Mushoku Tensei (LN) - Volume 18 - Chapter 10

Chapter 10:

The Other Slave (Part 1)

SEVERAL DAYS HAD PASSED since the gruesome incident I’d named the Jerky Murder. Pursena returned to Sharia with us, and Eris was more than happy to dote on her. She also joined the ranks of our mercenary band, but that’s a whole other story.

Today, I was working with Zanoba as usual, trying to improve my Magic Armor. We were making some minor adjustments to Version Two while developing a more powerful Version Three and Version Four.

I had a whole mountain of ideas, but the majority were either impossible or next-to-impossible to bring to fruition. Our development was slow to progress, but I enjoyed the process of working with someone and making baby steps toward our goal. Today was no different; Zanoba and I sat opposite one another, studying the blueprints spread out in front of us. 

It was then that Zanoba suddenly blurted out, “It seems like Julie is hiding something from me.”

“Really? Julie, of all people?”

He nodded. “Yes. She’s doing something in secret behind my back.”

“Huh.”

It was rare for him to worry about anything other than dolls and figures, but it was especially strange for Julie to be weighing on his mind. Perhaps she’d grown on him since they’d lived together for so long now.

“So,” I said, “what do you mean by ‘in secret’?”

“Lately she’s been going to the market by herself. Even if I ask her what she bought, she won’t answer me. In fact, she won’t even show me the figure she’s supposed to be working on. It’s like she’s making something else without my knowledge. I have tried asking her what she’s doing, but all she does is brush me off…”

“Well, she is getting to be that age. Maybe this is just a phase?”

Julie’d had her first period not too long ago, and physical changes often brought about mental changes: in short, Julie was entering puberty. She’d known Zanoba since she was very young, but he was still a man. It wasn’t strange for her to be embarrassed about him discovering her secrets. Like, for instance, the color of her underwear. That kinda stuff.

“What do you suppose I should do?” Zanoba asked.

“I don’t see any option but to leave her to her own devices.”

Everyone went through puberty at some point. It was a normal part of life—the period where a person gradually transformed from a child to an adult. Changes always had a ripple effect, which meant those around them had to change how they treated the person who was maturing. You had to start treating them as more of an adult or risk driving them to rebel.

Having said that, Zanoba needed time to figure out how to interact with her. There was no fixed script for how to deal with people. It was something you had to learn over time.

“Hm, since she’s a slave, forcing her to answer would be an option, I’m sure, but…” Zanoba trailed off.

“You plan to make her tell you?”

He shook his head. “No, no. She may live with me now, but she actually belongs to you, Master. I don’t have the authority to do that. Though I would not oppose your decision if you requested it of me.” There was hesitation in manner even as he said that. Calling her my slave was just an excuse; even if she belonged to him, he had no intention of forcing her to obey him. I couldn’t blame him for that. I was no different.

“As long as it’s nothing bad and isn’t causing problems, I don’t see the harm in leaving her be. Do you?”

“Urgh.” Zanoba scrunched his face. “I actually do consider it a substantial problem that she won’t share the figurine she’s finished…”

“I guess I can see where you’re coming from,” I said. “Hmm, in that case, why not ask Miss Ginger to try talking to her?”

If it was something Julie didn’t feel comfortable sharing with a man, perhaps she would be more open to sharing with a woman. She was a young girl entering puberty, so it was probably hard for her to discuss certain things with the opposite sex. That was what I assumed, anyway.

“Hm? Ah, that is a splendid idea!” Zanoba’s face lit up. “Surely Ginger will be able to handle the matter smoothly!”

It was hard to believe Julie was already entering puberty. Time sure went by quickly. It probably wouldn’t be long before my little Lucie hit the same stage in her life. She been growing more used to me lately, and a fond father-daughter relationship was beginning to bloom between us. Alas, I was sure the day would come when she’d go back to being fussy and obstinate, saying things like, “I don’t want you to wash my underwear with Daddy’s!” and “I hate getting in the bath after Daddy. It’s disgusting!” Urgh, just imagining it made my stomach knot.

I promise I won’t force you to get in the bath with me, so please at least be willing to sit at the same dinner table.

“By the way, Master, there’s another topic I’d like to broach with you,” said Zanoba.

“Oh?”

“Do you have any interest in boxes?”

“Boxes?”

Was he referring to a sweat box? As in, a club? A sweat box might refer instead to a place where lots of people gathered, from what I understood of the young people’s slang. Since I had a mercenary band and thus plenty of opportunities for large gatherings, it might be worth looking into. Sure, I was interested. 

Wait, there’s no way that’s what he means. This is Zanoba we’re talking about. It’s probably a treasure box or something like that. Yeah, that’s was more likely. There were probably lots of those boxes out there encrusted with gems and the like. I’d seen ones like that at Perugius’s place, and they were the very definition of luxury. They were empty, though.

“Yes. Actually, I found a wonderful craftsman. I would like you to see their wares as well,” said Zanoba.

To be perfectly frank, I wasn’t really interested. On the other hand, it was rare for Zanoba to invite me to see an artisan like this.

“What kind of boxes?” I asked.

“Ones with the most incredible designs. I have seen ones of this caliber before. Actually… Oh, no. It would be better to see them with your own eyes rather than have me explain!”

Huh. I had Zanoba pegged for a guy who only loved figures and nothing else, but it seemed he had a discerning eye when it came to other kinds of craft as well. For someone as picky as him to shower anything in praise made me deeply curious.

“In that case, I guess I’ll check it out,” I said.

He grinned from ear to ear. “I knew you would say that, Master.”

***

The shop in question was tucked deep in the artisan quarter. I lost track of how many blocks we passed on the way. Far fewer people traversed the artisan quarter than the commerce district, and the buildings were quaint, lacking any distinguishing characteristics. On top of that, you could easily get lost in the winding streets.

Despite the quietness of the streets, there were still quite a few people milling around. It was mostly fussy artisans, who went about with permanent frowns etched on their faces, as if they’d forgotten how to smile. If I were a young child, I’d probably take one look at the people around here and start sobbing.

Zanoba walked with purpose, wasting no time. When we came to forks in the street, he knew exactly where to turn. We went down a short flight of stairs, then clambered up a much larger set. We passed through streets decorated with clotheslines and cut right past a workshop producing strange, purple smoke. Finally, we arrived.

The store was the size of a small civilian house. It wasn’t grand and there was no sign out front, either. A thin trail of smoke rose from its chimney, indicating someone was in, but most people would never guess that this was a shop.

“This is it.” Zanoba pushed open the door, and a chime echoed to alert the owner that he had customers.

There was barely any light inside. In fact, the only sources of illumination were the streams of sunlight that came in through the window. A few undecorated display cases formed haphazard lines, blocking most of the light from the room. Still, there was enough to see what merchandise they held.

The top shelves had female dolls in fancy outfits. They were similar to porcelain dolls, but made of wood instead. These dolls were tucked in lavishly decorated wooden boxes, all neatly arranged in rows. These dolls and the boxes that contained them were extremely elaborate, which stood in stark contrast to the shop’s general atmosphere and the simple design of the display cases themselves.

These must be the boxes Zanoba was talking about.

“What do you think, Master?” he asked.

“Now I see what you were talking about. These really are nice boxes.”

“I knew you would agree.”

 Honestly, the boxes were far more finely constructed than the dolls were. The craftsman had matched the lumber of the boxes to each doll’s design before carefully chiseling them down and decorating them with jewels, and lining them with expensive cloth. Each box almost looked like an intricate bed for its respective doll. Of course, no two boxes were the same; they were all made to order. My only criticism was that the dolls looked so inorganic compared to the organic vibe of the boxes they were contained in. In fact, my figures would look far better nestled in those boxes, amplifying their charm. I got the sense that the creator valued the quality of their boxes more than the dolls themselves.

“Hm?”

I looked a little closer and noticed small letters—names—etched on the boxes. Leila, Abbey, Sofia, Clara, Francine, Natalie…

“Zanoba, what are these names?” I asked.

“Those are the dolls’ names.”

“Oh, okay.”

I’d never named my figurines like that, primarily because they were based on actual people. That said, in my previous world, many people named their porcelain dolls or teddy bears. Naming objects like that usually meant people remained attached to them for far longer. Although the dolls were less stunning than the boxes that contained them, surely it wasn’t because the artisan loved the boxes more. After all, would a parent love their children less simply because they were ugly? Just so we’re clear, my own daughters were as beautiful and lovable as the finest gems.

“Allow me to introduce you to the creator,” said Zanoba.

He slipped between the rows of dolls and headed further inside the shop. I hurried after him, passing the display cases into an area with a slightly different atmosphere. This room only had one window, and light from it poured directly across a large workbench. A number of tools were scattered upon it—ones I was quite familiar with myself: wood, glue, wooden dowels, a stiff bristle brush, a painting brush, a file, a scraper, a carving knife, and a chisel. They were all things one would use when making a doll. This store clearly doubled as a workshop.

A man sat at the workbench with his back to us, focused intently on whatever he was crafting. Once Zanoba realized the man hadn’t noticed us, he reached for a bell sitting nearby and rang it thrice.

Ding, ding, ding.

It was a clean, clear sound that echoed through the room. The man’s shoulders jumped when he heard it.

“Who’s there?” he grunted as he slowly lifted himself up and turned toward us.

The man was as tall as Zanoba, with a sharp gaze, hollow cheeks, frazzled hair, and calloused hands. His eyes widened as he scanned the area, looking for the culprit who’d rung his bell. When he spotted a familiar face, his lips curved and his voice went up several decibels—as well as octaves.

“Well, well! Look we have here! If it isn’t Master Zanoba.”

“That’s right,” said Zanoba. “I’m back again, Master Belfried.”

“You are always more than welcome. What brings you here today?” His voice boomed through the room, and it somehow suited the man. I was more surprised by how friendly the two were. Perhaps they were brothers in a past life or something.

“I came back to introduce my master to you,” Zanoba said. “I spoke to you about him before, if you’ll remember.”

“Oh, him!” Belfried nodded. “The man responsible for those beautiful girls, yes?!”

“Precisely!” Zanoba turned toward me as he motioned at Belfried. “Master, this is the owner of this workshop, Master Belfried. He is the talented artisan responsible for the number of excellent boxes—or rather, doll beds—you saw decorating the shop.” 

His voice was infused with more respect than usual as he showered the man with compliments. Sure must feel nice to get an introduction as fancy as that.

“And Master Belfried, this here is my master, the great and powerful magician Rudeus Greyrat. He is himself an eminent craftsman whose figures no other person alive could possibly mimic—the kind of rare talent that will likely be spoken of for many decades after his death.”

His words overflowed with such reverence as he introduced me that it was overkill and actually made me pretty uncomfortable. I didn’t really care how people would speak of me after I was dead. They’d probably only badmouth me as a lady-killer who kept numerous wives.

“I have heard so many rumors about you,” said Belfried. “You are not merely a top-tier magician, but you also a deeply-learned craftsman as well!”

I shook my head. “I assure you, compared to Zanoba, I’m pretty ignorant about this stuff.”

“Oh, you are too modest!”

I didn’t want them to put me on this huge pedestal. Truly I was a complete amateur compared to Zanoba and Perugius, who were far more earnestly devoted to the fine arts. I merely had the knowledge about figures I’d brought from my previous life, but even that was shallow at best.

“At any rate,” I said, “those boxes were absolutely fantastic. Even at just a glance, I—”

“They’re beds,” Belfried interrupted, his tone stern. “That’s where my daughters sleep. Please, I would ask you to refer to them as beds.”

Huh. He was sure particular about that.

“Right. Beds, then,” I corrected myself. “I understand. They are such fine craftsmanship that ‘bed’ does seem the more fitting term for them.”

“I am of the mind to ask you to collaborate with me at some point, so I would ask you to be mindful about how you speak of my girls’ beds in the future.”

“R-right.”

Well, I could do that if that’s all he wanted.

I glanced at Zanoba, who looked particularly apologetic. Judging by the way he spoke, he must have similarly invoked Belfried’s anger this way. Still, I was pretty sure he’d referred to them as boxes when he’d spoken to me.

Belfried seemed a little fussy, but his craftsmanship and attention to detail with these “beds” was top-notch. Zanoba was right about one thing: we might really want to collaborate with this man in due time. Just as one preferred to put their expensive paintings in similar-quality frames, it was best to put extravagant figures in boxes that suited them. We had no need for such boxes in our plans for the Ruijerd figure, but perhaps we might find a use for them on a different occasion. For instance, if we presented a gift to Perugius or wanted to sell something to Asuran nobility. There were plenty of ways his skills might come in handy.

“Master Belfried, I realize you may be an exceedingly talented artisan, but the impudence you showed my master is—”

“It’s fine, Zanoba,” I interrupted. “I see nothing wrong with his request. It’s important to be particular about certain things.”

Zanoba frowned as if not entirely convinced, but Belfried really did seem to consider his boxes as beds for his dolls. He made them with the desire to give his dolls a comfortable, serene place to sleep, and it was those feelings that propelled him to perfect his craft to this quality.

“Speaking of collaboration…” Belfried paused, seeming to remember something. His gaze turned back to Zanoba. “That little figure maker of yours came to the shop the other day.”

Figure maker?

“Julie did?” asked Zanoba.

Ah, so that’s who he was referring to.

I couldn’t shake my mental image of her as an inexperienced amateur, which was why it felt so strange hearing Belfried refer to her like some kind of professional crafter. It was true, however, that her skills had grown immensely. Aside from the use of magic, her skills had far surpassed mine. She was likely a fine maker of figures by the standards of this world. 

“That’s odd. I haven’t asked Julie to purchase anything,” Zanoba muttered.

“I must tell you, Miss Julie, she…oh, I can hardly express it!” Belfried continued rambling, completely ignoring Zanoba’s reaction. For whatever reason, he seemed extremely enthusiastic.

Don’t tell me this guy is a true-born lolicon who somehow witnessed Julie doing something perverted. I mean, the two of us might have something in common then, but I definitely don’t want him coming anywhere near my daughters in that case.

“What did Julie do?” Zanoba narrowed his eyes in suspicion.

“The words, I…I’m afraid I cannot even find the right ones to express what happened!” Belfried cried in delight.

Zanoba and I exchanged glances.

Let me try asking. Don’t worry, you can leave this to me. I may not look it, but as the face of our company, I’ve recently dipped my toes into the business of extracting information from people. I even handled an interrogation to discover the true criminal behind a robbery.

“Please, calm down and explain yourself,” I said. “What exactly did Julie come here for?”

“A figure—she brought a figure with her.”

I stared back at him. “A figure?”

He wasn’t exactly answering my question, but I was willing to let that slide for now.

“Yes. It was one I had never seen before in my life. It was incredible. Absolutely, positively incredible. A masterpiece!”

Once again, Zanoba and I exchanged looks. Julie had shown us every single piece she had made. Zanoba had safely tucked most of them away in his storehouse. She would need his permission to take one out. However, Zanoba had mentioned that she wouldn’t let him see her most recent work.

“Ah, I can’t stop myself from trembling just thinking about it. See? My hands are shaking because the joy is so overwhelming.” Belfried held his hands out for us to see, and they were exactly as he’d described…though I personally sensed something far more sinister than joy.

“And so I thought to myself, I need to pour these feelings—this affection, this delight—into my own craftsmanship. Have a look for yourself!” Belfried scurried back over to his table and grabbed something before returning to us. He was cradling a box in his hands.

No, not a box. I need to call it a “bed” while I’m here in this shop.

It was white with gold decorations. The fabric lining it was a luxurious light pink that complemented the rest of the colors perfectly. Although it lacked gems, unlike the others I’d seen, that simplicity only added to its elegance. It almost reminded me of a palace canopy bed.

“This is the bed I made for her!” Belfried declared. “I can count the number of times I have felt this creatively inspired before. That’s how impactful it was! Ahh, this is the first time I’ve ever been able to create such a fantastic bed in only a few days’ time.”

It was impressively well made; there was no doubt about that. I’d seen a lot of stunning works of art from all over, which was why I instantly recognized this as a rare gem. It was a step above the specimens in the display cases, with craftsmanship fit for a king. Even Perugius would likely recognize its quality.

“Oh, Master Zanoba, I cannot believe you would tease me like that—having your little dollmaker show off a work of that caliber.”

“Hm, but I’m afraid I’m completely in the dark myself…” Zanoba glanced over at me.

I was a little lost, but I guessed that Julie had brought a figure here. It was so impressive that it drove Belfried to make a bed for it by his own choosing. That was what I had gathered. The problem was that Zanoba had no memory of ordering Julie to do such a thing. That had to mean she’d done it of her own volition. But why?

“Why did Julie bring that figure here? Did she say anything?” I asked.

“I haven’t the faintest idea. I got so excited the moment I saw the figure that I didn’t hear what she’d brought it in for. Though most people bring their adorable daughters here because they want to give them a bed where they can sleep peacefully. Perhaps that was her intention?”

Huh… I had a hard time believing there were so many people wanting a bed for their doll. That was so niche that only customers with that specific interest would probably ever come to this shop. Could Julie be one of them?

Zanoba cleared his throat and said, “When one marries off one of their daughters, their betrothed will be much happier having a bed to put them in.”

Marry off? Betrothed? I blinked at him. Oh, I get it. In other words, having a box to put a doll in raised its value when selling it. That made sense.

“Precisely,” said Belfried. “That was why I was hoping this one might marry into my home. I tried to purchase her for two hundred Asuran gold coins, but… unfortunately, your dollmaker ran from me.”

“Two hundred Asuran gold coins…?” I stared at the man.

“Oh! Master Rudeus, please don’t give me that look. You must think the worst of me, trying to buy a piece of such quality for a measly two hundred coins. But I swear to you, that was all I had on my person at the time! I now have three hundred to offer. No, no! I’m willing to go as far as three hundred and fifty!”

What shocked me was that a figure would fetch such a high price in the first place. But did this mean Julie was trying to sell it?

“But why would she try to sell it?” I mumbled to myself.

Belfried gave me a quizzical look. “Why not? The more money the better, no? You can never have too much.”

“I’m more curious about what she’d use it for. She’s never needed for anything up until now…at least, not as far as I’ve heard.” I glanced at Zanoba. It was possible that Zanoba had failed to provide something for her, which led to her needing money herself. If, for instance, Zanoba was suddenly drowning in insane debt like someone else I knew.

Zanoba shook his head. “Lately her skills have improved immensely, so I’ve been giving her a generous wage.”

I had been the one who came up with the idea of paying her. Zanoba had been shocked at the concept of giving money to a slave, but he didn’t quibble about it. Julie was working hard enough that she deserved that much. It was only natural to pay her.

“Hmm… Yes, that’s right, Master Julie is a slave, isn’t she?” Belfried stroked his chin. “In that case, perhaps she’s trying to buy her freedom?”

“Her freedom?” I echoed back.

“Indeed.”

Slaves were generally bought and sold for coin—purchased one place then auctioned off somewhere else. Their individual rights differed based on the country they were in and who owned them. There were some countries that prioritized proper treatment of slaves, and others that were far less concerned about that.

It was rather easy to become a slave. If you didn’t have any money, then you could visit a slaver and sell yourself off. There were many people who’d rather be someone else’s belonging than die. That was especially true in the Northern Territories. On top of its difficult climate, the people living here were mostly impoverished. If one couldn’t find some kind of job, they risked starvation or death by hypothermia.

On top of that, it was actually fairly easy to quit, at least in theory. Since a slave was sold for money, they could also be bought with money. One could save up the coin to purchase themselves, and be free after that. The amount required depended on a number of factors: the country of residence, how many years the slave had been kept, and how much money had been spent on said slave. There were even some nations where slaves weren’t allowed to have wages.

We had bought Julie for a ridiculously low price. Although we had taught her a number of different skills, she could easily buy her freedom with two hundred Asuran gold coins and still have some cash left over. Not that we really wanted to let her go, mind you. And there was something more important that bothered me.

“I cannot believe she would do such a thing without speaking to me first…” Zanoba dropped his gaze, a shadow falling over his face, which made it difficult to make out his features. 

I could understand his shock, though. We had done the best we could for Julie. She was in a horrific state when we bought her, but we gave her food, clothes, a warm place to sleep, educated her, and taught her practical skills. We even gave her a wage. We’d bought her for a specific reason; Zanoba, being a Blessed Child, couldn’t create the art he wanted himself. I also wanted to mass-produce Ruijerd figures in the future. We’d been pretty strict with Julie, hoping to eventually fulfill those goals, but we’d never been cruel to her.

Of course, if Julie really wanted to be free, we would release her. That didn’t lessen the shock of finding out she was going behind our backs to get the funds to do so, though. It was like she didn’t trust us at all.

“…No,” I muttered to myself. 

Being a slave was no walk in the park. I had never been a slave before, so it wasn’t right for me to belittle the struggles they faced. Having seen Linia’s predicament for myself, it was much easier for me to imagine what some of them went through. Anyone would be stressed out by not having true personal freedom. They couldn’t really say what was on their mind or do the things they wanted to do.

“I thought we’d done right by her, but I guess maybe it was too hard on her being a slave this whole time,” I said.

She had only recently started the transition to adulthood. Perhaps that had led her to contemplate her future more seriously. No doubt she found herself faced with a number of worries—was it really okay to keep making figures as she had been? What would happen in her future?

It was also possible she’d grown fearful of being a grown man’s slave now that her body had started to mature, regardless of how much of a gentleman Zanoba was. Given their master-servant relationship, Zanoba showed little hesitation over stripping her—much like he had during period scare not long ago. Julie might still be young, but that still had to be embarrassing and scary for her.

“But if that’s the case, what will happen to our dreams?” Zanoba wondered aloud. “You have paid no small sum yourself to help raise her, haven’t you, Master?”

The amount I had contributed was nothing compared to Zanoba’s investments. In fact, I was a little worried thinking about just how much he had poured into her development. It wasn’t just gold, it was time and effort. 

“Whatever the case, Julie is a person like anyone else,” I said. “If she’s that eager to free herself, then I don’t feel like it’s our place to stop her.”

“Ngh…” Zanoba grunted and crossed his arms over his chest, still anxious. He continued to groan quietly for a while after that. 

It was probably difficult for him to come to terms with it. Despite my stance on letting her go, it wouldn’t be easy for him to give up on his dolls and figures, hence the intense contemplation.

Well, how should I go about convincing him then?

Thanks to the Zaliff Gauntlet, he had the fine motor control to not crush things now, and even if he did release Julie, he could perhaps still commission her to do work for him. Those would probably be the best arguments.

“Hm…” I hummed to myself, still waffling back and forth. 

Zanoba finally turned toward me, as if he’d reached his decision.

“You are right,” he said. “Julie has worked hard under our care. Perhaps the least we can do is grant whatever wish she has.”

That was a little unexpected. Knowing Zanoba, I figured he would refuse to back down. After all, this meant losing the person who had been doing her utmost to make figures for him every day. I guess that even with his strong penchant for dolls, he couldn’t treat her like a machine after living with her for so long. He’d even given her a name similar to his little brother’s.

“Well, let’s go back for now. We should ask Julie what her intentions really are,” I said.

At this point we were only jumping to conclusions. The most important thing was what Julie wanted. If she’d really intended to free herself without saying a word to Zanoba, though, I would have to give her a good talking-to. I understood that wasn’t an easy topic to bring up, but some things needed to be communicated.

And thus we returned to Zanoba’s dorm room.

It was ten minutes by carriage and, for reasons beyond my imagination, Belfried decided to accompany us. “I want to see that figure one more time,” he’d said. 

I wasn’t buying it. His pockets jingled and jangled, filled with coins, which was a clear indication he hadn’t given up on his desire to purchase the figure from Julie. I had a hard time believing Zanoba would willingly part with it if it really was as phenomenal as Belfried claimed. Though I guess Zanoba might not share Belfried’s profuse adoration for it. Everyone had their own likes and dislikes, after all. Still, it was good that Belfried intended to negotiate for what he wanted. He seemed like quite the eccentric, but he was at least a proper merchant.

“I have returned!” Zanoba declared, thrusting his door open without bothering to knock.

On the inside it was the same as I remembered. Zanoba’s lover, the bronze statue of a nude woman, was nowhere to be seen. And of course, neither Julie nor Ginger were in the midst of changing when we strolled in. Actually, Julie was conspicuously absent.

“Welcome back, Master!” Julie came dashing out from one of the inner rooms.

Scratch that, then. I guess she is here.

She had a steel knife in her hand, used for chiseling stone. Apparently she wasn’t using the workbench in the main room and had instead been practicing her craft elsewhere. Or perhaps hiding it, as the case might be.

Zanoba must have realized the same thing. Julie showed no signs of being panicked by our abrupt return, however. She actually seemed more delighted than I’d seen her before. If she was really plotting to buy her freedom and make her escape behind Zanoba’s back, then being able to smile this innocently was some impressive acting. Also very unsettling.

All I can say is, women sure can be scary sometimes.

“Oh!” Her face clouded over the moment she spotted Belfried, and she retreated a step as if panicked.

Oh? What’s this, hm? Did she see Belfried and realize that someone privy to her secret was now here?

“Hey there, Julie. Thank you for coming by the other day.” Belfried grinned ghoulishly at her.

A shudder ran through Julie, and she shot an entreating look at Zanoba, begging for help. Zanoba hummed under his breath and started toward her. He crossed the gap between them in no time and he stared down at her. Julie glanced anxiously at him, waiting.

“Julie… Do you wish to stop being my slave?”

Her eyes shot wide open.