Lulu's Master

"You lot are going to be brought before a potential buyer. Since you failed to sell at the slave auction, this is your last chance."
The slave trader looks down on us with a scary-looking face.
Before I realized it, I was shaking. Someone else's small hand firmly grasps my hand.
"Don't worry Lulu, I'm with you."
"...Arisa."
I'm a failure as a big sister. I should be the one looking after her.
I resolved in my heart to do better.
We were brought into a room with a black haired young man with a demi-human woman behind him.
He is a kind looking person, who appears to be around my age. When I look at his face, I realize that his features have a slight similarity to those of my mom.
With a surprised expression, he stares at my face.
...Many people have called me ugly, but this is the first time someone has silently stared at me for so long. I thought I was used to it, but it still hurts a bit.
I somehow manage to state my name, but that's the best I can do.
--After all, I'm practically naked in these rags, but the young man doesn't glance at my body even once. His eyes are fixated on my ugly face.
There's no way I can try to sell myself in such an embarrassing situation.
I've already given up. No one will buy me, and I'll be sent to the mines.
"Nidolen-dono, is it okay if I touch?"
"Of course, Satou-dono, do as you wish."
--Eh? Eh? Ehhhhh?
T-t-touch? Where?
At this sudden change of events, I could do nothing by brace myself.
The young man reaches his hand out to me--.
And he lightly caresses my hair.
Very gently, as if he was caressing a lover.
His hand continues downward until it reaches my cheek, and he brings his face closer to mine.
I-is he going to kiss me? Compared to some random worker in the mines, maybe someone around my age would be...
I close my eyes and wait for the moment.
My heart starts beating rapidly, blood rises to my head, and my ears start ringing.
...But the moment never comes.
I feel like I have been waiting an eternity...
The young man whispers some unknown language into my ear. His breath lingers in my ears and my knees start feeling weak.
I notice his presence move away from me, and I open my eyes. He is over there discussing something with the slave trader.
As I glance at his cool and composed face, I feel a bit depressed for some reason.
As if he was disregarding my feelings, the young man walks up to Arisa and whispers the same thing to her.
"Gya! Get it off! I hate spiders!"
I don't understand why, but Arisa's scream was the deciding factor and Master ended up buying both of us.
"Nice to meet you."
"Y-yes... I will serve you to the best of my ability."
That was our first meeting with our kind and strange Master.