I wasn't like this before.

  My family was poor. My parents kept having children. So many mouths to feed made us even poorer.

  Kindness and generosity were expensive things—didn't belong to poor people like us.

  From the moment I could walk, I had to help with household work.

  At seven, I always carried a smooth stone in my pocket as a weapon.

  Because when I went out to work, there might be eyes like a wolf's watching me, ready to drag me into the bushes and tear my clothes to shreds.

  I had to fight with my siblings and village children to win the right to pick wild vegetables on the mountain. If lucky, I might find a few bird eggs.

  Every single day of the past, I had to struggle with everything I had just to survive.

  So when did I become so cowardly?

  Perhaps because death's power was truly terrifying.

  I'd actually hidden indoors, covering my ears to avoid hearing the bloody screams outside.

  That was wrong.

  Both the doctor and I made mistakes. If I was going to atone for the doctor, I should correct this mistake for him.

  The Young Master broke my limbs.

  He carefully skinned and dismembered me, seriously observing the expression on my face.

  Cold sweat poured from me. I bit down hard without making a sound, unwilling to satisfy him so easily.

  Damn it. The doctor's notes never said the more people he ate, the stronger he'd become.

  So how could I close the gap between us?

  Did I also have to pile up human lives?

  The entire courtyard reeked of rust-like blood. Most servants lying on the ground had stopped breathing.

  Okoto still gasped in the distance. Her limbs were also broken, but she hadn't gotten a quick end. Maybe the Young Master guessed she was my accomplice.

  I thought he'd ask how I'd rallied so many servants... Turns out he looked utterly indifferent, his mind seemingly filled only with punishing me.

  Just hoped I could pull myself together and buy more time. Ohagi would return soon... very soon.

  The pain blurred my consciousness. I vaguely saw the Young Master's mouth move a few times, as if speaking to me.

  What did he say?

  My body slowly repaired itself. His words flashed through my mind.

  Oh. He was asking me why.

  That question was a bit funny.

  I struggled to breathe, forcing myself to adapt to this pain, gathering enough strength before slowly speaking: "Because... you're... very... hateful."

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  When I discovered the Young Master actually liked me a little, I was shocked and genuinely thought he was abnormal.

  Because he hadn't noticed I hated him.

  Everyone serving him held this same loathing, living in terror that they might die any day, trembling through each moment.

  Why did I work so hard to please him? Only to make it easier for myself to survive, and incidentally to strive once more for my dream of a little house.

  But with one slash, he destroyed my dream and dragged me into this pitch-black world.

  Though I didn't have much conscience either, I understood the principle of a life for a life.

  Even hiding and pretending I knew nothing wouldn't free me.

  So I could only find a way to kill him.

  Inciting the servants to cooperate wasn't difficult. Did the Young Master really think anyone would work for him sincerely?

  Everyone already lived in terror because he killed randomly. Now I told them the Young Master was a man-eating monster who went out every night to devour someone.

  These servants all came from poor backgrounds. Their families might be ordinary city residents or farmers outside the city. Who knew which day they'd become the Young Master's chosen target?

  So they chose to conspire with me.

  Because of my words, a savage expression flashed across his face. Even his veins bulged. He looked terrifying.

  "You think this will get you what you want?" He said softly. "You want release... Not so easy."

  His finger stabbed into my throat. I convulsed. I felt something surge into my body.

  His blood.

  Thinking of blood nourished by eating so many people drilling into my body, I couldn't help feeling disgusted enough to vomit. But my throat was gripped by him.

  I struggled. Suddenly I felt an unprecedented hunger wash over my mind.

  The blood throughout the courtyard became a signal of delicious food in my senses.

  He released his hand, looking down contemptuously as I crawled on the ground. He threw Okoto in front of me, saying in a hateful tone: "Eat..."

  Dying Okoto smelled delicious. If I took one bite, it would surely be a delicacy I'd never tasted.

  I used hands and feet, slowly crawling toward her. My throat itched. Sharp fangs grew out, craving to bite fresh flesh and blood.

  Huff—huff—

  I heard my own gasping—violent and clear. Those hands with long sharp nails slowly reached for Okoto.

  The Young Master stood not far away. His gaze remained fixed on my back, seemingly waiting to appreciate my coming disgrace.

  I trembled as I grabbed Okoto's arm, licked my lips, and brought her hand toward my mouth.

  Just then, commotion came from outside the courtyard. Countless torches accompanied by footsteps rushed urgently this way.

  The Young Master frowned toward the courtyard entrance.

  The moment his attention scattered, I lunged with everything I had. My sharp nails tore his face, leaving four deep wounds.

  He covered his face and turned back, so furious he almost tore me to pieces immediately.

  But the next moment, a stern voice rang out: "Stop—"

  The Young Master's movement paused. Using his sleeve to conceal it, the wounds on his face healed rapidly.

  My next strike had aimed to pierce straight through his chest, but strong warriors pounced and pinned me down, pressing my limbs firmly.

  I heard the head of the household approach his only son with panic and concern, checking whether his body was unharmed, asking what had happened in the courtyard.

  The Young Master pointed at me, saying everything that had happened in the city this past year was my doing. I was a man-eating monster.

  I was pinned to the ground, struggling to suppress my desire to eat people... The dead and injured covering the ground plus my savage appearance were my best evidence of guilt.

  Tch. His luck was really good. Really knew how to seize the moment.

  I'd clearly sent Ohagi to seek the city's onmyoji, but between me and the Young Master, they still chose to believe the Young Master, giving me no room to defend myself.

  Wonder how they planned to deal with me.

  Before being dragged away, I struggled to search the crowd for Ohagi's figure. Didn't see her. Hoped she hadn't been captured by these people like me.

  Before completely losing consciousness, I felt someone roughly stuff something into my mouth. My teeth knocked against it, transmitting a numbing pain.

  What happened after that, I didn't know.

  When I woke again, I found myself in a dark, cramped cage.

  Three sides were stone walls. Iron chains extended from the mountain rock, locking my limbs, only allowing me to reach that iron-barred gate.

  No one was outside. I squinted to observe, feeling I'd been locked in deep mountains.

  I'd heard nobles built special prison cells in deep mountains to punish criminals who greatly displeased them, making them die in agonizing, oppressive darkness.

  Not giving me a quick end was probably the Young Master's idea.

  Wonder how long I'd be locked here.

  I only knew no one ever set foot in this place.

  One month, one year, five years...

  Many years passed. I remained imprisoned here, as if forgotten by everyone.

  ~~~~??~~~~~~~~??~~~~

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