"Emilia-sama, who might this be?"
I looked down at the boy resting on the bed. Emilia-sama had returned to the inn, and to my shock, I had learnt that she was attacked while outside.
"According to Reinhard, his name is Subaru. After the fight, he was badly injured, so I saved him. Seeing as he had nowhere to go, Reinhard entrusted him to me."
Emilia walked up to the bed and leaned over him, inspecting him closely.
"He had somehow gotten some damaging information about my magic." My ears perked up.
"Information, you say? This boy who appeared out of nowhere with no background nor family?" I understood Emilia's suspicion. She was a Dragon Maiden who had lived most of their lives in seclusion, as far as I could tell. An information leak like this was cause for concern.
"Does the mansion have a dungeon, Ram?" Not a strange request.
"Yes, Emilia-sama. However, Roswaal-sama's permission is required if we are to use them. Though, I am sure it will not be a problem."
A deranged smile appeared on Emilia's face.
"Are there torture devices?"
I suppress a shudder.
"Yes."
I was woken to the sounds of jingling metal. My eyes flicked open, and I found myself sat in a dungeon. I felt my arms spread like an eagle's, angled behind me. I panicked.
Didn't I die?
Why wasn't I back at the appa seller? I struggled against the iron, the rough handcuffs rubbing against my wrists.
What had happened? The last thing I remembered was being cut open by that woman… The only reasonable explanation was that I had survived. The question was how?
I couldn't tell how long I'd been left in this position, but if the aching in my shoulders told me anything, it hadn't been short.
"H-Help me!" I force out. My lips were dry and cracked and my throat was gasping for water. I took some time to observe my surroundings more carefully.
A singular, dim light illuminated the cell I was in. There were no windows from what I could tell. My legs were stretched out along the cold, hard stone floor. A table was stashed in the far corner. I was too low to see what was atop it. Escape was going to be extremely difficult.
I was drawn out of my misery by the click-clack of heels against the ground. Somebody was coming. I waited in anticipation, the sound growing louder.
My distress quickly returned. The silver-haired half-elf appeared on the other side of the bars. Emilia. The woman who used me as bait in her fight.
"What a pathetic sight."
My struggling ceased as her eyes bore down on me.
'Let me go.' I wanted to say.
The words couldn't come out. Her presence was crushing. I waited to see what she wanted. She continued to stare at me for what felt like an eternity, appraising me.
She reached into her pocket and brought out some keys. A glimmer of hope threatened to rise before I promptly quashed it. What was I thinking? She wouldn't release me. What was she planning?
She unlocked the jail door and stepped inside. She turned around and locked it behind her. She walked over to the table in the corner.
"Where did you learn of my magic?" She questions.
Shit.
I couldn't tell her that I could return by death. It was my only advantage here. I was getting desperate. I needed to put on a false sense of bravado.
"Heh, what's it to you? My buddies will be getting me out of here in no time. You better release me now, or you'll regret it." I grin.
"Oh. Is that so?" She casually remarks, still concentrating on whatever was on the table. She called my bluff. It didn't sound like she believed me.
"You are very far away from any rescuing, Subaru." She spoke my name eerily. Where did she learn it? "I hate people with mentalities like yours. Save me, save me." She stared at me. She giggles to herself. "You still haven't told me where you got your information from…" She picks up a tool from the table and holds it up to the light.
I begin sweating. No matter how you looked at it, that was meant for torture. They looked like a pair of pliers.
"Would you like to tell me?" She smiles. "You see, when somebody has information about your abilities, it makes you predictable. Your actions can be planned around. A weakness that needs to be remedied. I have been very careful in hiding my power so far."
She makes her way toward me, pliers swinging freely by her side.
"Do you work for her? Hey, tell me. Do you work for her?"
Her?
"I don't know who you're talking about."
"Hmmm? That's too bad. I would have enjoyed myself much more if you were…" I uncomfortably eyed the tool in her hand. She wouldn't use it, would she? She's just met me! She came to a stop in front of me and leaned over.
"How much do you know about me?"
I felt something cold press up against my right index finger.
"W-What are you doing?"
"Wrong answer."
I felt a tug followed by a burning sensation. I begin to scream. The pain was excruciating, and I thrash against my chains wildly. The pain came in crashing down in waves that scorched my finger and singed my nerves.
I breathe through my gritted teeth, trying to tame my mind. This was the most painful thing I'd ever felt.
I opened my eyes to see Emilia watching on in morbid curiosity, a slight blush on her cheeks. I hear a clatter and look down at the ground. My nail.
"Again. Where did you get such information?"
"P-Please stop…"
"Wrong answer."
I felt the same cold sensation wrap around my middle finger.
"WAIT!"
The pulling sensation is interrupted.
"I-I'll tell you. Just… please stop."
"Of course!" She beams. I'd do anything to escape this torture. Being trapped here was a fate worse than death.
"O-Okay. I-I can Return by De-" I pause. An ominous feeling creeps down my spine. I look at Emilia and note she was frozen. Colour drains from my surroundings.
I love you.
An ethereal hand reaches into my chest and cradles my heart. My heartbeat quickens. I can't move.
Suddenly, the hand rescinds away and colour returns. I was left panting and exhausted.
What was that!?
I glance at Emilia, who still wore an expectant look on her face. I try again.
"I can Retu-"
The hand returned with a vengeance. It grasped my heart without mercy and squeezed. I felt like I was going to explode. I got the message.
I can't tell her about Return by Death.
"N-Never mind. J-Just kill me." I spit out. "I can't tell you." Hopefully, I'd end up back at the appa seller again.
She tilts her head, a confused expression on her face.
"Kill you?" She crouches down to eye level. "After I went through sooo much trouble to keep you alive, you ask me to kill you?" She ruffles her hair and stands up. She begins to pace circles in front of me.
Did she keep me alive? Nonono, Subaru. She's bluffing. She's trying to guilt-trip you into doing what she wants. She just tortured you for god's sake!
She ends her wild pacing and looks at me with a face of unbridled revulsion.
"You are the most disgusting thing I have ever seen. To value your life so lowly after I waste my time on you. You have been blessed to have been saved by me. You refuse to tell me what I want. Now, you wish to throw away your life? Why would you reject my salvation like this? How one be so selfish? Why, why, why, why?!"
The pliers fall to the ground and she holds her head in her hands. She bends over and begins to hyperventilate in front of me. What the hell was happening?!
"Lia, Lia!" The magic cat materialises beside her. "Not again… Stay with me!"
She holds her hand up and her breathing calms down.
"I-I'm fine, Puck." She looks at me with a tired expression. "Just some bad memories…" She wobbles to her feet, assisted up by the spirit. "Let's go. I don't feel like doing this today anymore."
She turns away from me, unlocking the cell and exiting silently.
"Subaru, I hope you'll have a satisfactory answer for Lia next time." Puck calls out with a hostile tone. "If you don't, I'll make your life a living hell. Trust me, it can get a lot worse. Choose wisely."
"That's enough, Puck," Emilia speaks up. "I said let's go."
The echoing of feet faded into the distance. I was left alone in the cell.
I stared emptily at my lone fingernail abandoned in front of me, my finger pulsing numbly.
How could things get worse from here?
I hadn't done anything like this before, but it shouldn't be a problem. I was a little confused, as Nee-sama would definitely do a better job than me, but Roswaal-sama has put his trust in me. I would do my best to attend to the prisoner.
I would release him from his restraints twice a day for feeding and cleaning. Once in the morning and once in the evening. I've heard from Nee-sama that this prisoner had obtained confidential information about Emilia-sama. He was an enemy spy, no doubt.
Walking down the spiral staircase into the dungeons, I looked around. This area of the mansion was hardly used, but we still occasionally dusted and cleaned the place.
Making my way past the many empty cells, I finally come across the one I was looking for. Within the dark room, a hunched over figure sat on the ground. I noted the pair of bloody pliers laid out before him, patches of red staining the stone floor.
I pull the keys off the wall from outside the enter the jail cell.
"Prisoner, your meal is ready." The boy lifted his head and gazed at the tray I placed on the ground. "I will uncuff you now. You will have one hour for eating and relief." I walk over to the boy chained to the wall, and my nose twitches.
…
I pause, alarm bells ringing in my head.
…
This boy…
He smells of the WITCH.
"You…" The stench was unbearable. Instinctively, my hands reach for my Morningstar.
"Eh?"
"…Witch cultist!" I swung down.
AN: Back to some Re:Zero basics this chapter; Poor Subaru. Where'd you think his respawn point is? Hint: It's not the appa stand. How will he get out of this predicament? Will he convince Emilia in some way, or will he look to Rem for help? I already have some ideas, but I'm open to suggestions.
I won't tell you to like this Emilia. If you do, great! If you don't, also great! You're free to root for who you to want in this fic. I'm flattered that somebody thinks this fic is good enough to be linked on Reddit. I'll lurk the comments for the time being if they keep posting updates for discussion. Thanks for reading. Please review!