"Wake up, Ahsa. It's already morning…"
After changing out of my nightgown into another dress, I woke up Ahsa who was beautifully sleeping on my bed.
I held her hand and gently shook her by the shoulders.
"Mmm…" She only moaned in reaction.
"Come on. As much as I'd like to stay staring at your face, we've still got things to do."
I gently shook her again but stronger than my previous attempt.
"… Mmm… eek-! M-master I-I am sorry for sleeping on your bed, I-I…" The exact moment she opened her eyes and saw me and herself on my bed, she immediately panicked.
"Hmm, then as punishment, you are to tell me how your unique skill works while you lay your head down on my laps later at the park."
I said before I pulled her up off the bed. She was annoyingly light. I didn't like that she felt lighter than me who is a foot smaller than her. It didn't sit right with me.
Just like yesterday, I dressed her up in a dress of my choosing and then left the inn. We got some looks while we were passing around the streets but they only stared so there was no problem there. Lory and the twins can handle themselves, right now I want to spend some time with Ahsa.
"This… I have no idea why, but perhaps she'll give me the answer if I spend more time with her…" I whispered to myself while I dress up Ahsa.
While walking, I felt her grip on my hand tighten and I heard her silently whisper.
"I wonder where we're going…" I don't take that I was supposed to hear that but I answered anyway.
"To the park, as I have said earlier."
"…" her eyes widened as she looked at me when she heard me answer her and immediately looked down and went quiet again.
I gave her a side glance and then glanced at our intertwined hands.
I strangely feel good whenever I am looking at her. That one time at the slaver's tent too. My chest felt heavy and tight when she looked at me with a terrified expression.
Looking at her as I said, "… I might have found what I wanted though not entirely, I am satisfied with you for now…" This time, it was my turn to tighten my grip.
Ahsa looked at me confused. Seems like she didn't understand what it was I talking about. Though she looked plenty adorable right now I'll really have to work hard to get her back in shape.
With a smile on my face that I didn't know whether was fake or not I said, "Do you want anything, Ahsa?" as I glanced beside me where Ahsa was walking.
"… I-I don't…" She said as I felt her grip tighten again for the third time this day. Guessing from right now, there will be more to come whenever I hold her like this.
"That's a lie. We still haven't eaten breakfast after all. I know, do you want to go eat at one of those places? Or would you prefer my cooking?"
After I asked her, she only stared at me and looked hesitating until she finally spoke.
"… Uhm, why is master so nice to me..? Didn't you buy me for my unique skill? I-I thought you would just have me work all day making ingots like the person who always said that he's my friend," Instead of answering my question, she asked me in turn.
"Un, that was the plan at first when I heard about you from a certain boy that visited the village I was staying in."
Her complexion paled as she thought about what I had just said. Her worried face is adorable…
I continued, "However, that plan has long been discarded after I looked at you. Perhaps it's your face, perhaps it's the way you act, perhaps it is something that I will not understand right now. But after meeting you personally, I found myself unable to carry on with that plan or anything remotely close to it."
"Master…" her eyes gently squinted as she whispered under her breath.
Unknowingly smiling at her expression I looked at the front and said, "Oh look at that, it's the park."
The park was by the side of the lord's mansion. Probably so he could observe his people or he could go here easier after work or if he just felt like going. This park is also quite huge, you could probably fit a small zoo on top of it.
While walking towards the park I suddenly heard a light growl from beside me.
"Well, that's our queue. There're multiple stalls here so let us get something from. Tell me if you have anything you'd like for breakfast. No junk food though," I pulled on her hand and walked toward the stalls.
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The nearest stall owner noticed us and greeted us with a smile.
"Goodmorning little miss. If you'd like to eat something then just look up above here and choose. It'll be finished and served before you know it!" He said as his long hair and beard swayed left and right.
"Two servings of your top-seller. Can never go wrong with that choice," I simply replied.
"Two? Oh, the slave is eating too?" He stroked his beard and asked.
"Hm? Of course, is there anything wrong with her eating too?"
He looked hesitating before shrugging and getting back to work.
"Nope, no problem. Thing is, it is rare to see a master letting their slaves eat along them or even eat at all. I don't think they'll even let them leave their workstations unless they need to carry some things. Well, goes to show how screwed up our world has become throughout all these years. A decade or two ago slavery is such a forbidden thing, now it's become a normal everyday thing." He started explaining as he worked on the meal that he is working on.
He continued and added, "What's more, magic dedicated to it has even sprung up last year. To think that people would even engage in such research is just truly degenerating of our race. We're already plenty hated by other races before this but the development of such magic has now put us on the lowest."
"I see. I didn't know about that, I just thought it was normal for humans. Ah, I'm an elf by the way. I hope you don't mind that."
"Oh wow, that's rare. But hot damn, that's problematic. If people of other races think it's normal now then we're almost unsavable." He scratched the large scar behind his neck as he put our meal into bowls.
He then served the bowls on the provided table of his stall.
"That will be five copper coins, you can pay after eating, I'm not in a hurry anyway." He said as he welcomed another customer. They were quite friendly to each other. Perhaps a regular?
"Let's eat, Ahsa." I picked up the spoon provided along the bowl and started my meal. It tasted good. I looked beside me and watched Ahsa eat. Is what I wanted to do but she's now standing with the bowl in her hand, and what at work.
She doesn't seem to mind so I just let it go. Slaves, huh…
We finished up our meal and I lead her by the hand under a nice-looking tree and sat there.
"Remembered your punishment, Ahsa? Come here," I said as I laid her head down on my lap. I couldn't feel her hair on me because of my dress that reached down to my ankles, but this is fine.
Her face looked like she has a thing or two to say but I didn't let her and immediately asked after I felt that she was feeling comfortable enough. With the chained collar and all.
"Now then Ahsa, mind telling me how your skill works? Tell me about how you got your titles as well," I looked down at her that was sweating hard as she lie on my lap.
She hesitated for quite a long while and then replied, "I-I do…" while holding her hands together on her chest.
"I see, well that is a problem. I might just resell a slave that I don't know the use of. Well, let's go back to the slave trader then?" I said with an indifferent expression. I want to see her worried face again, she was cute.
But what I got instead was a despairing face, she looked at me terrified, and that once again made my chest feel heavy and I felt like I was suffocating inside a wall. It was unpleasant, to say the least.
"I-I'll tell master about myself so please don't return me… I like being with you, you don't treat me like how my friend and abductors treated me. You even fed me tasty food and you don't force me to work. If you'll forgive me if I tell you everything about myself then I won't say I mind anymore so please let me stay with you!" Her face twisted in pain as she looked up at me from my lap.
My chest felt even heavier and it even became painful to breathe.
"I'm sorry for saying that, Ahsa. I thought I was just joking but it seems like I haven't taken your feelings about that place into consideration," I gently smiled while trying to suppress the painful feeling in my chest as I spoke.
Her expression lightened but she was still sobbing, a little more push then, "In exchange, I'll let you decide when you will be willing to tell me. I'll always be waiting."
Her complexion looked better then she fell asleep just like that. I wiped her tears off her pretty face with my fingers as I observed her sleeping face.
"Un. You look more adorable when you're not scared. I wonder how adorable you will be when you smile. I am looking forward to it." I said as I leaned my back on the warm tree bark on my back.
The greatest thing that has happened to me ever since reincarnating in this world, perhaps it's you. My Ahsa.
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