The Male Slave of House Sianella - Chapter 23

Chapter 23: Evan Feiosha (1)

The next morning, we were able to leave the village without incident.

Diolia had sent a separate letter to the count's house about any remaining cultists.

Since this wasn't just a private matter but one related to demons, the Sianella County—who became fired up at the mere mention of demons—would handle it somehow.

I watched the village gradually receding from view through the carriage window.

The quest completion notification should appear soon.

Rather than just sitting there waiting for the status window, I asked Sione, who was staring blankly into space:

"Would you like some refreshments?"

"Eh? Ah, refreshments. Just a little, please."

If I actually gave her just a little when she asked for it, she would obviously stare at me with eyes saying it wasn't enough.

I took out quite a generous amount of snacks from my bag and handed them to Sione.

"Isn't this more than usual?"

"We have a long way to go, don't we? If it's too much, you can eat it slowly."

"...Well, since there's so much, perhaps we should share."

"Would that be alright?"

"Of course. I'm not so stingy that I won't share even a cookie."

...Yet at first she'd eat everything immediately as if she hated even showing her snacks to others.

I couldn't be prouder of how my master had changed.

Though her words washing away her formerly stingy past did bother me somewhat.

I just quietly nodded without any complaints.

"I'll gratefully partake."

"No need for such gratitude."

Only then did Sione pick up a chocolate cookie and start eating.

Munch munch munch.

I wondered if she never got tired of eating like that, even after eating so much normally.

Her expression while eating snacks showed pure contentment.

Well, I'll just have one.

As I bit into the cookie, an intense sweetness spread through my mouth.

Two or three would be tasty, but any more would be too much with this level of sweetness.

No wonder she'd gotten so fat, drinking these like water every day.

Though she'd become human through dieting lately, we couldn't let our guard down.

I'd have to gradually reduce the amount of cookies I gave her from now on.

Just as such pointless thoughts were getting tiresome,

I finally saw what I'd been waiting for.

[Quest completed!]

[Bond with Sione Sianella has increased.]

[Through resonance with her, a small portion of your original power has been unlocked.]

Though this was the status window I'd expected, surprisingly,

Today it didn't end there.

[Sione Sianella's trust has exceeded a certain threshold.]

[Sione Sianella's evaluation of you is 'A knight more trustworthy than anyone.']

[When protecting her from enemies within a certain distance of Sione Sianella, a portion of your power will be conditionally unlocked.]

I stared blankly at the status window, surprised by the unexpected additional rewards.

I was happy about Sione's evaluation of me.

And I was curious about what part of my power would be unlocked when trying to protect her.

But unlike those, I needed to first check the small amount of power that had definitely been unlocked.

I closed my eyes and began observing my condition.

The status was... much better than expected.

My mana capacity, which had hit bottom after using spirit magic 4 times—and that was just wind magic which had relatively low mana consumption—had doubled.

With this much, I could probably handle stronger winds besides just whirlwinds.

But that wasn't the only change.

Not only had my mana increased, I hadn't expected to regain another element.

I could now use fire spirit magic, which had been so useful in the dungeon after wind.

Though fire consumed even more mana than wind, its power was definitely worth it.

With my current mana capacity, I could probably cast it twice if I managed well.

When would I be able to summon my actual spirits again, rather than just imitating their elements—

After pondering briefly.

I used just a tiny bit of mana to create a flame to check my recovered fire.

Whoosh!

A small flame appeared above my index finger.

A flame burning with mana.

At this size,

It wouldn't be much burden on my current mana capacity, so I could use it effectively.

Especially thinking about how I wouldn't have to bother making fires to boil soup for Sione anymore, the corners of my mouth lifted.

I extinguished the small flame burning above my index finger.

As I smiled slightly, satisfied with the results, I noticed Sione staring intently at me from across.

"I thought you could only handle wind, but you can use fire too?"

"I wasn't trying to hide it."

"Hmm..."

Sione repeatedly twirled and untwirled her silver hair with her index finger.

Her expression looked rather unsettled, as if something bothered her.

"Don't show that flame in front of others. The same goes for your wind."

"Even Lady Diolia?"

Since Diolia still didn't know I could handle elemental powers.

When I asked this, Sione nodded after some consideration.

"It's clear magic, not just simple physical enhancement. Generally, magic is a forbidden realm for men. You understand what I mean?"

"...If shown carelessly, it could lead to troublesome situations."

"Yes, unless it's truly dangerous, try to keep it hidden as much as possible."

"Then shall we keep it as a secret between just you and me, Lady Sione?"

"A secret just between you and me?"

"Yes. Surely Lady Sione can keep this level of secret."

Sione nodded with an amused smile at my words.

"Naturally."

As she said this while putting another cookie in her mouth—

"...Mustn't let it be discovered and taken away..."

She muttered something.

She seemed to say something, but her voice was too quiet to hear.

"What did you say?"

Sione just showed me a bright smile while tilting her head at my question.

"No, it's nothing worth worrying about."

Well, she did say it was nothing.

Munch munch munch~

Looking at her happily eating cookies with a carefree grin,

As she said, it probably wasn't anything important.

I just gave a brief bow before looking out the window.

And that day, unusually, Sione spent time with eyes open instead of sleeping.

That day was also when Sione watched me with uncharacteristically quiet, subdued eyes.

Of course, while still munching on cookies.

***

The seemingly endless, tedious carriage life finally showed its end.

I looked at the road where numerous carriages and people intersected.

Though we hadn't even entered the territory yet, unlike other places, even the roads outside the territory were neatly maintained.

I'd heard that the Feiosha Marquisate, famous as an outstanding commercial center, attracted many carriages and goods.

The roads near the marquis’ mansion seemed well-maintained due to that influence.

"Finally, the Feiosha Marquisate. Your meeting with Young Master Evan Feiosha is soon... are you mentally prepared?"

The name of Sione's fiancé, Evan Feiosha.

When that name left my mouth, wrinkles formed on Sione's forehead.

What kind of attitude was this, making such an expression after coming all this way to meet her fiancé?

She seemed to still harbor hope for breaking off the engagement.

As if breaking an engagement was such an easy thing.

Now that we'd come all this way, she should accept reality.

"What mental preparation? Evan Feiosha probably won't like me much either."

"Pardon? Why wouldn't the young master like you, Lady Sione?"

"My reputation and rumors must have reached Evan Feiosha's ears as well..."

Sione continued speaking listlessly.

"I consistently ignored all the letters the young master sent me over the years. More than enough to earn a man's hatred, don't you think?"

"...You ignored all his letters?"

"Yes."

"Every single one...?"

"I was locked in my room busy eating cookies every day, and it was an unwanted political marriage, wasn't it? Do you think the me back then would have bothered picking up a pen to write letters?"

"..."

...What an impressively awful person.

I'd thought she just said she wanted to break it off because she was shy.

What sin must Evan Feiosha have committed in his past life to end up entangled with Sione?

At this point, I had nothing left to say.

I could only think that she'd have to handle things with her fiancé herself now.

"Since things have come to this, even though I've come to visit, the young master will probably bring up breaking off the engagement first."

"...Aren't you jumping to conclusions too quickly?"

Sione shook her head at my words.

"No, that's how it will be. There were related words in the content of the letter he said would be his last to me."

"Really?"

"Even in the letter he said would be his last to me, he expressed things related to breaking off the engagement indirectly. Though we'll have to meet and talk properly to be sure, it seems he has thoughts about breaking it off too."

"I see."

With those words, Sione began letting out deep sighs as if the ground might cave in.

Regardless, House Sianella's carriage entered the territory and arrived in front of the marquis's mansion.

We tidied ourselves up and got out of the carriage.

Sione's face darkened upon seeing the magnificent mansion that seemed to flaunt its wealth.

Though the lord must already know that people from the Sianella County had arrived, as it would have been reported when we passed through the castle gates.

Separate from that, Sione would have to meet the lord privately to announce her arrival.

She must be more than a little worried.

"Ray."

"What is it?"

"Can't we return to the county now?"

I shook my head.

"We cannot."

After all the trouble I went through to bring you here.

It would be problematic if you started whining about going back already.

"You haven't even met Young Master Evan Feiosha, your fiancé, yet."

I declared while making firm eye contact with Sione.

"Please don't think about returning to the county until things are properly concluded with him."

Karma, virtue rewarded and evil punished.

This was all retribution for what past Sione had done.

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