Clang, clang.
The sound of chains dragging across the rough dirt road rang out rhythmically.
"Can't you walk faster? If this expensive body gets so much as a scratch, will you take responsibility?"
The slave trader jerked the leash irritably. Pulled by that force, the staggering woman's head snapped back as if it would break.
Her appearance was terribly alien amidst the scenery of this forest path,
and so she exuded a bizarre beauty from which one could not look away.
Black hair cascading down like a waterfall, the locks reaching her waist gleamed as if skeins of the finest silk had been unfurled.
Skin pale and transparent like porcelain, seemingly never once having seen sunlight,
formed a stark contrast with the crude, merciless iron collar, evoking a desolate sensuality.
A slender, long neck; shoulder lines that sloped gently down.
More than anything, what captivated one's gaze were her eyes.
Within eyelids devoid of creases, irises stretched long, bearing black pupils that seemed to hold the deep night sea.
An ordinary slave would have eyes filled with terror, wailing or dimmed with resignation.
But in her eyes, instead of fear, only a stillness that seemed to observe the world swirled.
Though she wore only a single thin garment, even that wretchedness could not hide the serene dignity she exuded. She was like a lone lotus blooming in a mud puddle.
*My neck is chafed...*
The cold sensation of the tightening collar and the friction of the rough chain. It hurt and was unpleasant, yet she did not make a pained expression. She merely watched quietly to see where this situation would lead.
"Hey! Out of the way! Don't block the road!"
The slave merchant shouted. Around a bend in the forest path, a pitch-black carriage stood blocking the way.
On the carriage door was emblazoned a coat of arms: upon a black field, a red rose and sword.
"Noisy."
The carriage door opened, and a man stepped out.
The surrounding air sank heavily in an instant. It felt as though even the birdsong of the forest had been cut short.
[Count Lucian von Eckhart]
He wore a neat black uniform, but several buttons were undone, giving a disheveled impression.
A sharp jawline and a prominent nose, and more than anything... he was a man with striking crimson eyes blazing like blood.
The woman being led along instinctively narrowed her brows.
*A dangerous man.*
The aura emanating from his body was far from ordinary.
One could feel a precarious, scorching heat, as if an uncontrollable conflagration rampaged within his body, trying to devour its master.
A volcano that seemed on the verge of erupting at any moment. Or the bearing of a starving beast.
"O-oh my! C-Count, is that you?"
The slave merchant turned deathly pale the moment he saw Lucian's red eyes and prostrated himself flat.
"F-forgive me! I was merely on my way to deliver this merchandise to the castle..."
The merchant read the room and tugged the collar, pushing the woman forward.
"Please, look! A rare breed from the East! Skin like jade, and her holes are still new, unused by anyone! Perfect for serving the Count at night..."
Lucian's gaze fixed on the woman.
She did not lower her head, staring straight into his crimson eyes.
Lucian swept his eyes over her with a look of interest.
She didn't tremble even looking at his eyes. She didn't try to flee, nor beg for her life.
Her black pupils were deep and serene. Like a cold abyss that seemed capable of quenching the raging heat within his body.
Lucian approached closely.
Ignoring the merchant's words, he roughly grasped Iseo's chin and lifted it.
"Name."
"I am called Iseo."
"Iseo..."
Lucian murmured her name as if chewing and spitting it out. His breath touched Iseo's cheek. Thick musk and icy breath.
"How many times have you been used?"
"Not yet... I have not been embraced by anyone."
As Iseo answered calmly, a twisted smile hooked at Lucian's lips.
"It doesn't seem to be a lie. Your eyes are alive."
Lucian took out a purse of gold coins from his waist and threw it at the slave merchant.
"Shut your mouth and get lost with this. I'm taking this woman."
"Gasp! Th-thank you, Count! You will be blessed!"
The merchant snatched the purse of gold and disappeared hurriedly into the forest. The leash was now in Lucian's hand.
"Get in."
Lucian had Iseo board the carriage.
Inside the rattling carriage.
Iseo knelt on the floor, while Lucian sat in a chair looking down at her.
He did not undo her collar. Rather, he wrapped the leash around his hand and pulled Iseo between his legs.
"Stranger still when seen up close. A woman of the East..."
Lucian's fingers traced down Iseo's pale face and caressed the cold iron collar.
"Do you wish to become a maid of the Count's house?"
"...I have nowhere to go. If you take me in, I will follow."
At Iseo's answer, Lucian made a peculiar expression. She was different from ordinary slaves. A submissive attitude without servility.
"A maid... yes. That would be best."
Then, Lucian suddenly clutched his chest and let out a groan.
*Kuh...!*
Veins bulged in his neck, and cold sweat trickled down his forehead.
The impulse to tear apart and violate the woman before him right away, the 'something' he had been suppressing, crashed over him.
Lucian rasped rough breaths and glared at Iseo. The eyes of a beast seeing prey. No, eyes that seemed to be screaming for salvation.
*He's in pain. This man.*
Iseo could tell instinctively. This man was fighting something right now. Against the enormous monster boiling up inside him.
Lucian gritted his teeth and turned his gaze away. They had not yet arrived at the castle. He did not wish to become a beast on the roadside.
"...You'll know when we arrive. What it is you must do at the castle."
The carriage raced toward the high castle walls of Count Eckhart's territory.
The clinking sound of the chain around Iseo's neck was a bell heralding the beginning of the tumultuous and sticky fate she would come to experience.
Where the carriage stopped was behind the splendid main building, an annex built of red brick.
Count Lucian handed Iseo over to the guards and then disappeared without a word, leaving only a cold gaze behind.
"Please come this way. We must bathe you."
The moment her shackles were removed, Iseo was led by the hands of laundry maids into the communal bath.
Wooden tubs filled with warm water. She had expected rough treatment, but unexpectedly, their hands were gentle yet thorough.
"Oh my, look at this fine skin."
"So they say she's a woman of the East, truly hairless and smooth. The Count will like her."
They scrubbed Iseo from head to toe as if handling a 'precious commodity' to be delivered to the Count.
Iseo accepted their touch without resistance. It was an unfamiliar environment, but strangely, curiosity about the castle's bizarre atmosphere outweighed fear.
While standing there having wiped the water and wearing only a gown, someone entered the bathhouse.
*Clack, clack.*
The regular, decisive sounds of heeled shoes.
"Is this her? The one the Count brought?"
Her voice was calm, and she used respectful speech even with her subordinates.
Iseo raised her head to look at her.
She appeared to be in her late twenties, a typical Western beauty.
Her abundant blonde hair was neatly pinned up, and calm eyes behind glasses gave an intellectual yet stable feeling.
More than anything, what stood out was her figure.
A bust so voluptuous it seemed about to burst and wide hips that could not be hidden even by a neat maid uniform. The sensuous curves overflowing above and below her tightly cinched waist suggested she was no simple administrator.
"Would you stand up?"
At Maria's polite instruction, Iseo removed her gown and stood naked.
She lightly lifted Iseo's chin with her fingertips, turned her this way and that, and appraised her.
"Beautiful. There's nothing to fault. Worthy of the Count bringing you personally."
Her gaze traveled down Iseo's collarbone to her chest, navel, and between her legs.
Rather than sexual contact, it was a meticulous gaze like that of an appraiser examining a flawless jewel.
"Your name is Iseo?"
"Yes."
"I am the head maid of this castle, Maria. I look forward to working with you."
Maria lightly tapped Iseo's buttocks.
"Good elasticity too... you pass."
"Bring the clothes."
What another maid brought was a crisply ironed maid uniform and a large box.
A dark navy dress with a greyish hue and a white apron. It looked ordinary on the outside.
"Put it on."
Iseo opened the box and doubted her eyes.
Inside were colorful undergarments filling it completely.
Bras and panties made of the finest silk and lace, excessively luxurious for a maid to wear. Even garter belts and stockings were prepared by type.
"These are..."
"Surprised?"
Maria explained with a faint smile.
"Our House of Count Eckhart takes great care in the welfare of its maids. Especially... the places that cannot be seen."
She placed a pair of black silk panties in Iseo's hand.
"The Count is sensitive. No matter how clean the outer garments, if what lies beneath is coarse or shabby, he cannot endure it. Every day, ample preparations have been made so you may change according to his mood."
It was not simple luxury. This was the Count's taste, or perhaps obsession.
The intent to keep even the maids' inner flesh under his control, so he might savor them in the best possible condition at any time.
Without a word of complaint, Iseo put on the smooth silk panties. The sensation against her skin was terrifyingly soft.
Once fully dressed, Maria adjusted her attire and met her eyes.
"Miss Iseo. To work here, you must follow countless rules. But among them, there is one most important, absolute rule that must never be broken."
Her expression grew serious.
"Every morning, before beginning work, you must bathe perfectly in the maids' exclusive bathhouse."
"A bath... you say?"
"Yes. It is not simply washing. Not a single strand of hair, not a speck of dirt beneath the nails must remain; you must wash as if sterilizing yourself."
Maria pointed to a large outbuilding visible through the window. It was a wooden bathhouse for the maids.
"The Count... loathes filth. No, beyond loathing, he suffers from it.
Think of it as every speck of dust in this castle gnawing one second from the Count's lifespan."
"..."
"Every morning, only after cleansing your body with scented oils and soap and changing into fresh undergarments are you granted the qualification to work near the Count. If you were to attend to your duties unwashed... I cannot guarantee what he will become."
In her words, there seemed to be something desperate hidden beyond a simple cleanliness obsession.
"Your quarters are this way."
Maria guided her to a room at the end of the first-floor hallway.
A single room, quite comfortable. The bedding was fluffy, and a personal locker was provided. It was excessive treatment for a mere maid.
"For the time being, you are in a probationary period, so you will begin by learning cleaning and errands. Rest well today. Tomorrow morning at five, see you at the bathhouse."
Maria bowed politely and closed the door.
Left alone in the room, Iseo sat on the edge of the bed.
The luxurious undergarments wrapped softly around her hips, and her freshly washed body emitted a fragrant soap scent.
*A strange place.*
Maids who had to perform morning ablutions every day for their master and wear luxury underwear.
And the head maid who managed them, elegant yet seemingly hiding secrets somewhere.
Gazing at the evening sunset reddening beyond the window, Iseo fell asleep with her weary body.