Liberation of The Slaves

Chapter 73 – His Pet, As Long As She Smiles

— Ronan’s POV —

“Good morning, Celes.”

“Good morning, Ronan.”

She smiled so sweetly—so earnestly—that it made me want to laugh. I pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead, brushing away the strands of blue hair that clung to her skin, then rose to dress.

“It’s still unbelievable that everything changed in one night,” I mused.

Suppressing a laugh, I smiled instead. She returned it.

“It’s your reward for working so hard for me over the past two years.”

“Then,” I asked playfully, buttoning my shirt, “may I request the same reward tonight? And every night after?”

She blushed slightly. “As you wish, my prince.”

“Thank you, my princess.”

Once fully dressed, I pulled a teleportation scroll from my bag.

“I’ll return to my estate. My subordinates are likely in disarray, considering I didn’t return home last night.”

“Un. Take care.”

“You too.”

With a soft flash of light, I vanished.

And reappeared in the comfort of my personal chambers.

Silence. Lavish furnishings. Familiar shadows.

And then—my lips curled.

“Haha… Hahahahaha...!”

The laughter, long stifled, erupted from my chest. I let it out freely now, echoing against the stone and silk.

So easy.

So perfectly orchestrated.

*Knock* *Knock*

A knock broke my mirth.

“Who is it?”

“It’s me, my lord.”

“Come in, Deryl.”

The old butler entered, bowing deeply. His face was drawn, but composed. No doubt he’d come running after hearing my laughter.

“It seems you’re in high spirits, my lord.”

“Skip the pleasantries. What’s the report?”

“We’ve lost contact with our informant in the gold mine, my lord.”

I narrowed my eyes.

“What happened?”

“Unclear, my lord. Presumably dead. I can dispatch replacements if you wish—”

I waved my hand lazily.

“No need. The girl already believes her brother is dead. That’s all that matters. Whether it's true or not… is irrelevant.”

“As you wish, my lord.”

He bowed again and left quietly.

As the door clicked shut, another voice—a broken, breathless one—rose behind me.

“Y-You… What did you just say!?”

The words left her mouth in a hoarse gasp, as if disbelief had stolen her breath. Her body jerked upright from the floor, bare arms trembling as she pushed herself to her knees, the chain of her collar clinking softly with the movement.

Ah.

Right.

I turned slowly, casting my gaze downward.

She knelt on the floor beside my bed, naked except for the slave collar around her neck, her long blonde hair a tangled mess across her shoulders.

Her crimson eyes burned with disbelief, rage, despair.

“Oh… I forgot you were still here, Daisy.”

She flinched at the sound of her name from my lips, as though it stung her.

“What did you mean!?” she snapped, voice cracking. Her hands clenched into trembling fists on her thighs, nails digging into her skin.

I approached casually. She recoiled slightly, instinctively lowering her gaze like a beaten dog—but defiance still flickered in her crimson eyes.

I clicked my tongue.

“Tsk, tsk… haven’t I taught you not to raise your voice at your master? But… I’m in a good mood today. I’ll let it slide.”

Her lip quivered. Her fists clenched.

“You… What did you do to Freed!?”

Her voice was shriller now, like a knife trying to pierce armor. She leaned forward on her knees, her whole body tense, as if on the verge of launching herself at me—but the invisible weight of her collar kept her pinned in place.

I crouched beside her, letting my voice lower into a casual drawl.

“As I said—your sister believes he’s dead.”

“You…! What did you do!?”

She glared at me with resentment, but I nonchalantly shrugged and replied,

“I merely assisted her as soon as I knew the location of her brother. I provided her with the location, a gold mine in the empire.”

“What…?” Her eyes trembled in disbelief.

“Well, I also dispatched my men to bring dozens of monsters there to dispose of him before she arrived. It appears she witnessed her brother's demise with her own eyes.”

“What!? Y-You..! You killed Freed!? You devil..!”

I chuckled at her funny reaction.

“Why!?” she screamed. “Why are you doing this to us!? What did we ever do!?”

I smiled.

A slow, satisfied smile.

“Your fault? Have you ever considered that the answer is: nothing?”

“W-What..?”

Her expression twisted. That single word seemed to shake her harder than any scream.

I stood and stepped away, pouring myself a glass of wine as I continued.

“You were born into the wrong place. that wretched territory of the bastard—Earl Senian. That’s all it took.”

“I told you this story before, didn’t I?” I asked, glancing over my shoulder.

“At first, I only wanted to destroy my late father’s enemy. That meant eliminating the earl’s heirs.”

“However, for unknown reasons, the empire assaulted your village simultaneously with the stampede. So, it’s not my responsibility for the destruction of your home.”

I swirled the wine in my glass.

“Then I saw your sister.”

I chuckled.

“She was shattered. Completely. Watching you and your brother dragged away broke her heart.”

“But then… she rose. In just a week, she was standing again. Training. Fighting. Becoming a hero. ‘Valor of Ocean Flower,’ they called her.”

I turned to face Daisy again.

“And that… intrigued me.”

As I detailed my plan, she began to shake. Her shoulders quivered, and she gritted her teeth so hard I could hear it.

When I crouched near her, she didn’t back away—but her whole frame went rigid, spine stiff, lips parted in silent dread.

“So I decided to break that hope. For fun. To pass the time.”

A whimper escaped her lips, barely audible. Her fingers dug into the rug beneath her, knuckles pale with pressure. One foot slowly tried to shift behind her—maybe to run, maybe to resist—but she didn’t move. Couldn’t move.

“You demon…!”

Tears now clung to the corners of her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. She wanted to hate me with dignity. Her chest heaved with shallow breaths, each one sharper than the last.

But I just shrugged and clicked my tongue again.

“Tsk. Tsk. I'm just a human, you know? And what do men want?” I grinned. “A beautiful woman in their bed.”

Her nails raked the floor. She was gripping it as if she could claw her way out of this nightmare.

I stood and placed down the wine onto the desk.

“Through my contacts in the empire, I confirmed you’d been sold into slavery. Easier than expected.”

I glanced down at her with thinly veiled contempt.

“But your brother was harder. He was talentless, worthless. He was sold to some no-name broker. But eventually, I found him too.”

Her eyes widened.

I smirked.

“Yes. I had him killed. Quietly. Efficiently. Before your dear sister could reach him.”

“No… no, you’re lying… Freed is still alive!” she choked out.

Her voice cracked. She wasn’t yelling anymore—she was pleading, hands now pressed to her chest as if praying to a god long gone.

“Believe what you like. It doesn’t matter. She already believes it. That’s all that matters.”

I crouched again and lifted her chin with one finger, grinning down at her.

“And do you know what she gave me last night?” I asked.

“She gave me her love.”

“She kissed me. Slept with me. Moaned for me. Called me her prince. All because she believes I tried to save her brother.”

“She was so beautiful… I tasted every inch of her last night, and will do it again every night.”

As I spoke of Celestia in my bed, her whole body twisted—as though each word drove a blade deeper. Her lips quivered. She turned her face away, her shoulders curling inward in quiet agony.

“You damn scumbag…!”

The words spilled out not with defiance, but like a sob torn from a dying heart. Her voice cracked—soft, breathless, soaked in hate and despair.

“Oh? That’s not very respectful. Maybe I should send your lifeless body to her. Let her grieve a little harder. Her despair makes her cling even tighter.”

“No!” she screamed. “Don’t break her! Please!”

I licked the edge of my teeth as her panic unfolded.

It’s funny to see that she didn’t care about me mentioning her own lifeless body, yet she desperately pleading to not break her sister. It’s as if she wouldn’t mind dying as long as her sister was fine.

And that intrigued me even more.

“Oh, I won’t. Not yet. I don’t like that ending.” I let the silence stretch before lowering my voice, venom dripping like syrup.

“Maybe… after I’ve fully satisfied myself with our sweet, gentle sex. Hmm, maybe next year, when she trusts me more than anyone else... I’ll invite her here. To this very room.”

I leaned in close to Daisy, whispering like a lover sharing a secret.

“She’ll open the door, smiling. She’ll walk in, thinking she’s coming into her lover’s arms… and she’ll see you.”

“She’ll see her precious sister—collared, naked, kneeling beside her lover’s bed, just like this.”

I laughed—dark, sharp, delighted.

I couldn’t wait to see Celestia’s reaction when she found out the truth.

“Then I’ll put a collar around her too. And I’ll watch as both sisters… serve me together.”

When I leaned in to whisper my final plan, she finally broke.

“No… Not Sis Celes… please—not her…”

Her voice disintegrated into a shattered whisper. Her hands flew to her ears, desperate to block the words, to unhear the nightmare being painted. Her body folded inward, shaking violently, sobs wracking her slender frame like tremors from some deep wound inside her soul.

She didn’t look like a girl anymore.

She looked like someone unraveling.

But I only smiled, savoring her torment—every trembling breath, every crack in her voice.

“I’ll enjoy you in the morning,” I whispered, “and her in the evening. Or maybe both at once.”

I yanked her hair, wrenching her head up.

“I’ll treat both of you roughly. I want to hear your screams… your moans... your broken voices begging me to stop.”

Then I shoved her down, turning away.

But she moved.

She crawled.

Slow at first—like her limbs barely remembered how. Her hands trembled against the cold floor, her knees scraping roughly as if the pain meant nothing. Her long, tangled hair dragged behind her, dirtied strands sticking to the sweat on her skin.

Her face was lowered, hidden beneath the shadow of shame, but I saw her lips quivering as she reached me.

When she reached my feet, she didn’t just stop.

She bowed low, forehead pressed hard against the floor as if she were praying to a goddess that didn’t care. Her arms curled around my legs, trembling.

“Please…” she whispered, her voice barely a breath. “Do anything to me. Hurt me. Break me. But not her. Not Sis Celes…”

Then—slowly, deliberately—she pressed her lips to the toe of my boot.

Not once.

Not like a kiss of obedience.

But again. And again. Licking, kissing, whimpering between gasps as she clung to the leather like it was her only hope of salvation.

“You can make me your pet,” she murmured into the floor, her voice cracking. “Your slave. Your toy. I'll serve however you want. Just don’t ruin her… please…”

I remained silent, letting her debase herself for me.

Then she rubbed her head against my leg, slowly—like a dog begging for affection. She arched her back and buried her cheek into my thigh, nuzzling, shivering, her hands gripping at my pants like she’d fall apart without something to hold onto.

“Please… don’t let her see this… Don’t drag her into this hell…”

She pressed her face against my hip, breathing heavily, and muttered broken pleas over and over again as if trying to bargain with a devil.

“She doesn’t deserve this. I do. I’ll obey you. I’ll crawl. I’ll bark. I’ll sleep at your feet like an animal. Just—let her stay innocent. Please…”

Tears spilled freely down her cheeks, soaking into the fabric of my trousers.

She clung to me as if her sister was her entire reason to keep living.

And I laughed.

“Haha… Hahahaha!”

Her pain made it sweeter than wine.

The sight of her—collared, filthy, licking my shoes and begging to be used, all for the sake of someone else—was the most exquisite gift she’d ever given me.

“You still have strength to beg?” I sneered.

Then I lifted my boot… and rested it against her bowed head.

She froze.

Her breath hitched.

But she didn’t resist.

She stayed still—even as the leather sole pressed lightly against her scalp, then harder. Her hands, which had gripped my legs just moments ago, now trembled, fingers tightening as if trying not to shake.

Her body was rigid.

Submissive.

But crumbling.

She didn’t speak.

Didn’t move.

Only the tiniest shudder in her shoulders betrayed her.

I leaned forward, applying just a touch more pressure—just enough to grind her down.

Still, she didn’t move.

Didn’t protest.

But, I disliked being ordered by a dog.

“You beg so sweetly, Daisy,” I murmured, low and cruel. “But pets don’t get to make demands of their masters.”

I saw her fingers twitch.

“You don’t get to protect anyone.” I leaned in closer. “You exist to obey. Nothing more.”

That’s when she broke.

A choking sound escaped her lips. Not a scream yet—but a breathless sob, sharp and suffocating.

“No…” she whispered again, voice ragged. “Please… not her…”

And I pressed down harder, grinding the sole of my boot against her head—crushing her last illusion.

“You should be grateful, Daisy.”

She froze.

“I’m being merciful. I’ll let you see your precious sister again.”

Her body trembled.

“Not as family, of course… but as fellow pets.”

Then, with a cold smile, I leaned in and spoke about the cruel reality that awaits her.

“You’ll kneel beside her, chained, naked—just like you are now. You’ll get to serve me together.”

The words slithered into her ears like poison.

“That’s my kindness.”

And that was it.

A strangled gasp escaped her. Then a scream.

“No… No…! NO!!”

It wasn’t rage.

It wasn’t pride.

It was grief—pure, suffocating grief.

“Stay away from her! Please—do anything to me, but not her!”

Her scream echoed—a hollow, breaking cry from a girl willing to give everything to protect what little light still lived in her world.

But it didn’t matter.

I lifted her anyway.

Because the morning belonged to her.

The night… to her sister.

And soon, the two of them would kneel together—my pets, my pleasures, my prizes.

Completely mine.

Body and soul.

Forever.