Chapter 23

Aarya was outside again, exercising near his grandfather's statue.

'Just when things start to go right, they fall apart again,' he thought in frustration, pushing himself through a set of pushups.

'Now Inse will have to help me come again. She must feel terrible having to do that with her own son. What was I even thinking, letting it go this far?' He sighed, trying to justify his actions. 'It's not entirely my fault—it was her idea to give me a handjob, and the blowjob. If there's any blame here, it's on this messed-up situation we're stuck in.'

…

Inse sat in the carriage, lost in thought. She had been talking to Aarya when a guard came to summon her, and she'd had to leave abruptly.

A sigh escaped her lips. Her mind lingered on their agreement with Mr. Belhite and how they would fulfill it. She knew what might need to be done, but the idea of being with Aarya that way again made her hesitate. The unsettling part was the excitement she felt at the thought of bringing Aarya to release a feeling that stirred both confusion and fear in her heart.

The carriage came to a halt, and Inse stepped out, her gaze landing on four guards in light armor, each holding a wooden spear. Nearby, two men knelt on the ground, their hands bound behind their backs and faces bruised. One of them was Bran.

One of the guards stepped forward, bowing. "Greetings, Lady Ditmew," he said respectfully.

Inse nodded in return.

"We caught them attempting to sneak into the forest with the stolen goods," the guard explained, gesturing to the recovered items.

Inse inspected the goods, ensuring everything was there, then looked back at the guards. "Thank you for your hard work," she said, pulling a gold coin from her pouch. "This is your reward," she added, handing it to him.

The guard's eyes lit up with gratitude as he accepted the coin. "Thank you, Lady Ditmew. Thank you!"

Inse directed the guards to load the goods into her carriage. Once that was done, one of the guards asked her what should be done with Bran and his accomplice. Inse chose to banish both men from Dunsany.

Typically, when someone committed a crime and was caught, the victim had the right to choose their punishment. Most often, the criminal would be sold as a slave to compensate the victim. However, Inse showed mercy; Bran had worked for them for three years, and although he had stolen from them, she understood his desperation—he hadn't been paid for the past two months. Still, she couldn't let a criminal roam free in their town, so she ordered him to leave Dunsany and abandon his possessions as punishment.

…

Sitting in his room, Aarya was reminiscing about the blowjob his friend had given him. Remembering the scene made his penis grow. He still had some hesitation, but in the face of his horniness and knowing no one could see what he was thinking of, he let his mind and hand wander. He was just starting to please himself when there was a knock on his door.

"Still awake, little rabbit?" Inse's voice called as she entered, her hair loosely tied back and dressed in a delicate white lace nightgown. Aarya quickly sat up, composing himself.

"I wanted to continue our conversation," Inse said, settling down on the edge of the bed beside him.

"What did you want to talk about?" Aarya asked, nodding.

"I've been thinking," Inse said, looking at Aarya thoughtfully, "that it might be a good idea for you to go to Sapipa City with Mr. Belhite and purchase a slave for yourself."

"I was thinking the same thing, Mother," Aarya said, excitement blooming in his mind.

"Are you sure you'll be okay going to the city on your own?" Inse asked, her worry showing.

"I'll be fine, Mother. Just because you call me 'little rabbit' doesn't mean I haven't grown up. I'm already 14," Aarya replied, thinking to himself, '23 if we're counting my old life.'

Hearing this, Inse fell quiet, lost in thought.

"What else, Mother?" Aarya asked, breaking her reverie.

"Huh? Oh, what?" Inse said, snapping out of it.

"What else did you want to talk about, Mother?" Aarya repeated.

"Oh, I wanted to discuss our deal with Mr. Belhite," Inse said, glancing at Aarya as he listened attentively.

Feeling a bit embarrassed, Inse hesitated before continuing. "I… I wanted to ask… how many times you, I mean, we… might need to—um, well, release—to complete our end of the deal," she managed, squeezing out the words despite her growing embarrassment. 

'Inse, these aren't the things you should discuss with your son,' she thought, feeling a wave of shame wash over her.

Hearing this, Aarya felt a bit surprised. He had already thought about it during his free time, but he hadn't expected his mother to bring it up tonight. She's gotten bold. No, she's always been bold. I might have encouraged her actions, but she usually makes the first move, he thought. He then answered his mother's question. "Four times, Mother."

Inse nodded in response, though she couldn't bring herself to look directly at Aarya.

"Let's make it five times instead," she added, surprising Aarya even more.

Realising her words could be misunderstood, she quickly explained, her cheeks flushing. "I meant, if something goes wrong again like last time, we might need some extra money."

Aarya nodded in agreement. "You're right, mother. Let's do it five times instead."

Inse sighed in relief that Aarya didn't misunderstand her intentions, and she was glad that the conversation was finally over. 'That's the least amount of embarrassment I can take for one day.' she thought to herself.

Before getting off Aarya's bed and leaving his room, she turned to wish him goodnight. But what greeted her was Aarya pulling down his pyjamas to reveal his half-flaccid penis.

"What are you doing?" Inse exclaimed in shock at her son's actions.