Seina (State of Gezela)

Seina sat pensively looking at the skin of her palms which had hardened and turned to ashes.

"Fyuhh"

She sighed then she felt a pain in her stomach. Suddenly someone's footsteps came. Seina tried to see the figure of the statue behind her messy hair. That's the employer. She came with an angry face seeing Seina not doing anything. For her, seeing Seina taking a break is something that is not allowed, Seina must always be busy taking care of the housework and other things. Then she took leftovers and old food in her hands and put them in front of Seina roughly. While sarcastically, she looked at Seina who was eating and said that Seina should be grateful that someone gave her food and shelter. Seina must respect her. Then the employer told about her noble deed, she only sincerely did it for the God she worshiped. If it weren't for that, she wouldn't have helped Seina.

Seina had heard that many times and digested it many times with her innocent brain. Until she caught up.

"If a God is so wise and holy, I think He will know which ones I do out of sincerity and which ones I do out of demands and want to get something, heaven for example."

The employer gasped at what she said.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?" She pulled Seina's shirt and looked into Seina's eyes which were full of life.

Seina was helpless she just surrendered and had a flat expression.

"You're just a slave! Even though you can read, how dare you conclude something about God"

After being satisfied with berating Seina, the Madame left in anger towards her room. Seina also cleaned and tidy up all the mess in the kitchen.

The Werqo family is a middle-class people's family. In the past, the family was rich and respected. It has a lot of lands. The Werqo family has a house large enough to accommodate their children and grandchildren. Not much is known that they got the treasure all because of their religious ritual business. After the six children grew up and had their own families. They stayed apart and left only the Madame and Master of the house. Until finally Mr. Werqo died.

Mrs. Werqo is known as a very stingy person but likes to show off her kindness in the name of God. She likes to donate to show off but she is very stingy towards her servants and subordinates. Until one day all of her children left the house because they were married, some servants who were hurt by Mrs. Werqo made a plan that brought down her finances. Mrs. Werqo's finances slumped to the point of not being able to pay the maids and selling her land and slaves until only Seina remained.

Seina looked at Mrs. Werqo in her room who was worshiping the painting of the god Zilo.

There were solemn praises for the god Zilo.

Seina recalled the first time she met Mrs. Werqo when she was four years old. Even though she was very young, she remembered it very clearly. Seina's family are ordinary people but poor. Just like most poor people in Gezela Country, they have many children. Seina's parents have eight children with the first to seventh children having a close age gap, and in the end, their children are not met properly so that their appearance is not much like a slave. Skinny, dirty, sickly, and very gloomy.

The land of Gezela, which was already dry and hot, experienced a hunger crisis after the war ended. Water has become very expensive. Many died and many children and women were kidnapped. Even Seina's parents could not afford to feed their children. To deal with that they better give their children to people who can afford to be slaves rather than starve to death because people are more attracted to slaves in this time of crisis. That way their children will not be kidnapped to become servants of war because of their slave status and the protection of their master.

"I don't want money. I just want you to take good care of him. We also make sure that our children can read with our education even though they don't go to school." Seina's father looked at Mr. Werqo and then felt he was able to protect one of his children because Mr. Werqo had magic and was also a private soldier.

Mr. Werqo also listened to every one of Seina's brothers from head to toe and also teeth. Then his gaze stopped on Seina.

Seina's eldest brother and his father are aware that Mr. Werqo is interested in taking Seina because he is different from the others.

"Master, I didn't offer her. She looked different and white because she was our only daughter. So we made the most of our lives for her. But she's still so small, wouldn't it be useless to take her as a slave?"

"No Boko, I didn't take it for that. I took it to accompany me"

Everyone, there was shocked. Then the reflex of Seina's eldest brother covered Seina who was sitting beside her mother and faced Mr. Werqo with a cynical look.

"You can't take it"

Mr. Werqo laughed as if he understood Tiko's behavior.

"No, I didn't take her to be my woman. Indeed, it is commonplace nowadays, even the leader of this country approves of it but I only take it as a friend. Trust me" Mr. Werqo showed a smile and friendliness.

Tch!

Mrs. Werqo heard the conversation from outside and looked cynically at Seina from afar.

"Her age is not much different from my grandchildren, there's no way I can think like that. I am a father of six daughters. Crowded children are used to being in my house. But now they are all married. Children who are already other people's wives must obey their husbands And I can't go out of the house often, it's like the girl no longer belongs to us, her parents and it makes me lonely like I want to hear the sound of a girl's laughter again."

Everyone there looked awkward and doubtful.

Then Seina's mother cut the silence.

"It's okay. What if Seina is still here can we take good care of her? Can we feed her? Mr. Werqo is kind to say that he doesn't seem to have any bad intentions" Seina's mother tried to calm her husband down.

As if resigned to the situation, Boko agreed. They also prepared all of Seina's moves from slave administration to purchase money.

Mr. Werqo took Seina to his carriage. Looking back, Seina saw that her father, mother, and brother were sad and depressed despite holding some money from Mr. Werqo. Mrs. Werqo who was waiting outside was shocked and angry with what she saw.

"Why did you take the kid? Wasn't our goal in buying the eldest son so that he could work a lot for us?"

"I changed my mind" Mr. Werqo smiled.

After that, Seina was treated very well by Mr. Werqo even though she was indeed very stingy with the servants and slaves in the house. Seina is always cleaned, fed, given love, and also books for Seina to read. Until one day Mr. Werqo felt affection for the child, then proposed to adopt her as a child.

"WHAT? Are you crazy? She's a slave and we bought her to work with us for life. We'll be at a loss, haven't taken care of the administration to the central government for her change of status"

Mr. Werqo understood, his wife had a hard time changing her mind. He just kept silent and didn't respond to his wife's words.

A year later. Mr. Werqo died of heart disease. He was exhausted from his ritual of wanting to improve his sorcery.

There were only two sad-looking people in the house, Seina and Mrs. Werqo.