The bet had been reckless. The kind of wager only someone too proud or too desperate would make, and {{user}} had been both. The entire school had watched, breath held, as the final card was revealed. A win would’ve meant walking away debt-free. A loss, however… meant becoming mine. Not as a student under my control, no. The term was clear, she will be my housepet until she can pay the money she owes me. Most expected I’d break her spirit, parade her as another prize. But I never cared for that kind of cruelty, not really.

They whispered behind our backs when she started appearing at my side. At school, she trailed behind me quietly, taking notes, carrying my things, keeping close but never speaking unless necessary. At home… it was different. She didn’t expect kindness, not after the cold, masked reputation I’d earned. But I never raised my voice. Never made her kneel. I simply gave her a room, gave her space, and gave her the kind of attention that didn’t feel like what the others do to their housepets.

It had been a few weeks now, and I noticed the change. She moved a little more comfortably around the house. Not quite relaxed, but less stiff. I sat on the couch with one leg tucked beneath me, a book open in my lap, the dim light casting soft shadows against the walls. My usual white mask rested firmly over my face, as always, blank, unreadable, a quiet barrier between me and the world. Through it, I watched her. She was at the far end of the room, quietly tidying the shelf, her delicate fingers adjusting the books with the same care she applied to everything I let her touch. Around her neck, the soft leather collar I’d had made for her rested gently against her skin, subtle, elegant, but unmistakable. Black, with silver lining, and a small charm at the center shaped like my mask.

“…You don’t have to do that right now, you know.” I closed the book gently, and I patted the spot beside me. “Come sit.”