"Sister Lynne, I have a feeling you're not truly a slave. Where did you cfrom?" Chiya inquired.
"I was originally the heiress of a large clan in Yomi-no-kuni. My clan was destroyed during a war, and my servant and I were captured and turned into slaves," Lily explained.
"Then you…" Chiya, appearing worried as she helped Lily to her feet, continued, "You said you were captured by your enemies. Could it be that you have…"
Lily shook her head. "I suppose I'm lucky, all things considered. I was captured by women during that war before being sold to the slave trader."
"Female soldiers can also… Ah, forget it. Let's move on. Based on what you've said, are you still a virgin?"
Lily really didn't want to answer such a question, yet she couldn't lie. Thus, she nodded, slightly embarrassed.
Chiya appeared even more pleased as she stared at Lily1, noting her incredible beauty and purity.
"Lynne," Chiya said as she grasped Lily's shoulders and gently caressed them, looking into her eyes. "You have suffered greatly, and similarly, I have the grueling task of protecting the Female Queendom. I've been fighting wars for many years and have barely survived to this day. As women, maintaining our integrity in a place like Yomi is exceedingly difficult."
"You are right, General Chiya. Thank you for rescuing me," Lily responded, bowing.
"Lynne, for sreason, I feel as if… somewhere… I've seen you before. But this should be impossible. It feels like a very long tago. Your face lingers in my mind incessantly. It feels like you're truly important."
Lily raised her head to glance at Chiya, who was also strikingly beautiful. Despite her considerable influence and domineering nature, she retained the appearance of a mature woman, which suited Lily's tastes. However, Lily had no recollection of having met her before.
"General Chiya, I'm afraid you might be mistakingfor someone else, no? How could we have met before?" Lily ventured.
"That's true… I don't know what's gotten intotoday. Could it be that you're simply too beautiful, Sister Lynne? Perhaps that's why I was so mesmerized?"
"Huh? Well…"
"Anyway, I know you've suffered greatly, Lynne. You must be tired," Chiya declared, then called out, "Come, lead Miss Lynne to the baths and change her clothes. Let her rest."
The two maids who entered couldn't help feeling envious when they saw Lily. However, upon realizing that Lily was a slave, they grabbed her and spoke harshly, "Come! Follow us. We'll arrange your accommodations."
"Wait!" Chiya shouted at the maids. She walked over and delivered a slap to each of them.
This incident left Lily feeling embarrassed.
Chiya said, "Although I bought Miss Lynne, she's no ordinary slave. You all must treat her with respect, as if she's the master! Do you understand?"
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtDespite being slapped, the maids blushed fully, as if being punished by Chiya was a reward for them.
Both maids knelt down. "Forgive us, master. However, this situation is unprecedented. Please provide clear guidance so we do not inadvertently defy your wishes2. We are willing to accept punishment but do not want to disrupt your plans."
Chiya felt helpless. The maids seemed to enjoy their punishment, making it difficult to discipline them effectively. "Then consider Miss Lynne as my future wife. You must treat her as the future madam of the residence3. Understand?"
"Huh?" The maids becexcited and couldn't help but glance at Lily with joy.
"What are you doing? Stop whispering and hurry up. Take Miss Lynne away," Chiya said, shaking her head helplessly.
"Yes!"
"Please forgive our earlier mishap. Please follow us, future madam."
"Huh?"
Lily was then gently escorted to the bathhouse. She was filled with trepidation, uncertain about what Chiya truly meant. Was it a metaphor, or was it the truth?
She hoped it was a metaphor, as it would be troublesotherwise. How could she ever escape if she were stuck in the General's residence? Yet, it was unusual for someone to use such a metaphor.
Lily received assistance while bathing, and they even prepared clothes for her. However, Lily refused since she had her own. Despite being a slave, she held onto her storage pouch. This was not unusual, as slaves in Yomi were often experts themselves. Masters typically allowed them to retain their belongings in storage pouches for personal use or to perform missions. This was considered normal.
Typically, items provided by the master were inspected, and all restricted items were removed.
The slave trader did not realize that Lily was pretending to be a slave and thus had not confiscated her possessions beforehand. Similarly, Chiya had no intention of doing so.
After all, as an absolute powerhouse who had paid five thousand Blood Spirit Magatama for Lily, why would she concern herself with the items carried by Lily, who was merely a Big Dipper?
Lily changed into a white kimono with red maple leaf embroidery and was given a small house in the inner courtyard with a beautiful view. Soon after, Hyozuhi arrived wearing a bathrobe. Upon learning that she was Lily's servant, they brought her over to serve Lily as well.
However, Chiya was not present. When Lily inquired, the maid informed her that she had gone out.
Over the next few days, the maids treated Lily as if she were the madam of the household. Despite the whispers behind her back, they maintained a respectful demeanor in her presence.
This treatment made Lily increasingly uneasy.
Chiya had been absent for several days, apparently handling military affairs at a distance. Nonetheless, her earlier comments suggested that her intention in purchasing Lily might indeed have been to marry her.
Yet, it was still unclear if this was indeed true.
Understandably, Lily was not permitted to leave the residence. She had once expressed a desire to go shopping, but this request was denied.
After all, she had been purchased for a substantial sum. Lily knew she could not fault Chiya for restricting her freedom.
"But still, what's her purpose in buying me? Am I supposed to stay here?" Lily couldn't help but question.
"Calm down, master. In my opinion, General Chiya really likes you. Maybe she's actually planning to marry you, Master. If that happens, you'll becthe actual madam of the household, and I'll get to share the glory too. By then, you won't be lonely every single night and even…" Hyozuhi held Lily's hand, trying earnestly to comfort her.
"Huh? Hyozuhi, what are you saying, you little brat? I… I'm not looking forward to that. Do you think I want that? If you don't stop talking nonsense, I'll punish you!" Lily said, clearly irritated.
"If you want to punish me, go ahead, master. It's been a long tsince I was punished, and I actually miss it!"
"You… You're just trying to annoy me, aren't you? Fine, chere!"
Lily was bored from being stuck indoors. With nothing else to do, she decided she might as well spank her servant4.
A few more days passed. She had no update on the other maidens who took the trial. Deep in frustration, Chiya eventually returned.
"Miss Lynne, the master summons you," a maid cto report.
"Really?" Lily's face slightly blushed, feeling a tinge of excitement. After all, she had been left alone for far too long.
Nevertheless, she wasn't careless. She dressed in red robes and applied detailed makeup before going to meet Chiya.
The first thing she saw was Chiya sitting and drinking alcohol, with several Yomi Blade Maidens dancing in front of her and female musicians performing in the corner.
Lily greeted Chiya with a bow.
"Miss Lynne, I've been handling military affairs these days and couldn't spend twith you. How have you been?" Chiya inquired.
"Thanks to your generosity, General Chiya, I'm doing really well."
"Calm, pourwine," Chiya instructed.
"……"
"What's wrong?"
Lily felt somewhat upset, but she understood the role she had to play. She remained obedient and knelt beside Chiya to pour her wine.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm"Mm-hmm. The wine you pour definitely tastes different," Chiya said, taking a sip. "Come, Lynne, you drink too."
"Huh? No, no, I'm not good at drinking."
"Even if you're not good at it, you have to. This is excellent wine from the Female Queendom. It's also very beneficial to your training," she said as she pulled Lily into her arms and made her sit on her lap. The soft sensation Lily felt on her butt and back mesmerized her.
"Come, I'll feed you," Chiya said as she raised Lily's face with one hand and fed her wine with the other.
With that, Lily couldn't resist. She knew spilling the wine would be very disrespectful. She could only resist slightly as she was force-fed a cup of wine. Since she was reluctant, sof the liquid dribbled down her lips, making her feel even worse.
"You're doing really well. Come, have another…"
"No, no, I can't drink anymore…"
"Just one more drink."
Lily had no idea how much wine she had consumed while in that daze. Her face was flushed, and her gaze was vacant as she felt dizzy. This was no ordinary wine. This was clear wine from the Female Queendom, named Gentle Femininity.
Even Yomi powerhouses would be intoxicated by it, let alone Lily.
Feeling awful, she couldn't maintain her posture and instinctively leaned onto Chiya. She could feel Chiya's hand resting on her waist and occasionally touching her hips. Despite her efforts to block it with her hands, she couldn't do much.
She knew she couldn't continue like this, as she was fighting a losing battle. Moreover, being intoxicated made her less mentally aware.
"No way… I must find a way," Lily thought dazedly.
Watching the dancers, she quickly cup with an idea and then spoke quietly, "Lord General, do you like this dance?"
"They are the dancers of my residence and are considered top tier in the Female Queendom, although they aren't comparable to those in the palace. What do you think, Miss Lynne?"
"Well, in my opinion, it seems… I think it's quite alright," Lily said somewhat awkwardly.
"Why? Based on what you said, it seems that you're not entirely satisfied, right?"
"That's not it. It's just that you are an important figure in the Kingdom, and you've worked so hard to fulfill your duty. You naturally deserve better dancers to serve and entertain you," Lily said deliberately in a pretentious tone.
"What? Since you said so, could it be that you know of better dancers out there?"
"I am not that skilled, but I've learned a few simple dances before. I'm willing to perform one for you, General Chiya."
"Really?" Chiya's face lit up with joy as she put her cup down. "Then dance forright now5."