Chapter 47: Walking on Eggshells (2)
Chapter 47: Walking on Eggshells (2)
With the figures of the two young nuns disappearing from his vampiric sight, he felt satisfied with how he handled the first impression on those two heroines. It was something worth doing as a villain, because people are much more likely to remember you than someone else who made little or no impression at all.
'Ahh, fuck. I went too hard on the role-playing. I didn't get to ask them their age, and come up with an estimation for DxD's timeline.'
'I got too riled up in my role-playing. Well, leave it for next time. I'll figure it out when I get to the Cathedral.'
'I'm looking forward to the Cathedral visit. Say, mister, should I make most of those pedophiles shit themselves when I approach the church?'
[It would give them reasons to be hostile. Don't lower down to their level, Charles.]
'I figure you would say that.'
Turning around, he could spot Tsufaame distancing herself from Jeanne but watching him with a wide smirk, and the moment he lent her some of his attention, she made sure to tease him for the progress made with Xenovia and Irina.
"Looks like someone's enjoying themselves a little too much," Tsufaame remarked casually, her voice carrying a hint of amusement as she sauntered over to Carl.
Carl glanced at her, a smirk playing on his lips. "Just doing what needs to be done," he replied nonchalantly, though there was a glint of mischief in his crimson eyes.
Tsufaame chuckled, her laughter echoing softly in the alleyway. "Always getting a kick out of putting others under pressure."
Carl raised an eyebrow at her teasing tone, a smirk tugging at the corners of his lips. "And what about you, Tsufaame?" he countered, his voice laced with playful banter. "I seem to recall a certain Leviathan Princess enjoyed herself being put under pressure."
Tsufaame chuckled in a fake manner, while her black eyes sparkled with some killing intent as she was reminded of the humiliating act of her relenting to Carl's shameless negotiating tactics. "Touché, Blood Bat," she conceded, her tone filled with mock indignation. "But at least I'm not two faced to play around with humans like you."
Carl mirrored the devil woman in his fake chuckled, nodding in agreement. "Fair point," he conceded, not wanting to entertain her drama, since he could guess the direction of this conversation going places.
"Just don't get too carried away, or you might end up with more than you bargained for. You'll wake up at one point with those two innocent virgins in your bed. Don't say I didn't warn you for playing them like an asshole."
Carl frowned a bit, but it was brief, not wanting to give Tsufaame the satisfaction of seeing that he was troubled by her remark, instead he faced her with a twinkle of amusement in his eyes. "Noted," he replied, his voice filled with playful mischief. "Any complaints you might want to address me?"
Tsufaame grinned, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "No, not really. I'll tell you at home when we're alone. Fufufu, I like to keep things interesting," she replied, her voice teasing. "And where's the fun in being predictable?"
"Ah-ha"
'I swear, she's doing it on purpose. She's trying to sabotage what I've built with Jeanne by being a jackass.'
[You two deserve each other]
'No way. I'm more stable and normal than that crazy bitch. She needs some taming to keep her in line.'
As their playful banter continued, Jeanne, who had a small chat with Tsufaame, having an understanding that she was the one who rescued her at Carl's orders because he was tied up by the large number of Vampires attacking him, observed the exchange with mixed feelings.
Amusement, concern, jealousy, maybe envious that she was left out from this playful banter, but those were fleeting emotions that she didn't allow to lead her life. Jeanne stood amidst the banter between Carl and Tsufaame, she couldn't shake the feeling of being somewhat out of place.
Despite the relief she felt knowing that the two young nuns were safe, she couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy at the image of closeness shared between Carl and Tsufaame. They seemed to have a bond that she couldn't quite comprehend, and it left her feeling like an outsider in their dynamic.
With Carl moving toward her, and now ignoring Tsufaame who scoffed at his cold treatment after she managed to engage with him in some banter, she summoned her courage to address her feelings.
Jeanne turned to Carl, her voice hesitant as she spoke. "Um, Carl," she began, her cheeks flushing slightly with embarrassment. "I-I was just wondering... what kind of relationship do you and Tsufaame have?"
Carl focused on Jeanne's body language, and with her tone turning shy/nervous all of a sudden, a flicker of surprise crossed his features before he offered her a reassuring smile. "She's nothing you should feel threatened about. She's my contracted Devil, think of her like a Servant. No, that's also wrong, how about a partner? Besides, from her story she claims to be quite powerful, but for now she's just a shell of what she used to be."
"When you look at her, she's just like an abandoned shepherd puppy that I decided to pick up, to give a chance to grow strong and work diligently for me in the future."
"Heh, I can taste your hatred, Tsufaame. You got something to complain about my explanation?"
Carl made those statements in such a shameless manner while looking at Tsufaame, that managed to stir all sorts of dark emotions in the Devil Princess heart, who found herself under such humiliating contract with Carl.
Her heart raced, her breathing hitched, and without her realizing, she clenched her fists in anger. The initial cheekiness she owned shattered, revealing her devilish heart that was prone to chaos and destruction.
Those feelings stemmed from her inability to accept such inferior position, as Tsufaame never considered herself anyone's inferior. Yet she found herself contracted as Carl's Devil, allowing him to make decisions for her, even over what sounded like a trivial matter regarding resolving a situation where her precious 'home' was invaded by those pesky lesser vampires.
"I think I understand now," Jeanne murmured softly, twirling a lock of her golden hair around her finger as she tried to absorb the unexpected revelation. "She's like... your employee."
Carl chuckled, shaking his head in amusement. "Well, not exactly. I suppose you could say I'm more like her patron and provider, helping her to recover her strength. Something along those lines."
"In return, she pledges to serve me, to help me achieve my goals and ambitions. It's a win-win situation for both of us."
"What am I talking about. This subject is still new for you. It's complicated. It will take you a while to catch up with the Supernatural and whatnot."
Carl paused for a moment, his eyes searching Jeanne's captivating green ones. He could see the curiosity, as well as the jealousy simmering beneath the surface, like any woman finding herself facing her competitor. He knew he needed to be careful with his words, to tread lightly so as not to offend her.
Jeanne listened attentively, her heart pounding as she tried to quell the surge of emotions building up within her. The thought of Carl being so close with another woman, a powerful and alluring woman like Tsufaame, who had her own charms made her stomach churn.
What she didn't know was that the person standing in front of her was just a human vessel she possessed, and in her eyes, she was winning the look contest. Unlike Tsufaame (vessel) she hasn't defiled her body with all sorts of piercings or tattoos.
Now she was questioning if Carl was into women like Tsufaame. Those thoughts continue to flood her, nagging her continuously in the back of her mind, and they persist with ruthless dedication.
Meanwhile, Tsufaame who felt her losing control over the human vessel because of her emotions creating instability in her possession spell, scoffed at Carl's explanation, her expression contorting with defiance.
"Serving at your beck and call? Partner?" Tsufaame's laughter echoed in the alleyway, sending a chill down Jeanne's spine. "Oh, how quaint. But let's not mince words, shall we? Don't make it sound like you're the one on top, in this relationship."
"I'm an Ultimate Devil for all that is devilish."
Her words were like venom, dripping with sarcasm and disdain. Jeanne felt a knot forming in her stomach, a sense of unease settling over her like a dark cloud, yet when she turned to check Carl's response to this outburst she could only watch at his impassive indifference.
"Are you done?"
She burned inside, wanting to spit venom at Carl for how he was treating her like some second class citizen not worth even breathing the same air. Since she wouldn't get the reaction she wanted out of him, she decided to withdraw and strengthen her control over the Vessel.
"Is not as if I can disobey you, and I doubt you want to continue our little discussion about the future with your Blood Piggy present here." Tsufaame turned her attention on Jeanne, her smirk widening into a wicked grin. "I'll be waiting for you back home. No need to worry, I know the way back. Ohh, and if you don't mind, I'll get in contact with my sister. Don't get surprised if you get jumped by Devils."
Carl's expression remained impassive, but Jeanne could see the tension in his muscles, the flicker of irritation in his eyes. He knew Tsufaame was playing with fire, just so she could mess around with Jeanne.
Was she opposed to her now that she awakened her Sacred Gear? Was she in-check because of her Holy Power? Reading women minds was something not even Nostradamus could pull off.
Jeanne's heart clenched at Tsufaame's words, a pang of jealousy stabbing at her chest.
Carl's gaze flickered briefly to Tsufaame, but he said nothing in response. It was as if her words were nothing more than a whisper in the wind, easily ignored and forgotten.
As Tsufaame disappeared into the darkness, Jeanne was left alone with Carl, who found it necessary that he explained the situation to her before she would get dragged deeper into his mess.
"I feel she opened a can of worms with the name calling. Huh, why do you gals have to be so mean at times?"
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