Chapter 165: The Collar’s Chain is a Boast
Tris seeks a stable present rather than an uncertain tomorrow.
It’s because tomorrow, the future, is frightening to her.
She says she’d rather have her master put a rope around her neck and be led like livestock than walk down an unseen path. That, apparently, is happiness for her.
“Lord Andrews, you probably think freedom is precious and wonderful, but for me… it’s unbearably frightening.”
“Tris…”
“To live as a tool, as a slave, is the greatest happiness for me. And to become the tool of someone I revere from the bottom of my heart—there is no greater joy!”
Tris looks at me with clouded eyes.
“My heart, my body, my soul! To dedicate them all to my precious, beloved master… This is my ‘true’ happiness!”
Ah, I’ve seen this look before.
“Lord Andrews is my god! No, he’s far more precious and kind than some ‘god’ that never saved me! For Lord Andrews’ sake, I’ll do anything! I’ll show you I can!”
I saw this in my previous life…
“My everything! All of it! I offer it to Lord Andrews! My trust as a person, my love as a woman, my respect as a child, my affection as a friend, my adoration as a disciple! I want to dedicate all of my ‘feelings’!!!!”
…A ‘fanatic.’
The look of a believer brainwashed by a Cult, brought to a hospital as mentally disturbed…
It seems Tris has already gone so far off the deep end that there’s no turning back.
Extreme dependence; she can no longer live apart from me.
But, on the other hand, if you look at it differently, it could be called unwavering loyalty.
And this “brainwashing”… isn’t entirely accurate.
Because, ultimately, it’s based on facts.
To make her abandon this conviction that “I have no power, and if Lord Andrews abandons me, I’ll be miserable,” she would have to achieve some results on her own and gain societal recognition.
And that… well, that’s impossible.
Of course, personally, I had wanted to give Tris a certain degree of freedom.
I wouldn’t go as far as telling her to become independent, but I wanted to allow her to do something she wanted, to act voluntarily. Like finding a hobby.
…I’ve taught Tris many things… things like “human rights” and “equality.”
So, I thought that if she learned about them, anyone would wish for it.
To want to be free. That if a person learned the values of freedom and equality, it would be natural for them to wish for it.
That’s why, before Tris could ask me to set her free, I thought I was being considerate by proactively telling her it was okay to be free…
But for Tris, far from being happy, it was apparently terrifying.
Tris’s spirit had long since collapsed from being abused by those around her and ostracized by society.
For her, “freedom” was nothing more than the perception of returning to hell, just like in the old days…
The fact that she herself is very, very smart was probably one of the problems.
Even when taught “advanced” concepts like freedom, she had the intelligence to think about them instead of just jumping on the bandwagon.
And so, as a result of her thinking, she logically deduced that “Subjugation” was happier than “freedom.”
Moreover, she’s right.
If she’s in Subjugation to me, she’ll be loved by me, eat good food, be given entertainment, and even be taught. This is a happier life than that of a noble in this world. If I’m allowed to define the word “happiness,” that is.
Come to think of it, Tris was a strange girl.
Whether it was entertainment or anything else, it seems she never once said, “I want to try that” on her own.
She only does what I suggest with, “Want to try it?”
…I wonder if that’s fun for her?
It’s better to be hurt by the freedom you choose than to simply walk a predetermined path.
Is thinking that the arrogance of someone who has always won with their chosen freedom? Or am I ignoring the good fortune of being born in a position where I could choose?
…This isn’t good. As expected, when I have free time, I end up overthinking like this.
There’s also the argument that one should just run without thinking, so I should stop thinking so much. Or rather, I’m a NEET myself, yet I’m supposed to be in a position to advise a young person. How pathetic!
However, as a result, as a phenomenon actually happening, it’s a settled matter that I’ll continue to cherish Tris, so I should just put my words into action without overthinking unnecessary things.
“Sorry for asking something weird.”
I hugged Tris and patted her head.
Then, Tris…
narrowed her goat-like, horizontally elongated pupils, wiped her tears, and hugged me with a smile.
“Lord Andrews, I love you! I like you, I love you so much! Please keep me by your side forever!”
“Yeah, we’ll always be together.”
Tris, you know, I’ll take care of you for the rest of my life.
That’s fine, isn’t it?
If she’s scared of making her own decisions, then I can just offer various suggestions and increase her options.
Besides, Tris is like… to put it extremely, it seems she genuinely doesn’t need anything other than “my affection.”
Apparently, as long as I’m by her side as much as possible, she doesn’t need anything else, so it should be easy.
Love, huh…
Love is something that’s hard to convey, so I need to try and put how much I love her into words as much as possible.
According to one theory, even if you love someone to the point of breaking, not even a third of it gets through.
“I love you, Tris~!”
“Me too, Lord Andrews♡”
…By the way, is it really okay to be so openly unfaithful right in front of Rosalinde?
Ah, Rosalinde subtly sat down next to me, on the opposite side from where Tris is.
Does she want attention too…?
It’s tough being a popular guy…