Chapter 3

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Chapter 3

Matilda was less than ten years old when she was sold as a slave.

The treatment of beastmen varies from region to region, with some countries treating them no differently than humans, others uniformly persecuting them as slaves, and conversely, some countries where beastmen make up the majority of the population and discriminate against ordinary humans.

The Kingdom of Lordberg is, if anything, a bad country for beastmen.

It is not that they are discriminated against by the legal system. Even for beastmen, there are paths to success which only depend on their strengths. There are even a small number of beastmen nobles, knights, and scholars.

However the bigger picture is different. Beastmen are often underestimated as a minority race and placed at the bottom of the social hierarchy.

Matilda’s parents, who lived in the southern part of the kingdom, were no different. They were poor peasants who had neither money nor education and barely escaped falling into slavery.

Naturally, there wasn’t enough money to feed all the children.

The eldest son, who would inherit the family, was considered the most important, while the other children are neglected.

On the contrary, once the younger children reached a certain age, they were sold off to slave traders.

Matilda, the fourth daughter, was born in the most miserable order, and she was easily separated from her parents for the price of a single gold coin.

The southern area of the Kingdom of Lordberg is more discriminatory against beasts, while the northern area is more tolerant of them.

Therefore as a rabbit beastman who fell into slavery in the south and was bought by a count who was the lord of the land, Matildas days were miserable.

She was a child slave who could not do much work and she was a beastman, which only alienated her more.

She was forced to do all kinds of work that other people didn’t want to do, such as fetching water and cleaning the toilet, and she was beaten whenever they had a reason to. If she cried, she was beaten up more for doing so.

At the age of fifteen, when all hope had seemed to be lost in her life. As she was basically dead on the inside and her body was merely a vessel, she was given a new job. A job that would have her take care of by a boy.

“—’From now on, you are to stay away from the Count’s mansion and tell this slave to take care of all your personal needs. You may treat the slave as you wish, but if you kill her, the price of the slave will be deducted from your living expenses.’ That is the message from the Master. “

The head maid, who had dragged Matilda to this place, spoke politely, but looked at the boy as if he were filthy.

For some reason, the boy, the son of the Count, has been isolated from the house and has been sent to live in a small house at the edge of the property.

I was told that I had become his caretaker.

The head maid left after saying her business, leaving the boy and Matilda alone.

Oh, is this boy going to beat himself up next? Will the boy hit me next? will he kill me if I’m not good at my work?

As Matilda was thinking this, the boy approached her, reached out his hand for her bruised and scarred face, and spoke

“That looks painful. Poor thing.”

He said so with a gentle expression and stroked her cheeks.

・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・

I don’t know if he felt sorry for me, or if it was just a whim, but Noein-sama treated me kindly since the first time I met him.

I was no longer beaten, I no longer had bruises, and my skin had become clean. My shaggy black hair gradually regained its lustre.

Not only that, Noein-sama taught me the same knowledge of letters and arithmetic that he had learned by the time he was isolated at the age of nine.

As a result, I was able to read, write, and calculate.

Furthermore, Noein-sama read to me from a difficult book on fighting techniques, and taught me the training methods described in the book in a way that I could understand.

Apparently, it was his way of loving me so that I could make use of my physical abilities as a rabbit. Thanks to him, even though I lacked experience in actual combat, I was able to acquire a certain amount of expertise in fighting.

For the first time in my life, I was given a peaceful life, given knowledge, and we spent our days together. We talked about many things and I came to learn about Noein-sama’s circumstances.

He had given me so much compassion and love that it was only natural that I would want to devote my body and soul to him.

Noein-sama, who was still a child when I first met him, eventually grew up to be a young man.

I gave my all to him, and he accepted it with all his might. Love is love, even if it is born from a distorted environment, even if there is an insurmountable status difference between a nobleman and a slave.

One day, Count Kivileft paid a visit to Noein-sama, who had reached the age of fifteen. It was to tell him that he would be expelled from the house.

Noein-sama had told me in advance that this would happen.

“May I have one slave from the Count’s family?”

“Is that the rabbit woman who was taking care of you?”

“Yes.”

“… It is fine, but I’ll deduct the cost of the woman from your severance payment.”

“Of course, it doesn’t matter.”

Yes, Noein-sama told me that he needed me and that he wanted me to stay with him even after he left the Count’s house. He wanted me. He didn’t mind at all that he would have to reduce the amount of money he is left with, and he didn’t want anything else, he only wanted me.

I don’t care if it’s a frontier settlement. As long as I can stay by Noein-sama’s side, I will go to the forest, the wilderness, the battlefield, or hell.

I was and am determined to do so.

・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・

I see, since yesterday we have moved our residence to Noein-sama’s territory.

Matilda woke up early in the morning when the sky had finally turned white, she saw that she was in a tent and remembered her dream.

She dreamed that she was looking back at the past, probably because she was moved by the fact that she had arrived in this new place and a new chapter in their lives.

She looked at the Lord’s face as he slept beside me, and felt an inexplicable love for him, as she gently stroked his head.

Even though he came to this place with a determination akin to vengeance, Noein-sama is still an innocent, little-boy.

Recalling him from last night, when he was trying to act like a grown-up aristocrat, I picked up my clothes scattered around the tent, put them on, and went outside to prepare breakfast.

I poured the milk I had bought in the town of Viscount Koenitz before entering the Great Forest of Bezel into a pot, made a fire with my “fire magic/ boiling” magic tool, boiled the milk, and added barley to make barley porridge.

The sound and smell of breakfast woke him up, and I called out to the Lord who came out of the tent,

“Good morning, Noein-sama.”

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