The Freed S*aves Became Obsessed

Another morning dawned.

Although it wasn’t as meaningful as Narsha’s proper work, my morning was still busy in its own way.
“Elise, it’s morning.”
First, I had to wake up the person on duty from the previous night.

Elise’s hair, messy and unkempt, looked nice because it had a unique color.
“Ugh…”
But Elise wasn’t getting up easily.

She was whining, showing an adorable side that was never seen on normal days, trying to avoid getting up.
With a frown, she pulled the blanket over her head to block out the sunlight pouring through the window.
Most people are weak in the mornings.

For Elise, a vampire, it was even more pronounced. While she didn’t burn in the sunlight, she seemed particularly weak in the morning.
‘It must’ve been tough living as a nun with this body.’
Thinking she could sleep comfortably here, I didn’t wake her up and left the room.

In the hallway, Narsha’s hired maids were bustling around. When I passed by, they stopped what they were doing and greeted me politely.
They never stood straight until I was out of sight.
‘They listen better than my own kids.’

How did Narsha manage to train them?
‘I guess when it comes to controlling people, money comes before the master’s commands.’
As I doubted my own qualifications as a master, I arrived at the next room—Ashes’ room.

If I didn’t wake her up, she’d sleep well into lunch.
Ashes’ room was cool.
There were ice crystals stuck here and there.
Since Scadia entered her body, the chill had started flowing again.

It wasn’t as intense as before, so I didn’t mind. Having her close was pleasant, as it kept the place cool.
‘But where is she?’
The owner of the room, Ashes, was nowhere to be found.

She wasn’t the type to be up at this hour.
Could she have gone to the bathroom in the night and ended up sleeping in the hallway?
“Good morning, Master!”

Just as ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) I was wondering, Mirabel, who had been busy since early morning, greeted me.
She tied her wave-like hair into a ponytail, probably because it was getting in the way while working. Her white nape, now visible, looked elegant.
“You were looking at my daughter with lecherous eyes!”

Narady, who had immediately jumped to protect Mirabel, embraced her tightly. Mirabel, recommended by her, had become my slave just a few days ago.
She was still wearing a maid’s outfit, suggesting that she was diligently undergoing maid training with Mirabel.
‘A witch, a maid, and a daughter.’

It looked good.
“Mom, it’s not you, it’s the Master.”
Mirabel gave Narady a cold look.

Narady, overwhelmed by her daughter’s forceful presence, faltered.
“…Master…”
“Your daughter is very sharp. Thank you for giving birth to Mirabel for me, Narady.”

“This man’s lost his mind. Who gave birth to you for you?”
Narady lunged at me, but Mirabel desperately stopped her.
“Oh dear, Mom! It’s ‘Master’, you know? I’m sorry, Master. My mom is still inexperienced… I’ll train her properly. If she still doesn’t get it, I’ll even consider brainwashing her…”

“Mirabel?! Brainwashing? Mom is Mirabel’s mom!”
“Whether it’s Mom or me, we’re both slaves in front of the Master. For slaves, there’s nothing more important than serving their Master.”
‘There’s no parent who can defeat their child, huh?’

With Mirabel around, I didn’t need to worry about Narady.
“By the way, Master, what brings you here?”
“I came to wake Ashes up, but she’s not in her room.”

“Ashes? Just a moment…”
Mirabel’s magic-infused indigo eyes scanned the area before fixing on one spot.
“Ashes is in Lin’s room.”

“Why there...? Well, I understand. Anyway, have a good day, both of you. I’ll be waiting for the day Mirabel comes to my side.”
“I’ll do my best!”
Following Mirabel’s directions, I headed for Lin’s room. I had to stop by there anyway.

There was also Arpia’s room in between.
The scent of the forest wafted from under the door. Opening it revealed a room filled with plant stems and flowers.
True to Arpia’s elven nature, the room had a natural atmosphere.

But Arpia wasn’t there. I closed the door.
A few steps further, and I arrived at Lin’s room.
When I opened the door, a completely different space unfolded before me.

The sun and moon were in the same place, with cranes flying through the sky, and small waterfalls and valleys with golden koi swimming in them.
It was Lin’s dream world.
Lin, lying in the shrine of the nine-tailed fox.

Ashes, using Lin’s tail as a pillow, was sleeping soundly, looking completely at ease.
Ever since I saw Lin, Ashes had always coveted her tail.
Now, Ashes had claimed it.

“Chiiin, save me… this woman won’t budge no matter how much I shout…”
Lin, unable to resist due to Ashes gripping her weak spot—her tail—stretched out her hand toward me, silently asking for help.
She couldn’t resist properly because her tail was being held.

“Ashes, stop and wake up.”
Ashes sluggishly rose, still tightly hugging Lin like a doll, refusing to let go.
She buried her face in Lin’s soft tail, nodding off again.

‘Looks like Lin’s having a rough time.’
‘Well, if they look like they’re getting along, it’s fine.’
‘Lin, you suffer for now.’

 
****
 

A late morning.
After finishing breakfast, I was casually passing time in the office, just like any other day.
Mirabel, who had followed the head maid for training from dawn, finished her late breakfast and had a short break.

Looking tired, she staggered over and then clung to me. Now, she was stuck to me like a koala.
“If I can’t do chores with magic, what about helping you recover from fatigue?”
“Maids aren’t supposed to be comfortable. The more comfortable the maid is, the more uncomfortable the master becomes. So, no, it’s not allowed.”

“I think you meant for me to work hard, not that I shouldn’t recover.”
Her sincerity was admirable, though she was overly diligent in strange ways.
“But… if I’m too energetic, I’ll lose the excuse to cling to you.”

Sincerity? More like laziness in a maid.
I sighed and patted Mirabel’s back.
At that moment, Arpia, who had been munching on cookies, spoke.

“Hey, honey. Can I ask you something?”
“What are you curious about?”
“You said you came from another world, Mirabel. Did you already know about our existence?”

“Yes. I knew how to save all of you, too.”
Everyone nodded, as if something was coming to mind, letting out a sigh.
While progressing through the story, everyone must have had questions. Wondering how in the world I knew all this.

Now, they’d probably have their answers.
“You said we had to be saved to return to where we came from, but if that wasn’t the case, would you not have saved us?”
Arpia’s question drew everyone's gaze.

There were anxious looks, too.
As if dismissing their worries, I smiled at them.
“Absolutely not. I swear.”

It was an opportunity to see the scenes I had only seen in the game with my own eyes. There was no way I’d miss it.
Even if I went back to the past, I’d do it again.
Great scenes are always worth rewatching.

“Then here’s the real question. Do you know what we were like before you saved us?”
“I know, but it’s not something I think you’d want to know. Why are you curious about that?”
“A simple curiosity. And I thought if we knew, our gratitude towards you would grow, and it would strengthen the bond between us.”

It wasn’t just Arpia who was curious. It seemed like everyone had a bit of curiosity.
“I don’t recommend it. To be honest, I’d rather you lived without knowing.”
“……”

“But, well… seeing your conditions, I think you’d make a fuss until I tell you, so…”
The slaves chuckled, as if they had been caught.
“If you all want to know, should I show you? It might be better to experience it firsthand rather than just hearing about it.”

I patted Mirabel’s back.
As soon as Mirabel spun her hand, a broom appeared with a flash.
“What should we do, Master?”

“Everyone’s minds, into my memories. But twist the thought process so they won’t know why they’re here. It wouldn’t be fun if they knew it was an illusion.”
“Yes!”
Mirabel cast the spell.

Everyone’s bodies started glowing.
“It’ll be for an hour. After that, you’ll wake up on your own, so don’t worry, just watch.”
“Don’t worry. Whatever you go through, it won’t faze me now.”

 
****
A cold so intense it felt like it would freeze the soul.

Familiar, yet now disconnected, Ashes snapped her eyes open.
What she saw was a transparent crystal and an ice cave, with countless reflections on the surface. She was trapped there.
Ashes, still confused, turned her head.

She was sure she had been napping just moments ago. Why was she here?
A dream…?
But the sensations were too real for that. She couldn’t forget the chill that had taken everything from her.

‘Karami…?’
She couldn’t see him.
The chains that bound her soul.

The pendant she wore around her neck.
The fairy tale book she had clutched in her hand.
Everything Karami had given her was gone.

All the objects tied to her memories with him.
Even the warmth he had given her.
She was confused.

She didn’t know what was what.
It was cold.
She hated it here.

She had to escape.
Ashes furrowed her delicate brow like a willow leaf and began striking the ice violently.
But no matter how hard she hit, the ice didn’t break.

That’s because, like the cursed Snow White, the witch’s curse meant she couldn’t awaken until the prince came.
Forever.