I Became a Slave to the Man I Abandoned Novel (Completed) - Chapter 15

Marlene’s calm, realistic tone made Nox slowly nod. The room she showed him was one of the guest rooms on the first floor. Nothing particularly special. Marlene led him to the room, then turned.

“Please wait here, and when the Duke calls for you, you can get ready immediately and come.”

“Understood.”

Nox wondered what ‘ready’ meant. Did it just mean dressing neatly and presenting himself, or something else? Nox shook his head. He watched Marlene walk away, then opened the door.

Click.

The door closed.

Meanwhile, Khalid, who had gone to the Imperial Palace, was being received by the Emperor. Those gathered in the Emperor’s office were the individuals who had supported the Second Prince without being crushed by the Crown Prince’s power, truly the new center of power in the empire. There were six in total, among them the most prominent being Khalid Via, who had personally beheaded the Crown Prince, and Ellerdyne Vise, who had served as a strategist by the Second Prince’s side. And then…

“No matter what anyone says, your contribution was immense.”

“Oh, no, Your Majesty.”

The Second Prince, now Emperor Peltion, smiled at that.

“Valtias, if you hadn’t infiltrated the Rainerio mansion and provided the information about the impending attack that night, none of us would be here today.”

“I am, I am merely grateful.”

This was Valtias Deron. He was the one who had infiltrated Duke Rainerio’s mansion, posing as a servant, while serving as a spy for the Crown Prince. It was possible because he held only a baronetcy and was shy by nature, unknown in high society. No one had expected much from him, yet he had brought countless pieces of information to the Second Prince like a seasoned spy.

Valtias Deron bowed deeply, not allowing pride to show, merely nodding at the Emperor’s words. Everything is good, but his timid nature… how can I fix that? The Emperor thought.

“He’s about to become a Marquis and one of the central figures of power, yet he’s so timid,” Peltion joked. Valtias flinched, then quickly raised his head and said,

“I’ll, I’ll try to fix it, somehow.”

“No, I don’t mean you should push yourself. I’m just concerned.”

“I’ll, I’ll ensure there’s nothing for you to worry about.”

“Yes, seeing your remarkable success with the Rainerio family this time, I know you’re not to be underestimated.”

“…Yes.”

He lowered his head again at those words. Meanwhile, Khalid Via, hearing that Valtias had stayed at the Rainerio ducal residence, found a question forming in his mind.

It was about Nox Rainerio, now simply Nox, his slave who had lost his family name. His back was covered in old whip marks. More than his own. Khalid opened his mouth to ask about it.

“When you were staying there, did…?”

Did Nox Rainerio ever get whipped? But the words weren’t uttered in full.

“Yes, yes?” Valtias quickly lifted his head, surprised. When their round eyes met, Khalid realized what he had been about to ask.

‘Hmph, what good would knowing that do?’

Would he commiserate with him? Or pity him? He scoffed at himself. It didn’t matter how the one who betrayed him had lived, or what scars he bore. All he needed to do was soothe his betrayed heart with Nox’s body. He shook his head immediately.

“Never mind.”

“Yes, yes…”

“More importantly,” the Emperor said then, smiling faintly as he looked at Khalid. “You seem particularly mild-mannered today, Duke Khalid Via.”

“……Do I?”

Khalid Via frowned. He knew well that the Emperor had spoken to tease him. The Emperor had always enjoyed making jokes at Khalid’s expense, knowing Khalid never humored them.

“Nox Rainerio. When you said you wanted him, I was truly surprised.”

“Were you?” Khalid Via replied, his nose scrunched. Peltion tilted his head, watching him.

“He’ll be troublesome to tame.”

“…Not particularly.”

“True. He’s not one to defeat you by force. But he was also the captain of the Rainerio Knights. Don’t be careless.”

“Understood.”

“And he’s a man who doesn’t frequent high society or the political arena, so there’s no telling what’s truly on his mind. His abilities are unknown too. Everyone says he’s a snake, just like his father, but… their relationship didn’t seem that good.”

“I don’t believe I need to know the reason.”

“…Indeed. That’s true. He’s merely a slave now, having lost his family and his standing.”

Peltion said, then smirked, looking at Khalid’s face. “If he’s too difficult to tame, perhaps I can help?”

At his loaded words, Khalid’s face immediately hardened. The Emperor burst into laughter as soon as he saw his expression stiffen.

“At this rate, I’ll be struck down by my own knight’s sword not long after becoming Emperor!”

“Your Majesty!”

“Hahaha, it’s a joke. Just a joke. Duke Via, aren’t you making it too obvious that you care for your slave?”

“…I have not.”

“Oh, come now.”

Peltion waved his hand, dismissing the topic, and returned to their original discussion. “So, what do you think we should do about Count Durans, who is still resisting in the south?”

Ellerdyne Vise spoke up. “He’s holding out, but he must be at his limit. With the Crown Prince dead, he has no legitimate cause. If we send Duke Khalid Via to merely threaten him, he’ll submit quickly.”

Then Khalid spoke.

“I rejected.”

“Why are you rejecting it?”

“I won’t involve myself in such a trivial matter.”

“Is it not because you can’t bear to leave the slave you just acquired?” Ellerdyne sneered loudly, and Khalid, legs crossed, replied indifferently,

“That’s right.”

“…Well, if you admit it, I have nothing to say.”

“That’s the point. Anyway, I won’t be deploying for a while.”

He said that and looked at the Emperor. Peltion, with a beaming smile, nodded.

“Indeed, Duke Khalid Via has suffered the most so far, so we can’t have him dealing with such minor affairs. He’s suffered so much, it seems he’s toiled more than I, the Emperor, have. Ah, yes, of course. He needs time to roll around with his concubine.”

“Just tell him to deploy gracefully,” Ellerdyne said, sounding fed up, and Khalid frowned. The Emperor laughed heartily, clapping his hands. No one else laughed at the Emperor’s joke. The Emperor said, sounding disappointed,

“Not a single person laughs anymore.”

“Every word is important now, Your Majesty. It’s only natural.”

“So, are you saying I should deploy?”

“Not right away. We’ll need to observe for a while to exhaust their supplies and morale. Oh, but if they show any signs of plundering the surroundings, we must stop them immediately.”

“Understood.”

Khalid Via nodded. It meant he’d have to step up eventually. Indeed, unlike other nobles, being a former mercenary, he had to assert his power this time.

Once Khalid agreed, the rest of the meeting flowed smoothly. The handling of newly granted titles and demotions. And the treatment of those who had fallen to slavery, along with filling the vacant positions of the deceased.

Matters that Khalid had no particular interest in offering opinions on proceedings.

“You look utterly bored to death.”

“Did I?”

“Your feigned ignorance is quite masterful.”

“I’m at a loss for words with such praise.”

“Now you can even banter.”

“I’ve spent years by Your Majesty’s side, after all.”

“Indeed, now things are starting to get interesting. Are you already becoming cunning just because you’re a Duke? My head aches.”

The Emperor laughed, waving his hand. It was a signal to adjourn the meeting. His subordinates gathered their belongings and stood up. Only Khalid Via remained seated. As everyone bowed and streamed out, the Emperor asked,

“Why are you not leaving?”

“There’s something I wish to ask.”

“What is it?”

“……”

Khalid thought for a moment. He considered whether it was right to ask this here. But contrary to his deliberation, he spoke the words first. His body had reacted before his mind.

“What kind of person was Nox Rainerio?”

“Why the sudden interest?”

He himself didn’t know why he was asking the Emperor such a thing. It was simply because Nox was his now. A desire to know his past, too, had surged like a tide. Despite thinking it wasn’t necessary.

According to the Emperor, Nox Rainerio seemed not to be widely known, as he didn’t heavily participate in high society.

“He never participated in anything outside of official engagements. He was truly a man about whom little was known, other than that he served as the captain of the Rainerio Knights himself.”

“Is that so?”

“Oh, but I did have occasion to see him up close, just once,” the Emperor said, as if remembering something belatedly. Khalid looked at the Emperor. “He must have been around eighteen.”

It literally meant it was a story from a very long time ago. The Emperor fell silent for a moment as if recalling that time, then offered a crooked smile.