Kai enjoyed the cookie in his hand. It was so sweet and delicious. He didn't know what kind of food it was, but it felt like heaven on earth.
Obi appeared again and smiled broadly. "How about it? Do you want to come to the fields?" he asked Kai.
Kai nodded. Looking at the boy, it seemed like it would be fun to follow him all day.
Grace kept urging him to stay in the room and rest, but Obi insisted he come along. In the end, Kai chose to follow Obi.
He was happy all day long. The work was quite tiring, but no one scolded him for being slow or not working properly. Everyone seemed to use the work as an excuse to get some fresh air outside.
Even so, they worked well. Kai only noticed this when he saw the men who seemed to be working as servants joking around with each other. Meanwhile, the slaves usually just kept quiet and smiled while working.
The farmland was quite large, with several plots of brown wheat ready for harvest.
Kai saw the slaves working efficiently, and he felt discouraged when he began to feel tired and his hands trembled. But he didn't want to show weakness, even though his breathing was heavy.
He couldn't afford to look weak. In Omino, he had been ostracized for being weak, and he didn't want that to happen again. He wanted to be like the other slaves—physically strong and useful.
But as the midday sun began to scorch his body, Kai felt his vision blur. His body slid down, kneeling on a mound of wheat. Cold sweat drenched his face.
Oh, come on, not again...
"Hey, are you okay?" a male servant approached Kai.
Kai heard whispers. "Oh my God, he's like that again here."
Kai closed his eyes. Did they recognize him? Were they also from Omino? He was too dizzy to think about anything else. His body was limp and trembling.
Damn it! he thought, annoyed with himself.
The man helped him stand up. "I-I'm sorry..." Kai muttered, feeling very guilty and useless.
"If you're sick, don't push yourself," the man said, supporting Kai to the edge of the field.
"Go back home," the man said.
Kai stared at the man intently. Why didn't the man beat him up? Instead, he told him to go back.
The man looked at Kai worriedly, because the slave's gaze was gloomy, and his eyes were teary. "Are you okay?"
Kai wiped his tears with his arm. "I-I'm sorry..."
"Hey, why are you crying? You're a man, why are you so sensitive?" the man snapped, but despite that, he gently patted Kai's head repeatedly, calming him down.
"No one is forcing you to work. You can stay in your room. Don't push yourself," the man continued.
Kai stared at the man intently, then sobbed even more. Why was his heart so happy now? The man didn't beat him up and even told him to rest.
"Hey, what's wrong with you?" The man was worried and puzzled, calling Obi to bring Kai back. He had seen many slaves act strangely, but Kai was especially odd.
"Let me handle it." A guy's voice was heard, causing the man and Kai to turn their heads.
Kai looked at the guy—the one who had been staring at him unfriendly since the kitchen. He felt uncomfortable around him.
"I'll take him back," the guy said firmly.
The servant nodded. "Alright, Hein. It's up to you. If you want to go back to your room, that's fine."
The slave named Hein nodded, glaring at Kai, and gestured for him to follow. Kai limped along behind, seemingly better off returning on his own than being escorted by that guy.
Hein walked quickly, leaving Kai far behind. Kai struggled to keep up, his legs dragging. His breath was labored, and cold sweat began to pour down his face. He felt like vomiting; his stomach was tight.
Kai walked with his head down, dragging his feet. Pebbles and small stones made his bare feet ache. He was grateful they had at least reached the horse stable.
As he walked along, suddenly his body collided with something in front of him.
"Oh!" he murmured, looking up in surprise to find Hein standing towering before him. The man's body was more muscular and taller. His face betrayed hatred.
"So-sorry..." Kai said, bowing his head. Hein's aura was so dark. He was afraid just looking at his face.
"You don't recognize me?" Hein said sharply.
Kai looked up again, studying him carefully. He had never seen that face before. It seemed like he had seen similar faces in his life, but he wasn't sure if he knew Hein.
Kai fell silent, confused.
Hein laughed bitterly. "If I could be as stupid as you, I might be happy," he said.
Kai bowed his head. What was going on? His head was spinning, and Hein was making him feel even more uncomfortable.
He was startled when Hein suddenly grabbed the front of his clothes. He looked up at Hein, who seemed ready to kill him.
"Don't you remember slave 1535?" he asked sharply, as if he were ready to throw a knife if Kai answered incorrectly.
Kai swallowed hard, feeling his chest tighten just thinking about that number. 1535. The slave girl who was sold before her time because of him.
Kai looked away, uncomfortable at the memory. But Hein's grip tightened. "Do you know that she's dead now?"
Kai stared at Hein, his eyes wide with surprise at the news.
"It's all your fault! Bastard!" Hein's voice rose. He pushed Kai roughly, sending him tumbling to the ground.
Kai felt his heart racing uncontrollably. The terrible memory returned. The beautiful girl from 1535 who had spoken to him repeatedly—until one day she came and dragged him into the bushes, forcing him to have sex, even though he refused.
Jero saw them, then took the girl away. Though it wasn't his fault, he was also tortured in the chamber. When he came out, he heard that the girl had been sold even though she wasn't yet eighteen.
Kai looked at Hein in fear. The guy's face bore a look of deep hatred and anger.
"I-I'm sorry, I... I don't know..."
"Damn bastard! If you had stayed silent, she wouldn't have ended up so tragically! You killed her!" Hein hissed, leaning his face close to Kai, who was lying on the ground.
Kai swallowed hard. He didn't understand what he had done wrong. He hadn't killed the girl. And what did it have to do with Hein? Why was the guy angry at him?
Kai groaned in pain as Hein pressed his shoulder into the ground. "I... didn't kill her..."
"You're the one who told the trainer she forced you! Your mouth is useless! You're the most useless creature in Omino, yet the most dangerous with your stupidity!" Hein snapped softly.
Kai winced in pain with every pressure Hein applied to the ground. Hein's words pierced his heart—so painful. Though he was used to hearing those words, every time he heard them again, his heart still ached.
Did he really cause the girl's death?
But what had he done? In the torture chamber, they had forced him to confess. He had only spoken the truth—that he had done nothing to the girl. Did he have any other choice?
"Stupid, selfish, irresponsible! Damn it! Why must I meet a creature like you again?!" Hein cursed, spitting on the ground.
Kai bowed his head in fear.
"I swear, you'll die here!" Hein snapped. He forcibly pulled Kai's hand to make him stand and dragged him away.