I sip on the tea as I stare outside the sunroom. It's dark now, but street lamps brighten the pathway outside.
After the conversation with each of Lyrica's sex slaves, I asked them to come eat with me. So now, they encircle me as they also partake in the food. This might be weird and awkward for them, but it's about time they change their perception of Lyrica, of me.
As for the rehabilitation house, I wonder where I am going to get the money for it? I already asked for an advance on my allowance from the Duke. Maybe I should start choosing from Lyrica's jewelry stash and sell it? A cheap apartment that is close to nature is perfect. That way, they should be able to fend for themselves there.
"Do you have any request for the type of house you'd like to live in?" I ask.
The men look at me and shake their heads almost at the same time.
"Hmmm," I mutter. Maybe tomorrow, I will search Lyrica's memory of what exactly she did to these men.
Standing up, I add, "I will need to leave now, so enjoy the food. Just call the servants if you need dinner instead."
There will be lots to prepare for before Calais returns from the capital. I need to fix Lyrica's life before marrying him.
"Lady Lyrica…" one of the men calls. I shift my attention to him. It's Eric, the smallest of the men. "Once you are married, please don't fully abandon us. We told you, we have nowhere to go."
I study him, and he cowers under my gaze. I even hear a squeak from him. I don't know what to say to assure him, so I open the door and leave instead.
Next comes Lyrica's monsters. Seriously though. In the memories that I received, these monsters are totally blocked. As if she doesn't want me to see what kind of monsters she keeps.
I walk to my room and find Aiko waiting for me. "Our things are ready, my lady," she informs.
Things? I glance at the duffel bag that she is carrying. I wonder what the contents are? But when Aiko starts to walk, I start to follow, curbing my curiosity for the meantime.
"How many times do I visit them?" I ask as we make our way out of the house and into the garden. Since it's already nighttime, there are fewer servants around the house.
"It's not consistent, my lady. But for the past few weeks, before you used dark magic and lost your memory, you make it a point to visit them once a week. Sometimes twice, as needed."
Aiko stops at the greenhouse, the same place where I first encountered Marcus. It's also the same place where I saw Calais for the first time.
Placing the bag on the ground, Aiko takes a key and opens the massive lock.
"Since you don't use this place anymore because Marcus is gone, the Duke decides to lock it and give me the key, so I can still take care of the plants…" she says. "…and your monsters."
Pushing open the door, we step into it. The inside of the greenhouse is dark. Instead of opening the light, Aiko goes to the small fountain. Her hand dips into the water and after a while, I hear a click. She moves behind the fountain, parting the ferns and then there it is—a small trapdoor on the ground. It is hidden by the fauna in the greenhouse. She pulls it up, revealing stairs going down.
The stairs are dark and narrow, but the size is enough to fit Aiko while she's carrying a duffel bag. At the bottom, there are two doors, one each to our left and right. She opens the right door and I follow her. I am pleasantly surprised when it opens up into another narrow but bright hallway.
"I know that you have forgotten about them, so let me introduce you again," Aiko starts.
She presses a button on the right, and the wall turns into a sliding wooden door. It opens up, and it is replaced with a glass, transparent wall. My mouth widens. It is a comfortable room — king-size bed, shower stall, table and chair, and an area for recreation with a shelf of books.
But what diverts my attention is the man sitting on a chair while perusing a book. He looks up at me and a smile curls on his lips. Pale but exquisite. Dark, curly hair and droopy eyes. He also seems well taken care of.
"Lyrica!" he exclaims. He walks closer to us but is stopped by the glass wall. For the first time, I notice the there are small holes that allow sound to travel. "I miss you!"
I take a step back and shift my attention to Aiko.
"This is Byron Swan. A full-blooded vampire," she answers.
Vampire?! They are supposed to be strong, right? So how did he become locked up here? I look back and forth between Aiko and Byron. But between Byron's grin and Aiko's introduction, I am speechless.
"He's your most loyal slave. He's thin and wiry when he arrived, but because you feed him with your blood, he's back to his old self."
"Lyrica, I miss you," Byron repeats. "Allow me to give you pleasure tonight."
Aiko leans closer and whispers, "He also gives you the most pleasure. He's addicted to you, or to your knowledge. I tried having sex with him once, but he almost drained me of blood."
Even if I don't remember, my cheeks warm as I stare at his beautiful form. He will rival Calais' beauty if not for his pale skin.
Aiko presses the button again, and the door slides close, hiding the glass wall behind it. She goes to the next, and she introduced me to a werewolf named Nushi Mugdan. There is also a merman by the name of Adalie Pruitt. An elven named Pythes Fronczak.
To say the least, they are all beautiful that calling them monsters sounds wrong. They don't look like monsters at all. Maybe they are monsters inside? A bit like Lyrica?
And on the last door, it opens to a warlock named Gavin Ohira. According to Aiko, this man lost a gamble to me, which causes him to be incarcerated.
"After a few weeks, you finally came to see me," Gavin remarks, looking me up and down.
His voice is baritone and his next action is to remove his shirt and pants—revealing a warrior body. He also has a perfect form, just like Calais, just bigger and taller.
"You promised me sex. I did not escape for that."
Aiko leans in and whispers, "You did promise him that."
I frown. A pervert and an idiot, huh? Someone who will allow himself to be imprisoned for his carnal desires?
"You have a different disposition," the warlock comments. "Not that I care. I love how you look, so it doesn't matter what kind of personality you have. Now come, I am waiting as patiently as you instructed."
"They talk to me differently compared to my human sex slaves. Also, they do not fear me. Why?"
"Because, my lady, they are your favorites. You crave for them more than you crave for ordinary humans. And also, you don't want to share them."
I raise my brows. Why would that be? In the novel, there is no mention of this at all! If they are that important, they should be mentioned at least once.
"Hey! I'm parched here. Come inside and let's play in the bed!" Gavin, the warlock, suggests.
I walk closer to him, and a smile appears on his face. "What will you do once we have sex?" I ask.
"Have another go at it," he answers proudly.
I sigh. "Aiko, can you leave me for the meantime?"
"Oh, you choose the warlock for the night, my lady?"
I nod, even if that's not what I have in mind.
"If that is the case, can I be with the werewolf?"
I glower at her. "Leave!"
"Yes, my lady," she says and hurriedly leaves the room.
"Ha! You still don't want to share us, even with your maid."
I massage my head. "That's not it." I take another deep breath and reveal, "I am going to let you go. You don't need to be imprisoned here."
He glowers at me. "No taking back! I will have sex with you as you promised!"