Chapter 306: The correct way to use the "Gate"
"What... what have you done to me?!"
Monica tried to struggle, only to discover in horror that her entire body was completely beyond her control!
It was as if her soul had been imprisoned within this shell called Monica.
Though her face remained taut and serious, her heart was exceptionally tense.
It was a mixture of panic towards the unknown, fear, and several other emotions intertwining and gradually spreading through her heart, as if about to devour her completely.
"Now, now, no need to rush."
Mahiro said leisurely, stepping closer to Monica and circling around her while examining her.
From time to time, he would reach out to play with her hair, poke her cheeks, or tease other spots, causing Monica's face to flush with embarrassment.
Finally, humming a little tune and stroking his chin, he studiously lifted the corner of her white uniform skirt.
"Lift your veil, let me see..."
"Bastard! Pervert! Lecher! Scumbag! Don't touch me!"
Monica struggled desperately, shouting every insult she could think of.
Unfortunately, despite being an illegitimate child, she had received proper aristocratic education, which meant her curses lacked any real bite.
Yotsuba Mahiro completely ignored her, tuning out Monica's verbal abuse as he muttered quietly:
"So it's silk... and low-rise style. Not exactly bold, but attractive enough."
He had thought about playing along like those adult games, but found it wasn't as fun as he expected, nor was the appeal particularly high.
Perhaps he'd simply had too much experience with such matters?
Hearing his muttered evaluation, Monica's expression suddenly stiffened, transforming from angry blushes to bloodless pallor in an instant.
It's over. This damned man has seen everything. I'll never be able to marry now.
This single thought was all that remained in Monica's mind.
Yotsuba Mahiro paid no mind to this, continuing to ponder his own matters. One thing was now certain - the "Gate" possessed absolute control over unconscious regions.
No matter how intense the emotional fluctuations, it was impossible to break free from the "Gate's" restraints.
Having understood this, Mahiro casually seated himself at the tea table.
"Bastard! Release me! I'll definitely kill you!"
Monica continued struggling, not giving up even though she knew it was futile, her eyes glaring at him fiercely.
Those misty, pitiful eyes were filled with chilling murderous intent.
But Mahiro simply waved his hand dismissively:
"Look at you, why so impatient? This isn't the time for killing and fighting. You should remember you're my prisoner now. Where's the composure, elegance, and calmness befitting a Knight of Rounds?"
Calm?
Monica couldn't remain calm at all now, her eyes practically spitting fire.
Meanwhile, Monica discovered her body was moving uncontrollably again, step by step approaching the man before her.
To be precise, she walked past him and sat beside him against the wall.
Beyond that, she couldn't move even a single finger, sitting there perfectly properly.
"Alright, alright, why so angry? It's just a look - it won't cost you a piece of flesh. As long as you cooperate with my experiment obediently, I absolutely won't do anything to you."
Regarding Monica's inner thoughts and the extent of her fury toward him, he understood perfectly clear when he invaded her unconscious realm - it was practically like eavesdropping on her innermost feelings.
But he paid no mind to such empty threats, continuing to speak nonchalantly.
Meanwhile, Monica wasn't listening to a word he said.
What did he mean by "just a look"?!
That was her purity, stolen by this wretched man!
She swore she would tear this man apart, even if she had to use her teeth!
"It seems you need to calm down a bit."
Mahiro's casual remark immediately caught Monica's attention.
"W-what are you going to do now?!"
Fear of the unknown made her teeth chatter uncontrollably.
Yet the next moment, she felt a choking sensation like a python coiling around her neck, as if an invisible hand were tightly gripping her throat and continuously tightening.
She couldn't even utter a single sound.
"Ah, sorry sorry, I'm still a bit inexperienced. Got the wrong area."
Though Yotsuba Mahiro's words apologized, his tone held no trace of remorse, instead carrying a hint of amusement.
His inexperience was genuine though - this was his first time manipulating someone's spiritual body with such precision. Everything was unknown not just for Monica, but for him as well.
But then, as if thinking of something interesting, the corner of his mouth lifted slightly as he made a small adjustment to the spiritual body.
[Forced ○○]
Trembling.
"I'll fight you to the death!!!"
Monica, who had been slumped over the table gasping for breath, suddenly found she had regained control of her body and sprang up.
Just as she prepared to pounce and strangle him, her legs trembled and froze in place.
Then with an incredulous expression, she staggered back two steps before collapsing back into her seat with a thud.
"...W-what did you do to me... eek!"
"Want to take a guess?"
Yotsuba Mahiro comfortably propped his chin, boldly examining Monica before him.
Indeed, bullying someone who looked so in need of protection felt quite satisfying...
"..."
Monica clenched her silver teeth tightly, an unnatural blush spreading across her face. Even her breathing gradually grew suggestive, while her jade-like feet and calves encased in black boots began trembling involuntarily.
Her body leaned uncontrollably to one side.
Just as she was about to hit the floor, Yotsuba Mahiro swiftly grabbed both of Monica's wrists, lifted her up, and pressed her entire body against the nearby wall.
"Guh, just kill me..."
"Such typical paladin dialogue. Pity I'm not a goblin, and I haven't had my fill of fun yet."
Yotsuba Mahiro's words now made him sound like a complete villain as he chuckled while examining Monica:
"How about you beg me? Maybe my heart will soften and I'll let you go."
"In your dreams! As a Knight of the Rounds, I will never yield to you!"
Monica practically spat these words through gritted teeth, her cheeks flushed with an unnatural redness before she stubbornly jerked her head aside, biting her lip hard to prevent any further sound from escaping.
Yet no matter how defiant her words, her body ultimately couldn't withstand the strain - her legs were already beginning to weaken.
It seemed if he were to release his grip, she would collapse onto the floor immediately.
All of this was clearly witnessed by Yotsuba Mahiro.
Feigning surprise, he remarked, "Oh my? Really now? Looking at your utterly shocked expression, Dame Monica, could this possibly be your first time experiencing such a sensation?"
He had hit the mark.
After all, she was currently around the same age as Euphemia, having never even been in a relationship - how could she have experienced such feelings before?
Knowing resistance was futile, Monica ultimately turned her head back stubbornly, nearly biting through her lip as she remained silent, fixing Yotsuba Mahiro with an intense stare.
Through those beautiful eyes glistening with moisture, one could still see her unwavering determination to resist unto death!
"So resolute?" he mused.
"To be honest, I'm rather curious. In your current weakened state where you can't even break free from my single hand, Dame Monica, how exactly do you plan to maintain this 'death before surrender' stance?"
Yotsuba Mahiro examined the girl in his grasp as if he'd discovered a fascinating new toy.
Truth be told, Monica wasn't particularly short - while not as tall as some might exaggerate, she stood at a respectable 170cm.
But compared to Yotsuba Mahiro's nearly 190cm frame, she seemed somewhat diminutive.
With her hands tightly restrained and her posture resembling someone pinned against a wall, Monica now had to stand on tiptoe to maintain balance. Yet due to the earlier [compulsion], her legs were trembling so violently that her tiptoe stance provided little actual support.
In this condition, forget about resisting unto death - if he were to release his grip now, Monica would collapse directly onto the floor.
Still, Monica stubbornly refused to speak, continuing to stare at him intently.
This reaction was somewhat unexpected - he hadn't anticipated Monica being the type with a strong will beneath a delicate exterior.
But it didn't matter, nor did he care. His main objective this time was training... no, rather, using this girl as an experimental subject to completely master the usage of the "Gate."
With sudden force, Mahiro tossed Monica back into the chair. The girl slumped in the seat, her body continuously twitching and trembling.
Acting as if he hadn't noticed, Mahiro analyzed the spiritual body while casually commenting:
"Speaking of which, what kind of expression do you think you'd make if I actually took you to bed?"
"Would you be weeping pathetically? Or would you turn away to cry silently? Or perhaps you'd remain just as you are now - biting your lip without a word, not making a sound, just staring at me intently?"
"After it's all over, will you curl up and weep with your knees hugged to your chest? Or will you rush straight into the bathroom and desperately scrub yourself clean as if you've been tainted by something filthy?
"I think that scene would be quite amusing, don't you?" Mahiro's lips curled into a malicious grin.
Monica: "..."
In response to Yotsuba Mahiro's speculation, Monica remained silent as before.
Yet an indescribable chill involuntarily crept up from the soles of her feet.
Her mind had already conjured frame-by-frame images of herself being subjected to such things, just as he described, and her body shuddered with a tremor far more violent than before.
She didn't want that... not at all...
To be defiled by this man...
It was the last thing she ever wanted to experience in her life—she'd rather die!
This man was nothing short of a demon!
By now, Monica's gaze toward Yotsuba Mahiro was filled with disgust and fear, yet she dared not move a muscle, terrified that he might immediately turn into a beast and do those things to her.
Little did she know that her innermost thoughts had been transmitted, word for word, into Yotsuba Mahiro's ears.
Thus, the smile on his face grew even more malicious.
"Don't want to be defiled by me?"
"I think that thought of yours has come a bit too early."
Yotsuba Mahiro's eerie tone caused Monica's delicate frame to tremble slightly.
Why?
How did this man know what she was thinking?
Did he possess some kind of mind-reading ability like in novels?!
"Well, well, you're quite knowledgeable, aren't you? You're right. In my current state, I can indeed read your thoughts. Whatever you're thinking will be transmitted directly into my ears without the slightest error."
Monica: "!!!"
"However, as for you not wanting to be defiled by me... I'm actually not interested in using force. At least, I'm not very interested in it with you. But if I were to casually arrange and apply buffs like [Heat], [Brainwashing], [Consciousness Rewriting], or [Corruption] on you, would you believe that you'd beg me to be my plaything?
Please don't doubt it—I can absolutely do it."
Yotsuba Miya's ability to interfere with and alter the mind was just that powerful, even more effective than the hypnotic software in those comics.
"....."
After hearing this, Monica felt a wave of revulsion wash over her, as if she had fallen into an ice cellar.
Although she was indeed a noble of Britannia, she had read many books in private and understood perfectly well the profound malice contained within those simple words.
She didn't want to be a puppet manipulated at will.
She would resist!
"What exactly are you going to do to me?!"
At this moment, the flames of defiance reignited in Monica's pupils.
"I already told you from the start—I just want to run a few experiments on you."
Mahiro was momentarily taken aback by Monica's words, but upon noticing the defiance surfacing in her eyes, the corners of his lips gradually curled upward once more.
Yes, that's more like it.
If she had yielded from the beginning, it wouldn't have been any fun at all.
Yet, it was this same smile as before that now sent Monica into a panic.
The physical strength she had painstakingly accumulated in secret was involuntarily exposed at this moment.
She instinctively reached out to block.
But the next second, her body trembled as if struck by lightning.
".....!"
The wave surged through her entire being once more, her mind grew hazy again, and her legs unconsciously tightened.
This time, it was more violent and intense than before, like a bolt of lightning striking her heart.
Yet her consciousness felt like a small boat in a storm, on the verge of being swallowed by the raging tides at any moment.
However, this sensation came and went quickly.
Just as she was slumped ungracefully over the table, panting, she noticed another change in her senses.
Her five senses had actually been heightened—she could clearly see even the finest dust particles floating in the air. But at the same time, the uncontrollable surge within her body swallowed her consciousness whole.
"Eek!!!"
Monica jolted upright abruptly, her entire body arching backward, her slender waist curving like a crescent moon.
It was as if a shameless cry of despair escaped her throat.
Thud!
Her stiff, straight legs slammed hard against the tea table, nearly toppling the exquisite and elegant bone china tea set placed on it.
"Oh, sorry, sorry. I accidentally set the multiplier to ten just now. Let me adjust it back for you."
In her dazed state, Monica heard this insincere apology.
Immediately afterward, the overwhelming sensation strong enough to make one faint receded like a tide, leaving her as if she had just been fished out of water.
She lay limp on the table, gasping for breath, her golden hair clinging to her cheeks, and her smooth forehead glistening with fine beads of fragrant sweat.
"You despicable bastard..."
Monica weakly spat out these words. Though her tone was filled with resentment and her eyes held a murderous glare, her voice was strangely alluring.
Clap, clap, clap, clap—
Mahiro ignored her words and instead enthusiastically applauded.
"Not bad. For an ordinary person, a tenfold sensory enhancement would usually cause them to faint on the spot or even die outright. I never expected Lady Monica's willpower to be so strong, enduring it head-on. Should I say this is what makes you a Knight of the Rounds? Or should I praise you for being that man's daughter?"
"You... you're a demon…"
"Thank you for the compliment." Mahiro accepted the praise from her.
Monica tried to get up from the table, but at this point, even moving a finger felt like an impossible luxury.
She had completely lost her strength.
Yet the belated sensation of clamminess washed over her—her clothes were thoroughly drenched in sweat, dripping steadily onto the floor.
Feeling the chill brought by the sweat, her bare jade-like feet on the ground gradually curled their sparkling, plump toes.
Her already flushed cheeks grew even redder.
Overwhelmed with shame and fury!
Since childhood, she had never suffered such humiliation!
But there was no helping it. The moment she made a move against Yotsuba Mahiro, her fate was already sealed.
The fact that she was still alive was something she should be grateful for.
If he hadn't spoken up about still needing Monica's existence, Eta would have long since consumed her as experimental material.
But immediately after, Monica's consciousness once again sank into a dazed, hazy state.
Yotsuba Mahiro had experimented with nearly everything he could think of on her, such as [Consciousness Rewriting], [Hypnosis], [Cognition Alteration], [Emotion Erasure], [Emotion Replacement]...
Like a piece of clay, the girl's spiritual body was kneaded and molded by him into whatever shape he desired.
This allowed Yotsuba Mahiro to fully comprehend the limits of what mental interference could achieve, and he seemed to have found the correct way to use his mental interference abilities.
After experimenting with each one, he restored Monica's spiritual body to its original state.
And Monica, like a life-sized doll, slumped in her chair, staring blankly at the ceiling with vacant eyes. Her pitifully lovely face, in particular, looked even more heartbreaking now.
She had completely given up struggling and chosen to submit.
Because she had come to fully understand just how terrifying the man before her was—someone she could never hope to resist.
Even when her mind teetered on the brink of collapse, this man would forcibly drag her back from the edge.