The smell of blood, feces, and urine intensified as we walked further down right before a big iron door is opened. I see several men, women, and children chained to walls inside their cells, their bodies were poorly treated, filled with wounds, bruises, and malnourished. As I passed through the cells I could see the fear in their eyes as mothers held their children tightly as if it would be the last.
'Is he dead?' I noticed a man lying on the floor without moving and the dealer saw it as well. He clicked his fingers and, as we walk inside a small room, the sound of the bars being pushed are heard.
If I had discovered this place in my 1st life I would've done everything I could to tear it down, no matter how poorly the Duke had raised me I knew right from wrong but now I'm not even batting an eye to these people who are on the verge of death and despair. They neither bother me nor make me feel uneasy, it is almost as if my mind had become a foreigner to kindness.
'It wouldn't matter if I saved them either way. It will all go back in three years,' the man serves me coffee in a somewhat expensive cup as my brain assesses the future possibilities.
"Show me your strongest Tulips," I sit on the comfortable couch as he sits in a chair in front of me.
"Of course," his smile widens right before he clicks his fingers again. He drinks a bit of his coffee while I glare at him, confused. Even then, I remained quiet since I didn't want to cause any problems in this place, "I can't help but wonder what a young lady might need a Tulip for" he mockingly asks.
"I'm sure that, a person with your experience, is able to know with a glance, no?" I reply politely making the man chuckle.
"I should tell you our prices are high... Not something a simple salary will cover," his amusement turns into a threatening aura.
"If you thought I didn't have the money then you wouldn't allow my entrance in the first place," I smile politely, however, soon after it disappears as I see his grin, I knew exactly what was traveling through his mind.
'He didn't invite me in because he thought I had money... He did it to sell me,' I quickly realized the true intentions of the man standing before me.
I place a medium-sized pouch on the table while he looks at me displeased. He opens it just to see several gold coins shining brightly. His eyes glare up and down at me and, right after lighting up a cigarette, he chuckles.
"Such a waste..." he mumbles, "But I don't want to be involved in the disappearance of a noble girl," he leans back and exhales deeply.
Several minutes pass and I am startled by the sound of chains scratching the floor. Soon after I am greeted by eight different men whose bodies looked able to break a tree with one arm. Behind them was a man with a mask and a thick black bat. They looked miserable but, even then they didn't seem willing to fight for their freedom against these two weak men controlling them.
'Were they drugged?' their expressions were dull, almost as if no soul inhabited their bodies. I had never seen anything like this.
"These won't do. I need someone who can blend in while being strong and smart," I frown as he scratches his bald head in conflict.
"We have one that might fit the criteria but he hasn't been controlled yet. It would take at least a week to get him ready," he states.
"Take me to him, I will see for myself," we both get up.
"Alright. Get rid of them," a person appears from the shadows and starts taking the rejected slaves back into their cells alongside the other masked man. I couldn't even see his face or stature but I knew that he wasn't the only one lurking in the shadows of this place.
"He's from a mountain tribe in the north and he is very dangerous. A couple of my guys died trying to catch him," the man lets out a long sigh as we walked down the halls.
We reached the cell where he was staying. Isolated from everyone else, alone and fully chained, a young man slightly older than me glared at us just like a predator to his prey. From the looks of it, he was extremely underweight and weak due to the environment he was in. His dark brown eyes looked ready to rip our necks apart while his platinum hair shone brightly when the flame of the torch flickered to it. His body was covered in heavy bruises and some superficial wounds. Both his feet and hands were chained to the wall, however, his neck carried a heavy metal collar I had never seen before.
'Run,' my gut yelled deep down inside every time his eyes connected with mine, 'He's already gone,' I couldn't help but to sense that he was no different than a beast, having lost all his reasoning.
"Open it," the seller looks at me dumbfounded while frowning his brows deeply, "Do I need to repeat myself? Open it," I glare at him.
"He's dangerous, if you die, it's your own fault kid," reluctantly, he opens the door and allows me to enter. I knew this was suicidal but I needed to see him closely, I needed to connect to him in any way since that would be the only way for me to achieve my goal.
He was alone in this dark dreadful place and, as I saw his bruises closer I found myself pitying him for being in this situation, however, I am not benevolent enough to buy him and free him for nothing but pure kindness.
The boy stood in his place quietly, watching me, waiting for the moment to strike, and, once I was close enough, he jumps on me. His hands grab my neck right after pushing me down onto the concrete floor. My hood fell, allowing my black hair to be exposed, and, for a moment, he flinched.
"I warned you," I could hear the seller mocking my difficult situation. I actually think that, after that harsh fall, he must think that I am nothing but a dead corpse right now.
I focus my light blue eyes on him as his grip tightens. I could feel my body beginning to ask for oxygen but, instead of struggling, I just placed my hands on top of his, adding more strength into it while a kind smile was created on my lips. His eyes widen in surprise as his expression portraited his confusion.
I didn't fear death, in fact, if I could die today I would feel thankful since this is nothing like being burned alive, yet I knew this was nothing but a silly desire that would never become true.
"W-... W-... Why do you want to buy me?" his voice was low and rough making me wonder when was the last time this man had drunk water or even eaten something decent.
"I-I..." I tried to speak but his grip was too strong. Noticing it, he releases his hands and straightens his body as his knees were locking my body in place. I cough several times, "I need you to protect me for three years, after that, you are free" he frowns, showing me that he was suspicious of my proposition, "I can just get someone else if you are not interested", I glare at him coldly.
His eyes were analyzing me closely, observing my body and memorizing my expressions. Slowly I get up and lean on the wall while trying to catch my breath. The seller opens the door and approaches me while holding his torch.
"I told you he needed training, let me show you the rest of my merchandise," the bald man places his hand on top of my shoulder and begins to send me away, forcefully. Something wasn't right and I could feel it.
"I'll do it," the slave says loudly.
"What did you say little shit?" the man lets me go and heads towards the boy rushedly. As he was about to beat him up I grab his arm. Accidentally he drops the torch on me and I quickly fall back. Understanding the situation I was in, I quickly get up and regain my composure.
"He is mine now, I'm sure the amount on your office will suffice, isn't that right?" I smile coldly after placing my hood over my head once again, "Let's settle our business."
"Come again whenever you need, we have new merchandise every week," the bald man smiled happily as we left the small room after everything had been settled.
"Let's go," I say to the slave as he covers himself with a dirty hood provided by the seller. Even though his hands and ankles were now chainless he still had a small collar around his neck. According to the man, the matching ring I received was used to control slaves, every time you wished to punish them I just needed to squeeze it and electrical shocks would be sent to the collar.
I tried having the seller explain to me how it worked but he refused to tell me.
'Secrets of the business,' he stated coldly. The only thing I can assume is that this is some ancient object with some magic.
I've read some old books regarding these magical objects, however, the information on them was very little. According to the book, these magical items are known as "Relics" and they've been with us for thousands of years. They also stated that there were two types of Relics: "Blessings" and "Wicked".
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According to some sketchy history books I happened to find in the Duke's library, there are three different worlds: the world of Divinity, the world of Mortals, and the world of Blasphemy. In the world of Divinity, God rules over the Angels as they guide us, the ones who live in the world of Mortals into righteousness, however, the devils that follow Lucifer's rule on the world of Blasphemy try to lure us into sinful actions guided by greed and lust.
It is said that the type of Relic one finds is based on the power imbued into them: if a being from the Divinity world placed its power inside then it becomes a "Blessing", on the other hand, if its a being from the Blasphemy world then it becomes "Wicked".
Nowadays there are barely any Relics left, the crown tries its hardest to erase the existence of this magic, even then, the majority of people know they exist and still go to extensive extents to find them.
"Where are we headed master?" his throat was hurt deeply, one could tell from his extremely rough voice.
"To buy Orchids," I smile as he looks at me puzzled without understanding the logic behind my words. It was to be suspected since he had been trapped in that prison for so long, "Remember, three years and you can do whatever you want but until then, don't do anything stupid," I warn him as we begin passing through the cells filled with slaves.
After arriving on the main floor I head towards one of the merchants who was selling small recipients with weird-looking contents inside.
"Are you an Orchid seller?" I question the old lady that grinned at me happily with her leftover teeth.
"Indeed child, what type of Orchid are you looking for?" she asks me while beginning to rumble through the small glass recipients.
"One that kills and can't be tracked," a smile appears on my lips as the lady removes several poisons from a hidden black bag behind her back.
"Those are...!" the slave gasps after understanding the situation.
"Poisons, a woman's deadliest weapon," I finish his answer and he grows quiet. He was a smart boy and he knew he had to keep his thoughts to himself, at least in this place.
"A new flower came from the East, it is quick and effective," she shows me a beautifully yellow recipient.
'That's too good for him,' I thought to myself.
"Do you have anything that will take its time? I want to have some fun first," her dark eyes glitter with excitement.
"Well then, take this one. After taking it, one will lose the strength in their body gradually as they feel their veins sting. The person will be dead from three to five hours," her proposition was alluring.
I wanted to kill Terrel Wharton, however, I also demanded some satisfaction from that act. I can't just kill him with a simple poison, no. He needs to beg, he needs to suffer as much as I suffered in his hands. My memories of that night are still as bright as daylight and my body still remembers every wound that beast created.
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「 Ophelia's memories, 1st Life 」
I've been here for three months yet I don't think I can get used to this place. Duke Wharton is such a kindhearted man, even the maids that serve me are caring and respectful.
'I can't remember the last time something like this...' I blow onto a candle, allowing the darkness of the night to engulf me.
Everything was quiet, too quiet. The moon was hiding behind the clouds and the only sound heard were the rattling of the leaves as a soft Blistering breeze passed through them. Suddenly, a low sound echoes through the dark halls. I didn't know what it was and so I headed towards the door.
"What was that?" I ask to the maids stationed behind my door. No one replied.
'Did they leave...?' questions ran through my mind as silence embraced me, 'I'm sure they heard it, but why aren't they answering...?'
"Ophelia... Open the door," Terrel was on the other side of the door, speaking roughly, almost as if he was trying his hardest to speak correctly. Some hiccups are heard as well as the characteristic sound of moving liquids in a glass bottle and that's when I knew something was not right.
'Should I yell? No... No one is here... What should I do?' I started considering all my possibilities as I moved away from the door, 'He's just slightly drunk, he won't do anything bad...' I concluded that reason ruled over alcohol.
"You should get some rest Lord Terrel, you sound exhausted," I state politely from the other side of the door. I hear him growl in anger, almost as if a beast had come over his senses.
"Open the fucking door!" he yells while banging on the door loudly. Panicking I grab the doorknob, pushing it against me with all my strength. The sounds became louder and louder, however, they soon stopped.
The knob turns and I feel the corner of the wooden object hit my forehead, forcing my body to fall onto the floor, right before seeing him, holding on to an alcoholic beverage while trying to regain his footing. His clothes swing as the air current from my window passes and, right after that, he looks less insane. In this house, the doors were never locked but, as I look at the state of his sanity, I don't think he remembered.
"Let's do it, Ophelia, I'm tired of waiting," his voice was just like a nightmare, it made me scared, frightened. In this land, when a woman loses her virginity, she loses her power and I knew that without it, I was nothing but a slut, ready to be discarded at any moment by these men.
"Lord Terrel, I'm sure you are eager to do so but it's wiser to wait until marriage..." I got up while placing all my strength on the wooden table. My head felt like it was being pounded by several hammers, continuously, even then, I tried to persuade him, however, much to my dismay, the stench of alcohol that surrounded him blinded his reasoning. His dark brown eyes looked numb, facing me as if I was nothing more than an object that he owned as if I wasn't even human anymore.
"Please my lord... I'm sure that we can..." right as I was about to finish my sentence, Terrel heads towards me quickly and soon I feel a sharp pain on my left cheek after being hit by his pure brute strength. My head pounded even harder after that slap, making me lose my balance slightly.
"Shut up. You women are all the same," his body grew closer to mine as he grabbed my arms strongly, straightening me, right before throwing my body onto the bed. My chest was facing the sheets and I knew how vulnerable I was. The moment I tried to turn my body I am greeted by his rough hands on my back, pushing my body deeper onto the sheets.
"Terrel please stop!" at this point I was yelling, screaming while holding to a small strand of hope that this was nothing more than a nightmare with the monster under the bed. Deep down, I kept on hoping that the maids and butlers would hear, hoping that someone, anyone, would hear my plea.
"I said shut the fuck up!" I try to turn once my body once again but I am greeted with his fist on my cheek. This was the first time I tasted the sweetness of blood as it began gathering inside my mouth.
As I was dumbstruck he grabs my hips again and turns me right before grabbing my black hair and pulling my torso up.
"I've seen the way you look at me, you whore," he whispered into my ear as I smelled the intense fragrance of alcohol coming from his insides.
"Terrel, stop! Stop!" I kept on yelling with all the strength left in my lungs as I fought him with every single bit of power that remained. I clenched my nails onto his face as my back hurt from trying to move around. Even then, my strength was failing me, as my whole body was consumed by pain and despair.
"I said... Shut up, you filthy wench!" I feel another punch, even stronger than the first one and I struggle to remain conscious. Everything in my sigh was rotating even though I was clearly lying down on the, now red, bedsheets. I couldn't bear any more of this.
'Why...' I kept on thinking inside my head. When the Duke sent me to this house I was happy, thrilled in fact, as I thought that I would finally be able to do something good for my family. I thought that everything would go as the Marchioness had taught Amanda: you will marry the one you love and then you will carry their children in order to continue the lineage. I might not have become engaged to a man I loved but I, in the least, hoped the rest would be true.
In a futile attempt, I tried getting up and fight him but he just grabbed the back of my neck and pressed it against the bed harshly. My lungs begged for air as I struggled to breathe.
"Now be a good girl," without noticing, my dress had already been lifted, and soon after I feel something entering me. A sharp pain runs through my insides and I yell, even though no one could hear it. I wanted to throw up, I wanted to die every time he moved, every time I felt his member penetrate me over and over again.
'It hurts...' tears ran down my face but soon found their way onto the already wet sheets. I kept on yelling while moaning in pain.
"Take it off! It hurts! Stop!" his grip becomes weaker and I manage to face upwards, getting a chance to speak properly, even then, it didn't make any difference. He didn't care about bringing me any pain as long as his needs were satisfied. After I spoke he became rougher and I began to feel my insides burn, almost as if someone was purposedly touching them with fire.
I wanted to throw up as the world around me rotated again and again. Eventually, the pain turned into numbness and my soul became empty. I didn't yell, I didn't moan, I could only feel the leftover tears run down my face.
Terrel began to curse loudly as he found himself troubled. He wasn't able to finish the job due to the amount of alcohol in his system. I didn't know if I should feel thankful or hateful for it.
After one whole hour, it finally ends. Something warm flows deep inside me right before Terrel leans his body on top of my back. His touch made me want to die while his smell made me want to throw my guts out.
"It wasn't that hard was it Ophelia? Ah..." he begins catching his breath as his sweat falls onto my body, "Don't look like that dear, I know you loved it as much as I did," he stated as he fixed his attire slightly. Without any remorse, he leaves the room, leaving me exposed, lying half-naked in the bed, without any force left inside.
I don't remember anything else after that. My conscious finally gave in and I was thrown into the world of dreams, except that, this time, the only thing I saw was nothing but bright red.
The next morning arrived and the maids woke me up. None of them looked shocked from my attire, or even from what happened. That's when I knew that they were the ones that allowed this to happen.
A bath was prepared for me and a doctor called to tend to my wounds. Due to Terrel's punches, I had to drink fluids for a whole week as my mouth was too sore open. During the bath, I sent the maids away and ended up washing my body myself. I don't remember how many hours I stayed in that water crying and rubbing my body over and over again as I kept on feeling the necessity to peel off my disgusting skin.
Just like Terrel had said, I felt like a whore. I couldn't forget his touch, his smell, his voice. I couldn't forget him, no matter how much I struggled to, how much I wanted to. I was nothing more than a piece of garbage that had lost his worth, a woman who became a whore because of a devil who escaped the world of Blasphemy.
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「 Back to the present 」
"Master?" I hear the slave's voice and notice I was gripping onto the recipient strongly.
"Yes?" instantly, I reply just to see the old lady waiting as she smiled, waiting for her payment.
"You can mix it with food or any liquid," she stretches her hand as I give her ten gold coins.
For a moment I thought I could question her regarding Duke Wharton's sudden symptoms but soon gave up on that idea. It isn't something I needed to bother myself with. We end up leaving the building and, as the sunlight is seen, the slave immediately covers his eyes. I knew that feeling, not seeing the light, becoming desperate due to the overwhelming darkness... That's what I felt when I was trapped in Terrel's cellar.
"Let's get you something to eat," I begin walking and he follows me quietly.