Making the preliminary examinations, I noticed she lost quite a bit of blood, she was pale and she had deep cuts along her arms, her face didn t have cuts, but a violet swollen area was noticeable on the right eye, meaning the aggressor was left handed or at least was using it.
Why I knew medicine you ask? Simple! Nina s health wasn t the best one for some time now, she had problems since I was 15, and on the last 13 years she had been fighting against them, but she was old and eventually the illness won the fight.
I was pondering on what to do first, from the looks of it, cleaning her and stopping the bleeding were the top priorities, and lack of blood and infections could easily wear down someone health in a whim, so my first order to Akira was:
- Bring in that scissor on that table top right now!
- Are Are YOU GOING TO OPEN HER?!?!!? asked a terrified Akira.
- No I am going to cut her clothing off so it s easier to clean and treat where is worse! Quick get it now!
Akira rushed to get it and came back running, with the scissors in hand I cut her clothing and skirt she was wearing, from the looks of her body from size to chest and public hair, she couldn t be older than 14, from the aspects of the cuts she got them mostly running, they were irregular, so a knife / swords were discarded as the agents of the wounds.
I did the best I could, and in the end the bleeding stopped, it was all clean in her and the worst she would have were going to be scars, but few and far between and as soon as she woke up I would ask her what happened, because the only thing I knew was that she was found by Stephan right past Montecchio s property entrance.
When the family doctor arrived, he just checked the girl and said I didn t a great emergency treatment on her, and since she seemed holding her own well, he just prescribed her some antibiotics to avoid any infection from taking place.
Seeing she wouldn t wake up so soon, I decided to carry on with the plans I had in mind since the beginning, I took another shower to remove the blood on me, ate my breakfast and took Akira to the family business headquarters where I was the owner of a very profiting mining company, specialized on jewelry stones like diamonds, sapphires and topazes for instance.
Showed my office to Akira, it was on the 55th floor of our company building, her eyes turned big when she looked through the window and saw everything really small on the street down there.
I sat on my table and Akira-chan was really fascinated with the size of my clear oak table, big chair and all. Pressing a button, I called my secretary and ordered her to come here. Still mesmerized by all the new stuff around her Akira-chan asked:
- Lord! Lord! This seems like a big company! I never been this high! said while she neared me.
- Yes Akira-chan, but didn t I say I don t think it s necessary to call me Lord? - So SORRY! I will watch myself Lo I mean Richard!
I petted her gently on the head while Ana entered my room; she was a 34 years-old single woman, brunette hair black eyes, your typical salary woman. Her dream was to marry either a rich man or a noble, so she wouldn t need to work like a slave and earn less than them as she would say. Even though that, she was still a nice person and precise with her work.
- Richard, here are today s appointments and here are the people that called already and left a note. She said that while giving me some papers.
- Thanks Ana, and before you leave I got a request for you.
- Yes Rick, what can I do for you:
- Please I want a - to help decide I asked Akira Akira-chan, which color would you like your table?
- If I ever had a table hmmm I would like it hmm Pink!
- You hear the Lady Ana, please ask the resource department to either buy or make a pink table for my new caretaker, as herself requested! I then turned my eyes to her - So Akira-chan, how do you feel now that you have your own table?
- My My my own TABLE!
- Yep, your own table Akira, you going to work here with me as well at home sweetie!
- YOU MEAN IT RICK?!?!? REALLY REALLY REALLY?!?!
Akira shouted that and began running in circles, she was overflowing with happiness! I guess I began thinking the other slaves I saw on that wagon probably knew what was in store for them, so they tried their best to prepare her for the ungodly life she was going to have her luck was to be bought by me, so she is now thinking that what they said was mere fairytale
- Akira-chan as you might have noticed, you are going to work for me, but I promise I will try to make your life the best as possible!
She shyly nodded, blushed and replied:
- Yes Richard! I I I will do my very best to serve you too!
That said, Akira spent the rest of the day following me around on my work, learning how to present herself to others, trying her very best to catch everything she needed to. Of course sometimes she would make some mistakes, which were only natural; she was a 10 years-old girl after all.
She was a quick learner though, she learned in one day, what would take most of my employee s weeks.
We arrived home a quarter past 5 pm, Catherine greeted me as soon as we entered the room, and then she quickly updated me with what happened on home, followed by saying the mysterious girl just had woken up.
I told Akira she was free to do what she wanted till dinner time
I headed to the nursery afterwards, I wanted to check myself how the poor girl was developing, and as I made my entrance I saw her having some soup with extreme appetite. And right after noticing me she cleaned her mouth with the bed sheets and greeted me with a smile, I then said:
- I am glad you finally woke up, my name is Richard Montecchio, and we found you unconscious inside my property, near the entrance. Feel free to rest and recover as much as you need.
- Don t worry, we not charging you anything I continued I just would like to know why someone would be so beaten up like that, if you don t mind telling us that is.
She looked at me with curious eyes, as if to search the true intentions behind my motivations. After a couple of moments she decided to speak up:
- First, I Masaki Dawn would like to thank you for the wonderful way I am being treated here, second I am 14 years-old she said that and lowered her eyes - I know you are an important and busy noble but if it could be possible, I would like you to listen to my complete story, think you could grant me this honor?
- Sure I replied as I pulled a chair and sat to listen I have no other appointments today, you have all nigh if you wish, I will gladly listen.
She then began telling me everything that happened on her life:
She was a free girl until some days ago, when all her life turned upside down. Her family was very poor, but they managed to be happy, she had a non-identical twin sister called Masaki Dusk, they had a loving mom, which did everything possible to raise them with honor and pride and a not so great stepfather.
He was a drug addict, and one day he mugged a noble on the city s shopping district to buy more drugs, needless to say the nobles personal guard followed him to his hideout that was were we all lived, the guards fought him and in the end he got murdered by them, my mom suffered a heart attack and both Dusk and myself were taken, arrested as his partners and slavened. We were sold yesterday; I believe I saw you on the first rank of chairs.
We were separated when I was bought by the Silva family, while Dusk was by the Capuleto representative. I frowned at the though; the Silva s were very well known by what they usually do with the young woman slaves I had already given up hope of being happy, so I tried y best to do any job I would be forced to do, needless to say that yesterday night I was summoned to my master room, he he tears began forming on her eyes wanted to have his way with me, I was so afraid! I panicked and ran as fast as I could, past the guards and as far as I could on the road
- Whoa! Hold on a second there I replied totally shocked by that- you mean you ran past the guards?!?! That must mean you are quite agile I might add!
- Well, I think this is the dog blood I have in me - Dog blood?!?!?! Don t tell me you are an inumimi?!?!
She nodded once, and needless to say my jaw dropped on the floor, it was believed inumimi s were extinct! (For all out there wondering Inu = dog, Mimi = ears; the dog equivalent of Nekomimi) this was totally a shocking discovery!
But eventually I was caught by some guards on duty, and since I had the slave mark tattooed on my right hand, they detained me and as soon as the Silva s guards reached me, I began being beaten down pretty badly, I though I was going to die! I think that I passed out, and they though I was dead, so they just let me there to rot. Later I came to and walked a bit, but the pain was unbearable and I ended up fainting again by a stone wall, in this case your wall.
This is interesting I began pondering she is an inumimi, she was beaten down, and is believed to be dead, but even if she wasn t, she was found on my property, hurt and there are the guards that held her according to civil laws, she was found neglected in my property, so for now she is mine; I have good lawyers and I doubt the Silva s would be stupid enough to confront the Montecchio family - What your plans are for now then? I asked, having something on mind already.
- I don t know I feel lost, powerless, depressed and I know that as soon as I recover I am a dead person, because when the Silva s find out I am not dead, they will finish the job - she said with a sad smile on her.
- I don t think that is true actually replied, and surprise was showing on her face.
- What What do you mean good sir?
- Well, I was thinking since you were left on my property; beaten down on the verge of death; anyone could presume they gave up the right of possession over you, so, how about it. Do you want to work for us?
Now it was time for her jaw to drop on the floor, she was visibly speechless; she opened her mouth and closed it again, her arms staying right beside her immobile.
- A Are you sure my lord?!?! I am not anything special! And I won t allow my dignity to be affected! This is the only thing I have of my own now! So please tell me you are not joking nor you want my innocence!
- Don t worry about it Dawn-chan, ask Catherine over there, I am very respectful to all the people that work for me!
She turned her eyes to Catherine and noticed that he never used the word slave she began feeling that she could trust him, when Catherine said:
- Yes, I work here for 40 years already, and I never have seen any head of family or its family members disrespect us or even being willing unfair!
- Then I accept with all my heart my lord! She replied with a smile bigger than her face.
- My first order is, drop the lord stuff, I am Richard or Rick, whichever you see fit ok?
- Yes Rick!
- Ok get some rest, the doctor gave you a very potent drug and healer, your wounds will probably be fully healed by 2 or 3 days, get better ok?
- Thanks! I really appreciate it Rick.
- Catherine, today I want to have dinner at the main dinning table, get it ready for 14 people, I want to dine with all my workers ok? Make the family specialty today.
- But Rick, it will make the dinner be really late!
- I don t mind Catherine, as long as we all get to eat plenty I don t mind! Today us a commemoration day!
- As you wish Rick she replied as she left the room to carry on the orders.
I excused myself with Dawn and headed towards my room, I decided to have a little rest until dinner time, when I woke up with Akira-chan knocking on the door to wake me, it was time for dinner, I looked at the clock and saw that I slept for 3 whole hours, it was half past 9 already.
As I made my way to the table, everyone was standing in front of their respective seat. As soon as I was seen they saluted me with a Long life to Richard Montecchio! I thanked them and said they could seat, I asked for their attention and pronounced:
- I have been thinking about this since yesterday, and I reached a conclusion, I hope you guys understand this decision is not based on personal feelings, but totally on practical and logical sense.
- I have decided who is going to be my next personal caretaker!
A heavy anticipation silence was all one could hear on that room at the time, everyone was patiently waiting my next statement, so after some moments I concluded:
- The next caretaker is Akira!