A Broken Heart
"You've been smiling far more often lately, my lord."
Bordin had come, as he always did, to deliver his report. Lately he had been noticing the many shifts in Athena's expression. Where once her face had held only blankness or a cold, thin smile, now all manner of emotions rose and fell across it.
"Well… I suppose you're right."
Athena let out a long sigh, thinking of her slave — that little fox of a girl.
"Though my patience is running just as thin."
She wanted nothing more than to pin her down beneath the bed and ruin her completely. The mere thought of Hera whimpering and telling her she loved her sent a low ache rolling through her lower belly once more.
But the walls around Hera's heart were thicker than she had expected. Yes, the girl looked only at her now — but that was merely because she had fallen into a pit of loneliness and was starving for human warmth. It was not love.
If that little brat had been the one at Hera's side when she collapsed, the person receiving those smiles now would not have been Athena at all.
"Heh heh… You treasure the child that much, then?"
At Bordin's question, a faint smile curved her lips.
"I do. Right now, she's more precious than anything else."
At first it had only been the desire to possess a beautiful jewel named Hera. But the more she spoke with her, the more she touched her body, the feelings she held for the girl swelled beyond all control. Now she could not bear to let her stray even an inch from her side.
This was probably love.
I never thought I'd fall in love in this lifetime… and with a woman, no less.
She had believed she would never give her heart to anyone. She knew all too well how selfish and willful human beings could be. She had felt that truth in her bones since childhood.
But Hera was different. She was so terribly pure. A purity that drew people in. Simply being near her made even Athena's darkest corners feel a little brighter.
So she would never let her go. She would make it so Hera could do nothing without her — so that those eyes would always, always look only at her.
It's your own fault, Hera.
Who told her to sway her tail so enticingly and tempt her like that? Everything that followed was a situation the girl had brought upon herself.
Bordin watched her for a long while as that sly smile settled on her face. His own expression was thick with emotion.
"…At last, you've found someone truly precious."
"You seem happier about it than I am."
He squared his shoulders and beamed with pride.
"Of course! Do you know how hard I've run around on two legs all this time, just to keep my lord entertained? Heh heh. This Bordin is endlessly satisfied to have finally found his lord's happiness."
Well. It was true — the one who had always brought her news worth her interest had been none other than him. The very reason she had learned of Hera's existence was the recording orb he had delivered.
Perhaps, just as he said, Hera really had given her all these new emotions. For the first time, she felt a faint flicker of gratitude toward the man who had once stirred nothing in her at all.
"Pfft. You're right. Thinking about it, I only met Hera thanks to you. Thank you."
Bordin froze for a moment at her words.
"My lord… just said thank you…?"
He clapped both hands over his mouth in a show of overwhelming emotion.
"Don't overdo it."
In an instant, Bordin's face smoothed back into perfect calm, as if nothing had happened.
"Then… may I take it that the order can be rescinded? The servants have begun to feel guilty toward the young lady."
The order she had given to everyone in the mansion: make Hera into someone who could do nothing without help. Drive her until she could trust no one — not even herself. Isolate her completely.
The order that had shattered the girl in an instant.
"No. Keep going."
She had only just gotten Hera to look at her alone. Rescinding it was out of the question. The only person Hera should be leaning on now was her. She had no intention of leaving any other opening.
The moment Hera sincerely submitted to her — that was when she would lift the order.
"Yes. As you wish."
Bordin accepted it without protest, then immediately added,
"Ah. I've heard that the number of monsters near the Empire has been rising sharply of late."
"Hmm?"
"The Imperial Palace is saying it may be some kind of omen, though nothing has been confirmed yet."
A story that held no interest for her. She already had more than enough to do. For all her free-spirited nature, her station stood higher than anyone's save the Emperor's. The mountain of work that came with it left her no room to spare a thought for monsters.
"I don't care. Anything else?"
"Heh heh. I thought as much. But how about this piece of news instead?"
His expression turned grave as he leaned in and murmured,
"The young lady is in the kitchen. Cooking. Alone."
"…What?"
"According to the head chef, she said she would prepare tonight's dinner herself."
"…"
Hera? Dinner?
In a rush, the things she had said came flooding back through Athena's mind.
— Is there any food you particularly like…?
— Do you have plans this evening?
— Th-then… let's have dinner together too.
Her behavior had been strange enough to make Athena wonder if she'd eaten something wrong. But could it be — had she meant she wanted to cook for her?
A violent surge of mana exploded outward, whipping through the room like a storm. Windows shattered. Picture frames toppled. The desk rattled hard.
"M-my lord…!"
Ah.
At the sound of Bordin's panicked voice, she realized her reason had slipped away. She forced the mana back down, smoothed her rumpled clothes, and Bordin spoke again.
"Are you all right, my lord…?"
But his words did not reach her at all.
"That little bitch…"
"I can't wait any longer…"
"Tonight. Right now…"
Anyone could see it was a signal — an invitation to take her. Emotions she had not meant to voice began spilling from her lips on their own. At her vicious muttering, Bordin stood before her drenched in cold sweat.
This won't do.
Originally she had planned to dye Hera in her colors slowly. Time was something she had in abundance. She had meant to wait patiently until the girl walked into her mouth of her own accord.
But it turned out time was not on her side. This sly little fox who tempted her more with every passing day needed to be punished — and soon.
She had decided.
This month. Whether Hera opened her heart to her or not — within this month, without fail — she would devour that body.
"Eek!!"
"Are you all right, miss?"
"Y-yes… Just a sudden chill."
What was that? Goosebumps had raced over my entire body out of nowhere.
I-it's not even cold…?
Must have been my imagination. I shook off the inexplicable chill and forced my attention back to the cooking.
I was standing in the mansion's kitchen. At first the head chef had tried to shoo me out, but the moment I said I wanted to cook for Athena, he cheerfully handed the kitchen over. Since fire was involved, though, he assigned me an assistant cook before leaving.
And what was I making, you ask?
Heh heh. A dish that could not possibly fail. A food beloved by men and women, young and old alike. Namely—
"I've never heard the word chicken before."
—the people's food. Fried chicken.
While looking over the ingredients, I had spotted a whole raw chicken and decided on the spot. If I made a spicy sauce and tossed it through, it would be a perfect match for Athena, who loved both heat and meat.
"Don't you fry things often?"
"There are places that fry, but… chicken dishes are usually roasted in the oven, more like turkey."
Apparently fried chicken wasn't a common food in this world. Even better. I could sell it as something fresh and new — that only made me happier.
The assistant butchered the bird while I mixed the sauce. Garlic, sugar, soy sauce, ketchup, honey, and chili for the heat — the seasoning came together nicely. There was no chicken powder here, so I coated the pieces in breadcrumbs for a crust. After a long fry in hot oil, I tossed everything in the sauce.
Finished: a plate of sauced fried chicken. Just looking at it made my mouth water. The savory smell of golden fried chicken drifted through the air, and I couldn't stop myself from swallowing.
I took a bite. Crispy, sweet, and spicy — a perfectly balanced flavor flooded my mouth.
Still delicious.
I glanced at the cook beside me. He couldn't take his eyes off the chicken either. Desire to taste it right that second filled his gaze.
Behold the power of the Chicken Gods. I might be useless at everything else, but cooking I could do. And chicken tasted good even when you half-assed it. There was no way she would hate this.
"Would you… like to try a bite?"
When I offered carefully, the assistant slowly nodded. He speared a piece with a fork, placed it in his mouth, and savored it.
"…!"
His eyes flew wide. He stared at the chicken in open shock. That had to mean it was that good. His reaction filled me with a quiet pride.
I'd thought I was someone who couldn't do anything. At least I could still cook. That was something.
Beaming, I asked him,
"How is it?"
He didn't answer. He closed his eyes and seemed to be thinking hard about something, his face twisted with serious conflict. When the silence stretched on too long, I called out again.
"…Excuse me?"
He opened his eyes slowly, let out a deep sigh, and said—
"The seasoning is a mess."
"Ah…… what…?"
"It's nothing but pointless heat. I suspect you put in far too much chili."
"Uh… uhh…"
"And for chicken, the outside is excessively hard. The texture is so alien I don't even want to reach for it."
"Th-that's…"
"And tossing it in sauce like this will get it all over your face. It would be better to serve the sauce on the side."
"…"
His merciless critique drove straight into my chest. My breathing began to tremble.
No. That couldn't be right. Chicken couldn't taste bad. No matter how talentless I was… not chicken…
"M-maybe your taste buds are just weird?"
I lashed out in a rush of hurt. He only shrugged, perfectly calm.
"If you truly think so, why not show it to the head chef?"
The head chef — the man who oversaw every magnificent dish that came out of this kitchen. He would understand this flavor. He had to.
"F-fine."
But—
"I cannot call this cooking."
Thump. Thump.
Something near my heart began to ache. My hands shook violently, and tears pricked at the corners of my eyes.
"I cannot permit food like this to be served to Lady Athena."
"I-is it… really that bad…?"
"……It is."
"……"
A single tear of pure loss slid down my cheek. I snapped my head down so they wouldn't see, forcing the sobs back.
Beside me, something whispered.
— You're so stupid.
— I told you you're useless.
— You just had to go and try something, and look where it got you.
— Is it that hard to just sit still like you were told?
— Just stay by Athena's side and fawn over her—
"Get away from me!!!!"
I screamed into empty air. Everyone around me turned to stare.
"Miss! Are you all right?"
"Hah… hah…"
Every face looking at me wore a grin stretched so wide it looked ready to tear.
I don't remember clearly what happened after that. I just ran. I ran blindly until I reached my room. And once I was inside, clinging to my fading consciousness as I stumbled toward the bed—
"Hhk… haah…"
My vision went black in an instant. I collapsed onto the mattress.
"Hmm… She's quite late."
The clock read seven in the evening. Dinner time had already slipped past. Athena tapped her fingers against the desk as she waited.
A meal cooked by Hera, for her. Even if it tasted terrible, that food would be more precious than anything. She had never looked forward to a meal like this in her life.
She closed her eyes and pictured it. Waking in the morning to a fragrant smell. Following the scent to find her adorable little slave, apron on, humming as she cooked. And when Athena approached, that bright smile and those open arms…
"Ah. There it goes again."
A needy throb rolled through her lower belly, and she felt herself grow faintly damp.
"Tsk. It's not even heat season."
But once it started, she couldn't stop — so she chose restraint instead, using magic to wipe away every sticky trace of herself. Hera would be here soon. This was no time to waste.
Knock. Knock.
She was here.
Athena swallowed the smile threatening to burst across her face and called out in welcome.
"Come in, Hera—"
"It is I, my lord."
But contrary to every hope, the one who entered was not her. It was Bordin.
"………What."
Her mood plummeted. She let a freezing aura roll off her in waves. If he had come for something trivial, she was already deciding on his punishment.
But his expression looked troubled. And then the words he spoke were—
"……The young lady says she will not be taking dinner this evening."
"…What?"
It struck like a bolt from a clear sky.