The Male Slave of House Sianella - Chapter 27

Chapter 27: From Now On

After leaving Sione's room, I went straight to find Diolia.

I knocked on her door.

Knock knock.

"Lady Diolia, I've come with something to tell you."

"...Come in."

I carefully opened the door and entered.

In her room, I found Diolia with her hair down instead of in its usual ponytail.

She was holding a fountain pen, staring intently at a piece of paper with a troubled expression before turning to face me.

Her brown hair, which fell to her chest, swayed gently with the movement.

Unlike her usual sharp demeanor as a knight, the relaxed Diolia looked more like a modest noble lady than an Expert knight.

"What brings you here?"

Though her appearance was softer, her manner of speech remained as rigid as ever.

Well, she'd always been like that.

I relayed what I'd heard in Sione's room.

"Lady Sione wishes to look around the Feiosha Marquisate tomorrow. I'd like to request your protection again."

"Tomorrow, is it? Very well, I'll keep that in mind."

"Then I'll take my leave."

After giving Diolia a brief bow, I turned to go.

That's when I heard a sigh behind me, followed by her voice.

"Wait."

At Diolia's call, I turned back to face her.

She was watching me with her chin resting on her hand.

Unlike usual, her brow was furrowed—something must be bothering her...

I couldn't understand why she was looking at me with such an expression.

By now I found this knight Diolia more intimidating than the newly-friendly Sione, which made me tense up automatically.

"I was thinking we should discuss how to handle Lady Sione's broken engagement."

"Ah..."

"I'd like to talk about this matter for a moment. Do you have time?"

I nodded.

"Of course."

Sione was sprawled out sleeping in her room, so this was my free time.

Though I had my own assigned room as a servant and was planning to rest...

It wouldn't be bad to align our stories with Diolia about the troublesome situation Sione had created.

I gave up on my short nap and turned back to face Diolia.

"Hah... there's really no way to prevent the broken engagement, is there?"

After drifting from yellow whitlow grass to garden balsam, how could we possibly prevent it?

I quietly shook my head.

"Not only Lady Sione, but Young Master Evan said he'd received permission from Marquis Julia..."

Diolia's expression visibly crumpled at my words.

"It seems preventing the broken engagement is impossible."

"Sigh..."

Diolia pressed her temples as if getting a headache.

"The Feiosha Marquisate will send a letter to the Sianella County, but shouldn't we also inform the Count about what happened?"

Diolia tapped the paper with her pen nib.

Unable to find the right words, dots filled one corner of the paper along with her worries.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

After staring at the paper for a while, repeatedly touching and lifting the pen, Diolia let out another deep sigh.

"But I can't figure out how to write this in a letter."

Well, how does one write about a conversation that started with yellow whitlow grass and ended with garden balsam?

I approached as she held her head, contemplating Sione and Evan's earlier conversation.

"Let me help."

Step step.

Without hesitation, I walked until I was right in front of Diolia.

I leaned down to look at the letter paper on the table.

As expected, she hadn't written anything beyond the formal opening "To Count Ainel Sianella."

Left like this, she'd spend all day making dots without writing anything substantial.

It would probably be better if I wrote it instead.

I needed something to write with... borrowing her fountain pen would be best.

It wouldn't be polite to ask for the pen while only looking at the letter paper.

I turned my head sharply to face Diolia.

"Lady Diolia."

"Ah!"

Perhaps because I'd suddenly turned to look at her,

Diolia seemed quite startled by my unexpected action.

Why would someone who could calmly face an assassin be startled by something like this?

Was it because of how close we were?

Scrape.

Diolia pulled her chair back to create distance.

Then, as if embarrassed by her earlier reaction,

She casually tucked her hair behind her ear.

"...What is it?"

"Could I borrow your fountain pen?"

"The pen?"

"Yes, I'll try writing the letter."

Diolia handed me the pen while asking:

"Do you know how to write?"

"I received some education... though it's not perfect, so you'll need to correct any mistakes."

"Very well."

I took the fountain pen and began writing.

The pen nib moved across the paper, forming letters.

It was quite challenging writing in the continent's common script rather than familiar Korean.

As I struggled to write, Diolia alternated between watching my profile and the letter paper.

"Sit in the chair and write."

"...Thank you."

I paused writing to give Diolia a brief bow, then sat in the chair and continued writing.

I wrote about how Evan Feiosha had been considering breaking off the engagement for some time, completely omitting Sione's garden balsam and drifting into broken engagement talk.

I explained that Sione also didn't want this engagement, and they had amicably agreed to end it.

"Please read it over."

"...Not bad. Just needs a few adjustments."

"I'm glad you find it acceptable."

Now that I'd written a draft, revising it should be relatively easy.

As long as Sione's unnecessary antics are left out, even Count Ainel should find this somewhat acceptable.

I set the fountain pen down on the desk.

"Then I'll take my leave."

"Good work."

"See you tomorrow."

Only after leaving Diolia's room did I finally feel my strength drain, knowing I could rest at last.

***

Today we left the mansion to look around the marquisate's territory, as Sione had said.

Since Diolia was with us this time, I could go with just my servant's uniform bearing the Sianella crest, without any weapons.

No quest had appeared, and we'd only be going to crowded places anyway, so there was nothing to worry about.

I looked at Sione, who had suggested going out to play the very day after breaking off her engagement.

She was wearing the hairpin I'd bought her before.

I'd thought she wouldn't use it much since it was cheap and might break quickly, but contrary to my expectations, Sione was using the hairpin quite well.

As Sione looked around, turning her head this way and that, she must have noticed my gaze.

She tilted her head at me questioningly.

"Is there something on my face?"

"It's nothing."

"Don't make me curious, just tell me."

"I was just glad to see you using the hairpin I bought you so often."

"Ah, the hairpin."

At my words, Sione briefly touched her hairpin.

"Thanks to you buying it, I've been using it comfortably. Thank you."

I nodded with a faint smile.

There was no need to thank me for something like this.

It was bought with Sione's money anyway, so there was no reason for thanks.

If she was going to use hairpins this often, I thought she should use something prettier than such an ordinary pin.

She was a noble lady of House Sianella after all.

It would be better to buy something more expensive for decoration.

"How about buying a new hairpin this time?"

Sione shook her head with a slight smile.

"No need. This one is enough for me."

With those words, she grabbed my sleeve and started pulling me along.

"By the way, it looks like they're selling some food over there. Let's hurry and take a look."

Following Sione around, we could enjoy sightseeing the city while trying street foods.

Fortunately, unlike the cookie she'd arbitrarily stuffed in my mouth last time, Sione made sure to get some for Diolia too.

Thanks to that, Diolia didn't feel left out like yesterday.

How long had we been exploring the city like this?

As the sun that had been at its peak began to set,

While I was sitting on a bench in front of a fountain resting my tired legs, I could see Sione and Diolia talking some distance away.

"Lady Diolia, could you step away for a moment?"

"What is it?"

"I have something to tell Ray privately. I'll signal you when we're done, so please."

"Hmm... very well."

After some conversation, Diolia moved away at Sione's words, creating distance.

As I quietly watched them, Sione slowly walked toward me.

Sione's expression seemed somewhat tense, a bit stiff.

Why was she suddenly acting like this?

She had the exact same air about her when she suddenly declared breaking off the engagement yesterday.

Seeing Sione now, so different from her bright demeanor all day, made me tense up too.

As a slave and servant, I couldn't remain seated when my master came to see me.

I stood up from the bench to greet Sione.

"Ray."

"...What is it?"

...Why was she suddenly creating such an atmosphere?

In this uncomfortable situation, all I could do was quietly listen to what Sione had to say.

"Um..."

After hesitating for a moment, Sione steadied her trembling pupils and looked straight at me.

"I was happy that you gave me faith when I was falling apart... and thankful that you gave me new hope when I'd given up on everything."

"A-and... for protecting me that day too..."

Apparently embarrassed by her own words, Sione's ears turned bright red.

Sione lowered her head to avoid my gaze while continuing to mumble something.

Seeing her like this, I relaxed and smiled slightly.

Then suddenly, Sione approached me and—

"Huh?"

She grabbed my sleeve and pulled hard.

Caught off guard by Sione's sudden action, I ended up in her embrace.

With a red face, Sione held me briefly and said:

"...Ray, please continue to take care of me from now on."

With those words, Sione hurriedly separated from me and called for Diolia.

I watched her silently before letting out a small laugh.

The day after breaking off her engagement with Young Master Feiosha, she hugs her servant in front of a fountain in the Feiosha territory.

What would happen if the Feiosha family heard about this?

I could only endlessly stroke my neck, wondering if I might lose my head for the crime of seducing Sione into breaking off the engagement.

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