Chapter 03 [arc three]

'This feels so awkward.'

Karilyn felt the sentence weight heavy in her mind as she sat timidly. Across from her, the ogre king was staring straight at her, having abandoned his meal. He never attempted to eat any of it anyway once he noticed her. Instead, he sat down, said hello to Lilibet, and asked the slave if she was okay. She nodded and swallowed the lump in her throat when he hummed in acknowledgment. She figured that he would be asking more questions, but all he was doing was staring. The calmness of his gaze was odd. It felt awfully out of place. 

With a defeated look, she sunk into her seat and wrapped her arms around herself. The redhead guessed he needed a little push. "Do you plan on keeping me here until I die?" 

The king blinked at the question, and with his cool demeanor, he answered plainly. "When the time comes, you can leave the palace and do whatever you like. You aren't my prisoner." 

"So," Her legs swung back and forth as she chose her words carefully. She didn't want to suggest that the man was kidnapping her. "If I want to leave your…custody, I eventually can?" 

The woman hoped that he agreed. She was grateful for the shelter he gave her. The bed was comfortable and her body finally got rest after so many days of laying on the cold ground. And she was happy with the meal so far. The meat was juicy, with butter melted on the top. The sides were plentiful with Lilibet bringing her bowls of mashed potatoes, sweet corn, and greens. Each bite and sip she took filled her stomach, which growled desperately for every intake she consumed. 

Karilyn was very grateful. But that's part of what worried her. She wasn't sure if her perception of the situation was being distorted by the charity he offered. He could be a wolf in sheep's clothing, slowly manipulating her mind. For all she knew, accepting these gifts would make him feel entitled to her freedom. The redhead didn't doubt he would keep out of slave auctions and markets. But she didn't know if he would hesitate to slap a collar around her neck. Until she knew his boundaries, she'd be unsafe. 

His white eyes darkened as he looked away from her face and at the wall. "Your purpose as a sacrifice interferes with your urge to leave. Even though your master never completed the ritual, he completed the deal. Making you my property." 

The redhead's eyebrow twitched. "Is that all you see me as? Because of what he did, I can't leave or live as a normal, free woman?" She heard her voice tremble as her frustration reared its head. It was hard to not feel talked down to at the moment. 

"I see you as a normal woman who wants to survive. I think you always hide from him and you're hiding from me. And I respect that." The man leaned forward, clasping his burned hands together in a fist under his jaw. 

He held his head up as he spoke his mind. His voice sounded dreamy as he drifted away into what had to be his innermost thoughts. "But I can't live without my sacrifices. And I can't thrive without a maiden. Which you both are." 

"I have to stay here for you to live a happy life? Even if I'm unhappy here?" She scowled as she asked the questions. 

In her past life, she had been the oldest of six and the only girl. She had to learn that it was okay to give up what you wanted for others to thrive. If her brothers wanted to eat a certain meal, she would stomach it and eat with them. When they wanted a toy, she had the redhead would give it to them. For twenty-two years, they had taught her that her needs came second to the majority. No matter what she said or tried to do, it stayed that way. It stung then and it still hurt to be told that now. She gripped her fork tightly and steamed. 

Having played the visual novel, she knew that the ogre king deserved happiness. The game devs made the man a misunderstood character thrust into the role of the villain. Everything he tried to do went horribly wrong. And every path ended with the woman he loved killing or abandoning him. There was no happy ending for the king, only suffering. She pitied him while playing through each scene, and now she still felt awful about his future. But now that she was face to face with him, she couldn't help but feel it was unfair. 

Karilyn cut at the meat she left untouched, a smoked riblet, with annoyance. She hated that being put in a slave's body led to this. Her destiny had been sealed as being used or killed the day she woke up in that hospital. It was cruel, and she wanted to scream until her lungs burned. If she tried to fight it, the man might grow tired of sheltering her. But she wouldn't be free, she would just be an unclaimed slave. No one would help a slave on the run. If the redhead came across anyone willing to shelter and free her, they would be risking the safety of their entire family.

The riblet broke in half as she dropped the knife and panted. "Ugh." Her chest felt awfully tight, and she wanted to vomit. 

A worried glimmer appeared in the gaze of the king. He got up from his seat and planted his hands on the table. "Are you alright? I apologize if my explanation for my actions upset you. I can have Lilibet escort you to bed if you wish?" 

The blonde, who had stayed silent during the entire interaction, sprang into action. She got down to one knee and crouched at the slave's side. Her face was steely as she looked the girl over and put a hand on her back. Her voice was soft as if she were trying to avoid spooking a stray animal. 

"Do you want to go back to sleep? If you don't feel well, I can run a warm bath for you while you lay down." The blonde looked over at her boss with what looked to be a glare. Before he could say anything, she returned to courting the slave. 

Karilyn felt like if she didn't leave, she'd puke all over herself. Her body was feeling feverish and her chest was tighter than before. Shakily, she gave a response. "I'd like that, thank you." 

As the blonde demon helped her get up and exit the dining room, she felt eyes on her. The man was still standing with the calm look he always had. His body seemed frozen in time as she turned away from him and walked away. In the pit of her stomach, she felt discomfort brewing. Her brain was telling her to not turn her back to him ever again. Something just felt wrong, not overly threatening, but a sign she needed to become more cautious with her words.