I kept sliding my sword in and out of its sheath. A disaster had been dragged into the guesthouse where I was staying for a night after finishing a hit. Literally dragged. The owner, a man who looked like he'd work a kid to the bone, gave a greasy smile and said, "Have a good night, Young Master," before leaving. He just threw a girl in here who clearly didn't know what she was doing. She looked young, untainted, and fairly pretty in her own way, but I had no interest in forcing a girl who didn't want to be here. Without any intention of doing anything, I just ate the food they brought and lay down. I stared at the crumbling ceiling and asked out of the corner of my eye. Where are your parents? Why are you here? Are you a virgin? There was no answer no matter how much I asked. When I asked if she was mute, she got startled, shook her head, and said she could manage simple words. Maybe she swallowed her voice because she's been living in fear, but at that point, she might as well be mute. Anyway, I spent the night like that. I slept, and she hesitated. The next morning, I saw her nodding off, so I slipped out of the room and went to the main building alone. I killed the owner when no one was looking. Of course, I dragged her along with me. I figured if I washed her, fed her, and taught her to read at my estate, she might be useful. Whether I use her myself or sell her to someone else.