The Male Slave of House Sianella - Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Sione Sianella (2)

After cleaning her room and refilling her snack plate several times, dinner time had finally arrived.

Now I stood in front of the mansion's dining hall, waiting for Sione.

There was a reason for this. The Sianella bloodline always gathered together for dinner, without exception.

They shared their meals while engaging in conversation, and this included my impossible master, Sione.

After all, she was still technically a noble of House Sianella .

Though given her usual behavior, I wondered if she could even swallow her food under all their scrutinizing gazes. But that was the way things were done.

Inside the dining hall, servants assigned to that area helped with tasks like clearing plates, while personal servants like myself waited at the entrance for our masters.

Being my first time waiting at the dining hall, I couldn't easily join the conversation with the other servants.

This world of reversed gender roles was something else.

First, I couldn't casually join in because these men were chattering away far too enthusiastically.

"Did you hear how Lady Siabel put Lady Diolia in her place?"

"Not just Lady Siabel—Lord Sion also..."

Second, they were busy extolling their masters' greatness.

After following her for a day, it was obvious I wouldn't have anything to brag about Sione, now or ever.

What could I possibly contribute to their conversation?

'Today, Lady Sione spent the entire day in bed eating snacks, except for when she briefly got up. Impressive endurance, wouldn't you say?'

'Truly blessed by the heavens, she can eat lying down for hours without choking.'

'Despite what must have been severe muscle aches... her determination to stay in bed rivals that of a sage!'

When these were the only things I could come up with even trying to make her sound good...

Better to keep my mouth shut than force myself into their conversation.

They say a servant's pride comes from their master's radiance.

Now I finally understood what that meant.

While others were busy bragging about their masters...

Just thinking about my master Sione made me sigh.

As I stood quietly, the chattering servants finally turned their attention to me.

"Excuse me... are you the one who became Lady Sione's new servant?"

The first to address me was Lady Siabel's personal servant—Siabel being Lady Ainel's eldest daughter.

He approached me with a nasal voice, sporting a well-groomed mustache and strong features that suggested strength.

Even in a gender-reversed world, this felt a bit much...

I instinctively stepped back, restoring our original distance.

He gave me an odd look, but I couldn't help it.

What could I do when my body instinctively rejected his approach?

It was beyond my control.

"Haha... you seem uncomfortable. Understandable, really."

"Yes, my apologies. I'm rather shy around new people..."

He seemed to accept my awkward smile and apology.

After our uncomfortable greeting, Lord Sion's personal servant—Sion being Lady Ainel's third child and only son—joined in.

"Pleased to meet you. We haven't been introduced... you're new here, aren't you?"

"Yes, that's right. I recently arrived and became Lady Sione's personal servant."

Unlike Siabel's servant, he spoke without the nasal tone or forced smiles.

I found him much easier to deal with than Siabel's servant.

"Thought you looked unfamiliar... guess I was right."

He briefly smiled as he said this.

Then he wiped away the comfortable atmosphere, adopting a secretive tone and expression.

"...So this must be your first time working as a servant. And of all people, you got Lady Sione, not Lady Siabel or Lord Sion... you're in for a rough time."

A dark, quiet atmosphere instantly fell over the three men.

Naturally so.

After all, they were criticizing a noble.

They couldn't do it openly in broad daylight.

Though I could sympathize given my own experience, I had no intention of joining their gossip.

Their pity for my unfortunate assignment as Sione's servant, mixed with a sense of superiority as they compared themselves to me.

While I could accept their pity—even I felt sorry for myself—their deeply ingrained superiority was extremely uncomfortable.

Siabel's servant jumped on the bandwagon.

"I once served Lady Sione too... I still vividly remember how difficult it was."

This one was openly inviting me to join the criticism by sharing his personal experience.

It was surprising how eagerly these servants wanted to badmouth a noble.

What could Sione have done to make them so desperate to share their stories?

Though they seemed to be bringing this up for my benefit...

[Quest has been formed.]

「Proof of Loyalty」

「Your one and only master faces mockery from other servants. They want you to join them in disparaging your master, but this goes against the virtue of loyalty expected of a personal servant. As a true servant, escape their evil clutches.」

「Reward: Increase in Sione Sianella's favor toward you」

「Failure: Decrease in Sione Sianella's favor toward you」

"..."

I had no intention of joining their conversation.

The sudden appearance of the status window offering increased favor?

Sure, higher favor with Sione might earn me the occasional cookie.

Not a bad thing, certainly.

But the prospect of one cookie wasn't a decisive factor.

The real reason lay with the Sianellas in the dining hall.

The physical abilities of those who possessed mana were beyond imagination.

Their senses were sharper, their capabilities far greater than those without.

This included hearing.

Badmouthing nobles at this distance was practically the same as insulting them to their faces.

The family head who was approaching Sword Master level, and the eldest daughter Siabel whose abilities weren't far behind.

If they wished to listen, they could easily hear the whispers of mere servants no matter how quietly we spoke.

Insulting a Sianella here, even if it was Sione, was practically asking for death.

Though given how freely they seemed to criticize, and the fact they were still breathing, perhaps it was tacitly permitted.

Still, best not to create trouble from the start.

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

I flashed him a smile at his words.

Seeing my smile, he dropped his cautious demeanor and adopted an expectant expression.

Siabel's servant looked much the same.

But unfortunately for them, my response wasn't what they expected.

"Haha, what a jest. How could there be?"

"I see, as expect—wait, what?"

"What impure intentions make you speak to me this way? Are you trying to create discord between Lady Sione and myself?"

"No, discord? What are you—"

"Otherwise... how could a servant dare think of speaking ill of a noble?"

I gave them a disapproving look.

Then, meeting Siabel's servant's eyes directly, I added:

"Isn't that right?"

"Haha... indeed. We must have had a momentary lapse in judgment. Could you forget this happened?"

"I understand. However, you might want to be more careful in the future. Who knows who might be lurking around to hear such secretive conversations?"

"...Of course."

Sion's servant's lips smiled but his eyes couldn't hide his displeasure.

Like master, like servant—the impression was strong.

Though it saddened me to be treated like Sione, his gaze wasn't much different from how I looked at her.

...Still, this kind of hurt.

In response to his irritated look, I showed a sly smile as small revenge.

Even if I was a slave, my current position was as Sione Sianella's personal servant.

Though they might hate me, they weren't in a position to kill me.

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

What are you going to do with that glare?

If you're that annoyed, why not fight me like a proper lady?

Or go tell your master about it.

Having been caught trying to insult a Sianella, they couldn't speak freely anyway.

This small act of spite helped relieve some of my built-up stress.

As I stood there receiving their burning glares while waiting for the quest completion, the subject of their gossip—my master—slowly walked out of the dining hall.

I made a show of bowing deeply to Sione in front of them.

"Shall we return to your room?"

A moment of silence fell between us.

Sione met my eyes.

Earlier, when I'd told her it was dinner time, she'd looked at me with annoyed, furrowed brows.

Seeing her face properly relaxed for the first time, I suspected she might have overheard our conversation.

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

Sione's brief response lacked her usual spite.

Well, even Sione wouldn't spit in the face of someone who'd just defended her.

Thankfully she had at least that much conscience.

As I naturally followed behind her, the quest finally completed.

[Quest completed!]

[Sione Sianella's favor toward you has increased.]

The corner of my mouth curved upward.

Perfect timing.

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