"What are you doing?"
My body's response was to freeze the moment I heard that voice, which would sound melodious to most people.
My eyes darted to the palm-sized mirror I had set up. In it, I saw the woman from before, who now felt like a completely different person compared to the drunk from last night. Without the sweat, her face glowed brightly. Her hair, which I remembered being a tangled mess, now flowed down smooth and beautiful. Her red eyes were no longer like the weeping eyes from last night. I figured she had just bathed since she was wearing a bathrobe.
Suddenly, the woman looked toward the mirror. Our eyes met.
Caught!
Startled, I immediately turned to face her. However, my sudden movement caused several books and some ink—notoriously expensive in medieval times—to fall.
"I-I'm sorry, My Lady, I'll clean it up right away."
"No need."
She answered firmly.
Following her command, I stopped and stood back up.
Is she going to punish me for this?
"Thank goodness you're awake."
Eh? Suddenly, she let out a sigh of relief. The woman then took a glass from the cupboard and filled it with water. After that, she approached and held the glass out toward me.
"Drink."
A thin smile tugged at her lips.
For now, I couldn't gauge her emotions.
Slowly, I took the water from her hand.
The woman then backed away and sat on the bed with her legs crossed, her hand propping up her chin. Those red eyes of hers stared at me as if watching a performance.
Is this poisoned? I observed the water carefully. Who knew if a toxin was hidden behind this clarity?
Actually, I was afraid to drink it. But—
I finally drank it because I was incredibly thirsty. However, most of that urge came from my fear of the consequences of disobeying her command.
I was gasping for air by the time the glass was empty. Honestly, I only intended to take a small sip, but since it turned out to be so refreshing, I overdid it. Anyway, there are no side effects so far, right?
Having finished the water, I didn't know what else to do to keep from being nervous in front of the woman staring at me. Moreover, a pressure filled the room the moment she entered. I didn't know if it was magic or just the psychological pressure of facing an authority figure.
Neither of us started a conversation.
Unable to bear this suffocating silence, I took the initiative to speak. But to play it safe, I would pretend to have amnesia—Julian's severely injured head would make the acting believable. And I must not mention that kiss, because she looked different from the woman last night.
"Uhmm... My Lady, I apologize. May I ask? Why am I here?"
"You don't remember?"
"No..."
"Simply put, I bought you at a human trafficking market."
"What, b-bought?"
"Yes."
She said such a shocking thing nonchalantly as if it were a trivial matter. Not that I could blame her; the practice of human trafficking in this novel was indeed common, especially for nobles.
"You looked pitiful among the other slaves, lying still with blood-soaked bandages covering your head. I thought you were dead, but it turned out you were still breathing. So, I took you."
Was the reason pity? Impossible. I was certain there was another agenda, especially concerning the Arclaine Clan. If not, she wouldn't have bothered buying a dying slave like me.
"Anyway, I have a question." She paused. "Why did you suffer such a severe injury? Was it because of the people of Veridia?"
Ah? Why suddenly mention Veridia? Was she testing me?
To answer this question, I'll be half-honest. It really wasn't because of Veridia, but Enzo—
"I don't know, My Lady. I just suddenly woke up in this room. My memories are blurry."
She pursed her lips slightly and then nodded a few times.
"I see."
Sees through my lie? Or sees that I'm being honest? Please be more specific, you know, this is terrifying!
"You know, I don't like lies." She leaned forward. "At least answer this honestly, because I already know the answer. Are you from the Arclaine Clan?"
That massive leap in questioning made my heart pound.
What does she want?
If she already knew the answer, why ask? Was she just confirming her suspicion or testing my honesty?
If I'm honest and she just wants to confirm her assumption about the clan, then I'm dead. Conversely, if I lie and it turns out she was just testing my honesty, it's the same result.
There is no safe answer.
Fine, at least I have to take the safest route, which is being half-honest.
"I think I've heard that name in my head. But... I, I don't know exactly."
"Say yes. I know you know the truth because I was the one who healed your head with my magic."
What, she's forcing it?
As the pressure in the room grew stronger, I finally said—
"Y-yes, that's right."
My conversationalist's brow furrowed as she observed me.
Please don't do anything to me. I swear, I'm not the owner of this body. I just accidentally ended up in here.
"Alright then." Suddenly, the woman's face softened slightly, and I caught a glimpse of pity. "Now, you are safe with me. Let me introduce myself; my name is Lilith."
*Lilith Von Morthem?* I spontaneously finished her name in my mind. That was the name of the Villainess in the Novel. Is it really her?!
The physical description was exactly as written. So, that's why she felt familiar. She was the Villainess who wanted to commit genocide against all living things. However, her plan failed because she was killed by the MC.
Lilith was indeed part of the main narrative, but I didn't know she had a slave named Julian Arclaine.
Good grief, why am I dealing with this cruel woman?!
The Villainess then stood up and approached. My body tensed, preparing to fight back if there was an attack, even though I wouldn't win.
As it turned out, she just passed me, heading toward the desk behind me.
There, she opened a geography book.
"You know why your clan is being hunted, right?"
"Yes, I know."
No point in lying anymore.
Suddenly she chuckled, then looked at me with a mix of wonder and admiration. "With a massacre that massive, I'm impressed you managed to survive, especially in your condition."
I didn't know what to say.
"Hmm, I'm sure you must have a protector. Is there anyone else with you? Other Arclaines."
So this long conversation was actually just to find out my clan's whereabouts? Whose side is she even on? In the novel, she didn't side with anyone, but why does it feel like she wants to help the empire?
"My father... but he sold me."
Why bother lying about Enzo? Let him and his members be hunted as long as I'm safe here.
"After that, I don't know where he went. I dare to swear on tha—"
"Enough." Lilith nodded slowly, as if she had expected it. "You look tired. Forget about this for now."
Even though I was about to be honest! Why did you stop me? What exactly do you want from me?
Lilith then stared sharply into my eyes. "Listen closely. From this moment on, you are mine. You must obey every command and rule I give you, unconditionally and without exception. Do you understand?"
"I understand, My Lady," I bowed while thinking, *how am I supposed to escape from this woman?*
Lilith turned and walked slowly toward the stained-glass window, which showcased a sprawling dense forest.
"And... don't ever think about trying to escape." She looked down at the courtyard.
Can she read my mind, huh?
I could only nod tiredly. Then, following the direction of her gaze, I stared at the vast courtyard surrounding this grand manor. The scenery outside looked calm and peaceful...
Right at that moment, a small blue bird landed on a stone at the edge of the terrace.
"..."
An arrow that came from out of nowhere streaked—obliterating the bird's tiny body until only a splatter of its blood remained.
My eyes widened.
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[System Notification]
[Mission: Try not to die at the hands of Lilith Von Morthem]
[Reward: Unlock Reader-Exclusive Access]
===