The walls were equipped with evenly spaced candlesticks.
The shadows seemed to be beckoning to me from the depths of the darkness, and I found myself wrapping my arms around myself as if to hug myself.
"Walk quickly."
The violent servant was in front of me and the cruel servant was behind me, forming a line between us.
I'm not handcuffed, but I don't think I can escape in this situation.
I walked in silence, feeling fear in the voice of the cruel servant on my neck.
"No. ......Ugh. ......Oh, no. ......"
The women who had been taken out of the room with me had apparently all experienced the "outside room" before.
After we left the room, we walked around crying the whole time.
I don't know what awaited me, but I could fully understand the horror of it.
"Um, Kianes, ...... is my brother ......?"
When I left the room, Kianes went away, accompanied by another servant.
Kianes, who did not want to be separated from me, was repeatedly beaten and dragged away.
I was afraid of the cruel servant, but I was even more afraid that Kianes would disappear like this.
My hands, feet, and even my voice trembled as I asked the question in desperation.
"Shut up and walk."
"...... Yes."
But I got no answer.
I was afraid of him getting angry if I continued to speak. I slowly closed my half-open mouth.
After a short walk down a creepy corridor, the women and I were ushered into a small room.
According to the conversations of the servants, this room was called the restroom. There were several women working in the room.
"Come here so we can clean you up."
Apparently, each one of us would be assigned a servant.
I was quickly undressed by the servant women.
I was embarrassed because there were others nearby, but I couldn't resist them.
I was carefully wiped down with a wet cloth and my hair was combed.
After being cleaned and polished, I was put into my new clothes. From the feel of the fabric, I knew it must be very expensive.
"Wow."
Feeling the supple softness of the cloth on my skin, I checked my image in the mirror stone placed in front of me.
The new dress looks like something a princess would wear.
Unlike the linen dress I wear in the village, it is very beautiful.
It was dyed a light purple, probably chosen to match the color of my hair.
My hair, which had only been tied up with strings, was taken down and lightly bound with a hair ornament.
The combination of my purple hair and the dress seemed to suit me very well.
In spite of the situation, I felt a little bit of pleasure in seeing myself become more mature.
"Okay, you're done."
"What? But I'm not wearing anything. ......"
The only thing I'm wearing now is this dress.
The length of the dress is only above the knee, so if you turn it up a little, you will be able to see the part of the body that should not be shown.
"That's fine, now back off."
They pushed me back and sent me off to the servants.
The women who were brought in with me seemed to have gone through the same make-up and wardrobe changes.
They all wore the same color of dress, but the breasts and buttocks of the adult women stood out more.
"You look like shit. I wish you'd do the same for me."
"Shut up. If your husband hears about this, he'll fire you.
"I know!"
While listening to the exchange between the servants, we left the restroom.
The women walking by looked much darker than when we had entered the restroom.
I could feel my heart beating faster with each step I took down the hallway.
I was shivering alone in the room the servants called "the waiting room".
After leaving the restroom, we were brought to this waiting room.
There were other women there, but one by one they were called out and left the room.
Now I'm the only one left.
"Oh no, ...... oh no, ...... Kianes, where did you go, ......?"
Just a few minutes ago, I was casually sitting with my head against the wall when I heard a sound from the other side of the wall.
I made the mistake of listening to see what it was.
It was the screams of the women who had been taken before me.
As soon as I heard it, my heart skipped a beat and I sat down on the floor holding my knees.
I sat down on the floor with my knees in my lap, my buttocks touching the floor directly because I wasn't wearing anything.
It was so cold that my buttocks touched the floor directly.
"Ew ......, this is disgusting ......, mom ......."
The window of this waiting room was high up, so there was no way to escape.
The servants said that I would be the last to be called.
My heart was beating fast and I felt a strong urge to throw up the food I had eaten.
If I'm going to be left in this state, I'd rather they just take me away.
As I was spilling my tears on the floor, the door opened with a squeak.
Standing there was a neatly dressed man.
For a moment, I was hoping that someone kind had come to help me, but that was not the case.
"She's the last of her kind. She's still a child, but she's ...... beautiful. I'm sure you'll be pleased with her."
"Oh, ......."
"Don't be frightened, come here."
I thought it would be better to be taken away than to wait here like this, but after all, fear is fear.
I slowly walked forward to buy as much time as possible, but I was grabbed by the wrist.
I was dragged out of the waiting room.
"Your brother is waiting for you in this room."
"Kianes is ......?"
The man said as he came to a beautifully decorated door.
Considering the position, the screams that had reached the anteroom must have come from this room.
That is to say, the screams of the women were coming from this room.
My knees were shaking and I felt like I was going to fall down.
"Let's go inside."
"...... Yes."
There was no way I could refuse.
I stepped into the door that the servant had opened and proceeded slowly forward.
"Ugh. ......"
There was a strange smell in the room.
It's not the first time I've smelled it, but it's a fishy smell that makes you feel unstable.
The smell seemed to get thicker with each step I took.
As I passed through the door, I saw a man standing by a long partition.
"Now follow this man, the host. See you later."
With that, the servant left the room.
I looked at the man who had been called the host.
"So this is the last woman. Hmm, she's pretty and nice. I'm sure your guests will be pleased."
"Um, is Kianes at ......?"
I mustered up the courage to open my mouth, but the host ignored my question and grabbed my wrist.
As I stepped out of the doorway, I could see the room.
The room was reasonably bright, as candles seemed to be lavishly used.
There were sofas and tables here and there in the large room dyed in the color of the flames.
There were men in gorgeous costumes sitting there.
It was hard to see the depths of the room by candlelight, but I could make out some shadows.
Judging from the words of the servants and the host, they must be the guests.
They were licking their lips at me as the host pulled me along.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we have prepared an elaborate spectacle for you at the end," said the host, gesturing to me from a raised platform.
"This beautiful girl's name is Tico. She came here with her brother.
I didn't know what to do, so I listened to the host's words in silence.
He explained where I was from, how I had been living, and how I had been brought here.
I casually looked around the room, but there was no sign of the women. I wondered if they had already been sent back to jail.
"Tico's father had joined the Nambonan defense as a mercenary and never returned to the village. Oh, what a tragedy. ......"
I was told that the guests in this room were all merchants from Nambonan City.
For a moment, I was so angry that I forgot my fears at the lack of emotion at the host's words.
My father and brother died because of these people.
"Her father told her brother to protect Tico until he returned."
The night before he left for Nambonan City, his father told Kianes that it was his job as a man to protect his mother and me in the village.
"Her brother still keeps that promise. If we try to touch Tico, he stands there like a guard dog."
Kianes is desperate to keep his word, believing that his father will come back one day.
It's as if he thinks that the moment he breaks that promise, his father will die.
"Isn't that wonderful sisterly love?"
The host moved his arms in a flowing motion and asked the guests in the room.
The guests agreed in a low tone.
It was as if they were mocking Kianes.
I would like you to see the beauty of love.
I didn't understand what he meant, but the guests seemed to understand what he meant.
"Let's see it.
A visitor sitting on the sofa in the middle of the room said to the host.
A guest sitting in the middle of the room said to the host, "Let's see what you got.
The host smiled wryly and pointed his arm toward the door.
"Tico's brother, Kianes. Your entrance!"
I wondered how long he had been here, but Kianes was standing next to the door.
His cheeks were swollen from the beating, and the bruises on his wrists, exposed by the removal of the chains, looked painful.
"Kianes......"
But what caught my eye more than that was his appearance.
He was there without naked, without any clothing.
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