"Roxanne-san?" Lillia stepped closer, looking at me with concern.
I placed a steadying hand over hers and forced myself to breathe.
'Master… what number did you just say? Sorry, I think I didn't hear it properly,' I asked nervously.
'Umm… I said thirteen. There are thirteen new members joining us, Roxanne…'
His voice was quieter now, almost apologetic, but I heard it perfectly through the party link.
"…Sigh. I should have gone with him instead of letting Anastasia go," I muttered under my breath, gripping Lillia's hand tightly.
Thirteen. That number was so absurdly high it felt like a joke. It went beyond anything I—or any of us—could have imagined. In fact, I still wasn't sure I believed it was real.
"Is Master talking to you right now?" Lillia asked, her curiosity piqued.
I nodded silently, then turned my attention back to Master.
'Roxanne… I hope you'll be there to welcome all of them into our family—as my number one slave.'
'Yes… of course, Master… I will be there,' I said, feeling a bit better, knowing that Master needed me.
'Thank you, Roxanne. Now, let me tell you what I know about them, so there are no misunderstandings. First is Vesta…'
Master began to tell me about each of the girls, one by one. I could hear the joy in his voice—he was genuinely happy.
As for me… I didn't even know how to feel. Thirteen new girls. It was overwhelming.
As I listened to Master narrate, I started walking again, Lillia silently keeping pace beside me.
'That's all for now… it's the last auction here right now, so I'll be coming back home soon.'
'Understood, Master… see you soon,' I bid him goodbye with a soft smile.
As his voice faded from my mind, I couldn't help but sigh. There really were thirteen of them.
"Roxanne-san, can you speak now? Is the auction over? Is Master coming back? And why were you so shocked earlier?" Lillia asked curiously.
"Yes, the auction is over, and so we do have to pick up the pace," I said, starting to walk faster with Lillia hurrying to keep up. "But Master isn't coming back alone."
"Oh… is Master bringing back new companions?" Lillia asked hesitantly.
"Yes… thirteen of them," I replied with a wry smile.
"What? Thirteen?! Roxanne-san, you're not joking, right?" she asked, drawing closer with wide, shocked eyes.
"No. I was just as shocked as you are," I said with a sigh. "Master has already won them all at the Auction—and he is bringing them back home."
"Did Master tell you about them? Is there… a Sheepkin girl among them?" she asked nervously, looking at me.
"No," I shook my head clearly.
"Haaah… I can finally breathe. I got so nervous for a second," she said, letting out a deep sigh of relief. "Oh, I forgot to ask—what about a… Wolfkin? Is there one of them?"
"Yes… there is a Wolfkin, from the Icewolf tribe," I said, remembering the girl named Setsuna that Master had mentioned.
"Oh no…" Lillia said in distress.
"Lillia, there is no need to feel anxious," I said seriously, looking her in the eyes. "I have told you before—Master is not like the others. He will never abandon us. Even if there was another Sheepkin among them, that wouldn't mean he would care for you any less."
I was saying it to her—but I was also reminding myself. Her constant worries had started making me anxious too. But just remembering Master's face, his voice, his scent, his touch—even the way he kisses—was enough to reaffirm what I already knew.
Master would never leave me.
Master would never replace me.
And for that to stay true, I will just have to keep working harder.
"But… even if Master doesn't replace me, there are now thirteen new girls… that is so many… and there is only one Master. Will he even have time for me anymore?" Lillia muttered, walking with her head down. "I don't know why… I just feel really sad right now, Roxanne-san," she added softly.
"I know exactly how you feel," I said gently, placing a hand on her shoulder. "From the very first day I met Master, I knew—he's a great man. People may not recognize it now, but sooner or later, everyone will come to see Master's greatness," I said with pride.
"Yes… I believe that too," Lillia said, nodding slowly as she looked up at me.
"And with that," I continued with a small sigh, "I also realized I could never monopolize the love of someone as amazing as Master. I couldn't be selfish and deny others the chance to receive his care. So instead, I decided I would stand beside him and support him in everything he does. You should too, Lillia. Become someone he can rely on—someone who helps him carry the weight of his decisions."
"I understand… but still…" she trailed off, uncertainty in her voice.
"Trust in Master," I said reassuringly. "The love you give him will be returned tenfold. And as a family, we will all look after one another, making sure everyone feels happy and loved by him."
"Thank you, Roxanne-san. Hearing you say that… it really calms my heart," she said with a grateful smile.
I smiled back at her, but my thoughts had already moved ahead. I would need to have this conversation with the other girls too.
Miria would probably take the new arrivals in stride.
Sherry might struggle a bit—but she's smart and thoughtful, so there shouldn't be any issues
And Anastasia… honestly, I don't even know what she was thinking right now!
We reached the iron gate, and I unlocked it with my keys before stepping inside.
"Very soon, this whole house will be filled with people," Lillia murmured, glancing around as we walked down the path. "My village was quite small, so I guess I am used to the noise. Living in such a big, quiet house felt… strange."
"Master did mention when we first came to see this house that he was planning to bring more members to take care of a place this large," I said, recalling our earlier conversation.
"Well, having more people around will surely be lively," she replied with a soft smile.
When we reached the house, I told Lillia to freshen up—we would most likely be returning to the market soon. Gardening would have to wait for later.
Before long, we were both standing in the entrance hall.
'Roxanne, I'm bringing them over… Have you arrived yet?'
'Yes, Master. Lillia and I are already waiting here,' I answered, glancing at Lillia beside me. She stood stiffly, visibly tense.
'Alright.'
"Master is arriving," I told her. She nodded quickly and straightened up even more, clearly trying to compose herself.
My party link with Master vanished—and a moment later, the black door appeared on the wall in front of us.
"Welcome home, Master," I said warmly, my heart fluttering at the sight of him stepping through the door.
"W-Welcome, Master!" Lillia added, a bit too loudly but full of sincerity.
"It's good to see you, Roxanne. Lillia," Master said with a smile. "Just a moment—I'll bring everyone else through first." He turned back toward the door.
"So big…" I muttered, staring at the girl who followed him out.
"Huge…" Lillia echoed, speechless.
I couldn't help but blink at her towering size—and at the fact she somehow came straight through the magic door which was much smaller than her.
The next figure made my eyes light up: a Wolfkin girl with striking blue hair.
"Ah, they look the same," Lillia whispered as two girls with small horns on their heads walked out one after another, their features so similar they had to be sisters.
After them, a blonde Deerkin girl stepped through the door.
"Okay, wait here. Let me bring the others," Master said with a smile before disappearing through the black door again.
I took a moment to observe the girls already gathered. They stood silently, eyes wide with curiosity as they took in the entrance hall. It was nice to finally put faces to the names and descriptions Master had shared with me.
Just then, Master reappeared—and behind him, a girl literally hopped in.
"Woah! Is this our house?" she asked with a chuckle, spinning around as she took everything in.
Right behind her came a brown-skinned woman with dark hair, who walked in with graceful poise.
Next came a Catkin girl, followed closely by an Elf girl who seemed annoyed.
"Why did you go in first?" the Elf girl muttered under her breath.
"Shh, stay quiet," the Catkin girl replied, clearly unbothered.
The two fell silent as they finally took in the spacious hall around them.
Then came a small, slender girl, half of her face hidden beneath a black hood. She walked in quietly, not saying a word.
"Okay, just one last group left," Master said before stepping back through the black door.
I understood that Master could only bring five more people at a time as a full party through the magic door.
"There are already so many girls here, Roxanne-san…" Lillia whispered, still standing completely straight, clearly trying her best to make a good impression.
"Hello! My name is Shea—nice to meet you!" the cheerful Rabbitkin girl said brightly, turning to me with a big smile.
Before I could return the greeting, Master stepped back through the door.
Right behind him came a tall, beautiful woman with flowing golden hair—wearing what looked like a cook's clothes?
Next was a small girl with fox ears, followed closely by an older woman who bore a strong resemblance to her.
And lastly, stepping out quietly with her head down, was someone I recognized immediately—Anastasia.
"That's everyone, I guess," Master said, waving his arm as the black door vanished.
"First things first—" I blinked in pleasant surprise as Master walked straight up to me, wrapping me in a tight embrace. He lifted me slightly off the ground and kissed me deeply.
I melted into his strong arms, his familiar scent filling my senses. I kissed him back just as eagerly, forgetting everything else for a moment.
Our tongues entwined as we shared a passionate kiss, our breath mingling into each other.
"I'm home, Roxanne," Master whispered as he pulled back, his dark eyes locking onto mine.
"Welcome home, Master," I breathed, my heart blooming with joy.
A faint pang of longing hit me when he stepped away, but I masked it with a smile.
"Let me return your greeting properly too, Lillia," he said, turning to her and pulling her into a warm hug, kissing her deeply as well.
Lillia looked tense and startled at first, but soon melted into the kiss, her arms slowly coming up to hold him.
"M-Master…" she murmured shyly, lowering her gaze when she realized everyone was watching.
"Right, let me introduce you all," Master said, turning toward the group. "This is Roxanne—my number one slave."
"Welcome," I said, stepping forward with a warm smile.
"Oh, number one…" I heard several girls whisper among themselves.
"And this is Lillia, another of my precious slaves," Master continued, gesturing toward her.
"W-Welcome," Lillia said, bowing slightly.
"And of course, you've all seen Anastasia already. Come here—did you think I forgot you?" Master added with a smirk.
Anastasia slowly walked up, still keeping her head down, but Master hugged her tightly and kissed her with just as much passion.
She kissed him back, her arms wrapped around him as her face turned redder and redder.
When Master finally let her go, she was breathless and clearly flustered.
"There are two more members currently out of the house—Sherry and Miria. In fact, both of these girls here took time off from their day off just to come and welcome you all, which I'm grateful for. And of course, Anastasia did a fabulous job at the auction already," Master said, looking at us with a warm smile.
"It's our duty, Master," I replied, standing tall with pride.
"Yes, Master," both Lillia and Anastasia echoed in unison.
Master smiled, then turned back toward the row of girls standing by the wall.
"Let me introduce these girls to you then," he said, and went on to name each of them.
I already knew their names, but it was still amazing to see how accurately Master had described them. They behaved exactly as he had told me they would.
Vesta was incredibly tall but just as shy. Setsuna and Nyx offered only brief bows, barely saying a word. Rem and Ram really did look like copies of each other. Viviana, Jasmine, and Erina introduced themselves with practiced elegance. Shea and Shera were bursting with energy, while Remu and Kunou were perfectly well-behaved.
Yasaka surprised me by bowing deeply not only to Master but also to me. I was caught off guard and hurriedly bowed back to her.
"Just like these five lovely girls of mine, all of you are now members of this household. This is your home now—and we are your family," Master announced, his voice calm and reassuring.
I noticed several of the girls smiling, visibly touched by his words. Well, Master always had that effect on people.
"Roxanne, first of all, here is a gold coin. You and Lillia can take the girls to the market to buy their daily necessities—or you can go yourself. I will leave it to your judgment," Master said as he handed me the coin.
"Alright, Master. Leave it to me," I said, accepting it with both hands.
"And don't be too stingy with it. Get some extras for them as well, alright?" he added with a smile.
"As you wish," I nodded, already knowing how Master loved to spoil us when it came to these things.
"I only had five spare pairs of Footwear Equipment, so the rest are still barefoot," Master said with a sigh, glancing at their feet.
"Master, would you like me to buy some sandals from the market for them too?" I offered quickly.
"No, I will go to the Quratar shop myself and get more equipment. It shouldn't take long," he replied, then turned to Anastasia. "Hand me the bag."
"Here, Master," she said, removing it and passing it to him.
"Alright, I will be back soon. While I am away, Roxanne is in charge," Master said, patting my head affectionately, making me smile without even realizing it. "Let them be seated in the dining area for now, until I bring back shoes for everyone."
"Okay, Master," I replied with a warm smile, watching him disappear through the magic door.
I took a deep breath, then turned to face the new girls—our new family members.
"Just as Master said, I am Roxanne, Master's Number One Slave," I said, meeting their eyes with a confident smile. "You can all call me Roxanne-san."
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This ends the Roxanne POV Chapters that won in the last poll.
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[Thrownlead has redeemed an Extra Chapter this week]