I Became the Mastermind Who Betrays the Heroines

[Translator - Peptobismol]

[Proofreader - Demon God]

Chapter 93 – The Rose (5)

The warmth of her soft skin lingered beneath my fingertips.

As my palm pressed against her, as if to savor her body heat, ragged breaths escaped her slightly parted red lips.

The crimson-haired girl lay sprawled on the bed, her disheveled figure trembling with exertion.

“Haa... haa...”

Her wavering gaze glared at me, burning with hatred.

Though I had yet to begin the actual treatment, she was already exhausted from her futile resistance, as if she had tired herself out entirely.

Her green eyes, like jagged leaves, dripped with murderous intent.

“You... again... how dare you...!”

Her clenched fists trembled, as if barely restraining the violence brimming within.

Her voice, icy and simmering, betrayed her humiliation and horror at the situation she was enduring.

Had she finally realized the futility of her defiance?

Her limbs slackened, leaving her with nothing but a fierce glare directed my way.

I returned her hostility with a serene smile.

“Just like last time. I promise, it won’t hurt.”

“I told you... I told you to get out!”

“I had no intention of being so forceful, but your condition leaves me no choice. I must take harsher measures.”

“Don’t...! Don’t touch me! I told you not to touch me!”

“I’m afraid that’s the one request I can’t grant.”

I shook my head firmly.

It was clear that words alone would not reach her in her current state.

Even if it meant resorting to coercion, I couldn’t leave her in such a broken state.

Still holding her trembling body, I spoke softly.

“Now then... let’s begin the treatment.”

At that moment, shadows flickered faintly at my fingertips.

The energy coated my fingers like a thin veil before gradually seeping into the skin beneath my touch.

The sensation made Elise’s pupils tremble, and a shaky breath escaped her lips, accompanied by a faint, involuntary whimper.

“Hmph...?”

The sound came sharp and clear, filled with confusion.

Her frail body quivered like prey caught in a predator’s coil. But the snake had no intention of releasing its catch.

It only slithered closer, brushing against her nape with its flickering tongue.

“You’ll feel relief soon.”

This marked the true beginning of the treatment.

If yesterday had been a light introduction, today would address the root of her affliction.

I exerted a small surge of power.

Ssshhh—

The thin tendrils of darkness seeped into her abdomen, triggering unseen changes deep within.

“...?!”

Elise’s shoulders jerked in response.

The unfamiliar sensation was likely overwhelming.

Her heightened sensitivity—nearly double its normal level—allowed me to trace the mana flow throughout her body more easily.

But for her, every sensation became amplified, making her hyper-aware of every touch, every shift.

“W-wait, ngh...! What are you doing to my body...?”

She gasped, struggling against the overwhelming sensations.

Her perception of every touch had jumped from 100 to 200 in an instant.

While I had suppressed the more painful sensations to avoid harm, other nerves—responsible for subtler stimuli—remained intact, which likely only added to her discomfort.

Her heightened senses picked up on even the smallest stimuli—whether through smell, sound, touch, or even pleasure.

Her exaggerated reactions were unsurprising.

“Ugh... why does it feel... so strange all of a sudden?”

I reached out and gently stroked her hair, attempting to calm her.

Even this seemed unbearable for her, as she twisted her head away violently, forcing me to withdraw my hand.

‘This is proving more difficult than expected.’

It seemed there was no room for distraction.

I decided to stop stalling.

Focusing my energy, I pressed my palm more firmly against her pale abdomen, centering it over her core.

Squish.

“Ahh...!”

Her body jerked upward at the sudden stimulus.

Her slender frame trembled as though leaping off the bed, but my hand firmly held her in place.

Her small, trembling form quivered helplessly beneath me.

“Please, stay still.”

The first stage was always the hardest.

I had anticipated this reaction, so I waited patiently for her to settle.

With my free hand, I resumed stroking her hair to soothe her.

“A-ahh... what... are you... ngh... doing to me?”

“As I said, I’m treating you. This requires precision, so please avoid any sudden movements.”

The procedure itself was simple in theory: restore the damaged mana circuits one by one.

Starting with her core, I infused mana directly into her energy channels, guiding it carefully to flush out the corrupted flow and replace it with a purified current.

While it sounded straightforward, the process was nearly impossible in practice.

Each step required meticulous control, adjusting the flow at a microscopic level to ensure no disruption or imbalance.

Every circuit in her body had to be treated individually, a painstaking and time-consuming task.

Ordinary physicians wouldn’t dare attempt such a feat.

‘But for me, this is ideal.’

The process allowed me to extend her recovery time, building trust while demonstrating steady progress.

The slower pace would also reduce the strain on her body.

And in the meantime, I would have ample opportunity to entrench myself in the lives of the imperial princesses.

For someone like me, the difficulty of the procedure was no obstacle.

If I could reshape even a chimera with a wave of my hand, failing at this would be beneath my reputation.

Smiling faintly, I continued the treatment.

“You’re holding up well.”

Squish.

I applied more pressure to her abdomen, eliciting another sharp reaction.

Her shoulders twitched, and her breathing became labored, like the simmering heat of a fever.

Her trembling hands clutched the bedsheets tightly, her lips pressed together to stifle any sound. @@novelbin@@

She was doing everything she could to endure.

“Ngh... stop... I don’t need... this treatment... ngh.”

Squish.

“Ahh...!”

Tears welled up in her green eyes as she squeezed them shut, her shallow breaths trembling with barely contained fear.

Even so, the defiance in her gaze hadn’t completely faded.

Her thorny demeanor, clinging stubbornly to its pride, reminded me of a resilient Rose.

Perhaps it was that strength that made me linger, my hand brushing her hair a few more times.

“You’re adjusting well.”

“You... bastard... ngh... I’ll kill you... you disgusting scum...!”

“I suppose that wouldn’t be a bad end. Of course, only after your treatment is complete.”

“Ngh...!”

Squish.

Her fragile body trembled pitifully, her wide eyes darting about as if searching for someone to help her.

But the dimly lit room offered no saviors.

Only the fragile Rose and the golden snake remained.

Charlotte had already agreed to stay in the adjacent room with her maid, ensuring that no one would interrupt.

Even if Elise screamed, her voice wouldn’t reach them.

The room was soundproof, just as it had been yesterday.

“Just continue like this.”

Squish, squish.

With that, the session stretched on, lasting nearly three hours.

By the time I withdrew my hand, my fingers felt cramped from the extended effort.

Elise lay on the bed, utterly drained.

“Haa... haa...”

Her sweat-soaked body left her nightgown clinging to her, the fabric translucent enough to reveal the contours of her skin.

The scent of her exertion hung thick in the air.

Her glassy, unfocused green eyes shone like gems.

“You did well.”

I offered her a gentle word of praise.

Her disheveled appearance spoke volumes, the loosened nightgown barely covering her chest.

Faint marks from my hands lingered on her pale abdomen.

“You should feel much better now. With consistent treatment, you’ll make a full recovery.”

Snap!

With a snap of my fingers, everything returned to order.

Her body was clean, her clothes pristine, the sweat and discomfort erased.

It was a small courtesy on my part, to ease her fatigue.

“Until tomorrow, then.”

“...”

“I’ll see you again.”

“...Just die.”

Her faint voice rasped like a curse.

Her gaze, still filled with venom, glared at me from beneath heavy eyelids.

Still unbroken, was she?

Smiling, I reached out to caress her flushed cheek.

Her softness hid thorns beneath.

“You’ll come to understand.”

I whispered slyly, my breath tickling her ear.

“That your resistance means nothing at all.”

A sweet murmur brushed against her trembling form.

Though she clenched her fists in futile defiance, her exhausted body betrayed her.

For now, she resisted.

But soon, she would yield completely to my touch.

“I can do whatever I wish to you, anytime.”

Her pale complexion, tinged with fragility, warmed beneath my fingers.

For a moment, a voice from the shattered fragments of my past whispered faintly in my ears:

– Oppa... I’m sick.

– I cried because I missed you, Oppa, but I stopped when the nurse told me to be strong.

– Hehe! So please, pat my head quickly Oppa!

[TL/N: In Korean, younger sisters refer to their older brother as “Oppa”.]

As I felt the fragile warmth beneath my fingertips, I made a solemn vow.

To prevent the tragedy that loomed ahead.

To save Charlotte from despair.

To ensure a happy ending for everyone.

To make their story different from my own.

I whispered with unshakable resolve.

“I will save you, Your Highness.”

Without fail.

I will save you.

[Translator - Peptobismol]

[Proofreader - Demon God]