Artorius took several deep breaths, barely managing to steady his racing heart, before a soft, cherry-red lip grazed his earlobe.
"There's no need to suppress yourself, Little Lis. After all, your teacher quite likes you, too."
Her voice was tender, whispering from the very depths of his ear and echoing through his mind. Suddenly, however, a strange clarity washed over Artorius. He reached out and wrapped his arms around Merly's waist.
"Yes, just like that, Little Lis. More..." Merly's light laughter cut off abruptly.
While Artorius's left hand remained around her waist, his other hand didn't wander downward. Instead, he placed it atop her head. Just as he had done countless times with Artoria, he began to gently stroke Merly's hair.
"Teacher... you're very lonely, aren't you?"
The smile on Merly's face froze. She turned her head to look directly into Artorius's eyes. She saw it then—the lust in the boy's eyes had vanished, replaced entirely by... pity.
Merly couldn't comprehend it. Through her Clairvoyance, she had seen every facet of human desire; she knew exactly what kind of creatures men were. Even with Artorius's high standards, he had clearly been moved by her seduction just moments ago. How could he now...
"Lonely? Why would you say such a thing, Little Lis?"
"It was just a sudden thought."
"I see. Well then, is Little Lis willing to help his teacher dispel that loneliness now?"
Artorius simply continued to pat her head as if she were a child. He understood that Merly—possessing immense power and an endless lifespan yet having neither companion nor friend—likely acted out of such malice only to find a shred of entertainment in the vast, hollow void of her existence.
"If you ever feel lonely in the future, Teacher, you can find me anytime. We can talk, tell stories, play cards, or play games. Anything is fine. If you still want to... do this, I can accompany you then, too. But not today."
Merly's smile faded completely. She pushed herself up to look Artorius in the eye, her expression becoming utterly blank.
"Lis, your teacher is a hybrid—half-Incubus, half-human."
"Incubi are creatures born with immense power and no human emotions. They are wretched beings who live only to toy with women for their own amusement. My father was one such Nightmare; my mother was a princess whose body he stole through deception."
Merly began to tell a cold, sterile story: her mother had been cast out of her castle for conceiving her and lived by gathering berries in the forest. When Merly was born, her mother lay in a pool of blood, spending her final breaths professing her love for the Nightmare father who had ruined her.
"I didn't feel sad at the time," Merly said, her voice devoid of warmth. "On the contrary, I thought that foolish woman was quite interesting. I possessed the power to change everything, yet I stood by and watched her march toward her own destruction. Because... it was entertaining."
A look of perverse delight curled the corner of Merly's mouth, her violet eyes filled with mockery.
"Lis, your teacher is not human. If you seek to 'redeem' me, your end will be no different from that foolish woman's. Rather than hoping I'll fall in love with you, you'd be better off enjoying the pleasure I offer. After all, your teacher is still a virgin~"
Artorius listened in silence. He reached out again, pressing his hand against the back of her head and pulling her back into his embrace.
"I was raised by you, Teacher. As long as you don't hurt Artoria, Sister Kay, or my foster father—and as long as it makes you happy—it doesn't matter what happens to me."
"Heh." Merly let out a soft chuckle. She cupped Artorius's face and pressed her lips against his.
Her movements shifted from clumsy to practiced as she guided Artorius into the rhythm of the kiss. After a long while, Artorius felt a fluid, tasting of flowers and sweet nectar, slide down his throat. His heart began to hammer against his ribs, his blood seemingly coming to a boil. In that instant, his mana and physical attributes surged with a visible, violent increase.
Finally, they pulled apart.
"What was that?"
"A reward. A reward for making your teacher happy."
Merly squinted her eyes, her smile dazzlingly beautiful. She leaned in close to his ear once more, her breath a ghost of a whisper.
"Become stronger, Little Lis. And then, let your teacher see... just how miserably you will die."
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