The Freed Slaves Are Obsessed

“Ugh...”

The rustling sound of leaves, the chirping of mountain birds, and the flowing of a nearby stream—all harmonious melodies of nature—but to Mirabel, they only served as an unwanted alarm, forcing her to wake up.

She tried covering her ears and resisting the urge to get up, but the sunlight piercing through the window struck her eyes directly.

“Nngh.”

Mirabel let out a strange whine, scrunching her face in discomfort. She pulled the blanket over her head in an attempt to fall back asleep, but it was futile. After squirming around a bit, she eventually gave in and got up.

Her eyes were unfocused, and her hair was a disheveled mess.

Blinking slowly to gather her senses, Mirabel got out of bed and slipped on her shoes.

She did this because, once, when she wore shoes on the bed, Karamir had shrieked like a madman and even coughed up blood. Ever since then, it had become a habit of hers to remove her shoes before lying down.

Mirabel rubbed her eyes and stepped out of the bedroom. The combined living room and kitchen was filled with the familiar scent of stew. It was the same stew she always ate.

“Yawn... Good morning.”

“Oh, my dear daughter is awake?”

“Yeah...”

“You woke up all by yourself without needing to be called. You’re all grown up now. Go wash up, breakfast is ready.”

It was something she heard every day.

And, every day, it was a lie.

Every time her mother said breakfast was ready, the table would be completely empty. And when Mirabel asked what had been prepared, Narredi would scold her for not setting the dishes and utensils.

‘Doesn’t that mean it’s not ready yet...?’

Such thoughts naturally occurred to her, but she never voiced them. Mirabel had seen Harold once try to argue the same point, only to be scolded into making his own meal by Narredi.

Mirabel knew well who ruled the household.

She used magic to create water and washed her face. The water floated mid-air, defying gravity, until she threw it outside with a flick of her hand.

‘Huh...?’

Mirabel noticed something strange. Normally, Karamir would grumble, “What a waste...” whenever she did that, but today, there was no such reaction.

Mirabel looked around the house. Karamir was nowhere to be found.

“Mom, where’s Master?”

“I don’t know? Maybe he went for a walk or something.”

Narredi said without even looking at her, her tone as casual as if nothing were amiss. Although Mirabel found this strange, she didn’t give it much thought.

“I’ll go look for him.”

“Why? He’ll come back on his own if you just wait.”

“What if he gets attacked by a bear? That would be terrible.”

He was the type of person you couldn’t leave alone.

Of course, Mirabel thought Karamir could probably talk his way out of a bear attack. The thought of him chatting with a bear made her giggle.

Holding her Celestial Oath, Mirabel prepared to cast a locating spell. Finding Karamir shouldn’t be difficult.

After all, they were bound by the Soul Shackles. Even if he were on the other side of the world...

“Huh?”

“What is it?”

“T-the shackles? The shackles are...?”

Mirabel panicked and checked her soul. The Soul Shackles that had been tightly wound around her were gone.

“Mom! The shackles... they’re gone!”

“Oh, that’s good news, isn’t it? You’re no longer a slave.”

Narredi’s calm response didn’t sound as positive to Mirabel’s ears.

The Soul Shackles.

Karamir’s magic, which had an unusually strong binding force. When Colton had suggested removing the shackles before, they had tried, but the shackles hadn’t budged.

That hadn’t changed even after Mirabel awakened as a witch. The shackles, she concluded, could only be removed by Karamir himself.

So Mirabel had felt reassured. No matter what happened, she’d always be connected to Karamir.

But now the shackles were gone.

And Karamir was nowhere to be seen.

A cold sweat trickled down Mirabel’s side.

“Mom, I’m going to find Master.”

Yes, she just needed to find him.

Once she did, she’d ask him to put the shackles back on.

“What nonsense are you talking about? Are you trying to make yourself a slave again?”

“I’m not trying to become a slave; I am Master’s slave!”

Narredi’s hand, which had been stirring the stew, froze.

Narredi bit her lip.

“I was thankful he brought you back safely, but he’s gone and made you weird...!”

Narredi muttered bitterly as she turned to face her daughter. Mirabel was practically jumping in place, ready to dash out the door at any moment.

Seeing her like that, Narredi sighed heavily, knowing that hiding the truth wouldn’t work any longer.

She finally came clean.

“He’s gone.”

“G-gone? Where?”

“I don’t know. He said he had no more business here. I suppose he went off to handle other matters.”

“Why... why would he leave me behind...?”

Narredi knelt down to meet Mirabel’s eye level and placed a hand on her shoulder.

“There’s no need to overthink this. You’ve returned safely to me, and you’re no longer a slave. So, this shackle is no longer─”

Thwack!

“Ugh?”

Mirabel smacked Narredi’s hand away as she tried to remove the collar around her neck. She protectively clutched the shackle, stepping back from Narredi, her eyes sharp and filled with wariness.

“What are you doing?”

“M-Mirabel?”

“This was placed on me by Master. No one else can touch it, not even you.”

Narredi was speechless, watching as her daughter anxiously examined her soul again.

The shackle was gone.

There was only a faint trace of magic left behind—a lingering mark from where the shackle had been.

Mirabel quickly gathered the remnants of Karamir’s magic.

‘It’s too little...’

And it was too weak.

Too much time had passed.

Besides, Karamir’s magical power was never that strong to begin with. Only the shackles had been oddly powerful.

This wasn’t enough to find him. For now, Mirabel carefully stored the remaining trace of his magic, as if it were a precious treasure.

She furrowed her brow in deep thought.

‘Why would Master abandon me?’

I’m not free yet.

I’m still alive.

He said it would feel better to free me when I was more valuable.

So, if he removed the shackles, does that mean I wasn’t worth keeping?

Did he abandon me because I’m worthless?

‘Ah.’

A thought suddenly struck Mirabel.

While climbing the mountain, she had told Karamir that she wanted to delay her release, that she had regrets. It went against his grand plans.

So, Karamir must have abandoned her because of that. Because she was no longer worth anything. She had outlived her usefulness and acted shamelessly.

“Huff, huff.”

Mirabel’s face turned pale, and her breathing grew erratic. Her pounding heart echoed loudly in her ears.

“I know you’re sad about parting with someone you care about, but isn’t it fortunate that you’re back safely with me? You’re no longer a slave, and now we can live happily here─”

Before Narredi could finish, Mirabel suddenly dashed into the bedroom. Moments later, she reappeared wearing her maid uniform and carrying a small bag.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m going to find Master. He can’t have gone far.”

He didn’t have much stamina to begin with.

He couldn’t have gone farther than the nearest city. It’s not too late. If I chase after him now, I can catch up.

“What on earth are you saying? Why would you chase after him?”

“Because I’m Master’s slave.”

“You’re not a slave anymore!”

Mirabel shook her head vigorously.

“Once a slave, always a slave.”

Even if I die, that’s the relationship I have with Master.

Narredi pressed her hand to her forehead in frustration.

“How could I have brought you back only for you to go back to that dangerous world?”

“Dad said I’m the child destined to create a world where witches don’t have to live in hiding. A person who will bring miracles.”

“Yes, that’s what he said, but...”

“To create that world, I can’t just stay hidden in this cabin.”

In the months she had been away, Mirabel had matured far more than Narredi expected. Tears welled up in Narredi’s eyes, a flood of emotions overwhelming her as she looked at her daughter.

If only she weren’t leaving to remain a slave. If not for that, this would have been a truly touching moment.

But Mirabel, oblivious to her mother’s feelings, had already packed her things and was ready to leave.

“You’re really leaving? What will I do if something happens to you?”

“It’s okay, Mom. I’m a witch now, and I have the magic Master taught me. I won’t be caught off guard like before.”

Narredi couldn’t help but feel a sense of awe at her daughter’s confidence.

Whom did she inherit that stubbornness from?

‘Should I stop her by force?’

No.

She would lose if they fought.

Even though they were both witches, the difference in their levels was clear.

This was beyond her control.

“Haa... Fine. But wait a minute.”

Narredi rummaged through the cabin and brought out an old, dust-covered book. It was clear it hadn’t been read in ages.

“This belonged to my grandmother—your great-grandmother. I couldn’t make sense of it because I’m not very good with magic.”

“And?”

“But I think you’ll be able to understand it.”

Narredi handed over the book.

“When you’re bored, give it a read, alright?”

“Study when I’m bored?”

It might have sounded absurd to some, but for witches, studying was nothing more than a pastime. As soon as she received the book, Mirabel’s eyes lit up with excitement.

“Wow... Thank you! I’ll enjoy reading it.”

Narredi watched her daughter hold the book with a mix of emotions swirling in her eyes.

She never imagined a day would come when she’d pass that book down to Mirabel. It was a strange and bittersweet feeling.

“This is how the knowledge of witches gets passed down.”

Mirabel tucked the book into her bag and stepped outside. Narredi followed to see her off.

“Do you really have to wear that? I brought some clothes for you.”

Mirabel was dressed in her short maid uniform. It made her look like a little maid, which was cute, but it wasn’t exactly practical for traveling.

But Mirabel shook her head.

“I’m fine. I like this outfit the best.”

“Do whatever makes you happy...”

“I will! Hehe.”

With a cheerful step, Mirabel started walking away, growing smaller and smaller as she moved farther from the cabin. Watching her daughter leave, Narredi decided to impart one last piece of advice.

“Don’t skip meals. Don’t follow strangers. And if anyone tries anything weird, cut their hands off.”

“I will!”

“And if you can’t find him or things get tough, come back anytime. I’ll always be here, waiting for you. Okay?”

“Okay.”

“Alright, off you go.”

Narredi waved at Mirabel, who was disappearing into the distance, and Mirabel waved back in return.

And so, Mirabel set off on a journey to find her missing master and return to being his slave.

A reaper quietly followed in her footsteps.

“Ugh...”

Somewhere deep within the dense forest.

The towering trees blocked out the sky, casting heavy shadows all around. There, lying curled up like a shrimp, was a forest fairy.

The fairy clutched their chest in pain, cold sweat pouring from their body, soaking the grass beneath them. Groans of agony escaped through their tightly clenched teeth.

Yet, the fairy endured the pain, refusing to cry out for help.

Because they were used to it.