"Ouch!"
A bald middle-age man pricked her finger with a needle, a drop of blood fell on something like paper. He rolled it up and then left the room. After a while, he returned together with the guy who bought her. Rena saw them walking toward her. Even though he was wearing a robe, covering his body, she could see that the blonde guy had slender figure. Walking side by side with the middle-age man, he was taller than him. They stopped walking when they got closed enough from her. He examined her condition for a while and then said,
"Can you take her out then remove the shackles and the collar?"
"Eh?" The middle age man stood still, confused.
"Take her out and remove them." He said it with clear authoritative tone.
"Y-yes! Right away, sir."
Now that Rena cold hear him closely, she thought he has a slightly husky and alluring voice. There's also charisma when he commanded the man. It seemed like he used to commanding people.
The middle-age man unlocked the cage and hinted her to lift her arms. Rena followed what was instructed, watching him removing her shackles, although she didn't really understand why's the blonde guy doing that.
(Isn't he worry I will escape?)
*clang*
Rena watched the shackles fell on the floor. There were reddish mark and bruised on her hands because she had been shackled for a few weeks. She moved her hand, touching the other free hand, twisting her wrist a little, feeling the sense of freedom.
*step* *step*
His footsteps approaching her, she could smell a nice fragrance permeated from his body. Rena slightly peered up, gazing at the unfamiliar guy.
He kneeled and said to her,
"Miss, can you stand?"
"..." Rena didn't answer.
He wasn't bothered when he didn't get answer from Rena. He lifted his arms, took off his muffler and draped it around her shoulders.
Surprised by this treatment, Rena's eyes went wide as she stared at him.
"The sun has set outside and the wind is strong. You'll be cold wearing such thin clothes." His lips curved a gentle smile.
...Even more surprising to her was what behind the covered face.
After all these painful days, she was convinced that another world was nothing like all those light novels described. Really, someone must be toying with her life just for the sake of this moment, or perhaps this was only her visual illusion, whichever of them didn't really matter now. With mouth agape, as if she couldn't believe what was in front of her...
An ikemen just appeared.
All her brain circuits got cut off. Rena thought for sure that her fever was going up.
She could see sparkles and roses appeared behind that guy.
He grabbed her hand, pulling her gently, and helping her to stand. Then he gently supported her body, who couldn't walk by her own, and led her outside.
"I've told my assistant to get the carriage ready. It'll be here soon."
...Rena could only follow him.
(I'm not reincarnated in an otome game, right???) .....(°ロ°)
---
*ratatatata*
The carriage was moving on the dimly lit stone paved roads, getting farther from the tall building known as The Auction House. There were shadows of two people sitting in the carriage, facing each other. The man sat comfortably with his legs crossed and arm gently rested on the window, looking at the woman who tried to avoid eye contact with him. Whenever their eyes met, she squirmed a little.
"...."
Rena had been silent all this time, not sure of what to say. She couldn't really think much of anything important with her feverish condition anyway. Most of the times, she looked outside the window, watching the foreign scenery and sometimes took a glance at the blonde guy who was staring at her.
He was probably in his early to mid 20s. His appearance screamed the perfect image of a prince from fairy tales, she really couldn't believe this guy bought her. What did he want to do with her? Even though he was the first person who treated her like a human being in this world, the fact still, he bought her as his slave.
"It must be painful for you." The blonde guy broke the silent.
"....Huh?" She didn't quite get it. Yes, she had been through a terrible experience these past few weeks. But suddenly being addressed about the issue by this guy, she didn't know how to respond.
"It seems the aphrodisiac's effect is quite strong." He smiled at her.
"Eh?" Rena stupefied.
"Umm..., I don't... understand?"
"Some people like to give a drug that stimulates sexual desire when selling slaves on the market. They think it will increase their desirability. It was a common practice in some places." He explained in casual tone, maintaining his smile.
Rena needed a moment before processing that information...
Everything made sense now. She was fine this morning, then her body started feeling weird during the noon. Those pirates must have mixed something in her food or drink.
"It's okay. You can relax, I won't force you to do something without your consent."
Rena peered at him, trying to confirm whether he meant it or not. That guy was still smiling at her.
"...But if you can't endure it and need help, I'm willing to provide my assistance."
"W-wha..." For a moment, she didn't know what to say.
"N-no...! I'm alright! I'm perfectly fine!"
She quickly responded, flustered.
"Fufu." He chuckled enjoying her reaction.
(He is mischievous. I shouldn't fully trust of what he said.) Rena noted this in her mind.
"My name is Frei Almsteinn, owner of Almsteinn Trading Group from Ardia Kingdom."
"Our business is mainly dealing with acquiring raw materials, importing and exporting them. But in the future, we're planning to expand our business. Thus, I often traveled to many places."
The merchant called Frei fluently explained his identity.
"...Uhm, Almsteinn-sama?" Rena called him with honorific.
"Sama? What is that?" He looked confused.
"And please don't call me Almsteinn. Frei is my name. Almsteinn is my father's name. Frei Almsteinn is my business name. We don't have a family name like nobles. You can just call me Frei."
Rena forgot that this place wasn't Japan. People don't call others with honorifics. Even back on earth, they don't do it in western countries.
"Um, it's nothing... T-then, Master Frei...?" She asked for confirmation, after all, he is her master.
"Frei." He said.
"...." Rena was silent for a while.
"Mr. Frei?" She continued.
"Frei." He showed his charming smile.
(Is this what they called The Invincible Ikemen Attack?! Fully understand how to use his charm!) Rena retorted in her mind.
"Eh, uh... That... that would be improper of me... to call you that way." Rena still felt redundant.
"It's okay. I want you to call me like that." Frei didn't give up either.
"Or would you prefer me to order you?" His tone was nice but sharp.
There was a silent... And after a while, Rena opened her mouth.
"F-frei..."
Rena was somewhat embarrassed because she wasn't used to it. Calling people without honorifics means they have a close relationship. Just like a family, best friend, or lover. But she gave up, there wasn't any point to be persistent about this, the other person didn't even know a country called Japan. It would be disrespecting the other side too if she kept being insistent.
"Can you say it once again?" He asked her.
"Frei..." Rena repeated it slowly.
"Louder?" He demanded with a smile on his face.
(W-what's with this guy?!)
"....Uuuuuw." Rena pouted, she knew she was being teased.
Frei leaned forward, moving his body. He slowly moved his face closer to her and then tilted his head a little. Of course, that smile of his never left his face. There was a subtle smell of rose mixed with spices coming from him.
"Hmm?" He said that when they were closed enough that Rena could hear his breath.
Suddenly, she felt nervous. Her heart beaten fast and her mind was blank.
"Frei!" She shouted.
She was convinced the aphrodisiac effect made her flustered easily. She never reacted like this before. Even though on the inside Rena was someone who got nervous easily, she tried not to show it to others. Guys found her a little difficult to approach because of her introvert personality, but some would still approach her. It was just that she didn't have any interest in real-life romance since that one incident. Well, there were a good and a bad side about this side of her. The good side, with his attractive appearance, gentlemanly approach, and slightly mischievous nature, being approached by him, any other girl would have fallen in love with Frei right away. And the bad side, she had no experience dealing with a guy like Frei.
Frei's hand moved trying to touch Rena. She instinctively closed her eyes.
The next moment, she felt that he had patted her head.
"Good girl."
When she opened her eyes, she saw his gentle smile.
The part where he pat her head felt warm. The warmth seeped into her heart. Rena realized she wasn't nervous or feeling wary anymore. She still felt feverish but her mind was calmer, probably this was his way to remove the awkward situation between them.
"He might not be a bad person..." She muttered.
Frei moved back, he leaned comfortably on his seat.
"Now, it's your turn. Can you tell me your name?" He asked.
"Ao-, ah... I'm... Rena." She almost said her family name and remembered that most people in this world didn't have a family name.
There was a pause.
Frei's expression slightly change, he didn't blinked. It was subtle, but she noticed it.
"?"
Rena tilted her head.
"Rena... that's a nice name. That doesn't sound like a name from East continent though. Where do you come from, Rena?" His hand moved touching his chin, looking interested.
"!!"
Rena was conflicted. She couldn't say she came from another world, but she didn't know any place from this world either. It would be weird for someone not to know where she came from.
"That's..." She couldn't finish her sentence.
"Hmm, are you perhaps come from a nomad tribe?" Frei made a guess.
(A nomad tribe...?)
If she remembered correctly, a nomad tribe moved from place to place, never stayed in one place for a long time. Now that Frei brought this subject up, she recalled the first time she arrived in this world, she woke up in a tent-like place, something a nomad tribe used.
Rena decided to go with that story.
"Yeah, that's right..." Before she could finish her sentence, Frei cut in.
"Judging from your appearance, you look like someone from Jin Kingdom."
"Eh..."
"But Xi La Kingdom also has large steppe where nomad tribes usually live."
"Um..."
Rena didn't know what to reply here, she was confused, thinking what was the right answer in this situation. In the end, she decided to tell him the truth. Well, part of it...
"I... I'm sorry, I don't really know where I come from..." She turned her gaze down, looking at her hands.
(Ugh, will he believe that?)
"Ah, well. Nomads usually don't care about boundaries between kingdoms. They live wherever they like." He casually replied her awkward answer.
Rena felt relieved, but it would be bad if he asked more about her, so she decided to change the subject.
"Can I ask you a question?"
"Sure, Rena can ask me anything."
"What are you... planning to do with me...?"
Rena had been itching to ask this, he was willing to spend a lot of money for her, but Frei didn't look like a pervert who would buy women to be treated as a sex object. In fact, he looked like the type who was swarmed by the opposite sex. She wanted to know his intention.
"I'm not actually sure." He answered her quickly.
"Huh?"
"I guess I just want to save a pretty girl like you."
He gave her a smile, glitters appeared in the background.
"Ueeeh." Her mouth made a downward curve spontaneously.
Rena wasn't impressed by that. Perhaps it would make other girls blushed, being told pretty by an ikemen. And indeed, he was like a prince on a white horse saving her from miserable fate. But Rena felt there's something more of it. Frei hid his intention. Also, she had noticed by now, Frei smiled a lot. The business smile, the mischievous smile, the kind and gentle smile, and... the secretive smile.
Frei looked amused watching her expression. The next moment, his mischievous smile returned.
"O-oh..." Rena felt a bad premonition.
"We can save the talk for tomorrow when you feel better, Rena. There isn't much time to chat left anyway since we almost arrived at the inn." He said.
"For now, there's only one thing left I want to do."
Frei moved from his seat again. He put his hand beside her face, against the seat behind her. By doing this, he put emphasis on his presence, it also worked to keep his balance in the moving carriage. The other hand moved, touching her face. Frei lifted her chin, matching his gaze to hers. Rena couldn't escape from his sea-green eyes. Frei moved his face closer to her ears.
"To finalize our bond, I shall give you a new name." He said in a low whispering voice.
"From today onward, your name is Serena."
Her body shivered, but what across her mind was something else.
(He is being sarcastic here!)
Rena retorted in her mind. Since coming in this world, she only had troubles. Her current state was far from being called 'serene'.
(And what's the point of asking my name if you're gonna give me a new name?!)
---