I Became the Assistant of a Romance Villainess

Chapter 5. Discipline

***

“What are you doing?”

When I looked down at her from above, Seria flinched.

“If you’re going to cause this much trouble, the least you can do is take responsibility for your actions.”

“…”

Seria remained silent, looking up at me.

“What exactly is your problem?”

“I am… Siegfried.”

She uttered the name she had lost, emphasizing each word as though holding onto its weight.

But unlike before, her voice lacked the confidence it once carried.

Her voice trembled faintly.

“Siegfried. It has a nice ring to it.”

A name tied to the empire’s legacy.

In the Bermuth Empire, if you were to ask who held the most power after the Emperor, the answer would be simple:

The Siegfried family.

At the side of the first Emperor, there had always been a Siegfried.

The Emperor’s right hand and a formidable ally.

The previous Emperor had sought to strengthen the imperial throne by forming a marriage alliance with the Siegfried family.

But the Siegfrieds had different ambitions.

A divergence of dreams.

Sensing the Siegfrieds’ growing ambition, the current Emperor had been the first to draw his sword.

Seria had merely been a catalyst.

‘Foolish woman.’

Had she accepted the Emperor’s marriage to the current Empress and stepped aside, both her family and she would have been spared.

The story would have concluded with: The villainess stepped back, and the two lived happily ever after.

But no.

Regretting her impulsive actions now wouldn’t change a thing.

Regret is always too late, no matter how soon it comes.

“You are no longer a Siegfried.”

At my words, Seria’s body trembled.

“I… I am…”

“Would dragging you to the Siegfried estate convince you otherwise?”

Seria lifted her head to look at me.

“Is that even possible?”

Tsk. 

“Foolish girl.”

Snap!

I clicked my fingers and mana enveloped her body.

I lifted her effortlessly and threw her onto the bed.

Ropes from the guest room sofa flew through the air, binding her arms and legs securely.

“Did you really think I’d take you there?”

“Kyaaaah!”

The Emperor’s words echoed in my mind—the desire for Seria to suffer.

I didn’t intend to follow his orders blindly, but today was different. Seria had crossed a line.

“I am very angry right now.”

This wasn’t just because of ambition or results-driven pragmatism. It was because of the third trait that defined Maurice Dmitri:

[Perfectionism].

How dare she disrupt the sanctity of my home?

I thought of the shattered and scattered items that had once graced my mansion.

The fact that I had to expend mana over such a trivial matter infuriated me.

“In the Dmitri household, disrupting order is the gravest crime of all.”

“Let, let me go!”

Seria squirmed and struggled to loosen the rope, but the magically bound rope was firm.

“It seems yesterday’s punishment wasn’t sufficient, so I suppose I’ll have to add more.”

“I told you clearly! I am Siegfried!”

I stared intently into Seria’s rebellious eyes.

“It seems you need a reminder of your position.”

I tore Seria’s clothes, her wrists and ankles still bound by ropes.

Rip!

“Eek!'”

As the maid’s uniform was torn open, her ample breast was revealed, with her bright red nipples contrasting against her flawless, pale skin.

“What on earth are you trying to do?!”

Instead of answering, I brushed my fingertips across Seria’s breast.

The soft texture of her skin was palpable under my touch.

“Ah…”

After taking a moment to feel her skin, I looked down at her from above.

Her maid uniform was completely torn, leaving her entirely naked.

Her curving breasts, smooth yet firm abs, neatly trimmed pubic hair, and even the more intimate areas were all exposed.

I slowly scanned her body from top to bottom.

It was a figure befitting someone called the empire’s greatest beauty.

Who could possibly resist a woman like this?

‘Hmph.’

I was tempted to inject mana into her mind and manipulate her subconscious.

‘It’s too dangerous.’

Even the slightest mistake could leave her permanently damaged.

And then,

the Emperor would erupt in rage.

If I alter her perception, she won’t feel any pain.

But if I make a mistake, it could cost me my life.

The reason I dislike Seria?

She’s the Emperor’s token of trust in me.

And at the same time,

a poison and a bomb.

“I really didn’t want to do this.”

I cut and braided the leather straps hanging on the wall, fashioning a makeshift whip.

The thin cords swirled through the air as I moved my hand.

Seria’s eyes trembled visibly.

“You, th-that…”

She stuttered, unable to finish her sentence.

“There’s no need for words.”

Whip!

The leather whip lashed through the air, splitting it with a sharp crack.

This wasn’t prepared simply to inflict pain on her.

I intended to give her deep pleasure alongside the pain.

Why include pleasure, you ask?

It’s simple.

[Sexual Sadism]

It was a trait unique to me, Maurice Dmitri.

It was also the reason I became the empire’s top torture expert.

If I didn’t release it, I would lose control.

The form of torture I found most difficult to master was whip torture.

Without precise control of strength, it would only cause pain—and nothing more.

“Prepare yourself.”

Seria squeezed her eyes shut tightly.

I brought the whip down onto Seria’s breast.

“Ugh!”

Her breast, flowing in soft curves, jiggled gently from the impact.

Seria bit her lip tightly, her eyes snapping open.

“How insolent.”

Whip! Smack!

“Ahh!”

Each lash left red marks on Seria’s body.

Her body jolted with every sharp sound, accompanied by groans.

“W-wait, ahh!”

Slap!

As the deep red marks on her skin increased, a hint of confusion flickered in Seria’s eyes.

You wouldn’t understand.

It wasn’t simply pain she was feeling.

“Ugh…”

A moan escaped through her tightly pressed lips.

The strange pleasure interwoven with the pain was slowly consuming her.

The whip struck her skin fiercely but also caressed it softly in its aftermath.

Pain and pleasure, over and over.

Torture wasn’t about simply striking harder.

As the saying goes, it wasn’t the harsh wind but the scorching sun that made the traveler remove their coat.

Like waves crashing violently, contrasting sensations surged through her body.

As beads of sweat formed and clung to my body with every swing of the whip, Seria’s body jerked more violently in response.

“Haah… haah…”

She was panting heavily, her breath ragged.

Her face was flushed a deeper red than the marks on her chest from the whip.

This was a technique I had perfected over three years of torture.

I placed my fingers on one of the marks left by the whip.

“Ahh!”

My fingertips were imbued with a frost spell.

The cool sensation wrapped around the heated wound, soothing the inflamed skin.

By now, she must have been feeling a strange mix of relief and pleasure.

“Do you understand now? Even as I degrade you like this…”

“You can’t do anything.”

I whispered softly into Seria’s ear.

“I… won’t give in.”

Though her breath came in gasps, trembling with the pleasure coursing through her nerves, her eyes had not lost their light.

Even as tears welled up, unable to endure the cycle of pain and pleasure, she refused to admit defeat.

It was an extraordinary resilience befitting the eldest daughter of a ducal house.

If she had used that mental strength to refine herself further, perhaps the emperor would have made her empress.

“What a shame.”

At my words, Seria smiled.

“Even the great torture expert seems to be out of options, huh?”

She must think she won.

Unfortunately for her, I’m not the kind of master who overlooks my servant’s mistakes.

“It seems this was too mild for you.”

I hadn’t expected her to crumble so easily.

“If you wish for a harsher punishment…”

I set the whip down.

“I’ll gladly oblige.”

Mana began to gather at my fingertips, coiling and stretching out like threads.

“How about I completely rewrite your personality?”

I pressed my fingers against Seria’s forehead.

The threads of mana danced and burrowed into her body, weaving their way deep within her.

I looked down at Seria with a sly smile.

“I’ve added an extra condition.”

“W-what?”

“The magic I’ve implanted in your head will monitor your emotions and alert me in advance. Anytime you dare to entertain insolent thoughts…”

“Ahhh!”

The mana stone embedded in the choker lit up, sending Seria into convulsions.

“A light current will course through your body. I trust you’ve already experienced the shock.”

“W-wait… ahh…”

The mana stone glowed again.

Seria let out a faint, suggestive moan, biting her lower lip.

“Already feeling it? You must be a natural-born pervert.”

“I… ahhh!”

Her already labored breaths from the whip torture grew heavier.

Bzzz!

“Ahhh…!”

“I’ll leave you like this until you understand your place.”

“W-wait, I’m sorry… ahhh… I’m sorry, please…”

But once again, she let out a moan, twisting her body helplessly.

“Looks like there’s no chance of repentance tonight. Since you still haven’t come to your senses, I’ll keep you tied up for the rest of the day.”

“W-wait! Hey, hey! Dmitri, you basta—ahhh!”

I left the guest room, where Seria lay moaning in a dazed state, and walked away.

***

The prolonged moans finally subsided after quite some time.

“At last, some peace and quiet,” I murmured, closing the book in my hands.

[Bookworm]

Due to Maurice’s trait, failing to read at least one book a day left him simmering with anger.

My eyes felt strained.

‘I wonder when she’ll come to terms with her situation.’

Today’s punishment was for Seria’s sake.

She needed to realize as quickly as possible that she had become nothing.

Of course, I was furious that she dared to damage something of mine, but that was a fleeting emotion, gone in an instant.

The emperor’s command was clear: to inflict pain.

And if I failed to deliver proper suffering?

“Sigh.”

There was no telling where the emperor’s wrath might land.

‘It could very well be directed at me.’

I muttered quietly under my breath.

“Status Window.”

[Name: Maurice Dimitri]
[Titles: Imperial Archmage, Minister of Magic, Arbiter of the Mage Tower, Intermediary, Torture Specialist]
[Traits: Ambition, Result-Oriented, Perfectionist, Bookworm, Sexual Sadism, Maestro of Magic, Analyst, Architect…]

The titles were the results of my accomplishments over the three years I’ve lived in this world.

And those traits…

The cursed traits Maurice possessed were what bound me to this character.

Above all, the Perfectionist and Sexual Sadism traits.

Because of those, I ended up as the empire’s Torture Maestro.

‘That’s why the emperor sent Seria to me.’

In some ways, I should be thankful. At least these urges have been sated.

Previously, I would satisfy my sadistic impulses by utterly destroying anyone who dared oppose me.

For now, I wouldn’t have to do that anymore.

“Hah…”

I exhaled deeply.

With my brain’s sensory perception amplified to the maximum by mana, I swiftly finished the book and flipped it shut, snapping my fingers.

Before my eyes, an image of Seria’s room appeared.

It was a spell inspired by modern-day CCTV systems.

I looked at Seria, who was tied to the bed.

Watching her wasn’t exactly my hobby.

‘It would be troublesome if she harmed herself.’

If she succumbed to despair and tried to end her life?

I didn’t even want to imagine it.

Seria, still bound and lightly gasping, seemed to have lost consciousness, her eyes closed.

Even in her unconscious state, she trembled intermittently.

Perhaps it was the lingering remnants of pleasure.

Or maybe, in that short time, she’d entertained another impudent thought.

“Tch.”

I hadn’t expected this to be easy from the start.

I wanted to discard her.

If only I could.

Just as I pressed my fingers to my throbbing temples, I heard a knock.

Knock, knock.

“Master, it is Sebastian.”

A deep, elderly voice came from outside the door.

He arrived earlier than I expected.

***