The Male Slave of House Sianella - Prologue

Prologue: Becoming a Personal Servant

I had been in this world for quite some time now, thrown here without rhyme or reason. In time, I'd grown somewhat accustomed to my cursed fate as both slave and servant to my master. Following Lady Ainel Sianella's orders - head of the Sianella County - I maintained my post at her side.

A knock echoed through the study.

Lady Ainel, who had been reviewing documents, lifted her gaze to the door. Her lustrous silver hair caught the light as her cold blue eyes seemed to pierce straight through the wall, already knowing who stood beyond.

"Right on schedule," she murmured.

I couldn't help but flinch.

Her whispered words sent a shiver down my spine. Whatever I might have been before, I was nothing but a weak male slave now. Even when her words weren't directed at me, just hearing the voice of the Sianella County's head was enough to make my mental fortitude crumble.

My stomach churned. Better to keep my mouth shut.

"Enter."

A woman carefully opened the door at Lady Ainel's command.

"You summoned me, Mother?"

"Yes. Though you took your time getting here, Sione Sianella."

"My apologies."

Her already bowed head dipped even lower.

I studied Sione Sianella, Lady Ainel's second daughter. Unlike her mother, she cut a pitiful figure. Where Lady Ainel - who stood at the threshold of Sword Master - commanded any space with her martial prowess and beauty, Sione was her complete opposite.

Born to a martial house, yet her overweight frame made me wonder if she did anything but eat and sleep. The only features she shared with her parents were those blue eyes and silver hair. But where her mother's eyes were sharp and clear, Sione's were dull, and her silver hair was lifeless and unkempt. It was nearly impossible to believe she was Lady Ainel's daughter.

Not that I dared voice such thoughts. I wasn't about to lose my head for some careless slight. I was no longer South Korea's elite Hunter - just a male slave in a world where women ruled. If I wanted to keep breathing, I needed to remember my place.

I dropped my gaze and listened silently to their conversation.

"May I ask why you called for me?"

"I think you know perfectly well."

"..."

"Thanks to your tantrums and behavior, there isn't a single servant left in this house willing to attend you."

"...Yes."

"Even when we force servants to serve you, they flee within days because of your verbal abuse."

Each statement fell like hammer blows. Sione's shoulders hunched further with every word.

"I've been wondering what to do with you. Then I remembered your nineteenth birthday approaches."

Tap. Tap.

Lady Ainel's finger drummed against her chair's armrest, the sound sharp in the quiet study.

"You're far too incompetent with a sword to warrant gifting you a blade from our territory's master craftsmen - not that you've shown any interest in swordsmanship. As for holy magic..." She paused. "Well, you fall short of your younger sister there too. Perhaps our bloodline's sword affinity left no room for magical talent in you at all."

Under her mother's ruthless assessment, Sione seemed to shrink into herself. Damn, I thought, she really might not be her daughter...

Through Lady Ainel's merciless words - cutting away at her daughter's dignity without an ounce of maternal affection - I began to understand what kind of person Sione was. A noble born without her family's talent for the sword or magic. Someone whose only worth lay in her noble birth. Perhaps that's why she'd never bothered to try, content to waste her days in idle luxury.

"So I've prepared a personal servant as your birthday gift."

"A personal... servant?"

"Yes. Being a slave, he'll serve faithfully without causing scandal. Though male, he can handle mana, making him more capable than most servants."

"You mean him?" Sione's eyes fixed on me.

I immediately lowered my gaze, lacking the courage to meet her stare.

"Indeed. Why else would I have kept him at my side?"

Lady Ainel nodded. So that explained all my training since being sold to the house.

"His servant training is complete. He'll begin serving you the moment you leave this room."

She rested her chin on her hand, fixing her daughter with those piercing blue eyes. "Since he'll be attending to you from now on, I suggest you don't mistreat him just because of his low birth. You wouldn't mishandle your mother's gift, would you, Sione?"

"...No, Mother. I'll be careful."

Her response wilted under that penetrating gaze and the weight behind those words. At least her fear of Lady Ainel meant I probably wouldn't face too much abuse.

I felt a wave of relief. Even slaves didn't appreciate being beaten without cause.

I hoped we could maintain a simple relationship - I'd do my work, she'd do hers, and we'd keep to ourselves.

After the main discussion ended, an uncomfortable silence fell between mother and daughter. Sione was the first to break it.

"Then I'll take my leave."

"Go ahead."

Lady Ainel nodded quietly before turning her gaze to me. Her eyes clearly commanded me to follow.

"Serve well."

"...Yes, my lady."

I bowed deeply before following Sione out of the study. We walked until we were well away from Lady Ainel's office before coming to a stop.

"Huff... huff..."

She had been walking quickly - too quickly for her stout frame. Sweat poured down her face as she struggled to catch her breath. It was clear she rarely exercised, let alone practiced swordplay.

I maintained my distance as I watched her back.

Once she had somewhat caught her breath, she turned and fixed me with an intense stare. My survival instincts kicked in, and I lowered my head. No point getting into a staring contest over wounded pride - that would only end badly for me.

"...You." Her dull voice bristled with thorns, a hint of hostility seeping through.

What had I done to deserve this pettiness? Her very first words dripped with spite, and I found my irritation rising.

"Don't say unnecessary things. Don't tell me you won't do something. Don't talk back."

"Pardon?"

"You won't bother me like the other servants did."

"..."

Her grating tone telling me not to be a bother was more annoying than I'd expected. A spark of defiance flickered inside me. It made me want to deliberately irritate her, just to see how she'd handle it.

While Lady Ainel's voice carried authority, Sione's just set my teeth on edge.

"Yes, I understand." Despite my inner thoughts, my response remained perfectly courteous.

"Hmph. See that you do."

She snorted before turning around to walk again. This time her pace was much slower - painfully so compared to her earlier hurried steps. This was probably her normal walking speed, one that wouldn't leave her gasping for breath.

When she waddled forward, each step deliberate, I maintained my distance with light footfalls. We continued like this for a while, the atmosphere growing increasingly strange.

Then—

Flash!

I saw something I used to see daily as a Hunter on Earth, before falling into this cursed world.

[You have become Sione Sianella's personal servant.]

[Main quest begins based on your master, Sione Sianella.]

[Reform her and save the world.]

[Success: World salvation, Return to Earth (Optional)]

[Failure: World destruction]

I paused mid-step, staring at Sione's retreating back.
She had just told me not to be a bother.

But now I had no choice but to be exactly that.

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