Chapter 291: Dud and Prize
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 291: Dud and Prize
A sweltering summer day.
I was forced awake by a racket that shattered the pleasant morning.
Fucking cicadas.
The bastards that crawl out of the ground every summer just to screech their heads off.
Along with mosquitoes, they were the top two fucking pests of the season.
What pissed me off about cicadas wasn't just the noise. It was the fact that while they shrieked their fucking heads off, they supposedly closed their own ears so they didn't have to listen to the racket.
A one-sided sonic assault.
What were they doing, playing a game against a wall? Clapping for their health? Playing high-low over and over?
I didn't give a damn if they spent months buried underground or died after a few days of screaming.
“Are you awake?”
The first person to greet me was none other than Naredi.
With the arrival of summer, the maids' uniforms had changed. They now wore sleeveless maid outfits that revealed their soft-looking upper arms and armpits.
The highlight was their armpits, glistening with sweat from the heat. A feast for the eyes, first thing in the morning.
Dressed as such, Naredi was reaching out to draw the curtains—a role that Mirabelle, my personal maid, had performed until now. Naredi was filling in because the punishment from last time was still in effect.
Having become a proper maid herself, her work was flawless.
However.
“You’ve made a mistake, Naredi.”
“…And what might that be?”
“You forgot my morning kiss.”
Naredi let out a scoff of disbelief.
“Hey, Master. In case you’ve forgotten, I’m a married woman. I belong to another man. Do you really want a kiss from someone like me?”
“Whatever your past, you are my slave now. And it is a master's duty to embrace his slaves with a generous heart, regardless of their history.”
“Isn't this just an excuse to do what you want?”
“With a beauty like you, Naredi, I'd welcome anything.”
“What's so great about an old woman like me…” Naredi mumbled, wrapping her arms around herself in embarrassment.
She called herself an old woman, but she looked nothing of the sort.
She was a witch, after all.
Honestly, she looked so young she could have passed for Mirabelle's older sister, just with a mother's maternal air. It was a maturity the other slaves couldn't imitate—a charm unique to her, the married woman.
“Besides, is there any reason to be shy now? We've already spent a night together.”
“Get your facts straight! We only slept in the same bed, and Mirabelle was with us! What if someone gets the wrong idea?!”
“Well, with you explaining it all so perfectly, there's no need for me to add anything.”
“You're unbelievable.”
As if deciding I wasn't worth arguing with, Naredi shook her head. Then, her expression turned serious, and she asked cautiously, “Um… how much longer do I have to do this?”
“Why? Do you not want to?”
“It's not that I don't want to… It's Mirabelle…”
Excluded not only from her regular duties but also from her role as a maid, Mirabelle had become a walking doll. The girl who used to radiate vibrant energy was now a walking ball of gloom.
It had been going on for a month, and as her mother, Naredi couldn't just stand by and watch.
The only way to bring her back to her old self was to reinstate her.
“It's been a month, and I think Mirabelle has reflected on her actions enough.”
“Hmm, I don't know. You heard what she did, didn't you, Naredi? As her mother, shouldn't you be in favor of her punishment?”
“Well, yes, but…”
When Naredi had first learned of the trouble Mirabelle had caused, she could only sigh. But what could she do? That was her daughter. As a mother, she had no choice but to take her side.
“Well, I was thinking it was about time, too. I'll give it some positive consideration.”
“Really? Thank you!”
*
After finishing my preparations with Naredi's help, I left my room.
I was just thinking about making my usual rounds to wake the girls when I heard a commotion.
From the other end of the hall, Azyeth was running toward me.
Why is she awake?
She was the type who never woke up until I came to get her. Yet here she was, wide awake.
Azyeth hurried over and stopped in front of me.
“Good morning, Azyeth.”
“Rami…. Hi.”
“What's going on? You seem busy this morning.”
“Ah, well…”
Looking flustered, Azyeth glanced anxiously behind her.
Rin was running from the same direction.
“Hey! Stop right there!”
“Sorry, Rami. Later…. Yeah. Let's talk later.”
Azyeth scurried away again.
A moment later, Rin arrived in front of me.
Before even greeting me, she glared at the fleeing Azyeth, fuming.
“That little…!”
“Is something wrong?”
I didn't know the details, but it looked like Rin was chasing Azyeth.
Had she caused some kind of trouble?
“She used to touch Rin's tail every morning, saying how fluffy it was, and now she says she won't because it's too hot!”
“Well, it is summer.”
Rin's tail was exceptionally fluffy, after all.
Touching it in this weather would certainly be hot.
“She pestered me and followed me around whenever it suited her, and now she thinks she can just refuse? Not a chance. If you start touching it, you have to see it through to the end.”
With a vicious look on her face, as if determined to make it so, Rin sped off after Azyeth.
“Lively this morning.”
“So lively it's a problem.”
“Thanks to them, there's never a dull moment. That's a good thing.”
After a stroll through the garden with Naredi, I headed to the hall for breakfast.
The slaves were already gathered, as if waiting for their master. They were chatting amongst themselves, the food on the table untouched.
Azyeth had eventually been caught by Rin.
The smaller girl was now sitting on her lap.
“Ahh, so nice and cool!”
For Azyeth, who was constantly surrounded by an aura of cold, the warmth must have felt even more intense. Between the summer heat and Rin's fluffy tail, her expression was pure misery.
In contrast, Rin, who was absorbing Azyeth's chill, was beaming with delight.
“So hot…”
“Do you have any idea how cold Rin was all winter! You should have stopped when I told you to! This is your punishment! For the rest of the summer, you're Rin's personal cooling pillow!”
“Ah…”
Just last season, Azyeth had been the one hugging Rin and burying her face in her tail. Now, their roles were completely reversed.
Everyone else chuckled at the comical scene.
Only after I picked up my utensils and took a bite did the slaves begin to eat. I had never taught them such etiquette; it was an unspoken rule they had established among themselves.
Narsha had been the one to initiate it.
She insisted that a clear hierarchy must be maintained, arguing that a slave's selfish behavior could tarnish their master's name. With such a reason, even the girls who normally wouldn't listen to me without the promise of a reward followed the rule to the letter.
Not only that, but she was also teaching all the slaves in the merchant group basic etiquette and common sense for navigating the world…
One had to admire the educational zeal of the noble-born Narsha.
As the peaceful meal continued, I noticed Mirabelle was only picking at her food.
She couldn't sit still, glancing nervously at Naredi. She was standing in the spot where Mirabelle used to be.
“What's wrong, Mirabelle? Is something bothering you?”
“Ah, no… It's not that, it's just…”
“Do you want to serve me that badly?”
“…”
My words hit the mark.
Mirabelle fell silent.
After a thoughtful pause, I spoke again.
“How long has it been since I punished the two of you?”
“Forty days as of today,” Rin answered.
“It's been that long already.”
Time really flew.
It must mean I was having enough fun to lose track of it.
But what about these two?
It probably hadn't been a very pleasant time for them.
“So? Was it enough time to reflect on your mistakes?”
“Huh…?”
“Was it not enough? If you need more time, I can extend—”
“I-It was enough! We've been reflecting deeply every single day!”
“Rin has been reflecting, too!”
“Hmm, I see.”
I studied the two of them.
They stared back with a mixture of desperation and anxiety.
I enjoyed teasing the girls, but I had no hobby of tormenting them to the point of depression.
This was probably enough.
“Very well. Since you both say you've been reflecting, I suppose I should take a step back. Your punishment ends today. Mirabelle, take it easy today and return to your duties tomorrow.”
At my words, their faces lit up as if their gloom had never existed.
“Yes, Master!”
“Thank you, Mastah!”
“Now, finish your meal.”
Mirabelle and Rin began to eat with gusto.
The other slaves watched them with fond smiles.
My eyes met Naredi's.
She was smiling, too, and silently mouthed her words.
'Thank. You.'
It seemed to say.
*
Lately, thanks to the slaves' active advances, I had been entering into physical relationships with them one by one.
It was utter bliss.
I could die now and have no regrets.
Not that I had any intention of dying, of course.
But a certain topic had become a hot-button issue among the slaves.
Since we were all healthy men and women, these relationships would inevitably lead to pregnancy one day.
They could have used magic to make it happen immediately, but they refrained for the sake of some friendly competition. After all, there was an unspoken wager among the slaves: ‘Who will claim the honor of bearing the master's first child?’
Of course, even without the wager, Mirabelle had no intention of cooperating. She didn't even meet the minimum qualifications to participate. It would be several more years before she could join in.
The pregnancy race itself wasn't the main issue.
The real concern was what came next.
“What if it's a boy?”
The question, or rather, the anxiety, was suddenly voiced by Alfia.
They all wanted to bear a child who resembled both me and themselves. Such a child would surely be adorable. And capable, too, a great asset to their master.
The problem was that I only took female slaves.
In other words, if a son were born, he would not be able to enjoy the bliss of becoming my slave. He could not be saved, could not be liberated, and could not serve.
He might even be shunned by me.
A daughter was a prize.
A son was a dud.
The six slaves agreed with one heart and one mind: the tragedy of drawing a dud had to be prevented at all costs.
And so, Mirabelle cast a spell on all of them.
No matter who gave birth, or when…
Only cute, beautiful baby girls would be born.