The women I set free are obsessed with me

"Ah, I know. Mirabelle. How about Mirabelle?"

The moment the man suggested the new name, the girl with lifeless eyes looked up, her eyes widening.

Of course, because Mirabelle was her original name.

It was the name her parents had agonized over for days, a name meant only for her in this world.

But since becoming a slave, Mirabelle was never called by her name again. The slave traders didn't care about her name, simply slapping on the label number 17 after deciding she had market value.

Mirabelle didn't bother revealing her name either. She had decided to abandon it. Her mother who gave her the name had passed away, and her father had abandoned her.

To Mirabelle, her name had become a curse.

But now, the curse she thought she'd discarded clung to her once more, and through a man she'd just met, no less. The Reaper, posing as a self-proclaimed gentleman, wore a sly expression.

"Do you… know me?"

"What do you mean?"

"Just now… That's my name."

Her original name and the name this stranger gave her were identical. Could this really be a coincidence?

Such fateful occurrences didn't happen so easily. Mirabelle was certain this man knew her. That must be why he invested the hefty sum of 1,000 gold to buy her. Where could he have seen her? Was he from her village?

"Yes, that's your name. Because I just gave it to you."

But the man deflected with a smile that made his true intentions hard to read. However she couldn't let herself be swayed here, so Mirabelle forced out her voice.

"T-That's not what I mean. My name was Mirabelle before you even named."

"How strange. Didn't you say earlier that you had no name?"

"T-That's…"

Mirabelle was at a loss for words. The lie she had carelessly tossed out had returned like a boomerang, ensnaring her in its trap.

Bewildered at being caught in her own lie and unable to find a suitable response, Mirabelle's dizzy mind could only repeat her previous question.

"Do you… know me?"

"How could I? Do you know me, Miss Mirabelle?"

She shook her head.

"This is also my first time meeting you."

In person, that is.

He'd only ever seen her through a monitor before. He didn't lie. He just omitted some details.

Naturally, Mirabelle wasn't quick to believe him. Though afraid to make eye contact, she stared at Karami with a wary gaze.

Just as she was about to speak, Karami beat her to it.

"There's no deep reason why I gave you the name Mirabelle. It just seemed to suit you best."

"It seemed… to suit me?"

"The name Mirabelle comes from the word Miracle. A miracle is something mysterious, beyond human comprehension. That mysterious aura emanated from you, Miss Mirabelle. In my life as a slave trader, I've met mages, clergy, and even elves, but I've never felt anything like this before."

Mirabelle once again had a look of disbelief. When she had asked her mother about her name, she too had said it came from the word, Miracle.

Of course, the true reason was quite different. Her mother hadn't named her for any mysterious aura, but simply because her birth, healthy and beautiful, had been nothing short of a miracle.

Though Mirabelle seemed to accept this plausible explanation, she didn't completely let go of her suspicion. She still didn't like this name.

"I-I still don't like Mirabelle."

"A moment ago you said you didn't care what I call you, though."

"I don't like it."

Karami rubbed his chin as if troubled.

"Well, if you really dislike it, we can use a different name. After all, tormenting others isn't exactly my hobby. Hmm, since your hair is black, how about Blackie?"

"…Pardon?"

"No, now that I look closer, hm you look like a cat. So how about Kim Chunbae1?"

Mirabelle's eyes darted back and forth nervously. Karami pondered with a serious expression, mumbling mysterious words like Nabi2 and T'ekkaluk3. He genuinely seemed to think these were good names.

If this continued, she would end up with some weird name, and Mirabelle had no way to resist with her soul already in his possession.

If that was the case, then…

"I'll just go with Mirabelle. I like it."

"Right? I think it's a nice name too, Miss Mirabelle."

As if he'd been waiting for just that, Karami accepted without hesitation.

The long introduction was finally over and tension in the air somewhat dissipated, so it was time to move to the next step.

Grumble.

But before that could happen…

A cute, hungry sound emerged from somewhere. Mirabelle quickly covered her stomach with a swish, glancing nervously at Karami, who smiled mischievously.

***

Gulp, gulp.

What had been the point of all that wariness? Mirabelle inhaled the food laid out before her without even chewing.

Is this a human or a cat?

She was exactly like a cat that hissed at you but then devoured a can of tuna when offered. Yet if you tried to touch it, it would still raise its claws.

Well, it wasn't hard to understand. She probably hadn't eaten properly since becoming a slave. That was why I ordered the inn's specialty dishes for Mirabelle.

I hadn't ordered the side of gossip about 'that bastard fattening her up to eat her', but I graciously accepted it as part of their service filled with love.

I swear, watching her eat added a solid three years to my life.

Had she forgotten I was watching her from across the table? Mirabelle didn't utter a single word, sucking in the food like a vacuum cleaner.

After scraping the bottom of the soup bowl clean, she put down the dish cheerfully and then took a gulp of water.

And finally, the happiest expression in the world. Perfect.

"Was it that delicious?"

"Yes… It's the most delicious thing I've… Oh, no, it wasn't."

"Haha, is that so? I paid good money for this, but it wasn't tasty? I should have a word with the innkeeper and tell him my slave found the food so disgusting she wouldn't eat it even if he paid her to."

"W-Wait! I didn't say that much!"

Mirabelle hastily grabbed my arm as I was about to stand up. I looked at her complexion genuinely confused.

While staring intently at the floor, she silently moved her mouth around before finally managing to speak.

"I-It was delicious. The best I've had in a long time. S-So please don't do that."

"The innkeeper would be very pleased to hear that. I should pass that on before we leave."

It was just one meal, but the atmosphere had clearly improved from earlier.

As expected, there was no better way to win someone over than through their stomach. With a full belly, I could see her heart opening up a little.

"Now that we've eaten, it's time to change your clothes."

"Clothes?"

"Yes."

I swept my eyes up and down looking at her appearance.

As expected of a high-class slave sold at the Slave Carnival, she was quite clean for a slave. However, the roughly cut cloth she wore could hardly be called clothes, so new attire was necessary.

"Why?"

"What do you mean?"

"I may not know much about the world, but usually, slaves aren't fed such meals or given new clothes just because their old ones are dirty."

"That's not always true. The noble lady who tried to buy you at the auction earlier would have treated you similarly."

"But you are… the S-Slave Reaper, aren't you? A reaper wouldn't treat someone well for no reason."

"You're right. For a merchant, kindness does not come without a price. You understand that well. Do not forget that in the future. It's good to be cautious."

I didn't argue and simply agreed. After all, taking care of Mirabelle was clearly for my own benefit.

And for what was soon to come.

I raised the corners of my mouth into a wicked smile.

"Miss Mirabelle, you will have to satisfy my personal desires."

***

"Uwaaaah."

Mirabelle let out an adorable cry.

I smiled at her appearance.

The clothes I had given Mirabelle were a maid outfit. And not just any maid outfit, but one that exposed her thighs all the way down to her ankles! Complete with white garter belts!

Because of the short length, Mirabelle tried to pull down the hem of the skirt, but it was futile.

I chose a short one on purpose.

I had prepared this long ago, intending to dress Mirabelle in it. While I had a rough idea of her body size from the in-game information, I didn't expect it to suit her this well though.

Mirabelle looked just like a female character from an erotic doujinshi. She, the epitome of timidness, glared at me with a look of disgust.

"W-Why did you make me wear this kind of clothing? What are you planning to do to me…?"

"I just wanted you to wear it."

"What…?"

"Because I like it."

There was no other reason.

I wasn't going to make this girl who had suffered enough do housework, and I certainly wasn't going to make her a sex slave. Besides, who could resist dressing a cute girl in a maid outfit?

Not the usual 2D illustration, but the real thing?

Even more so, a beautiful young girl shy to the extreme?

A beautiful witch maid. Oh shit. I absolutely can't resist.

Yeah, the reason was that.

"Well, now that we're done here, let's go."

Narsha's Liberation.

Mirabelle's Rescue.

There was nothing left for me to do in Kalia.

"Go? To where?"

The next destination had been clear from the start. There was no need to decide—it was the place we were always meant to go after rescuing Mirabelle.

"Riveria, the City of Magic and Mystery."

The project to make Mirabelle a Great Witch begins.