38. Inro and the Girl
Once again, the sound of the door opening echoed, and Inro began distributing meals to the slaves.
He started from the cells closest to the entrance of the room and worked his way deeper. Eventually, he arrived in front of the girl’s cell.
“Good morning, Ai-chan.”
Inro called the girl “Ai.”
However, that was not her real name. It was simply a nickname that Inro had arbitrarily decided to use for her.
Although she didn’t particularly like it, there was no real reason to refuse, so the girl never resisted the name.
More accurately, she knew that resisting would be pointless — that was why she stayed silent.
“Good morning, Ai-chan. Hey, you can hear me, right? You’re already awake, aren’t you?”
Since she was wrapped up in her blanket, Inro couldn’t tell whether she was awake or still sleeping.
“If you don’t answer, I won’t give you any food, okay?”
Inro didn’t actually have that kind of authority.
He was merely an employee hired by his master, Kolobo, and was expected to carry out his duties properly. Moreover, Kolobo had specifically instructed him earlier to increase this girl’s portion. She was someone who had to be fed. Denying her food was completely out of the question.
Still, in terms of their current positions, Inro was undeniably the superior.
A slave girl versus an employee at a slave trading shop.
At this hour, the only person on patrol was this frail man named Inro. Even the girl, who had some fighting experience, along with the other prisoners she had seen when she was brought in, could easily overpower him if they tried.
But they didn’t.
Because the relationship between them and this man was far more complicated.
“Ai. If you don’t answer soon, I’ll have to do that again, you know?”
At Inro’s meaningful words, the girl’s body twitched for a moment.
Her body had instinctively reacted to the “that” he mentioned.
“G-Good morning…”
Not wanting that to happen, the girl reluctantly responded.
“Good. You finally answered properly. However, because you didn’t reply immediately, Ai’s meal will be delayed. Understood?” “…Yes.”
Having said that, Inro left without giving the girl her food and moved on to the deeper cells.
He didn’t exchange a single word with any of the other prisoners. Only after finishing distributing meals to everyone else did he return to stand in front of the girl’s cell.
“Sorry for the wait, Ai-chan.”
When he reached her cell, Inro casually took the key hanging at his waist, skillfully unlocked the door with his right hand, and opened it.
There was no need to open the door just to hand over food.
A small opening had been built into the iron bars specifically for that purpose. Yet Inro deliberately opened the cell door and boldly stepped inside with the meal.
“There’s quite a lot today. You have to eat every last bite, okay?”
He carried the girl’s meal over to the bed where she usually sat.
“Here you go, Ai-chan.”
Even though she was hungry, the girl had no real appetite. Still, not wanting to upset the man, she moved the blanket aside and reached out toward the food.
“Whoa, hold on a second.”
Just as the girl was about to pick up the bread on the tray, Inro pulled it slightly out of her reach.
“You think you can just obediently eat after acting like that earlier?”
Before the girl could reply, Inro pulled out a single brush from his pocket.
“First, I’ll give you the punishment for your earlier attitude. Sit against the wall.” “…Yes.”
The girl moved to the edge of the bed installed at the side of the cell and sat down with her back pressed against the cold wall of the prison.
In front of her stood Inro, wearing a creepy smile, brush held firmly in his right hand.
“This is your punishment. If you don’t stay quiet and behave, I’ll do that again, got it?”
Faced with Inro’s words, the slave girl could only remain silent and accept whatever was about to happen to her.