Figure of speech

Beth pushed her leg inside her blanket, lying down after a whole day's worth of sitting in the sun. She was tired yet happy. The information that Fifty-eight had provided her was quite advantageous. The Winged Golden Pear was a sacred tree. So sacred, that even the royals in the innermost layer of the upper town, were not allowed to grow one. No wonder why the minor gods were hesitant to cut it down.

Since she knew from what she overheard from their conversation that cutting it down was equal to committing a murder, she almost has a trump card in her hand. It could save their lives at the most crucial moment. All she had to do now was find evidence that the tree had once grown in that spot. Because Fifty-eight was with her all day, Beth couldn't check the area.

But for now, she needed some good sleep. She took the metal bracelet in her hand and rubbed its flat surface like the system had asked her to. In the blink of an eye, she was back inside the world of the system. The four plain walls seemed to greet her with much enthusiasm, unlike a certain boy who looked startled as soon as she appeared in front of him.

"Missed me much?" Beth asked with a wink.

The boy cleared his throat. "Why are you here again?" He asked, looking at her warily.

She chuckled, taking a step towards him. The system backed away, gulping nervously. It was fin watching him act like he was scared of her. Beth felt like teasing him more when he did that. And tonight, she was in the perfect mood to do that.

"Why? Can I not come to visit my slave?" She asked, batting her eyelashes innocently at the system.

His eyes widened in shock. Pointing a finger at her in accusation, he exclaimed, "Slave?! That was just a figure of speech! How can you call me a slave?!"

Beth grinned suggestively. "I'm your master, aren't I?" She asked, wiggling her eyebrows at him.

The system opened his mouth to say something but closed it quickly, thinking better of it. Whatever it was was not worth taunting her further. He knew at least that much.

"Yes." The boy replied with a nod.

Beth beamed. "You have to do whatever I ask you to, don't you?" She asked, waving her hand around.

She kept walking forward, enjoying the nervousness of the boy. Oh, a scared and pliant boy! What a joy to have fun with! She thought to herself, rubbing her hands together.

The boy shook his head. "Not technically-"

With a quick jump, she was on him, latching on to his body like a little monkey. The boy fell back on the mattress in shock.

"Shhh!" Beth said, keeping a small finger on his mouth. Crawling off of him to lean against the pillow, she said, "You can start now."

"What?" He asked, looking confused.

Beth beamed. "Get naked." She said, putting her hands behind her head.

This was what life was supposed to be like. When you came home tired from work, a pliant man to entertain you. What a life! She exhaled, thanking her luck.

"What?!" The system exclaimed, standing up with a sudden jolt.

Beth pursed her lips. He should have been used to it by now. Why did he act shocked every time she said something like that? Was he slow? Stupid? She wondered, narrowing her eyes at him. Maybe he needed more instructions.

"And you can dance while at it." She said, waving at him dismissively.

The boy threw his hands up in frustration. "H-how can you ask such a thing of me?! This is ridiculous! I'm a system, not your toy!" He shouted, his usually pale face quickly becoming red with embarrassment.

"Fine," Beth said lazily. Getting up on her knees, she waved him forward, "I'll do it myself."

"No! Get away!" The system exclaimed, swatting her hand away in horror.

Beth persisted for a few more minutes until she sat back, hitting the pillow in frustration. He wasn't giving her even an inch of space. The fact that he was taller than her, even while they looked of similar age was a shortcoming. Even his hands were longer than hers. He put a hand on her forehead and kept her at bay while she desperately tried to reach at least his collar. With an irritated grunt, she put her hands down.

"Aaargh, I give up! I'm tired." She said, lying back on the mattress.

"Are you sure?" The boy asked, a look of suspicion flashing in his eyes.

She didn't say anything but closed her eyes. She could hear his footsteps as he came closer. Just as he leaned towards her, she opened her eyes and quickly put a hook around his neck.

"Nope! Kidding!" She shouted, pulling him to the mattress.

Putting a hand and a leg on top of him, she breathed him in like a predator. She beamed, looking up at him.

"Why are you doing this to me, master?" The boy asked, looking at her miserably.

"Because in a world full of dead people and gods, you are the only one that I'm comfortable with." She replied, snuggling onto his chest.

She listened close. But it was exactly like it had been before. There was no heartbeat. She settled down on his chest, slipping a hand inside his shirt. He grabbed her hand quickly, pulling it out in the next instance.

"But I am just a system." He said, looking confused.

Beth nodded. "Yes, a very hot one." She said, grinning from ear to ear. "Lucky me!"

The boy sighed, pushing her away. "Please stop teasing me." He said with a frown.

Beth pouted in protest. But the boy kept staring at her, not budging an inch. She gave up, finally feeling sleepy. That was when she remembered that she had to ask him something important.

"Okay, what's my next task?" She asked, raising her brows.