21

The sun, falling from the edge of the sky, cast a red glow over the world, creating a beautiful sunset.

The gentle sound of waves crashing against the shore produced a soothing white noise.

The cries of seagulls in the sky felt like a harmonious melody, as if singing along with the waves.

Normally, I would be gazing blankly at the sea, lost in my own emotions, but here I was—

'So… so embarrassing…'

My face was flushed bright red.

At this moment, I was nestled in Athena's arms, completely motionless.

As soon as I was freed from the pain, she embraced me.

And I cried endlessly in her arms, letting out all my emotions.

After crying for quite a while, my shattered mind slowly began to recover.

As the fear and resentment toward the pain faded, a new feeling surfaced: embarrassment.

'How long did I cry…?'

I lifted my head slightly, only to see that Athena's shoulder, where I had buried my face, was soaked with my tears.

'Did I… cry this much…?'

I didn't have the courage to look up.

No matter how hard things were, crying like a three-year-old child in her arms…

I felt as if every ounce of pride within me had crumbled.

'No… none of this is my fault!'

On second thought, this was all Athena's doing.

If she hadn't tried to make me her slave, none of this would have happened.

So, my pathetic crying wasn't because I was weak-hearted; it was all her fault.

Shifting the blame toward Athena,

the embarrassment gradually morphed into a sense of spite toward her.

I quickly lifted my head to glare at her resentfully.

"Have you finished crying?"

But she just smiled warmly and wiped away my tears with her fingers.

"Ugh…"

This was strange.

I should hate her to death.

Yet, the moment I decided to become her slave, the pain disappeared, and something inside me changed.

No matter how much I tried to resent her, deep inside, I felt an inexplicable urge to rely on her.

A contradictory situation where two opposing emotions coexisted.

But that didn't mean I didn't hate her.

My feelings of hatred far outweighed the desire to rely on her.

She forced a master-servant contract on me and inflicted pain so severe I'd rather have died.

I would never forget the horrible things she did to me.

Though I agreed to be her slave, that didn't mean I'd obey her willingly.

"It seems I'm very much hated, Hera."

"What…?"

H-How did she know?

As if reading my thoughts, she hit the mark.

My eyes trembled violently, and she gently pinched my cheeks.

"Hera, my mana now flows within you. I may not know everything, but I can at least sense your feelings."

What… what is that?

That's completely unfair.

"What, I can't even hate you as I please?"

"Th-that is…"

But she just smiled as if she didn't care.

"You can hate me if you want. Anyway, you won't be able to escape from me now."

Her annoying words made a surge of frustration rise within me.

I pulled away from her and said,

"What makes you so sure? Do you think I won't try to escape?"

"Oh my, speaking informally again? When was it that you called me 'Master'?"

"Ugh! That was…!"

Embarrassment began to well up again at her words.

The memory of calling her 'Master' resurfaced.

I tried my best to forget it, but the memory of calling her in such a desperate voice was so vivid that I couldn't erase it from my mind.

'I wasn't in my right mind back then..!'

But before I could make an excuse, she spoke first.

"Hmm… it's okay. I can teach you that slowly."

She brushed her fingers under my chin, tickling it lightly.

"Rather than that, you asked what makes me so sure, right? I'll show you."

A devilish smile spread across her face.

Whenever she smiled like that, a sense of dread always crept up on me.

"What… what are you planning now?"

"Don't worry. I won't use any methods that will hurt you. But it might get a little… hot?"

As I took a step back, she snapped her fingers with a sharp sound.

Whoosh—

As her gesture ended, I heard the sound of something catching fire.

"…Huh?"

The flame felt like it was slowly igniting from within, just like before.

'But… somehow…'

But it felt different from the horrible sensation of the past.

If the previous pain felt like my flesh was melting away, this was…

"Hnnng?!"

It felt like a burning heat that made me restless from the inside.

The warmth enveloped me, and my body started to heat up more and more.

"W-wait… ugh…!"

'It's so hot…!'

The feeling of something tingling somewhere in my body and the urge to release this heat to ease the discomfort began to dominate my mind.

"Ah… Haa… haa…"

My legs gave out, and I collapsed onto the sandy ground.

As my body kept twitching from the unbearable heat, Athena approached me.

"No matter where you are, I can torment you with my magic like this."

Feeling like I couldn't endure it any longer, I grabbed Athena's legs and pleaded,

"Okay… ugh… please, stop…!"

"It seems like you're missing an honorific."

"Hey!!!… Hngh?!"

She's so wicked.

Knowing I hate it, she forces me to say it anyway.

When I looked up at her with a fierce expression, she was looking down at me with a slightly flushed face, smiling.

"I won't stop until you say it."

"You… you really…"

But she just kept watching, as if she had no intention of releasing me.

I gritted my teeth.

'…It's just a title, after all.'

If all she wants is a mere word, there's nothing I can't give.

I've already said it once before. It's no big deal.

With that resolve, I cautiously opened my mouth.

"Hngh… M-Master…"

"I can't hear you."

"Ugh…"

I squeezed my eyes shut and shouted loudly.

"Okay, okay!! Just let me go… Master…"

"Hmph… I don't like your tone, but fine."

As soon as she finished speaking, the heat raging inside me calmed down immediately.

There was still a lingering sense of discomfort, but the suffocating feeling that had been driving me mad was finally gone, and I felt like I could breathe again.

"Ugh…"

"But it didn't hurt, did it?"

I shot her a sharp glare for saying something so absurd.

But I decided not to snap at her, fearing it might irritate her mood, so I held back.

"Now you understand, right? The reason you can't escape from me."

"Why are you trying so hard to keep me here?"

"Haven't I told you? I fell for you at first sight."

She had said she wanted me to be her slave because she fell for me at first sight. It seemed she was serious.

I just couldn't understand her at all.

"But why a slave? We could've just been friends."

Who tells someone they're interested in to become their slave?

If she had asked to be friends instead, I probably wouldn't have ended up hating her so much.

"Friends?"

But Athena looked at me with a strangely hollow expression.

"I have no need for such trivial relationships."

Then she slowly approached and pulled me into her arms.

"To make you mine, this way is much more certain than any superficial relationship, don't you think?"

"But still…!"

"Shh."

As if she didn't want to hear more, Athena pressed her finger against my lips.

"You just need to listen to me, Hera."

Her forceful words left me with nothing to argue against.

I ended up just mumbling for a while before deciding to give up.

"…So, what do you plan to do now?"

Athena smiled sweetly and brushed the hair off my forehead.

"We're going to my mansion. You can stay there comfortably. Of course, you'll have to stay by my side."

Great.

Now, I have no choice but to accept it, no matter how much I hate it.

I realized I couldn't escape from her.

My leash was tightly held in her hands, and she had no intention of letting go.

If she told me to come, I'd come. If she told me to go, I'd go.

I didn't know what she wanted from me, but it was clear I didn't have the right to refuse.

I clenched my fists tightly and made a firm decision.

"But I have a condition."

Upon hearing my words, she looked at me with a curious expression.

"A condition?"

"I'll… I'll be your slave, just as you want…"

The promise I made to myself.

The people who are most important to me now.

"There are people I want you to protect."

Even if I became Athena's slave, I would still protect them.

"No."

"W-What?! Why! That's a small request…"

"No."

Huh?

This isn't going well.

"Someone like you should be able to do it without a problem!"

"No, Hera."

"S-So stubborn…!"

"What?"

Smack—

"Hngh?!"

"Are you defying your master?"

"Nngh… F-Fine…!"

***

I explained to Athena about Dania and Lily.

I told her how I met them by chance in the West and how we had grown close, like family, over the past six months.

"So, they are very precious to me, and I made a promise to myself to protect them in this lawless land.

But if I were to follow you, there would be no one here to protect them, so I asked you to look after those two.

Under the protection of a hero, no one would dare threaten them.

Who in their right mind would mess with people under the hero's protection? Even if Dania and Lily are citizens of Drax, with Athena's help, they could find refuge in the Empire.

They would be able to live a comfortable and safe daily life, surrounded by good neighbors, not criminals, in the Empire.

But…

"No."

She firmly rejected my request.

Why not?

All you'd have to do is go and say, 'These are people under my watch,' and everyone would bow down.

Why won't she do this?

"Why can't you?!"

Some people would even offer to be your slave!

And in return, you can't even say a single word for me?

I don't need a master who's so stingy.

"Hera, you seem to be having some very arrogant thoughts?"

"Hic?"

Athena stared at me quietly for a moment, then shrugged her shoulders and said,

"It's not difficult. I just don't feel like doing it."

"Then what's the reason?!"

"Reason?"

She extended one finger toward me.

"First, I don't like that there's someone you prioritize over me."

"What? That's so unreasonable—"

"Second, I've never bestowed my favor on anyone, and I don't intend to in the future."

Except for you.

Athena chuckled softly as she gently patted my head, then raised her third finger.

"Lastly, you said it's a condition for becoming a slave?"

Then, she grabbed the top of my head, pulling me up to meet her eyes.

"Ugh!"

It felt as if everything would burn to ashes, leaving no trace.

Her golden eyes were blazing, and looking into those fiery eyes sent a shiver of fear up my spine.

"Hera. You are already my slave, even without this. The only thing you can do for me is to ask, not negotiate."

"Ugh…"

"That's why it's not happening. Understand?"

Her overwhelming power, her arbitrary, arrogant, and audacious behavior… But just as she said, I am in no position to make demands of her.

Still…

"I have fallen to being a slave because of you… Can't you at least do this much?"

…

"Looks like there's a lot of education needed."

Scary.

Even if she seems friendly now, she could change at any moment and torment me.

But even so…

No matter how terrifying she is…

I can't give up on Dania and Lily.

How can I persuade her?

If I talk like this, she will never listen.

She said the only thing I could do was to ask her.

Then…

"Once we arrive at the mansion, you better brace yourself—"

Thump—

I gently clasped her hands with both of mine.

My body began to tremble with shame.

But I bit my lip, steeled my resolve, and looked deeply into her eyes with a desperate expression.

"Ma… Master…"

She stared at me quietly, noticing the earnest look in my eyes.

"If you do this for me, Master… I would be so happy…"

"…Hmph."

As I stared at her with desperate eyes, a slight smile began to break out on her face, which had seemed expressionless before.

"I'm begging you… Master…"

So embarrassing.

I had just thrown away the last shred of my manly pride.

Trying to act cute, something I'd never done before, felt like it was cutting away at my dignity.

'It's okay… It's all for Dania and Lily…'

If she doesn't agree even after this… then it's all or nothing.

I resolved firmly in my heart.

After hearing my plea, she silently gazed at me for a long moment before pinching my cheek hard.

"Ouch!"

"I don't like that you're doing this for other women… but fine."

Because she was pulling my cheeks this way and that, my words came out garbled.

"Really? Thank you then!"

"You said Dania and Lily, right? I'll make sure no one can touch them."

Success…

It worked!

Dania! Lily!

From now on, you don't have to worry about anything.

Even though things had improved, Drax was still a ruined city.

Compared to the Empire, it was a place too humble.

But if they moved their residence to the Empire, many things would change.

Food, clothes, neighbors, environment—many aspects of life would improve compared to before.

Just imagining Lily smiling happily in the Empire made my heart feel warm for some reason.

"Th… thank you."

"Instead, there is a condition."

She refused me, but then imposed her own terms — an unfair situation.

However, she was the "A" party and I was the "B" party, so there was nothing I could do.

"…What is it?"

"It's fine when it's just the two of us, but if there is even one other person around, you must address me as 'Master' and use formal language."

"What? Do… Do we really have to? I mean, I'm a slave anyway…"

It would actually be much better if I only had to call her 'Master' when we're alone. Imagine how embarrassing it would be to do that in front of others.

If I have to call her 'Master' in front of Dania and Lily…

[Hera… is that your kind of thing?]

[Unnie…]

They'd surely look at me like that!

I'm not that kind of person. I'd definitely be misunderstood.

However, Athena didn't retract her words.

"People need to know who owns you, right? If you don't like it, then let's just forget the whole thing."

That wouldn't do.

I went through so much embarrassment to secure this agreement.

Squeezing my eyes shut, I decided to accept her condition.

"Al… Alright…"

"Oh? Back to informal speech so quickly?"

"You… you said it's okay when it's just the two of us…"

"Hehe, fine. Eventually, you'll call me 'Master' even when it's just the two of us."

No way that's going to happen!

There's no reason to address someone as capricious as her with honorifics.

If she commands it, I'll do it reluctantly, but in my heart, I'll never truly accept her as my master.

Even if I'm technically a slave, this is merely a forced master-servant contract. There's no genuine loyalty in it.

"Hmm, you're having bad thoughts again, aren't you?"

"Eek."

Athena flicked my forehead with her finger, then stretched her arms upward.

"Well, if there's nothing else, shall we get going? Keeping the barrier up is tiring."

"…Yeah."

I had no idea how much time had passed since I disappeared, but Lily and Dania would be waiting outside.

'I wonder if the Empire would be pleased…'

I felt eager to share the good news with them.

As Athena raised her hand, golden mana began to surround her again.

Then, with a snap, the world bathed in a crimson sunset, and the refreshing beach vanished in an instant, replaced by a familiar scene.

Rundown buildings, a somewhat eerie landscape.

It was Draks, the city where I had been staying.

As my eyes adjusted to the changed scenery, I looked up at the sky to check the time.

In that instant —

Wham—

Someone ran up and hugged me.

Clinging tightly to my waist as if they would never let go was…

"Unnie… where did you go…?"

My dear little sister, Lily.