Chapter 379: Confession
"See, Kafka...D-Do you finally understand that what I'm saying is true and not exaggerated at all?" Nina sighed with a shy look on her face as she let go of her lower lips after fulfilling Kafka's indirect command, confirming to herself that her life was now in the hands of another person.
She then continued saying as she quickly accepted the circumstance she was currently in and said, "The power you have over me also isn't really considered to be mind control, as I can actually break away from it if I really want to and stop myself from doing anything you want me to."
"It's more like my devotion towards you and my innate desire to make the person I've devoted my heart to always satisfied, even at the cost of my dignity and belongings."
Nina explained like she knew exactly why she felt as if she needed to listen to Kafka's words like they were from the holy book she worshipped. She also blushed as she knew what it meant in their relationship.
"From what you're saying, it seems like you know exactly why you're acting this way because of me, Nina." Kafka wasn't as confused anymore and asked in a calm and pensive manner to gain more clarity regarding this issue. "So, could you please elaborate a little more so that I'm not the only one left out of the circle of understanding."
"Fine, Kafka...This is actually a commonly known fact about the females of different variant races, which is also why I thought you already figured everything out." Nina said, which made Kafka wonder if only he was the ignorant one regarding this matter.
"But since you don't know, probably because it's an occurrence that happens so rarely among the people of variant clans that it's actually become a myth, I'll explain it to you as simply as possible."
Kafka nodded his head, prepared to learn about the uniqueness of the various clans in this world.
"Well, it basically boils down to the major difference between normal humans and variant humans, which is the animalistic qualities variant humans possess." Nina wasn't the best when it came to explanation, so she didn't go into the details and went straight to the point.
"Like how my variant race called the 'Tree Fairy' race has a physique that helps us travel through the trees and long ears that help us find prey and detect danger, which is similar to certain animals in the jungle, the rest of the variant clans also have some primal characteristics to them that suited the environment they lived in."
Kafka nodded his head and guessed that their personalities also stemmed from the environment in which they lived, like how aggressive Nina was because her ancestors lived in the dangerous jungle. If it were someplace much less viscous, he was sure that Nina's innate personality would be much more calm.
"And even though every different race has different animalistic characteristics that define and classify everyone apart, all the different clans did share some innate qualities with one another." Nina cast a coy glance at Kafka, then, for some reason, averted her gaze when she met his.
She then continued saying as she played with Kafka's hair, like it was her way of satiating the embarrassment of what she was about to say, "A-And one of the innate characteristics seen in the female members of a variant race is the absolute loyalty they would have towards their partner who they had completely fallen for."
"...Not just any sort of loyalty that you would see in a normal relationship, but something much more, where their partner's words are their lifeline and they'd do anything to satisfy their desires, even if they were to go to war itself and fight with their life on the line."
Nina revealed one of the traits of variant humans, which made Kafka's eyes go wide at the astonishing discovery. But as fascinating this world's culture, which seemed to be mixed in with the physiology and blood of variant humans, was, he still had a doubt that really puzzled him.
"But that doesn't make sense, Nina...If all variant human relationships were shaped in that way, wouldn't every single bond basically be a master-slave relationship where the man had complete control over the opposite party?" Kafka said as he looked up at Nina, who seemed to be hiding something with the guilty look she had on her face. "Let's even take you, for example.
If it worked the way you said, then wouldn't you be under your husband's control at all times and would basically be his slave...Wouldn't something like that bring chaos to the world?"
"...W-Well, I did forget to mention one other important point, Kafka."
Nina spoke with a reluctant look on her face, knowing she couldn't keep the part that would surely reveal her biggest vulnerability hidden any longer.
She was aware that her words would destroy everything she had worked so hard to protect, but she also understood that if things continued this way, they would eventually come to light. So in the end, she decided to reveal the truth that would surely change her relationship with Kafka forever and put her on a path that she had no idea where it was going to lead to.
"T-The thing I kind of forgot to mention isn't that big of a deal, Kafka, and is just that the requirement for a variant woman to form such a deep loyalty towards her partner, which is that s-she must completely be devoted to him whether it was her mind or body."
Nina tried to downplay what she was saying like it wasn't a big issue at all, even though what she was saying was deal-breaking information that cemented what she actually felt towards Kafka. She then continued saying, in a fluster while looking away from Kafka's gaze,
"Only a woman who has completely given her heart to someone else, to the extent that she would struggle to even live if he weren't there anymore, just like how a heart is necessary to survive, would feel such a deep loyalty towards her partner."
"...Basically someone that has fallen head over heels for that person and would happy give her life if that person asks for it could feel that sort of devotion towards him, which was her sacred mark of how much she truly adored him."
Nina said, like the feeling of absolute obedience Nina felt towards Kafka was a blessed thing that only the luckiest of woman could feel, since it basically meant that they had met their destined one
"That's why I informed you that this information is essentially a rumor or myth, as we rarely witness such a relationship in our world." Utmost you see rarely see it every once in a while, where a lucky woman meets an enigma of a man who truly knows how to make a woman feel cherished, just like the relationship between my mother and father."
Nina revealed that her father, like Kafka, was a gentleman who made her mother feel the same way she was currently feeling towards him.
With this, she had done what she had been trying to avoid all this while, and she actually proposed her love towards Kafka in a grand manner.
She knew that it was inevitable that, as her relationship progressed with Kafka, she would eventually blurt out how she felt about him. So, rather than exposing herself in a messy manner, she decided to take the bullet and go about in an indirect manner, bringing up the innate nature of female variant humans.
She knew that by doing so, it would only encourage Kafka to pursue her. But she believed that she was stubborn enough and had the resistance to push him away when the time came, as she really didn't want to break off her marriage because of her selfish feelings.
Rather than worrying about what was to come, she was more nervous about why Kafka hadn't said a word this whole time, as she was sure that he would've gone on a whole rant about how he was right from the start and how he managed to grasp her heart in a single day.
Not just a part of it as well, but the entirety of it seeing as to how she was feeling the sacred feeling of devotion to him as well.
When she looked down to see why Kafka wasn't saying anything for a while, she immediately regretted it, as even though he wasn't saying anything, he was currently looking up at her with a wide smile on his face and smug look in his eyes, almost as if he were telling her, 'You said you would never feel anything for me...But look at you now all smitten with me.'.
Nina honestly wanted to slap the smug smile on his face because it felt like he was rubbing his victory all over her. But she couldn't bear to harm him in any way, so she simply puffed out her chest and said, like a loser trying to accept her loss,
"W-Why are you being so silent, Kafka?! I know you want to say 'I told you so' or some other arrogant statement to tick me off, so don't hold back and let it rip...Don't worry about me and make fun of this old lady who actually fell for a child! I can handle whatever you throw at me!"
Nina harumphed and asked for the best straightforward verbal beating Kafka could, as she would much rather prefer that, then let Kafka silently mock her in her head, which was so much more worse and humiliating.