This is a lot like the last time I... vaguely remember being up. First is the dining room where the sheep-altra woman brings food and water for me to eat, which only now I realize are really good. Like, wow, restaurant good. Alright, why am I surprised? They probably employ actual chefs here, they're nobles.

But this is the quality of the food for slaves? Do they make even better food for the family and guests themselves, or is it too much work to have separate cooks just to ensure that slaves receive worse, if still high quality, food?

Maybe I'm just overthinking all of this? Once I finish my meal, I'm led to the bath again, where the sheep-woman undresses and cleans me. Now that I'm actually capable of conscious thought, it's incredibly embarrassing being bathed like this. I only manage to make it through by keeping in mind that I had to do the same thing for Malic and Keane when they were our house guests.

This is normal, I keep thinking. The Therfio family would totally lose face if they didn't have servants to bathe their guests. But... why does that cover me? Master Liina is their guest, does that courtesy normally extend to slaves of guests?

And for that matter, now that I really think about it, why are there servants, serving slaves in the first place? Why don't they have slaves to do these jobs? No, I know they have slaves, I've seen them myself. Why aren't those slaves responsible for these tasks like I am for Master Liina?

I'm not getting anywhere.

Remaining obedient and still, I let the woman wash me, and guide me to the tub, where she brushes my hair, which actually reaches my shoulder blades again after a few months since my last hair cut. After brushing and washing it, the woman gets me out, dried, and dressed up again.

Thankfully, rather than the weirdly revealing lingerie they had me in before, now I'm dressed in a nice, if somewhat simple dress. The only thing the woman missed was shaving, but as I thought, the altraska probably don't think of shaving that much.

I'm... I don't know, halfway between disappointed and relieved. Disappointed because I'm kind of hairy and gross after all our running around without any time back in town to get properly groomed.

Relieved because the thought of someone I don't even know, shaving me all over like that is... Well, I stare at the ground as I walk, blushing ear to ear at the thought.

Still, I have standing orders from Master Liina to keep myself well groomed, which specifically includes shaving, whenever I'm able to. So I'm a bit worried that I'll end up triggering a punishment for disobedience now...

After walking for a while, we arrive in a courtyard, a practice field from the looks of it, where Master Liina is taking swings with a practice sword. I've seen her train like this plenty of times before, but it's a little surprising when we're in some strange place like this.

She turns to us as we approach, a big smile breaking over her face when she sees me. “Yumi, you're finally awake!”

“Sorry for being out so long, Master,” I apologize with a bow. My stamina still just isn't enough compared to theirs. If I think about it back in Earth time spans, I pushed myself so hard on that frantic trip that I basically put myself in like, a five or six day coma...

“Hah, as long as you're alright.” Then she turns her attention to the sheep-altra in front of me, which prompts her to speak up.

“Miss Liina, I just finished getting your slave cleaned, fed, and ready for your use.”

Master Liina smiles, looking just a bit amused, and takes a few steps toward us. “Thanks, she looks...” But then she trails off as she really looks me over. With this dress on, she can easily see I'm still unshaven.

“Yumi.”

Her tone immediately makes me bow. “I'm sorry, Master, I don't think they shave here.”

“Certainly not without you telling them,” she sighs. Then she addresses the sheep woman again. “My slave's grooming includes keeping much of herself clean shaven. Please go back and finish grooming her properly. Yumi, if she does not know how to shave you, show her.”

Despite the command making me go bright red, I answer, “Yes, Master.”

Oh god, I can't believe I have to do this...

Following the sheep woman back to the bathroom, she asks what I need and I tell her. I... guess I can speak to her a little? For things like this at least?

Once she collects a razor and some shaving lotion, probably used to keep the male slaves' faces well shaved, she hands them to me and prompts me to show her how I do it.

I hate it and it's so mortifying to do this again, with a woman I don't even know this time, but I have my orders, so I do it. It doesn't even take that long now that I'm decently practiced with the scary-ass non-safety razors they use here.

Still, I consider, just for a moment, not shaving my most intimate places with this woman staring at me, but that would definitely be going against my orders, so I reluctantly do it anyway.

Another memory to never, ever think about again...

----------------------------------------

“I'm sorry for the delay, Miss Liina, your slave is prepared now,” the sheep-woman says when we return to the practice field.

This time when she looks me over, Master Liina smiles. “Very good. Come on, Yumi, let's go.”

“Yes, Master.” The sheep-altra heads off as I join Master Liina, who wipes herself with a towel briefly, fur somewhat matted with sweat after training for who knows how long. Then she waves, leading me out of the courtyard.

“Ok, so.” She starts. “While you were out, Veshic's father, Kralfo, has been going around to the other nobility and adventurers and warning them about Thanifa. They're working on calling a meeting with the people in charge here, so we've basically been told we have to hang around until then. I think we have about three days before the meeting, which is fine. The problem is going to be Veshic.”

I raise an eyebrow, not quite understanding, but she's not done explaining yet. “For the most part, Veshic's been busy with the noble stuff, but now that you're up, I'm worried about him coming after you again.”

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As soon as she mentions that, my throat closes up. No, no need to worry, Master Liina is here, she'll protect me, she's been running circles around Veshic so far.

Then she says her next words, and I grimace. “I'm going to have a lot less verbal leeway now that we're in his territory, so we'll be avoiding him as much as possible. I don't think we'll be allowed out of town to go questing, even if we had the time, so our best bet will probably be steering clear of the Therfio family entirely.”

Alright, this is good, we have a plan. Just have to avoid him... “We're still guests here, and we're pretty short on funds, so we'll be coming back to sleep, but the rest of the time, I intend to stay out in town. Minimize your exposure to Veshic so he doesn't try anything.”

“Ok, that sounds good, Master,” I confirm with a nod.

A minute later, we reach the front of the place that I'd actually call more of a mansion than a manor, now that I've seen the scale of it better...

There are a couple guards at the front gate, who stop us just as we're about to head out. “Where are you off to?”

“Going to explore the town. I've never been to Montheric before.”

“Alright.” The guards stand aside and let us pass.

Just a few feet past the gate, I wince a little as an uncomfortable feeling spreads through me. A punishment? For what?

“Master?” I ask to get her attention. “Am I doing something wrong?”

She looks over, confused. “No, of course not-” But then her eyes widen, and she curses under her breath. “Shit, I underestimated him.”

“What is it?” God, this feeling, it's like itch inside me I can't scratch. It won't go away, I can't ignore it, and it's just there...

I start getting twitchy and anxious from the uncomfortable feeling that I can't get rid of, turning pleading eyes to Master Liina to make it go away. Can't she do something about this?

“I'm sorry, Yumi. As a slave staying at the Therfio family house, I had to grant them limited control over you. He must have set up a punishment for leaving. I... I'm not sure what to do. Cancel Slave Punishment. Stop Slave Punishment.” She tries a few more commands to stop it or change the automatic punishment, but nothing is working.

I want to cry. It's not like the more harsh, painful punishments, but this feeling is terrible and I don't think I can just endure it forever...

Then Veshic suddenly arrives at the gate, waving a hand, and the feeling disappears. I sink to my knees, so, so glad. Finally, no more awful discomfort everywhere. I just feel so good now...

Part of that feeling is aimed at Veshic, his presence finally fixing the problem, until I remind myself that he's the one who created it. He didn't help, he's the one who punished me unfairly like that! This is why he'd be a shitty master and I'll never be his!

When he catches me glaring, he warns, “You will not look at me like that.”

But then Master Liina steps in front of me. “What did you do to her? That punishment was absolutely uncalled for.”

Peeking out from behind her back, I watch him shrug off her angry words. “I told you, while she stays in our house, she will be treated like a Therfio family slave. That means no leaving the house without a member of the family.”

“Wh-what?!” Oh shit, does that mean-!

“If you want to go out on the town, you would do well to bring me along, or leave her back at the house.”

“But she's my slave!”

“While you stay under my roof, she is also beholden to my rules.”

“That's bullshit, I'll revoke your control of her,” Master Liina threatens.

“That's a very bad idea.” Veshic's eyes narrow, then he twitches his head toward the guards standing nearby. “While you stay in my city, you would do well not to offend me, or something may just happen to you.”

Master Liina snarls, a chest deep rumble of threat and anger, but Veshic doesn't even flinch, standing tall and haughty until she closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. Finally, despite her defeated tone, she huffs. “Fuck you, Veshic. Let's go.”

He looks halfway between offended and victorious at her last comment, but finally shrugs and begins to follow along. He moves up, taking position just off to her right, so I'm a step behind, between them.

Before I can move to Master Liina's left to put her between us, Veshic turns half around to look at me. “Now, don't think I forgot about your behavior, before,” he starts.

“Punish Slave,” Master Liina cuts in, and I gasp, clutching at my chest. What? Why?! “Yumi, that look was very disrespectful earlier.” Even as she scolds me, she keeps staring at him. After a few moments, the feeling fades, leaving me shaking and stumbling a little as I try to keep pace behind them. “She is my slave, so I will punish her when she acts out.”

There's just a moment of disappointment on Veshic's face, before he regains his good humor. “Why, I suppose you are a good master after all, training a slave up to such a rating...”

When he mentions that, my blood runs cold. Oh shit, he has command of me now, he must have looked at my Status. Even Master Liina is displeased, she was trying not to let him find out. He must want me even more now...

“I wonder, is it easier to train otherworlders?” he asks. When Master Liina's jaw drops at the comment, he gets this big, shit-eating grin. “What, didn't you know where she came from?”

Flustered for once, she answers, “N-no, but... how do you know that?”

“Hah, I first laid eyes on her when she was still working as an otherworlder at a bar near your guild. I knew immediately that she would be perfect.” With a dramatic shrug, he adds, “Unfortunately, she vanished just as I was about to bring her with me.”

Master Liina's expression suddenly turns to barely contained outrage so strong that I cringe and have a hard time even looking at her. “You tried to kidnap an otherworlder? Knowingly?” Her words are so dark and angry that even Veshic's asshole attitude falters under her gaze.

“N-no, of course not. I merely talked to the barkeeper about buying her, but he explained she was an otherworlder, so I was going to ask about hiring her instead, but she disappeared.” His words are an obvious excuse.

And- “Oh, you wanted to hire me?” I spit the words at him before I think better of it. “That's why you had your slave try to grab me and I had to run for my life?” Just thinking back on it, how that attempted kidnapping set me fleeing before I was ready, brings out a kind of rage and resentment I didn't even know I had. I can't stop myself anymore.

“You couldn't kidnap me, so you stole everything I owned! I couldn't pay off my debt to Keane when I got back to town because of you! That's why I stayed a debt-slave for so long!”

Getting called out on his bullshit and lies, Veshic flinches, but instead of a response, goes. “Punish Slave.” While I waver under the burst of pain from my chest, he scolds me. “I said, you will not look at me like that.”

This pain, this punishment, it's not fair. I do not deserve this. Instead of coming to heel, it makes me growl at him, my anger boiling over completely. That was my first chance at making a life for myself, and he took it all away. If I hadn't lucked into Master Liina's care, I'd be dead by now. Fixing him with a death glare, I shout, “It's all your fault! You fucked up my life!”

My outburst is met his mouth dropping into a frown. “Punish Slave: Harsh.”

“Aah!” I cry as the pain multiplies, forcing me to my knees. Fuck!

Oh god everything hurts!

“Veshic, stop!” Master Liina demands from above.

I press my head to the ground, starting to curl up against the onslaught, but all I see is red. My fists slam into the ground.

“Fuck you! Fuck you, Veshic!” I scream at the top of my lungs to force back the mind-bending pain. “Choke on a dick and die you fucking piece of shit! You ruined my life!”

There's a hard crack, and everything goes black.