Ren jerked back like he'd been caught off guard, pulling his hand away. "What are you doing!?"
His eyes widened slightly as he stared at her, but she didn't react at all.
"I am just doing what Master told me to do," she said calmly, as if nothing about this was strange.
Ren paused for a moment, then shook his head lightly. "…That's not what I meant."
He reached for the blanket and pulled it over her in one smooth motion, covering her from shoulders to legs. "I told you to go to bed," he added, his voice quieter now.
She adjusted under the blanket, obedient as ever. "Yes, Master… I am in bed now," she replied softly, looking at him. "So you can do whatever you want."
Ren blinked once, then again. …What does she even mean by that…?
He exhaled lightly, running a hand through his hair. "Just wear something and sleep. That's all."
She hesitated, eyes lingering on him as if trying to understand. "…Master… aren't we going to do it?"
Ren looked at her for a brief moment before answering simply, "No. We're not. Just sleep."
Silence settled in the room. She slowly lowered her gaze, fingers lightly gripping the blanket. …Aren't all men the same…? Isn't that the reason he brought me and bring me here… if not for that…?
Ren stepped forward—one step, then another—closing the distance between them.
Her body tensed slightly under the blanket as he came closer, his presence now right in front of her. Her eyes stayed fixed on him. …So this is how it is after all… If I don't satisfy him… will he punish me…?
He stopped right in front of her. For a brief moment, neither of them spoke.
Then he simply walked past her.
Without hesitation.
He moved to the other side of the bed, sat down, and leaned back before lying down, turning slightly away as the mattress dipped under his weight. "…Sleep," he said calmly.
She blinked once… then twice, her expression slowly shifting into confusion as she stared at his back. "…What?"
Her fingers loosened their grip on the blanket. …Isn't he supposed to…? For the first time, she genuinely didn't understand him.
Ren lay on his back, eyes half-closed, trying to drift into sleep—but it wouldn't come. A presence lingered beside him. Quiet… unmoving… yet somehow loud enough to keep his mind awake.
Then—
"…Master… can I ask you something?"
Her voice was soft, almost hesitant. When he glanced sideways, her face was as expressionless as ever—but there was something faint beneath it… a trace of sadness that didn't belong there.
Ren let out a quiet breath, eyes still closed. "Just sleep already…"
Silence.
But it didn't last.
He could feel it—she hadn't moved. Still awake. Still staring.
His eyes slowly opened again.
"…You're not sleeping, are you?"
No answer.
Ren clicked his tongue lightly and turned his head toward her. "Fine… ask."
She shifted slightly under the blanket, her fingers tightening around it as if holding onto something fragile. Her gaze lowered for a moment before she spoke.
"…Are you going to abandon me… if you don't need me anymore?" Her voice was low, careful, like she already knew the answer she feared.
Ren blinked, irritation flickering faintly in his thoughts. …Seriously? This girl…
He clicked his tongue softly and pushed himself up, turning toward her.
She was still wrapped tightly in the blanket, fingers gripping it as if it was the only thing keeping her together, that same faint, heavy emotion lingering on her otherwise expressionless face.
Ren raised his hand and moved it toward her head in one quick motion.
She flinched instantly. "Don't—don't hurt me…" she whispered, eyes squeezing shut as her body curled in on itself, bracing out of pure instinct, like this was something she had done countless times before, like pain was something she expected rather than feared.
His hand stopped mid-air.
Just inches away.
For a brief second, he simply looked at her—really looked—at the way her body trembled, at the reflex that didn't belong to someone her age but to someone who had endured far too much.
Then his expression shifted, subtle, almost unnoticeable, and instead of bringing his hand down—
He lowered it gently onto her head.
A soft pat.
"…Why the hell would I abandon you?" he said, his tone flat but not harsh, his eyes half-lidded as he looked at her.
"Where did you even get that idea…?"
She froze under his touch, her body going completely still, as if her mind couldn't keep up with what just happened. The tension didn't disappear immediately—it lingered, uncertain, fragile.
Ren watched her for a moment before letting out a quiet breath, his hand still resting lightly on her head. "…But," he added, a faint smile forming on his lips, small and almost careless, "I will let you leave my side too."
The words were simple. Casual. Nothing grand, nothing dramatic.
But to her—
They meant everything.
Her eyes slowly opened, trembling slightly as she looked at him, confusion and something deeper mixing together.
A tear slipped down her cheek before she could even realize it, warm and silent, tracing a path across her skin as her grip on the blanket loosened just a little.
For the first time—
She didn't feel afraid of what would come next.
Her emotionless face—the one that had long accepted her tragic fate—finally cracked.
It wasn't sudden, not explosive, but slow… like something sealed for too long finally giving way.
The emptiness in her eyes trembled, then broke, and emotions spilled out all at once, messy and uncontrollable. Her lips quivered before curling into a small, fragile smile, tears gathering and slipping down her cheeks without stopping.
"Master… I… I—" her voice shook, words failing to come out properly as her grip on the blanket loosened, her shoulders trembling slightly.
Ren watched her in silence for a moment. …Seriously… what a girl. But this time, the thought wasn't sharp or dismissive—there was something softer behind it, something quieter.
His hand remained on her head, gently patting her hair in slow, steady motions.
"Alright, that's enough," he said, his tone calm, almost lazy. "Stop crying and just sleep."
She nodded quickly, still smiling through the tears, her eyes slightly red but brighter than before.
"Yes… Master…" she replied softly, her voice still trembling as a few more tears slipped down, but this time—they weren't from fear.
---
"What—morning already…?" Ren muttered, his voice rough with sleep as he yawned, stretching his arms lazily above his head, joints popping slightly.
"Damn… that was actually refreshing…" he added, rolling his shoulders as a faint, satisfied breath escaped him.
But that feeling didn't last.
Not even a second.
His eyes shifted forward—
—and froze.
Right in front of him, the blue-haired girl stood quietly, waiting. The moment their eyes met, her face brightened slightly as she bowed her head just a little.
"Good morning, Master… you're finally awake," she said softly, a small smile forming on her lips.
Ren stared, long and silent, his gaze locked onto her as if his brain had just stopped processing for a moment, eyes slowly trailing from her face downward and then freezing completely, his expression going blank like he had just witnessed something he wasn't prepared for at all.
His eyes slowly moved from her face… downward…
…and then stopped.
"…What the hell are you wearing?"
It barely even qualified as clothing—just a few thin strings holding pieces of fabric together in a way that left far too much exposed.
The top strained visibly, barely holding her chest in place as if it could give up at any moment, while the rest clung loosely to her curves, accentuating her figure far more than covering it. It didn't look like something meant for comfort… or even normal wear—more like something designed purely to draw attention, giving her an oddly mixed look of both innocent and dangerously alluring at the same time.
Ren's expression went completely blank.
…Is she serious right now?
He dragged a hand down his face, letting out a long sigh. "Where did you even get that…?"
She tilted her head slightly, still smiling, completely unaware of the issue. "This was provided for me, Master. I thought… you would like it."
Ren's eye twitched.
"…Yeah, no."
He sat up properly, pointing at her without even trying to hide the disbelief on his face. "Go change. Now. Into something that actually counts as clothes."
She blinked.
"…You don't like it?" she asked, her voice carrying a faint hint of confusion.
Ren flopped back onto the bed for a second, staring at the ceiling like he was questioning his life choices.
"It's not about liking it," he muttered. "…Just go change."
…But this is kinda… damn hot… too hot…
A dangerous thought.
His body reacted faster than his mind.
…Wait—no, not now…
Ren's jaw tightened as he immediately resisted, his thoughts clashing hard against it. After everything I said last night… seriously? But his lower half clearly didn't care about logic, pride, or timing.
…You've gotta be kidding me… I don't wanna deal with this…
His face twitched—then, without thinking, he raised his hand and—
SMACK
"Desires—begone!"
A second of silence—
Then—
"Aw—! Aw! AWWW—!!"
He curled slightly, clutching himself, rolling on the bed in pure regret. "That—was a terrible idea…! Damn it—!"
She flinched at his sudden reaction, hesitation flashing across her face as she stepped a little closer, worry replacing her usual blankness. "M-Master… are you okay…?"
Ren groaned, still half-rolling on the bed, one eye squeezed shut. "Don't… worry about me… just go change…"
If Lucia sees this… I'm dead. Absolutely dead.
That thought alone sent a weird chill down his spine.
The girl hesitated, her fingers lightly clutching the fabric she was wearing. "…But… I don't have any other clothes, Master."
Ren froze mid-motion.
"…What?"
He slowly turned his head toward her, disbelief written all over his face.
"That's… all you have?"
Ren's grin slowly spread as an idea clicked into place, his eyes glinting with sudden interest. "Heh… perfect timing to use that…" he murmured under his breath.
She tilted her head slightly, noticing the shift in his expression. "Master… why do you look happy all of a sudden?"
Ren pushed himself up from the bed in one smooth motion, stretching lightly before reaching into his pocket. "Because," he said casually, pulling out the portable skill card he had gotten earlier, holding it between his fingers, "I just found you something better to wear."
The faint shimmer of the card reflected in his eyes as his grin widened just a little more.
She blinked, clearly confused. …What is Master talking about…?
Ren didn't bother explaining. He simply raised the card slightly and said, "Activate."
The moment the words left his mouth—
The card began to glow.
A faint light pulsed from its surface, then spread outward, particles forming in the air as if something was being created from nothing itself.
She watched with widened eyes, the glow reflecting in them. …Is this Master's ability…? Like mine…?
The light intensified for a brief moment—shimmering, shifting—then instead of fading, it began to change.
The glowing card didn't just vanish; it unraveled, breaking apart into countless thin strands of light, like threads being pulled from its surface. Those strands twisted and wove together mid-air, forming fibers—real, tangible—layering over each other as color slowly seeped in, dull at first, then deepening into rich tones as the structure took shape.
The glow dimmed, the motion slowed, and then it settled completely.
What hovered before him was no longer a card—but fully formed clothing, detailed, solid, real.
Ren looked at it, paused, and his expression froze.
"…Are you… kidding me?"