Once the poison's effect wore off, I walked out of the tent to meet the new females, not sure how to approach them.
They didn't receive a makeshift tent like me, and had to sit on the ground, huddled together. The rams weren't present and must have been taken to a different place by Moyu.
One of the females noticed me and nudged the others, and soon I had their attention on me, their heads turning in my direction.
We blinked at each other at exactly the same time. I didn't know what to say. They didn't either.
Baron watched our exchange in amusement, and instead of helping me, decided to make it harder for me, "Before Michael returns, why don't you explain the rules of the house to our new guests?"
"Rules...of the house," I repeated and nodded.
They were going to be living here from now on and needed to know. I tried to remember the things I learned from my time here and came up with a few things to start with.
I approached them, each step I took made them shuffle back a little. I stopped once I saw that they were uncomfortable with my presence. Maybe I should just tell them from this distance.
"Rule number one: sleep schedule is not to be messed with, if you want to live. Don't wake anyone up who doesn't want to be woken up."
I had to learn everyone's sleep schedules, who was going to bed at what time, and how long each one would be sleeping.
This was the only rule that all of them followed.
The females waited for more rules to come, but there were none. There was only one rule to follow, the rest were unspoken agreements.
"Um...sleeping is important. The most important," I explained, "after Madam. Madam is the most important. And...and sleep is the second. Very important."
The sheep females were very docile and submissive, so it wasn't surprising to see them listen and nod along. I wasn't sure if I should ask if they had any questions or not.
"Where do we sleep?" one of the females asked and the others turned to me with hopeful eyes, looking forward to my answer.
I probably looked healthy and happy to them, which meant that they would be happy here too. Simple minds, simple needs. Like mine.
I looked around the camp, wondering about the same question. I would probably have to share my tent with them.
The sky looked dark, and rain clouds were gathering above us, meaning it would soon rain, and they would get soaked.
I turned toward Baron for help and he seemed to catch on to what I was thinking. He was about to say something when thunder rumbled in the distance.
The females jumped in fright and huddled together.
Michael probably felt the rain too, coming and appeared from the woods. He walked past us, snatched me from my spot and pulled me into the main tent.
Baron rushed toward the laundry on the rope and pulled it off, running toward us with a bundle of clothes in his arms.
The rain came down suddenly, as if a giant lake fell from the sky. I was glad that we had a roof and a wall to keep us dry and warm.
Michael placed me down and I thought he or Baron would return for the sheep females, but neither of them moved. They both seemed content with what they were doing.
Baron began to fold the laundry and Michael went to take a nap on his bone throne.
I tiptoed toward the entrance.
"Where do you think you are going?" Michael called from his throne.
I stopped midstep, not expecting to be caught.
"To...to...the females," I replied, pointing to the entrance.
"Come, let's take a nap," Michael yawned and patted the spot in between his legs, "There's a place for you here. Come."
I glanced back at the entrance and turned to him, my legs moving on their own, sitting down on the spot.
"We don't know how far we can push you, so we need to use others to find out," he added, pulling my back against his chest, hugging me from behind. "Would you rather break, or have others break in your place? It's for your own sake, Little Miss."
My legs dangled from the throne while his rested on the ground. He was so much bigger than me. There was no way for me to escape. He was also much stronger and faster than me. There was no way for me to win.
Was it because I failed to bite Moyu? Or failed to scratch him? I was unable to create a mate bond with Madam, that's why other females were brought.
"Why are you so sad?" Michael asked, "Don't tell me you feel bad for them? Isn't this normal in this world? They are just tools, a tool for you to learn and grow. They are not important. You are."
I glanced at Baron's reaction and saw that he was not bothered by it, "You can't save everyone. Sometimes, you have to choose one thing over the other."
"..." I bit my lip, nodding.
He was right, I couldn't save everyone. I couldn't save anyone.
It could be me, next time. It could be me getting kidnapped and tortured one day.
Hope that someone would save me was the only thing I used to hold onto.
And the only way to hold onto this hope was to be the savior I wished for.
"What...what if they can take more than me? Wouldn't...wouldn't it be a waste?" I asked, my toes curling in nervousness, hoping they would see my logic, "My training is not going anywhere...and they are...are...they are not helping. It would be a waste. They...they can be...can be useful...for something else, right?"
Baron and Michael exchanged looks and I waited, holding my breath.
"You do it," Michael said to Baron.
"I was not born to torture females for fun, unlike you," Baron replied, crossing his arms, "Your kind doesn't care about female's feelings. Why would you start now?"
"Just look at her. She doesn't appreciate our help at all." Michael pinched my cheeks and pulled them up and down, "It's too weird. It's like Darling spawned another copy of her, but weaker, smaller, more timid, and...just...weirder," he said, "It doesn't make sense."
"So I'm not the only one who feels like it," Baron said, "She was supposed to be the exact opposite of our Dearest. How does this even make sense?"
I looked at them with confusion. Madam was nothing like me. She was the opposite of me. The exact opposite.
"Go run fifty laps around the tent while we discuss it," Michael commanded and I nodded, getting off his lap, "Count them out loud, or else they won't count."
I nodded again, walking to my chest to take out my old rags to change into. Kurus' dress was not made to get dirty.