Hmm... who am I supposed to choose between these five women and two girls dressed as maids?
Obviously, they're maids, Seik. Their dresses give them away. But... they all look like angels. Though there's one in particular, a girl my age, who looks like a doll: sky-blue eyes like gems, silver hair, pale skin... Everything about her screams "porcelain doll," especially in that dress.
Among the others, none stand out as much. Their features are more common, similar to those from my previous life.
"Master Seik, whom do you wish to choose?"
Sebastian spoke in a calm voice, looking at the maids. His face was serene, but something in his tone told me I should choose carefully.
Let's see... The first woman seems skilled at washing clothes. The second looks like she'd be good at gardening. The third... definitely seems like a fighter; no wonder she carries a sword. The fourth, with those crimson eyes, surely has talent for magic. Could it be that red-eyed people use magic? Sounds logical. And the fifth... well, she seems more like a worried mother than a maid.
Between the girls, the first one looks completely harmless. She wouldn't be of much use if someday I decide to explore this world.
In that case, the best option would be the woman with the sword. If she carries it, there must be a reason.
"Alright, Sebastian, I'm going to choose..." I paused. Suddenly, the atmosphere grew heavy, almost suffocating. Sebastian looked at me seriously, his gaze so penetrating I could almost feel it piercing through me.
Finally, I raised my hand to point at the woman with the sword.
"Her..."
"Very well. Master Seik has chosen Alisa."
Sebastian spoke firmly, pointing at the silver-haired girl.
... What?
They ask me to choose and then decide for me. What's the deal?
I looked at Sebastian, who was observing me closely, as if waiting for my reaction.
I understand… I know what they're doing.
Well, it doesn't matter. I'll have to accept.
"Master Seik, do you have any questions? If you have doubts, now is the time to speak."
His voice was a noose around my neck, tightening with each word.
"No. Everything is fine," I replied, averting my gaze to Alisa.
At that moment, the other women took a step back, except for the fifth one, who sighed in relief. Alisa, however, stepped forward clumsily.
"Alisa, introduce yourself to Master Seik. He will be in charge of you, and you will be responsible for attending to him."
Sebastian's words only made her more tense. She looked about to run away. Her hands fidgeted nervously, searching for somewhere to hide.
"I-I... am Alisa. Pleased to meet you, young master Seik..."
She performed a flawless curtsy, but her trembling movements betrayed that, despite much practice, she still couldn't control her nerves.
She's shy... Her eyes kept darting back to the fifth woman.
Ah, I understand now. That's her mother.
"The pleasure is mine, Alisa," I responded calmly.
I took a step toward her and extended my hand for a handshake, but she immediately recoiled. I stopped.
"Alisa, you mustn't fear Master Seik. He only wants to welcome you with a handshake. Will you leave him hanging?"
Sebastian intervened firmly, but his tone only seemed to make her more uncomfortable.
I have an idea. Maybe this will work to ease her fear.
"Sebastian, may I choose another maid as well?"
My question was simple, but depending on his answer, I might gain control of the situation.
"My lord only requested that you choose one. However, the other maids will remain in the house and be at your disposal. But Alisa will be the one always by your side."
Alisa looked at her mother in surprise. Her eyes shone with unshed tears, but she managed to stay composed.
She took a deep breath, then stepped forward and raised her hand. Her face reflected determination and gratitude.
I shook his hand slowly. It was sweaty… was I that nervous?
"Master Seik, you will now show Alisa around the house. I will take care of the other maids."
Sebastian headed toward the door, followed by the other women, who left in silence.
I sighed. Maybe this girl knows something about this world and can help me see it from a different perspective. Books contain a lot of knowledge, but another person's perception is richer in nuance.
"Well, Alisa, we'll take a tour of the house and then the gardens. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to speak up, alright?"
I watched her carefully. Clearly, she still didn't trust me—and that made sense. I didn't know what she had been through. People who have suffered injustice or trauma need time to trust others. Though, of course, that doesn't make her a saint. She's still human.
Alisa nodded silently.
I started walking down the halls, and she followed with slow, cautious steps. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed her gaze drifting toward the decorations and paintings in the house.
"Do you like painting, Alisa?"
As a psychologist, I know how to handle people... or at least, that's what I'd like to believe. If I bring up something that interests her, maybe she'll open up little by little.
"No."
Or maybe not.
Her serious expression and those eyes, sharp as blades...
How scary.
"May I ask you a question, Alisa?" I said, turning to face her directly.
She averted her gaze.
I don't understand... Sometimes she's on guard, but then she seems completely vulnerable.
"Y-yes..."
"So, with your permission… Before coming to The Fénix house, where were you?"
"Huh?"
She looked at me with surprise, as if I'd said something nonsensical.
"I... I wouldn't know how to answer that..."
From the way she clenched her fists, it was clear she'd been through something terrible.
"We were slaves... My mom, my siblings... everyone. All those people in that dark place. And I... I... I couldn't save anyone!"
Her words came out broken, choked by tears.
"They all died before my eyes... and no one around me did anything. Not even me. Because I'm weak... But the worst part... the worst part is that the people who could have done something just stood there... laughing!"
Alisa collapsed to her knees, devastated. The tears she'd been holding back with all her strength finally flowed uncontrollably. She was drowning in them.
"A privileged boy like you could never understand suffering in this life..." she continued, her voice shattered. "All I want is to escape this cage... They say, 'that girl is mature for her age,' but... they don't know what I had to endure to become like this! Tell me, Seik! Do you know what it feels like to be trapped in a cage?"
Her reddened eyes bore into mine. Her hands trembled against the floor. She was the very image of someone crushed by life.
From what I can see, she seems to have post-traumatic stress disorder. Her need to cling to control has only worn down her body and mind little by little.
I let out a small sigh and walked toward her.
Placing a hand on her shoulder, I said calmly:
"You know... when we're children, we tend to believe everything we couldn't do was our fault. But the truth is, that reality was beyond our control. Sometimes, all we can do is stand there, powerless... because we're simply too small to change the world. But that doesn't mean it was your fault, Alisa. It wasn't."
Alisa began crying even harder, calling out for her mother between sobs.
But... no. I was wrong. The maid she kept desperately glancing at wasn't her real mother. Maybe just someone who had cared for her until now—her only refuge in the middle of this nightmare.
Whoever she was, that woman was the reason this girl was still alive.
Suddenly, Alisa shuddered and clung to me, hugging me tightly. Her breathing was ragged, her body trembling against mine, her voice breaking with every sob.
She was falling apart.
And I... I just stood there, unmoving.
It wasn't my place to tell her everything would be okay. I couldn't promise her the world would be kinder. There was no point in saying things would get better—because I knew the truth: they wouldn't.
Humans are monsters.
They feed on others' despair, laugh at their misery, destroy what they don't understand, and trample on what they deem weak.
And the most ironic thing of all…
Alisa is a monster too.
Because no matter how much she suffers, how much she cries, or how much she shatters right now... one day, she will stand back up. She'll rebuild herself from the ashes of what she lost. And when she does... she'll become something, others fear.
That's what suffering does to people.
That's what monsters do to each other.