5 Chapter 5

The head maid's tall and intimidating presence only added to my feelings of smallness and helplessness as a slave. Her dark blue hair was always tightly bunned, and her sharp, dark blue eyes seemed to take in everything around her. She had a small nose and thin lips, and her body was fit and strong. She was also a battle maid, feared and respected by even the knight captain, Cecil.

Every day, I was forced to endure the physical pain caused by the slave crest and the house chores I had to perform after intense training, my muscles screaming in agony and my entire being wracked with nerve-wracking pain. I had no choice but to endure it all, unable to escape the cycle of abuse and suffering.

The living conditions were no better. The place I was given to sleep was always cold and the mattress was hard and uncomfortable, providing little rest. Even the servants in the mansion had better living conditions than I did, leaving me with constant back pain upon waking each morning.

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Time flew by, and before I knew it, many years had passed. I couldn't be sure of how many, but it felt like an eternity. I was summoned to the Duchess's office, a rare occurrence as she was often away on business. The office was grand and opulent, adorned with expensive paintings and decorative artifacts, the curtains on the windows were made of high-quality fabric, and the temperature was well-maintained. A smooth carpet covered the floor, and in the middle of the room, there was a desk made of a special kind of wood, with a black leather chair behind it.

I was standing in front of the door, which was the main office where the Duchess conducted her work. I was wearing the Western maid uniform that all the maids were required to wear; a long white skirt, and a black sleeveless top. I knocked twice on the door to inform the Duchess of my presence.

"Enter," her voice commanded.

The door creaked as I opened it and stepped inside. The Duchess was sitting at her desk, her head bent over a stack of papers. She didn't look up as I entered and continued with her work.

I stood in front of her, my head bowed in submission, as I had been taught. The harsh training I had endured over the years had made it relatively easy for me to stand still for long periods.

Two hours passed, and I remained in the same position while she worked. I was patient, knowing that my impatience would only result in punishment.

Finally, she stopped her work and leaned back in her chair, acknowledging my presence for the first time. "I see, Amanda has been training you quite well," she said, with a hint of approval in her voice.

I didn't reply and just kept my head low, not wanting to provoke the Duchess's wrath.

"Reply," she commanded, and I replied, fearing that the slave crest would activate if I didn't.

"Yes, madam," I said meekly.

She stood up from her chair and came in front of me. She was wearing a revealing black and white gown that showed off her cleavage and enhanced her curves. It was obvious that she was in a relaxed state. She was quite tall and towered over me.

The Duchess put a finger under my chin and forced me to look up at her. Her green eyes bore into mine, and I could feel my heart beating faster. I just stared at her, not daring to utter a word.

"What happened to that defiant look in your eyes from years ago? Did you now know your place? Huh? Answer me," she demanded.

"Yes, madam," I replied meekly, my voice barely audible. I didn't have an ounce of that look left and it was now replaced by fear, fully due to the training.

Slap!

The Duchess's slap came out of nowhere, a sharp sting across my cheek that made my eyes water. She didn't stop there, continuing to slap me repeatedly, each one harder than the last. My cheeks soon became red and hot from the force of her blows. I did nothing, enduring the punishment in silence.

"Now you know your place, you slave?" She sneered. "Honestly, you should have known your place from the beginning. You know your training and living conditions were not supposed to be that bad, but since you offended me, I made special arrangements for you, using my precious time."

"Are you grateful that I used my precious time on a thing like you?" she asked, still slapping me.

"Y-yes... I-hic-I a-am grat-hic grateful, madam," I stammered, tears streaming down my face.

The Duchess finally stopped slapping me, and my cheeks were now a deep red. I was half crying, and my words were slurring from my mouth.

"Well, anyways, now listen up, slave," she said, her voice cold and menacing. "From now on, you will be serving my daughter, and she will be your new owner. And I hope you don't disappoint her, or else..."

Her voice was filled with an aura of power that made me feel small and insignificant. I understood the gravity of the situation and I knelt on the ground, my body trembling.

"If you understand, leave, and be ready. From tomorrow morning, you will be sent there. If any danger befalls my daughter, you will wish you were dead."

With that, I was thrown out of the room.

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Meanwhile, in the Duchess's thoughts:

"Why did I just slap her like that? I didn't have any real reason to do it, but something about her submissive personality and the way her body moved just made me want to exert my power over her. And her being a succubus, it's just in my nature to be drawn to her enticing body, it's just subconsciously I acted upon it. Intriguing...."

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I can now understand how the villainess in the novel got such a disgusting personality. The Duchess, as portrayed in the novel, was an extremely vicious and clever woman, and was eventually killed by the heroine and her group in a battle.

'Ugh... my life is going from bad to worse day by day. I haven't been happy for a single day since coming here.'

'Tomorrow I will be meeting the villainess, who must have already had her personality corrupted by her mother.'

'I hope I can somehow be free...'

The next morning, I was escorted to the capital where the main residence of the Duchess was located and where the main plot of the novel also took place.

As we arrived at the mansion, I saw that it was screaming luxury from every corner, with many servants, including maids and butlers, working to maintain the mansion by performing various chores.

There was a huge garden covering the household, and the mansion was located at the eastern corner of the capital. We entered directly from the eastern gate of the capital, so I didn't get to see what the capital looked like.

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