I Became a Slave to the Man I Abandoned Novel (Completed) - Chapter 101

“Any improvement?”

“None, Your Majesty.”

“Is that so…”

Feltion walked down the corridor, receiving a report on Nox’s condition from his aide. His face was grim. After Nox’s collapse, he had immediately raided and overturned Marquis Valtias Deron’s estate.

Examining how Valtias Deron had managed his family after becoming marquis raised immediate questions.

How could a man so incompetent at governing his own household have so meticulously extracted information back then? How could he have believed that someone with such limited capacity had saved him?

Why had he not realized it until now? Feltion was deeply regretting his mistakes.

While ransacking Valtias Deron’s mansion, a safe was discovered.

Hidden behind a picture frame in Valtias’s bedroom, the safe was filled with unknown documents. Papers, seemingly from the Rainerio estate, were stacked neatly. The problem was:

‘The handwriting is different from Valtias Deron’s.’

The content was all familiar. It was the same information Valtias Deron had told him. But why the different handwriting? Then, something suddenly occurred to the Emperor.

And so, he examined the documents confiscated from the Rainerio ducal family.

The handwriting was the same.

The neat script, with its sharply pointed strokes, was Nox Rainerio’s. That handwriting clearly revealed that the information which saved his life belonged to Nox.

But it was too late. Far too late.

The Emperor thought to himself. That he had been foolish. And that it was too late. He frowned, biting his lip. Then he turned from his path to his office and headed toward the treatment room where Nox was being cared for.

His steps toward the treatment room were heavy. Nox’s body had fully recovered. But for some reason, he still hadn’t regained consciousness. The Emperor had summoned all the healers in the Imperial Palace to treat him, but there had been no progress.

“Your Majesty has arrived.”

At the Emperor’s sudden visit, the healer hastily rose to greet him. Feltion gave him a glance and approached the bed inside. Nox lay there, still with a peaceful face. The Emperor frowned, then smiled bitterly, and sat on the chair in front of the bed.

“He looks peaceful.”

It implied he looked like a dead person. There was no reply. But Feltion opened his mouth once more.

“Is this the most peaceful you’ve ever been? Lying here, doing nothing?”

The Emperor looked at Nox’s pale cheeks and reached out. His fingertips neared the cheek but couldn’t bring themselves to touch, falling away instead. Even touching him now would be a sin.

“…Open your eyes,” the Emperor whispered weakly. “Then I can repay you…”

The Emperor clasped his hands as if in prayer and bowed his head, resting his forehead on them. His hands were cold, his forehead hot. The warmth transferred subtly. He remained like that for a long time, then, after gazing at the unmoving Nox once more, he rose from his seat.

As he left the treatment room, his aides followed behind him.

“What about the task I was assigned?”

“We’ve found traces. We should be able to locate them soon.”

“It’s Nox’s blood relative. Don’t frighten them. And ensure no harm comes to them. They’re a child who will return to Nox.”

“Yes, ah. And.”

“What is it?”

“Duke Khalid Via has returned.”

“Khalid?”

“Yes.”

“Bring him to the reception room at once.”

“Understood.”

The Emperor immediately headed to the reception room. That Khalid had returned meant he had found some method. Opening the reception room door, he saw Khalid Via seated on a sofa. He was wearing a dirty robe, looking as though he hadn’t even stopped at his own mansion. The Emperor strode in, sat opposite him, and asked, “Did you find it?”

“For now…”

Khalid removed his robe. His unshaven beard and disheveled hair showed how desperately he had searched for a solution.

“I found something worth trying.”

“Something worth trying?”

Khalid unfastened a pouch from his waist and placed it on the table. It was filled with dried herbs he had never seen before.

“They call it a plant called ‘Drima’.”

“…’Drima’?”

“I went to see an herbalist named ‘Dota’.”

Khalid said, recalling that time.

‘His body has recovered, but he hasn’t regained consciousness.’

Old Woman Dota looked at him with narrow eyes, her gaze seemingly piercing through him.

‘Seems he hasn’t seen much good in life.’

“…”

Khalid couldn’t say anything in response. He only managed a slow nod after a moment of silence. Old Woman Dota looked intently into his eyes and sighed.

‘It might be better for him to just let him go.’

‘…I can’t do that.’

‘Tsk, tsk, the greed of the living.’

‘Please, I beg you.’

‘Do you wish to save him so badly?’

Khalid looked at Old Woman Dota, his last hope, pleadingly. Old Woman Dota eventually told Maeta to fetch something from the storage. Maeta, despite her puzzled expression, brought what Old Woman Dota asked for.

‘It’s a plant that brings good dreams.’

‘Good dreams?’

‘Yes, it’s usually prescribed for those who suffer from nightmares. It seems he might need it too.’

‘Can it, can it wake him?’

‘I don’t know. We can only try.’

Khalid silently looked down at the plant Maeta had brought out. Yes, it was better to try something than nothing at all. Until now, no one he had sought out had offered any answers. Khalid clutched the pouch on the table, securing it.

‘Thank you.’

‘Thanks for what? If there’s an improvement, send more money.’

Old Woman Dota was an herbalist, after all. Someone who had to save lives when people were dying. Thus, without knowing the full circumstances, she offered him the method directly. Khalid embraced it carefully and returned to the capital. The Emperor, after hearing his full explanation, nodded.

“If that’s the only way, we have no choice but to try.”

“I’ll go myself.”

“…Yes. You’ve endured much.”

“No, it’s not. Anyway…”

Isn’t it all my fault? He couldn’t bring himself to utter those words. The Emperor also empathized with the words he couldn’t speak. It’s your fault. It’s my fault. In the end, it’s our fault.

Khalid immediately rose from his seat and headed to the treatment room. The Emperor also accompanied him, visiting the treatment room again. Nox lay there as peacefully as ever. It meant he looked like a corpse, with everything ended.

Khalid bit his lip and, as Old Woman Dota instructed, placed the dried herbs in a glass dish and set them alight. As the dried herbs caught fire, a faint scent filled the air, and they slowly smoldered and burned down.

Once the herbs had completely burned, leaving only glowing embers, the room was filled with the lingering aroma.

“…I was told to replace them whenever the scent fades.”

“For now, we can only wait.”

The Emperor said, and Khalid nodded. Although he had been away for a long time and much work had piled up, Khalid didn’t leave. And until Nox awoke, he continued to light the herbs, breathing in their scent slowly, as if taking in the aroma. A plant that brings good dreams. He hoped that Nox, who couldn’t regain consciousness, would at least not suffer in his dreams.

***

Even as a child, Khalid always did his best at his tasks, but every spring, he would always doze off a little. It was always Nox’s job to pretend not to notice.

But one day, Khalid swayed, almost collapsing, standing with his hands behind his back. His eyelids were heavily creased, as if he was desperately trying not to fall asleep. Nox, who had been transcribing the day’s readings into notes, finally got up from his seat.

As Nox rose, Khalid’s eyes shot open wide in surprise.

“Khalid, come here.”

“I-I’m sorry, Young Master…!” His voice was like a child’s just before being scolded. Nox gestured to the boy without explaining anything. Khalid scrutinized Nox’s expression. He didn’t seem particularly angry, but honestly, what servant would doze off while working? Khalid thought he was finally about to get a talking-to from the young master.

Khalid cautiously shuffled closer to Nox. Nox sighed lightly, then gently pulled Khalid’s hand.

“Don’t keep dozing off; just sleep for a bit.”

“Wh-what?” Khalid blinked his large eyes. The boy seemed flustered, but Nox calmly led Khalid to his bed. Khalid’s face flushed red, and he shook his head.

“N-no, I won’t doze off.”

“I know you will anyway.”

Khalid stammered, but Nox, seemingly ignoring the boy’s words, gently pushed Khalid’s shoulder, seating him on the bed. However, the boy immediately sprang up as soon as his bottom touched the bed and said, “H-how dare I, on Young Master’s bed…”

“A bed is just a bed.” Nox said matter-of-factly. But to Khalid, it wasn’t just a bed. It was the young master’s very own bed, wasn’t it? Which meant it smelled a lot like the young master, and it was a place where his body could be enveloped comfortably.

“I’ll, I’ll go wash my face first.”

Nox looked at Khalid as if wondering what the problem was. Then he casually, almost commandingly, said, “Lie down.”

At his subtly authoritative demeanor, Khalid instinctively sat down on the bed and promptly lay down with a thud. Seeing him lying horizontally, Nox tilted his head and sat on the edge of the bed, stroking the boy’s disheveled hair.

“Take off your shoes.”

“Y-yes, sir.”

Khalid fumbled with his shoes, taking them off, and then lay properly on the bed. Nox pulled the bedding up to the boy’s neck and was about to return to his desk. But then, tug, the boy’s hand caught Nox’s collar.

“…T-together.” Nox wouldn’t have known how much courage that took for the boy.

“C-can’t you lie down with me?”