My Own Slave
The light that had blazed bright enough to make me squint began to fade.
That sensation of floating weightless in the sky slowly gave way, returning me to myself.
When I opened my eyes, I was drifting in a place I had never seen before — as if I had simply popped into existence out of thin air.
The moment both my feet touched the ground, I collapsed face-first.
"Urgh…"
One hand braced against the earth, the other clamped over my mouth as I dry-heaved.
"Looks like this is your first time with spatial transfer."
Athena settled down beside me and rubbed my back until the worst of it passed.
"Haa…"
"Feeling better?"
As my senses gradually returned, I grabbed Athena by the collar with my still-unsteady hands.
"Athena…!!"
The family I loved.
Lily and Dania.
Athena hadn't even given me enough time to say a proper goodbye.
Filled with resentment, I hauled her up by the collar — and her body rose into the air with absurd ease.
She didn't seem the least bit bothered. She only spoke in a low, quiet voice.
"…Hera. What do you think you're doing?"
"Shut up!! They were like family to me…! You didn't have to drag me here this suddenly!!"
Half a year of bonds forged day after day.
Watching it vanish in an instant left me hollowed out with a crushing sense of loss.
"Hera. I understand you're angry."
Her golden eyes flared brilliantly, and the air around us began to thrash violently.
"But I will not tolerate this kind of behavior."
She flicked a finger downward.
With a heavy thud, my body was forced into the ground.
Crrrack—
As I refused to kneel and kept resisting, the earth supporting me started to split apart.
"Nngh…"
Athena watched me for a moment, then sighed and stretched one hand toward me.
"Haa… I don't want to hurt you, Hera."
Her hand glowed briefly, and magic in the shape of chains wound around my entire body, cinching tight.
When I offered no real resistance, the chains finally forced my knees to the dirt and bound my hands.
I simply stared blankly at the ground and stayed still.
The crushing helplessness left me wanting to do nothing at all.
Athena gently lowered herself onto her knees so that our eyes were level.
Then, as if offering comfort, she softly stroked my hair.
"I'll let it slide this time. Next time, there will be punishment."
"My… family…. hic… Lily… Dania…"
Ah. I really shouldn't cry again.
Tears spilled down without my permission, endless and unstoppable.
We only just parted…
I already missed them so much.
Once I pushed aside the fog of grief, my surroundings finally came into focus.
What filled my vision was a building of staggering size — larger than anything I had ever seen.
At a glance, it was easy to mistake for a castle.
"…This is… a mansion?"
I stood frozen, stunned by the sheer grandeur of the structure before me.
"Do you like it?"
I shot a sharp look at the woman beside me, who was speaking so casually without the slightest regard for how I felt.
I hated her. I hated her so much.
But no matter how deeply I hated her, nothing would change — so I shoved that dark emotion deep down and buried it.
"…It's too big."
When I gave her nothing more than that, Athena let out a soft laugh, took my hand, and led me inside.
With a long creak, the massive front doors of the mansion swung open.
"Welcome home, my lord."
A tall, striking knight in armor that looked straight out of the Middle Ages stepped forward and bowed respectfully to Athena.
"Where's Bordin?"
"He is waiting inside the mansion."
"Go tell him to come find me."
"As you command."
The knight glanced at me once upon receiving her order, then withdrew.
Athena watched him go with an expressionless face before turning back to me with a gentle smile.
"Hera. Aren't you hungry? Want to eat first?"
"No… not really…"
"Hmm… Is that so? Then let's head inside for now."
Following Athena past the front entrance, I found myself looking out over a meticulously kept garden.
Countless ornaments adorned the grounds, and fountains placed here and there lent the air a refreshing coolness.
But once we stepped deeper into the mansion, I realized the exterior had been nothing.
A space so vast my eyes couldn't take it all in.
Countless rooms stretched away in long rows, and a staircase that seemed to shimmer looked as though it led straight to heaven.
The luxurious interior was so opulent that no one would have found it strange if royalty lived here.
I was still staring blankly around at the unbelievable sight when a voice called out.
"Lady Athena. You've returned?"
A middle-aged woman approached and bowed her head. She looked to be of a certain age, yet carried herself with an air of refined dignity.
"Rosewen."
"My. And who might this lovely young lady be?"
The woman called Rosewen smiled warmly at me and inclined her head.
Unused to such formal courtesy, I awkwardly followed her lead and bowed deeply.
"Ah… hello…"
"What a lovely voice as well."
As she looked at me with a soft chuckle, Athena placed a hand on my shoulder and introduced her.
"Hera. This is Rosewen, the head maid of this mansion. If you have any questions about this place from now on, ask her. And Rosewen — this child will be attending me from now on."
At Athena's words, Rosewen covered her mouth with one hand in open shock.
"G-good heavens… Lady Athena has finally taken a personal maid…!"
Rosewen's eyes went wide with emotion, and I felt an unexpected flush of embarrassment.
"I-I'm not a maid, though…"
"Pfft. Being a maid wouldn't be so bad either."
Rosewen's eyes lit up as she strode over and seized my hands firmly.
The zeal in her gaze as she looked at me was more than a little overwhelming.
"Eek…"
"W-when shall I begin this child's training?! That beautiful face. That lovely figure. That noble air!! Ah, with her, she would surely make a magnificent mai—"
"Rosewen. She is not a maid."
At Athena's words, the fire in Rosewen snuffed out in an instant.
Looking somewhat abashed, she cleared her throat a few times before speaking again.
"How rude of me. Then what duties will this child be taking on?"
"She's my slave."
"Pardon?"
"From now on, she is my slave — the one who will stay by my side."
"A s-slave, you say?"
Rosewen looked at me with an expression of pure disbelief.
My face burned red with mortification as I ducked my head and avoided her gaze.
"Even if she is a slave, she is mine alone. Tell the other servants not to treat her carelessly."
Rosewen wore a thoroughly confused look.
After spending a long moment trying to parse Athena's intentions, she finally gave up and simply decided to obey.
"…I shall inform everyone that she is a child you hold dear."
"And take her with you. Bathe her and put her in something comfortable."
"Huh?"
"Understood. Come along, young lady."
Rosewen took my hand and began leading me somewhere.
"Huh? Eh…?!"
"Hoho… There's no need to be shy."
Like a sack of grain, I was hauled along after her, dangling from her grip.
"W-wait a moment!!"
She's not actually going to wash me herself… right?
"I was told you summoned me, my lord."
The moment Athena entered her study, the middle-aged man Bordin bowed as though he had been waiting for her.
Athena didn't spare him so much as a glance as she walked straight to her desk.
"It seems the jewel you discovered this time has quite caught your fancy."
Athena ignored his remark and issued her orders at once.
"In the western district of Drax, there's a little girl named Lily and a woman named Dania. Relocate them to the Empire."
The information was painfully sparse.
But Bordin, who had served her for years, knew exactly what she wanted without needing to ask.
"Shall I arrange a residence near Einhat?"
"No. Somewhere a fair distance from Einhat."
Athena had no desire for Hera to run into them by chance.
"And inform the local guilds that they are people under my protection."
"Yes. Do you have any further orders?"
Athena waved a hand as if to say there was nothing more. Bordin bowed and quietly withdrew.
Once he was gone, Athena scowled and propped a foot up on her desk.
Golden mana began to swirl fiercely around her.
Her mood was foul.
She had finally claimed the jewel she had so desperately wanted — and yet she felt no perfect satisfaction.
It was because of those two, no doubt.
That little girl Lily, who looked adorable on the outside but was as sly and dark as a snake within. And that woman Dania, who somehow always left her feeling irritated just by looking at her.
Hera regarded them as family more precious than anything else, and her thoughts were always on those two.
No matter how obedient she seemed toward Athena, the moment those two were involved, Hera always put them first.
Athena did not like that one bit.
"Family… family, is it…"
Athena thought back on the things that had once been her own family.
She had no wish to recall those disgusting creatures ever again, but she slowly turned over the past anyway, hoping she might find some clue as to what Hera so desperately craved from such bonds.
But—
"Tsk. Just made my mood worse."
As expected, there was nothing in there that Hera would want.
It was fine.
Time was on her side, after all.
Not some false relationship like family, friends, or comrades —
but a contract of master and servant, sealed beyond any doubt.
Hera would never be able to escape her.
And she would never, ever let Hera go.
How perfectly complete a relationship that was.
Even if Hera still put those two ahead of her for now, it didn't matter.
All she had to do was carve her own mark into Hera, one by one, and educate her properly.
Sooner or later, Hera would wag her tail for her and her alone.
Imagining Hera smiling up at her with a face flushed red, Athena felt something dangerous stir inside her — a budding desire.
"Heh… I'm looking forward to what's ahead."
Like raindrops slowly soaking into stone.
Slowly. Slowly. She would fill every corner of Hera's heart with herself alone.
"Hyaah?!! No, I can wash myself!!!"
"Young lady! Please leave this sort of thing to us!"
"A-ah, nooo…! I'm uncomfortable, that's whyyy…!"
"Hoho… You're so terribly shy. How adorable, young lady."
"I-I can wash myself… I caaan!!"