I Became a Slave to the Man I Abandoned Novel (Completed) - Chapter 22

“My, how fortunate he is to even cling to life like that.” A noblewoman whispered as she passed by.

“Serves him right.” The heir of a certain family snapped as he walked past.

“He must have wanted to live so badly, even like that?”

The Rainerio family had many enemies. All those who had colluded with his father had perished that day, leaving only enemies behind. The sole heir of Rainerio, now reduced to a powerless slave, was easy prey for them to feast upon. Nox walked behind the Emperor’s attendant, showing no change in expression. As he continued, he saw a man with gray-blonde hair in the distance. His master, a head taller than others, with broad, strong shoulders. Nox slowly closed and opened his eyes. He felt a strange suffocation.

The nobles in the hall were on edge, watching the man who now walked in alone. The man who had been the only legitimate heir of Rainerio. But now, that man was a slave. Nox Rainerio had been the epitome of a noble. Even now, as a slave, his back was straight, his shoulders unbowed despite the situation. His gaze was directed proudly forward. Nothing about him suggested he was a slave. Yet, the bolo tie around his neck clearly proclaimed his status as one.

They whispered even more, to diminish him, the serpent’s child. They sneered, slandered, and condemned. But he paid no heed to their accusations, walking only forward, as if nothing could mar him.

And Khalid, watching him, felt his stomach churn. This man, who seemed as if nothing could mar him. The one who had been his only light. He was now Khalid’s possession, yet Khalid hated that he still stood so straight, as if nothing could possess him.

Nox walked directly to Khalid’s side. Khalid immediately raised his hand and grabbed his hair.

“Ugh…”

“How long has it been since I gave the order, and you’re only just crawling over now?”

“There were no other orders, so I was waiting…”

“From now on, always come directly to my side. Don’t waste time with useless gestures.”

“Understood.”

Nox stammered, his scalp aching from the tugging, and Khalid growled right in front of his face. Everyone in the hall watched the scene. Nox gritted his teeth, trying not to look around. Khalid finally released his hair after hearing Nox’s answer. His neatly styled hair fell into disarray. The Emperor, Feltion, watched and chuckled.

“You call him a concubine, but aren’t you being a bit too rough?”

“Mind your own business.”

“You grab his hair right in front of me, and tell me to mind my own business?”

Feltion, standing beside Khalid, looked at Nox, whose face showed no hint of a frown, then extended a hand. He placed his thumb on Nox’s lips and rubbed, as if he knew Nox was clenching his teeth.

“Is your beautiful slave not feeling nervous?”

“…Is that so?”

“Indeed.”

The Emperor smiled even more deeply, looking at Nox’s dark, moss-green eyes.

“He certainly has an enticing face.”

“…”

Nox’s lips parted slightly. He couldn’t ignore the Emperor’s words, even if they were merely an assessment. As Nox’s lips moved, the tip of the Emperor’s finger intruded slightly into his mouth. The Emperor didn’t remove his hand, and Nox eventually had to answer slowly. Each time he articulated a word, the tip of his tongue brushed against the Emperor’s fingertip.

“…Thank you.”

“Quite the skilled slave, it seems.”

The Emperor was subtly mocking him rather than truly praising him for responding with gratitude to a compliment. Nox, fully aware of the blatant gesture, lowered his gaze to the floor. The Emperor toyed with Nox’s lips for a moment longer, then finally withdrew his hand. He then spoke to Khalid, as if in jest, “As I said before, if he’s difficult to tame, I’m quite willing to help.”

“I’ll consider it,” Khalid replied indifferently, and Nox could only stand silently by his side, his lips sealed. As the two powerful figures exchanged remarks over a single slave, people’s gazes converged even more intensely.

Khalid, unaccustomed to such banquets, was there by the Emperor’s command. The nobles were all unfamiliar faces, and their conversations held little interest for him. And while he was satisfied by the blatant stares fixed on Nox, he also found it displeasing. Look, he thought, the one who sat atop your heads is now beneath my heel. The humiliation Nox had to endure was satisfying, yet the sight of Nox’s body—his straight back and the slight glimpse of his ankle—falling under the gaze of others infuriated him.

“Well then, since you’ve come this far, do well.”

The Emperor lightly patted Khalid’s shoulder. Khalid’s nose wrinkled fiercely. This gathering was a banquet celebrating the Emperor’s enthronement, and also a stage set by the Emperor for Khalid, a former mercenary, to become accustomed to noble society. Instead of fixing his disheveled hair, Nox stood quietly behind Khalid, hands clasped behind his back. As the Emperor moved away from them, the nobles parted to create a path. Someone one couldn’t casually approach first—that was the Emperor. The Emperor naturally initiated the conversation.

“I wondered where you went; you were here.”

“I’m simply grateful you sought me out.”

Ellerdyne Weiss. The man who served as the Emperor’s strategist. The Emperor, in order, began to call forth the nobles who had been his backing, one by one, forming a group. Khalid watched the scene, then turned his head and began to stride purposefully in another direction. The nobles similarly cleared a path for him. Nox followed him, thinking, Duke Khalid Via finds it difficult to fit into a noble society.

Khalid wasn’t originally a titled man. So, naturally, he wouldn’t be well-versed in noble etiquette, nor would he know many faces. Nox slowly scanned his surroundings with only his eyes. Then, he cautiously called out to Khalid.

“Master.”

“What is it?”

Khalid stopped walking and turned to look back. Nox hesitated for a moment, wondering if it was appropriate for him to speak. But he thought that if Khalid recognized his usefulness, perhaps he might be given something to do. A small hope that instead of staring into space all day like a fish trapped in an aquarium, he might be entrusted with something, like a ‘person’. Nox, holding onto that hope, began to offer cautious advice. He leaned close to Khalid’s ear, covering his mouth with the back of his hand, and whispered,

“The man on your right is Count Beranche. He owns a gold mine in the west, and it’s no exaggeration to say he’s responsible for 30% of the gold entering the capital. So, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to cultivate a friendship with him.”

At that, Khalid looked at Nox with a strange expression. Nox, momentarily silent under Khalid’s gaze, belatedly added,

“If I overstepped…”

“Did you just advise me?”

“Yes, I did, but…”

Khalid looked down at him, a peculiar feeling stirring within him. His slave. A being he could treat however he wished, one who received no respect from him. It was strange that such a person would offer him advice. What does it feel like to advise someone who doesn’t respect you at all? Khalid wanted to ask but quickly closed his mouth and approached Count Beranche, whom Nox had mentioned. Nox’s words couldn’t be a lie; any lie would quickly be exposed anyway.

The nobles were very interested in the newly arrived Duke. As he approached, they naturally offered greetings and welcomed him.

“Greetings to His Grace, the Duke.”

“Welcome, Duke.”

For them, the new Duke was more desirable than anything else, now that the existing power structure had shifted. If they could form a connection with him, they might also gain access to Feltion, the newly crowned Emperor. Nox watched Khalid being surrounded by people and momentarily recalled his own past.

They’re already well-disposed towards Khalid anyway. To survive, they’ll need to win his favor. His past as a commoner mercenary wasn’t important now. Khalid wasn’t a fool either, so he would probably handle himself appropriately.

Nox naturally took a few steps back. As a slave, he couldn’t interject in that conversation. Khalid glanced at Nox, then turned his attention back to the nobles. Nox stood there for a moment, like an object no one sought.

There were many people, and the surroundings were noisy, but Nox kept his mouth shut like someone unable to speak, his gaze steadily lowered. The whispers directed at him never ceased. Nox wondered if he was truly unaffected by these刀-sharp words. But his contemplation was brief. The conclusion came quickly.

He wasn’t okay, but he didn’t care. He hadn’t been okay since that day anyway.

“They say the Duke personally beheaded the traitor, the former Emperor?”

“Isn’t he like His Majesty the current Emperor’s right-hand man?”

“Your Grace the Duke. We’re holding a banquet at our family’s estate soon; would you perhaps be able to attend?”

They chirped, trying to curry favor with Khalid. Nox carefully noted each face of those fawning over him. It was to decide who to associate with and who to avoid. Khalid was strong, but he was still unfamiliar with noble society. More than anything, it was crucial at this point to carefully select those who would be an asset to him, rather than blindly accepting every noble who approached.