Really willing to find out the truth, I put my hands on her shoulders firmly, yet as gently as possible, I parted her from myself; upon noticing what was happening, she looked at me with confused eyes, without knowing what to make of my action; apparently she was going to ask me something when I did it myself:
-Why did you do that with Akira? my voice got to a real cold tone when the image of my personal caretaker came into mind.
-W What do you mean sweetie? she replied with a confused face I just called you here because I wanted to talk about us and -Why did you tell Akira that she would be discarded as soon as I got myself a girlfriend or wife? I cut her sentence in half.
-B But I didn t say that! she replied even more confused.
-Oh you didn t? then could you explain to me the motive that lead her to flee desperately on the day I announced Kikuri as my girlfriend? I inquired her with a growing hate boiling inside me.
Shadows appeared on her face, her paw closed and apparently something said by me hit her as well, Yes Yumi see how good it is when someone says something that bothers you I thought to myself however her next reply it would have been better if she never said it:
-Because she is stupid? she replied making a mocking face how I am going to know what goes through the mind of a spoiled kid, that because of some idiocy of her parents she became enslaved?
That was the last straw on my patience with Yumi, saying that about someone that has the past as Akira s was too much for me to handle I indeed liked her but Nina always taught me that when you care about someone, you do not let them making the same mistake over and over however the hatred that was bottled inside of me in the past days found a way out and made me act like I did. With the back of my hand I hit her face on a fierce slap, throwing her to the ground; then I pinned her to the ground, in the very same way L via did to Kikuri, so I said:
-Insolent fool! How you dare to say those things about my poor Akira! Insensitive coward! Do not ever use this foul mouth of yours to talk about her like that!
-Oh! Now you defend the brat? You getting all aggressive like that isn t proof of that anyway? replied Yumi, mocking further.
-How dare you wretch! I said while sank her face on the dirty ground now you want me to believe that Nina actually said that as soon as I was tired of something, I would throw it away like those filthy nobles that exist!
-But wouldn t that be exactly what is going on? she replied in a muffled voice, trying to free herself you used both me and poor Kikuri such a fool believing a noble could consider her useful so na ve and dumb!
Something told me that there was something very wrong with the way Yumi was acting that was not the nekomimi I brought home and saw growing up being my loyal and faithful friend for so many years but at that moment I believed it was I thought of that because I still had feelings for her which, after seeing all this, I decided to kill after seeing all this, one way or another seeing the hatred reached its peak, I took out an instrument that I rarely used, just in places where slaves were forced to be handcuffed and use leashes
-Insolent! Just because you had some intimacy with me you believe you can do whatever you wish? Ungrateful fool! You shall suffer the consequences of your acts!
With a quick movement, I took her from lying on her belly to her back, and then I locked both of her paws using the handcuffs; up to this point she was fighting to break free but as soon as she noticed she was handcuffed she froze and she might have understood the magnitude of her mistake at least that was what I wanted to believe at that time, as soon as I placed the leash on her neck and grasping the chain tight, I ordered:
-Stand up!
-Oh! she replied, as if coming back to herself is this a joke sweetie?
-Do you have the courage to say all you said and still think you would get away with it? - I said as cold as ice.
-But sweetie what have I but why you.. are going to do this to me she said on verges of tears in the empty hope to move me; in the past it would have worked for sure today no.
-SHUT UP IN THIS EXACT INSTANT! I shouted at her and tugged her cat ear, the biggest pain and humiliation one could impose on a nekomimi STAND UP AND WALK RIGHT NOW!
Yumi shouted in agony while standing up, and then I began pulling her towards my residence on the few times I looked behind, she was looking to the ground with dull eyes, without signs of life; for the first time in my life I didn t feel bad about seeing her suffer, I felt she deserved what she was going through! I really had changed lately too bad I didn t noticed it before
We arrived minutes later, the first one to see us was Dawn, that shouted in surprise and she began running towards us, and almost asked what was going on; I looked at her, what made her stop at the same instant, her tail quickly entered between her legs, her ears lowered and right after, I issued her an order:
-Call Stephan and tell him to meet us on the Punishment Trunk that was a trunk of wood where slaves are usually tied and whipped as punishment for bad behavior.
-The Trunk? asked a confused Dawn;
-Yes, he will know what it is about, do that now, please I replied trying to control my feelings, as I always believed that others do not deserve the grudge of others.
Dawn then rushed inside the mansion, visibly scared and in a hurry; slowly I forced Yumi to head towards the Trunk place, outside in the back part of the property, something that wasn t used for long twenty five years the last time was when a slave that had been just bought tried to kill my father, Montecchio Henry that slave was called Stephan
Moments later we arrived at the fatidic place, which was rarely visited a place I believed I would never have to use as long as I lived, unfortunately the time came and here I was, Yumi didn t even let out a single sound or protest, looking as if she wasn t there I felt even more anger I raised my hand to slap her again when a shout, coming from a very well known voice, interrupted me:
-Richard! Stop that right now! How could you raise your hand against your Yumi! I turned around in Stephan s direction, when he noticed how the nekomimi was handcuffs? Leash? Boy, what the hell is going on?
-Just the truth was revealed Stephan finally we found out this wretch dark side - I kept my anger at bay now, seeing Yumi shook when I said that.
-What do you mean boy? How could Yumi, out from all your slaves, made something so severe in order to need something this extreme? I hardly believe that someone as sweet as her could have done something so bad!
-Sweet? You call this vile and wretched creature sweet? Come here Stephan and help me put her on the trunk, I shall let her there three days chained by the neck! a very dark feeling was blooming inside of me, scaring me at the same time.
-Vile? Wretched? replied Stephan, visibly confused and lost, without knowing what to make of this situation Three days! That is way too much boy! If she fall asleep or faint she will choke and I I cannot help you with that put me in her place please! She is like a daughter to me!
-Oh? I replied in a mocking tone are you sure you will take the place of this one, that dared to soil the name and honor of the person you used to call mother?
-W W What do you mean Richard? he stuttered, totally caught by surprise by the revelation.
-Exactly! This nefarious creature had the courage to say that Nina told her that, one day, I would become a despicable being and would abandon those that liked me, as soon as I got tired of them or I didn t get what I wanted -I c cannot believe it - he replied with begging for an explanation eyes towards the silent nekomimi.
-To top it off, she had the cowardice of involving poor Akira-chan on all this! Saying that if I choose someone be my girlfriend or even marry, I would discard her as mere garbage! Worse, saying that that was what Nina had told her in the past! Not satisfied, she still had the audacity of saying what Kikuri did to me was dumbness, that she was a fool and she deserved going through that!
Stephan was in shock, he knew very well that I was unable to lie, at least to him, especially when the subject was so serious he had knowledge, although not as deep as Nina, about how much I loved Yumi; what just made his confusion grow even bigger, judging by his face; so much that right afterwards, he went before her and raised her chin gently, asking:
-Yumi my morning sun tell me this is all a lie or a misunderstanding for the love of Saint Meow tell me - I could feel a very deep pain inside him.
However, even looking in her eyes, all that was heard was silence, nothing else came out from Yumi s mouth and the seconds transformed into some minutes, and not even a single noise could be heard aside our misplaced breathing that was when Stephan finally understood reality, the one I didn t misunderstand it or was exaggerating things; his reaction was even more surprising, grabbing Yumi by the shoulders and shouting:
-How could you Yumi? Why did you spit on the plate you ate on? You know the silence is admitting guilty right? You are making the very same mistake that I did twenty five years ago! I cannot believe it! he shouted, visibly changed, why he shook her shoulders Yumi at least tell me why -I believe I replied for Yumi, seeing she didn t seem like she was going to reply herself that this is due to the fact that now I have a girlfriend, someone that is willing to give up everything to give me it all -Cretin! shouted Yumi suddenly which trying to wiggle free just an idiot that believed that a despicable and disgraced noble like Richard could fall in love, or even love one slave! Such an fool! began then cackling like a mad person.
-Wretched! How dare you talk like that! Kikuri gave up it all! Much more than you! That makes her much better than you once were!
-If it is like that, I am way better than her! I also gave up a lot of stuff! replied Yumi, clearly losing the argument.
-Then tell me what you gave up little maggot show me how superior you are to Kikuri I replied with much more hatred in my voice.
-I I I - she tried to reply, totally in vain.
-Shut up! ordered Stephan in a firm tone, still under control though, slapping Yumi s face you are sick Yumi, I had doubts up to now; but I cannot forsake what my eyes just showed me!
-But it is the truth! Richard is just using that disgusting nekomimi! trying to break free from Stephan s hands fool fool!
-That is enough for me! sentenced Stephan, taking the chain that was on Yumi s leash Dawn, I know you are hidden in that corner, bring Reinold here, I shall give him some tasks; I won t leave here while Yumi s punishment isn t over.
Taken totally by surprise, Dawn left her hiding spot with her tail between her legs, forgave herself and went to look after Reinold; then I looked at Stephan and ordered him to be as rigid as possible to Yumi, without killing her, then I left to my bedroom, to try to calm down my own feelings in the very same manner I used to in the company of my old good friend; the wine.
I cannot say exactly when that happened, seeing I was already on the seventh bottle of wine, I also don t know the motive, I just know that I was crying while I drank, listening to some old songs, which were Nina s favorites; at some point I saw a light coming from behind me, the sound of a door opening, I slowly turned around and my jaw just dropped to the floor seeing the one on the door was KIKUKI?