~Warning: Contains Depictions of Violence, Readers Beware~
...
I had lived my life without expectations.
Despite being the first daughter, the heir to my father, a Count, I never experienced anything that showed he loved me.
No...
Rather, all I ever received from him were beatings.
If he was drunk and in a bad mood, he'd hit me until I was crawling on the floor.
When he lost on an investment, turned scam, he would grab me by the hair and drown me in a tub of cold water.
Every piece of bad luck he experienced, he blamed on me... including the fact that my mother left him for another man.
I... was tired of it all.
But then, one night, Father died.
It happened all of a sudden, without warning.
From what I heard, the retainers Father mistreated left him and took whatever they could with them... including secret ledgers that led to him being swallowed by debt.
To get back what he lost, Father worked harder than before, enough that he didn't even have time to go out drinking, or beat me to a pulp anymore.
But in the end, his hard work backfired.
He had a heart attack. And nobody realized his death until the next morning, when the maids couldn't find him in his room. By the time they found him, he was already a cold corpse.
With his sudden death, I automatically became the next family head, leading the County with my immature knowledge.
Of course, I knew it was futile.
No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't return all of Father's debts...
In the end, out of the 1,670 gold debt Father had, after working hard, selling everything I could, and doing all I could... I only paid back 1,669 gold. One gold short. Too close, yet too far...
Thus, accepting my fate, I became a debt slave.
As my position fell, the county was left in the hands of the royal family, since we didn't have any relatives who could take the role of Count after me.
A state manager was sent to handle things, but... that was no longer my concern.
Now, I'm just a slave, not a noble anymore.
A slave who, no matter how hard she tried, would never find happiness.
…
At least, that's what I thought...
Until I met Master Rex.
I don't know why he picked me, among all other slaves present.
Maybe because I have a rare complexion? Or because I'm a girl? Whatever the reason, I thought he was the same as my father, just another "noble."
"This dress looks cute on you!"
But this man went beyond my expectations.
He didn't hurt me, his slave, but rather showered me with praises. Bought expensive clothes for me to wear. And kept smiling whenever our eyes met.
Despite being six years younger than I am, he felt more like an adult than me.
When the kidnappers came, I thought it was the end. I was weak, after all. There was no way I could fight back with my measly strength.
However, the boy not even half my age...
"...Let my slave go."
Put his life on the line just to save mine.
I couldn't understand why, but at that moment, my heart hurt. An emotion I couldn't explain rushed into my mind, as my vision blurred with tears.
This... is this how it feels to be cared for?
I don't know...
All I knew was that I couldn't let this man, my master, be in danger.
I ran, as fast as my feet could carry me, and returned to where the Viscount was.
When I reported the kidnapping to him, he threw a scrap of paper down with a scary expression and vanished.
After that, I didn't realize how time passed.
When I came to, I was already sitting by the bedside, looking at a young boy's sleeping face.
"Master Rex..."
Ahh... my chest hurts so badly.
My heart is beating so fast, it's making my ears ache.
This boy—no, this man—was willing to put his life on the line to save me...
It's only right that I put my life on the line for him, too!
From then on, I swore to myself—
I will become strong enough to support Master Rex by his side for all eternity!
But...
He's someone who doesn't mind sacrificing himself for others. That's what I learned from this incident.
If I could, I'd cut his legs off so he can't go anywhere dangerous.
Ahh... but then he'd have trouble doing normal things. But don't worry, Master... I'm by your side. I'll help you eat, walk, move around the house, even go to the toilet with you. There's nothing to be shy about...
Master Rex, I adore you, from the bottom of my heart~!
I will be yours for all eternity, for all my future lives included!
In return... you'll be mine forever, right...?
...
No...
No no no no no!
Master Rex...!
Blood... is this... blood? He's not dead, right? There's no way he's dead!
This is all the fault of these damned insects...
My blood boiled as anger wrapped around my head like a cold blanket. The scenery around me lost color—only the red around Master Rex remained vivid.
"I'll never forgive you...!"
I bit down, gripping the rapier in my hands tight.
"YOU DAMNED INSECTS...! HOW DARE YOU HURT MY DEAR MASTER?!"
This is unacceptable!
Only I can hurt Master! And only Master can hurt me!
Ahhh, Master...!
I'll take you to the doctor as soon as possible...!
Don't worry, you won't die. I won't let you die...!
"I love you, Master!"
I swung the rapier, decapitating an invisible ant.
"I love you, Master! I love you, Master! I love you, Master!"
The corners of my lips rose as my weapon pierced a tough ant shell, poured mana haphazardly, and exploded whatever was inside. Without delay, I pulled the blade back and kicked another ant that dared to touch my Master.
I won't allow such a disgusting thing to happen!
"I love you, Master! I love you, Master! I love you, Master! I LOVE YOU, MASTER!"
In that small space, only Master and I can exist... everyone else... should just die.