The Freed Slaves Are Obsessed

New House in District 3. Not "Bird" but "New." Or maybe a Wolf's Den.

Apologies to Seira, but this house is far more modern than the previous one. Overall, the facilities are better, it’s spacious, and even has a room for Lin.

As a five-tailed fox, Lin has grown not only in appearance but also mentally. Her soul now resembles that of a young woman rather than a clueless child.

From an outward perspective, she's in adolescence. They say a woman goes through adolescence from birth to death, but in any case, Lin is in that turbulent period.

I should acknowledge Lin as a young woman and be considerate. Things I used to do naturally are no longer appropriate.

So I casually threw out a comment.

“Lin, shall we bathe together?”

“Sure. Of course, I’m bathing with the master.”

Whoa. I didn’t expect her to take it seriously. With her responding so confidently, I hesitated.

“It was just a suggestion.”

“Huh? Why~? Let’s bathe together~”

“You’re grown up now, Lin. You should be able to bathe by yourself. Besides, it’s improper to bathe with a man.”

Perhaps she still lacks a sense of propriety. Lin tilted her head, giving me an innocent look as if she didn’t understand.

“It’s fine if it’s with you, master.”

“It’s not fine with me.”

“Don’t you want to see how much I’ve grown? I’ve gotten bigger, here and there, you know?”

Mumbling those words, Lin lowered her head and placed her hand on her chest. She certainly had developed a slight curve that hadn’t been there before....

Ah. What am I even thinking?

Clear your thoughts! Remember why Taoist Lee failed!

“Absolutely not. Keep insisting, and you’ll live as a slave forever.”

“I don’t mind being a slave.”

“...Lin. I’ve told you countless times. Being a slave isn’t a good thing. Don’t talk like that; people will think you’re weird. Understand?”

“Hehe, master, your expression is hilarious right now. Fine, I’ll let it slide today. Seira~ Let’s bathe together.”

Lin laughed, giving a half-hearted response that left me wondering if she truly understood.

These small squabbles happened every time we bathed, and not just during bath time. Bedtime was no different.

Lin used to sleep curled up on my stomach. Naturally, now that she’s grown, that’s no longer possible.

Frankly, if she slept on me now, my stomach would be caved in by morning. But Lin insisted on sleeping atop me.

“You have your own room now. It even has a nice bed. Sleep there.”

“The bed is uncomfortable! I can’t sleep unless I’m on your stomach! Why are you saying no to everything today?!”

Lin yelled, her usual calm tone ripped apart by a single outburst.

“What if something happens to you while I’m not here?”

“It’s just the next room over, and you’re grown up now. You should adjust accordingly.”

I had slept hugging Mirabel before, but her case was slightly different.

Hugging her was comforting, like a cherished doll, but she also had severe separation anxiety from feeling abandoned by her parents. She couldn’t sleep without being held.

Lin wasn’t that extreme, and since I raised her from a young age, she feels more like a daughter. I wanted to guide her properly.

But Lin clearly thought otherwise.

“I tried so hard to stay close to you. If I’d known it’d end up like this, I wouldn’t have tried at all. Master, if you keep acting like this, I won’t become a nine-tailed fox!”

I never expected Lin to resort to blackmail like this. With more tails and a developing cunning, she was using her wit in ways I hadn’t seen in other slaves.

If it was just brute force, I’d control her with a word, but this is different. I, aiming for complete freedom, can’t just strong-arm my way through this.

“Fine. Let’s sleep together.”

“Yay!”

Lin clung to me, wrapping her limbs and tails around me like a bamboo wife, making it impossible to move.

She buried her face in my chest, took a deep breath, and slid her hand under my clothes, tracing the scar with her delicate fingers. 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

I thought she was just playing another game to unsettle me, but in the darkness, Lin’s heterochromatic eyes gleamed with a serious light.

“You know... I couldn’t sleep for days after you got hurt? I kept thinking, what if I woke up and you were dead? I was terrified, so I lay beside you every night, just to smell you. I couldn’t bear it otherwise.”

Lin began to open up about the hardships she had silently endured over the past month.

“I started to realize why people call me a cursed fox or a monster that brings misfortune. I’m different from others.”

“......”

“But it wasn’t so bad when you praised me, calling me pretty. As long as you saw me that way, I was okay. But after what happened, I started to hate myself, too.”

Lin paused, then continued.

“Persi wasn’t wrong. I know I was at fault. But hearing it so bluntly made me angry. I want to stay with you, but she forced me to face the reality I was avoiding.”

Lin sighed deeply, muttering self-deprecating words.

“Why was I born like this? What am I really? If I were normal, maybe we could live happily together. Why is my life so filled with misfortune? Why was I destined like this?”

Lin murmured with a bitter smile.

Lin had grown. Not just in the emotions in her voice but in her understanding of the meaning behind her words. She had developed a sense of identity, becoming aware of who she really was.

She was no longer just a child. Using sweet words to persuade her now would be like offering her a poison apple.

“Lin, being a nine-tailed fox is wonderful. Thinking you’d be happier if you were ordinary? That’s far from the truth.”

But I had never once offered sweet lies to my slaves. I always spoke to them with 100% sincerity.

“Think about it. If you were an ordinary fox, would we have met in Baegun Valley?”

“No...”

“If you were ordinary, why would I have taken you as my slave? There are plenty of fox spirits around. I’m a slave merchant with high standards, you know?”

“But still...”

“You mentioned fate earlier. This isn’t fate. I went to Baegun Valley by choice, and you came to me on your own. Don’t attribute our choices to some invisible will of the heavens, okay?”

Lin fell silent, contemplating my words.

“...Okay. I understand.”

She nodded, seemingly convinced. Relieved, I patted her back, and she rubbed her cheek against me, savoring the touch.

“Oh, master.”

“Yes?”

“While you were unconscious, I didn’t just sniff you, you know?”

Lin’s eyes and mouth curved into a mischievous crescent, her earlier seriousness discarded.

Even without obstacles, walking ten steps with your eyes closed is scary. How much more so if you’re unconscious? No matter how pretty the person is, it’s creepy.

“What else did you do?”

“Hmm~? What do you think I did?”

Lin responded, wagging her five tails. I’ve only made it halfway, yet the future looks dark.

“Yuha, it’s been tough to see you around lately, huh?”

Late at night, a guest arrived at Cheonsangru. It wasn’t the usual troublemakers who showed up daily, but Hilde, the lioness of Bestia.

Hilde sat casually on a chair, more like a back-alley thug than a princess, her tone arrogant.

“I apologize, Princess. This old man hasn’t been in good health lately...”

Yuha had repeatedly refused Hilde’s visits, claiming illness, but it was really to prevent Lin and Hilde from meeting.

Hilde had swung a punch at Yuha the first time they met, demanding, “Are you strong? Fight me!” Even though Lin was born a nine-tailed fox, she wasn’t ready to face Hilde.

If they met now, Lin’s carefully grown tails might be ripped off. So, Yuha had done her best to keep them apart. Today, she hadn’t managed it.

“Well, you do look worse for wear. You’ve aged a lot since I last saw you.”

Yuha had begun raising a nine-tailed fox, and the backlash from defying destiny was showing. Though she still held an ethereal charm that belied her age, Yuha now appeared as frail as any elderly woman.

Fortunately, Hilde didn’t suspect much, accepting the illness excuse.

“I heard something interesting. There’s a human often seen with a slave trader. Apparently, he’s opened a cat café?”

“Yes. He was quite a conversationalist, so I asked him to keep this old man company.”

“It’s fascinating. I never thought there’d be someone Yuha liked. Yuha doesn’t even like me much, and how many people would like me?”

Hilde was aware of her quirks—she couldn’t resist anything fun.

Though she knew, she had no intention of changing. Hilde had the power and position to remain as she was.

“They say that slave trader keeps a Hongho with three tails. Is that true?”

“Yes, it’s true.”

“I see...”

Hilde’s expression grew thoughtful, her voice dropping.

“It’s not a nine-tailed fox, is it?”

“Nine-tailed? What are you talking about, Princess?”

“Just a thought. I remembered how Yuha’s orb once showed nine wisps. Could a nine-tailed fox, sealed away, have emerged?”

Yuha’s reaction had been strange. She had abandoned her fortune-telling, claiming her powers were weakening, but Hilde couldn’t shake her suspicion.

If a nine-tailed fox appeared, it could devastate the world. She’d eliminate it before it gained power.

“You’re suggesting the young fox might be a nine-tailed fox.”

“Exactly.”

“I’m not sure. Fox spirits’ powers don’t work on each other, so I have no way to confirm. But I sensed no great threat from her.”

“Is that so?”

Hilde’s eyes narrowed, golden pupils gleaming as she studied Yuha.

Yuha remained calm, sipping her tea.

The tense standoff held briefly until Hilde smirked, letting go of the tension.

“Well, if Yuha says so, then I’ll trust you.”

Hilde downed her tea in one gulp, setting the cup down with a thud.

“Nothing major today. Just couldn’t sleep and thought I’d drop by for a reading.”

“My powers aren’t what they used to be, but...”

“That’s fine. It’s just for fun. I’m not one to be swayed by fortune-telling.”

“If you insist, I’ll give it a try.”

Yuha conjured a white fox orb, handing it to Hilde, who placed her hand on it. Yuha’s tails quivered, filling the air with a mystical fog.

The crystal glowed, foretelling Hilde’s fate.

“The black beast stands behind the heavens, with feet on the ground. At the path’s end, radiant liberation and disaster shall meet. Though no metal, the shackle is eternal.”

As the fog dissipated and the crystal dimmed, Hilde frowned at the cryptic prophecy.

“What kind of nonsense is this?”

It made no sense. She couldn’t tell if it was good or bad.

“Princess, prophecy has always been vague. A minor coincidence can shift the outcome.”

“So, if I act wisely, I might have a good future. If not, maybe not?”

“Exactly.”

Hilde was confident. After all, with her strength, she could snatch a happy ending, no matter what.

Radiant liberation. She might experience a new level of fun unlike anything before.