41

"You're kidding, right?"

"Huh? What do you mean…?"

"No… ha…"

Athena stared at me with a look of disbelief.

'Did I say something wrong…?'

I thought she was upset because I moved the chicken she had been enjoying.

So I tried to feed it to her…

Could it be that she doesn't like it when someone else feeds her?

Considering Athena's pride, it wouldn't be surprising if that was the case.

"…Aren't you going to eat it…?"

I asked in a trembling voice as I looked at her. Eventually, she closed her eyes tightly and took a big bite of the chicken I held out.

Athena slowly chewed and swallowed the meat.

"…It's delicious."

"Hehe…"

Her compliment made me feel strangely happy.

It was amazing.

Just a moment ago, I had been drowning in self-pity and emptiness.

I never imagined that a few words from her could lift my spirits like this.

'I'm not bipolar or anything…'

But I couldn't help it.

When she praised my food as the best in the world, all the negative feelings inside me seemed to melt away and disappear.

Had I come to rely on her that much?

I glanced at Athena, who continued to eat the chicken with a slightly sulky expression.

For some reason, a small smile crept onto my face.

Time passed like that. After finishing the meal, Athena got up from the bed and began clearing the dishes.

"I'll tell them to bring fresh bedding. Get some rest."

She said as she gathered up the bloodstained sheets.

"Huh…?"

You're leaving already…?

Couldn't you stay a little longer…?

The terrible feelings I'd experienced before Athena came started to flood back into my mind.

The loneliness and sense of loss that felt like they would shatter my sanity.

It seemed like they would come back to haunt me if I was left alone again.

But when I checked the clock, I realized it was already past bedtime.

If I asked her to stay, it would just be selfish of me.

"See you tomorrow, Hera."

"..."

Athena gave me a kiss on the forehead and began walking towards the door.

No.

I can't.

I don't want to be alone.

Don't leave me behind.

As her figure faded from sight, my body started trembling again.

Instinctively, I jumped out of bed, ran towards her, and hugged her from behind.

"…Hera?"

She slowly turned around and held my shaking hand.

I know it's a burden.

But I didn't want her to leave my side.

I suppressed my trembling voice as much as I could and pleaded with her.

"Just… tonight… c-can't you stay with me…?"

Athena's eyes began to tremble as if shaken by an earthquake.

***

"Ha…"

Is it just my imagination?

Lately, her sighs seemed to have increased a lot.

She glanced at her annoying slave, who was peacefully snoring beside her.

"…You're beautiful."

How could someone look this beautiful even while sleeping?

In fact, it made her more irritated.

If only those eyes weren't so stunning, she wouldn't feel so conflicted.

In a surge of emotion, she pinched his cheek hard.

"Uuuh…"

"There's no way she's doing this on purpose, right?"

If not, Hera must have been born with the talent of a seductress sent down from the heavens.

To be so destructively alluring without even trying.

When Hera asked to spend the night with her, she asked if Hera was in her right mind.

She pressed Hera about what her intentions were.

-But… we're both women… doesn't that make it fine?

Anger surged up again.

Both women. That cursed phrase, both women.

It was a convenient excuse when approaching Hera, but when the situation was reversed, it felt like a massive, suffocating wall.

What on earth would it take for Hera to see her as a lover?

For a moment, she resented being born a woman, but upon reflection, it seemed Hera wasn't particularly interested in men either.

Was she simply uninterested in love to begin with?

"…I've really changed."

The old her wouldn't have hesitated to use any means necessary to achieve her goals.

If she wanted something, she would take it, even by force.

Even if another human stood in her way, she wouldn't show mercy.

Had she been her former self, she would have already unleashed her desires on Hera without restraint.

Even if Hera screamed for her to stop, even if she begged while crying, even if she fainted.

She would have violated her relentlessly, day and night, for weeks on end, until she was satisfied.

'And then I would've regretted it for the rest of my life.'

There was a question she had asked Hera during a meal before.

Hera had said she'd rather die than be ra**d.

If Hera were to die now because of her…

She couldn't even imagine how she would lose her mind.

No. She didn't want to think about it.

She might be consumed by madness, burn everything in sight, and follow Hera into death.

She had changed.

She had undoubtedly changed.

She had once planned to completely break Hera. To turn her into a helpless fool who relied on her and her alone.

She had stomped on Hera to make her a slave who would obey only her orders.

She had easily shattered Hera's spirit.

But when she saw Hera earlier…

More precisely, when she saw blood pouring down from Hera's head…

For a moment, her rational mind snapped, and she couldn't think of anything.

She still vividly remembered that terrifying sensation of her heart dropping to the floor.

Slavery, obedience—none of it mattered anymore. All she wanted was for Hera to be safe.

Since then, every time Hera cried in sorrow, an inexplicable pain tormented her heart.

A strange pain she had never felt before.

What in the world was this?

She would have preferred being stabbed with a knife.

At least then, the pain could be treated.

But this throbbing pain she felt every time she saw Hera's sad expression seemed like something she could never find a cure for.

She wished Hera would look only at her. That Hera would wag her tail for her and her alone.

That desire to isolate Hera thoroughly and keep her to herself still lingered.

But at the same time, she didn't want Hera to cry.

Her own mind was a mess, and even she couldn't make sense of it.

It was hard to believe that someone like her, who had reached the mental fortitude of the 8th Circle, was caught up in such conflicting thoughts.

"…What have you done to me, Hera?"

She muttered to the sleeping Hera, but of course, no answer came.

Yeah.

If she had changed, she just needed to adjust her plans accordingly.

Instead of breaking Hera, she would just find another way to make her rely on her.

If she thought about it slowly, there was surely a method.

"Lately, I've let Hera push me around too much."

How dare a slave act like this.

It seemed like tomorrow, she would have to make sure Hera clearly understood who the master was.

'You better be prepared, Hera.'

With that, she drifted off to sleep, contemplating how she could make Hera completely obedient to her.

…

…..

But…

'…This is driving me crazy.'

I couldn't fall asleep at all.

I tried my best to ignore it, but Hera's fragrant breath next to me kept stimulating me.

My lower abdomen, which had been heating up for a while because of her, was already telling me it had reached its limit.

I stared at Hera, who was sleeping soundly, completely unaware.

She was lying defenselessly before my eyes, like a distant, unattainable wish.

My gaze naturally fell on her pale white fingers.

'…This should be fine.'

I quietly lowered my pants, careful not to wake her.

Then, holding her wrist with one hand, I pulled her hand toward my body.

After all, she was my slave.

From her head to her toes, everything was mine, so it shouldn't be a problem.

"…I'll just hold her hand and sleep."

This is all your fault, Hera.

So, please allow me this much.

***

"Hmm…"

When I woke up, the first thing that greeted me was the warm sunlight.

It was a refreshing morning.

The clear weather seemed to brighten my mood.

…Huh?

"…What's that smell?"

A familiar, sticky scent filled my nose.

It wasn't a bad smell, but it had a dangerously addictive quality to it.

'I should air the room out.'

I opened the window, and a cool breeze flowed across my cheek, refreshing the room.

"…Feels nice…"

As the cool breeze continued to touch my body, I started feeling a bit cold, so I closed the window again.

When I turned my gaze, I saw Athena sprawled on the bed, still fast asleep.

I carefully approached and examined her face.

A faint blush on her cheeks, her golden hair sticking to the sides of her face, and beneath her eyes…

"She has dark circles…?"

A deep shadow stretched under her eyes.

Had she not slept well?

Looking closer, her face clearly showed signs of fatigue.

Hmm…

It seemed I should let her sleep a little longer.

I had intended to wake her up to have breakfast together, but after seeing her condition, it seemed wrong to disturb her.

When I checked the time, breakfast time had already passed.

My stomach was starting to send signals of hunger.

Not that I'd eat much anyway.

But there was no reason not to eat, so I decided to go out for breakfast.

"I don't really want to eat alone, though…"

It'll be fine.

I was still a bit afraid to be alone, but thanks to Athena staying with me until morning, my spirits had lifted considerably.

I figured it would be okay to have one meal by myself.

In the end, I decided to eat breakfast alone, quietly leaving the room to let Athena sleep more comfortably.

As I reached for the door, I noticed my fingers looking different from usual, particularly the tips.

'…Huh?'

My middle finger was wrinkled, as if it had been soaked in hot water for a long time.

There was a slightly sticky liquid on the finger, which didn't seem like just water.

"What is this?"

When I licked it lightly, it tasted salty with a hint of sweetness.

Did I sweat in my sleep?

It's probably nothing.

Thinking it wasn't a big deal, I left the room to get breakfast, eager to satisfy my hungry stomach.

But as they say, life is full of surprises.

That morning, I encountered something completely unexpected.

"You… you are…"

Why is this man here?

And in broad daylight, no less.

"Oh! A fair lady indeed."

The man had a scruffy beard, black hair tied in a ponytail, a thin, long scabbard at his waist, and a face marked with small scars.

He was someone I had seen illustrated in a novel before.

"By any chance, do you know where Athena is?"

The man, speaking with a friendly smile that an uncle from the neighborhood might wear, was none other than a swordsman from the East.

At the same time, he was the only Grandmaster in this empire.

The man who could slice through even space itself.

The Sword Saint, Carlos.