The sun was setting at the edge of the sky, painting the world in fiery red and creating a beautiful sunset.
The gentle sound of waves crashing against the beach created a pleasant white noise.
From above, the sound of seagulls chirping felt like a harmonious song mingling with the waves.
Normally, I would be gazing blankly at the sea, lost in my own feelings, but here I am—
“How embarrassing…”
My face was flushed bright red.
Right now, I was nestled in Athena’s embrace, completely still.
Once I was freed from pain, she held me tightly.
I wept endlessly in her arms.
After a long time of crying, my shattered mind began to slowly recover.
As the fear and anger from the pain faded, a new emotion surfaced—embarrassment.
“How long did I cry…?”
When I slightly lifted my head, I found that Athena’s shoulder, where I had buried my face, was soaked with my tears.
“Did I really cry this much…?”
I couldn’t bring myself to raise my head.
No matter how tough it had been, to cry like a three-year-old in her embrace was devastating to my pride.
“No, wait. This is all her fault!”
As I thought about it, I realized she was the one who created this whole situation.
If she hadn’t tried to make me her slave, nothing would have happened.
So, my sorrowful weeping was not due to my weak heart but entirely her fault.
Once I shifted the arrow of blame towards Athena.
My embarrassment slowly began to transform into annoyance towards her.
I raised my head and shot her a spiteful glare, but—
“Hehe. All cried out, huh?”
She wore the warmest smile in the world, wiping my tears with her fingers.
“Ugh…”
This was strange.
I should have absolutely despised her.
Yet, after deciding to become her slave, the pain disappeared and something inside me changed.
No matter how much I tried to resent her.
Deep down, there was an undeniable desire to rely on her.
A contradictory situation where two opposing emotions coexisted.
But that didn’t mean I didn’t dislike her.
My loathing for her was far greater than the desire to lean on her.
She forced a master-servant contract on me, and inflicted pain so agonizing I felt like I could die.
I would never forget the heinous things she did to me.
Even if I said I would become her slave, that didn’t mean I would follow her without resistance.
“I must really be hated, huh, Hera?”
“Huh…?”
Wait, how did she know?
As if reading my thoughts, she hit the nail on the head.
As my eyes trembled, she gently pinched my cheeks.
“Hera. Your body now holds my mana. I don’t know much, but I can at least figure out your feelings.”
What the heck was that?
That was totally unfair.
I couldn’t even resent her freely now?
“Th-That…!”
But she just smiled as if it didn’t matter.
“You can hate me. You can’t escape from me now, anyway.”
Suddenly, a surge of anger rose in me at her infuriating words.
I pushed away from her embrace and spoke.
“…What makes you think I can’t run away?”
“Oh? Are you speaking informally again? Whatever happened to calling me ‘master’?”
“Ugh! Th-That’s..!”
The embarrassment surged again at her words.
The memory of calling her ‘master’ was so vivid, no matter how much I tried to forget it, it clung to my mind like glue.
“I wasn’t in my right mind then…!”
But before I could make excuses, she spoke first.
“Hehe… It’s okay. I can just teach you slowly.”
She caressed my chin playfully with her finger.
“But didn’t I ask you what you’re basing your thoughts on? Let me enlighten you.”
With a devilish grin, she looked at me.
Whenever she wore that smile, an ominous feeling washed over me.
“…What… are you planning?”
“Don’t worry. I won’t use the methods that hurt you anymore. But it might be a little… hot?”
As I instinctively took a step back, she snapped her fingers, producing a snap sound.
Whoosh—
As her gesture ended, a sound like something igniting filled the air.
“…..Huh?”
The fire slowly ignited inside me, just as it felt before.
“But… something’s… different…”
But this was unlike the horrific burn from before.
It felt more like a heat that ignited desire.
“Gah?!”
It was a heat that made my insides feel restless.
The warmth enveloped me, and my body started to heat up uncontrollably.
“I.. wait… Ugh..!”
So hot…..!
It felt like something was tickling me somewhere, overwhelmed by wanting to release this heat, a sense of desperation began to dominate my mind.
“Ah… Ugg…”
Feeling weak in my legs, I collapsed onto the sand.
Unable to endure the unbearable heat, Athena approached me.
“I can torment you with my mana no matter where you are like this.”
With feelings of near-breaking point, I clung to Athena’s legs, saying.
“Ah… I get it! Ugh..! Just… stop..!”
“I think you forgot to add a title behind that.”
“Hey!!!…. H-Huh?!”
How wicked.
She knew I hated it but made me say it anyway.
I looked up at her with an angry face, and she was gazing back at me with a slightly flushed smile.
“I won’t let go until you say it.”
“You… You are really…!”
But it seemed she had no intention of letting go; she simply kept watching in silence.
I clenched my teeth.
“…It’s just a title anyway.”
If all she wanted was a single word, then I had no choice.
It was something I had already said once. It shouldn’t be that hard.
With that thought in mind, I reluctantly opened my mouth.
“Huh.. M-Master..?”
“I can’t hear you.”
“Gah..”
I squeezed my eyes shut and spoke loudly.
“I-I heard you!!…. Please… let me go… Master..!”
“Heh… I don’t like the way you say that, but it’s fine.”
The moment her words ended, the raging heat inside me began to cool down.
Though an uncomfortable feeling lingered, the maddening distress I felt began to fade away.
“Ugh…”
“Didn’t hurt too much, right?”
I shot her a piercing glare for her nonsensical question.
But I held back, as I didn’t want to irritate her.
“Now you get why you can’t escape from me.”
“…Why are you trying so hard to capture me?”
“Didn’t I mention? I fell for you at first sight.”
Her claim of falling for me at first sight seemed sincere.
I couldn’t quite comprehend it.
“But why a slave?! We could’ve been friends!”
Who asks someone they like to become their slave?
If she had suggested we be friends instead of slaves, I wouldn’t have hated her as much.
“Friends?”
But Athena made a hollow expression at my words.
“I don’t need such trivial relationships.”
Then, she slowly approached and pulled me into her embrace.
“To make you mine, this is far more certain than that flimsy connection, right?”
“Still—!”
“Shh.”
As if she didn’t want to hear any more, she placed her finger on my lips.
“You just have to listen to me, Hera.”
Under her coercive command, I couldn’t muster an argument.
Eventually, I began to mumble before giving up.
“…..What do you plan to do now?”
With a gentle smile, Athena tucked my bangs behind my ear.
“I’ll take you to my mansion. You can live comfortably there. Of course, you must stay by my side.”
“….”
Right.
Now.
I had no choice but to accept it.
I couldn’t escape from her.
My collar was tightly held by her, and she clearly had no intention of letting it go.
A fate where I had to come when she called and go when she commanded.
I had no idea what she wanted from me, but I knew I wouldn’t have any right to refuse…
I clenched my fists, resolute.
“But I have a condition.”
As she heard my words, her eyes sparkled with interest.
“A condition?”
“I’ll become your slave as you want.”
The promise I made to myself.
The people who were most precious to me.
“There are people I want you to protect.”
Even if I become Athena’s slave, I would still protect them.
“Those two, Dania and Lily.”
After getting to know them by chance in the West, we became close, and I promised to protect them in this lawless zone.
But if I followed her, there would be no one left to guard them, so I asked her to protect them.
Under the protection of a hero, surely no one would dare threaten them.
Who would be crazy enough to touch the hero’s people?
And with Athena, even if Dania and Lily were citizens of Drax, they could relocate to the Empire.
They wouldn’t be seen as criminals, but could rather live surrounded by good neighbors and a comfortable, safe life.
Imagining Lily happily laughing in the Empire warmed my heart.
“Thank you.”
“But I have a condition.”
It was utterly unreasonable that she, who refused me, placed a requirement of her own.
But she was the upper hand, and I was the lower hand, rendering me unable to voice any complaints.
“What is it?”
“I don’t mind when it’s just the two of us, but whenever there’s even one other person around, you must call me ‘master’ just like now. Respectfully, of course.”
“Eh? I-I don’t really need to. I’m already a slave.”
It would be far better to only call her ‘master’ when it was just us two.
How embarrassing would it be to do that in front of others?
If I had to call her ‘master’ in front of Dania and Lily, I’d imagine them looking at me like this!
‘Hera… Is that your kink?’
‘Sister…’
They’d think I was that type of person!
I’m not like that at all.
It felt like I would provoke unnecessary misunderstandings!
But Athena didn’t budge on her words.
“Don’t you think people should know who owns you? If you don’t want it, then forget it.”
That couldn’t happen.
After all I endured to get this request, I had to abide by her conditions.
I squeezed my eyes shut and resolved to accept her terms.
“Alright…”
“Heh? You’re back to being informal already?”
“W-Well, I said it doesn’t matter when it’s just us two.”
“Hehe, fine. You’ll end up calling me ‘master’ even when we’re alone eventually.”
I would absolutely never do that!
I had no reason to refer to someone as ‘master’ who acted on her whims.
If she commanded it, I would have no choice but to comply…
But my true feelings would never accept her as my master.
Even though I claimed I would become her slave.
The master-servant contract was forced upon me.
There was no true loyalty within that.
“Another bad thought crossed your mind, didn’t it?”
“Wha—uhh!”
After flicking my head, she stretched her arms high.
“Well, if there’s nothing else, shall we be going? Maintaining the barrier is tiring.”
“…Yeah.”
I didn’t know how long I had been gone, but Lily and Dania must be waiting outside.
‘They’d be happy if it’s the Empire…?’
I felt a desire to tell them the good news quickly.
Raising her hand, Athena summoned golden mana to envelop her once again.
Suddenly, with a snap—the red-hued sunset and refreshing beach disappeared in an instant,
And the familiar scenery returned.
Dilapidated buildings and the somewhat eerie landscape.
I was back in the city of Drax, where I had lived.
“Ugh…”
When I got accustomed to the changed scenery, I looked up at the sky to check the time.
In that instant—
Whoosh—
Someone ran up to me and hugged me tightly.
As if they would never let go, they wrapped their arms around my waist.
“Sister… where have you been…?”
My precious little sister, Lily.
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