accentuating her flawless disposition.

Youka’s gold-and-silver hair was artfully coiled at the back of her head, with a few soft strands falling gracefully around her neck, adding a touch of gentle charm. She wore a well-crafted maid’s short dress, its black and white color scheme both traditional and possessing a certain austere beauty. The dress hugged her figure, its skirt slightly flared, swaying gently with the breeze.

Complementing the dress, Youka’s long, snow-white legs were clad in black silk stockings. The fine material perfectly encased her legs, showcasing their impeccable lines.

The stockings became sheer above the knee, adding a hint of mystery and elegance, along with an indescribable allure~

‘Wow, so beautiful…’

Though it was hardly the time, Xiamiya couldn’t help but exclaim inwardly.

****

Meanwhile, after a brief moment of shock, Beni bit her lip hard.

Though momentarily stunned by the maid’s beauty, the realization that the one who dared to stop her was a mere servant sent Beni into a towering rage.

Fueled by anger and jealousy, she glared murderously at Youka.

“What do you think you are, daring to—??!!”

*Smack!!!*

Before Beni could finish her sentence, a sharp, crisp sound echoed through the orchid garden.

“Ehh?!!”

Under the dumbfounded gazes of the onlookers, Youka’s hand had struck Beni’s right cheek with unerring accuracy.

The force of the slap exceeded everyone’s expectations.

Blood instantly splattered from Beni’s face as two teeth flew from her mouth, and the metallic tang of blood filled the air.

Shocked and in agony, Beni’s eyes welled with tears. She clutched her face, the pain making it difficult to stand as her body stumbled back a few steps.

The atmosphere froze.

The other two noble girls watched in shock, not daring to utter a sound. Youka, however, maintained her calm expression as if what had just happened was merely routine. Her eyes were indifferent, devoid of any emotional fluctuation, making the scene all the more bizarre. An icy chill spread instantly, blanketing the entire garden.

That single slap had driven Beni’s intended words right back down her throat.

As pain seared through her brain, Beni began to tremble, sobbing uncontrollably. Her voice, choked with tears and helplessness, echoed through every corner of the garden. Her face was already swelling, and blood dripped down her chin, stark against her terrified and pained expression… which was, of course, mixed with rage.

“You, you, you!! You dare hit me!! Do you have any idea who I am—?!”

*Smack!!*

Amidst another crisp sound, Beni’s words were cut short.

Indeed, just like before, before Beni could finish, Youka’s other hand landed on her left cheek, slapping the pampered marquess’s daughter into a state of utter disbelief…

—”My apologies. Disciplining my master is my special privilege.”—

Xiamiya: Wha-wha??? ⚆ᗝ⚆