As usual, I woke up before the sun rose. It was a habit I had picked up as a child, back when I had to sneak out early to hunt the sleeping NT Ants in the forest near our village.
I was grateful that the habit had stayed with me—because in moments like this, when the world was still cloaked in silence, I could have Master all to myself.
The room was still dark, but I could see the faint outline of Master beside me, his strong arms wrapped securely around my body. I smiled as I listened to the slow, steady rhythm of his breath. Being held like this, against his powerful chest, made me feel completely at peace.
In this quiet moment, I could pretend it was just the two of us—just like those first two nights after Master brought me back with him. No one else in the bed. No other girls. Just Master and me.
His scent filled my nose, warm and comforting. His breath brushed against my chest, his skin pressed close to mine, and it all felt so serene… so perfect.
But I was still Master's number one slave. And that meant it was my duty—and my pleasure—to wake him with his morning kiss.
I felt his heartbeat pick up and his breath grow sharper as I leaned down and gently kissed him, before his eyes fluttered open.
Master always tasted wonderful. I savored the kiss, slipping my tongue between his lips and playing with his, just the way I knew he liked.
His eyes stayed closed, but I could feel him melt into the kiss, returning it with the same quiet intensity. This… this was always the best part of my day. Waking him with a kiss, sharing this soft, sacred moment before the rest of the world could reach him.
I wanted to stay like that longer—so badly—but I could feel the others starting to stir. Reluctantly, I pulled away.
"Good morning, Master," I whispered, my voice soft and full of love.
"Good morning, Roxanne," he murmured, his hand reaching up to gently caress my ears. My heart fluttered as his eyes locked with mine in the dimness.
He shifted slightly, and I felt it—Master's Amazing rod which had been pressing against my thighs. Even while sleeping, Master's body responded to mine, and that simple fact filled me with happiness.
For a brief second, I considered slipping my hand down and help him. But then Master pulled me closer and kissed me again.
I always wanted more. I always craved more of him.
So I kissed him back—hungrily, passionately—melting into him completely.
When we finally parted, a thin strand of saliva lingered between us.
That's when a sleepy voice murmured from the other side of Master.
"Haa… Good morning, Master."
It was Sherry.
I slowly let go of Master, my eyes following his silhouette in the dark as he moved to kiss the other girls one by one.
A bittersweet feeling bloomed in my chest. I wanted him all to myself… but I knew he was happier with all of them here, and that was what mattered more to me.
They were all waking up one by one, quite slowly.
It was understandable… It had been a special night for most of them. Their first time. So it made sense that they were still drowsy and clinging to sleep.
As for me, I was still in my monthly cycle, so I couldn't receive Master's love that way last night… but I had still greedily serviced him with my mouth. And judging from his content smile and the generous amount of his thick essence I had tasted, I knew he enjoyed it just as much as I had.
I should thank the old lady from the Establishment again. The tricks she taught me to please Master have been more helpful than I ever imagined.
"Let's get ready for the labyrinth," Master said at last, making me perk up immediately.
"Yes, Master," I responded eagerly, getting up to prepare his clothes. It was my duty, after all, as the Number One Slave, to help him dress each morning.
—
Later that day…
"We're off," Master said, stepping closer to Lillia and me. He gently caressed our hair, his smile warm. "Go and enjoy your day off."
"Yes, Master," Lillia replied, nodding beside me.
I forced myself to smile brightly, hiding the nervous flutter in my chest. I was worried about the Auction—of course I was—but I didn't want to show it.
"You too, Master. Bring back good party members," I said, doing my best to sound cheerful.
"Definitely," he replied with a confident smile, turning to open the magical door.
I couldn't quite suppress my concern as I looked toward Anastasia.
"Don't forget to take care of Master, Anastasia," I told her seriously. Hopefully, she remembered our talk from last night—how important it was to make sure no one took advantage of Master's kindness.
"Yes, Roxanne-san," Anastasia nodded solemnly.
Lillia and I watched quietly as the group vanished through the black door, which too disappeared a moment later.
"I'm worried about the Auction, Roxanne-san," Lillia said suddenly, her voice small. "There will be ladies from all over the Empire there… What if Master finds a Sheepkin girl even more beautiful than me? Will he still want me then?"
Her ears drooped slightly as she looked at me, her eyes full of fear and insecurity.
And honestly… she wasn't wrong to be worried. I was too. But I remembered the sweet, private kiss I had shared with Master earlier. The house keys he entrusted me with. The whole gold coin he gave me for emergencies.
Those weren't just items. They were signs of trust—of love. And as his number one slave, it was my job to carry that trust and help reassure the others who shared his household.
"Lillia, do you remember what Master said yesterday?" I asked, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"Are you talking about last night?" she mumbled, her cheeks turning pink.
"Yes, that… but not only that." I looked into her eyes. "He told us he sees us as his family. We are Master's family now, Lillia. So instead of worrying, let's put our faith in him—and in his words."
"…Yes, I guess you're right," she said with a soft sigh.
"Why don't you help me with the chores around the house?" I offered with a smile, gently releasing her shoulder. "After that, we can head to the Quratar Market and spend our allowances on whatever we want."
"Alright," she said, smiling back.
I took Lillia downstairs into the store room and handed her a broom and a washcloth. Taking a set for myself, we started with the kitchen.
Our house was quite large, and with all the open space around it, it got dusty quickly if we didn't keep up with the cleaning. Honestly, I wanted to spend the entire day off tidying up the place, making sure it was spotless for Master—but I knew he wouldn't like that. He would want us to rest. And I didn't want to make Lillia spend her whole day off, working just because of me.
So instead, we focused on just a few key areas—the kitchen, the small and large dining rooms, and Master's bedroom.
As we worked, Lillia's anxious voice broke the silence.
"But… what if Master brings back a powerful labyrinth fighter?" she asked, eyes downcast. "What if he brings more than one? I'm already holding the party back. He will remove me from the labyrinth team… and then I will just be stuck here at home, waiting all day for him to come back."
I was dusting off Master's bed as I listened to her.
"And… and Master already has so many new clothes now. Expensive ones that will last years. He won't need a Master Tailor like me anymore… If he thinks I am useless, he will surely abandon me…" she added, her hand pressing over her heart.
I let out a soft sigh and looked at her with a gentle smile.
"Lillia, it's a valid fear. Even I get anxious sometimes, thinking I might not be helpful enough to Master in the labyrinth. Especially with how strong he is becoming—with all his magic and multiple jobs."
I paused, remembering just how quickly Master had grown since the first time we entered the labyrinth together. His progress was remarkable. Almost unbelievable.
"No, no, Roxanne-san, you are the strongest among us," Lillia said quickly, stepping closer. "I can't imagine Master ever finding someone better than you. So you don't need to worry—he will never remove you from the party."
Her sincerity showed in her eyes, and it warmed me.
"You're very kind, Lillia. But I still worry, just like you," I said softly. "I think it's natural… to fear not being useful to someone as great as Master."
I turned to face her fully, my voice growing firmer.
"That's why every time I go into the labyrinth, I give it everything I have. I devote myself completely to the fight. I review and polish my skills, over and over, so I can keep improving—so I can be more useful to him."
"You're already so powerful… and still working to get even stronger—that's amazing," Lillia said, her eyes sparkling. Then she hesitated, lowering her gaze. "Do you think I can become strong too, like you, Roxanne-san?"
"Definitely," I said with a warm smile, patting her shoulder. "You just have to keep fighting every day. Before long, you will start seeing your opponents' movements clearly and following them with ease. We are still on the lower floors, so the monsters are pretty weak and slow anyway."
Lillia had real talent—and more importantly, she was hardworking. With time, her sword would be able to swoosh right through those demons just like mine.
"I hope so," she replied with a small, wry smile.
Happy that I had reassured her, I turned to open Master's cupboard. All of our clothes—his and ours—were neatly stored inside.
"We will need to wash the used clothes along with the sheets from last night. Master doesn't like having dirty laundry lying around," I said, taking out the worn garments and handing them to Lillia.
She took them obediently.
"Let me show you something amazing," I said with a grin, reaching down to the bottom of the cupboard and pulling out a carefully folded set of clothes.
"Wow… What material is this?" she asked in awe, gently stretching the pants. "How can it be this soft and stretchy?"
"Master told me they were given to him by his Master," I said, still curious myself about how his white undergarments could stretch that much without losing their shape.
"It's incredible," Lillia said, joining me in stretching the fabric with wonder in her eyes.
"Well, if his Master gave them to him, then he must be just as amazing as Master," I said with a nod.
"Yes, definitely," Lillia agreed. Then her expression turned thoughtful. "Do you think… I will be able to make clothes like this someday? But what kind of material would I even use…?"
"Maybe you should talk to Master or Sherry about that," I suggested. "They have both read a lot of books—maybe they will have some ideas."
"I will do that," she said, nodding in agreement.
I carefully took the clothes back from her and folded them neatly before placing them back where they belonged. I could feel how much these clothes meant to Master. Maybe that's why he hadn't worn them again.
I understood that feeling—after all, I had my own silk dress, and just thinking about wearing it made me nervous. What if it tore? Or got stained? Such beautiful, expensive clothes should only be worn on special occasions… just like the maid outfit I had brought with me.
We then made our way to the large bathing room. Master had placed his Magical Bottle there, and it was still steadily pouring water into the sunken bath that had been emptied earlier this morning.
After everyone freshens up using the water from the night before, Master always makes sure to drain it completely. He once explained something about avoiding diseases, and Sherry had agreed—all I understood was to not keep reusing the same bathwater.
"Back in my village, all we had was a tiny hut," Lillia said as she helped me scrub clothes with a bucket of water and some of Master's soap. "I always thought I would end up marrying someone from the village, living a simple life in a little hut… I never imagined I would be living in a big mansion like this, in a grand city like Quratar." Her smile was full of innocent joy.
"It's all thanks to Master," I said, rubbing the fabric as bubbles formed between my fingers. "He gives us the most amazing food, beautiful clothes, and a warm home. I honestly can't imagine a better Master than him. Sometimes, I feel like not even the King and Queen live as well as we do." I smiled, wiping the sweat from my brow with the back of my hand.
"I think so too," Lillia giggled, "especially the delicious food, the colorful clothes, and the soft beds. Master really loves to spoil us."
"This is just the greatness of Master," I said, meeting her gaze with a proud smile, "and his endless love for us—to give us such an amazing life." I was happy and glad that she also understood how amazing Master was.
***
[Razor has redeemed an Extra Chapter from previous week]