Chapter 238: If Not for Master (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 238: If Not for Master (1)
Another morning dawned.
Unlike Narsha, who did proper work, my mornings were busy in their own way.
“Elize, it's morning.”
First, I wake up the one who was on duty the previous day.
Elize's messy, unstyled hair was a refreshing sight.
“Mmm…”
But Elize didn't wake up easily.
She whined with a charm you'd never normally see, trying her best not to get up.
Frowning, she pulled the blanket over her head to block the sunlight streaming in from the window.
Most people aren't morning people.
This was even more true for Elize, a vampire. She didn't burn in the sunlight, but she seemed to be particularly weak in the mornings.
‘She must have had a hard time living as a nun with that constitution.’
Thinking she should sleep comfortably while she was here, I left the room without waking her.
In the hallway, maids hired by Narsha bustled about. When I passed by, they would stop what they were doing and bow politely.
They never straightened up until I was out of sight.
‘They're more obedient than my girls.’
Just how in the world did Narsha train them?
Does this mean money is more effective at moving people than a master's command?
I questioned my own qualifications as a master as I arrived at the next room. It was the room of the sleepyhead, Azyeth.
They say if you don't wake her, she won't get up until well past noon.
Azyeth's room was cool.
Particles of ice clung to surfaces here and there.
Ever since Skadia entered her body, a chill had begun to emanate from her again.
It wasn't cold enough to freeze a person like before, so I wasn't too concerned. Besides, it was pleasantly cool to be near her.
‘But where did this one go?’
Azyeth, the room's owner, was missing.
She's definitely not the type to wake up at this hour.
Did she go to the bathroom during the night and fall asleep in the hallway?
“Good morning, Master!”
Just as I was wondering, Mirabelle, who had been busy since early morning, greeted me.
She had tied her wavy hair into a ponytail, likely to keep it out of her way while she worked. The nape of her white neck, once hidden by her hair, looked noble.
“You were just looking at my daughter with lecherous eyes, weren't you!”
Naredi pulled Mirabelle into an embrace, taking a protective stance against me. It had been a few days since she, too, had become my slave on Mirabelle's recommendation.
Seeing her still in a maid outfit, it seemed she was diligently undergoing maid training with Mirabelle.
A mother-daughter witch-maid duo.
What a nice sight.
“Mother. It's 'Master,' not 'you.'”
Mirabelle shot her a cold glare.
Overwhelmed by her daughter's intensity, Naredi stammered.
“...Master...”
“Your daughter is quite sharp. Thank you for giving birth to Mirabelle for me, Naredi.”
“Has this man lost his mind? Who said I gave birth to her for you?”
Mirabelle desperately held back Naredi as she tried to lunge at me.
“Geez, Mother! I told you, he's our Master! I'm sorry, Master. My mother is still inexperienced... I'll train her properly. If that doesn't work, perhaps some mental reconditioning...”
“Mirabelle?! Mental reconditioning? I'm your mother, Mirabelle!”
“Before the Master, you and I are both just slaves. For a slave, nothing comes before the master-servant relationship.”
They say no parent can win against their child.
With Mirabelle around, I didn't think I needed to worry about Naredi.
“By the way, Master, what brings you here?”
“I came to wake Azyeth, but she's not in her room.”
“Miss Azyeth? One moment.”
Mirabelle's indigo eyes glowed with mana as she glanced around, her gaze finally settling on one spot.
“Miss Azyeth is in Rin's room.”
“Why is she there...? Understood. You two, do your best today. I'll be waiting for the day you can join me by my side, Mirabelle.”
“I'll work hard!”
I headed for Rin's room as Mirabelle had told me. I had to stop by there anyway.
Alfia's room was on the way.
The scent of the forest wafted from beyond the door. Opening it revealed a room filled with plant stems and flowers.
Just as you'd expect from Alfia the elf, it had a rich, natural atmosphere.
But Alfia was already up and gone. I closed the door.
A few more steps brought me to Rin's room.
When I opened the door, a completely different space unfolded before me, not a room at all.
The sun and moon coexisted, cranes flew in the sky, and golden carp swam in a small waterfall and stream.
It was Rin's Dream Garden.
Rin was lying in the gumiho's shrine.
And using Rin's tails as a pillow, Azyeth was sleeping with the most peaceful expression on her face.
She'd been coveting those tails ever since she first saw Rin.
Azyeth had finally gotten her hands on them.
“Mastah, save me... This woman won't budge no matter how loud I shout...”
Held tight by Azyeth, unable to move an inch, Rin reached out to me, pleading for help.
Her tails, her weak spot, were caught, so she couldn't put up any real resistance.
“Azyeth, that's enough. Wake up.”
Azyeth sat up as slowly as a sloth. She still clung tightly to Rin like a doll, refusing to let go.
She buried her face in the fluffy tails and nodded off.
It looked like Rin was having a tough time.
‘Well, as long as they seem to be getting along.’
Rin, you'll just have to endure it.
*
A late morning.
After finishing breakfast, I was idly passing the time in my office, just like any other day.
Mirabelle, who had been training under the head maid since the crack of dawn, had finished a late breakfast and was taking a short break.
Looking tired, she staggered over to me and fell into my arms. Even now, she was clinging to me like a koala.
“If you can't use magic for chores, how about using it to recover from your fatigue?”
“She said a maid shouldn't be comfortable. The more comfortable the maid is, the more uncomfortable the master becomes. So I can't do that.”
“I'm sure she meant you should work hard, not that you shouldn't recover.”
Her heart was in the right place, but she was diligent in the strangest ways.
“But... if I'm full of energy, I won't have an excuse to be held by you, Master.”
So much for diligence.
What a delinquent maid.
I sighed and patted Mirabelle's back.
Just then, Alfia, who was popping a cookie into her mouth, spoke up.
“Hey, Darling. There's something I'm curious about. Can I ask?”
“What are you curious about?”
“Mirabelle said you came from another world. Does that mean you already knew about us?”
“Yes. I also knew how to save all of you.”
Everyone let out a sigh and nodded, as if they were all recalling something.
They must have had their suspicions as the story progressed, wondering, ‘How on earth does he know all this?’
Now, their questions were finally answered.
“You said you had to save us to return to your world. If that wasn't the case, would you not have saved us?”
All eyes turned to me at Alfia's question.
Some of them held a hint of anxiety.
I gave them a smile as if to say their worries were needless.
“Absolutely not. I swear it.”
It was a chance to see scenes I'd only ever witnessed in a game with my own two eyes. How could I possibly pass that up?
Even if I went back to the past, I'd do it all over again.
It's an unwritten rule to rewatch the best scenes over and over, after all.
“Then, my real question. Do you also know what we were like, the versions of us that weren't saved by you?”
“I do, but it's not something that would be good for you to know. Why are you curious?”
“Simple curiosity. And if we knew, wouldn't our gratitude toward you grow, making our bond even stronger?”
Alfia wasn't the only one who was curious. It seemed everyone else was, too.
“I don't recommend it. To be honest, I'd rather you live your lives without ever knowing.”
“...”
“But... looking at all of you, I get the feeling you'll just cause trouble until I tell you.”
The slaves let out small laughs, as if they'd been caught.
“If you all want it, shall we give it a try? Since we're doing this, it's better to experience it directly than to just hear about it.”
I tapped Mirabelle on the back.
Mirabelle twirled her hand, and a broom appeared with a flash.
“What should I do, Master?”
“Send everyone's consciousness into my memories. But twist their thoughts so they don't know why they're there. It's no fun if they know it's an illusion.”
“Yes!”
Mirabelle cast the spell.
Everyone's bodies began to glow.
“It will last for one hour. You'll wake up on your own when the time is up, so don't worry and enjoy the show.”
“Don't worry. No matter what we experience, we can handle it now.”
*
A cold that seemed to freeze the very soul.
Azyeth's eyes snapped open to a sensation that was familiar, yet one she thought she had left behind.
What she saw was a transparent crystal and an ice cave endlessly reflected on its surface. Azyeth was trapped inside.
Bewildered, Azyeth turned her head.
She was sure she'd been taking a nap just a moment ago, so why was she here?
A dream...?
But for a dream, every sensation felt too real. Azyeth could never forget this cold, the very thing that had stolen everything from her.
‘Karami...?’
He was nowhere to be seen.
The shackles on her soul.
The pendant around her neck.
The fairy tale book she never let go of.
Everything she had received from Karami was gone.
Every object that held a memory of him.
Even the warmth he had given her.
Confusion.
She didn't know what was happening.
It's cold.
I hate it here.
I have to get out.
Azyeth furrowed her fine brows and pounded fiercely on the ice.
But no matter how hard she pounded, the ice wouldn't break.
Of course. For Snow White, cursed by the witch, could never awaken until her prince arrived.
Forever.