Ah...
"..."
Uh...
"..."
Where am I?
"..."
Am I dead? The last thing I remember...
"..."
The young master... he touched me... and...
"..."
What happened to me?
"..."
I'm in the darkness, again. I'm lost, and I don't know where I'm going. I feel an abyss. Lior feels an abyss. Why am I in the void? Will I die? At last?
I can't feel my feet or my head. Lior is incomplete in a world of nothingness. I am something that shouldn't be here, yet always ends up arriving one way or another.
Objects always break, but they are rebuilt. They put me together, and put me together, and put me together again. I never rest, but even so, it's not so bad. I'm still alive, and that's enough for me. I don't want to die because that hurts too much, so I'd rather suffer while alive.
"..."
I don't understand the direction I'm facing, but I feel that someone is watching me. I'm something no one cares about, right? Chiyo left me behind, and everyone else left me behind too. My family is no longer here—that's something I've already accepted.
I can't go back to the past, so I have to adapt. I have to get used to it.
"Ah..."
I don't know why I'm thinking this...
Am I waking up? I can't see anything around me, but...
A light...
White...
I'm seeing it with eyes I don't have, feeling it without a body. My soul is being touched.
I'm going to wake up...
I will wake up...
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
[Lior: Ah...]
"..."
[???: Hello, Lior.]
"..."
Lior was awake. His eyes opened as he stared ahead, his head still processing all of his senses.
"..."
[???: Lior... ?]
"..."
He felt himself resting against something—it seemed he was in his bed. In front of him was his nightstand beside a mirror; his uniform was also laid there. His hands were beneath the blankets, and a damp towel rested on his forehead.
"..."
[???: Lior.]
"..."
A voice was beside him, someone with a soft, delicate tone, whose presence was undeniably comforting. He turned his head slightly, using the little strength he had upon waking.
"..."
[???: Hello, Lior. H-how did you sleep?]
"..."
There was a girl with dark bluish hair, her steady gaze fixed on Lior.
The young girl had long, thick hair, her bangs somewhat messy, and her round eyes were the same color as her hair. Her skin was pale and fair. In height she was about the same as Lior, her body thin and not properly nourished. What stood out the most were a pair of not-too-large, curled horns near her coif, emerging from beneath the covering of her frontal hair. Her expression was worried and gentle.
"..."
[Blue-haired girl: Lior... you're feeling better, right? When Luciana went to get you, you looked really bad.]
[Lior: ...]
[Blue-haired girl: So when I saw you, I stayed here. I had already finished all my chores. Luciana had to run an errand with Lady Leslie.]
[Lior: ...]
"..."
The blue-haired girl looked genuinely worried about Lior; her eyes showed sincerity and trust.
[Blue-haired girl: Answer me, Lior. Please.]
[Lior: ...]
"..."
[Blue-haired girl: ...]
"..."
[Lior: Tina...]
"..."
[Tina: Ah... Lior, you're feeling better, right?]
"..."
Her reaction was immediate. She was Tina—though her full name was Titiana, that's what everyone called her affectionately. Her reaction was the same as always; the way she spoke was perpetually worried and gentle.
[Lior: Yes... I'm fine... Tina...]
[Tina: Ah...]
"..."
Lior moved to sit up on the bed and adjust himself properly, his gaze fixed on Tina, who was in front of him. She was sitting on a small stool that had been brought into the room earlier. This was due to Lior's constant collapses throughout the year, and because of the consideration some of the servants here had for him.
Tina was one of them, though to be clear, Tina was closer to him than the others.
Usually, the two of them run errands together, since due to their build and height, their work is not as physically demanding compared to the others.
Although Lior has an extra duty that Tina does not have...
[Lior: Uhm?]
Lior looked down at his body. His torso was completely wrapped in bandages; his wounds seemed to have closed. Lior had been subjected to multiple lashings across his back over the past four days. His body was weak and damaged, and on top of that, his last task had finished him off.
[Tina: I'll bring you some bread. Miss Chiyo should already be handing them out.]
[Lior: Huh? No... I'll go get it myself, nya. I just need to get dressed and go downstairs.]
[Tina: Are you sure? I don't think your legs can support your weight right now.]
[Lior: ...]
Well, Tina is right...
[Lior: But... still, it'll help my legs regain some strength, nya.]
[Tina: ...]
[Lior: Besides... this isn't the first time this has happened, right?]
[Tina: ...]
She stared at Lior with a conflicted, worried look.
[Tina: But—]
[Lior: It's fine. I can do it.]
[Tina: ...]
[Lior: ...]
[Tina: I don't like the way you act. Just stay still and let me bring you some bread. All those blows to your back must still hurt.]
[Lior: ...]
[Tina: And you haven't eaten in days. You don't have enough strength to even stand up.]
Tina was the voice of reason. Lior was in a very delicate and difficult situation, so he shouldn't push himself more than necessary. His body would give in with just a small shove.
[Lior: It's okay, I can do it. It may be true that my body... is in pretty bad shape and all. But—]
[Tina: But what? Don't be stubborn, just listen to me and—]
"..."
[Lior: ...]
[Tina: ...]
A persuasive look… Tina saw it in Lior's eyes. His eyes were screaming, "Please, Tina, you know Lior is a good boy." She fell straight into the trap.
[Tina: Fine, then. I'll wait outside. If anything happens, just call me, okay?]
[Lior: Yes, d-don't worry. Lior will call you.]
"..."
After all that conversation, Tina stood up from the seat she had been sitting on. Her worried gaze lingered on Lior, but she knew that against his stubbornness, there was nothing she could do.
Tina headed for the door to leave the room. Just as she had said, she would stand off to the side and wait for Lior outside. She left, and at last, Lior was alone.
[Lior: Ah... I guess the clothes got torn, and she sewed them back up for me.]
At the moment, Lior was half-naked. The maid uniform was laid out on the small table in front of him. Tina usually took care of things like that.
[Lior: Well, I have to get dressed.]
Lior stood up from the bed—or rather, he tried to. His arms trembled as he struggled to support himself. He looked at himself and frowned; his attempt to stand didn't seem very effective. Gathering the little strength left in his limbs, he pushed himself up from the bed. His legs turned inward, and one hand braced against the mattress as he remained half-bent.
He walked unsteadily, trembling as he made his way toward his clothes. His body still hadn't fully recovered, but even so, he wanted to walk out and go eat. He didn't like depending on the people around him, so he always pushed himself to manage on his own.
"..."
He grabbed his uniform and prepared to get dressed.
The harness and his underwear were obviously already on, so all he had left was to put on the dress and the rest.
[Lior: ...]
First, he put on the dress, adjusting it carefully so it would look decent. He did this cautiously so as not to fall, occasionally holding onto the small table in front of him.
Then, Lior picked up the apron that went over the dress's black skirt, along with a corset, which he tightened firmly around himself. His thin abdomen was drawn in even more with the corset on, but that was simply part of what his uniform required. He put on a black choker with a small golden tag at his neck—this one had been given to him by Akuma. Lior disliked that last item very much.
Finally, Lior took the coif and placed it on his head, along with both white gloves on his hands. He checked himself carefully in the room's mirror, looking himself over and adjusting the parts that seemed off. He straightened his shoulders and slightly adjusted the corset, as well as the sleeves of the dress and its white chest panel. Everything was fine—everything was correct now.
His uniform was ready and complete. Now he just had to walk to the exit of the room and—
[Lior: KYA!]
Plack!
Lior fell face-first onto the floor.
Crank!
[Tina: Lior?! Did something happen?!]
[Lior: Ah... n-no, nothing. I just fell because I lost my balance, nya...]
"..."
Tina burst into Lior's room. She had heard a loud impact from outside, so she hurried in as fast as she could. There, she found the cat boy sprawled on the floor.
[Tina: Lior, I told you not to push yourself.]
[Lior: But—]
[Tina: Be quiet. I'll go get it myself.]
Tina moved closer to Lior and helped him sit up as she spoke. She looked like an older sister scolding her younger brother.
[Lior: Yes... but—]
[Tina: Stay here. I don't want you to get lost. My cat got lost too and never came back, you know?]
[Lior: Hey, I'm a demi-human. I'm not just an animal that acts on instinct. There are a lot of differences between a demi-human cat like me and a normal animal cat, you know, nya?]
[Tina: Yes, yes. You keep talking. I'll be right back.]
[Lior: Mhññmm...]
Lior puffed out his cheeks, but Tina paid it no mind. She quickly left the room, her steps brisk and graceful, carrying the refined gait of a maid.
Lior was left sitting alone on his bed, looking around him. This had been his bed for a year after arriving at this mansion. Or rather, this had been his room ever since he came to this world.
Lior had reincarnated as a demi-human more than a year ago. Time flew by, and he hadn't even noticed it. His daily worries left him no room to think about such things. Every single day of the past year was hard to recount—they were always the same, so there was nothing interesting about them. Sometimes a day would be different and throw Lior off, just like what happened on the day of the party.
Lior's body certainly wasn't the same as before; it could be said that it had grown stronger over time. The mansion remained the same, and nothing had changed. He had met new people these days, such as Titiana or Luciana. Chiyo was very busy with other matters and never had time to be with Lior. On top of that, Lior himself had severe obligations during the day, given to him either in the morning or at night before going to bed.
It wasn't a very perfect life, honestly. Sometimes Lior was punished, among other things. Like the time he spilled a bucket of water onto the clean floor and was left without food for the entire day, while also being forced to stay up until dawn cleaning the floor all over again. Or that other time when his body was left destroyed on the second day after arriving here.
It was a difficult job, not a pleasant one, and continuing forward depended solely on oneself. Lior's body usually hurt and collapsed repeatedly. Those things weren't nice and they hurt a lot, but he couldn't do anything about it because that was just how it was. Every time he thought about the past, his head started to hurt for some reason.
He still remembered those days with his family, without any worries. But… ever since he arrived here, he had done nothing but receive orders and be treated like an object whenever the master desired it. Lior hated that deeply, and it was very ugly. He wasn't happy with that treatment—it was very unfair.
Chiyo said that getting used to it was the only way, but that kind of habit was very hard to accept. Lior had tried and tried and tried, and his body kept hurting and kept hurting and kept hurting. There was no reason to go on like this—it was disgusting and not nice at all. Lior's body hurt, and it hurt a lot.
Now he himself was wrapped in bandages all around his torso because of the multiple wounds on his back. His face hadn't been touched by order of the master, but even so, those wounds hurt terribly. Lior's arm moved with difficulty because the bone connected to it pressed against the skin, making the wounds burn with every movement. On top of that, his arms were also damaged from Akuma's struggles, and when he pulled on the collar around Lior's neck, Lior was left without oxygen.
That hurt a lot, and it was unbearable, and it was ugly, and I don't like it, and when I try, the master pulls my tail and the pain is overwhelming, and Lior feels it, and it hurts him so much, and he collapses, and his body can't take it, and it hurts and it hurts and it goes on, the same sensation, the same, the same, ugly, no more, no more, please.
That… that…
It hurts, Lior hurts! Let go! Let go! Please, no! It hurts so much, so much, so much, so much! Master, please stop! I don't want to feel that! No, not now, I'm not ready! Let me go, please! It hurts! It hurts, hurts, hurts, hurts!
That… THAT!
LIOR DOESN'T WANT TO SUFFER, PLEASE! TAKE IT AWAY! IT'S HORRIBLE, IT'S HORRIBLE! IT HURTS TOO MUCH, PLEASE STOP! STOP, STOP! I DON'T WANT IT, PLEASE! LIOR DOESN'T LIKE IT! LIOR DOESN'T LIKE IT! PLEASE! LET GO! HELP! HELP PLEASE! HELP—
[Tina: LIOR!]
"..."
...
"..."
[Tina: God, what's wrong with you?!]
[Lior: Ah...]
[Tina: Calm down, ca-calm down!]
"..."
[Tina: Calm down, it's okay, there's no one here. It's just me.]
[Lior: Eh? T-Tina...]
[Tina: Calm down, no one is hurting you.]
[Lior: Tina...]
[Tina: Lior, what happened? Why did you start screaming? When I came in, you started saying strange things and then suddenly you panicked.]
[Lior: ...]
[Tina: Ah... God... why? What happened to you?]
[Lior: ...]
[Tina: This... you can't just do things like that out of nowhere. Please, calm down.]
[Lior: ...]
"..."
[Tina: Uhm... Ah... calm down...]
[Lior: ...]
"..."
[Tina: Lylia! Come here, please!]
[Lior: ...]
"..."
[Tina: Lylia! Ah... damn it...]
[Lior: ?]
"..."
[Tina: Lylia! Bring some water! Lior isn't feeling well!]
[Lior: ...]
"..."
[Tina: Lylia!]
[???: Alright, calm down, Tina! I'll go get it! Stop yelling!]
[Tina: You're the one who doesn't answer! Bring it quickly!]
[Lior: ...]
"..."
[Lylia: I'm coming!]
"..."
...
"..."
After shouting at Lylia, Tina returned to Lior. She sat on the small stool in front of him, holding his cheek.
[Tina: God, Lior. You're okay, right? You're better now, right?]
[Lior: ...]
[Tina: Um... uh... ah, right. Here.]
Tina handed Lior a piece of bread.
[Lior: ...]
[Tina: Eat, slowly. Lylia will bring you a glass of water.]
[Lior: ...]
"..."
Lior looked at his bread. It was a round loaf, kneaded and warm. The golden color of its crust showed it was well baked, just right. It was a simple, tasty bread that was usually his second meal of the day. He looked at it while holding it with both hands, the latter covered by his white gloves. It smelled really good.
[Lior: Nyam... mhmm...]
[Tina: ...]
[Lior: Nyahm... nhmm...]
[Tina: ...]
[Lior: Mhmm...]
[Tina: ...]
Tina watched Lior eat. The cat boy was completely absorbed in his food, savoring every small bite. She turned to look at the door—it was supposed to be only a moment before Lylia arrived.
[Lior: Mnhmm...]
[Tina: Lior...]
[Lior: Nyam?]
[Tina: How are you feeling?]
Lior was eating his bread, but Tina's question interrupted him. She was looking toward the door of the room.
[Lior: Ah... f-fine... why? What happened, Tina, nya?]
[Tina: ...]
Tina turned back to look at Lior.
[Tina: ...]
[Lior: ?]
[Tina: No... it's nothing...]
Tina looked Lior straight in the eyes.
[Tina: It's nothing, Lior...]
[Lior: ...]
"..."
[Lior: Nyam...]
"..."
[???: I brought it.]
[Tina: Huh? Ah... it's you, Lylia.]
Lylia was an elf with long white hair. She usually wore glasses, and her front hairstyle was parted to the sides with a single strand falling down the middle. She was a bit taller than Lior and Tina. Her skin was pale, and her gaze was an emerald green. Her body was well endowed, more so in the back than the front. She was another maid among the group who cared about Lior.
"..."
[Lylia: Yes... how is Lior?]
[Tina: Well... here he is.]
[Lylia: Mhm... those days locked away didn't do him any good.]
[Tina: Well, I think that's obvious. It's been a long time since he's had a panic attack this bad. I left him alone just for a moment and—]
Both of them looked at Lior. The cat boy was eating, completely focused on his food. He wasn't paying attention to the others at all.
"..."
[Tina: This is how he is...]
"..."
[Lylia: ...]
"..."
Lylia looked at Tina. She was the girl most attached to Lior; they were usually seen together when ordering, cleaning, and scrubbing. Since every maid was evaluated by her physique to be used for such purposes, the two of them always ended up with similar or identical tasks. Tina looked deeply worried.
[Tina: ...]
[Lylia: ...]
The two of them watched the black-haired cat boy. He was a rather simple, functional boy. His body was thin and malnourished, yet that didn't change the fact that he might be the one who put in the most effort inside the mansion. Before, it had been Chiyo—but now, sadly, it was him. Chiyo's build was different; Lior simply couldn't endure it. Ever since he arrived at this mansion, he had been criticized and kept at a distance. Perhaps they were the only ones who truly worried about him, along with Luciana and, sometimes, Chiyo.
Doing this to such a poor boy was a miserable and horrifically cruel act. And yet… they couldn't do anything against the young master. They were simple slaves, nothing more than objects in the eyes of society. And Lior… tragically stood at the very bottom of it all. Chiyo had risen from there, but Lior simply wasn't made for this—his mind and body couldn't withstand it. His bad luck had brought him here, to this side of the world, to the worst fate he could have possibly drawn.
"..."
If only no one had to go through this. Tina had suffered a similar fate, but nothing as brutal as Lior's. Lylia, on the other hand, had generally been bought for her body—throughout her years, that had been her role. This time, it was mere coincidence that she hadn't had to assume it. Watching that boy be corrupted over the course of an entire year was simply exhausting… and sad.
It hurt to see him like this. It hurt to see the cat boy be this way and have to act like this. Someone who had arrived at first with a sincere attempt at a smile, only to receive the worst treatment from the man of punishment. It was simply… sad.
[Lior: Nyam... nyahmhmm...]
Watching him eat so innocently, knowing everything he had been through, was such a—
Horrible
contrast.
Nothing was going to take him out of here, unless the master sold him. And even if the master did sell him… where would he end up? He didn't deserve this treatment. Just—please, take him out of this nightmare.
[Tina: ...]
[Lylia: Um… here, Tina. I forgot to give you the water.]
[Tina: Ah? Uh… yes, leave it there, on that nightstand.]
[Lylia: ...]
She stared intently at Tina's head, her gaze resting on her before she closed her eyes. Lylia simply limited herself to placing the glass on the nightstand beside them. She set it down carefully, not wanting to disturb the demon maid in front of her. Tina was simply watching Lior, her eyes fixed closely on him.
[Lylia: Well, Tina… I'll take my leave. I need to go bathe and—]
[Tina: Yes, it's fine. I understand, Lylia… go ahead.]
[Lylia: ...]
Lylia stayed looking at Tina for a little while longer. She thought about what she could do—even if it was useless, perhaps it would help. No one could know what was going on in her mind at that moment, nor could anyone truly know what was happening inside Lior's head. There was nothing left but to assume, and generally, such assumptions in matters like this were rarely accurate. It wasn't worth thinking about.
[Lylia: ...]
She turned as she took a step forward. She walked toward the exit, her gaze fixed ahead without looking back. She took hold of the handle of the open door. There was nothing more to be done.
[Lylia: ...]
She turned once more to look at that sad blue-haired girl. She also looked at that recently violated boy. Her gaze dropped, and she swallowed. Finally, she left the room, without closing the door whose handle she had already touched.
There… inside the room…
There remained a lonely girl with a glass of water at her side, and a boy with the appearance of a woman, sitting and eating freshly baked bread.
There they were, the two of them…
Maids of the House of Eidoriku…
"..."