Chapter 8

Uchiha Sasuke stared down at the trembling Sakura for a moment, then decided to let them go with a wave of his hand. His servants and soldiers quickly understood the gesture, both the girl being beaten to unconsciousness and three others are being carried off to the army and spend the rest of their lives in prostitution.

Well at least they're alive.

Sasuke stood up and returned to his chamber, motioning Sakura to follow him. Which she did numbly.

He sat down and pointed to the book he read yesterday and said, "flip to the page where I've been reading yesterday."

If this was any other person, they'd be horrified because most commoners do not know how to read. Sakura however, is an enlightened 21st century female who have probably read more books in her life time than anyone here, so she remembered exactly where he read. It's just a very boring political book that she had no interest in. Therefore she flipped to that page and placed the book down on the table in front of him.

Her hand was shaking, he saw.

She retreated to the back corner, looking down at her feet, standing as still as possible.

Sasuke smirked.

He could tell, she's really spooked this time. She probably haven't seen anything like this before in her life time, or have been so closely involved within it. He was bemused, and wondered where she had the audacity to tie a strand of hair around his fingers yesterday.

Sakura, on the other hand, was trying to take deep breaths as quiet as possible, while not draw attention to herself. She almost wanted to turn around and face the wall if it wasn't for the fact that damn Prince need his pages to be flipped. How lazy can a person get? When he finishes a page, he doesn't even make a sound. Instead he tilts his head slightly up and give her a mild look. That's indication enough he needs something, and it's up to Sakura to figure out what.

Sakura thought about what happened, the wounds and flesh appeared before her, and she had to physically force herself not to shiver. Those girls are all no more than 15. They're st an age where they want to explore the world and be curious about what happened and make mistakes. This one mistake apparently cost them their future. In this body, she's only a 16 year old girl. However she have lived for almost three decades in her previous life time. There are something that experience and time built that can't be taken away. She has the nerves to hold down seeing something like this and not be too affected by it- If it was in the news. But when observed st first hand, it's something else entirely. She remembered that photographer who went to Africa and took photos of starving children who are on the verge of dying. When he goes back to the Americas, he begin to spiral into depression and alcoholism. Seeing things with your own eyes have a profound impact on one's psychological being, and Sakura is being impacted right now.

She thought for a long time why this is, and have concluded that basically, this prince doesn't really treat people like human beings.

He has been so detached from reality, or perhaps he was born this way, that he has forgotten the sanctity of life. This order, this royalty, supposably, is what governs every being in this world. It's no use to start blabbing about feminist ideals and human rights violations, because she'll be crushed like a bug.

Maybe her value lies less than of a bug. This person can take away a life by a flick of his fingers. He stands above millions of others, and he can't find the reason-from the bottom of his deep, black heart-to have mercy.

Little did Sakura know, he showed mercy today, based on her words. He let those four poor souls live. And this world is much more complicated to be judged from a 21st century perspective. Without total surveillance, absolute order means peace and prosperity.

Sakura felt terrified of this man, and decided, the only way to escape is to take matters in her own hands, and grab onto her own fate.

Sasuke didn't know what was going on in her head. He saw that she's getting paler, and remembered her upset stomach. He turned to her and said, "you may return to your chambers and rest. Have the doctors take a look."

Sakura bowed deeply before exiting. She didn't look at him straight in the face once.

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Sakura spent the next two days in bed, contemplating on issues. Then she finally decided what she wanted to do, which was, to buy herself out from this hellhole.

First she has to make money.

She already got it all figured out and begin a master plan in her little sheets of scrap paper. There aren't any pens at this time, so she borrowed a think thistle brush from one library, and begin doodling in her scrap paper. She has asked what it takes to buy a typical servant in the Royal Household, and placed he amount down on top. Apparently it's three hundred silver coins. Her monthly wage is 18 silver coins, with the potential to increase if she serves the Prince well.

She spent some time getting to know the monetary system in this world. The smallest unit is bronze coins. Two coins can get you a hot meal. One bronze coin can get you an egg or a cup of tea. 12 of them stringed in one loop is called a skewer of coins, which happens to be the equivalent of one silver coin.

She then asked around what the other servant girls are earning, they're even less.

So she's still technically a "concubine" who does servant work once in a while. As do all staff members of this household. She's just free for the taking of the Prince wishes it. The Prince can also take a servant girl if he wants to. Basically the master of the household can do whatever he wants, and everybody is literally revolving around him like planets to the sun.

Figuring this out, she has already been here almost two months and spent some money on necessities like fabric and sewing items. She calculates how much she'll have by next time the payday comes, and discovered she'll save up to almost 30 silver coins.

But she needs ten times that amount to buy herself out, and even then, she wasn't sure if the Prince will agree.

Maybe she could ask her family for help. To see if they will lend her the money for freedom.

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A/N: I should mention right about now, that I've written these chapters about a week in advance saved up, so I don't run out of ideas or stock that leaves me MIA for days. But if I do run out of chapters, I'll warn you guys and you'll be ready. Thank you so much my lovelies:)