# Translation
**Thud thud—**
"M-Mister...! P-Please open the door...!! I-I was wrong...! I won't do it again...!!"
Please.
Please open the door.
Thud thud—
Hare pounded on the door desperately.
Her fists swelled up, and her voice grew hoarse from calling out to him.
But the door never opened.
"M-Mister...? P-Please... look at my face and talk to me... treat me kindly like you always do..."
She called out to him desperately.
No answer came back to Hare.
Why did things turn out this way?
I only wanted his attention.
"The only thing I did wrong was... trying to kill that girl who tried to kill Mister..."
Was that action overstepping my bounds...?
Acting out of concern for Mister...?
Hare shed tears of regret onto the floor.
Her vision blurred with tears, and only gloomy emotions filled her mind.
If only she could turn back time, she wanted to turn back time.
"I should have been a good girl... *sniff*... I betrayed Mister..."
If only I could turn back time.
I would have remained a good girl and stayed by Mister's side.
Now I've become a bad girl to Mister.
And by my own hand...
"It's my fault..."
Hare didn't blame anyone else.
She was the one who attempted the escape, she was the one who tried to kill Estia.
She was the one who let go of Mister's gentle hand with her own hands.
Because she herself was the one who caused this situation.
Hare was in agonizing pain.
"I-I was wrong... Mister... I'll be a good girl... S-So..."
Please look at me again and smile kindly.
Open the door and hug me tight.
Hare pounded on the door violently, pleading.
"N-Next time... I absolutely won't let Mister catch me...! S-So... p-please..."
However, Hare, pleading through her tears, still hadn't properly grasped what she had done wrong.
The morning after the Saint's escape incident.
I woke up at 6:30 as usual.
After going to the bathroom as usual, I headed to the kitchen to cook.
*...Is Hare asleep now?*
Passing by, Hare's room came into view.
Hare's voice, which had been crying until dawn, could no longer be heard.
Perhaps she had fallen asleep from exhaustion by now.
That was my guess.
*...13 more days. During that time, she'll reflect on herself and repent.*
Light comes in through the window, and there's a bathroom inside,
so if Luna talks to her occasionally, she'll feel less lonely.
When I face Hare again.
I hoped she would have returned to being the good Hare I originally knew.
After that, I finished cooking in the kitchen and carried a plate with toast and fried eggs to her room.
Creak—
I opened the door slightly, set down the plate,
and closed the door again.
At that moment, Hare, who had been lying on the bed, seemed to notice my presence and began shouting in a hoarse voice.
—M-Mister...? I-I'll be a good girl...! I-I won't do it again... Please let me out of here...!! I-If you can't, at least answer me... at least let me hear your voice...!! Mister...!!
...My heart aches.
But I can't open it.
The punishment for trying to kill a comrade.
Must be paid in full.
Without a word, I locked Hare's door and headed upstairs.
—D-Don't go... Please... t-talk to me, Mister...
I'm sorry, Hare.
Deliberately ignoring Hare's pitiful cries.
To give her breakfast, I headed to Saten's room.
Her room was dark.
*...A child of darkness.*
Saten's room was darkness itself.
Light was blocked out, with only a single candle on the desk.
And Saten, like a black cat, sat in a chair reading a book.
Dark circles accompanied her eyes.
Wait, this girl...
"Saten."
"Yes, Mister."
"...Did you not sleep?"
"No, I didn't."
"Then when are you planning to sleep?"
"I'll sleep after I finish this book."
Saten was reading the book expressionlessly.
Perhaps because she lacked emotion, she didn't look particularly entertained.
Then why is she reading that book?
I casually asked Saten about my curiosity.
"...The book's title is 'My Sister-in-Law Was Strange Last Night.' Is the content interesting?"
"Hmm, I don't know about interesting. But there is something I'm curious about. Will you tell me?"
Saten turned the book toward me expressionlessly.
Page 144.
She pointed with her finger to a part she didn't understand.
"I don't understand this part."
"Hmm..."
Let me see...
Ugh...
The novel's content was simple.
As expected from the title, it was just a man and woman having relations.
Just that kind of simple erotic novel.
*'Jun-woo, I'm leaving these books in the study for you to read when you're bored, it's a gift.'*
Minerva, what kind of books did you put in the study...?
More importantly, why is Saten reading an erotic novel?
With a dizzy head, I asked Saten.
"Saten? Why are you reading this kind of novel...?"
"Because this kind of thing helps me understand emotions."
"...A novel about a man and woman tumbling around together...?"
"If you look at it that way, yes, but if you see it as sharing deep emotions, it's different."
Saten was expressionless.
And endlessly serious.
It wasn't a joke.
Saten was really studying emotions with this obscene novel.
Such a Saten asked curiously.
"Mister, if you look here, the woman says 'it feels good.' What kind of expression is that?"
"...I wouldn't know since I'm not a woman."
"Hmm, is that so? Then I'll have to ask the others."
"No, don't do that..."
They won't know even if you ask them.
Please just imagine that eye-rolling expression in your head, don't try to imitate it.
I stroked Saten's head and answered to prevent her from dwelling on that thought any further.
"For now, stop reading this book, and the expression you want to know—you'll understand it later. When you become an adult."
"I need to get older. Is that what you're saying?"
"...Well, you could say that."
"Hmm, then the others won't know either. If I have more questions later, I'll ask you again. Please leave the plate next to me and go."
After informing me, Saten focused on the book again.
She seemed to have lightly ignored my words to stop reading.
She was so expressionless that you couldn't think she was reading an erotic novel, and I felt a kind of awe at how she could concentrate on it like that.
*'I need to clean out the books in the study.'*
I should throw away all the erotic novels and fill it with romance novels instead.
As Saten said, I was about to leave the plate and go.
Come to think of it, there was one thing I hadn't asked Saten.
"Saten, one last question."
"Yes, what is it?"
"Why did you help the others escape yesterday?"
"Hmm, that's because."
A brief moment of silence passed.
Saten answered as if it were obvious.
"It wasn't a loss for me, it was a gain."
"...A gain. Still, don't help them next time. Thank you for answering, Saten."
"Yes."
Creak—
I closed the door and left Saten's room.
On my way there, I thought about the meaning of the gain Saten mentioned.
"...She never takes a loss, does she."
Saten is calculating.
Saten never takes a loss.
I felt like I had vaguely grasped her way of thinking.
Luna's room.
Looking at the chains on her legs, Estia faced the despair of morning.
"W-We failed to escape? T-That can't be...?"
"It can be. You guys really did fail to escape."
One-two— One-two—
Luna did stretches to warm up her body while telling Estia.
Unlike the despairing Estia, Luna's eyes were full of energy.
*'Hehe, finally swordsmanship! Goodbye basic fitness!'*
Luna had been looking forward to sword training.
Basic training was just running, dashing, and such repetition.
For Luna, a clockwork life was extremely boring.
In that sense, swordsmanship would be varied and fun!
*'And if I learn swordsmanship... I'll be able to beat Mister soon...'*
And the kidnapping will end!
Mister's defeat!
My victory!
Wait.
"If I beat Mister and escape, I won't get money...?"
If I don't get money, my family will starve to death...?
"Huh?"
Luna was confused.
At that moment, the door opened and Lee Jun-woo appeared with breakfast.
Estia automatically headed to the corner.
She looked terrified.
"B-Brother...? W-Wait! D-Don't come...! I-I'm sorry...! I'm sorry for trying to escape...! I-I won't do it again...! S-So please spare my life..."
"...What's with her? Luna, what did you do? How badly did you beat Estia?"
"I didn't beat her! Why do you think I did something! I didn't do anything!"
Estia was crouched in the corner, trembling.
"D-Don't come...!!"
She was desperately taking a defensive posture with her hands.
Lee Jun-woo had a rough idea why Estia was acting like this.
*'The church's basement. Did Estia grow up there?'*
If she grew up in that place where inhumane experiments were conducted.
It would make sense for her to react like this to a failed escape.
Though not completely certain.
Lee Jun-woo approached Estia and said.
"Estia, come out of the corner. There's a lot of dust."
"N-No... you're going to kill me..."
"Why do you think I'd kill you? I have no intention of punishing you for yesterday's escape."
"L-Lies. Even when you smiled and said that, my friends never came back... All adults are liars... Only the Goddess doesn't lie..."
You have the wrong information, Estia.
Minerva lies well.
Lee Jun-woo approached Estia.
Flinch—
"D-Don't come closer...!!"
"Estia, don't be scared and listen. I won't do anything to you."
"L-Lies! Don't lie!"
"It's not a lie. At least 2 years. At most 4 years. You just need to stay here during that time. I won't hurt you."
"That's true. Mister is bad, but not super bad!"
Luna added weight to Lee Jun-woo's words from the side.
At those words, Estia seemed to gain some trust and opened up slightly.
"R-Really? Apostle Brother won't hurt me...?"
"Of course, I'll actually make you happy. Even if you don't believe me now, please believe me later. I won't do anything to you. Eat your food first."
Clatter—
Lee Jun-woo set down the plate of food on the desk.
Estia still looked suspicious, but seeing Luna run over, she got up from the corner.
"I'm eating! Breakfast!"
Luna ran over like a dog discovering treats.
The hungry Estia also moved to follow her.
She confirmed Luna eating toast with fried eggs and picked up a fork.
Her hand was trembling from withdrawal symptoms.
"I-I was hungry, so this is good..."
Estia ate the toast and fried eggs deliciously.
Even after scraping the plate clean, she still looked hungry.
*...Estia.*
This was the moment the educational direction for this Holy Water-addicted girl was decided.
More important than re-teaching her misguided faith was.
*'Treating those withdrawal symptoms first is the priority.'*
The girl eating toast deliciously with puffed-out cheeks.
Estia had to break free from her addiction to Holy Water, similar to drugs.
Lunchtime after the meal.
Leaving Estia in the room.
Only Luna appeared in the yard for new training.
"Alright! Mister! Hurry up and teach me swordsmanship!"
Luna, full of spirit while holding a sword.
She urged Lee Jun-woo to teach her swordsmanship.
Lee Jun-woo posed one light but heavy question to such a Luna.
"Before teaching you swordsmanship. I have one question, Luna."
"Yes! What is it?! Ask me anything!"
Luna answered excitedly.
She was so looking forward to learning swordsmanship instead of basic training.
Not knowing that swordsmanship was a more advanced course.
Lee Jun-woo asked such an ignorant Luna the core question of swordsmanship.
"Luna."
"Yes!"
"What is your sword?"
What did you pick up the sword for?
What will you swing the sword for?
What will you take another's life for?
"Where is your sword pointing?"
A question asking about Luna's direction.
She took time for deep contemplation to answer this question.
Because Lee Jun-woo's expression was serious, and it wasn't a topic to answer easily.
The moment the wooden sword in her hand began to lower.
Luna answered Lee Jun-woo's question.
"I am..."
Lee Jun-woo couldn't help but be surprised by Luna's answer.