“I have plenty to do.”
“What about the cat?”
“You can leave him here if you want.”
Lis left the room. He drew attention to the cat and even stroked him, but Karina thought that she didn’t regret at all that Lis had left now. And nothing happened between them, she didn't want him.
Continuing her research, Karina again took the cat in her arms and went into the room to Nikto. Nikto, fully assembled, lay on the bed. Was he sleeping? There was a sharp, specific smell of chemistry in the room, and Karina realized that Nikto had switched from the “restorative” to very heavy drugs, which she was terrified of and which she had never taken at all. He raised his head and, narrowing his eyes strongly, looked at her (apparently, the room was too light for him). Karina was at a loss, she put the cat right on the bed, and Nikto noticed him right away and didn't drive him away either, but stroked him. The cat purred.
“He’s good, isn’t he?” Karina asked; in fact, she didn't care anymore. She thought about the creepy stimulants he was using.
“Do you know what beautiful cats I have in the limit?” Nikto said. “And a bunch of other beautiful animals. I'll show you when we get there.”
Karina took the cat in her arms:
“Forgive me for interrupting you, have a rest”.
“No, it's ok. I have to work.” He shook his head. “Are Arel and Lis already downstairs?”
“Yes. And I have just finished training with the peasants. And Lis made an estimate.”
“Okay.”
Nikto got up, and they left with Karina. Now on his chest was always a mask that their father had given him back. And out on the street, Nikto always put it on. Moreover, in the narrow slits for the eyes, through which, in Karina's opinion, it was already impossible to see normally, he additionally inserted black glass, probably so the bright southern sun blinded his converted eyes less.
They returned to the backyard and Karina put the cat on the porch. He raised his paw and began to lick himself. Arel and Lis approached them. And she and Nikto began to discuss some economic issues, Karina didn’t listen to them. She thought that she was horny and wanted a man who was the only one of all three to shit on a cat, and he didn’t even notice him. And she also thought she was stupid and worthy to be fucked in the barn.
Chapter four. News from Tol
They gathered at a common table, although no one wanted this. Lis was distracted from the construction of the barracks and was clearly nervous, because he had a lot of things to do on the construction. Arel looked exhausted, and they knew that Nikto tormented him every night until dawn, and during the day, Arel also did a lot of things, taking care of the servants and soldiers from the Estate and nearby villages. Karina was amazed at his endurance, he was really chosen, not like other people, not a single ordinary person could bear the Demon's “love”, and the prince endured and did routine things during the day: watched the servants and peasants, trained the militia soldiers. Now she respected him. Because she felt completely exhausted herself; the presence of Nikto, who every day developed more and more active activity, literally sucked her out, and this despite the fact that, fortunately, he hardly touched her. He didn’t tug her with constant reports and questions, like he did with Lis, much less mocked her as he did with the prince. Otherwise, she would have simply died, so it seemed to her. But Arel was alive, he was haggard, and bruises appeared on his face, but he walked, sat and was still thinking about solving some endless economic issues. Now Karina understood that being a master and having soldiers, servants and slaves under his command was not at all easy, and it was boring and daily work. But Arel seemed to have been trained to do this, trained to watch and deal with them; of course, he often went too far, using his whip on every occasion, and more often, as it seemed to Karina, for no reason at all. But he worked, took it for granted and did not shirk. And he was not so bad, the discipline was iron. And he didn't complain either. And she respected him more and more every day.
