This was the first time Elisabeth had spoken on the matter. That night, after being carried back to the castle, Kaito had confessed that he'd temporarily accepted Vlad's invitation. But Elisabeth had simply treated his wounds, then tossed him into bed. He'd immediately slipped into a comatose state, and Hina had held his hand through the night while Elisabeth delivered her report to the Church. The following day, his usual warped yet not-unpleasant lifestyle awaited him. He'd decided not to mention prior events, so when Elisabeth broached the subject on her own, he was taken by surprise. There were too many possible answers to her question about his "misgivings," so he simply tilted his head. Elisabeth raised a slender finger. "First, the matter of the Church's custody." "Oh, well, misgivings or not, people from other worlds are still rare, right? And that place seems full of holes, so if there was anyone else like Clueless there, I'd be done for. It's not like I'd have any way to resist, so because I can't guarantee that I'm not gonna become a lab rat, I have no plans of fleeing to the Church at the moment." "At the moment, eh?" "Well, yeah. If I really felt like you were gonna die and I was gonna follow shortly after, then who knows. I might well go sobbing to the Church and beg them for help." "Ah, how very like you." "Yeah, I'd rather not accompany you to Hell." "And I would rather not have you." Elisabeth responded in a muted tone, then shook her empty glass. Obeying her unvoiced order, Kaito filled it to the brim. Spinning the glass as she spoke, Elisabeth asked her next question. "Second, then. Are you truly okay with that?" "Oh...yeah. That. Yeah, I'm fine with that as it is." "I see. Well, if you say so, then that is that." Unlike Kaito, who had survived due to Elisabeth giving him a blood transfusion, his father's doll body had lost all its blood, and his soul had disappeared. Elisabeth could have summoned it again, but Kaito had turned her down. On his request, though, she'd recovered the doll's body, and Kaito had buried it behind the castle. The burial had had no meaning. Yet, for some reason, Kaito had wanted to do it anyway. And so he did. Kaito had no plans to visit his father's grave. In time, it would grow over with weeds or flowers as they sprouted naturally. That was for the best. That thought alone had allowed him to sort out his feelings. Here in front of him sat Elisabeth again. It was her egotism that had set all of this in motion. It was the Torture Princess who had thrust herself into this insane situation and she who had forced this second life upon him. Kaito shrugged, then spoke to her casually. "And hey, you bringing me back to life and summoning me here must have been some kind of fate... So until you start walking the road to Hell, I'll try and stick by your side for as long as I can, even if I'm the only one." Elisabeth would die alone. Not even a demon would be by her side then. But perhaps it wouldn't be so bad for one human to stay by her side until that fateful day arrived. Throughout Elisabeth Le Fanu's bloody life, she was accompanied by a single foolish servant. Kaito thought that sounded just fine. Elisabeth cast a sidelong glance at him. She then shrugged and gave a catlike laugh. "And what of it? Am I supposed to be overjoyed at the prospect of being served till death by an unfaithful servant like you? One who can't even cook?" "Man, you ask a lot for someone who can only summon people from other worlds who can't cook organs worth a damn." "I'll kill you for that. Painfully. But...very well. Bring me that thing, that one talent you possess." "Aye aye, cap'n. It's been a while." He obeyed her command and returned the wine bottle to its bowl. He then picked up the earthenware pot from the tub of ice it was chilling in. Hina, unable to restrain herself, bubbled with excitement as she peered at it. Watching the other two crane their necks, Kaito whipped off the lid. "Ah, so that's what Master Kaito's special purin is like! How splendid!" "Indeed, it jiggles so wonderfully. I crave it from time to time. Now, without further ado..." Kaito gazed at them, Elisabeth readying her spoon and Hina unable to contain her excitement. It was then that he realized something. He felt around his face with caution. Sure enough, a natural smile had spread across it. ...Oh, so that's what that feels like. He thought back to the promise he'd made Neue. Then he calmly surveyed the scene before him. Elisabeth was there, and so was Hina. He hoped these chaotic, happy days would continue. For the first time in his life, he prayed that he wouldn't lose them, even as the battles heated up. And to that end, he planned to do everything in his power. To fulfill his promise to Neue and to keep the promise he'd just made to Elisabeth. The Torture Princess, Elisabeth Le Fanu, had summoned him from another world. She would one day die alone, forsaken by all of creation, and descend to Hell. But they still had some time before then. Afterword Good day, and to those of you I haven't met before, it's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Keishi Ayasato. Thank you all very much for purchasing Torture Princess. Some of you will say, "But I'm just skimming it at the bookstore!" To those people, this is the part where I cling to your leg and beg you not to leave it behind. My grandpa said that something good will happen if you take it to the register with you. More specifically, you could get a +3 bonus to Luck. As far as the accuracy of that statement goes, I have no comment. Torture Princess is the first book I had the honor of writing for MF Bunko J. Because it was the first, I was pretty nervous. I sincerely hope you liked it, even if only a little. The idea of the Torture Princess, a wicked, beautiful woman of noble birth who commands countless torture devices, was one that I'd wanted to write about for a while. However, I'd never been able to come up with a reason for the protagonist to be with her or why he would continue serving her, so the story never really took form. It was when my editor suggested I write a story combining dark elements with the isekai genre that a light went on in my mind. Ah, I thought, the premise can be that she summons him after he dies and forces him to work for her! After that, I was able to write Kaito and Elisabeth's story without a hitch. If you don't mind, I would be thrilled to tell you what happens next in the tale of the sinner who awaits death by burning at her own hands and the boy who gets a second chance at life. Incidentally, I wrote a limited-edition booklet that you can find at animate, describing a day in the life of the aforementioned two, as well as Hina, the doting maid who showers the protagonist with all the love of a blushing bride. As a bonus, the Butcher shows up, too. Skipping it won't affect your enjoyment of the sequel, but if you're interested, please check it out (I'm the type to toss in advertisements at key moments like this). Please take a look, even if all you do is admire the beautiful cover Saki Ukai drew for it. But most of all, I hope from the bottom of my heart that if I successfully manage a sequel, it will catch your eye. Oh, that would make me so happy. Please, I beg of you. I'm almost out of room in the afterword, so I guess this is the part where I start thanking people. Saki Ukai, thank you so much for your beautiful character designs and illustrations. When I first saw Elisabeth's design, it took my breath away. To my designer and my publisher, your suggestions were invaluable, and to my editor O, I wish to extend my deepest gratitude. And finally, to my readers, my sincerest thanks. There is no greater pleasure for an author than to have people read their work. I will put everything I have into making my next story entertaining, so it would bring me great joy if you all looked forward to it. And with that, I hope we will meet again. 1 The Chaos Begins The entire area was one massive graveyard. A number of grave markers dotted the landscape, abandoned and forgotten by the living. They served as symbols of the dead resting beneath them, and they were stuck throughout the hill like a tragic pincushion. At present, two figures were being buffeted by the frigid winds that ravaged the naked earth. One of them was a girl of unparalleled beauty, clad in a lascivious black bondage dress. Her pale arms and sides were exposed to the elements, and the leather belts providing her chest its sole means of coverage left her shapely breasts largely exposed. The black cloth wrapped around her hips flared out into a short skirt, and behind it, a layer of fabric with the inside dyed scarlet draped outward like a mantle. Her elegant legs, adorned in a layer of thin material, stood out even more sharply against the crimson backdrop. Strangely, though, her appearance did not register as provocative. She wore her risquÃ© outfit with the dignity of a queen in her regalia, and her crimson eyes flashed like rubies as she smiled. "Well, well, what do you intend to do, my dear Duke? At this rate, I shall crush you like a worm, and the dead shall count you among their ranks. Come now, try to entertain me a little." Her laugh was cruel and arrogant as she made light of her adversary. The foe was a demon. Twisted and hideous, it was demonic in every sense of the word. Its form was a coffin made of flesh. The coffin's lid reflected a gruesome glimmer while the interior was a throbbing mass of blood vessels and organs. Countless human arms extended from the coffin's sides, intertwining into a grotesque pair of wings. That demonâ€”the Dukeâ€”was the overseer of the massive graveyard, as well as its creator. Long ago, a bloody conflict between beastfolk and humans had led to the people of the village neighboring the site to forbid anyone from setting foot on that land. That was what led the Duke to develop an interest in it. As a result of using the land for his own nefarious purposes, the unbridled resentment of the dead had bled deep into the hill's soil. It would likely never be fit for human habitation again. The Duke had buried countless people alive there. He'd kidnapped them and sealed them within his coffin body, supplying them with air and minimal nourishment through a vent while slowly digesting them. Still clinging to life while their bodies broke down, it was said that his victims would eventually give in to madness, their laughter interspersed with their screams. Their wails of agony would shake the hill like a thunderstorm, frightening all those who passed by. But over the past few weeks, the Duke had refrained from conducting his dreadful work, and at present, the voices could no longer be heard. The Duke had been mulling over whether or not he should abandon his hill and flee. He'd heard that the person who had brought down judgment upon the Kaiser, the strongest of all the demons, was closing in on his location. But because