Chapter 34

Chapter 34

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Those people really had such horrific taste. I was forced to watch the proceeding events in utter boredom.

“Ooh... I really like your toy. How about swapping yours with mine for the day?”

“No thanks.”

“Then... Why don’t we have them battle? The owner of the winning toy can decide to make them both do whatever she likes.”

“Now that I can get behind.”

That’s how the conversation between my two half-sisters ended in a bet. On their signal, a male guard turned and approached the cages. With the push of a button, a path opened up that connected both cages. The toy on the right was the first one to make a move. With chains around his wrists and ankles, he staggered through his cage’s door. He was breathing heavily like someone high on methamphetamines. There was a complete lack of focus in his eyes, and his pupils were blue. All signs indicated that the toy was hardly in a state to comprehend his own actions.

The other people in the remaining cages were just as messed up in appearance. The Agrece clan referred to them collectively as toys, and they did indeed abuse them just as badly as inanimate toys. Every last one of them—the ones inside of the cages, and the unfortunate new doll with her face all slashed up—were bound to suffer the same fate. As if their circumstances weren’t cruel enough, now their masters were using them like dogs to fight.

“Who do you think will win?”

“Hmm... I’m betting on the brunette.”

“No way. That one’s far too drugged up. Just look at how it’s swaying.”

“Right, but that also means it hardly feels any pain. Don’t you think that’s an advantage?”

Soon all the women around the table were making friendly wagers amongst themselves over which toy would come out victorious. All the while, the sun continued to beam from above as the beautiful scent of flowers added to the charm of the atmosphere. The party attendees seemed equally as cheerful and blithe. Not a single one of them questioned the events for being out of the ordinary.

As the fight inside the cage became bloodier by the minute, the crowd greeted each drop of blood and counterpunch with raucous hurrahs. I silently thanked the heavens for granting me the foresight to get my mother far away from there. With her weak heart, there was no doubt in my mind that she would have fainted. However, as luck would have it, none of us were going to find out the winner that day.

“Madames! There’s an emergency!”

Without warning, two guards came charging into the glass chamber while shouting at the tops of their lungs. Both looked incredibly disheveled. Their faces were puffed up as if they had been struck with an array of heavy blows, and their uniforms had footmarks on them. It was clear that one had injured his right hand in the apparent attack, while the other was clutching at his ribs. Our party’s hostess was unhappy to say the least, as she glared icily at the intruders.

“Just why are you making such a ruckus?! Hurry and speak up!”

“Lady Roxana’s toy has escaped!”

Everyone gathered around the table began to whisper to one another. Then almost simultaneously, their puzzled gazes finally turned to me.

“Are you saying my toy undid his chains himself and escaped?”

I remained calm and ignored the curious stares as I inquired.

“N-No, My Lady. He somehow managed to get past us when we went into his room in order to bring him here.”

“What? To bring my toy here to the tea party?”

Realizing his blunder, the guard clammed up almost immediately.

“On whose authority?”

I set my teacup down, then traced my finger around its rim.

“I don’t recall permitting such a thing. Are you saying that you took it upon yourselves to fetch my toy?”

A hairline crack began to form on the glass cup under my touch. I continued until it spread so wide that the tea inside began to seep out.

Crrrack!

The teacup shattered into tiny little pieces, settling on the saucer dish like porcelain flower petals. The guards’ faces had already turned gray with fear. The chamber became so quiet that we could likely have heard a pin drop in one of its corners.

“O-Of course not, My La—”

“We were told that Master Deon ordered it... that is the only reason we assumed you had given your permission.”

Such a cowardly excuse actually convinced me. Deon’s name suddenly popping up in the middle of a tea party was somewhat odd, but the guards had to be telling the truth.

Maria began to open her mouth, but I spoke again before she had the chance.

“Who exactly do you two take me for?!”

As my voice echoed around the room, I saw the guards gasp from fear. They were trembling as if my words were a cold breeze blowing through them. They were merely unfortunate bystanders at a fight between living corpses. I was fully aware that had they believed the order to fetch Cassis had been false that they would not have dared to risk crossing me, nor have the nerve to show their faces to me afterward.

“I just can’t imagine you would come all the way here to yammer on about such nonsense if you actually took me seriously.”

There was of course a difference between being understanding and being forgiving. What they had said about Deon was essentially an admission that they were more afraid of him than they were of me. If so, I suppose I was at fault for that to some degree since I never hurt or killed any servants or guards at random like they were pesky insects. Still, they should have been more careful as the fault lay within their stares.

“N-No, My Lady! It isn’t like that at all! Th-There must have been some sort of misunderstanding somewhere down the... P-Please forgive us, Lady Roxana! Please!”

They had committed a most grave offense by taking out my toy without my express permission, then losing it in the process. Yet despite being fully aware of their blunder, they had the gall to beg for my forgiveness. Honestly, I felt sorry for them, but I couldn’t just let it slide.

“You ask for my forgiveness while standing tall before me?”

In an instant, the guard buckled over screaming.

“Ack!”

I sent the knife that had been peacefully lying on the table in front of me flying straight through the air into his knee. The guard had muffled his screams almost immediately, which I thought showed he didn’t entirely lack sense.

As I lowered my throwing hand, I added acidly, “If you were really sorry, you should have been crawling on your hands and knees from the moment you came in here instead of just blabbering on.”

Had I not been reborn as Roxana Agrece, I probably would have forgiven them rather easily. But my role in this world was not one of a saint. In fact, it was closer to a vengeful witch.

“Bow, before I slice off those ridiculous melons you call heads.”

The two trembled like elm trees in a storm as they sprawled their bodies flat out onto the floor. The shiny, silver cutlery for the tea was suddenly serving as the tool for slicing through knees instead of bread. The floor of the sun-filled room was slowly becoming covered in blood. I didn’t relish in playing punisher like the others who seemed to delight in doing so. Still, when the need arose as it had this day, I was willing to play the part well enough.

“What is the last known location of the toy?”

The answer burst out of the petrified guard’s mouth at breakneck speed.

“Th-The hallway leading to the southwestern section of the compound! Master Jeremy was going after him.”

Seeing as I had wasted too much time already, I prepared to take my leave.

“Emily.”

“As you wish, My Lady.”

Emily stepped forward from where she had been standing still. Probably guessing what my maid was preparing to do, the guards began to beg me to spare their lives. Emily continued to slowly remove her right-hand glove.

As I turned away from them, I addressed Maria once more.

“I suppose this is where the tea party ends for me, Lady Maria.”

Judging from the looks on their faces, it seemed the others were in agreement about adjourning to their respective areas as well.

“Would you like some help recovering your toy?”

“Thank you for the offer, really, but I’ll be all right.”

Unlike her usual demeanor, Maria was being oddly more insistent.

“I don’t know what sort of misunderstanding occurred, but seeing as Deon’s name was mentioned, I feel duty-bound to help...”

CRASH.

An indescribable sound rang through the air from outside to reach all of us inside the glass chamber. Then almost at the very same moment, the room which had only moments ago been bathed in sunlight was cloaked in total darkness. Without warning, a big chunk of something heavy and black came hurling toward the outer glass wall.

BOOM.

Skreee!

“Aaah!”

The women who were still sitting around the table stood up in a panic.

“What was that?!”

“It was clearly a demon!”

The thing that had struck the wall was indeed a demon the size of a house. It resembled a spider, but only had four legs and sported a venomous tail. The creature was referred to as a carantul. It was one of the many demon monsters bred on the Agrece farm.

“My Lady!”

A woman covered in toxic slime stumbled into the chamber. Judging from her appearance, she was most likely one of Maria’s servants who had been charged with guard duty.

“What is it now?”

It was clear from the sound of her voice that Maria was agitated.

“The hutch to farm number five has been breached, Madame! Please take shelter.”

The fifth farm was fairly close to the glass chamber we were all still in. Even I was finding it difficult not to suspect Cassis of being involved in this new commotion. I ignored everyone’s warnings of caution and walked towards the chamber door. I had to find out for myself what was going on.

CRASH.

Skreee!

But at that moment, all hell broke loose as the glass wall came crashing down with a hideous demon monster right on top of it.