"And besides, we are NOT here because we can't leave," Gavin says. "We are full-blooded monsters. Do you think a glass wall can keep us here?" he asks, followed by a snort. "That wall is only there, so we will remember that we can't hurt the humans aboveground."
"I'm not sure. Maybe my magic keeps you here."
He smirks. "Do you want me to show you that I can destroy this flimsy glass wall? I may not have a drop of magic, but monsters are physically strong."
"You are a warlock. Warlocks use magic."
"I've told you already. I am a reject."
We stare at each other, and then a salacious grin appears on his face.
"You don't have to be shy. I am known to give the utmost pleasure to those willing to share my bed."
I sigh again. I just can't believe his reasoning for being bonded to Lyrica. "I am getting married," I reveal.
A minute passes without a response. He's frowning as if what I said is very hard to digest.
"Your father allowed you to get married to a monster?" he asks, his voice calmer.
"Why do you assume that I am going to be married to a monster?"
"Who else will you get married to?" he asks. "So, what kind of monster is it?"
"It's not a monster. I am going to be married to a human."
"A marriage of convenience? You have a fiance, right? General Calais Parcell is the name… If I am not mistaken."
"It's not that type of marriage. We like each other now."
He pauses, uncomfortably, and the creases deepen on his brow. "Are you serious?"
"Why wouldn't I be?"
"I thought you were a sadist. But are you actually a masochist?"
"I am neither."
"You said humans hate you."
"Not everyone. Maybe they hate me because I am a Duke's daughter and a magic prodigy. It can be jealousy."
"I said the same thing, but you—" He pauses and a hint of understanding passes his features. "Did you perhaps lose your memory?" he asks.
"I didn't," I answer, trying hard not to look away from his scrutiny.
"Then where did we meet?"
"At a gambling house," I guess. He lost in a gamble to Lyrica so it must be in a gambling house?
His frown deepens even more, so much so that his thick eyebrows almost form a unilateral line. Suddenly, he guffaws. I watch him, although I don't understand why he is enjoying this.
"So you did lose it! That's why it took you weeks before coming to visit me again!"
"That's not—"
"Not true?" he smirks. "Tell me then. Is there ever a human who ever gave you kindness?"
"There is," I defend, remembering both Calais and Eliana.
"Then they are fooling you, stupid girl!" He guffaws again. "My! This is fun! My Lyrica forgot about her past! What did you do? What kind of forbidden magic did you experiment with?!"
With nothing to say, I groan, "I am not YOUR Lyrica!"
I glare at him. This monster knows Lyrica too much. If only memories about them also flowed to me, then this would be easy.
Instead of asking more questions, I add, "General Calais likes me."
Gavin snorts. "Since you have forgotten your promise, let's make a new one. That General does not like you. No. That General Calais Parcell hates you."
"What's the promise about?" I ask, hoping that it's not something sexual.
But Gavin ignores my question and continues, "If I am wrong, I will just calmly leave and you can ask me for one more favor. But if I am correct, you will have sex with me. And no, not just once. I will have you until I say that I am bored with you."
I glare at him. This perverted being! How could he say that?! Calais may not love me as much as I love him, but still, I am certain that I am making headway into his heart!
"So?" he urges on. "Are you actually afraid to know that the general actually hates you?"
"Fine! Let's bet on it!" I retort. I'm sure I will win, anyway!
"It's a promise then!" Then his laughter echoes throughout the room. "Ha! At last! I have one bet I am sure I will win."
"You are still not sure of that!"
He looks at me, a wide grin on his face. "Ah, minor details. I just want to remind you, though. I know that you are many things, Lyrica, but I also know that you can keep a promise to your monsters."
As he talks more, I am finding him more and more infuriating! Now, I badly want to show him that Calais likes me! And in the future, he can actually love me!
"So, I will just stay right here, where I am near to you," he says while picking up his clothes.
"I don't want you destroying stuff," I remind him.
"Oh, that."
He goes to the side of his door and presses something. The door slides open and for the first time, I sense the strength emanating from his body. It's different. Are all monsters give off this kind of aura?
So, I watch his movements as he wears each piece of his clothes. He's huge. A monster made of pure muscle. Only, he looks like a regular huge man. Taller and more muscular than Calais. My eyes go to his crotch. It's even bigger! Does Lyrica have a fetish for large men?!
"Are you in the mood for sex now?" he asks, noticing where my eyes has wandered.
I instantly blush at the question, especially when I realize that I am checking him out.
"The way you redden, and this kind of innocence and response. It's a fresh look. You should do it more often. Then maybe your general will not try to kill you," he suggests.
I don't like what he's insinuating, so I clear my throat and change topics. "Do all rooms have that button inside?"
"Of course. Even without the button, we can easily leave this place. I've told you, we just chose to stay."
Thinking for a while, I reopen all the doors of the rooms. All the monsters look expectantly at me and I announce, "I am getting married to a human, so I am letting you go. Feel free to leave or stay in this place. But I will no longer seek comfort from any of you."
When they all just stare, I add, "I am also looking for a human child. A woman named Tiana thinks she is his mother. Any of you who heard about that?"
No response.
"If anyone of you hear anything, please find me."
Taking one last look at them, I leave. Outside of the door is Aiko, waiting for me. I gaze at the other door and ask, "What's in there?"
"The rejects, my lady."
I frown. "Rejects?"
"Half-human, half-monsters."
I walk towards it and enclose my fist on the doorknob. Aiko stops me. "I suggest preparing yourself before going there."
I remove her hand from me and open it. The place differs totally from the other room. It is dreary and dark. The lights are flickering, as if Lyrica is trying to make them go insane. These are prisons, and steel bars that keep creatures inside the cage. Most of them are not wearing anything. Some are very thin. And most have wounds on their bodies. They are crouching in the corner, as far back as the prison walls will allow.
I shift my attention back to Aiko. She is covering her nose from the smell of piss, pus, and excrement. These creatures are dying! Grief and pity wash over me. I don't understand how my previously favorite character can do this. She is evil, cruel, and selfish!
"I'm sorry," I whisper, and tears fall from my eyes. I need a doctor and food and—Aiko bars my path and holds my shoulders.
"What are you planning to do, my lady?"
"Doctors. We need doctors."
"We don't have doctors for monsters, my lady. If you have forgotten that."
"But they are dying!"
"You're the one who made them that way." She lets go of me and asks, "Besides, how are you going to explain why there are injured, almost dying monsters inside the Dunnett's property? First of all, they need documents. Second, injuries are inflicted on them. Forget the Queen selection. The King won't allow you to marry a bachelor like General Calais. He might even think of exiling you, enslaving you, or probably hanging you on the gallows. The list of alternative is long."
I calm down. She's right. This cruelty is decades in the making. Do I really think I can resolve this in just a month? "I need to care for them. Bring food. I will feed them."
I also need to clean the place. Then urge them to take a bath. They need to heal. But is one month enough for them to recuperate? Where do monsters live, anyway?
Yeah, I remember. They live outside this Kingdom. They are scattered. They… Oh shit! I remember a scene when Lyrica goes outside to travel, to see the places outside the Kingdom. Is that why she's able to collect these many monsters? I hit myself. Now, Lyrica has become my least favorite person!
Pulling me back to reality, I hear Aiko opening her duffel back and taking out food. "Food," she says. "You want to feed them, right?"
I nod and try to give nutrient snacks to one of the slaves. He looks suspicious of me and of the food, but then another slave snatches it from my hand and devours it. When nothing bad happened to him, one by one, they all eat until nothing is left from the duffel bag.