"Guess we'll need to ask Ayesha herself to get the full picture. Should I head to the Guard Office and pull the arrest records?" Mina said hurriedly, sensing the gravity of the situation. It was clear something was amiss—someone had their sights set on Ayesha, and it wasn't just idle gossip.
"Yes, and while you're at it, have someone fetch Ayesha. I need to have a word with her," Lucas said calmly, his voice steady but laced with concern.
"Understood," Mina replied with a nod, swiftly standing and heading out of the study to carry out his orders.
Creak!
Lucas watched as the cat-eared girl left, her tail swaying slightly with her purposeful stride. His dark eyes flickered with thought. He hadn't realized that Ayesha, the horned girl, was grappling with pain over her slave identity. She had always seemed so carefree, shrugging off her past as a slave with a cheerful demeanor that put everyone at ease.
If this rumor hadn't surfaced today, he might have remained oblivious to her quiet suffering. He had initially chalked up her melancholy to something mundane—perhaps illness or even her monthly cycle. After all, Ayesha's usual boisterous energy was so familiar that no one had considered her slave status as the source of her distress. Lucas wasn't a mind reader, and her sudden shift in mood had caught him off guard.
---
Splash, splash…
The gentle sound of water stirred in the misty air, filling the hot spring with a soothing ambiance. From time to time, voices drifted through the steam, soft and relaxed.
"Annie, what's this? You're soaking in the hot spring today instead of sticking by the Master's side?" Helen asked, cradling Hazel in her arms. Her long, slender legs swayed lazily in the water, sending ripples and tiny splashes across the surface.
"Uh…" Annie's cheeks flushed a faint pink, her head barely peeking above the water as she muttered, "It's nice to take a dip in the hot spring every now and then, you know!"
"Is that so?" Helen's rabbit ears twitched, her eyes glinting with amusement. She didn't press further, though she knew exactly why the fox-eared girl had come to this side of the hot spring. On the other side, Ayesha and Amelia were soaking together, which had prompted Annie to join this group instead.
"Yep!" Annie huffed, turning her head with a slight pout. Her eyes flicked toward Nicole, Helen, Elisa, and Freya, taking in their gracefully curved figures. Glancing down at her own body, she felt a pang of defeat, her confidence wavering.
"Why's Ayesha soaking with Amelia today?" Helen asked, raising an eyebrow. It was unusual—normally, the horned girl joined them in this pool, her lively presence a constant in their bathing routine.
"Maybe she just wanted some quiet," Nicole said softly, rubbing her skin gently as she spoke. "She seemed exhausted today. She barely touched her dinner."
"Then let's skip the game tonight. We could all use an early rest," Elisa chimed in, her voice light. She reclined on the large rock in the center of the hot spring, a spot Ayesha usually used for practicing her swimming. Today's training had been grueling, and the warm water was a balm for her aching muscles. It reminded her of the great lake in the heart of the Life Forest, though that water was scalding—hot enough to cook any creature foolish enough to dive in.
"Sounds good. We've been staying up too late lately," Freya agreed quickly, nodding. She was the disciplined one, always keeping a regular schedule, though she often humored the group's late-night antics, even if it meant sitting quietly on the sidelines.
"Fine," Annie muttered, pouting as she scrubbed her fox tail in the water. No games meant an early bedtime, which wasn't exactly thrilling.
Lately, their game has evolved. Instead of sketching on the loser's face, they'd started drawing each other's portraits—silly and exaggerated, but endlessly entertaining.
"Mina's not here yet. Looks like she's swamped with work tonight," Nicole said, tying up her long hair as she glanced at the bamboo wall separating their pool from the other hot spring. A fleeting thought crossed her mind: what if the Master wandered in and stumbled upon Ayesha soaking there?
"The Master's dealing with that pontoon bridge project. It'll probably keep him up late, and Mina's likely staying by his side," Annie said before slipping under the water to swim a few laps.
Mina had recently taken over some of the intelligence duties, which had lightened Annie's workload considerably. Without that shift, Annie would still be in the study, buried in paperwork alongside Lucas.
"That makes sense. The Master works so hard," Helen said, her pale pink eyes softening as she began washing Hazel gently.
"Yeah, he really does."
"We haven't been much help."
"…"
On the other side of the bamboo wall, Amelia and Ayesha sat in silence, their eyes locked in a quiet exchange.
Amelia hadn't expected Ayesha to join her in this pool. Normally, it was Annie who sneaked over for a soak. What had brought Ayesha here today? Amelia wasn't one for chatter, so she simply soaked in the warm water, her cool gaze resting on the horned girl.
"…" Ayesha wasn't entirely sure why she'd chosen this pool either. She just wanted to avoid the others, to hide the slave brand on her body. The mark was no secret in the castle—everyone knew about it. Nicole had even asked about it once, showing concern, and Ayesha had brushed it off with a joke, unbothered. Back then, the brand didn't weigh on her, and the others didn't seem to care either.
But things had changed. Ayesha cared now. She loved Sedona, loved the people in the castle. That love made her vulnerable, forcing her to confront feelings she'd buried. It was as if she'd matured overnight, her heart heavier with each passing day. The words she'd overheard in the city—that Sedona's people looked down on those with slave brands—had cut deep, as though the city itself was rejecting her.
She'd tried to convince herself that the castle's residents didn't care about her past, but the nightmares plaguing her these past few days had eroded that reassurance. The cruel words she'd heard at the grand marketplace today had left her wounded, her confidence shaken.
Splash, splash…
Amelia's legs moved gracefully beneath the water, her arms swaying gently. Feeling tired, she climbed onto the rock in the pool's center, but her foot slipped, and her legs splayed out in an awkward split. She sank beneath the surface with a splash.
Splash, splash…
To Ayesha, it looked like Amelia was diving gracefully, and she watched with a mix of envy and admiration. Despite her efforts, Ayesha still hadn't mastered swimming.
Splash, splash…
Water sprayed everywhere as Amelia's small hands flailed, slapping the surface like a bird caught in a storm. Ayesha's purple eyes blinked, realization dawning—Amelia wasn't swimming; she was drowning. Without hesitation, Ayesha surged forward, her strong arms scooping Amelia out of the water.
Cough, cough, cough…
Amelia sputtered, expelling water as her pale face regained some color. She'd just brushed against death again, the sensation all too familiar.
"You okay?" Ayesha asked, gently patting Amelia's back, her heart racing with lingering fear. She'd almost mistaken Amelia's struggle for a swim.
"I'm… I'm fine," Amelia managed, her face pressing against Ayesha's ample chest, finding an unexpected sense of comfort there.
"Good," Ayesha said, exhaling in relief. As she glanced down at Amelia, her eyes caught the slave brand on Amelia's arm. It hit her then—Amelia was a slave too, just like her. The realization sparked a sense of kinship, and without thinking, Ayesha pulled Amelia into a tighter embrace.
Cough, cough…
Amelia's hands flailed again, pushing against Ayesha to break free. She gasped for air, nearly suffocated by the embrace. "Let… go…"
"Oh, sorry! I didn't mean to!" Ayesha said, scratching her head sheepishly. She hadn't realized her hug had nearly smothered Amelia.
Huff, huff…
Amelia eyed Ayesha's chest warily, half-convinced that suffocating there would be the most absurd way to go.
"Amelia, don't you care about this?" Ayesha asked softly, lifting her right arm and pointing to the slave brand with her left hand. "What do you think of it?"
"Ugly," Amelia replied bluntly, her voice flat.
"…" Ayesha's eye twitched. That wasn't what she'd meant at all—she wasn't asking about aesthetics.
Thud, thud, thud…
The sound of hurried footsteps interrupted them, followed by a maid's voice from outside. "Miss Ayesha, the City Lord requests your presence in the study."
"Huh? The Master wants to see me?" Ayesha exclaimed, startled. "Alright, I'll be right there!" She called back, already moving to leave the hot spring.
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