78 Chapter 77 (1/2)

I watched as Gregory sucked on Julian's dick. It wasn't like it wasn't obvious that the two men were sexually active with each other, but this was the first time I had seen it first-hand. Gregory idealized Julian, and as his lips stroked Julian's member, he looked up adoringly at his big brother. Julian, on the other hand, wore a disinterested look. It looked mostly like he was humoring Gregory.

Of course, this was the reality behind Julian in a nut shell. He felt nothing. I didn't know if his penis literally lacked the ability to feel sexual pleasure, or if he was dead inside for some other reason. I simply knew it for what it was. Julian experienced no joy, ever. The feeling of sexual pleasure did nothing for him. He could cum, but it was an empty feeling for him. That was the truth behind Julian.

As a result of his nonexistent sexual drive, he overcompensated. That would be an understatement. He completely saturated the world in lust. Perhaps it took extreme sexual perversion to get him to feel even a little bit of happiness. I didn't know that either. I just knew that he hated himself for his sexual perversion in the same way that I had hated myself for my sexual promiscuity.

For me, I was always secretly guilty of the sex I enjoyed. I didn't see myself as a good person. However, the same guilt manifested itself in a wildly different way for Julian. He decided to make everyone as perverted as him. If everyone was a sexual deviant, then Julian was simply one among a crowd. I suspected that was the reasoning behind Julian. He wanted to paint the world in his image, and his image was a self-hating narcissist determined to gain any satisfaction he could, no matter to what extreme he had to go.

Julian finished up, having Gregory swallow down a load. When he finished up, there was an unexpected knock on the door and Gregory quickly got off his knees and wiped his mouth.

”Who do you suppose it is, brother?” Gregory asked with a smile.

Julian sighed. ”Likely fourth brother. He has it in his mind to pursue the stolen treasury. He seems to think he has a way to head off the Bandit who robbed the castle and 'murdered' the princess. On that note, the last I heard, our body had been stolen, but father informed me today that he's having the body placed in the tomb until Daphne comes to take it. Where did you come up with a spare?”

”I didn't need to go far, brother. A slave woman, er, not the elf woman, was found dead in Cornelia's room. After burning the body, the difference would be difficult to make. Of course, I took care of the servant who found her.”

”What of the elf girl?” Julian asked.

”Vanished the same night as Cornelia died.”

Julian nodded. ”Keep searching. If you find her, send someone to kill her. I don't like loose ends. However, to think Cornelia would so quickly take to torturing and raping. She would have been great.”

I nearly gagged on that if I had a mouth to gag on. Julian was back to reaching his own conclusions. I supposed it was simpler to believe that after seeing the underground sexual torture, that I became enamored and bought a slave girl to test it out on. Since nobles barely saw slaves as people, I guess Julian assumed I was starting to make the jump into complete depravity. On the up side, they still knew nothing about my identity.

The door knocked again, and Julian gave a sigh, moving to go answer it. However, instead of the expected Devon, it was Richard standing at the door. Even Julian seemed somewhat surprised by the unexpected guest.

”What a surprise, brother, what is it?”

”Ah, 1st and 2nd brothers… I, see you're together,” Richard peered around uncomfortably for a second before continuing, ”I, uh, need your help.”

Julian's eyebrow rose and he looked surprised and amused at once, ”Really? Brother has finally come to ask us for help. What kind of help does brother need?”

”That is,” Richard was very stiff and formal with the two flamboyant men, as opposed to Devon who was openly antagonistic. ”Let me just take you to my room.”

”Oh, I'd never take a refusal to come to brother's room, of course.”

Richard ignored that, immediately turning and leaving. Julian and Gregory looked at each other. Julian gave a shrug and followed after his third brother. Their rooms were not far away, and it only took a minute before he opened the door and let the two men into his bedroom. As they entered, their eyes immediately fell on a woman who was sitting on Richard's bed.

The woman looked haggard. She had big black pillows under her eyes, messy hair, and seemed to lack any dignity or presence. She was still shaking and when she saw Julian and Gregory enter she made a small yelp before turning her head away, looking down like an abused animal.

”What is this, brother? I'm not against foursomes but perhaps I should pick the girl next time?”

Richard gave no reaction to his prodding, instead, shaking his head. ”Sylvia has been like this since last night. I'd have just ignored her, but there is something odd when you analyze her. Try it.”

Julian frowned, but a second later he squinted at Sylvia. His eyes opened big and his mouth fell. Gregory was only a few steps behind.

”By the gods,” Gregory whispered. ”That, how?”

”Cornelia did it to me last night.” Sylvia let out in a whining voice, holding up the ring, ”She did this to me.”

”That's the answer she gave me,” Richard sighed, ”Of course, I told her that Cornelia died two nights ago. Perhaps she is in shock. I knew the two women were competitive…”

That was an understatement, but I was focused on Julian, who wasn't waving away her claim as easily as his brother. He stared at her with narrowed eyes as he moved up and looked at the ring. He went to pull it off, but the ring wouldn't move. After a few seconds of pulling, he finally let go.

”A… cursed ring.” He said softly.

”It must be!” Richard responded, ”Is there any way to remove it.”

Julian nodded slowly. ”Maybe, but I have to wonder why there is a cursed ring that makes her identify as Cornelia Bartrum.”

”But don't you recognize it, brother,” Gregory spoke up, ”That is the ring Cornelia Bartrum wore.”

”Wait… you're right, I thought it looked familiar.” Richard moved up and grabbed the ring.

Julian scratched his cheek, ”The woman named Cornelia Bartrum was perhaps not Cornelia at all. Her identity must have been faked.”

Only Sylvia gasped, apparently the only one in the room who hadn't been able to jump to that realization on her own.

Then Gregory spoke up, ”But how did it end up on Sylvia.”

Julian looked down at Sylvia. I could almost see his mind working. The body went missing, now the ring was on Sylvia. I couldn't be alive. That didn't even register in his mind. That must mean that she probably stole it to be more like me, just like she stole the body as some kind of trophy. It might have been an appropriate conclusion in another situation.

”I'm telling the truth!” Sylvia shouted. ”She came to my room last night. But her face was different. It was pale and otherworldly. B-b-beautiful. The ritual succeeded. Don't you see? She's Qetesh's now… and she's come back… to punish us all. This is only the beginning! In two weeks, she says she'll kill me in two weeks! I have to run! We all have to! She's coming, oh, gods, she's coming for me!”