Humble Servent!

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"Good. I wouldn't have had to choke you if you acted like this from the beginning," he said, smiling warmly as if his actions had been nothing more than a minor inconvenience and lightly tapped her face.

"Since you're finally ready to listen," he continued, pacing leisurely back and forth, his hands clasped behind his back like a lecturer addressing a student, "I'll make you an offer you can't refuse."

She remained silent, her breath shallow, watching his every move. 

"You've got a pretty face," he said, his eyes narrowing slightly as they lingered on her, "and some useful skills. Skills that could be of great use to me." He paused, letting his words sink in before leaning closer. "So here's my offer: submit to me, pledge your undying loyalty, and in return..." He grinned, the expression almost predatory. "I'll reward you with something priceless—your life."

Her insides twisted as his words dripped with mockery and superiority. 'This scum!' she thought, her body trembling with suppressed rage. But the cold, sharp fear lodged in her chest refused to let her voice her disgust. Survival outweighed her pride and her dignity.

"A generous offer, wouldn't you say?" he added with a wicked smile, as if expecting her gratitude.

She said nothing. She couldn't. Her throat felt like it had been sewn shut, and the very idea of speaking to this man left a bitter taste in her mouth.

His grin faltered slightly at her silence. He crouched down, bringing himself to her eye level, his sharp gaze piercing through her like a predator sizing up his prey. "Huh? Unhappy with my offer?" His voice was laced with mock offense. "I don't hear you."

She clenched her fists, nails digging into her palms, trying to quell the storm of emotions threatening to break loose.

"As I mentioned, my time is valuable," he said, his tone dipping into something darker, more menacing. "Wasting it benefits neither of us. You should consider yourself fortunate—I'm giving you the privilege of negotiating. Believe me, I could take what I want by force if I wished."

He straightened up slightly, running a finger across her lips with deliberate slowness, down the line of her neck, to her chest, and trailing lower to her abdomen. She stiffened under his touch, her skin crawling with revulsion, but she didn't dare flinch.

"But I'm a gentleman," he said, a sickly smile spreading across his face. "Mama raised me right. So think carefully about this opportunity. I'm offering you a position under the Duke of this kingdom—a legitimate one at that." He leaned back and gestured toward the lifeless beast he had slain earlier, as if the display of raw power was a testament to his mercy.

"You have five minutes to make your decision," he declared. "Take your time and think about what's best for your future."

Her mind raced. The cold, hard reality of his words settled over her like a suffocating blanket. 'If I refuse, he'll kill me in the most horrifying way possible. And if I agree...' Her thoughts faltered as bile rose in her throat. 'He'll still take what he wants, whether I agree or not.'

Tears welled in her eyes as her thoughts turned to Kotaro. 'How could I face him after this? How could I look him in the eye knowing I sold myself to this monster?'

But the alternative—a gruesome death at the hands of this man—was unthinkable. Helplessness washed over her. 

She knew she had no choice. Not in this situation. Both paths laid out before her were cruel, but the difference between them was stark: one would leave her alive, while the other would lead to her death. The innocence she had cherished and saved for her beloved Kotaro was about to be stolen either way she agreed or not. 

Her breath hitched as despair tightened its grip on her chest. Tears welled up in her eyes and spilled over, streaking her face.

*Sob* *sob*

'I should have never taken this mission! Fuck the money!' The thought burned in her mind, regret stabbing through her with every heartbeat. How foolish she had been, chasing wealth and ambition, only to end up in this living nightmare.

Her silent lament didn't go unnoticed. He tilted his head, watching her with detached curiosity, his expression unreadable.

'Why is she crying? A hookup wouldn't hurt, now would it?' he thought, a flicker of irritation crossing his face. But the annoyance was quickly replaced with cold calculation. 'Well, not like I care. I have my goals. I'll become stronger—strong enough to take revenge for Riech.'

He clenched his fist lightly at the memory.

*Tak.*

The sharp sound of his watch echoed in the air as it struck the five-minute mark. His cold eyes flicked back to her, and a warm yet disturbingly psychopathic smile spread across his face. "So, have you made your decision?"

She didn't respond.

"Oh? Why the tears?" he asked, feigning concern as his tone took on an almost paternal warmth. "Is something wrong? I hope my offer isn't too... upsetting."

The sly, devilish smile curling his lips betrayed the mockery in his words.

She clenched her jaw, her fists trembling as rage and humiliation surged within her. But all she could do was sit there, powerless. She knew he was toying with her, mocking her helplessness, and yet she couldn't do anything about it.

'I want to kill him... I want to rip that smug face apart... But I can't. I can't even move.'

Her fear outweighed every emotion, every urge, leaving her frozen in place. He was too strong, too terrifying. She had seen what he could do, the raw power that had crushed any hope of resistance.

'I can't die here. I'm not meant to die here. I have to survive... Kotaro...' She repeated his name like a mantra in her mind, trying to convince herself that survival, no matter the cost, was the right choice.

He crouched slightly, leaning forward with a smirk. "So? What's it going to be?" His voice was sharp now, cutting through her thoughts. "I hope you've had time to clear your mind of any foolish notions. This decision should be one you don't regret, unlike whatever poor choice brought you here in the first place."

Her heart shattered as she made up her mind. 'I'm sorry, Kotaro. Forgive me, but I have to survive.'

She lowered her head, her body trembling, and bowed deeply. Her voice wavered, barely above a whisper. "Please... take care of this humble servant."

The words tasted like ash in her mouth. Morally, it was a wretched decision, but the alternative—a brutal death—was far worse. She told herself that beyond this humiliation lay survival. And with survival, perhaps a sliver of hope to reclaim her future.

From his perspective, though, her submission was a triumph.

[Congratulations! You have met the secret conditions and triggered a Hidden Quest: Conquering the Puppetgirl!]

His grin widened as the system's notification appeared before him, invisible to her.

'Just as I thought... You're not that stingy after all,' he thought, a dark satisfaction coursing through him.

*****

Damn, I am honestly feeling sad for her lol. But, one has to go through dark times to hope for a better future. 

Just a request I am 400$ short on my college fees if you could donate I would appreciate it.

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