I Became A Slave To The Mastermind

"Guards!!!! Take this woman away immediately!!!"

Crunch!

"You…you wretch!!! Do you even know who I am!!?"

Boom!

"Wait!! Don't…don't do this, let's talk! Let's talk it out!! Aaaagh!!"

Boom!

"Alright! I'll do whatever you want, so please stop!!!"

Smack! Smack!

"Urgh…! I'm sorry… I'm so sorry… Please, just spare me this once…"

Ah. That felt refreshing.

From the moment this guy kept giving me those smoldering glances, I felt anger bubbling up inside.

So, when I hit him without mercy, it felt like a weight was lifted off my chest.

When I looked down, Gorjan was kneeling before me, begging for his life.

'…Did I go too far?'

Seeing Gorjan with tears and snot streaming down his face, rubbing his hands together desperately, I felt a slight pang of guilt.

Come to think of it, he hadn't really done anything wrong.

But remembering how he had looked at me like easy prey… It was better to assert my dominance from the start.

I glanced to the side and saw Dania staring at me, a bit flustered.

"Hera… this seems a bit…"

"Sis. The important thing is not to be underestimated. This guy looked like the type who could backstab us at any moment."

"Sniff…No… I wasn't thinking that—"

"And didn't you notice how he was looking at us earlier? It was definitely a lecherous gaze."

"No… I was just trying to gauge your expression…"

"All I hear is buzzing. Is there a mosquito nearby?"

"Gasp!"

When I lightly stomped my foot on the ground, Gorjan flinched and started scrambling away in a panic.

Dania sighed and looked at Gorjan with pity in her eyes.

"If you say so… then I guess that's how it is…"

From then on, everything progressed smoothly.

Gorjan agreed to all of our demands in exchange for securing power in the West, and he promised to start executing the plan as early as tomorrow.

He also begged us never to come back.

Feeling a little guilty, I asked if there was anything I could do to help, and he asked if we could deal with some monsters that had been appearing recently.

Dealing with monsters was no problem. As long as they weren't disaster-level, I could take them down without breaking a sweat.

'Indeed, talking things out is the best way to resolve problems.'

In the end, it was a deal that made both of us happy. Gorjan was in tears from relief, and I left with a clear conscience.

After finishing up, Dania and I headed back.

"They're selling people…"

Dania murmured softly, her voice low, probably recalling what had just happened.

I had asked Gorjan earlier what kind of goods Drax dealt with when trading with other regions, and his answer was people.

Not just any people, but criminals.

Drax is currently notorious as a haven for criminals, but it turns out that this reputation didn't arise naturally. It was intentionally spread.

It was part of a covert scheme between Drax and the Empire to lure in criminals fleeing the Empire.

Each year, countless criminals sneak into Drax, and the local kings kidnap them, selling them as slaves to the Empire.

They profit both from the bounties and from the slaves' value.

And because it's a lawless land, no one really notices when a few people suddenly go missing.

Once transported to the Empire, the criminals have their memories erased and are condemned to a lifetime of labor.

'I had no idea there was such a backstory.'

In the novel, Drax was only briefly mentioned in a few lines describing a character's past.

I never would have guessed it was secretly in cahoots with the Empire. Perhaps reality differs from the novel.

Clearing my mind of unnecessary thoughts, I tried to reassure Dania.

"They're all serious criminals, anyway."

If they had committed crimes severe enough to flee the Empire, they must have at least been murderers.

There was no need to feel sympathy for those kinds of criminals.

"Still, it's a bit scary to think that people are disappearing without a trace in our town…"

Dania spoke with a faint, sorrowful smile.

Was she thinking of Lily?

"It's okay, Sis. They said they'd strengthen security. And if anything happens, I'll be here."

"Oh my… That's reassuring."

As we chatted away, we soon arrived back at the house.

The sky had already grown dark.

"It took longer than I thought."

"Lily must have been waiting for us."

"That's right."

***

As Dania replied and opened the door to the house, someone rushed over and threw themselves into her arms.

"Sis! Why did you come back so late?"

Dania gently stroked Lily's hair as she spoke in a soft voice.

"I'm sorry… I'll make you your favorite dinner instead."

"…Okay."

After finishing her conversation with Dania, Lily quickly turned her head and looked at me.

Her sharp gaze made me shrink back a little.

"Uh… Hi, Lily?"

"…"

"Did you wait long?.. But nothing happened, so you don't have to worry!"

It was my secret message to Lily, telling her that nothing happened between me and Dania.

Lily's expression softened, seemingly understanding my meaning.

"I've decided on my wish…"

Wish?

Oh. I had promised to grant her one wish when I returned.

I had thought lightly of it, but Lily didn't seem to.

"Really? What's your wish?"

"A bath."

"Huh?"

"Please take a bath with me."

Dania's eyes, which had been watching from the side, suddenly started to tremble violently.

***

"Should I go in, Lily?"

I followed Lily into the bathroom. There, my pure white naked body came into view again.

But, perhaps because I had seen it once before, I didn't feel as flustered as I had previously.

"Yes…"

Lily, her face bright red, spoke softly. Was she feeling hot due to the bathroom's temperature?

As we entered the bathroom further, there was a bathtub that seemed just large enough for one adult male to lie down in.

'Just as Lily said.'

Earlier, Dania had desperately pleaded to join us too.

"No, sis. The bathtub is too small."

Lily rejected her with a firm tone.

Dania, upon being refused, looked shocked and mumbled something along the lines of,

"I'll have to ask Gorjan… for a bathroom extension…"

It seemed she had really wanted to bath with us.

sigh

Looking at the size of the tub, it was clear that it was indeed impossible for three people to fit. Even with just Lily and me, we would have to overlap to barely fit inside.

'But maybe it's for the best…'

If Dania had come into the bathroom with us, I would have been staring at the floor the entire time.

Could I have maintained my composure after seeing Dania's overwhelming body?

If I let my guard down for even a moment, my gaze would inevitably have drifted toward her chest.

That would have been very rude to Dania.

Pushing aside the inappropriate thoughts that kept creeping into my mind, I slowly lowered myself into the bathtub.

"Haaa…"

'Ah… this feels so nice…'

As I submerged myself in the warm water, a sound escaped from my body without me even realizing it.

How long had it been since my last bath?

Even before being possessed, I hadn't taken baths often.

Aside from the occasional trip to the sauna with friends, I had always opted for quick showers instead of lengthy baths.

Perhaps that was why this warm sensation enveloping my entire body felt so soothing, as if it was washing away all the fatigue that had built up over time.

"Lily, come in quickly."

I called out to Lily, who was hesitating in front of the tub, and as if mesmerized, she slowly stepped into the tub and sat on top of me.

With Lily sitting on my lap, her shoulders naturally came into view just in front of my face.

I rested my chin on her shoulder and asked,

"Is the water temperature okay?"

"Eep?!"

Lily jolted in surprise at my words. She looked like she was squirming, as if something was tickling her.

"What's wrong? Are you uncomfortable?"

"N… No!.. Just… stay like this for a moment…"

Ah, could it be that?

I remember when I was younger, soaking in a hot bath would sometimes make me feel like my body was being tickled by the heat.

I would squirm around, trying to adjust to the water temperature.

Thinking that Lily was doing the same thing to get used to the water, I quietly stayed still as she requested.

Soon, she seemed to settle down and began to lean comfortably against me.

To make Lily more comfortable, I gently embraced her stomach and pulled her toward me.

"Hehe…"

Perhaps the warm sensation surrounding her body felt good, as there was a happy smile beneath her blushing cheeks.

'She's a girl who smiles so much…'

I thought of Lily, who in the novel had such an empty expression.

Having lived a life of mechanical repetition, she seemed like someone who lived because she couldn't die.

Although she showed emotions a few times after meeting the protagonist, most of those emotions were dark and obsessive.

I don't think Lily ever smiled happily many times.

Originally, I had no intention of interfering with the heroines, but now that I've formed a connection with Lily, I won't just stand by and watch her grow up unhappily like in the novel.

In just three years, Lily will enter the academy and make new friends, having many enjoyable experiences.

Although I felt a sudden pang of annoyance thinking about her getting along with Robin, he's still a kind and righteous character, so he won't neglect Lily.

Do well, Robin. If you make Lily cry, I won't let it slide.

As I made this fierce resolve towards the protagonist, I felt Lily's body stir on top of me.

Lily turned her body to face me.

Naturally, her image came into view.

With an expression that seemed to suggest she wanted something, her gaze was fixed on me with an inscrutable look in her eyes.

Suddenly, the atmosphere began to change.

"Hera Unnie."

"Uh-huh?"

Lily was staring intently at me, and for some reason, I couldn't take my eyes off her strange gaze.

"I'm going to kiss you."

It wasn't a request, it was a statement.

The atmosphere felt different from usual, and I was starting to feel confused.

A kiss… now? It's not that I hate it, but…

Lily and I had exchanged light kisses as greetings before.

There was nothing I couldn't do for her, but the situation felt a bit puzzling.

However, knowing Lily's lonely nature, I closed my eyes without saying anything and moved my face toward her cheek—

Smooch—

"Huh?"

What I felt wasn't a cheek but a much wetter sensation.

When I opened my eyes, my lips were pressed against Lily's lips.

"L-Lily?! What is this—"

Startled, I quickly pushed Lily away from me, but she was breathing heavily and staring at me.

"What's wrong, Unnie?"

"What… what do you mean?! The lips… the lips…"

Is she too young to understand? Despite the fact that our lips had touched, Lily didn't seem flustered at all.

"Huh? We're both girls, so what's strange about it?"

Lily gave me a puzzled look, as if I were the one acting weird.

What… nothing strange…?

Ah… no, wait… Even between girls… don't they usually not kiss on the lips? Or do they?

My head started spinning.

Before I was possessed, I had been a man, so I didn't know much about physical affection between girls.

But, unlike men who would recoil even at an accidental touch, I recalled that women often engaged in various forms of skinship without hesitation.

Even just walking down the street, I'd seen women linking arms, holding hands, or resting their heads on each other's shoulders.

'But I've never seen them kiss on the lips??'

Not knowing where the boundary for skinship lay, I started wondering if kissing on the lips was really acceptable as Lily claimed.

'Come to think of it, I think I've seen videos of girls playfully kissing each other…'

Plus, this isn't Earth but the world of the Indomitable Hero.

Maybe the common sense I knew could be wrong here.

"I-Is that so?"

"Of course. I don't understand why you're so flustered, Unnie."

"O-Okay… sorry. I didn't know."

When I admitted my mistake, Lily smiled softly and came closer to me again.

Smooch—

Once again, Lily's lips touched mine.

"From now on, kiss me on the lips."

"Uh… okay… I will…"

Well, at least I know now. If I'd remained ignorant, I could have found myself in a much more awkward situation later.

Even though it was embarrassing, part of me was relieved.

As the heat began to rise in my body, I slowly pulled myself out of the bath.

"Then… I'll wash up first and head out. Lily, are you going to stay a bit longer?"

"No."

Lily quietly followed me out of the bath.

As she approached me, an inexplicable pressure seemed to tighten around my body.

Lily, now standing in front of me, grabbed my wrist and—

"Eek?"

"I'll wash you, Unnie."

She looked at me with eyes like a predator staring at its prey.