Making Monster Girls 3: For Science! Read online

  Rian’s mask wasn’t as elaborate as Valerie’s, but her horns became an essential part of it. Like the feline’s, Rian wore a half mask, and it was plain black with a few flecks of gold paint on the surface. A few holes and shapes had been cut out of the heavy material, and her red-tinted skin peeked out. The mask ended right where her horns started, and small clusters of flowers and leaves had been placed around the bases of each of them.

  The imp-woman’s oil black hair was positioned over one shoulder in loose waves, her lips were scarlet red, and through the eyeholes of the mask, I could tell that one of them had layered heavy charcoal liner over her eye into a thick wing. The imp-woman looked as if she’d just stepped out of the forest for the first time as a lost fairy. I couldn’t stop staring, and as she stepped off the stairs, I instinctively reached for her.

  “By science,” I grunted. “You are stunning.”

  “Thank you, Charles,” the imp-woman blushed. “I’m so glad that you like it, and I’m grateful that Daisy picked this out for me.”

  “You look like a dream,” I whispered. “Like some sort of fairytale creature come to life right before my eyes.”

  “Stop it,” Rian giggled. “I’m an imp, not a fairy… though, fairies are quite delicious.”

  “It’s true,” I breathed. “Both of you look so gorgeous.”

  “Daisy!” the feline-woman called, turned, and leaned up toward the staircase. “It’s your turn! Come on down.”

  “O-Okay,” the brunette sighed. “I’m coming down, but… no one laugh at me. I’m not used to dresses like this.”

  “We’d never laugh at you, my dear,” I assured her. “Now, hurry up. I want to see how beautiful you look.”

  “A-Alright,” the bear-girl murmured. “I’m coming down.”

  My eyes widened, my mouth dropped open, and my breathing hitched for a second as Daisy swept down the stairs in the tightest dress I’d ever seen. The sky-blue fabric was pulled so taut against her it almost became like a second skin. She moved gracefully , but I could tell it was difficult for her in the high-heeled shoes. Her dress was entirely embroidered with light blue, white, and silver thread, like Valerie’s. The neckline was a sweetheart that revealed the pink, soft tops of her breasts, and I bet if I placed my hands around her tiny waist, my fingers would completely encircle it.

  The sleeves were short, also covered in the same lace as the rest of the dress, and hung off of her shoulders lightly. The brunette’s short brown hair had been lightly curled, her honey-golden eyes sparkled, and she stepped closer to us as she fretted with the front of her dress. The bear-girl’s mask was a half-mask like the rest of them. It was entirely white porcelain and painted with light flowers and stretching vines. Her lipstick wasn’t as dark as the other monster women’s, it was a light, sheer pink color, her cheeks were rosy with a dusting of rouge, and her eyes were lined with dark wings of charcoal.

  “You’re so gorgeous,” I grunted. “I can’t believe that I get to call all of you mine… How did I ever get so lucky? Did I do something so good and fantastic in my past life that you were gifted to me out of thanks? Or was it mere chance that I created you? I will never know, but I’m eternally grateful that somehow in this strange and unusual universe you were brought to me.”

  “We’re eternally grateful that we came into existence and get to live every day with you, Charles,” Daisy breathed. “I wouldn’t have it any other way… I couldn’t imagine my life with any other man. I couldn’t imagine living any other type of life without you in it.”

  “I have to agree with Daisy,” Rian nodded. “Sometimes, even though it makes me sad, I like to think about what I would be doing in a different life… If I were an ordinary aristocrat, my life would be so dreary and full of sadness. Both Daisy and I know it. We have the confirmed proof in our memories from Ortensia and Delphine. We’re so happy with you, Charles, we wouldn’t want it any other way. I am so glad that you created me in your machine. My life would be so miserable if I’d continued on as Ortensia.”

  I’d always felt a little guilty with my women, not that I ever told them, but I feared that they would have memories of me placing them within my machine against their will and the fatal experiment that came afterward. I pondered on it often when my monster-women spoke about their past memories, but none of them ever mentioned the experiment or even me. I had known both Ortensia and Delphine, and yet neither of them remembered me. I was a bit thankful for that, if I were honest, I didn’t want them to remember the experiment at all. From the looks of the corpses in compartment C, they all died horrible, painful deaths at my hand and yet… my women were grateful that I’d created them. It relieved me more than I imagined. I didn’t feel guilt for killing the male prisoners, nor did I feel guilty for murdering Ortensia, Delphine, or the female prisoner, but I often worried if they would someday remember what had happened to them.

  “Ah, Charles,” Daisy uttered to break me away from my thoughts and smiled up at me with glittering eyes.

  “Yes?” I uttered. “What is it, my dear?”

  “I have your mask here, too,” the bear-girl grinned, held out the box, and then pressed it to her chest. “But you should probably put it on when we get to Josephine’s manor. It’ll probably be too difficult to drive the wagon and wear the mask at the same time.”

  “That’s very true,” I nodded, adjusted the sleeves of my coat, and glanced down at my watch. “We should probably leave now. By the time we get there, the party will have already started.”

  “Do you know where Josephine’s manor is, Charles?” Valerie asked. “I don’t think you’ve ever been there before, or you’ve never mentioned it, at least.”

  “No, I haven’t been there,” I stated. “But Josephine is one of the richest aristocrats in town, so her house is one of the largest. It’s a little farther out of Edenhart than most. I believe there will be an added fifteen minutes to our travel time, but we should get there with enough time to spare. I’ve heard her manor is located at the base of the mountain, on a small plateau with an enormous lake.”

  “I wish we had a big lake!” Valerie cried. “We could go swimming in the summer, fishing in the fall, and ice skating in the winter! Doesn’t that sound like so much fun? Especially this past summer, it was so hot down in the laboratory. I don’t know how you survived down there for so long, Charles. The sunbeams were nice in the afternoon, but early in the morning? I would keel over from heatstroke.”

  “It wasn’t too bad,” I chuckled. “Before all of you came around, I’d strip down to my underwear and work like that, or I’d go down to the mercantile, buy massive blocks of ice, work for a little bit, and then go sit in the ice house for an hour or so until I cooled down. Sometimes I’d chisel off small blocks of ice, place them in a towel, and wrap them around my head, like a turban that kept me cool a lot of times.”

  “Weren’t you working for the Duchess during that time?” Rian asked.

  “I was,” I laughed. “And that’s the reason why I created the alarm system for whenever someone comes through the front gate. There were multiple times that she almost waltzed into the laboratory and I was almost naked. Can you imagine how horrible that would’ve been? After the first few times, I kept the laboratory door closed, but stayed unclothed with the windows open, but she’d still try to waltz in without knocking. So, I created the alarm system. It’s set at a perfect place on the gate, so once it rings, it gives me exactly one minute and forty-five seconds to get redressed and ready for visitors. I kept it because… honestly, it’s nice to know when people are coming up to the manor, and it’s hard to tell when I spend most of my time in my laboratory.”

  “I had no idea why you had the alarm system,” Valerie breathed. “But imagining the Duchess walking in and seeing you in your underwear is pretty funny. I wonder what she would’ve done. Maybe she would’ve walked out?”

  “If she saw you naked, then that’s her fault,” the red-skinned imp-woman shrugged. “She’s the one walking
into someone else’s home unannounced, what should she expect?”

  “Well, it was technically her manor still,” I corrected. “She came to check up on me whenever she wanted because she was allowed to do so. I was under her patronage, an employee doing a job for her, and she could come check on me whenever she wanted to.”

  “I guess you’re right, Charles,” Daisy murmured. “But that still doesn’t make it right that she was constantly breathing down your neck. I can’t imagine how difficult it would’ve been to work under those conditions.”

  “Oh, it was horrible,” I agreed. “I never knew when she was just going to show up. It could be any day of the week at any time, once or twice, it was even multiple times a day.”

  “The gall of that woman,” the black-haired beauty grumbled. “I swear, if I ever meet her in a dark alley, she’s going to get a fist to the face, and a knee to her gut, I swear to it.”

  “You might not want to do that,” I chuckled. “She may not be able to see you, but she does have the power of a lightning strike behind her fingertips and onc hit from one of those… no more Rian.”

  “You’re right, Charles,” the imp-woman sighed. “But still, my power hasn’t manifested yet, and we don’t know if it could be more powerful than the Duchess’.”

  “You’re very right,” I nodded, stepped toward the door, opened it, and then gestured the three of them forward. “But you never know what it could be. Daisy and Valerie’s powers weren’t what I expected at all. I understand that Daisy probably got her physical strength from the bear, but I have no idea how Valerie got invisibility. If I remember correctly the female prisoner I used for her had some sort of flame ability.”

  All four of us hopped down the steps toward the wagon, I turned once we stood next to it, offered Valerie my hand, and then helped the feline up into the back of the cart. I gestured to Rian, placed my hand on her curvaceous waist, and helped her step up into the wagon with Valerie. Once they both were in, I grabbed Daisy’s hand, brought her to the front of the wagon, and gripped her by the waist.

  “Wait, wait, wait! Wait!” the bear-girl cried. “I can get up there by my--”

  I lifted up Daisy, set her gently down in the driver’s seat, and then grinned up at her. She was light, tiny, and almost fragile, which surprised me because her power was super-strength, and I’d almost expected her to be a bit heavier from all that muscle. The brunette’s cheeks were flushed pink, but I knew it wasn’t from the rouge dusted across her round cheeks. Her lips pouted out, she lowered her head, and pressed her hands into her lap.

  “T-Thank you,” the bear-girl stammered. “B-But I could’ve done it myself.”

  “I know you could’ve,” I chuckled, climbed up beside her, and took the reins into my hands. “But I saw how much trouble you had walking in that tight dress, so I decided it’d be better to help you up than for you to struggle for a few minutes and wear yourself out.”

  “O-Oh,” Daisy stuttered. “Thank you for looking out for me, Charles. I appreciate it.”

  “No problem,” I tittered. “Now, let’s go. To Ms. Josephine’s!”

  “To the party!” Rian cried.

  “To dance the night away!” Daisy cheered.

  “To drug the scientist, find out everything he knows, get to know Josephine, and become her best friend in the whole wide world!” Valerie cheered.

  “Yes,” I laughed. “And all of that, too.”

  To get to Josephine’s manor, we’d have to drive through the main streets of Edenhart, pass by the Duchess’ duchy, and then take a back road from there all the way to the manor. I didn’t mind the drive, though the air was a bit chilly for early autumn, my women’s cheeks were rosy from the chill, but they didn’t seem to mind. Before long, the wheels of the wagon bounced as we rolled from smooth dirt onto the bumpy brick of the main street. I glanced at the sidewalks, but only a few aristocrats moved to and from the shops.

  Most of Edenhart was going to be at this party, and even if they weren’t there, such as the shop owners, they’d had a hand in preparing. Josephine had said she wanted it to be a small gathering, but she could never throw a ball without everyone in the city finding out, so she had to extend the invitation to every aristocrat. I didn’t mind it. In all honesty, the more people there, the better because there’s less chance of us being caught. The nobles would be guzzling down alcohol, dancing, and filling their stomachs with Josephine’s delectable food. No one knew Rian, but they would notice that the red-skinned woman arrived with her two cousins and me.

  “Look at all the pretty costumes,” Rian sighed from the back. “Are those women coming to the party, too?”

  I turned my head to where the imp-woman indicated, examined the three women in enormous skirts and tightened corsets climb into the back of a carriage. One of the women already seemed drunk, and almost tumbled out backward as she attempted to climb in.

  “I believe so,” I uttered. “They’re all wearing masks and dresses, so we should see them there.”

  “It’s so strange to be out like this,” Valerie whispered. “I thought it would be invigorating to finally be seen by society but… I have this strange, heavy feeling in the pit of my stomach. I know we have a story about our horns, tails, and ears, but I’m so afraid that someone is going to touch one, feel it, and realize that it’s actually attached to my head… I keep wanting to tuck them underneath my mask.”

  “No, don’t do that,” Daisy shook her head. “They look great with the mask. If one of the aristocrat’s tries to touch them, just tell them that they’re really fragile and will break if anyone handles them.”

  “That’s a good idea, Daisy!” the feline-woman giggled. “And I’ll keep my tail as close to my body as I can.”

  “I dare anyone to touch my horns,” Rian boomed. “Yes, they look very real because they are real, but to have my person violated is a crime in the imp kingdom.”

  “Really?” the ash-blonde tilted her head. “I can understand if someone is doing something perverted, but just touching each other? Like what if you want to move past someone, and you brush your hand against their shoulder to get their attention?”

  “There is no need for that!” the dark beauty replied. “You simply clear your throat, stand your ground, shout ‘rargrot maht mahun ragernagratn,’ and they will move out of the way for you.”

  “What does that mean?” I chuckled over my shoulder.

  “Move out of the way,” Rian nodded. “It’s pretty clear, isn’t it? The imp language is like that. You say what you mean, and you mean what you say.”

  “That… seems pretty straightforward,” Daisy chuckled. “Are all imps like that? They don’t touch each other?”

  “Of course,” Rian nodded. “Unless it is the imp you’re intimate with. Other than that, we never touch each other. As one of the imp princesses, other imps tried to touch me all the time.”

  “What was the punishment for touching an imp princess?” Valerie asked. “Is it something horrible? Hanging? Beheading?”

  “Eaten!” the red-skinned woman cackled. “You get eaten by your peers! Isn’t that wonderful! Sometimes… I miss the delicious meat of an imp, roasted over an open fire with grubs on the side. Ah, what I wouldn’t do to have another one of those meals…”

  “Or…” Daisy urged. “I could make you roast chicken with stuffing and potatoes…”

  “That, too!” Rian nodded. “Delicious! I almost prefer that over-roasted imp meat… almost, Daisy!”

  “Well… I’m glad you enjoy my cooking,” the bear-girl sighed. “But I will never serve you roasted imp-meat with a side of grubs. That sounds too disgusting.”

  “I would give it a try,” Valerie pondered. “I mean, I’ve eaten worse. I was a street-cat, you know. I ate lots of birds, mice, and other small, furry animals. What’s so different between a bird and an imp beside some hair and horns?”

  “Uh, imps have conscious thought,” Daisy offered. “They have their own language. They’re basically
a civilized species…”

  “What about you, Charles?” the feline-woman giggled. “Would you eat an imp if you had the chance?”

  “Absolutely not,” I chuckled. “For one, as Daisy said, they’re practically a civilized species. They have their own cities, rulers, and laws. Does that sound like a colony of mice that would scatter when discovered? Not to me, that sounds like a group of small creatures that’d take up their spears and run me through. Not only that, but they don’t look very tasty, and Rian once was an imp, to eat one would be a disrespect to her.”

  “Thank you, Charles,” the black-haired woman murmured. “Except in my lifetime, I’ve eaten about five other imps without regret, but I appreciate the sentiment.”

  “Five?” I asked. “Why so many?”

  “Some of them want to break the laws we have in place and touch me,” Rian smirked. “And the only punishment for that law is death by teeth.”

  The black-haired imp-woman gnashed her teeth together, threw her head back, and cackled at the darkening sky. I had wondered for a long time what Rian’s life had been like before I transformed her, and we’d just learned the hard truth. The imp-woman didn’t seem to mind that she grew up eating her own people, but it was such a shock to me, not that it should’ve been, though.

  “Alright,” I breathed. “We’ll be passing the duchy on the left, and then we should be at Josephine’s within the next fifteen minutes. Are you ladies excited?”

  “I’m so, so excited!” Valerie squealed. “I can’t wait to meet Josephine! I hope we become fast friends, oh! Maybe we could send letters to each other! That’s the way we can communicate! Oh, this is even better! I can keep in contact with her while at the manor!”

  “You could do that,” I smiled. “I’m sure that Ms. Josephine would love that. She doesn’t have a lot of friends.”

  “Is… is that the Duchess’ house?” Rian asked.

  I turned my head toward the left side of the wagon, pressed my lips into a hard line, and tried hard to push down the disgust roiling in the pit of my stomach. I’d been in that house a few times, and each occasion I’d visited, the Duchess had threatened my life. I glanced toward the woods, chuckled, and then peeked over at Valerie and Daisy. The duchy also held good memories for me, too, that’s where we’d trapped the bear that would later be used to create Daisy, and it was also the location where I killed Milton.