episode_0052

Pia was with Noah’s group, but she seemed to be somewhere else. She performed her duties well, and no one knew there was a problem when they talked to her.

Even if they had known, they wouldn’t have been able to take care of the children’s mental states.

Just as she would think of cool water when thirsty, she always thought of Lian when in pain or joy. It happened naturally, like blood flowing when cut.

“Pia, are you okay? You didn’t eat much earlier.”

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

“Really? That’s a relief. If there’s anything uncomfortable, please let me know.”

“Thank you.”

“Haha, it’s something I should do. After all, it’s what Pia asked for.”

Pia no longer ignored her sister’s hallucinations. Instead, she saw affectionate hallucinations of Lian and heard her voice.

She was going crazy.

Lian’s hallucinations and voices weren’t entirely bad. They barely held Pia’s crumbling mind together.

Thanks to them, she could cling to life more than ever before. Despite hearing hallucinations and voices, she was happier than she had been in the past.

But her happiness didn’t last long. Memories that she had constantly pushed away, memories that claimed it wasn’t her fault, came back on a chilling night and choked her.

“Pia… Why are you doing this to me?”

Lian looked at her with eyes full of disgust.

“I always cherished you, so why?”

I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I’m really sorry.

No matter how much she begged, she couldn’t say a word, like a stuffed animal.

“I said I would help you. I said I would save you.”

Yes, you said you would save me.

Her memory was clearly distorted. She remembered and suffered as if Lian had actually said things she never had.

She could no longer distinguish what she had done wrong or what was true.

“But why did you do that? Why? Why did you lead me to death? Pia, why?”

The voice of resentment seemed to dig into her ears and gnaw at her brain. Pia couldn’t bear the agony and woke up from sleep.

She muttered like a mad person.

“Sorry, I’m sorry… I’m sorry… sorry…”

Her delicate mind couldn’t accept the guilt that felt like it would melt her brain. To survive, she began to push away the overwhelming sense of guilt.

“No, it’s not me. It’s okay… You’re the one who’s wrong.”

Pia faced her sin over and over like a person thrown into hell, facing it, failing, and committing the same sin repeatedly, as if trapped in purgatory.

Her actions were similar to the asceticism of priests enduring pain voluntarily. Was that why? Pia gradually began to nurture a strange belief.

“Salvation, yes… I’ll save you. Yeah, Lian… Lian will save me…”

Like humans in need of hope, Pia found salvation. Her salvation was Lian.

***

Jess was a blessed being with greater wisdom than other subhumans, yet she was also a slave. Her mother always told Jess with heavy chains in hand,

“You have to act like a stupid subhuman. That’s how you can live longer.”

No master liked an intelligent beast. They wanted a pet subhuman who played dumb just enough. Knowing this fact, Jess’s mother indoctrinated and educated Jess.

Before long, Jess’s mother was dragged out to a cruel fight and died.

“Jess, scary…”

Jess’s timid manner of speaking and somewhat exaggerated behavior were all crafted by her mother’s touch. Jess knew that these actions were one of the things that could protect her.

That’s why she didn’t bother to change. One day, she met Lian.

Jess quickly noticed.

“Ah, this person is a kind person.”

Jess clung to Lianne and said. The one who gives delicious things is the master.

Until now, many slave traders had given her delicious food or food like garbage, but she had never considered them as masters even once. But she said they were masters. By saying so, she could eat better food and lie in a better bed.

It was the same reason she called Lianne “master.”

Jess felt fondness for Lianne but also remained cautious. Her sensitive slave instincts told her.

“It’s safe around that person, being next to them means nothing difficult will happen.”

For Jess, who had lived as a slave since birth, “unconditional safety” was no different from the greeting of a cult. That’s why she was cautious of Lianne.

Then one day, “that incident” occurred.

Compared to ordinary humans, a slave consumed a lot of food. It was natural due to the high calorie consumption.

There was a significant difference in strength between a well-fed slave and one who wasn’t. That’s why Jess tried to put everything into her mouth. Sometimes it was a mouse, sometimes a bug, but she ate without discrimination.

That’s how she managed to survive each day.

“There’s nothing…”

In the prison where Jess, Noah, and Nero stayed, there were a few bugs crawling around, all smaller than Jess’s little finger. This wasn’t enough for proper sustenance.

“I have to find something to eat…!”

When everyone was asleep, Jess wandered around the prison.

“Oh, it’s a hole!”

As she pulled the end of the prison bars, a small hole just big enough for Jess to pass through appeared. It seemed as if someone had made it for an escape. If she replaced the removed bar piece, it would fit perfectly, and there would be no sign of the hole.

“Let’s sneak out and get some food.”

It doesn’t have to be proper food. It didn’t matter if he ate mice or bugs. Jess, with a smirk on his face, headed to the kitchen after escaping from prison.

“Delicious smell.”

Sniffing the air filled with the scent, he rummaged around here and there.

“Not much here…”

There wasn’t much to eat as he had hoped, but it wasn’t completely empty. He took a broken piece of bread and a little cheese into the sink cabinet and closed the door. He began to slowly push the food into his mouth.

Bang!

“…!”

A tremendously loud noise was heard. Jess tensed up, ears and tail alert.

“Did they hear me come out…?”

Swallowing dry saliva, Jess squeezed himself into the corner of the sink cabinet. If his escape was discovered, he had to keep as quiet as possible.

How much time passed?

“It’s hot…”

Unconsciously muttering those words, the kitchen began to heat up. Realizing this belatedly, Jess firmly opened the closed cabinet door.

“Huh..?”

Whoosh-.

Bright red flames flickered and greeted Jess. The kitchen was engulfed in fire.

“Cough, cough…!”

The acrid smoke stung his eyes and choked him. Jess quickly realized that the fire was spreading rapidly. There was no way to escape from here now.

No matter how intelligent Jess was as a fox, facing ‘death’ at a young age naturally led to panic. Since there was no mother to run to when scared, Jess closed the cabinet door, pressed himself into the corner, and crouched down.

Tap, thud.

The sound of something burning and the smell of smoke pricked his nose. Since the fire hadn’t reached the cabinet where Jess was hiding, it felt like something happening far away.

Jess imagined the unimaginable. The fire couldn’t reach the cabinet, and he would survive unscathed.

It’s an absurd thought, but that was all Jess could do at the moment. When tears welled up in his eyes and he struggled to breathe.

“Jess!”

His voice reached her ears. Why did she feel so relieved upon hearing his voice?

“Hu-uhh..”

Despite being taught to cry silently, she couldn’t help but sob aloud. The drawer she had closed with her own hands opened, and a caring gaze filled with worry poured out.

Wrapped tightly in damp cloth, she desperately ran out, feeling her owner’s breath, heartbeat, and the scent of burning flesh.

Jess realized that she would never forget this moment.

Since that day, Jess began to blindly follow Lian. She recognized him not just as a mere owner, but as her true master.

Jess had only one goal: to protect her owner and make him happy. Young and inexperienced, Jess tried to be helpful within her capabilities.

Then one day, Lian, her true owner, disappeared without a word.