The Male Slave of House Sianella - Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Sione Sianella (5)

These dinner times, spent sitting at the long table with my family, are the hardest moments for me.

I don't feel I deserve a place here, having achieved nothing for our proud Count's house, living only as a recluse.

These family gatherings are nothing but a bed of thorns for me.

That's why sitting here was torture.

Today, as always, I finished my meal quickly and quietly, like someone being chased, and stood up first.

"...I'll take my leave first."

After years of ending meals like this, fleeing, my family no longer showed any particular reaction.

By now, their indifference is more comfortable—I welcome their silence.

I moved my legs, trying to get as far from this awkward place as possible.

As I neared the dining hall's exit, I heard the men's voices, louder than usual.

Voices I'd grown sick of hearing, so familiar from their daily chatter here.

...Siabel and Sion's servants.

They must be criticizing me again or bragging about my sister and brother as if their achievements were their own.

"So, even though it's just your first day serving Lady Sione... has she already given you trouble?"

It seems today's topic of conversation is criticizing me again.

How impressive that even servants openly mock me.

With questions like that, surely my new personal servant would join them in speaking ill of me...

By now, avoiding people and spitting thorny words had become such a habit that I'd thrown harsh words at him without hesitation.

It would be natural for him to speak ill of me.

I deserve the criticism.

But contrary to my expectations, his voice didn't utter any criticism of me.

"I hope you understand that the Lady Sione I've seen with my own eyes isn't the noble you complain about."

Yet when cleaning my room, he'd seemed to quite dislike me.

Why is he taking my side?

Is there some other reason?

Even I think my usual behavior is more like that of a delinquent than the proper noble I once aspired to be.

I deserve the criticism.

Though his response was unexpected, it didn't feel particularly bad.

"Shall we return to your room?"

So I looked at him for a moment.

They say eyes don't lie.

I wanted to glimpse even a fragment of why he'd taken my side.

But that was all.

"...Yes, let's return to my room."

Because I didn't want to stand long in this awkward place.

I stopped trying to read his intentions and left.

It was obvious that with time, he too would stop taking my side.

I thought there was no need to care about it.

Several more days passed like that.

Winter had gone, and spring had come.

I thought this would be the time when seeds that had slept through winter would bloom and flourish.

The weather was perfect, so I went for a walk for the first time in a very long while.

That servant naturally followed behind me.

With him behind me, excited at the thought of seeing my favorite flowers after so long, I muttered to myself.

"The sunlight is warm and the breeze is cool—what lovely weather."

"Perfect weather for a light stroll around the grounds, my lady."

"Indeed."

What started as muttering to myself turned into a conversation with him.

"Where shall we go?"

"To the garden. The daffodils and irises should be blooming around now—quite beautiful."

"Something to look forward to."

"Anticipation itself can be a pleasure. We'll see tulips and daisies too."

The normal conversation after so long didn't feel bad, so I responded readily.

During our conversation, he asked a question.

"Do you like flowers, Lady Sione?"

The reason I like flowers.

Originally, I had no intention of telling him...

But on a simple whim, I did.

"Because they bloom. Breaking free from their cramped, dark seeds, taking root, sprouting forth, endlessly striving until they finally flower. Isn't that admirable?"

Unlike me, always trapped in dark seeds, flowers eventually bloom.

I loved flowers.

While the time spent making small talk and viewing the garden could have been considered pleasant...

Soon my mood wilted upon meeting Sion.

My younger brother despised my incompetence and listlessness, and enjoyed using them as excuses to tear me down.

From my brother's mouth came endless stories of House Sianella's talented eldest daughter and youngest son, contrasted with criticism of me.

...I'm sick of it. I hate it all now. It's not like I chose to be born this way.

"If only I had proper talent..."

As I whispered this, that servant who usually watched me so carefully boldly said:

"Then why not search for talent in something other than the sword?"

It was absurd.

This man who'd appeared barely a week ago, speaking so shamelessly.

"How absurd. They said you were lowborn, but are you so ignorant you don't even know what House Sianella is?"

"I've heard that Lord Sion achieved excellence by pursuing the path of priesthood rather than the sword. Lady Sione need not be bound by bloodline to persist with swordsmanship."

Yes, I know well I don't need to fixate on the sword.

That's why I struggled so desperately in the past.

"No one is born without talent. Lady Sione has simply not yet discovered the talent given to her."

"..."

"Have you ever tried training in anything besides the sword?"

...Of course I had. Because I wanted to be recognized as a worthy member somehow. But—

I wanted to unburden myself of these feelings somehow.

"After giving up the sword, I tried the spear. But just like the sword, the spearhead never moved smoothly in my hands."

"After that, I tried learning magic. But unlike Sion, I had no affinity for holy power, and ultimately, magic didn't suit me either."

"Still, I thought it was too early to give up. Realizing I wasn't suited for active pursuits, I went to the library to build static knowledge through reading."

"I didn't even want encouragement. I just wanted them to understand and wait until I found my path. But everyone was too busy comparing and belittling me when I went to the library to read."

And to my words, his response was—

"That's fortunate."

It was absurd.

To say "that's fortunate" in this situation.

"...I must have heard wrong?"

I was angry.

Very angry.

"It's fortunate that I still have something I can teach you."

But after hearing this, instead of anger, I nearly burst out laughing.

"Have you ever drawn a bowstring?"

I couldn't understand his words.

"What are you getting at? If you're trying to mess with me... hasn't it been enough?"

"Starting tomorrow, it might be good to try it little by little when you have time. What do you think?"

"Me, going outside this room to shoot arrows? Ha, I can already hear the knights' mockery from here."

It was even fascinating.

"What's this about you teaching me? Even if I follow you out, it's obvious I'll just become a laughingstock again. Why should I go out of my way to face such humiliation?"

"Though born a lowly slave, I am a man who possesses mana. Since birth, it was decided I would be sold as a noble house's plaything under the title of male knight, so I learned basic swordsmanship and archery."

"..."

"Though I learned superficially to maintain the appearance of a male knight... I can at least teach you the proper stance and how to shoot."

I couldn't understand why he was so insistent.

"If you're worried about others' mockery, don't be. Since it would be troublesome if the targets are hard to see in darkness, we can go out when dawn breaks and return before others arrive. I'll wake you when it's time."

"Really, haha."

I could only laugh.

Why go to such trouble for someone like me?

"You, teaching me archery. Can you take responsibility for those words?"

"Of course."

"My, I wonder where that confidence comes from. It's been a while since I heard something so amusing. Now, stop this nonsense and leave."

But the joke ends here.

I didn't want to hear any more of his nonsense. Each time I heard it, my thoughts became more confused.

"Would you believe me if I stake everything I have?"

But he wouldn't stop shaking my resolve.

So I asked him directly.

"Why are you so desperate to cling to me?"

His answer was unexpected.

"No servant enjoys seeing their master disrespected. If any do... they're the type who have already turned their hearts to others."

"..."

"I won't mock you."

...Because he dislikes seeing me disrespected? Why...

I sat on my bed and thought endlessly.

Though it was difficult to reach a conclusion, my heart leaned slightly in one direction.

"...Know that this will be the first and last time I grant your request."

I decided to give in to his words just this once.

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