Chapter 22: The Price of a Holiday

Before we even departed for Moon Isle, I harbored a certain delusion about the journey ahead.

I reasoned that the Lord had strictly forbidden the Young Miss from exposing her vile habits. With so many outsiders present on the road, she would surely rein in her behavior and leave me unmolested.

While I didn’t dare hope she would revert to her old ways after Moon Isle, I at least wished for these few days to be less arduous.

Yet today, I realized how utterly laughable that delusion had been.

I had gravely overestimated her self-restraint and, even more so, underestimated her… interest… in me, her ‘pet’.

Initially, the Young Miss merely commanded me to lie prostrate on the floor, assuming the posture of a pet. She sat leisurely in her chair, reveling in the thrill of control.

‘Crouch,’ ‘shake hands,’ ‘roll over,’ ‘stick out your tongue’…

Though these commands weren’t particularly difficult, repeating them countless times left me, already exhausted from a full day, feeling utterly tormented.

“Ah… this is getting a bit boring.”

The Young Miss quickly lost interest. She cradled her delicate chin, pondering for a moment, then a sudden flash of inspiration seemed to strike her. With an apologetic expression, she turned to me.

“Lilian, I suddenly feel a little bad, don’t you think my need for control is a bit too strong? I feel like I should show a little respect for my pet’s thoughts.”

Half-prostrate on the ground, still tethered by a chain, I gazed at her blankly. For some inexplicable reason, an intense sense of unease began to spread through my heart.

Although she appeared remarkably gentle at that moment, based on my understanding of her, this woman’s mind was utterly black, even if you sliced it open. Only pure malice festered within.

“Hmm… how about this?”

She lifted the collar around my neck, holding it suspended higher.

Her exquisite, noble face simultaneously displayed a pleasurable appreciation of my suffering and a playful, teasing smirk.

“I’ll give you two choices. If you complete just one of them, I’ll grant you a day’s holiday. What do you say?”

As I struggled in torment, a flicker of hope seemed to flash before my eyes.

‘A holiday?’

The word, one I had never dared to dream of, suddenly reached my ears, like heavenly music.

Truth be told, I had forgotten when I last had a chance to rest. Let alone now, suffering such torment. Even when I served as a housekeeper, I lived each day with my heart in my throat, constantly afraid.

A holiday, a time to rest, free from the fear of torment, a chance to eat and sleep properly…

A torrent of emotions churned in my mind. I couldn’t stop myself from nodding, nodding, and nodding again. I was even, damn it, starting to feel grateful.

‘This is truly fucked up…’

“Excellent! Such spirit!”

The Young Miss smiled, her lips curving, her eyes crescent-shaped with satisfaction.

“The first task is for me to lead you out onto the deck. I want to see you lift your leg and pee, just like a real dog.”

‘Eh?’

When I heard the first half of her sentence, I already felt a subtle sense of unease. But when those final words fell upon my ears, I distinctly suspected my hearing was failing me.

Upon realizing the truth, a chill ran through my entire body. I shook my head, shook it, and shook it again with all my might.

‘What kind of joke is this? Has this child gone mad?’

‘No matter what, I am still a human being…’

‘Moreover, the deck is currently filled with…’

‘No! Absolutely not!’

“Oh? You’re unwilling?”

The Young Miss seemed a little disappointed, yet also as if she had expected it. She continued.

“Very well then, the second task is for me to watch you eat something. Simple, isn’t it?”

“However… I won’t tell you what it is right now.”

“Alright, both tasks have been explained. Choose one.”

“The seco—”

With virtually no hesitation, I was about to vocalize my answer when I caught the Young Miss’s warning gaze.

That look pierced me like a needle, making me tremble. I suddenly recalled her previous admonition: dogs don’t speak human language. Therefore, when playing the role of a pet, I had to communicate like one.

‘Communicate like a pet, huh…’

After a moment’s thought, I had no choice but to swallow my humiliation and bark twice.

“Hehe—”

The Young Miss burst into a giggle, pleasure spilling from her upturned lips. She rose, walked to the head of the bed, and pulled a slender rope.

I knew what that was. The other end of the rope connected to another cabin, the maids’ resting quarters. The maid on duty would respond to her commands there at any time.

‘Right, who is the maid on duty today?’

Bena had been on duty not long ago, and I had been on duty yesterday. As for Mia…

As I pondered, a gentle and respectful voice drifted in from outside the cabin door.

“Young Miss, do you have any commands?”

That voice carried the warmth of the sun, as if it could always comfort the heart. But this warmth was far too familiar, so familiar that it sent a chill through my core, making me break out in a cold sweat.

‘Ah, yes…’

‘It’s her today…’

“Bring me my dinner for tonight. Do not cook it. I want it raw.”

The Young Miss emphasized the last part, her tone drawn out, as if afraid the other party might forget.

“Raw?”

The voice outside the door clearly hesitated.

“Young Miss, while raw food traditions exist in some regions, it’s not very hygienic and can easily lead to illness. You are a lady of prestige—”

“Hurry!”

A short, forceful urging came from the Young Miss’s lips, carrying the undeniable authority inherent to the Viper family.

“Yes…”

The voice outside gradually faded, like the sun slowly disappearing into the distance.

My heart felt as though it had plunged into an endless expanse of black ice, enveloped in cold, utterly powerless.

“Ah—huh? Lilian, why is your face so pale?”

Strangely, the Young Miss seemed concerned for me. She gently cupped my face, speaking with a hint of reproach.

“Didn’t you used to love the blood-food I prepared for you? Wasn’t that fresh blood flavor what you found most irresistible?”

“Oh, I understand now. Are you afraid of eating too much and getting bloated?”

“Well, you can rest assured. To make the Moon Isle Lord fond of me, Father specifically asked me to control my figure. There isn’t much food tonight—just the entrails of a wild boar.”

‘A wild boar’s… entrails?’

My thoughts nearly froze, my body tingled slightly, and I even began to regret my choice.

Not long after, a knock sounded at the cabin door again.

“Young Miss, what you requested has arrived.”

“Hehe…”

With a peculiar smile, the Young Miss released the chain she held, walked to the door, and opened it.

I could already see the familiar hem of a skirt outside the door.

Suddenly, my heart leaped into my throat, pounding wildly and frantically. I instinctively suppressed all sound in my throat, closing my eyes, not daring to open them for a single moment.

Even though my status as the Young Miss’s ‘pet’ was an open secret among the maids, the thought of them actually seeing me like this filled me with uncontrollable panic.

At that moment, I felt like a woodlouse scurrying from the sun, wanting only to burrow into a hole and never emerge.

Time seemed to stretch endlessly, with no response for what felt like an eternity.

When I finally opened my eyes again, I saw the Young Miss’s delicate face.

“You seem very afraid of eating raw food, don’t you? No, it’s more like you’re afraid of being seen by others? That doesn’t seem quite right either…”

Her gaze, as sharp as her father’s, pierced and tore through me like a viper’s fangs, injecting its malice deep into my chest.

“Are you afraid of Aisha seeing you?”

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