"What are you doing?"
It was a woman's voice, not threatening, just a simple statement. What I saw in the mirror was the woman who was drunk and kissed me last night. But now she looked different – She wore a long, black bathrobe, her jet-black hair, which was tangled last night, now shone, reflecting the sunlight, and her pale face was radiant.
She placed her hands on her hips, and suddenly her red eyes looked at the same mirror; our eyes met.
I reflexively jumped up from the chair. I tried to calm my breathing.
Don't do anything stupid.
I turned to face the woman directly, who was still silently staring at me with an intense, terrifying gaze. Then I bowed slightly and started a conversation;
"M-my apologies, ma'am, I was just reading a book." Was that wrong? Was I going to be punished?
The woman sighed. "Thank goodness you're awake."
Huh? That was completely unexpected.
After saying that, she took a crystal glass, poured some water, and then approached! She held the glass out to me.
"Drink," she said coldly.
I was startled for a moment, then, trembling, I took the water. The woman walked back and sat on the bed, crossing her legs.
Meanwhile, I was still wrestling with the water she had given me. Was it poisoned? I glanced at her for a moment then back at my glass – she was watching me. The water in the glass looked clear and cold, swaying because of my trembling hand. I just realized my throat was incredibly dry; I couldn't resist the temptation of this water.
I drank it. The water moistened my dry throat with its coolness. I panted after finishing it.
The woman was still staring at me with a sharp and intense gaze. I didn't know what she wanted, but it was frightening.
Realizing the silence, I had to ask, even if it was presumptuous. I could pretend to be a victim of amnesia; after all, Asta's head being hit by something made this more natural.
"Ma'am, excuse me, where am I? W-why am I here?" I said with a feigned confused expression.
The woman nodded. And her eyes, huh!? Could she see right through me?
"You don't remember?" she asked.
"No," I answered.
"I bought you," she replied bluntly.
"B-bought?" So it was true, I was bought!
"Yes, I bought you from a human trade. Among the other slaves, you looked so pitiful, just lying there with dirty bandages covering your body. I thought you were already a corpse, but upon closer look, you were still breathing," the woman answered as if it were a trivial matter.
Alright, it was all clear. But I didn't believe her when she said it was out of pity. I was sure she had another intention; I had to be cautious.
"Oh, right," she broke my reverie. "What happened to you? Why is your head so severely wounded? Was it because of… Veridia?" She put on a pitying face.
Huh? I froze, trying to interpret. Why did she suddenly say Veridia? What was its connection to me? My mind raced until I finally realized something. Wait… Did that mean my clan was being hunted by the Kingdom?
Damn! I had a feeling she didn't make me her slave without a reason; she already knew. What should I answer? I couldn't say 'Yes' because I myself didn't know what happened to my head. But if I said 'No,' what would happen? She wouldn't ask a question like that without a purpose, right? But one thing was clear: it seemed the Ravencrest clan was a clan hunted by the kingdom, and she knew I was a Ravencrest, probably from my snow-white hair.
Then, after that quick internal struggle, I immediately answered as honestly as I could, since the question was about my head. "I-I don't remember, ma'am. I just... suddenly woke up in this place. My memories are a mess."
The woman nodded, but her brow furrowed. Then she smiled softly before finally saying;
"Very well, I understand," she said. Her face was hard to read, even for me, who understood psychology. What did she mean by 'understand'? Understand that I don't know? Or understand that I'm lying?
"So… You are a Ravencrest?" the woman said suddenly, quietly, as if she already knew.
What? That question made my heart pound wildly; She definitely already knew who I was. She was just pretending or confirming her hunch. I remembered the words in the book again, about the Kingdom ordering anyone to kill the traitorous clan. My mind was in chaos, as if it had stopped; I felt there was no right answer. If I said 'yes,' I could die, and if I lied and continued my amnesia act, it was futile because she already knew.
I stared at the woman, my eyes wide. I would be honest. I could only hope she was just confirming and wouldn't kill me or send me to the kingdom.
With great difficulty, I finally said, "Yes…"
Please… This isn't me. I'm just Kim Dae-ho who happened to enter this body.
The woman sighed, and her face, which was previously hard to read, now softened, showing an expression of… Pity?
Then she stood up. She approached. What was she going to do? My body tensed; even standing straight, I was ready in a defensive stance; she was just a woman!
Just when I thought she was approaching me, she walked past me. All that touched me was the scent of her perfume – she seemed to be heading for the table with the books I was reading earlier.
My tense body slowly relaxed, the breath I was holding finally released. I turned around – I saw her checking her diary; she seemed to be checking its thread. Then, after perhaps being satisfied, she placed the diary on a special shelf.
Phew… Thank goodness I didn't open it. I felt relieved internally.
The woman then opened the book on statecraft that I had been reading.
"Do you know why your clan is being hunted?" she said without turning around.
Actually, the book stated clearly that it was probably because Asta's clan used the power they called 'Mora'. I couldn't access 100% of Asta's memories yet; it would drive me insane. So, I didn't fully know about the Ravencrest clan and other things. I would continue to be honest;
"I-I don't know," I answered.
The woman just silently looked at her book, then she said; "What is written here is wrong."
What did she mean 'The tainted' is wrong? Then why was it written in the statecraft book?
"The ones currently inhabiting the Kingdom are demons who have shapeshifted to look like dignified, radiant Humans. They act like heroes," The woman chuckled as she said it.
"King Freyra…" her voice was soft and somewhat heavy, as if carrying a burden. "Ever since King Freyra was appointed, the demons, who every day were making ways to escape the Underworld, suddenly just vanished. And at that time, people called him the Messiah, a messenger from God. The people believed in him more than anything, even when he slandered clans and groups of soldiers who were once always on the front lines killing demons. He ordered them all to be slaughtered without a shred of mercy; all the citizens of the kingdom obeyed him. If they succeeded in bringing the corpses of these clans and soldier groups, they would receive a reward. That was seven years ago, but it's still enforced to this day."
So that's how it was. Did that mean she saved me? Or was she…
The woman closed her book. She now turned to look at me from head to toe, full of admiration and impression;
"I'm impressed you've managed to stay alive until now. There must be other Ravencrests with you, so…" she lowered her voice, "Where are they?"
It was a precise stab to my heart. My body felt stiff, my breath caught. I observed the woman's face. She was beautiful and enchanting; I'd even dare say she was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. But behind that, she was terrifying. Her beautiful face, her ever-changing mood and voice were her weapons. So… all this time, I was just being played with; she had stripped me bare with her words until I couldn't hide anything anymore. Whose side was she on, really?
Suddenly, I felt incredibly annoyed and humiliated; my chest felt hot. No, this is Asta! Fool, this is not the time to get angry! Besides, don't you hate your father?!
Damn it, I had to answer her. "Yes… It was my father. He was the one who sold me."
See… She smiled, a mocking smile.
The woman took a breath, then let out a sigh of… relief? Was she relieved?! Her face became calm again.
"Enough, you must be tired, right? Just forget about it," she said, once again as if it were just a trivial matter.
Alright, I also let out the breath I had been holding for a long time.
"By the way, my name is Aurora," the woman introduced herself.
I nodded. "Yes, Lady Aurora." It was a beautiful name.
"Listen to me," Aurora said again, her face turning sharp once more. "Right now, you are mine. You must obey every single one of my commands without exception, do you understand?"
I nodded. "I understand," I replied. For now, I had no other choice; I had to obey her. Then, the moment I got a chance to escape, I would run. My social energy was completely drained just from being in her presence.
"And…" The woman walked towards the stained-glass window. Her hand touched the surface of the glass, her eyes looking down. "Don't you ever think about trying to escape," she said without turning around.
Could she read my mind?! No, that was impossible. She probably just guessed that I was thinking that, and she was right. This woman was truly…
I followed her gaze – the garden below looked peaceful. Then, a blue bird landed on a rock. The bird had strange characteristics, like a frog's, but more dominant towards a bird because of its feathers; it was the first time I had seen an animal like this.
Crack!
An arrow shot from somewhere and instantly obliterated the bird, leaving only a smear of blood splattered on the rock.
My eyes widened