ORCA 19

My heart, which had been pounding with fear, eased slightly, but then the Young Master bowed his waist and came closer. The warmth that had been lingering on my lips and chin enveloped my cheeks, while his other hand reached out. His fingers didn’t stop at my lips but pushed their way inside my mouth. A wave of sweetness spread across the tip of my tongue.

Orca pried open the goldfish’s lips with his honey-slicked fingers. He figured that since he had already done it, there was no helping it now.

Niah, startled by something he had never experienced in his life, reflexively jerked his face back. As the warmth that had been against his cheeks vanished, a faint chill set in.

“…”

It felt as though it were because of the Young Master, who was looking down at him without a word. The sweetness remaining on his tongue was the same flavor as the pancakes he had eaten before.

“Young Master. Um, I…”

Niah tested the waters. It was unthinkable to dare avoid the Young Master. He was in a position where he had to accept it even if the Young Master were to whip him. Besides, this didn’t feel as scary as a whipping.

Niah smacked his lips, trying to find the sweetness that had just disappeared. Then, he carefully returned toward Orca’s hand, which remained frozen in the spot he had just pulled away from. As if acting spoiled, he pressed his cheek against his palm and took the honey-scented fingers into his mouth. He held them lightly with just his lips, trying not to bite down.

“You have to listen well, Niah.”

Orca’s thick, long fingers pried his teeth apart and invaded deep inside. He pressed down on his warm tongue and rummaged around every corner of his mouth.

Niah obediently gave up his tongue. The fingers rubbing and stroking places he had never touched himself felt gentle. He liked the sweetness he felt, so his tongue twitched of its own accord. A strong desire to satisfy his hunger rose up.

If he could, he wanted to grab the Young Master’s hand and lick it. But he barely held himself back, afraid his tongue might be pulled out if he did such a thing. Staying still and letting the Young Master do as he pleased was his best option.

At that moment, the fingers slipped out all at once. Deprived of the sweetness, Niah looked up at Orca in a panic. The empty space inside his mouth felt lonely, so he gulped down his saliva with a regretful expression. He poked the tip of his tongue out slightly, as if begging for more.

Orca moved the hand that had been gripping the goldfish’s cheek to the back of his neck at that honest expression. He held him firmly so he couldn’t run away. He coated his fingers with honey again. This time, he plunged his index and middle fingers into the glass jar all at once. Then, he forced his two fingers into the space between the lips that were still slightly parted. He shoved them in haphazardly, right up to the base of the fingers.

Even if he didn’t know why this situation had come to be, the act he had already started would not stop. He could have just nibbled and tasted it to his heart’s content, which would have been over by now, but for some reason, he was taking a troublesome, circuitous route.

The boredom coming from the peaceful mansion had faded by a layer, but a strange question remained. It was the same as the fact that he was already on his fifth day in Rosselia, even though he had arrived with the intention of leaving after just three or four days. Orca mocked himself for it.

For one thing, the goldfish was certainly fun to watch. It was a kind of pleasure he hadn’t been able to feel on the battlefield. Watching the creature hang on and beg with its meager strength made him want to make it cry even more right then, or just let it slide and receive his due later.

He was a creature who forgot everything from just yesterday, and on top of that, he was stupid enough to forget who Orca was. Yet, he had the audacity to work as a servant, and he possessed a pathetic memory that led him to firmly believe in promises Orca had never made, which the boy had conjured up entirely in his own mind. He was a creature who couldn’t hide his thoughts at all, displaying a vacant face, and his movements of carefully pulling Orca with his terrified hands, his naive attitude of doing whatever he was told, the pupils that watched him nervously, the curly, light orange hair, and the weak, light body that felt like it would break or burst if he applied even a little pressure—anyway, watching him was never boring. It was completely different from the slaughter or hunting on the battlefield.

“Ugh. Ugh, ugh… Ah, eugh…”

It was the same now. The goldfish, who he had been sure would struggle to escape, was streaming tears but stubbornly kept biting his fingers without pulling away. He only looked at Orca with pained groans, his eyes red.

The two fists clenched on Orca’s thighs trembled violently. His expression said he would endure it, whether Orca poked around his mouth with his fingers or not. Orca deliberately rubbed his tongue hard, pressed down on his throat, and rummaged here and there. A squelching sound came from inside the mouth, which was now soaked with saliva.

Only then did the goldfish urgently grab his sleeve. Because he was gagging, Orca pulled his fingers back halfway to give him a moment to calm down. The goldfish grabbed the sleeve with one hand and wiped his wet eyes with the other.

Every time he sniffled and let out a shallow breath, his small, shifting tongue tickled Orca’s fingers. Orca spread his fingers to let the tongue come in between the joints. Thinking it was some kind of signal, the goldfish grabbed the sleeve with both hands again and waited obediently. He wasn’t trying to push them away or pull them out; he just wanted to lean on him for support. For some reason, that action didn’t feel bad.

“Good boy.”

Orca loosened the grip he had on Niah’s nape and stroked it gently. He didn’t need to keep clutching him, knowing he wouldn’t run away anyway.

Niah suddenly felt a deep sense of sorrow at that gentle voice and touch. Although he thought he shouldn’t cry, it was impossible to stop the falling tears. The Young Master was kind and gentle, but sometimes he was scary or chilling; he was a good person, but he also seemed like a bad person.

In the midst of this, he twitched his tongue to swallow the saliva that threatened to flow down his chin. Niah mumbled with his lips, trying not to bite the fingers that were touching his tongue. The sweet taste still lingered. There was a lot more he had to do besides that. He had to sniffle, wipe his tears, and hold onto the Young Master well.

Orca intended to leave him be until the goldfish’s busy movements subsided, so he let him do whatever he wanted. He killed time thinking about things like what his tongue would taste like if he bit it while it was licking his fingers right now.

Since he had just fed him honey, it would probably taste good as a dessert. Perhaps the boy’s whole body was full of tears, so it might taste salty. In that case, it would be better to eat him as an appetizer rather than a dessert. He didn’t particularly enjoy either, but since he had never eaten a goldfish before, he was curious.

Orca imagined tasting Niah from head to toe. As these fantasies continued, his fingers unconsciously slipped deeper and deeper. The touch that stirred the warm mouth and tormented the tongue wasn’t as violent as before, but it was quite persistent.

“Ugh, ugh… Ah, ah… Euuh, ugh…”

Niah had just barely managed to steady his heart, but he was in trouble again because of Orca, who kept poking at his throat. It was a relief that it wasn’t enough to make him gag. However, breathing and swallowing saliva were extremely difficult, and his jaw also hurt from keeping his mouth open the whole time.

He squeezed his eyes shut and endured it, gritting his teeth. He thought it would end soon if he just held on. Contrary to that wish, the fingers kept going inside. He didn’t think he could take any more, but they kept pushing in deeper. Tears welled up in an instant. It was scary and painful. The hand that had been gripping the sleeve trembled and then fell, landing on Orca’s thigh.

A pathetic and weak weight touched him. Only then did Orca come to his senses. Tears were streaming from the goldfish’s tightly shut eyelids. All the effort he had put into soothing the boy had gone to waste.

When he pulled out the fingers he had pushed in as far as they would go, the goldfish clutched Orca’s thigh and coughed. Then, he hurriedly brought his hand up to rub his face. Orca hated the sight of him biting his lips and heaving his shoulders. He hadn’t done it on purpose, but that last part hadn’t been his intention.

Orca let go of Niah’s nape and wiped his fingers, which were covered in honey and saliva, with a tissue. Then, he pulled down the two hands Niah was using to try and hide his crying. Niah immediately dropped his head. He had said he wouldn’t cry, so he couldn’t help but be afraid that he would be scolded for crying.

Orca gripped both of Niah’s wrists with one hand and supported his chin with the other. The face revealed without resistance was damp. The area around his eyes was already red, as if raw. Niah avoided his gaze and opened his mouth hesitantly.