Is this called love? (Part 3) - Chapter 3

"...."

She pondered my suggestion, her gaze shifting to her milkshake.

"...I... am an only child... my parents were always overprotective of me." 

She began telling her story.

  "I attended an all-girls school, which helped me find a friend... Zoe."

A bittersweet smile touched her lips as she recalled moments of joy.

"....Me and Zoe would spend our free time together, having fun, s-sharing secrets, and doing all sorts of stuff." 

"...."

"I didn't have any special hobbies about which I could talk with others, so it was hard for me to find new friends. So I was happy just from listening to others."

"It seems like you had a simple life." I commented, getting a slight reaction from her gaze.

"...." However, she fell silent once again.

It seems like she was telling the truth when she mentioned that she didn't have a specific topic she wanted to talk about. That's why I wanted to prove her wrong. No matter what kind of person someone is, they have at least something that they like.

"Can you follow me for a bit?" I asked after finding something that she might like.

"….."

There was a moment of silence when she heard my question. She looked the other way, as if she was going to expect more terrible things to happen to her.

"Come one, I won't hurt you. I promise. I only want to show you something." I awkwardly laughed while trying not to sound too creepy about this invitation.

She thought for a bit before getting up and waiting for me to show her the way. Her face was already expressionless and defeated, and she was already aware that even if I raped her again, no help would come for her.

Deciding that it would be best to follow me, we began walking down the hallway while she kept her usual distance behind me. Even though she was looking around in wonder at the massive mansion, she couldn't help but glance back at where I was leading her.

"...."

"..."

During our trip to our destination, I also began thinking of her weird way of walking.

I once came across a website saying that girls would find it hard to walk after experiencing their first time. And it seems like it was true.

"Since you'll be living here, feel free to do whatever you want. I don't have any specific rules for this house, so you're free to check out all of the rooms."

"….."

I tried to lighten up the mood. But there was no response. She kept following me while looking around the windows or any room with the doors that I had forgotten open.

Since the place where I wanted to go was on the third floor, we had to walk up the stairs until we found ourselves in front of a massive door.

"We're here." I told her as I pushed a button near the massive door. 

And In the next moment, the doors started opening on their own.

"....." 

She was startled at first by the moving doors, but in the next moment, she started looking with great curiosity at what was going to be behind those doors. And once the doors were fully open, I walked to the side, opening a way for Ao to walk inside first.

"Ladies first." I said with a smile.

"...."

That's one of the lines I always wanted to say to a girl.

After seeing a bright light through the open room, she slowly made her way inside the room cautiously until her eyes finally got used to the bright light.

"....."

Upon entering the room alongside the pink-haired girl, we found ourselves in an expansive, vibrant green field adorned with countless flowers and long, swaying grass. A small waterfall fed into a small river, and a bench provided shelter from the unusually bright light, bringing the garden to life.

But what made this place special wasn't only the plants. It was the fact that it was surrounded by massive screens. And the view from those screens was an infinite green field, which made it look like we were in an open space. Of course, the realistic view presented on the screen was only a video. And the sun's position can be manually or automatically changed based on my preferences.

The pink-haired girl looked around as the beautiful sight reflected on her empty, innocent eyes that were swollen. She looked around, seeing the beautiful flowers and the pleasant waterfall that was flowing some meters away from here. She also felt a small breeze, which helped her pick up the smell of many flowers and roses that were all around her. 

Compared to the dull, gray world beyond the mansion's walls, this sanctuary felt like a realm lifted from the pages of a cherished fairy tale.

"As might have guessed, I call this place 'Garden'."

"...uh.."

She looked back at me with a flich on her body before snapping back to the realization that I was behind me. She looked at me as if I were a monster that would ravish her at any moment, making her put her guard up once again.

"Pretty amazing, right?" 

"eh…" 

After seeing that I was keeping my distance from her, she looked around once more as she tightened the cloth around her body.

I stopped coming to this room some years ago. But I do hope that this place will bring her some sense of relief and not make her feel restricted because we are currently in the middle of a void.

"...It's...pretty...:" 

"I'm glad that you also feel that way." 

I smiled as I watched her look around in a bit of amazement. She wandered around the small garden of flowers before giving a pink rose a small touch of pollen.

"..."

I don't think this place has any dangerous plants, so I think she should be fine with touching them.

After I let her explore this area a bit, I walked by her side before pointing towards the center of this garden.

"Come this way." 

"E-Eh!?" 

She slightly twitched the moment I approached her, but she still decided to see where I was taking her. Her face was already saying that she was expecting the worst to happen.

"Until you can calm down, we can rest here while we enjoy the view that this whole palace can provide for us." 

"....."

The center of this garden was a round, open wooden bench with a rooftop in case I didn't like the light warming your skin. It was also a place where I used to sleep in order to forget that there was no hope of getting away from this place.

"I usually come to this place when I feel lonely, so I thought you'd feel much better after coming here." I said as I looked at her with a soft smile.