Yuki was depressed. Why were they so depressed? They had just turned 16, and they were now being given away. She had thought that her parents loved her. But apparently, their own greed waw more important than her freedom. And so, Yuki was depressed. She sat at the stool, past the closing hours of the cafe where she worked. She couldn't go home. If she were to go anywhere else, it would either be a hotel, or the home of her new 'owner'.
She did not approve of that. She refused to become property of someone else. Her mind squaked at her, remind her of the little bits of herself she kept hidden. She wanted to become 'property' of someone, but only by choice! This was an outrage! Perhaps she would get lucky, as end up working as a maid for a paranormal faction member. Then her cultivation could increase, and she could leave soon, without actually having to bother with the creep that had decided to purchase her. As a zelidokinetic, nearly anything was possible, as long as she had her attributes, the materials, and could cultivate enough to create what she needed. That was, if she ever left her job and went to the house of her new boss. Yeah, that's an appropriate term. Sure, he legally owned her, but he was nothing more than her instructor, or boss.
So, with renewed confidence, Yuki stood up, her maid outfit poofing up dramatically around her, and got changed into civilian clothes. After searching up the address eight times on Google Maps, getting lost on a street with tons of Christmas lights, and eventually asking for directions, Yuki finally arrived at her new home. What was the protocol for this? Yuki tentatively knocked on the door, fidgeting nervously with her bags while she waited. The door opened, and a familiar maid opened the door. At 31, this girl was old enough to be Yuki's mother, and Yuki silently hoped that the house master did not intend to have her as a consort, since he was likely 40 based on the age of his house maid.
"Come on in, dear, the house master has been waiting for you all night. He's likely none too happy about your late arrival. And you're all cold, you poor dear! I'll start a cup of tea for you and Lord Hisui." Furēku Hisui. That was the name of her new boss. Before Yuki had a chance, or even the thought, to just leave and take the debt for her freedom, she was pulled inside by Yami, and the door was locked behind her. Hopefully, She would just work to help Yami with the tasks and sleep in the servants quarters. Yami appeared to be one of the few factionless people in the world. The system called them savants. People skilled enough at just being people, that it would be a shame to uproot their natural skills. Yami directed her to sit on a velvet cushion. "Lord Hisui will be with you in a moment, dear. I'm going to go start on tea." And with that, Yami left Yuki alone to the silence.
Yuki nervously tapped her leg, and, after a few moments of quiet, Yuki noticed that she was being watched. Her eyes flicked over to the dark staircase, interlocking with motionless orbs the color of a blue moon. She looked away, a chill ran down her spine, and her gaze met the floor. She could still feel the eyes watching her as her lungs constricted. The seat next to her bent inwards, and she felt frozen tendrils snake their way between her bones, weaving icy braids along her muscles. As soon as they had appeared, they vanished, just as Yami had returned with a tray of tea and cookies.
"Here you two are. Make sure to sleep soon, and ring the bell if you need me." Yami bowed, before heading on her way to the servant's quarters. Yuki dared a look in the direction of Hisui, this time, she didn't flinch when she met his gaze, and instead gasped in surprise. The demon before her was young. His status identifies him as 17, a year older than her. Not only that, but, he's breathtaking. His ashen brown hair was lofty, softening his features, making him appear gentle. Those eyes though, they were anything but gentle. Though they were filled with kindness, those eyes held something different. Even though he was very obviously tired, his eyes were still sharp, lost somewhere that Yuki couldn't see. The boy took a sip of his tea, before turning to look at her.
"Mind explaining why you were late?" He asked a simple question. Yuki gulped. Though it was simple, it put a lot more at stake for her than she could have ever wanted.
"M..my shift at the cafe ran late, and then I..I couldn't figure out which was the proper house." She stammers, trying to keep her stutter from grasping her speech. Hisui nodded, a small smirk on the edge of his lips.
"You're lucky, you know."
"W...What?"
"You haven't signed the contract yet. If you had, then came home late, then I would have had to punish you." His lips turned ever so slightly upward, a sadistic twinkle in his eyes.
"O..oh" Yuki blinked, staring at the floor as she contemplated this.
"However, now that you're here, we do have to go over the contract." Hisui pulls out a printed document, with two lines at the bottom, and hands it to Yuki. After a quick inspection, Yuki is already flustered.
"Y...you intend to d..d.d..do those things to me?"
"Well, if you're comfortable with that. I didn't really think you would be vanilla though."
"T...this comes with a benefits package?"
"Of course. Currently, you're a worker here. I can't just expect to uproot you from your family and not offer you something in return"
"Thank you, I guess?"
"Mhmmm"
Yuki took a deep breath, reading over the terms and conditions once more, before signing her name at the indicated spot. Hisui signed after, before rolling the paper up and depositing it in a locked file cabinet.
"Goodnight Yuki. I look forward to seeing you tomorrow morning" Hisui's gentle smile turned into an amused smirk, as he walked up to his chambers.
Yuki blinked, her face turning red, and her heart beating fast. She didn't even know him, but was expected to do....those things. At least she had a week before anything was expected of her. If he liked her, after a month, she would become an official lady of the house. If not, she would join Yami and some others as house maids. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad living here after all. It was warm, and much more peaceful than her parents home had been. And she wouldn't have to worry about bills anymore. No more working at the maid cafe. That, surprisingly, delighted her. As much as she loved her job, there were way to many shenanigans for her to feel calm at the end of those days. Yuki opened her system panel, and checked her inbox. 'Master Hisui, as the system called him, had given his first task. Yuki sipped her tea, and followed the instructions given my Hisui to locate her room. Up the stairs, down the hallway. Door on the left is the bathroom, door on the right is your room. Up further to the maids quarters. Ground floor is utilitarian. There is a basement, but it's purpose is currently undefined. Yuki opens the door, her shoes have long since disappeared, reabsorbed into her skin, and the plush flooring feels heavenly on her sore feet. Her breath hitches, when she sees Hisui calmly sitting on the bed.
"Welcome to your current room. I hope it's comfortable enough for you." Hisui smiles warmly, patting the bed next to him. "Please feel free to change into anything you like." Hisui points to a changing screen and door, presumably a closet. Yuki, cautiously set her items down.
"Aren't you going to your room, Lord Hisui?" Yuki asks, hoping for some privacy.
"This is my room, Yuki. And I hope soon that I won't be Lord Hisui to you."
Yuki nods in response, her cheeks glowing pink. In an attempt to distract herself, Yuki opens the closet, and puts a hand to her mouth in surprise. After a few minutes of looking around, Hisui pulls out a blue kimono, with yellow ornamentation. It's silk material is finer than anything she has ever worn before. Why was Hisui being so nice to her? Most purchased females were chained in a basement and raped regularly. Shouldn't she be locked up and made miserable by now? Yuki gave a small prayer of thanks, for the gentleness and luck she was granted. After another moment of hesitation, Yuki stripped, and dressed herself in the pink kimono, surprised to find a slit in the fabric for her pink tail. She steps out from behind the changing screen, and Hisui purrs in appreciation.
"You look very pretty in that, Yuki. It suits you." Hisui grins, before snuggling himself into bed comfortably. Yuki cautiously joins him, slipping under the covers, facing away from him. He doesn't object, and instead turns the light out, bathing the room in shadows. Yuki takes a deep breath, willing her beating heart to calm down. Eventually, she hears the gentle breathing of Hisui, as he enters deep sleep, before she is finally calm enough to close her eyes. Exhaustion takes over her body as she falls asleep.