As Damien completed his drink, Alexander said, “Changing a slave’s nature with what they go through is difficult,” he said it because he knew the ways of the slave establishment. Though the establishment was not located near Valeria but near Woville and Bonelake, Alexander being one of the four lords kept his eyes and ears on everything that moved and breathed.
Damien nodded his head, knowing what Alexander was speaking about. The pain and torture one went through in that place broke one’s very soul and resolve. It was one of the main reasons many slaves were turned to obedient, willing beings who depended on their owners for shelter and care. While also fearing the torture which might come to one if they did something disagreeable in their eyes of the master and mistresses.
A person who entered that place never came out to be the same. People who were strong and unwilling to change often ended up being trouble there before they were either broken down to the point they turned their entire personality or worse killed.
“Who told she was a slave?” came out Damien’s words making Alexander raise his brows.
“She’s not a slave?”
“Just for the sake of the name. She’s a very free woman,” chuckled Damien. His eyes crinkling with amus.e.m.e.nt.
“That’s interesting. Why hasn’t she run away then? Ah, you have the papers,” realized Alexander, a small smile forming on his lips. It appeared that Damien was having his own amus.e.m.e.nt. There was a possibility that the girl had been mixed with the slaves in confusion. Once a person had the contract that stated that the slave had been bought with the slave’s description which basically showed the ownership over the person, there was nothing another person could do.
“She did.”
“But you caught her,” seeing the girl was here with them in the hall, “Did she tell you what she is? Assuming she isn’t a human.”
“I doubt she knows,” Damien replied placing his empty glass on the tray when the servant walked past them. Walking away from the hall with Alexander next to him, he said, “Her mother died a few months ago and her father went missing.” Alexander’s eyes narrowed listening to this.
“It is the father whom you need to watch out for.”
“I sent Kreme to get information on the village. Talking about the village, I have someone very interesting for you to meet there,” as Damien said this Alexander knew it wasn’t out of fondness his cousin was making him meet whoever he wanted him to meet.
“Why do I feel like I have to be wary about this man and your relationship. Don’t go killing people. Apologies, torturing I mean,” Alexander corrected himself.
Damien grinned at his cousin’s words, mischief in his eyes as they spoke about the council. Back in the hall, Penny wasn’t sure what to do as she stood idle. At least previously she was following Damien around like a little pet cat but with him not in the room she looked at the guests. Men and women who wore rich clothes and jewelry covered either their necks, ears or hands and fingers.
Life was so unfair, thought Penny to herself. Thinking about how many of them often starved in the villages. People worked day and night to make ends meet, the lower class who were the ones who suffered making them bitter by the mere sight like this or the Isle Valley which Damien had taken her too.
“What do you think you were doing?!” came out the voice of a vampire, his hand hitting a girl’s back who was dressed in fine clothes as the others. Penny wondered what just happened, “Didn’t the lady ask you to fetch her a napkin along with the glass?” he smacked the girl’s head which ruined her hair with strands and pieces of her hair that came out every time he pushed his hand against her head.
The girl looked quite pale, her hands shaking and her face turned to one like a ghost as she bowed her head, “Forgive me master, I shall get the napkin quickly,” came out the small voice.
“Forget it. Who knows where you are going to go seducing men you s.l.u.t. Stand here,” said the vampire. It had turned to a small show as some people’s attention fell on the girl and the vampire before going along with their previous conversation like it didn’t matter.
Penny’s frowned, looking at the girl.
She had thought she was the only slave that Damien wanted to show off in front of his guests who wore the gunny bag like a dress but she would have never guessed that there was another slave apart from her in this room right now. Her eyes moved from one person to another, watching carefully while trying to find the other slaves.
As she observed the behavior, finding the slaves one after another, she felt someone come to stand next to her. Turning her head she caught sight of a man with blonde hair who had a pair of glasses resting on the top of his nose.
“A slave shouldn’t look at the guests in the mansion so ruefully. It is not only unpleasant but also quite disrespectful,” his voice was calm and collected. His eyes looking at her before Penny shifted her gaze to look at the ground.
“Whose slave are you? Must be a new one to have not given you clothes,” said the man standing next to her.
“Master Damien Quinn,” answered Penny, keeping her voice low and not the same as when she spoke to Damien.
She could feel his eyes on her which made her feel uncomfortable. Feeling the movement of his eyes that looked from the top to bottom, “So you are Damien Quinn’s slave,” he hummed, “What’s your name?”
“I don’t think that’s necessary.”
It was Damien.
Penny hearing his voice snapped her head up, feeling relieved on seeing the face she had got used to over the past one week.
