A Leash for the Princess
I stepped out of the Trainer Association and headed straight for a women’s clothing store. Rene didn’t have many outfits suitable for her, after all. No matter how thoroughly a slave is being trained, clothing still matters. It protects a person’s body heat, if nothing else.
As I walked along the streets of Bairen, several well-known boutiques caught my eye. Signs written in flowing cursive script. Through the clear windows I could see dresses and one-pieces in every color, along with women’s boots on display. The fashion of this world didn’t quite match my tastes, but this shop looked decent enough, so I went inside.
-Ding-a-ling.
“Hello. Are you shopping alone today?”
A brown-haired woman greeted me with a warm smile.
“Yes, hello. I’d like to buy some women’s clothing, but I’m not sure what to get. Could you help me?”
I really didn’t know much about women’s clothes. Especially not the styles here. Usually, once training was complete, a professional designer would dress the slave up before sending them off to auction. There was no real need for a trainer to be knowledgeable about fashion.
The brown-haired clerk nodded.
“Is this a gift for your girlfriend?”
She wasn’t my girlfriend, but admitting I was a trainer wasn’t exactly something to brag about, so I kept it vague.
“Ah… something like that. The problem is, I don’t know her size. What should I do?”
The clerk rubbed her chin with a troubled expression.
“Without knowing the size… it will be difficult to choose something that fits.”
Of course it would. Still, since I’d already come all this way, I might as well look for something she could wear indoors.
“Then do you have anything that can be worn regardless of size?”
She thought for a moment before answering.
“Well… clothing that doesn’t fit properly will be very uncomfortable for the wearer.”
She was right. What now?
That was when an idea flashed through my mind. A robe. The kind with long, loose sleeves and a flowing hem. Size hardly mattered as long as the length was right. Even without knowing her exact measurements, Rene should be able to wear one.
“Do you have anything like a robe?” I asked, just in case.
“Hmm… we do have a few. Would you follow me?”
I followed her to a rack where robes of various colors hung in neat rows.
“The designs are all quite similar… Could you tell me her approximate height and build?”
I knew her height roughly, so I raised my hand to indicate it.
“About this tall, and rather slim.”
“In that case… how about this one?”
What she pulled out was a practical-looking black robe. I took it from her and ran my fingers over the fabric. It felt soft—clearly made from high-quality material.
Well, I’ll just buy something for now and get her proper clothes later.
“Yes, I’ll take this one.”
After I finished paying, she gave me a professional smile.
“Thank you very much. Have a nice day.”
Now that I had the clothes, what else did I need? Women have their monthly cycles, so underwear was essential… but underwear definitely required knowing the size. I’d just bring Rene with me next time.
‘Let’s grab something to eat while I’m at it.’
I stopped by a restaurant near the association building, ordered some sandwiches and soup to go, then returned to the association and headed for Veloki’s office.
“Oh, Mister Arthur? When will you be moving?”
“Right now. I’m about to move in.”
“That’s a relief.”
He rummaged through a desk drawer.
“This is the key to room 201. And this… please put it around the slave’s neck. Return it once the move is complete.”
Veloki handed me a key and a collar made of red leather. What stood out was the long leash attached to it—it looked exactly like a dog collar.
“What is this…?”
“Ah, yes. Occasionally a slave will overpower their owner and attempt to escape. To prepare for such cases, the association has placed a pain-inducing enchantment on the slave brand that activates outside the training room. When you take the slave outside, you must have her wear this. It’s for her safety as well as yours.”
Oh? So it was like the authentication magic back at my old master’s mansion? A mage slave could be controlled by suppressing their mana, but knights or physically powerful slaves sometimes overpowered their owners. That was why most training facilities had magic designed to restrain slaves once they left the training area. The association was better prepared than I’d expected.
“Thank you for your consideration.”
“Also, be careful not to let go of the leash while you’re in the hallway. The magic will activate.”
I nodded, took the key and collar, and headed for my training room.
The security here is pretty thorough.
The familiar door to my training room. -Creak.
Inside, not much had changed since I’d left. Rene seemed exhausted; she was fast asleep on the bed inside the iron cage.
She must have been through a lot earlier.
With such a tight schedule, the training curriculum itself was practically a forced march. She had looked tired, but we needed to move. I’d let her rest again once we settled in.
I entered the cage and gently shook her awake.
“Miss Rene, wake up. Open your eyes.”
She must have cried a lot after I left—her eyes were puffy and swollen. I was pretty sure there was some medicine for that somewhere. I’d look for it later.
I shook her shoulder again.
“Miss Rene? Come on, wake up.”
“Mmm… Hiiik!”
The moment she opened her eyes, she looked at me like I was a cockroach.
“Get up and eat.”
With an embarrassed expression, Rene covered her chest and groin as she rose from the bed. I really needed to give her some clothes.
“Covering yourself with that shy look on your face only makes me want to pounce on you more. Here, put this on.”
I handed her the robe I’d bought at the store. She took it without a word and hurriedly pulled it over her head.
I wonder what she’s feeling right now. Anger? Shame and humiliation? Or maybe resentment toward me?
Regardless, training had to continue. When an owner gives a slave a gift, failing to show proper gratitude was a basic breach of etiquette that could tarnish the owner’s honor.
“A slave dares to receive a gift from her owner without even a word of thanks?”
She must have decided to ignore me completely. She said nothing. Should I push her a little?
I turned to the girl who clearly didn’t want to speak to me and warned her in a scolding tone.
“To think you would throw away your purity like—”
“Coward. Trash.”
Her quiet whisper cut me off.
Huh? How interesting.
An unbroken Rene. She was like a wild horse that refused to be tamed, and that only ignited my desire to conquer her even more. The sight of a woman with such a strong spirit eventually clinging to me, begging desperately—that was truly thrilling.
I had been worried her mind might have broken, but… I still couldn’t relax. She might be acting out of despair, or her mental illness could have worsened. So I smiled and asked again.
“Would you say that one more time?”
My mocking tone made her jump off the bed and shout.
“Master is a truly cowardly piece of trash!”
She glared at me. Good. I’d been worried she might have broken, but those clear, red eyes staring daggers at me proved she hadn’t. Her soul was simply that strong.
Of course, having a strong soul and strong mentality didn’t explain why she suffered from such severe princess syndrome. Well… I wasn’t a psychologist, nor an expert on princess syndrome. Whatever. It didn’t matter right now.
This unbroken, resilient Rene. The way she looked at me with those eyes full of defiance only excited me more.
I grabbed her chin.
“Then, Miss Rene, you’ll have to listen carefully to this cowardly piece of trash, won’t you? And stop trying to provoke me.”
I held out the food I’d bought.
“Eat this before it gets cold. After you finish, we’ll be moving.”
She stared at me with a blank expression.
“Moving?”
I nodded.
“Yes. From now on, we’ll be living together so I can accelerate your training progress. How does that sound? Nice, right?”
At my sarcasm, her body began to tremble. But she soon took a deep breath and glared at me again.
“You perverted bastard! After what you did to me earlier—”
I cut her off with a cold voice.
“Miss Rene… You’re not stupid. Didn’t I already teach you the proper way to address me?”
Her eyes burned with rage as she stared at me.
“Ugh! So Master intends to do that same thing to me all night long?”
“Correct. I suppose I should give you a present, then?”
I showed her the collar I had prepared as a “gift.”
“What do you think? It’s pretty, isn’t it?”
Rene blinked several times at the red leather collar but showed no other reaction. If anything, her eyes seemed to grow even colder.
“Is this the kind of trash a piece of garbage gives as a gift?”
She glared at me fiercely.
“Yes, exactly. Correct again.”
“Shall we put this on before you eat?”
I quietly stood up, moved behind her, and gently lifted her soft gray hair.
“You have a lovely neckline.”
That pale skin paired with the sensual red leather looked incredibly lewd.
-Click.
With a sharp metallic sound, I fastened the buckle and locked the collar around her neck.
“It suits you perfectly. I should have bought it sooner. Now, what are you doing? Aren’t you going to eat?”
I hadn’t expected her to let me put it on so obediently. Her flushed face suggested she was suppressing her fury inside.
I sat back down at the table across from her. The way her body kept trembling was rather cute.
“Once you’re done eating, we’ll pack up and move. Just so you know.”
With that, I focused on my own meal. The food wasn’t bad, but the soup was a bit disappointing.
It seemed Rene agreed with me. She finished her sandwich but left most of the soup. She’d eaten sandwiches for breakfast too, yet she still ate well. It was nice to see.
“Are you finished?”
Our ill-mannered slave gave no reply. I’d have to fix that habit.
I slipped a finger through the ring on her dog collar and yanked it.
“Such a rude little slave princess. Are you hoping to be punished?”
She stared at me silently.
“Just… kill me. I don’t want to suffer any more humiliation.”
Rene spoke with a surprisingly solemn expression. It actually felt refreshing. So if I was going to humiliate her, she’d rather die… That kind of provocation wasn’t bad at all.
I smiled at her.
“Between losing your virginity and dying, which do you prefer?”
She grew furious at my insult. Her face twisted as she glared at me.
“Do whatever you want! But you’d better kill me in the end! I’ll die cursing you with my last breath! So kill me! You piece of trash!”
-Ptui!
She spat right in my face.
Oh? Now that was surprising.
I pulled my finger out of the collar and wiped my face with a handkerchief. I’d thought she would be easier after crying and begging so desperately earlier.
“Pfft…”
This version of her was actually more appealing. But if she stayed this uncooperative, moving would be difficult. Would I have to use drugs after all?
While I was considering it, I looked at her murderous glare and decided to change today’s schedule slightly.
Ah… I’ll have to take Rene out shopping another day.
To think she could excite me this much. I wondered what had made her so angry. Just a short while ago she had been desperately clinging to her chastity—why had she suddenly grown so brave?
“Is it because I insulted the Empire and your family earlier?”
She nodded at my question.
“Heh heh heh.”
I continued in a mocking voice.
“Miss Rene… anyone can see you’re the child of a magnificent whore and a whore. Was it that hard to admit?”
Her hands shook violently as tears burst from her eyes. The sight of her unable to contain her rage was breathtakingly beautiful.
At that moment—
-Crash!
Rene grabbed the bowl of soup from the table and hurled it straight at me.