Kidnapping Dowd Campbell wasn’t actually difficult.

What they did was just lighting an incense that could make people sleep in his room in advance. After that, they only needed to drag him to the room that had also been ‘prepared’ in advance.

Of course, having a great deal of courage was a prerequisite since this man was quite powerful—just as he had shown so far, but to Faenol, this wasn’t a problem, since she had a Devil inside her.

“I’ll put that man to sleep using all means I can.”

“…”

“I’ll even risk my life if I have to…!”

…Um…

Isn’t she treating her life a little too lightly…?

Is it because she died once already…?

The empress thought so. Even though she said so, in the end, Faenol was still a Vessel who had gathered all her Fragments. It only took her a single try to put Dowd to sleep, using the combination of her Magic Power and Demonic Aura, befitting her confident remarks.

If anything, renovating a whole room in the way she wanted was more difficult than kidnapping Dowd.

That was why she left this part to Her Imperial Majesty the Empress to handle.

“Okay, Cecil… I understand what you’re trying to say, but…”

Elfante’s Headmistress said so, looking as if she was ready to off herself right there and then.

“Every building in Elfante is rich with historical value. While it isn’t difficult for me to rent them out, but the procedures we have to go through is—”

“Just tell them that this is an order from Her Imperial Majesty the Empress herself.”

“…I believed you said that you’re going to be a regular student and not the empress while you’re here…”

“Yes, I am acting as a regular student here. It’s just, me and that personage in the palace are quite close.”

“…”

“We did everything together, from eating to showering. If they have any complaints, tell them to bring it up to that personage themselves.”

“…”

Who knows how the faculty members felt when they found out that the leader of the Empire had such a gangster-like nature.

In any case, just like that Cecilia the 11th’s and Faenol’s preparation was done in lightning speed.

After they managed to put him to sleep, they dragged him into the room they had prepared in advance after psyching themselves ready. Not long after, the man finally woke up.

And that was when the problem arose…

“…What are you guys doing?”

Right in front of them, Dowd Campbell showed them such a different vibe and reaction, the one that they had never seen before.

“…Uh.”

“…Uhm.”

Seeing him being ‘actually angry’ for the first time, Fanol and the empress’ bodies stiffened.

●

“Yes, I told you guys you can challenge me to whatever match you like, but I never told you to straight up commit a crime.”

His words were prim, his voice was calm, and his expression was frighteningly clear.

Even so…

This only made both of them even more certain of one thing…

“I genuinely can’t believe you two would kidnap me and lock me in this kind of ridiculous room. Why can’t you just ask me directly? I’d be more than happy to spare some time for you guys. What the hell were you thinking?”

“…”

“…”

The fact that Dowd Campbell was genuinely angry at them. It was to the point that they couldn’t even bring themselves to meet his eyes properly.

They averted their gazes while gulping dryly at the same time.

Dowd’s anger was too great for them to endure, this was the only way for them to handle it.

“Where’s my answer?”

“…I’m sorry.”

“…Sorry.”

As an empress, her apology bore a lot of political meaning behind it, but even so, she didn’t hesitate to apologize to him, together with Faenol.

Rather, she actually didn’t have any choice but to do it. That was how terrifying Dowd’s anger was in her eyes.

“…”

“…”

However…

Even though he was clearly angry at them, both the empress and Faenol felt a strange feeling inside.

…Uh.

…Huh…?

It was…

A little hard to describe, but…

This was their very first time seeing him like this, and this shouldn’t be a pleasant sight to see for them.

But…

For some reason, the same thought came to those two’s minds…

W-Why…?

Unbelievable…

The two of them gulped dryly at the same time, as if they had planned to do it beforehand.

Does this man…

Has Mr. Dowd ever looked so…

Then, both of them placed their hands on their chests together, at the same time.

They could feel their heart rates go up rapidly.

Look so cool…?

Manly…?

Both of them held their throbbing hearts as such words appeared in their minds.

This was a weird feeling. Extremely weird, in fact.

Because, even though he was clearly angry, they ‘fell in love’ with him even harder instead.

What they felt was a sensation that one would feel when they found out something new about their crush; the sensation that made their hearts drop.

They had seen how sometimes this man was a little unreliable.

Like, he was easily flustered and caught off guard, and everyone could easily drag him around here and there…

And they also knew that he was a little crazy, and that he had a serious side of him where he’d do something properly whenever he did something.

But, it was the first time that they had ever seen him acting so ‘manly’ and assertive.

[…It’s hopeless. Those two are far too gone…]

As he saw both women wearing that ‘completely lovestruck’ expression on their faces from the Soul Linker, Caliban made such a remark.

Meanwhile, Dowd only let out a sigh before getting up from the bed he was sitting on.

“So, how do I open this door?”

He asked after approaching the tightly closed door with an annoyed voice. Upon hearing his voice, the empress flinched for a moment.

Hearing his cold voice somehow made her feel as if her whole body was struck by electricity.

“…U-Um… I-It’s a specially made door, so it’s hard to open it from inside…”

“…Y-Yes, just as she said…”

Faenol added hesitantly, affirming the empress’ words.

“T-The door won’t be opened until we get some kind of ‘strong stimulation’…”

“What kind?”

Hearing his cold voice again, Faenol blushed even harder.

The more she listened to his voice, the more her eyes began to lose focus and the more she became restless. She definitely wasn’t in a better state than the empress.

“I-I’ve casted a spell on that door, so that it will only respond to…u-um…r-romantic close contact…? C-Could I call it that? A-Anyway, that kind of stimulation…”

“I see.”

At this point, he didn’t even bother acting politely.

But this only made Faenol’s eyes shake even more. Not only that, her breath also grew even more disorderly, and her eyes gradually lost their focus.

“That means, something like this will do.”

Dowd said before walking towards Faenol and held her chin.

“Ah…”

“This is for what you did in the past.”

Those words and his next action…

Made Faenol’s eyes widened.

Because right after he said that, he grabbed her chin before kissing her lips.

She barely managed to register what was going on, but his tongue already pulled and lifted her tongue upwards before entangling itself with it, licking it and rubbing against it, as if violating it.

Those three movements flowed smoothly, one after another, like water. Its sequence came like a surprise with perfect timing. The notable thing here was that he was actually so good at it, making Faenol—the same woman who did the exact same thing to him not too long ago—completely flustered as her breath grew even more disorderly.

Oh no, this is bad—

Surrender. Collapse.

Such words seemed to be flashing in red in her faint vision.

If she was ‘kissed like this’…

By him ‘in that state’…

While she was ‘in this state’…

Then, she wouldn’t be able to help but to—

“P-Please…”

She said with teary eyes.

“P-Please, more… I-I’ll do anything…”

Faenol herself wasn’t sure what it was that she asked him to do. Rather, she didn’t even know why she was saying all that. She was sure of one thing, though.

That she didn’t want him to stop here.

And that she wanted this man to relish her a little more, to ‘enjoy’ her a little more. She would even be fine if he were to treat her entire existence as a tool to serve him.

Please, I beg you…

Do it…

More and more… Don’t stop—

“What’s with your expression?”

When he said those words coldly, as if mocking her, Faenol flinched as her body started to tremble again.

“You seem like you want something from me?”

“Y-Yess… P-Please let me serve you…”

“No.”

“Ah, uu, uuu…”

“I’m not going to do anything more here.”

“…B-But… W-Whyyy…”

“As a punishment.”

“…”

“For trying to control me to do something you want.”

He said before letting go of her chin, as if mocking her. Immediately after, Faenol sank to her knees, panting.

Deep shade of red painted her face, and it was clear that she wasn’t aware that what she had just said was something extremely embarrassing. It was as if she actually felt bad that she couldn’t serve him.

…W-What kind of impertinent…

Meanwhile, the empress was blushing at the sight while twisting her body.

Intuitively, she realized something.

The tightly closed door was half open.

“…”

From what she heard…

The door would only open if one of them felt extreme pleasure.

She felt that kind of pleasure from him degrading her after kissing her like that…?

“…”

Is she being serious right now?

Isn’t she the one who said that she’d milk him even if she has to risk her life? And that one of us has to succeed no matter what—?!

But she got defeated so easily—

“As for you, Your Imperial Majesty.”

“…Ah.”

While she was agonizing about her frustration in that way, the man in front of her suddenly called out to her.

When she turned to look at him with a trembling gaze, she noticed him looking down at her coldly.

His gaze looked so domineering that her legs unknowingly lost their strength.

“I won’t go this far with you.”

He said while walking towards her. Then, he gently raised her chin with the tip of his finger.

With that alone, she could feel as if her whole body was being ‘restrained’.

As their eyes met, she intuitively realized…

“But, I think I still have to punish you as well this time.”

That perhaps…

It wasn’t them who dragged this man here and locked him up in this room.

But it was them who were being locked up with him.