— Third Person —
Paul sat at the center of the long table, his back leaning lazily against the padded chair while his fingers drummed slowly on the armrest.
The boss stared into the void for a few seconds, then sighed loudly as the doors closed behind Adel.
"What a disappointment…" he muttered to himself, shaking his head with a bored expression.
The two generals, seated a little further away, exchanged a glance, but didn't dare say a word. Maybe they hoped the boss's bad mood would fade on its own, so they kept eating, pretending nothing had happened.
Paul, however, wasn't the type to overlook such behavior. His head turned sharply, and his gaze cut toward them, sharp as a blade.
"Besides eating and having sex, are you pigs capable of doing anything else?" he asked, his voice low and cold.
The two froze with their cutlery mid-air. The boss continued, raising his tone:
"That boy just walked out, and you're still chewing like swine at the trough. Did neither of you think of sending someone after him? To see what he's up to now?"
"Boss, we didn't think that—" one of the generals tried to explain, but Paul cut him off, slamming his hand on the table with a sharp thud.
"You don't think! That's your problem. Do I have to spell out everything for you? Do you want me to remind you to wipe your ass after you shit, too?! Now get up and make sure someone monitors him for a few days."
"Y-Yes, boss!" they shouted in unison, leaping to their feet as if the chairs had caught fire, then quickly left the room.
Watching them leave, Paul remained deep in thought. Even though he was fairly sure the boy hadn't lied, something still bothered him, as if there was a piece he couldn't see.
Paul leaned back into his chair and took slower breaths again. His gaze moved to the artifact still in his hand, a small bracelet adorned with fine, silver-colored runes.
He raised it to eye level and observed it for a long time, turning it carefully between his fingers.
"What a beauty…" he murmured, almost with sincere admiration, a rare thing for a man like him.
He stood up slowly from the table, ignoring the plate still full before him.
As he left the room, the artifact in his hands gave off a faint, almost imperceptible glow, unnoticed by anyone, least of all its owner.
— POV Adel —
After a full day of fighting, self-harm, and endless dealings with Paul, I could safely say I was completely drained, both physically and mentally. Meanwhile, Giorgina, with her ever-bright smile and the naive enthusiasm of a child, dragged me from corner to corner of the citadel to show me houses she claimed I would "definitely love."
Too bad, I couldn't care less.
"This house would be perfect for you!"
I think she'd already said that a dozen times, and each time I just nodded, pretending to agree. I told her, sure, the house was fine, but she kept insisting, promising that the next one would "blow my mind." And in a way, she was succeeding… but not in a good way.
"Look at this balcony! Can't you see yourself here in the morning with a cup of coffee? Or tea… oh, do you drink tea or coffee?"
I rubbed my eyes, exhausted.
"Giorgina, it's night already, and I'm dead tired. This house is more than fine, so why don't we wrap it up here and call it a day?"
"O-Oh… It's that late already…" She lowered her head sadly, like an abandoned puppy.
Gods, I really don't know how to deal with people like her.
I'd rather face a hundred cunning opportunists than a single purely emotional creature with no malice whatsoever.
"Why the long face?" I asked, knowing I'd regret it.
"N-Nothing… I was just hoping that if it got later, I'd go back when the boss was already asleep…"
Her voice grew smaller and smaller, as if she wanted to vanish.
"Did he hurt you?"
"NO!" she shouted instantly, terrified, glancing around nervously. "T-The boss is a wonderful person, kind and generous… It's me, I'm the stupid one who makes him angry!"
She showed all the classic signs of a victim of abuse: constant fear, believing it was always her fault, and terrified that the abuser might appear any moment.
"Okay, I get it. Now take a deep breath."
She nodded frantically, and I guided her through several deep breaths. In the end, she managed to calm down a bit.
"Better?"
"...Yes."
I sighed again, wanting to give some comfort to this poor young woman.
"Here's the deal. Tonight you can sleep here. If Paul asks why tomorrow, just tell him I forced you to house-hunt until late and you ended up falling asleep on the sofa."
"W-Wouldn't that be lying? Lying is bad."
"...We're both exhausted, and it really is late. Are you telling me that if you sat on a bed right now, you wouldn't fall asleep?"
"Hmm… true! You're really smart, Mister Leda!"
Hearing those words from her mouth almost sounded like an insult, but her eyes, full of genuine admiration, showed she meant it.
I didn't add anything else. I wished her goodnight and entered the bedroom. It wasn't bad, I had to admit. But if everything went according to plan, I wouldn't need it for more than a month anyway.
****
The next morning, I woke up later than usual. The wounds I'd deliberately inflicted on myself, combined with those still healing from the fight with the bafael, had weakened me more than I expected.
Going downstairs, I was greeted by an inviting smell. To my surprise, Giorgina was cooking.
"Good morning?"
"Good morning, Mister Leda! Breakfast's almost ready. Why don't you sit down?"
I nodded and sat at the table. Soon, a whole line of dishes appeared in front of me.
This… is a bit much.
I wasn't a light eater, true, but I'd developed the habit of eating only what was necessary, to avoid being weighed down, an old wartime habit I still hadn't shaken.
I took some sausage and eggs, chewing slowly. To my surprise, they were delicious.
"This isn't bad at all."
"Hehehe." Giorgina laughed shyly.
As I took another bite, I noticed her eyes following every movement of my fork. I lowered it, and she looked down. I raised it, and she looked up.
"Have you eaten already?" I had to ask.
"Don't worry, I'll eat the leftovers!" she said, patting her chest, making those massive "mountains" of hers wobble.
"...Sit down and eat, it's too much for me anyway."
"But—"
"No buts. And standing there while I eat makes me uncomfortable."
She accepted my reasoning and sat down silently. At first, she ate slowly, almost embarrassed, trying to keep up with my pace. But when I told her not to hold back, she turned into a ravenous whirlwind, clearing every plate within reach.
Where does all that food go?
My eyes wandered to her chest, and I got a pretty clear answer.
Not that it stirs anything in me.
My thirst for blood had long replaced any lust or carnal desire. Only when fighting could I feel something similar.
"It's been so long since I ate this well…" Giorgina said, rubbing her stomach with satisfaction. Then she turned to me.
"Today, we should check out the slaves you might like."
"I don't need any."
"But the boss's reward—"
"Giorgina, I will never take slaves." I frowned as I looked her in the eyes.
Slavery was one of my three forbidden words, something I deeply despised and wanted nothing to do with.
For a moment, after I spoke, silence fell. Giorgina stared at me wide-eyed. She clearly hadn't expected such a strong reaction, but there was no fear in her gaze, only surprise.
"You're really kind, Mister Leda…" she said softly, lowering her eyes a little, as if embarrassed by her own compliment.
Now I'm kind, too?
After my sister called me adorable and Giorgina called me kind, I started to doubt my own self-assessment.
I raised an eyebrow. "Don't be ridiculous."
She shook her head energetically, hair swaying. "No, no! You are! I… I've only known you for a short time, and you've already helped me several times. You let me sleep here, you cared about me… and now you say you'd never take slaves. People like you are rare, believe me!"
"You just have very low standards."
"That's not true!" she protested. "You're a good person. Plus, when you talk to me, you look me in the eyes, not at my chest."
"...Hah?"
Apparently, my assessment was wrong; her standards were beyond low.
"It's true. But I don't get it. What do people even see in these things? They're heavy and give me back pain."
She lifted those massive weights, almost spilling out of her clothes.
Nice chandelier.
I blatantly raised my gaze to avoid looking.
"Even the boss, always grabbing them, sucking them and—"
"Can we change the subject, thanks."
"Want to see more houses?"
"...Never mind. I have errands to run today, so you'd better go."
"Okay…"
Sadly, she got up and headed for the door until I called after her.
"Anyway, if you ever need a quiet place, you can come here anytime."
I meant it. I'd be out most of the day, and future nights would be busy, so the house would stay empty most of the time.
Like a charging bull, she ran straight at me, pressing me into her chest, almost suffocating me.
"I knew it, you're really kind!"
Haaah… just as I thought. I really don't know how to handle people like her.