Chapter 02 [arc three]

The walk to dinner was full of energy. The blonde told her that she'd be sticking around to help her get used to the palace. When Karilyn asked why, she just laughed and said she knew the girl would want a female friend. All the demons apparently presented as male and could be pretty aggressive towards humans, especially young women. Since the bubbly woman was another girl, she figured she could help her stay safe. They'd behave and get to know her. This made the slave ask if the woman was a demon also, to which she nodded. 

"I'm a demon, but I never really stuck to one sex. I prefer to change it up every century or so," she smirked gleefully and pointed to her chest. "I decided to be female for the past five years and I've really enjoyed it! Especially with a body like this." 

This revelation shocked Karilyn. The visual novel never mentioned any of this and now she wanted to know more. "I hope I'm not being invasive by asking this, but how do you change sexes? Is it an illusion or genetic technology?" 

"It's genetic." The woman tapped a painted nail against her chin as she thought before speaking. The slave girl could tell she was holding stuff back to make it easier to understand. "I was born as one, but I honestly can't remember which. All demons change their bodies to fit their desires naturally." 

This was honestly amazing to the redhead. Karilyn nodded instinctively as she decided to stop prodding the issue. The woman had no urge to pry into the blonde's identity. She figured it made perfect sense science would develop enough to make this possible. In her world, gender reassignment surgery was constantly advancing and making new achievements. It was only natural that in a setting with cyborgs, you'd have people with the ability and desires to change sex whenever they wanted. She found herself debating what other surprises were waiting. 

After that conversation, the rest of the walk was mundane. The demon woman properly introduced herself as Lilibet, the secretary of the ogre king’s business, a front he used for the rest of the world. She stated that she had been working for the man for a number of years and only recently had been told about his sacrifices. The blonde laughed it off as being old-fashioned but stopped when she noticed how pale Karilyn got. Surprisingly, Lilibet apologized and said that she didn’t mean to be cruel. It was just something traditional to demon kind.

“I understand that to you, the practice is barbaric and sickening. But to demons, it’s something tied into our history that has gotten out of hand as of recently. I will try my best to explain our way of life to you without coming off as callous.” The blonde smiled at her and gave her a pat on the shoulder. 

Still, the slave girl found herself frowning, and she looked down with discomfort. “I don’t think I’ll ever be able to accept ritualistic murder. You guys kill hundreds of women who’ve been born into slavery and we don’t get treated like royalty when chosen.” It hurt to remember how horrifying her treatment had been. And to know that demons saw it so differently was alarming. The reality was the exact opposite of the blonde’s description. 

Lilibet hummed and looked at her with understanding. “When you put it like that, it does sound pretty awful. But aren’t you happy that it worked out in the end? You’re never going to want anything again here!” 

The redhead just ignored her and continued walking. She didn't want to call the woman ignorant. She probably assumed Karilyn was happy to be out of slavery. That was true. It thrilled her she didn't have to scramble for a scrap of food. To know that she'd have an actual meal, not bread crumbs and meal rinds from a trash can to eat, was perfection. But it didn't sit right with the twenty-two-year-old that she was eating like a queen while others were starving. And that the people she would be dining with were killed carelessly. 

Her morality got in the way of her desperation now that she was clean and could walk. The knowledge of what her fate would have been days ago haunted her. It was a coin flip to see if she would have been sacrificed or saved. She had been saved from it but trapped with her savior. And she didn't even think of the ogre king that way. Her feelings for him were incredibly mixed. The game gave plenty of background information on why he was the way he was. But his past didn't excuse his actions, and slavery was just another level. 

It troubled the slave as they reached what looked to be the dining room. A large glass table stood a few feet away, surrounded by chairs covered by white and green sheets. The room smelled heavily perfumed to the point a quick sniff made her eyes itch. She rubbed at them and looked at what they had already set. Each seat had utensils placed in front of them, with large glasses of what she assumed were alcohol. Lilibet cradled her hand as she led her to the end of the table. With her free hand, she pulled it out and gestured for the twenty-two-year-old to take a seat. 

"The king said you should sit here. He'll be sitting on the other side across from you and I'll be right at your side. That way, you're more comfortable." The blonde informed her with an excited sparkle in her eyes. She was bouncing happily on her feet.

The redhead nodded, feeling a bit surprised the man was so worried about her comfort. It was nice, of course, but a surprise. "Thank you for thinking about my needs. Will I be meeting the others tonight?" 

Lilibet shook her head as she took her own seat. She crossed her legs and smiled. "Not yet. The king wants you to feel safe before making you meet the others. And then it'll be one on one."

This made Karilyn feel relieved, and she relaxed in the chair. She didn't want to be with a large group of strangers right now. Especially if they were going to be super aggressive and judgemental. The idea of it made her feel really anxious and her palms had gotten sweaty. They would be asking her a bunch of invasive questions. They'd poke and prod at her personality in ways that she just could not handle in her mental state. She wasn't too comfortable with the blonde demon either, but she was friendly enough to deal with.