The girl had been found, the Bishop of Lust disciplined, and the confirmation made. Everything that needed to be done was done.
Or so I thought.
I stepped out of the dragon carriage with the rescued wife and Capella (who was bound with ropes).
Just as we exited, I noticed Carol.
She was staring in my direction, her expression shifting from confusion to pure, unadulterated horror.
I raised an eyebrow.
'Why the dramatic reaction? Even if she saw Princess Capella, would she be this surprised?'
Besides, Capella was a criminal now. Carol should be happy to see her captured.
"Is it really worth being so surprised?" I muttered.
I tugged the rope in my hand.
"Waaaaah!"
Capella stumbled out from behind me, sobbing pitifully.
"Help me... please..."
The voice.
It was familiar. But it definitely didn't belong to Capella.
I turned my head sharply.
Standing next to me wasn't the golden-haired Princess.
It was Theresia.
Or rather, Capella had transformed into Theresia.
At this moment, "Theresia" looked horrific. Her clothes were tattered, her body covered with marks of abuse. Her hair was messy, her skirt stained with blood. She looked as if her purity had just been forcibly taken by a villain.
Tragic. Beautiful. Broken.
"Damn it!"
My expression turned ugly.
'This woman is actually trying to cause trouble even now.'
"Is the punishment not enough?" I hissed. "Do you want to go back in the carriage?"
"Theresia" flinched, taking a step back in fear. Her eyes, glistening with tears, looked toward Carol.
"Help me... Carol..." she pleaded.
Carol trembled.
The sight of her precious Young Lady—her best friend—in such a state broke something inside her. Even though she knew, intellectually, that the real Theresia was safe at the Astrea mansion... the visual impact was devastating.
I looked at Carol.
"You can't be that stupid, can you?" I asked. "It's obviously a fake."
"Carol... save me!" the fake Theresia cried. "This person... he went too far! He stole my purity... he made me do things..."
"Shut up!"
I yanked the rope.
"Gurgle~"
The fake Theresia choked.
"Restore yourself to your original state," I ordered.
"Ugh~ This is what I used to look like," she lied through her teeth.
"I see you really haven't learned your lesson. In that case, don't blame me."
I began to drag her back toward the carriage.
"AAAAHH! NO!"
"Carol! Carol... please!"
She reached out a hand toward the Sword Saint. Tears streamed down her face. It was a perfect performance of despair.
Capella was gambling.
If she did nothing, she would be dragged back into that hellish carriage. And she knew I wouldn't hand her over to the authorities. I had admitted I liked her transformation ability too much.
'If he keeps me... I'll go insane,' she thought. 'I've only been bullied twice, and my mind is already breaking. I have to escape!'
She watched Carol.
For a moment, Carol turned her head away, refusing to look.
Capella bit her lip. 'Damn it! I lost the bet!'
Just as she was about to give up and revert to her original form to avoid further punishment...
"NO! I CAN'T WATCH THIS!"
A shout from behind made Capella's eyes light up.
Carol turned back. Her face was twisted with rage.
"YOU BASTARD!"
She charged at us with incredible speed, her sword drawn.
"Hey! You idiot! Stop!" I shouted.
It was useless.
Carol wasn't aiming for me. She was aiming for the fake Theresia. She couldn't stand the mockery anymore. She wanted to cut down the imposter who dared to wear her Lady's face in such shame.
Faced with the incoming blade, Capella didn't dodge.
Instead, she threw herself forward to meet it.
SLASH!
The blade struck. Blood splattered.
Carol had aimed to wound, not kill—she wanted to disable the imposter. The sword slashed across "Theresia's" chest, severing the ropes that bound her.
"Theresia" staggered back, clutching her wound.
She should have collapsed.
But instead...
Sizzle.
Steam rose from the wound. In an instant, the flesh knitted together. The tattered clothes and the red hair melted away.
Capella returned to her original form—a golden-haired woman with a twisted grin.
"Hmph~ Scared, aren't you?"
She laughed maniacally.
"This Young Lady is immortal!"
She took advantage of Carol's shock to sprint away, creating distance between us.
"It hurt a bit, but thank you so much! Thank you, you idiot! You gave me a chance to escape!"
Once she reached the treeline, she turned back. Her expression distorted with malice.
"Regulus! You piece of shit! I will never let you go! You disgusting, vomit-inducing piece of meat!"
"And your filthy wives! They were lucky this time! Next time, I'll turn them all into maggots!"
"Rotten meat and maggots! You're a perfect match!"
With that parting curse, she transformed into a black dragon and shot into the sky, disappearing into the night.
She had to say it.
If she didn't have the last word... she would have to admit that she was terrified of me. And the Sin Archbishop of Lust could never admit fear.
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