(A/N): I'm so sorry I wrote this. The more I write, the more I regret having this idea.
It's very cold…
In the early hours of the morning, I can't really bring myself to care about anything other than staying underneath the blankets and just lying still, allowing time and the world to pass me by.
But being a doctor means time waits for no one, not if they're knocking at my door.
I didn't have any appointments scheduled for today, and no friend of mine would show up without warning, so either it's an emergency or an annoyance.
"Greetings Doctor." said the man with hollow eyes, and a shifty demeanor. "Do you remember me? You've saved my life in the past."
I didn't immediately recognize him, so he must not have been one of my regular clientele. But the longer I look, the more familiar he becomes.
"I wanted to thank you for saving me so long ago in the outskirts of town." My eyes widen at the small yet significant detail. "Even though involving yourself would bring nothing but trouble. Though I do wonder if it's a doctor's nature or your own altruism."
A man bleeding on the outskirts of town. No one would have found him alive if I hadn't gone searching for materials for the clinic that day. His situation overall spoke of things that weren't legal and could have ended with more than just his life being lost.
"Who knows." I say mindlessly shrugging off the inhumane feeling his statement gave me. "I just helped you because I wanted to, that's all."
"Yes, and again I am very grateful for your help. I do apologize for running off without thanking you properly after all you've done. I happened to be in the area so I thought I'd at least do that."
"It's fine. Why don't I make us some tea while we chat." I say preparing to let him in my home for a bit. He may be a character of suspect origin, but he's polite, and right now that's enough for me to put my trust in his intentions for now.
"Oh no. I don't want to impose on you too much. I don't wish to take up too much of your time." he said holding his hands up in a calming manner that spoke 'peace' to me. "Please accept this instead. At the time I had nothing on me, but this should be enough to pay for my treatment."
He handed me an envelope filled to the brim with money. I wonder… Did I happen to save the life of someone from the mob?
"Since I've been delayed in my payment for your services, I added a bit extra for accrued interest." he said smiling in what was supposed to be a disarming and sheepish smile. "Though I do have one more thing. May I come in to discuss more?"
Shady. This is so shady. So shady and illegal feeling I should probably call the cops with this illegal feeling in the air. Nonetheless I invite him in. He seems to be a respectable person, despite his suspicious aura. He has a moral code, and for now he's sticking to it.
"Of course." I say. "I don't mind."
He faces off into a direction I can't see from the door. "Hey, get in here."
A girl littered with scars enters my house, with silver hair and blank and hollow eyes that don't seem to look at anything.
This doesn't feel like a good situation at all.
"I'm sure you've heard by now, but a particularly wealthy person died in an accident recently." he started giving me details into this bad situation. "With no close relatives, people claiming to be government officials, family, friends came and had the assets divided amongst themselves. With a few of my connections, I was able to get a bit of it, along with some troubling aspects."
He paused a bit trying to choose his words before giving up. "This thing is one of those troublesome aspects. Though I am but a humble merchant, who buys anything and sells anything, I was told to sell this somehow. If she could do manual labor it'd be one thing but…"
This whole situation is troublesome. From the wealthy noble to this man, all of it is troublesome to know the details about. "She's young and. from what I can see of her, abused and malnourished, so manual labor is out of the question." I say cutting off my sympathies towards her for a bit. I truly am sorry but your situation is not one I can just solve at the drop of a hat.
"I see you understand for the most part. I don't exactly plan on disposing of her, as even I have some semblance of consciousness and morality." he said laughing bitterly at his own terrible circumstances. "Then I remembered you, the kind young doctor who saved my own life despite the obviously bad situation I had found myself in. From what I can tell you still live by yourself, am I correct?"
How does he know that? Do I really give off such a bachelor-esque vibe that this man who hadn't seen me for some time could tell?
"It may be none of my business, but if you are perhaps feeling lonely could you take this one in?"
So this was the real reason he was here. He needed a place to put this girl since selling her off to another person would be too much of a hassle due to her young age, horrible scarring, and malnourishment. An impossible sale to make especially since she's obviously a slave and a poorly kept one at that. No one would want her.
Except me really. I was given the perfect opportunity to not only ease my guilt over immediately dismissing her out of habit, and easing the loneliness of being not only single, but alone in this small house of mine.
"I'll take her in." I said resolutely coming to terms with the fact that I now have… a slave. It's a messed up situation.
"Excellent. I really do appreciate this." He's now shaking my hand as if to reaffirm the deal. "She has no living relatives, so no one would come looking for her. Treat her as you will, as a pet, a maid, or a toy. I'm sure no one would object."
The more he talks, the more I want him out of my house.
Possibly seeing that yes, he has talked far too much about this situation, he bows. "I'll take my leave. Have a nice day Doctor."
Good riddance. He started off pretty nicely but the more he talked the more I began to dislike him.
"Thank you very much for having me. My name is Sylvie." She said respectfully, bowing towards me. Her eyes stare unblinkingly in my direction, not once blinking from what I've seen. "I cannot do heavy manual labor, but simple chores that you ask of me, I can handle."
Her eyes closed for once but the feeling of fear and sadness behind them was overwhelming. "My previous master liked hearing my screams the most. Yet… I ask that you please… "
"Treat me gently." ~ Chapter 1
No one ever really expects to get a slave first thing in the morning. Yet here I am with a girl so terrified of being treated terribly she's shut everyone out from seeing any emotions, no hope could be seen in those eyes. Only the hollow gaze of despair that's ingrained in people who have had hope let them down far too often.
What does one say to a slave. Having given her no orders she just sits on the floor near my dresser cabinet waiting for… something.
"Is something wrong?" she asks for once actually looking at me.
"N-no. It's nothing." I say my eyes darting away from hers. Looking for something anything more eye catching than her blank stare.
Yet my eyes were drawn back to her, and then to her scars. Deep red things that littered her pale white body. They looked like burns, yet for the life of me, I couldn't tell you what kind of burns they were. I didn't know if it was from fire or acid, or some kind of rope burn. For all I know it could be any combination of the 3.
"My scars?" she asked. No. Asking would imply curiosity, and she didn't look like she had any. "These are from a long time ago, so they don't hurt as much anymore."
"Anymore? Then they hurt now?" I'm asking questions now, trying to see if I could fix any of this. She showed no signs of being hurt but then again that might have just been me being selfish and not wanting to see the picture for what it really is. I have a slave girl now and she's clearly been hurt. "I can do a quick medical checkup make sure that everything's going as-"
"I'm fine!" she said quickly, fearfully. Schooling her features she repeats herself. "I'm fine." Calmer.
The wounds aren't raw, my mind supplies me with information. It would have been stupid of me to wrap wounds that… well. They aren't healed, but it isn't as raw as before I met her I suppose. She says she's fine so I'll believe her.
But she fears me. I'm a bad person after all. I bought a slave and she fears me because I am her master.
"Right then." I cough a bit to dispel my awkwardness. "Let's talk about something else."
"Talk? I'm not very good at conversation though…" She wasn't and we didn't know how to progress from there. Me, being a master who's never had a slave, and she being a slave who has never had a good conversation, especially with her master.
I didn't need her to tell me why things are the way they are. Why she has those scars, why she doesn't want to be near me, it was obvious and only an idiot would wonder why all of this was.
I didn't mean to ignore her but I still had some semblance of work to do in the house, so I got to work organizing files I might need for work. Before I knew it, the day was over.
Time to make dinner! I cheered inwardly as tonight's my favorite dish: pasta carbonara! Because the only thing better with pasta is a well seasoned sauce.
"Sylvie, go wash your hands while I finish up dinner." I say mindlessly, as if talking with a patient I have staying overnight, which I suppose could apply to Sylvie in this case. Except she's living with me permanently. Temporarily? I'd have to ask her when she's more comfortable around me. If she wants to stay I mean.
"Yes Master." she says getting up quietly from her spot on the floor. She hadn't moved, not once the entire time I'd been working. It worried me but that was a discussion for later.
I guess I should account for "Dinner for 2" now that Sylvie's here with me, instead of "Dinner and Leftovers for Breakfast".
Despite her quiet footsteps I knew it was still her. "Sit down at the table while I serve us food."
"Yes Master." She said. "Is it okay for me to eat? Even though I hadn't screamed?"
I never wanted a slave. I don't want to hurt anyone. I just wanted to help someone and now- "It's fine." I say brushing of the quick bout of emotion. "Let's eat then."
Setting all the food and utensils in front of her I half expected her to start salivating at the sight of all this. Or to gorge herself on as much as she could before she inevitably threw up from eating too much too quickly. I underestimated her, she's smart for someone in her position
Looking up from the food the never changing face asked. "Are we expecting guests? Perhaps it would be best for me to hide away for now…"
No. No no no. nonononononono- "That won't be necessary. It's your food after all. I'll be serving you enough to help deal with… certain issues I believe you may be having."
"This is… my meal?" I nod at her simple question not trusting myself not to get frustrated at it all. "My previous master would only give me bread and water."
"I'm not really him so I have no idea how to treat you other than like this."
"I'm.. allowed to eat this?"
"It is your food."
…
"T-Then thank you very much for the food." she began eating as awkwardly as any person not used to such delicacies (I use that word very lightly here).
It surprised me that she finished her food. I wasn't even expecting it in her state. I don't know if she even enjoyed the meal, but I'm sure it was okay. I didn't expect much in the way of conversation either since she made no effort to talk to me, and my attempts to help would lead us nowhere.
Again she broke my expectations. "Um… Master?"
Master… I hate being called Master but right now I can't just expect her to call me by name. "Yes?"
"This is the first time I've eaten such a delicious meal." Oh? "It's also the first time I've eaten until I was full." Oh oh? "So… thank you… very much."
Her words were stilted not used to the drastic change between me and her dead previous master. I could feel the comparison being made between the two of us. But right then, I couldn't care less. She had liked my food and that was enough to have me beaming.
"You're welcome Sylvie."
Although I had forgotten one thing after washing some dishes after dinner with Sylvie. "Where should I sleep Master?"
She isn't exactly going to be a pet, but having her take a temporary bed would be a good start. "I suppose for now we can set you up in one of the guest beds that I use for patients. There are 2 of them, so choose whichever one you'd like. Let me show you where it is."
It was a barren room, but then again it didn't need to house permanent residents until now. Just some scrubs in all sizes, in a drawer and two beds were in the room.
"Is it really okay for me to have a bed?" she asked almost seeming worried. "I don't mind sleeping on the floor."
"It would be remiss of me to house you with food but no bed." I said trying to remember that she hasn't lived the same life that I had. She sees herself as lower than me, and I have to make her believe she is worth just as much as anyone else.
"I see... thank you again." She's bowing again, thanking me again for things I was supposed to do for someone I agreed to take care of. I promised myself I would do this. "Master?"
Oh for fu- I stomp that frustrated thought out before I turn around "Yes?"
"I would just like to know… What's going to happen from now on?" What? I tilt my head in confusion. "Will I have painful and terrible things done to me?"
"No. I don't really doing things like that to people." But I do. I'm human. I'm a doctor. I have control over- "So just trust that things will stay like this for awhile."
"But I'm fine with having only a little for meals." Liar.
"I don't mind painful things if it pleases you Master." Liar.
"My previous master loved those kinds of things so I really don't mind." Liar.
"All of it's fine so please." she stiffened, her face almost releasing what looked like tears. "Have mercy on me."
She didn't listen to a word I said. I agreed to house her, and I owed it to her to make sure she's somewhat at home. Right now though? I can't comfort her. I can't tell her everything will be okay because she's not going to listen. She won't believe any lie or truth that I tell her.
I quietly close the door to avoid seeing her tear stricken face.
For once I woke up early without feeling the need to stay in bed. I had a dependant now, and despite the cold winter air still biting at me I had to get up and get moving. I did not have any appointments or particularly important documents to sign but nonetheless, getting up in the morning is a requirement now.
"Good morning Master." Or she could be up already. Morning people: whether they are habitual, pragmatists, or even just not sleepy people, are people I never quite understood.
"Good morning Sylvie." I say stretching my limbs, Allowing the tension and cramps that built up to slowly fade away. "Did you have breakfast already?" I ask taking in her appearance compared to yesterday's. A bit less weary, but more… tired I suppose.
Her fears must have kept her up…
"No. I haven't." she said simply.
"I'll make us some eggs and bacon then." Eggs over easy should be fine. Maybe fry the bacon to Medium-Well? Use the grease to flavor the eggs as I cook them? Sounds like a good idea in the making.
"Thank you. Should I set the table?" She's awfully obedient. In the sense that I don't particularly want her to do too much with such a weak body, but is insistent on helping. I could at least give her this much to do.
She's worried about her position in my house so I might as well give her a lifeline to grasp onto. "Of course, I won't be too long."
She set plates, grabbed utensils before standing off to the side. All she was missing was the maid outfit and she'd be the image of the ideal servant. Not exactly what I had planned for her, but if that's what she wanted to do then I had no complaints.
No. Bad thoughts, she's not your tool or pet. She's someone that needs help.
Thank you for the food she intones, not mindlessly but something resembling habitual fear? I'm not quite sure how to put it.
"You are welcome Sylvie." I replied no longer bothered by the borderline offensive implications.
We ate in silence. She offered to wash dishes and I let her do so. I wasn't exactly going to pressure her with a lot and instead let her take on whatever she feels she can do.
I sat down on my couch with a book in hand and nothing much to do.
"Um… Master?"
Hmm?
"About last night… I don't like hurtful things, but…" she's struggling to find words she deems appropriate for someone in her position. "I don't intend to disobey anything Master wants me to do."
An idea popped into my head. It may not have been the best for the situation but I craved comfort, warmth, and prioritised my feelings for a short while.
"Sylvie, come here for a moment." And with that she had seemingly resigned herself to her fate. Stepping forward to meet my demands.
My hand reaches out for a moment, halting a bit to contemplate my actions, before moving forward to continue its action.
(A/N): Let me have a serious moment. I do like the visual novel, but when put under a microscope this is horrifying. It's dark, and I don't intend to pull any punches during this. I hate and love that I'm writing this but I want to write a story with an ending that isn't bitter, nor end in betrayal. Only a story that builds an emotional connection that's meant to be real enough to bring tears to my own eyes.
This story isn't meant to be terrible to you. But I'll do my best to make myself feel horrible for liking this. It's what sinners like me who revel in this treatment, in this "play" deserve. Whether you feel tragic remorse, false sympathy or unrestrained glee, I hope this story does something for you.