Yes, without love. (Pink Trigger)

... Very well, Natsuhi. You know, I happen to agree that this servant is a bit too proud. I'll whip him into shape.

"Excellent. Jessica and I will see that you do so," Natsuhi approved, sitting down and drinking some tea delivered by that poor servant while nursing a headache.

"M-Mom, I object to this! Aren't you just letting Kanon take your place?!" Jessica admonished her mother. "Kanon, you don't have to-"

"Milady, enough. This, too, is the role of furniture," Kanon muttered softly, taking Natsuhi's place at the wall with his hands pressed against it.

All right. Kanon. I'm going to have you admit that you have dishonored the name of the One-Winged Eagle, and repent with an earnest heart. Your punishment will continue until that point.

Kanon said nothing. He stood there with a quiet dignity, in spite of his position.

I smirked, reaching in my bag and producing a paddle. Oh, Kanon... I love you.

But you've made my life rather difficult.

In a number of storylines now, you've appeared as an unfortunate obstacle, or as a distraction for Jessica. All the while, I get the feeling that even though you humble yourself as furniture, you secretly think you're better and cooler than me. So... please forgive me if I indulge myself a bit in this route, where I've already lost my chance to spank either of your lovely mistresses.

Without mercy, I swung the paddle, stinging the young man across his backside. To his credit, he didn't even let out a cry, simply winced.

"Mom, I can't watch this!" Jessica cried, looking at Natsuhi to show some compassion.

"Silence, Jessica! We'll observe the presence of the One-Winged Eagle's dignity, or note its absence accordingly."

Hmhmhm... I wondered if Kanon heard Natsuhi say that and imagined that there would be some reasonable stopping point, some limit at which I was going to confess he'd shown appropriate dignity and composure and halt my ****.

You're misunderstanding, Kanon! This isn't about you showing your dignity and composure! It's about me destroying both of those as repayment for the humiliation you've caused me! I swung the paddle roughly and enthusiastically a few more times, getting some noise out of him this time.

"Kanon!!" Jessica shouted, starting to rise from her seat.

"Milady, please...! You have to bear this, too...!" Kanon gave a cool response.

Nope! Not going to let that stand! I gave him another few paddles. Do you remember what you're supposed to say, Kanon? It's all right to admit you were spacing out and to make me repeat myself... I might have to punish you a little for not paying attention, though!

"Milady..." Kanon muttered through his clenched teeth.

What a cool guy! Let's keep going! Say "Uncle" when you're done, okay, Kanon...?!

Time passed. Any second now, some servant would probably be arriving to tell us the family had arrived. Meanwhile, in that room...

... That cool, dignified, respectable servant could not be seen. Not a shred of that young man's pride remained.

Instead, the creature before me was sobbing, hot tears rolling down his face as he struggled. I asked him to repeat what he'd just said.

"I-I said I don't remember what you told me to say! Please, please just remind me! I'll say it, whatever it was! P-please!" Kanon spoke through choked tears.

I looked over at Natsuhi and Jessica's stupefied faces, smiling and even taking a small bow. What did I say? This is my patented method! Even the two of you are behaving so much better after seeing it... Now, I turned back to Kanon. In that compromising position, I thought he looked a bit more feminine than normal, but that might have been my wishful projection. I'm going to have you admit that you have dishonored the name of the One-Winged Eagle, and repent with an earnest heart, okay, girly boy? I'm also going to have you admit that you're a girly boy. Repeat.

"I've dishonored it, the name of the One-Winged Eagle! I'm repenting, and I'm... I'm a girly boy! Please, don't hit me again!" the servant wailed, already bracing for another strike.

See? Good work, Kanon. I knew you could do it. This... is the dignity of a servant bearing the One-Winged Eagle... Hahahaha!

Hahahhrrrrrrk

I felt darkness closing around me, coiling around my neck, filling my lungs. Why?!

"Child of Man, you promised a story where you would show the women of Rokkenjima your love. Changing your nature along the way was not an option promised to you. I don't think the readers of your story signed up to read this."

And... yet... they did... they're here, so.... they did!

You all... wanted to see Kanon... punished..... too!!

"Or maybe they wanted to see you punished?"

Shouldn't... the punishment... fit...... the crime.....?

If that.... witch... agrees to..... paddle me.... I'll....

...