79 Chapter 79 (1/2)
”Little Rin and Ren, could you give master and I a moment alone?”
”Why?” Ren asked suspiciously while Rin exchanged glances between Erit and Aerwyn.
”It's fine, why don't you guys go check out the ship while I talk to Erit.” Aerwyn reassured them.
”Ok!” Rin excitedly ran off, but Ren took her time, occasionally glancing back at Erit.
Erit paused as Rin and Ren went below deck. Once they were out of sight, she took a step closer to Aerwyn, all the while locking her violet eyes to his.
”I want the world and everything in it, master. I want to become a goddess and have all the tiny races of the world worship me. When this little spider grows weary of this world, I want to go through the gate and find more worlds to take and call my own.”
”...Oh, is that all?” Aerwyn chuckled.
”Nope. Lastly, I want master to give this little spider all of these things.”
”And why would 'this little spider' be so deserving of such generosity?”
”Because this little spider will be the one who helps master gain those things in the first place.”
”What makes you so sure of yourself?”
”Mother always said that a lady shouldn't boast, but instead, she should quietly bend the world to her will and revel in her success alone.”
”...Well, then you failed that lesson miss 'i want the world and everything in it'. Also, that doesn't sound like the words of a race that lives in an underground cave-OW!” Aerwyn cried out as Erit flicked his nose playfully.
”Don't make fun of spiders. Besides, I only told you because of the way you were looking at me. It was like you didn't trust me anymore.”
Aerwyn was stunned but for a reason other than Erit's beauty for once. It was the first time one of his undead had intentionally hit him. While a flick to the nose could hardly be considered harming him, it was nonetheless a display of Erit's autonomy despite Aerwyn's power over her.
”...Are you still under the control of my power?” Aerwyn asked in a daze.
”Oh? What would you think if I said I wasn't ever under your control?” Erit stuck her arms behind her back, accentuating her chest as she cocked her head to the side and blithely looked up to Aerwyn.
”I'd believe you. You've never obeyed my orders about your voice magic before.”
”And if I said I was under your control this whole time? How would you know if I was lying or not?”
”I could just order you to do something.”
”What if I followed your order despite not being under your control? What if I patiently waited until you walked into my web of deceit and lies, when you trusted me wholly, before finally striking out?”
”...” Aerwyn unconsciously took a step back.
”Now, do you see how impossible it is to prove my innocence, Aerwyn?” Erit's lips curled up as she spoke his name for the first time, once again revealing a beautiful smile that could stop even the most pious of men in their tracks.
Nothing made any sense. If Erit wasn't under his control, then why did she admit to it in such a way that would forever taint his trust in her? Things made even less sense if she was still under his control. If she had this much free will and could outright disobey him, then how could he even call that control?