Kaguya slept for a long time, and when she opened her eyes, she was suddenly startled to realize that she had lost consciousness for so long.
Besides that, she felt that her mental state was in terrible condition.
In addition to the weakness and powerlessness caused by hunger, after a whole night had passed, she could feel that many things had changed about her body.
Kaguya quickly went to the bathroom and looked at her haggard self in the mirror.
Her long white hair was in complete disarray.
She turned on the faucet and washed her face, finally feeling a little better.
Her body was now entirely that of a mortal, meaning she had to take care of it herself from now on.
Without a word, Kaguya smoothed and straightened her long hair.
Even though her appearance remained strikingly beautiful, in her eyes, she looked utterly disheveled.
Why did her master insist on tormenting her like this?
As she walked out of the bathroom, she saw the untouched bento on the dining table from the previous night.
Even though she was starving, a sudden sense of accomplishment welled up within her—she had not given in.
Dragging her slow and weary steps, she left the house and made her way toward the palace.
Unfortunately, at this time, breakfast stalls were set up along the streets, and the drifting aroma of food continuously tormented Kaguya's empty stomach.
She arrived slightly later today, though still earlier than Makoto.
But now, having become a mortal, she found it extremely difficult to adjust to the long stretches of time with nothing to do.
She watched Samui organizing documents, gazed at the branches of the large tree outside swaying in the wind, and listened to the ticking of the wall clock...
Things she had never paid attention to before now inexplicably caught her interest.
Having gone without food for so long, she felt her stomach cramping, yet time seemed to pass unbearably slowly.
In the morning, Makoto arrived.
Kaguya immediately felt revitalized.
She wanted to show her master the strength of her will, to prove that she would never succumb to mere hunger.
However, Makoto paid her no attention.
He simply greeted Samui and then went straight into the resting room to catch up on sleep.
Being ignored left Kaguya feeling suffocated.
She followed him into the room and watched as he lay down on the bed.
She recalled that her master liked to drink water after waking up, and her attention drifted to the tea station.
She imagined that when he woke up, she would pour him a glass of water.
At that moment, her master would surely notice her.
He would surely be surprised by her resilience.
However, as Makoto slept, Kaguya, who had been standing there the entire time, began to feel overwhelmingly exhausted.
Unlike the day before, she found it difficult to remain standing for so long.
She glanced at a nearby chair, hesitating about whether to sit down.
Sitting in the chair shouldn't be a problem... right?
No.
Why was she making excuses for herself?
It was just exhaustion and weakness—nothing she couldn't endure.
She forced herself to keep standing, but her gaze unintentionally landed on the refrigerator.
She remembered that there should be some fruit and food inside.
Samui would sometimes take things out to give to Makoto, and occasionally, she would have some herself...
Kaguya couldn't quite recall what exactly was inside the refrigerator.
Without her Byakugan, she couldn't see through it.
Still, she imagined that if she became so exhausted that she was on the verge of death, her master would surely panic.
He must be afraid of her dying—because she wouldn't truly die.
If she "died," he would lose his control over her.
At that moment, her master would undoubtedly change his attitude toward her.
He would offer her exquisite, delicious food to enjoy.
And then, she would finally have a justifiable reason to accept it…
Kaguya kept thinking this way, her expression growing dazed, as if her fantasy had already half come true—her master's attitude had taken a complete 180-degree turn, and she was seated there, enjoying his fawning service.
Her illusion was abruptly shattered by her master's voice.
He turned over in bed, stretching lazily.
Kaguya, in her daze, suddenly snapped awake.
Water… her master must want to drink water now…
She hadn't even realized when she had sat down in the chair.
But the moment she came to her senses, she quickly got up, walked to the tea station, filled a cup with water, and brought it to her master.
Makoto slowly sat up, looking at Kaguya as she handed him the water, his expression turning somewhat strange.
He asked, "Are you just going to stand there like that?"
Kaguya was momentarily stunned before realizing—she was supposed to kneel.
She did not resist or hesitate.
She simply bent her knees and knelt before Makoto, holding the cup of water in both hands.
She suddenly recalled how, a thousand years ago, when she ruled the world, people had once served her in the same way.
Makoto took the cup, sipped the water lightly, and said, "You're quite attentive. Just one time, and you already remembered that I like to drink water when I wake up."
Kaguya: "..."
After finishing, Makoto placed the empty cup back into Kaguya's hands.
Then, he got up from the bed and walked straight toward the door without saying another word.
Kaguya's heart gradually sank.
What was happening now seemed different from what she had imagined.
She was supposed to serve him, but… shouldn't she be less eager about it?
Her master hadn't even asked for water, yet she had rushed forward so proactively.
She suddenly felt like she had messed up.
Seeing that Makoto had already walked out of the room, she quickly tried to get up as well.
But as she moved too abruptly, her vision went black for a moment, and she nearly collapsed.
The tea in her cup spilled more than halfway.
Uncontrollably, Kaguya sank onto the bed, sitting there for a long time before she finally recovered.
She was too hungry, and too exhausted.
The break room was empty except for her.
She looked toward the refrigerator—that tall, rectangular cabinet, slightly taller than a person, seemed to have a kind of magical pull, tempting her.
Kaguya desperately wanted to eat something.
She lowered her gaze to the cup in her hand, where a little tea still remained.
Finally, she could no longer resist—she tilted her head back and drank it all.
At that moment, however, a shadow suddenly appeared at the doorway.
It was Samui.
She glanced at Kaguya, who was drinking water, but said nothing.
Instead, she walked straight toward the refrigerator.
Kaguya was suddenly overwhelmed by an unprecedented sense of shame.
It felt as if she had been caught doing something disgraceful, something that would make others look down on her.
Samui simply took some fruit and pastries from the fridge, cut the fruit into small pieces, arranged everything on a plate, and carried it out.
Kaguya silently tightened her grip on the cup.
Once again, she asked herself that same question.
Why had she become so pathetic?
She had once been revered, worshiped by the world—yes, she had been honored as the Rabbit Goddess.
But those who worshiped her had only been mortals.
Hadn't she, from the very beginning, been nothing more than a lowly guardian?
She had come to this planet as a sacrifice—just a subordinate, a being who couldn't even control her own life and death.
Kaguya sat in the break room for a long time, unaware of how much time had passed until Mabui walked in.
"Miss Kaguya, right?" Mabui wore a warm and gentle smile, completely different from Samui.
Kaguya simply looked at her in silence.
Mabui carried a lunchbox inside and began placing the exquisite and abundant dishes onto the table one by one.
The sight of such beautifully prepared food only made the restlessness in Kaguya's heart grow stronger.
Then, Mabui took out a third pair of chopsticks and placed them on the table, smiling as she said, "Today's meal includes some specialties from my hometown. Miss Kaguya, feel free to try them."
"..."
Kaguya remained silent for a long time before suddenly reaching out, grabbing a handful of food from the container, and stuffing it into her mouth.
The moment the rich flavors spread across her tongue, overwhelming her taste buds, she felt an intense satisfaction—so much so that she nearly cried.
She no longer cared whether this was a mortal desire.
She no longer cared about her initial decision to endure hunger.
Once she started, she couldn't stop.
Using both hands without any regard for appearances, she devoured the food ravenously.
"Miss Kaguya, use chopsticks! Don't grab with your hands!" Mabui was stunned, unable to help but remind her.
Watching her carefully prepared meal being messily grabbed and scattered all over, she couldn't help but twitch at the corner of her mouth.
Swallowing her food too quickly, Kaguya began to choke slightly.
Mabui quickly handed her a bowl of soup, and Kaguya tilted her head back, taking a large gulp, feeling an unprecedented sense of comfort.
Mabui couldn't help but find the situation both amusing and exasperating.
She asked, "Miss Kaguya, does it taste good?"
Kaguya looked at her but remained silent.
She realized that all these delicious dishes had been made by this mortal.
Glancing at her oil-stained hands and sleeves, she paused for a moment before nodding.
Then, she grabbed another rice ball and stuffed it into her mouth, chewing forcefully.
It's good…
Mabui handed her a pair of chopsticks again, but Kaguya didn't know how to use them.
Seeing this, Mabui patiently demonstrated how to handle them.
"Eating with your hands is considered impolite and uncivilized," Mabui said with a smile.
Uncivilized… was she referring to me?
As Kaguya continued chewing, she hesitated for a moment but ultimately accepted the chopsticks from Mabui's hands.
She learned quickly, mastering the technique at a glance.
However, she realized that the only benefit of using chopsticks was keeping her hands clean—it didn't improve the efficiency of eating at all.
Still, she continued using them to eat.
When Makoto and Samui appeared at the doorway of the break room, Kaguya swallowed the food in her mouth and stopped eating.
Samui glanced at the mess on the table and frowned. "What happened here?"
Mabui looked slightly embarrassed.
After all, this meal was originally prepared for His Majesty, and she wasn't sure if she should explain on Kaguya's behalf.
Makoto, however, didn't seem angry.
He simply stood at the doorway, gazing at Kaguya with a calm expression.
Kaguya set down her chopsticks and slowly walked over to Makoto, then knelt down before him.
"…Forgive me, Master. This servant ate your food… Please take some more chakra from me as compensation."
She had come up with what she thought was an acceptable form of repayment and spoke in this manner.
However, what she was truly thinking at this moment wasn't about compensation—it was the realization that everything she had previously imagined was impossible.
In front of her master, she had completely lost her dignity.
So be it… Losing it didn't matter.
She was merely a guardian, destined to dissolve into chakra even in death, becoming a part of those she was meant to protect.
Concepts like individuality and dignity were things she never truly possessed from the beginning.
She was stronger than these mortals, but no matter how strong she was, she remained trapped in the cage of the Otsutsuki clan—nothing more than a vassal to those more powerful.
All life in this world was the same.
Makoto glanced at the oil stains on her hands and asked, "Was the food good?"
Lowering her gaze, Kaguya replied, "…Yes."
Makoto said, "Mabui is a skilled cook. If you ever want to eat again, you can go to her."
"…Mm."
Makoto placed a hand lightly on her shoulder, and in an instant, Kaguya felt that long-lost power return to her body.
The restraints placed upon her vanished, and the oil stains on her lips, hands, and sleeves disappeared on their own.
Even her slightly disheveled white hair became neat and pristine.
From Samui and Mabui's perspective, Kaguya's entire presence and demeanor underwent a dramatic transformation.
Had she not still been kneeling, they might have mistaken her for a goddess.
Regaining her power, Kaguya no longer felt hunger or exhaustion.
She became dazed for a moment, as if everything that had happened in this brief period had merely been a fleeting dream.
After a moment of daze, Kaguya stood up and said, "This servant'll finish the rest of the food."
"As you wish."
Makoto turned and left, heading toward the staircase leading down from the attic.
Samui glanced at Kaguya before following after him.
As they descended, Samui couldn't help but remark, "This is the first time I've seen Your Majesty use such a method."
Makoto simply said, "Kaguya is special. She's been through things you haven't, and you've been through things she hasn't."
Samui, however, replied, "But as Your Majesty's possession, shouldn't she at least have some self-awareness?"
Makoto chuckled lightly. "If everyone were the same, where would the fun be? Come on, let's go get lunch."
"Where are we eating?"
"My place. Do you dare to come?"
"I'm afraid Lady Ayari will eat me alive."
Meanwhile, back in the lounge.
Mabui watched as Kaguya sat back down at the table, seemingly preparing to continue eating.
She couldn't help but advise, "Miss Kaguya, if you want more food, I can make you a fresh batch. You don't have to eat this."
The table was a complete mess, with much of the food spilled out of the containers due to Kaguya's earlier actions.
Kaguya picked up her chopsticks and grabbed a piece, putting it into her mouth.
The taste was the same as before, yet now that she was no longer hungry, something seemed to be missing.
Kaguya looked at the gentle, dark-skinned woman in front of her and asked, "Your name is Mabui, correct?"
"Yes." Mabui nodded.
"This one name is Otsutsuki Kaguya."
"Eh?"
"This one name is Otsutsuki Kaguya."
"Oh! Nice to meet you, Miss Kaguya!" Mabui finally realized that Kaguya was introducing herself and quickly responded.
As she looked at Kaguya's pale white eyes, she couldn't help but wonder—shouldn't Miss Kaguya's surname be Hyuga?
Kaguya then asked, "What is your relationship with the master? Are you his companion?"
Mabui chuckled, "I could never be worthy of His Majesty… I'm just an insignificant woman by his side."
Kaguya continued, "This one is master's servant."
Mabui: "..."
She couldn't quite understand how this woman thought, but as she observed the beauty in front of her, she was genuinely amazed.
The women His Majesty brings back are always so extraordinary.
If not for Samui, His Majesty would have long grown tired of me.
She then smiled at Kaguya and said, "Samui and I live together. If Miss Kaguya ever wants to eat my cooking, you're welcome to come find me anytime."
"Mm, This one will."
"…Alright."
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