Little Pink Starfish

After returning to his sanctum, Nyne lost his appetite for several days. The attending priests grew so anxious that they, too, refrained from eating. Nyne lay motionless in bed, but then suddenly sat up with a start. Even after days had passed, the rage boiling up to the top of his head hadn’t subsided. Every night, he dreamed of the beheaded corpses of the man and woman chasing after him.

“Lord Nyne, would you like to try this pie made from fresh figs picked just yesterday? It’s very sweet and delicious.”

“Or how about this spicy braised pigeon? The meat melts in your mouth.”

“Or perhaps a soup, slow-simmered all day, made with deboned eel?”

The priests knelt and pleaded, but Nyne slammed his fist into the bed and shouted:

“Bring Lan Gwen to me immediately!”

At Nyne’s command, the priests scurried away. While Lu tried to soothe him with a foot massage and Popo offered him chilled watermelon, Lan Gwen was brought in even faster than last time.

“A true servant comes at Sha’s call.”

Lan Gwen shamelessly said this and prostrated himself. Nyne, fanned by Lu’s careful hands, glared at the pink crown of Gwen’s head.

Of course, Nyne couldn’t directly interrogate Gwen over what had happened during the last ceremony. Amon had been involved. But everyone present knew well that Nyne was furious with Gwen because of it.

“The reason I summoned you today…”

His voice trembled slightly, so Nyne took a sip of cold water to steady himself. He considered what punishment to give Gwen. So many ideas came to mind that it was hard to choose. He finally decided he’d simply carry out all of them.

“Because you are savage, base, and ignorant—”

Gwen looked like he wanted to reply, his lips parting slightly, but he lowered his gaze again. That alone was irritating enough for Nyne to glare at him even more harshly.

“I fear you are not adapting well to Trastasa, so I shall personally see to your strict education.”

“Yes, Sha. I shall accept whatever you command.”

There was a small smile on Gwen’s obedient face. A smile? You may be smiling now, but we’ll see later. Nyne vowed to make those pretty eyes shed tears. What to start with? As he hesitated, Lu leaned in and whispered quickly:

“Lord Nyne, it’s quite cool today—perhaps have him pull weeds in the garden? It needs tending anyway.”

That could work. Nyne was intrigued by Lu’s loyal suggestion. Inside his sanctum, thanks to the ice and magic devices bestowed by Amon, it was cool—but outside, the blazing sun scorched the earth. Even slaves were usually left in the shade on days like this.

Nyne glanced down at Gwen’s fine-featured face. Perhaps because he was from the north, his skin was very fair and smooth. It felt almost a shame to see that skin burnt to a crisp. His body was unmistakably masculine, yet the features fit it well. Today, instead of a kalasiris, Gwen wore a loincloth, exposing his upper body—revealing firm, well-shaped muscles.

It would be a shame to ruin that appearance…

Even so, Nyne’s anger burned hot. He gave the order:

“Apply sun protection ointment to Lesha Lan Gwen.”

The perceptive priests quickly brought the same ointment used by battle priests during fierce sun. As they began slathering the thick white paste across Gwen’s body, he wrinkled his nose in distaste. He sniffed the ointment spread over his arms and, for the first time, furrowed his brow.

“What is this made of?”

“It contains excellent ingredients to protect you from the sun, Lesha Lan Gwen.”

One priest answered politely but curtly. Soon, Gwen’s body gleamed white and slick with the ointment. Once the coating was complete, the priests handed him tools and a basket. His hands were clearly unused to labor—soft and smooth.

“Follow me.”

Nyne stood and walked off, Gwen obediently trailing him. Though not as large as Amon’s sanctum, Nyne’s domain was still massive—it took over ten minutes of walking to reach their destination. It was a spot Nyne often visited, where the garden’s view was most beautiful. Beneath an open canopy stood wide benches and tables, and a clear, clean pool. It was a perfect place to pass the time. Nyne sprawled onto the bench and ordered:

“Remove every last weed from that garden.”

“Weeds… you say?”

“I want to see how thorough you are. If even one is left, you’ll be severely punished.”

This was one of Nyne’s most treasured spots—like a paradise. Between tall palm trees flowed a manmade stream, cool and bubbling. A wide pond full of rare fish shimmered, and birds accustomed to being fed fluttered from branch to branch, chirping. Stones paved the paths, and brilliant flowers bloomed on both sides.

In truth, it was large enough to be called a forest rather than a garden. A full circuit of the path took about thirty minutes to walk. Nyne half-hoped Gwen would kneel and beg for mercy in tears, unable to handle such harsh labor. In that case, he’d allow a little mercy—perhaps just make him tend to the weeds around the pond. But Gwen didn’t cry or plead. Instead, he calmly asked:

“Understood. Which ones are the weeds?”

Nyne narrowed his eyes at him. Was he pretending ignorance? A priest soon returned from the garden, holding up several plants.

“These are the ones to pull. Be careful not to disturb the rare plants, Lesha Gwen.”

“Understood. At Sha’s command, I shall remove them all.”

With a cheerful smile, Gwen wrapped the linen cloth around his head like a makeshift scarf and walked straight into the garden. Without even looking back, he squatted down and began pulling weeds, carefully placing them into his basket.

“Hmph. He’ll run back complaining before long.”

Lu, who usually insisted Sha Amon needed more Leshas, muttered disapprovingly. She clearly disliked Gwen’s unwillingness to submit. But Yiwu, standing nearby as a guard, had a different opinion.

“I think he’ll finish it.”

Lu, whom Nyne liked far more than Yiwu, turned sharply and glared at him. Nyne watched Gwen suspiciously. Among the greenery, his pink hair bobbed up and down diligently. Lu retorted:

“Look at his face and hands. You think he’s ever fanned himself, let alone done real work?”

She wasn’t wrong. Leshas, usually from noble bloodlines, were pampered with constant service from priests and slaves. Even minor dissatisfaction led to slaves being whipped for faster obedience.

“Well, that may be, but…”

Yiwu trailed off. Nyne stared at him expectantly. Yiwu scratched his head and mumbled:

“There’s something fierce in his eyes. No, not fierce—maybe…”

“Maybe what?”

Yiwu glanced toward his stiff superior, Seinka Hoan, who shot him a glare. Yiwu fell silent—but Nyne outranked even Seinka Hoan.

“Speak.”

“It’s just… a crude term, unfit for Sha’s ears.”

After hesitating, he cleared his throat.

“Hrm. Sometimes we get new recruits who look normal but do absurd things. We call them… ttorai. It means someone who’s a bit unhinged.”

“Ttorai?”

The unfamiliar word escaped Nyne’s lips before he could stop himself. Popo immediately handed him herb-infused water.

“That is indeed a vulgar word unfit for Sha’s lips. Please rinse your mouth.”

As Seinka Hoan kicked Yiwu in the shin for speaking so freely, Nyne swished the fragrant water and spat it out. Lu fussed with his robes as if to wipe his ears clean. Nyne eyed Gwen’s pink-haired head suspiciously. Despite his defiant words, he didn’t seem the type to behave irrationally…

As Gwen toiled under the blazing sun, Nyne reclined lazily on the bench, enjoying cool drinks and sweets. Watching the pink hair bob through the foliage, fanned by soft breezes, he soon drifted off. The sound of flowing water, chirping birds, and rustling leaves lulled him into a peaceful nap.

When he awoke, the sun was already low in the sky. He exhaled a drowsy sigh and opened his eyes. Gwen was nowhere in sight—he must’ve gone deep into the garden. After a moment enjoying the sunset, Nyne gave an order to a priest:

“Summon Lesha Lan Gwen now.”