CH 20

Lulu’s Feeling

Well then, I’ve returned to the inn but, Ayla-san didn’t say anything when she saw me brought Lulu along. She was just looking at me with a slightly disappointed face but, as I thought, from this world’s residents’ perspective, seems like slave was an existence which a bit hard to accept.

Nonetheless, I’m lucky since a part of my rented room could also be used for Lulu’s lodging without paying any extra fee but, unfortunately that was excluding food.

Climbed up the stair, we finally arrived at my room. I opened the door and urged Lulu-chan to enter it. Since just now she was just obediently following me without saying anything but, rather than obedient it felt as if she was frightened. Why? Well, since as a slave I was her master, and the majority of people were probably normally persecuting them, so it won’t be strange for her to be frightened right?

“Then, Lulu-chan. From now on you are becoming my slave but.”

“…Yes.”

“Firstly, there’s a promise I want you to keep.”

Right, there was something I’ve decided when I bought Lulu-chan as my slave. That was, she didn’t need to act like a slave. If there’s something she dislike, I want her to say it, whether about food, or staying place. I want her to live at similar livelihood like me. At least, that is what I want to say to appeal her.

Also, I don’t even have any intention to assault nor ask for night service from a child like her. Since we are going to live together, I don’t want her to dislike me after all.

“Promise….”

“Yes, it’s okay for you to disobey my order. Well, basically I still want you to listen to what I say but, you don’t need to do it if you think you don’t want to, if there’s something you’re unable to, I’ll teach you, I don’t have any intention to ask for something you can’t do either.”

“… Eh…?”

Lulu-chan looks very restless. Somehow she looks like a taciturn kid right? With her eyes which lack any vitality, her pale face looks like a dead person. Her hair seems like just grow long naturally, her skin is also white at bad meaning, her body is so thin as if she has no weight. Not a metaphor but isn’t this child literally going to dead?

Nevertheless, I have to protect Lulu-chan.

“Understand?”

“…Yes, Mester.”

“Please use that way of calling after you put on a maid outfit.”

“I am… very, sorry….”

“Ah, sorry, that isn’t what I mean, but look! Master is a maid way of calling or rather, that is something I won’t yield or rather, since Lulu-chan’s property rather than a maid is a dog eared girl after all. No, a dog eared girl who wear a maid outfit would indeed make a very high point but, right now you are wearing my school uniform… no, isn’t it good in its own way…? The sleeves are unexpectedly too long for you, a little girl who wear a baggy cloth is also cute…?”

“Kitsune-san! The conversation goes astray! You turn into a disgusting person!”

Oops, since enquiring about moe is something enjoyable no matter how many times you do it so it can’t be helped right? Sometimes ago, when I visited a library, there was someone who put a moe manga and erotic novel, so my knowledge about that field wouldn’t be lacking after all.

But since Lulu-chan looks very bewildered, let’s stop it. I even received a caution from Finia-chan after all.

“Anyway, from now on Lulu-chan is going to live together with me, it’s good as long as you could become my chatting partner sometimes.”

“…I understand.”

“Good, then how about we go fetch some food now, it’s almost dinner time after all. Let’s go, Lulu-chan.”

“…Yes.”

Since our chat have finished, I lead Lulu-chan by hand to get our dinner. Why did this girl always had a brief pause before she said anything…? Well, it would be good if at the time we live together she would open up her heart little by little. Finia-chan is also together with us, let’s do our best little by little.

When we descend the stair, we are welcomed by food’s fragrance, it seems Ayla-san’s husband is a chef, and it seems he cooks the food by himself.

“Here it is.”

“Thanks Ayla-san.”

“I never thought that you would bought a slave you know?”

“Well, it is necessary after all, I won’t do anything bad.”

“That is a matter of course, if you persecute this child… even if we’re acquaintance, I’m still going to hand you over to the knight after all.”

As I thought, Ayla-san is a good person. Even to Lulu-chan who she just met today, she still kindly thought of her to this point. I’m really lucky renting a room at this inn. Rishe-chan, and also Ayla-san, they’re all good peoples.

Aside from that, today’s dinner is vegetable soup with bread and a magical beast’s meat hamburger-like thing. Since a week is already elapsed, I’m already used to magical beast’s meat. After joining my hands and saying Ittadakimasu softly, I started with the soup. Yup, delicious.

“…hmm?”

“What’s up? Are you not hungry?”

“…no.”

When I glance at her, she hasn’t even touched the food. I think perhaps she dislike it but, since she always staring at it so it seems that isn’t the case. She always glances a peek at my state.

Could it be, she was waiting for me to finish my meal? Or perhaps she won’t eat unless I give her permission? Just how far this child would act like a slave.

“It’s okay for you to eat it you know? Since from today onward you’re going to live at similar livelihood like me, you don’t need to reserve yourself.”

“!”

After I said that, with somehow hesitant, she bite the hamburger. Since she is stuffing her mouth while looks like it’s very delicious, there is sauce sticking at her lips. I don’t know whether because it has been a while since her last meal, or perhaps it had been a while since her last proper meal but, I feel calm looking at her who eat it very delightfully. Calm, calm.

“Cough… cough…!”

When I think so, Lulu-chan is choked. Does her body perhaps is surprised to suddenly receiving a strong food?

“Since there’s still many of it, you don’t need to eat it in hurry you know.”

“…munch munch….”

Nodding to my word, she eats it slowly. Yup yup, it felt as if I have a child, she has dog ear though.

But well, I could understand that it’s okay for her to eat similar food like human do, so it’s good. And above all she is cute after all. I should think about various thing from now on, like Lulu-chan’s clothes, and I also should supplying meat to her thin body little by little. And also… whether I could add her as my fighting force or not. Since to be together with me, than means she also would confront the same opponent with me after all.

Let’s check it out, let’s check how Lulu-chan’s statuses right now.

◇Status◇

Name                        : Lulu Soleil

Gender                     : Female Lv. 1《Wakened》

Strength                   : 80/150

Stamina                    : 40/100

Resistance               : 10/50

Magic Power          : 100

Title                           :『Slave』

Skill                            : None

Inherent skill         : ???

PT Member             : Naginata Kitsune, Finia (Fairy)

◇

It seems like she doesn’t have any skill but, it seems weakened is causing her whole statuses are decreased lower from her initial status. Or rather, it seems《Wakened》is also categorized as abnormal status right.

But, the more surprising is her high initial statuses. Whether it is because she is a demi-human, right now she is at weakened state but at her perfect state, her status would be higher than mine. To has this high status with just at level 1, perhaps she was a good bought.

But wait, my resistance is higher than hers. Even at level 1, my resistance was 100 after all. No, it isn’t like I’m vexed to lose to a level 1 child you know, right. Since I would be glad as long as I could increase my resistance after all. It isn’t like I want offensive power after all. So I’m not vexed at all.

“Hmm….”

“Was it delicious?”

“…Yes.”

“Glad to hear that.”

Looking at Lulu-chan who just finished her meal, I wipe her mouth with the dish-cloth which is provided at the table. She looks tickled but, whether it is because she has ate, her dead looking expression is somehow looks like regaining its vitality.

“Okay, now then let’s return and relaxing at our room at ease. Since Lulu-chan needs much rest after all.”

“…Yes, thank you very much.”

“Kitsune-san! I also want to eat meat!”

“So I thought, so I’ve left a portion of it. Look.”

“Hooray! Munchmunch….”

Since recently Finia-chan was looked like very envious to me whenever I eat my meal, I tried to give her a try, and since she was looked very delighted, I always split a part of my meal like this. Since the size is small compared to human portion, so her fuel consumption is good.

After finished eating it, I returned the plate and then ascending the stair. Being led by hand, Lulu-chan obediently ascend it.

“Then, come in.”

“…Yes.”

While leading Lulu-chan to enter the room, I’m pondering about what should I do from tomorrow onward. But well, since Finia-chan also don’t think about Lulu-chan badly either, and Lulu-chan even while looks like bewildered but somehow she seems like would still life through.

“Then… today is sure tiring right?”

“You’re right! Since we have practiced, visiting guild, and also bought Lulu-chan after all, right!”

“And that’s why, now I’m going to sleep.”

“Too early!? You will grow fat if you immediately sleep after you ate you know!?”

“Good night.”

“Ah, you aren’t listening to me!”

Since I’m lying down while holding Lulu-chan’s hand, our body is close. I think perhaps she is angry and hung her head down so I gently caress her head. Her shoulder is jolted in surprise but, after caressed her hair for a while, while looked very pleased she closed her eyes, so charming.

After that, since I become really sleepy, I lied down with Finia-chan and Lulu-chan at my both side, somehow we become similar like 小character. But since I have a small build, Finia-chan is a mini size, and Lulu-chan is still a child so we couldn’t perfectly resemble 小 character though.

Well, more importantly, good night.

◇　◇　◇

Late at night.

I am woke up while lying down at the same bed where master is quietly sleeping at. I get up without being noticed, and with demi-human’s characteristic night eyes, I could clearly see master.

“…why, this person….”

It is so doubtful.

Just a few hours ago, I was put inside a cage in a slave shop. As a slave I was a commerce commodity. Wore a tattered and dirty cloth, and the given food were at most bread and lightly seasoned soup. Without I notice it, my arms and legs were becoming very thin, and I live my daily life while being accompanied by loneliness and hunger.

But, today my livelihood was changed. Because there was someone who bought me.

“…..”

And that someone, pulled me out from that cage. But, an adult who similarly a slave like me said it when I was bought,“Even if you’re bought, you won’t live a satisfactory life.” A slave was originally an existence which was used by their master, an existence which obviously being persecuted. That was why I had prepared myself.

That was why, this was my thought when I saw my master.

“Ah, so this is the person who will persecute me.”

When a slave was bought, a “Slavery Choker” would be attached to them. When it was attached to them, the slave would be completely unable to disobey their master. If they disobey their master, the choker would be tightened. That was why, when my master was receiving that choker from the slave merchant, ‘as I thought’ or so I thought.

But, from thereon I was always bewildered.

My master who is sleeping before me, not just didn’t attach the choker, he even gave me the cloth which he wore. I couldn’t see any sign that he would attach that choker. When he heard my name, he praised me by said that it was a good name.

And the most surprising thing was, he hold my hand. Normally, there was almost no master who would touch their slave. I even had heard that there was a time when a cruel master bought a slave just to testing out his new weapon, being kindly led by hand, that was very bewildering reality.

Then, when I noticed that I was led to the inn he was lodging in, he said a more surprising words.

“Yes, it’s okay for you to disobey my order. Well, basically I still want you to listen to what I say but, you don’t need to do it if you think you don’t want to, if there’s something you’re unable to, I’ll teach you, I don’t have any intention to ask for something you can’t do either.”

“… Eh…?”

For a moment, I thought that I misheard it. It’s okay to disobey an order, as a slave I never thought that I would hear such a word. Then why did he bought me? Wasn’t my existence’s worth was only to obey his every order? Or so I thought.

But, I accepted it as I consider it as an order, he was angry when I called him ‘Master’. He said something about maid and dog eared, I didn’t understand it but, if my master was angry then at my heart I decided to not calling him as such. I didn’t what would happen if I provoked his anger. There, I thought that I should just calling him by his name and attaching sama but, I realized that I hadn’t hear master’s name yet. That way I had no way to calling him. But since I thought that asking his name would be impolite, I immediately went taciturn.

After that, master took a more surprising act. To fetching up dinner, he led me by hand again and descending the stair. When we arrived at the table, there were a similar food being put before me and master. I was bewildered by that.

Why did master gave me similar food like his? Why did I sat at the same table as my master? So I thought.

But, I was a slave. I wasn’t allowed to eat before master finished his meal. Since the food before me was emitting a very delicious fragrance, and I was also tempted by my hunger but, I endure it. Enduring was my speciality, since day by day, I live my daily life like that after all.

“It’s okay for you to eat it you know? Since form today onward you’re going to live at similar livelihood with me, you don’t need to reserve yourself.”

But, master was said that to me. He said that it was okay to eat. I thought that why did this person was very kind to a slave like me but, since my endurance was already at its limit, without I noticed it, I had reached out to my food.

Food’s flavor which spread inside my mouth, this satisfying feeling which I didn’t even remember how long since the last time I tasted it, I thought I had no regret to die there. Since I vigorously eat it I was choked but, master wiped my mouth while smiling. After being told to eat it calmly, thence I ate it slowly but, master was different from that slave merchant man who would snatch my food midway.

After finished our dinner, I was asked whether it was delicious or not, after said it was delicious, I said my gratitude. Since I was a slave, I shouldn’t forget my place. He had been treating me so kindly like that but, night had descended. Perhaps he might order me to do a night service. I had no experience at those field but, as a slave who had been bought, I should fulfill his order.

Internally I was quite frightened but, I was led by hand by master and returned to the room.

When I was restless about when he might order it, my master was calling out to me. And when I casted my eyes down and thought that it was the time, my head was caressed. I couldn’t understand what happened, I was bewildered but, since his hand was gentle and that felt good, after being caressed for a while I closed my eyes.

After that master was lying down next to me, and before long he slept without doing anything.

“Why….”

With the choker which didn’t attached, and my master who defenselessly sleep like that. Now I would be able to kill my master, and I would be able to run away. Since as long as the choker isn’t attached, there is no master and servant contract between me and master.

But, why does this person sleep so defenselessly like this? I couldn’t understand that at all.

“…..”

Looking at the door, I think to run away. But, looking to my sleeping master, I erase that thought. Even if I run away here, I have no means to live after that. Moreover, why did this person treat me so kindly? Did he treat a slave like his family? I want to know that.

That is why.

“Good night…..”

Perhaps, it won’t be bad for me to follow this master, so I thought.