I could breathe a little better when Jex was gone. Stood up, asked to be excused, and collected plates to clean.
Rei sat down next to me. Writing away. She still had her chores, certain tasks that needed to be done before the end of the day, but it looked to me she had great time organization skills.
Sometimes I don't realize how "big" she is. 15 years old, and yet she doesn't pass my shoulder standing side by side.
I chalked it up to something along the lines of stunted growth. I doubt even before Rei was eating right. Working all day, going home to her grandmother and eating…whatever was there. She's probably had nights where she wouldn't eat.
And by the anatomy of the Oni, I would even go to say she would spend a week or two without eating.
It's cruel.
Disgusting.
Hideous.
But with me? I think she's been better. More different. Her red skin was already vibrant than before, but now she looks healthy, and not borderline malnourished than before. Now she wore clothes—not rags. Actual clothes. That shouldn't feel like a miracle, but it does.
And not preyed on by Flugel anymore.
I don't know what he had planned for her. But if it's anything like Jex…then I have to stop it.
She must've noticed me staring too much outside the window. Seeing the Oni in the distance work on gardening and crops.
"...Master?" She began. Not questioning. Just calling out. I've never heard her formally say my name. Not like Master Lucien like Jex does, or Lucien like Wayne. Just Master.
I turned to her, and she studied me hard and long. Her amber-orange eyes studying my face.
"Did Master sleep okay? You look…"
She pauses.
"Exhausted."
My brow furrows. Was it that evident? Eye bags don't form under 24 hours…do they?
I considered lying to her, faking it again. But for once. I didn't want to. I learned my lesson from Jex. I don't think I would be able to live with myself I allowed Rei to follow the same path.
Hell, what am I even talking about. I'm letting myself live now.
A deep exhale came out instead, and she took that as an answer. Her white short hair that was kept that way probably to not be messy, or her two small horns from her forehead.
"I-I understand. Being a Master can be tiring sometimes."
Sometimes? Try all the time. Maybe put on my boots. Go through everything I did.
She puts her journal down, and establishes eye contact with me. For some reason, I can't hold it. Ashamed? Embarrassed? Both? Whatever it was, I couldn't do it.
Rei felt a disconnect there, but didn't push on with it. She's begun to be a bit more casual with me now. Ever since I scolded her basically, she's slowly dropped her guard. I wouldn't say she's naive…but just trusting.
Trusting in the version of me that she wants to.
Before she says anything, I switch the topic.
"You have any friends, Rei?"
I could hear it. In the background. Jex stopped sweeping for a brief moment, then continued.
I might've said something bad.
"A-as in, Oni friends. I don't see you talk to the others." My words stammer, but hell, had I seen any oni teenagers or children? It's been all adults. As if clarifying "oni" friends would make a difference. She wouldn't even consider me a human friend if my life depended on it.
"Only Jex." she says, and it sounds too simple. Too final. That's what raised my suspicion.
That time, where I headed to the area of shacks, and broken down homes. Granted everyone was out and already at work, but I didn't see any of them.
Shit, I don't see any children even in my quadrant.
I don't dance around with my next words, "Have trouble making friends your age?"
There was another brief moment of Jex's sweeping where she paused. Rei looked away from me, the question made her uncomfortable. Her hand slowly tightening on her journal.
"N-no…" She says, but it came off across her trying to convince herself more than me. Is there just no…children around here?
But then how would Flugel or the system here keep the slaves? Surely they let them reproduce. Controlled, or uncontrolled.
"I see." I stop pressing further into the issue. I didn't mean to make Rei uncomfortable, or try to disrespect her in any way.
But Jex was a child at one point too, no? All of these Oni were. Granted she's like, what, a decade older than Rei? Point is that there had to be children.
So if there are.
Why is Rei the only one I see here working in my quadrant.
And.
Where are the others?
I made up my mind, I stand up from my seat. Rei moves slightly.
"Hey, let's go on a walk."
Rei's eyes widens, most likely she did not expect it.
"N-now?"
I look back towards her.
"I don't think I'm asking."
She looks down at her journal. Her grip on it softens.
"S-sorry…Master."