Chapter 118: Wanting to Become Peretti’s Slave

“I want to eat… can you really give it to me?”

She instinctively reached out her hand—then suddenly pulled it back. Flustered, she hurriedly wiped the drool that had unconsciously slipped from the corner of her mouth, her eyes filled with struggle.

Ever since she had been captured by humans and turned into a s*ave, she had never once eaten her fill. She hadn’t even had a single mouthful of hot food—let alone something as fragrant as roasted meat. The lamb leg in Peretti’s hand had almost completely exhausted her self-control.

But her survival instincts told her—

The woman before her was dangerous.

If she rashly stepped forward, she might end up like those beastmen—killed mercilessly.

“You can have it. But you need to answer me one question.”

“I knew you wouldn’t give it so easily!”

“Don’t be so nervous. I just want to know—what’s your name?”

“Na…me…?”

“Yeah. Before you became a s*ave, you must have had a name, right? It’s a bit inconvenient not knowing what to call you. So… can you tell me?”

Her tense body slowly relaxed. She looked at Peretti, her gaze wrapped in something complex.

A name…

How long had it been since she last heard something like that?

So long that it felt like it belonged to someone else—someone completely unrelated to this s*ave barely clinging to life.

As a s*ave, she only had a number. No name.

Day after day of labor and beatings had long since made her forget who she was—forget that there had once been a time when someone called her by her name.

Some sealed-off corner deep within her heart seemed to crack open, and something warm surged out.

“…Senna… Sennahita.”

“Sennahita.” Peretti softly repeated it, a faint smile curling on her lips. “That’s a beautiful name. Here.”

No extra words. No additional conditions.

The steaming roasted lamb leg was simply handed straight to her.

“R-Really… for me?” Sennahita’s voice trembled slightly, saliva once again slipping uncontrollably from her lips.

Though she was still asking, her body had already moved honestly—reaching out to take the steaming lamb leg from Peretti’s hand.

Just for a second—

The fear engraved deep in her bones seized her instantly.

Countless past experiences told her that such “kindness” was often followed by even crueler punishment. Instinctively, she clutched her head and crouched down, eyes tightly shut, her fluffy ears pressed flat against her head as she waited for the expected blows—or even a fatal strike.

One second. Two seconds. Three seconds…

The anticipated pain never came.

The alley was filled only with the sound of wind—and the irresistible aroma of roasted meat in her hands.

Hesitantly, slowly, Sennahita raised her head. Her long eyelashes trembled.

The alley was empty.

Only her—and the steaming lamb leg in her hands.

Peretti had vanished as if she had never appeared at all.

Sennahita stood there, stunned for a long time, at a complete loss as she inhaled the scent of the meat.

She… just left?

And even left her a piece of roasted meat she had dreamed of…

“…What a strange person,” she muttered softly, her thoughts in complete disarray.

She tore down a piece of worn burlap hanging on the wall, roughly covering a corner of the alley, then curled up inside it, taking small bites of the meat.

The tenderness of the lamb melted on her tongue, carrying just the right smoky flavor. It was so hot that it numbed her tongue, yet she couldn’t bear to stop.

Tears fell without warning, dripping onto the lamb leg and spreading into small damp patches.

All along, she had believed humans were an extremely greedy race—willing to do anything for immediate gain.

But Peretti’s appearance was like a small hammer, cracking that belief open.

Among humans… there were also some truly good ones.

“Why are you hiding in the corner?”

Peretti’s face suddenly appeared in her field of vision without a sound.

“Wah—!!” Sennahita jumped in fright at her sudden reappearance.

“Y-You—you—why are you back?!”

“Oh, I just went out to buy you some clothes,” Peretti said. From behind her, she took out a bundle and opened it, revealing a relatively thick dress and a wide black cloak. “You’re so thin—it should fit you.”

“Clothes?”

Sennahita stared blankly at the clothes Peretti had taken out, the confusion in her heart deepening.

“What exactly are you trying to do? First food, now clothes… it feels like you’ve got bad intentions.”

“How could that be? I genuinely need your help.”

“You? Need my help?” Sennahita clearly didn’t believe her.

Someone at her level—in the human world—would have status and wealth in abundance. What could she possibly need a s*ave for?

“Humans like you… probably just want me to become your s*ave.”

But… a girl like Peretti, who smiled so often, didn’t seem like the kind of person who would abuse slaves.

If she really could become her s*ave… at least she would be able to eat her fill, and wouldn’t have to endure beatings from the guards anymore…

Once that thought appeared, it refused to go away, leaving her restless.

“Do you want to kill me?” Peretti suddenly asked.

“No!” Sennahita blurted out without thinking, though her eyes subconsciously drifted aside.

“Are you sure? Be honest.” Peretti’s smile remained gentle, but her words carried an undeniable pressure—like a soft blade pressed against her throat.

Sennahita instantly bristled, her cat ears shooting upright. Her body tried to retreat, but there was a wall behind her—nowhere to go.

“I—I did think about it before, okay?! But… that was Her Highness’s order—it has nothing to do with me…” Her voice grew weaker toward the end, her eyes peeking pitifully at Peretti.

“That’s better.” Getting the answer she wanted, the gloom on Peretti’s face instantly vanished.

“How does that princess usually contact you? Can you tell me?”

Sennahita pressed her lips together, refusing to speak.

Her Highness’s orders were absolute.

No matter what, she wouldn’t reveal the princess’s abilities.

“Oh, it’s fine if you can’t say. It doesn’t affect my plan.”

Sennahita was completely confused, unable to figure out what Peretti was up to.

“Then… do you want to go home? I can help you.”

“Go home? Really?!”

Those two words were like thunder exploding in her mind.

“Really.” Peretti nodded, taking out a sealed letter from her clothes and handing it to her. “But you’ll need to do me a small favor—deliver this letter to your princess.”

“My princess wants to kill you… and you want me to deliver her a letter?”

Sennahita stared at Peretti in disbelief, clearly not expecting this request.

“…Do you know why she wants to kill me?” Peretti asked, seeing her doubtful expression, silently sighing.

She hadn’t wanted to bring up these troublesome matters.

But if she didn’t explain it clearly, this half-cat girl would probably throw the letter away the moment she left the city—ruining her entire plan.

“She can’t very well go to the beastmen territory herself… that would just be walking into a trap.”

“Feiye and Josuna… theirs is just a simple matter of emotions. But that princess is different—she truly sees Qingcheng as a savior.”

“In that situation, her ‘betrayal’… and with the beastmen’s naturally wild nature…”

Peretti didn’t even dare imagine what that princess would do if they met.

Being locked in a dark room and “trained” day and night might be the least of it.

“To secure her own future, Peretti had no choice but to have a beastman deliver the letter in her place—to state her position.”

“But before that… she had to make this half-cat girl willing to deliver it.”

Sennahita shook her head.

“All I know is… Her Highness wants to kill you. And the priority is extremely high—absurdly high.”

“In simple terms…”

“…you deceived her feelings.”

“…and then… she ran away.”