15 Noises in the Dark

In the dead of night, a piercing light from the bedroom assaulted Jack's eyes, pulling him from the depths of sleep. His mind, still groggy, fought to catch up as he pushed himself upright from the sofa.

The pins and needles in his legs, which had been dangling over the edge, shot a sharp jolt of pain through him as he rubbed them back to life.

"Missy! Stay still, please!"

Lupus's muffled voice echoed from the bathroom. Even through the fog of sleep, Jack's sharp hearing caught it instantly.

Who's she talking to? he wondered, stumbling unsteadily toward the light.

A cheerful giggle rang out, growing clearer as he approached. He was less than a metre from the door now.

"Uh… Lupy? What are you doing?" Jack asked, his voice sluggish as he knocked lightly.

The laughter cut off. A brief shuffle of movement, then the click of the lock. The door opened a fraction.

Lupus's bunny ears poked out first, followed by her flustered face, pouting like a petulant child caught with her hand in the cookie jar.

"N~nothing… Hang on!" she answered, her tone suspiciously coy.

Curiosity piqued, Jack leaned closer. As the door creaked open, he yelped and recoiled. "Ah! Why are you taking another bath?!"

Lupus stood in the doorway wrapped in nothing but a white towel, her damp skin glowing under the bathroom light. Her ample curves and plump thighs were barely concealed.

Jack instinctively slapped a hand over his eyes, though his traitorous fingers left gaps for him to peek through.

"It's… hot?" Lupus offered casually, a teasing chuckle escaping her lips.

"But I hea—" Jack's voice faltered as his eyes adjusted to the scene behind her. He froze, his breath hitching in his throat.

Another girl.

Standing there, completely bare, was Frain, the Wildren slave he had met earlier that evening.

Jack's mind short-circuited.

Not because she was bathing with Lupus, that would have been surprising enough, but because she wasn't wearing a single shred of fabric.

Frain squeaked in mortification, hastily covering herself. Lupus stepped forward to shield the girl, blocking Jack's view.

"PERVERT-Y!" Lupus yelled, slamming the door in his face. The gust of wind ruffled his silver hair.

There was no going back to sleep after that.

Jack sat on the couch, gulping down water in an attempt to cool his nerves, praying the images burned into his mind would fade.

After what felt like an eternity, the two girls finally emerged. Their hair was damp, and the soothing scent of lavender shampoo filled the air.

Despite the calming aroma, the tension in the room was a tightly wound knot. Lupus busied herself reheating her takeaway from dinner while Frain clung to her like a lost child.

Jack observed them from his seat, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

You cheeky little rabbit… And here I thought she just wanted a midnight snack. She planned the whole thing, buying takeaway in advance, making sure everything was set up.

His lips twitched into an amused smirk. Well, I need to stop underestimating Lupus Hoffmann. She's way smarter than she lets on… but I suppose all mages are geniuses in their own way.

Frain, the Wildren slave, didn't appear overly young, perhaps around the same age as Lupus. The girl was now dressed in a neatly wrapped bathrobe that covered her from neck to ankle, but the slave circlet remained fastened around her throat.

As they waited for the microwave to chime, Jack finally broke the silence. "Lupy… would you mind explaining this?"

"Yes, yes!" She nodded, a little sheepishly, before shoving Frain forward.

"I've decided that Frain will be my slave! So I bought her. At 75% off! Only four thousand credits!" Lupus announced proudly, as if she'd just won the lottery.

Jack stared at her in disbelief, then sighed. Who was he to object?

"Come on! You don't actually think I'd treat her worse than that sketchy merchant, do you?" Lupus pouted, her voice softening as she sensed his disapproval.

This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author's work.

Frain, however, remained frozen, a statue of uncertainty.

Jack took a closer look. Her once matted, dirty-blonde hair had been washed and now curled neatly. Her striking purple eyes had regained some of their lost vibrancy. She looked significantly better than she had that morning.

At the very least, she was cleaner.

He exhaled again. Lupus's claim wasn't entirely baseless. Frain was undoubtedly better off with her than with those vile merchants.

The question still loomed in Frain's mind, a silent, incredulous refrain: Why did these people treat a slave so differently?

Ding!

The microwave's chime momentarily halted the conversation. Lupus retrieved the heated sausages and served them to Frain, who practically lit up with joy as her eyes met them.

Lupus softly threaded her fingers through Frain's blonde hair, patting her gently. "Frain, eat. It's yours," she said, her tone ever so cheerful. Jack nodded in approval.

"Th~thank you…" Frain murmured. She hesitantly picked up one of the sausages, hovering it near her mouth, but still cast a reluctant glance at her new master, as if silently seeking permission to eat such a succulent meal.

"Owwww! My baby!" Lupus let out a pitiful gasp, wrapping her arms around Frain from behind.

Frain finally nodded and began to slowly nibble on the sausage. "Delicious…" she uttered, savouring a taste she had once known but had long since been denied.

She sniffed, holding back her tears. Yet, a drop spilled over. It was a tear of joy.

"Come on! Pet her!" Lupus suddenly suggested, her lips curling into a mischievous smile.

Jack hesitated. The Wildren clans each had their own traditions. Would touching her head be acceptable?

Since Lupus had suggested it, surely it wasn't offensive. After a moment of internal debate, he complied, slowly extending his fingers until they hovered just above Frain's golden curls.

A low growl rumbled from her throat. Her reserved demeanour shifted into something far more primal.

"Lupy, is… is this really fine?" Jack asked warily. Lupus simply grinned and nodded encouragingly.

She's going to bite me for real… he muttered under his breath.

Despite his reservations, he pressed forward. The closer his hand got, the louder her growling became.

Then, just as his fingers finally sank into her thick curls…

The growling stopped.

It was replaced by a deep, contented purring.

Jack blinked in mild surprise, a wry smile creeping onto his face. He hadn't expected that.

Then, without warning, Frain snapped back. Her mouth parted, exposing human-like teeth as she lunged at his fingers.

Jack was too slow to react.

"Ouch! Wait… huh?"

Instead of sinking her teeth into his flesh, Frain merely latched onto his index finger, sucking on it gently before grooming it with her tongue.

Jack stiffened. Her tongue was rough, textured differently from a human's. The sensation was strange, oddly soothing yet completely foreign.

Then, clarity hit him.

His face turned crimson as he quickly yanked his hand away. "W~what the heck was that?!" he gasped.

Lupus's laughter erupted instantly. "Gotcha! Hahahaha!"

As Frain returned to her meal. At the very least, Jack thought, watching her eat was easier on his nerves than whatever had just happened.

"Oh, did you know?" Lupus suddenly asked Jack, as if a thought had just slipped into her mind.

He raised his eyebrows. "What?"

"About Frain's saliva. Her lion Wildren species has a very unique property, hehe." Lupus's voice piqued Jack's curiosity once more.

He tilted his head, tuning in closely. "Tell me, Lupy."

"It's a seal! It means she's accepted you and me as her masters!" Lupus declared proudly, flashing a toothy grin as she continued brushing Frain's hair.

Jack shook his head. "Oh… I don't want to be her master…"

His words startled Frain, who was still eating. Her purple eyes turned glassy as though she were upset by his statement.

Quickly correcting himself, he added, "I mean, I'd rather be her ally. A friend."

The concept of companionship with a slave seemed to elude both Lupus and Frain as they exchanged odd glances.

As young as they were, Jack figured they had probably never visited the Dunkelheit Empire or encountered different perspectives on life. Unlike them, he had met people from across the globe, exchanging knowledge and traditions. His mind was an open book, always willing to learn.

If only more people were like him, open-minded, sensible, and accepting of differences, perhaps this world wouldn't be in such turmoil.

Perhaps Germund would still be in its glory, rather than torn apart by war.

"I… see…" Lupus nodded twice, taking in his perspective. "By the way… there's something else useful about her saliva," she said, seamlessly switching back to her topic.

"Hm?"

"Well, it has healing properties too! Like the 'Iasis' spell I used on you, but less potent," Lupus explained, lifting a finger as if delivering an important lesson. "Most people don't realise that!" She pressed a finger to her lips in a playful hush.

"Wow, she's quite… a handful," Jack mused, admiring Frain's unique traits. As his red eyes met hers, Frain offered him a small smile for the first time.

"I know you'll take the best care of Frain. That makes me happy," Jack said, fully approving of Lupus's actions.

Hearing his praise, Lupus beamed. "Yippee!" she cheered, bouncing happily. Jack realised that Bunny Wildren were incapable of masking their excitement.

As the night deepened and Frain finished her meal, the three retreated to their designated beds.

Initially, Frain lay beneath Lupus's bed, but her master soon forced her to sleep beside her. They cuddled as though they were friends, or even sisters.

Watching the shift in their dynamic, Jack felt a strange warmth in his heart. Perhaps people were capable of change after all, he remarked inwardly.

Content with his new companions, Jack lay back, his mind drifting into the darkness.

"Tomorrow, we'll go our separate ways… I can only hope that Lupus and Frain survive this war, and one day, we'll meet again in a better world."

With that thought, his mind surrendered to slumber.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.