--Luna POV--
After I admitted to the mistresses that I wanted Cass. They immediately withdrew their aura. All of the fear and adrenaline that had been running through me disappeared, and I went weak in the knees. My mistress caught me and supported me, then sat me back down.
They explained to me that they had been convinced of what I wanted the day I got my system. They had seen the way Cass had placed his hand on my cheek, and how I had placed mine on top of his. Since that day, they had colluded to make me say that I wanted him the day I was freed.
When I asked them why they needed to go so far as to suppress me with their aura, they laughed and told me it was for the good of me and Cass. They said that I had to be the one to tell him I wanted to be his, otherwise I would always feel I was beneath him.
I had been his slave maid for 6 years, and if I wanted to be with him, I needed to leave that mentality behind for good. So they pushed me, bullied me, and suppressed me. They wanted me to stand up to them and tell them in no uncertain terms that I wanted Cass; only then would they accept me in that way.
Then they told me that as long as Cass accepted me, they would welcome me into the family like a daughter, so of course, I cried. I cried for 20 minutes, and they did nothing but hold me and comfort me.
They sat me down and reminded me that Cass would inherit the village, that he had been born a noble, and so he would need to have many wives. I already knew all of this, and I accepted it without Question. As long as he loves me and doesn't abandon me. He can have as many as he likes. I would be content with being the first he took as his woman.
They also told me that if he rejected me, I could still stay on as their maid, and they would still treat me as a member of the household. But if he accepted me, I could no longer work as a maid in the house. I would need to take on the same role as Lady Elizabeth and eventually become responsible for running Cass's household in the future.
They also told me of their plans to send him to a mage tower after he became an Adept. They wanted him to go there to learn from them, gain strength, and scout good people who could make the village better in the future. When I asked if that meant he would leave me behind, they laughed. They told me, of course, I would be going with him.
The entrance exam in the capital costs 10 gold, which is why normally only nobles can go, unless you are a talented commoner that the nobles are willing to sponsor. But, they told me that they would pay for it, and worst case scenario, Cass could just take me along as his personal attendant.
After I received their permission to pursue Cass, I had another compulsion that I knew had to be fulfilled before I could be with him. I told them that after they removed my collar in the morning, I had to hunt. They immediately understood what was happening and promised that they would take care of Cass's birthday celebration, and that I would probably end up being the main attraction. It made me nervous to hear that.
The next morning, while Cass was becoming familiar with his system, I quickly put on my training clothes and went downstairs. My collar was removed, and after an emotional thank you to everyone, Elizabeth told me to go hunt. The look on Lucius's face made everyone laugh, but the mistresses told him not to worry about it and to say nothing to Cass. It was obvious they had told him nothing.
I left the house and hurried straight to the forest's edge. I hunted a few 1-star beats, but I knew that wasn't good enough. I needed to hunt for something that challenged me, otherwise, there was no meaning to it. That was when I smelled it. The smell of a beast that had just killed another.
I rushed back and found that some smaller one-star beasts had cannibalized one of the bodies I had left behind, but had been attacked by a far larger creature. It looked like a bear to me, except that the fur was bright green. A 2-star Mossgraw. This was what I had to hunt, my blood told me so.
It roared at me and charged. I immediately evaded to the side and released my aura. It wasn't enough to suppress the creature, but it was more than enough to intimidate it. It became cautious after that. It approached me and tried to swipe at me with its claws, but I always stayed just out of reach, baiting it.
My bait paid off, and it overextended itself trying to scratch me. I dodged the paw on the outside, gave the extended arm a little tug, and pulled it in the direction it was already moving. The beast started to lose its balance and lean forward, so I used this opportunity to strike it in the knee joint. It snapped.
The beast fell to the ground howling, and I took advantage and climbed on its back. I used my left hand to force the beast's head into the dirt, then I activated my skill [power up (1)]. It lets me hit my opponent a little harder. I put all the power I could into my movement and slammed my right elbow into the back of its head. I heard its skull crack.
It started howling in pain, trying to throw me off, but I held on tight and continued pounding its skull with my elbow until I felt it give way. As soon as I opened up its skull, it went still, barely moving.
I took out my hunting knife and removed the innards, cut the neck to bleed it, and dragged it behind me all the way back to the manor. By the time I arrived, it was turning dark, and the celebration was happening. I prayed he didn't hate me for being late. I dumped the body and the few sticks I had with me on the ground in front of the manor, walked into the hall ,and howled.
Everyone followed me back outside, and I started cutting off strips of meat and cooking them over a small campfire. After I had finished grilling the first piece, I turned to Cass and held it in my hands. Some of the people there had smiles on their faces; they must have already understood what this instinctual ceremony truly meant, but the others, including Lucius, just looked confused.
I told Cass what I wanted. I told him that now I was free and could make my own choices, I had chosen him. I wanted to stay by his side forever. He accepted immediately.
As soon as he said he would, I tore the meat in half and forced half or it into his mouth, and put the rest into mine. I chewed, swallowed, and then made sure Cass had done the same.
The moment I saw him swallow the meat, I dove into his arms and kissed him. After we broke the kiss, he put his forehead on mine and stared at me for a few seconds before Lady Elizabeth and Lady Adeline grabbed us and held us. Then they dragged us back inside, and I went upstairs to quickly bathe and change. 30 minutes later, I returned in the dress that Lady Adeline had bought for me for this celebration.
I spent the whole evening hanging off Cass's arm. While Cass was in the bath, I changed into the grey nightgown he had given me and let myself into his room.