"..."
After Lee Jun-woo left, Saten remained alone in the cleaning area.
"Why did Ajeossi do something so undignified..."
Even if Ajeossi isn't a noble, he has more dignity than anyone I know. So why did he do such a thing? Saten looked at the floor the broom had swept. It was spotlessly clean without a speck of dust.
"My chest feels tight."
What Saten did wrong was not cleaning. Since status meant nothing in the mansion, Saten had to clean regardless. But she couldn't. Saten felt nonexistent gazes from her surroundings, and the moment she started cleaning, it felt like 'punishment' would descend upon her. Saten took in the sight of the scattered cleaning tools.
"The simple task of bending down and sweeping up dust. But I can't do it like Ajeossi can."
Saten's body had left the family, but her mind couldn't escape. She'd been caged for so long. Even with the door open, she couldn't fly away. Saten picked up the dustpan that had fallen on the floor with an elegant posture, her back perfectly straight.
"...Collecting dust isn't dirty work. Rather, it's work that makes things clean. That must be what Ajeossi meant, right?"
What Lee Jun-woo was trying to say—Saten understood it. But putting it into practice was a different matter. As she stood staring at the dustpan, Luna cautiously approached from far away.
"The person with grip strength similar to a man's. What business do you have with me?"
"N-no! I'm a girl! And I have a name—it's Luna!"
*What is she talking about!?*
Luna shouted angrily at the absurd words. At that sight, Saten sent Luna a wary look. Her head throbbed where Luna had grabbed it before.
"Are you here to fight again? I didn't use magic last time. I won't go easy on you this time."
"Th-that's not it! I'm not here to fight! I-I just came because Ajeossi told me to..."
"Hmm, Ajeossi sent you? He wouldn't have sent you for no reason."
*Thump—*
*'Why is she so perceptive!?'*
If it were a situation where emotions could be set aside, Saten was the most perceptive of the Hero Party. Luna panicked for a moment, but cleared her throat and spoke as if nothing had happened.
"Ahem, well, the reason Ajeossi sent me is..."
"The reason is?"
"S-sorry! I'm sorry for using violence first!"
*Bow—*
Luna lowered her head to express her apology. The speed was so fast it was hard to follow with the eyes, surprising even Saten for a moment.
"It's not because Ajeossi told me to make up!! I-I'm genuinely sorry! Sorry for hitting you!"
"...So Ajeossi told us to make peace."
"Th-that too, but! I really am sorry!"
If you fought, make up. Luna, who had arrived at the dining hall and talked with Ajeossi, recalled what Lee Jun-woo had said.
*'Saten won't apologize to you first.'*
*'What!? Why won't she apologize!?'*
*'Because she doesn't think she's sorry. And she won't be angry at you either.'*
*'Huh? Why not!? She should be angry since I hit her!'*
*'Because it's not something to be angry about. She won't be angry.'*
*'Huh...'*
Apologize first. Then Saten will respond to you. Recalling Ajeossi's words, Luna raised her head and met Saten's eyes. It was an expressionless face where she couldn't tell what Saten was thinking at all. Luna asked cautiously.
"You're not... angry, right?"
"Should I be angry?"
"I-it was true!"
Anyway, Luna had offered her apology. Fortunately, Saten knew the procedure for reconciliation, so she offered an apology to Luna.
"Then I'm sorry too. It seems I was at fault."
"R-right! We made up! Let's get along as friends now!"
Luna extended her hand to Saten as a sign of reconciliation. Saten stared at that hand blankly and changed the subject.
"Then your business is finished now, right?"
"Huh... my hand...? The handshake...?"
"Do you have more business?"
"N-no! Never mind the handshake! When the two of us made up, Ajeossi had a message for me to deliver!"
"A message?"
A message to deliver. What did Ajeossi say to me? Just as a small expectation bloomed in Saten's heart, Luna conveyed Ajeossi's words on his behalf.
"Ajeossi told me to tell you! 'You failed this time, Saten. But use this as an opportunity. Think for yourself about what "class" and "dignity" are. Forget all the noble dignity you've learned until now. Dignity isn't something others decide—it's something you decide. And if you go astray, I'll catch you.' That's what he said!"
Luna delivered the message to Saten while imitating Lee Jun-woo's stiff manner of speaking. Then, as the smell of food from the dining hall wafted into the corridor, she ran toward the dining hall as if possessed by a ghost.
"Saten, hurry up before it's too late! All the food will be gone!?"
*Thud thud thud—*
As if she'd forgotten they had fought—stupid if you called it stupid, but very cool if you called it cool. Showing no lingering resentment, Luna disappeared into the dining hall. Saten shifted her gaze to the clean floor again. This time, unlike before, her impression was a bit different.
"Dignity is something you decide for yourself... Cleaning dirty things to make them clean is Ajeossi's dignity..."
*Hmm.*
*I should think about dignity once more. It won't be easy. But if I go astray, Ajeossi will catch me, so it should be fine.*
"It's unfortunate that I lost the experiment journal to Ajeossi. But somehow my heart feels at ease."
Slowly, Saten took small steps toward the outside of the cage that had confined her.
Food eaten after working tastes better than usual. No matter how tasteless the food is, it tastes good after hard work. As if to prove those words true, the children who had cleaned diligently were inhaling food in the dining hall.
"Wh-what! It's even more delicious today!?"
"R-right... I-I've never tasted anything like this..."
"Oppa! What is this! What's it made of? It's not as good as Holy Water, but it's tasty!"
*It's the taste of the sweat you shed while cleaning.*
But since it might diminish my authority as a guardian, I kept that thought to myself and explained the food to the children.
"It's meat. Very good meat at that."
Meat personally selected and chosen from the butcher shop. It was meat from a Minotaurus that lived on the 15th floor of the dungeon. It was quite expensive, and the taste varied drastically depending on how it was cooked.
*'It's definitely a taste they're all experiencing for the first time.'*
*How gratifying to see them enjoying it. Later they'll catch and eat Minotaurus themselves. I should teach them the recipe next time.*
As I was thinking that, Luna, with meat smeared all over her mouth, raised her hand and asked a question.
"Ajeossi! But where's Saten!?"
"I don't know either."
"D-don't tell me... A-Ajeossi...?"
*Glance—*
Hare looked at me with a terrifying expression. She had a shocked look on her face, imagining something.
"D-don't tell me... Ajeossi... you turned Saten into meat...!"
"Wh-what? This meat is that black girl Saten!? U-urgh..."
"...It's Minotaurus meat. Eat without worry."
"Th-that's too bad..."
*What do you mean 'too bad,' Hare?*
Just as I was about to ask about Hare's intentions, the dining hall door opened and the expressionless Saten entered. *Speak of the tiger and it shall appear—is this what that means?* Saten walked over quietly and sat in a chair.
"S-Saten... looks like she got beaten up somewhere, Ajeossi...!"
"R-right! Saten must have gotten beaten up somewhere!"
"...Ahem."
Luna, who was relatively perfectly fine, kept her mouth shut. I placed Minotaurus meat on the table.
"Saten, you didn't get the prize, but eat plenty."
"Yes, I'll eat. And the prize is fine. I feel like I already received it."
"I see."
*So the advice was helpful.*
Saten was expressionless, but had an atmosphere about her as if she were pondering something. I didn't want to disturb her concentration, so I turned my gaze to the other children. The children's eyes sparkled as they focused their attention on me.
"Ajeossi! What's our prize!?"
"Th-the prize... I-I like everything Ajeossi gives me...!"
"I want Holy Water! Definitely Holy Water! Give me Holy Water!"
"Wait, everyone calm down. I'll explain slowly."
The prize. First, I calmed the bouncing children down. I decided to explain the prizes to the children in a calm atmosphere.
"You all have something you want in your hearts."
"Yes, I do!"
"I-I do too...!"
"Me too! I do too!"
There had been various incidents until now, but they had worked hard and grown. It would be fine to give them each a gift this time. Generously.
"Tell me one thing you want each, and I'll grant them all."
"Me! Me, Holy Water! A box of Holy Water! And let me out of here!"
"...One thing. And I'll grant what I can grant."
*Estia just wants one bottle of Holy Water. That should be enough.*
"Training! Train with me! All day long!"
*How modest for a Hero. Luna has become a training fanatic. This level of prize is grantable.*
And finally, Hare's turn. Hare mumbled her mouth shyly and made her wish.
"A-Ajeossi...! I-I want...! T-together with Ajeossi...!"
"Together?"
*Swoosh—*
Hare glanced at me and changed course as if switching tracks.
"T-together with us...! L-let's go somewhere fun...!"
"An outing..."
*An outing, is it?*
Hare wanted an outing as her prize. If she'd asked to go out alone together, I couldn't have granted it, but... an outing together.
"That's a very good prize, Hare."
*Hare, thinking of the other children too. That's certainly commendable behavior.*