《A S*ave Of Rubelfast》 Chapter 1 ¡°Is that still behaving like that? That¡¯s incredible, really.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not the will of a normal person. The more she¡¯s like that, the more loyal she¡¯ll become once she submits.¡± The two men, who were adorned with all kinds of gold on their bodies like a nouveau riche, giggled for a moment and left. Ellier squinted her eyes open and looked at their retreating backs, before turning her gaze away. It wasn¡¯t the time to care about those guys. ¡®No matter what, I must succeed today.¡¯ Ellier observed the humans that were passing in front of the cage. For some reason, since a while ago her vision became blurry, so she couldn¡¯t see clearly. However, Ellier kept her spirits alert so as to not miss this chance that will never happen again. Just then, she noticed a man who appeared to be a well-trained knight escorting another man wearing a hooded cloak. Although she could not examine their behaviors in detail, Ellier could recognize from their attitudes that they were aristocrats with a glance. ¡®Pretending to be noble while snooping around the slave market.¡¯ It was obvious that he would have a strong pride, so it was clear that he wouldn¡¯t be able to tolerate it if he was provoked or insulted by someone who seemed lesser than a beggar. ¡®Great. I¡¯ll give you the honor of ending me.¡¯ As the shreds of reason wavered back and forth in her mind, Ellier giggled to herself. Fortunately, they were fairly close to her cage. Ellier quietly waited for a chance, and just as they were about to pass the cage, she reached out and grabbed the hem of the man¡¯s cloak. Tung! Although she had managed to grab his cloak, he didn¡¯t notice that and moved on, and as a result Ellier¡¯s skinny arms collided with the iron bars and made a small noise. ¡°Hey!¡± Ellier shouted loudly, afraid that he wouldn¡¯t hear her and just pass by. This time, his gaze turned towards her. Although a bruise forming on the arm knocked against the iron bars of the cage was a matter of course, it wasn¡¯t something to make a fuss about as her entire body was covered in a litany of bruises. ¡°Slave trading is a sin. You rottened noble b*stards!¡± Her throat was hoarse causing her voice to be lower than expected, but there¡¯s no way the man didn¡¯t hear it. But contrary to her expectations that he would immediately pull out his sword and cut her into half, he did not move rashly. He seemed to have been startled, and just patted his chest. ¡°It seems like you¡¯re just a crazy slave. Let us move on.¡± The escorting knight was about to lead him away. Ellier grew anxious and grabbed his clock with even more strength. ¡°Why are you running away? Are you scared of me? Aren¡¯t you clearly aware of what a b*stard like you are doing here? You rotten bast*rds! Cowards!¡± Ellier provoked him with all her might, hoping that he would draw his sword in anger and stab her. But he only looked down at her quietly and asked. ¡°What is it that you want?¡± It was a very dry voice, without displeasure, without alarm and without sympathy. But his eyes that were dry like a desert, did not look away from the venomous eyes of a dying slave. ¡°What do I want? Why? Am I hoping that you¡¯ll be my benefactor? Just kill me! Oh, but you¡¯re such a coward that you don¡¯t have the courage to kill a slave?¡± For a moment she felt him still. A little more and she could die at his hands. And in his wrath she hoped that he will be make a fuss with the slave trader that tied her here. If it goes well, the sword that cuts Ellier might pierce the slave trader¡¯s belly. That was Ellier¡¯s grand plan to screw with the slave traders and die today. But the problem lay somewhere else. ¡°Hah¡­ kill you¡­¡± She didn¡¯t realise this while she was crouched, but it seemed that she had quite the low stamina. It wasn¡¯t enough for her to suddenly move her stiff body, when she shouted with all her might, her vision quickly turned yellow. In the end, before the man could extract the hem of his cloak from her, the strength in Ellier¡¯s hand gave in first. Up until she fainted completely, she looked up at him earnestly. ¡°Kill me¡­!¡± ¡ã??©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤??¡ã A land that wasn¡¯t marked on the map, but a place that everyone knows of, Rubelfast. It was a place that was considered the best for anyone in need of a slave. Although slave trading occured in various parts of the Empire of Pardinas, none of them dared to compare with Rubelfast. The slaves of Rubelfast submitted perfectly, more than slaves from anywhere else, and if a slave that was sold caused any trouble, the slave trader responsible for the sale would obediently condition it once again. But, to those that were being sold as slaves there, it was also a place where they would experience hell while being alive. Ellier never thought that she would realize this in her lifetime though. ¡®Just why am I a slave? Why must it be Rubelfast, of all things?!¡¯ It was unbelievable, but Ellier had died once and came back to life. Additionally, she, though it may seem far-fetched, was the Emperor of this huge Empire, Pardinas. The problem lay in that she woke up in the body of a certain slave girl, returning to 17 years in the past before she, the Emperor, died. ¡®No, just why the heck¡­!¡¯ As Ellier was starting to get worked up over this dog-like situation again, a man with a bulging belly, decked from head to toe in golden accessories approached with a swaying gait. ¡°Hey, let¡¯s stop being stubborn and carve the engraving, hm? If you would just engrave that, you wouldn¡¯t have to suffer. Is it because you think it¡¯ll be hard to live as a slave? Hehe, everyone lives like that. Compared to the free people that worked to death trying to earn money, isn¡¯t it much more comfortable to be a slave that doesn¡¯t have to worries of food and shelter. You¡¯d look pretty all dressed up, why do you suffer needlessly?¡± Ellier opened her eyes wide and stared at him, spitting a few words towards him with difficulty. ¡°Can you read the atmosphere and not touch me when I¡¯m reminiscing about the past?¡± At her words, the slave trader laughed mockingly. ¡°You don¡¯t even remember the past, what are you talking about¡­ Oh, that¡¯s right! You¡¯re going to change your mind after organising your thoughts about the past, right? That¡¯s a good attitude. Let¡¯s carve the engraving on you, dress you up beautifully, and after meeting a good master, you can live a pleasant life.¡± In order to crave the slave¡¯s engraving on her, the slave trader had been ranting nonsensical bullshit for days. ¡°Am I crazy? You¡¯ll carve an engraving?¡± Ellier didn¡¯t think that it was funny, and rejected the slave trader¡¯s suggestion. Slaves that were engraved had a higher price tag, but the slave¡¯s consent was required to carve the engraving. And the engraving of slavery meant ¡®the animal that gave up on being a human¡¯. It was a mark of being as low as an animal, no, perhaps even lower than an animal. So even if she died, she would not let them carve the engraving. ¡®Even if I am at this state, someone that was an Emperor cannot become a slave.¡± She would rather die that being a slave while she had the soul of an Emperor, so it was something that was absolutely impossible. ¡°Don¡¯t be noisy and get lost, you pig.¡± To her, the only pleasure she could derive from living in Rubelfast was watching the slave trader¡¯s fat face distort. It seemed that they had a bet on when she would give in, but she had no intention of letting the slave traders win. The slave trader wondered if he was really on the verge of losing the bet, and all his patience flew out of the window as he burst into anger. ¡°This toxic b*tch! Today¡¯s events have made it clear that there isn¡¯t any difference between you and a beast.¡± He then placed a dog collar around Ellier¡¯s neck, and shoved her into a cage that looked like it was meant for birds, placing Ellier in the middle of Rubelfast Square on display as a spectacle. The surroundings were exceptionally clean and the people were particularly busy today. ¡®Ah¡­ So today was the day the slave market opened¡­!¡¯ The slave market was held once every fortnight, and was possibly a day where slave traders have been waiting for. It was also the day that she has been anxiously awaiting, as it was a golden opportunity to screw with the slave traders and escape from this agonizing place. Ellier was trapped inside the cage like an animal and breathed heavily, but the humans in Rubelfast did not pay her any attention as they eagerly prepared for their opening. And not long after the sun went down from the sky, a cheap band dressed indecently began to make a loud noise. The slave traders waited for a little while longer before finally opening the door. ¡°Welcome to the best slave market in Paldinas, Rubelfast!¡± With a loud bang, as the doors opened, an entertainer greeted the guests with an exaggerated tone and gestures. A large crowd that were waiting outside the entrance even before the opening, started to squeeze through the slave market, loud music welcoming them in. In the middle of the spacious square, a luxurious fountain spouted water, and food and drink stalls were displayed by the roadside with colourful awnings, awaiting customers. If one was unaware that this is a slave market, it might have been thought of as the perfect place for a date in a plaza-like atmosphere in a big city. However, what was different here was that iron cages were littered about the square, and trapped within were slaves that begged to be bought. In order to buy slaves, the people who were waiting for the day the market opened ran inside to snatch up their preferred type of slaves, rushing to view the plaza¡¯s interior. Slaves that experienced popularity were sold by auction, but those who weren¡¯t had to beg to be bought while labelled with price tags. ¡°My Lords! Please buy me! I can do well. I¡¯ll take care of you sincerely!¡± ¡°Master! Here! Please look over here!¡± Thoroughly educated as slaves, they desperately implored those who were judging them from outside their cages to become their masters. This is because the longer they remained unsold, the price of the slave would lower, and the probability of being sold to a place with harsh working environment would increase. The observers weighed the usefulness of such slaves and bargained with the slave traders. About an hour or two later, some people had finished purchasing their slaves unknowingly. They sat under the awning, quenching their thirst of satisfying their hunger while enjoying their leisure time. Around that time, people walking around the plaza discovered Ellier. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°There¡¯s something written over there.¡± In the cage she was kept in, there was a notice written by the slave traders. Perhaps this slave trader had been rolling around the bottom for a long time, so he was able to weave together words that would stimulate perverts. Unsurprisingly, those that obviously had such tastes licked their lips as they came over. To them, the young and skinny slave whose gender could not be distinguished, became the object of their games. They swore obscenities at Ellier as they used the tip of their canes to poked at her crouched body. ¡°You should reveal your feet in the cage, and bark! Bark!¡± They giggled after. However, at Ellier¡¯s firmly crouched form that did not respond, their interest cooled and after spitting at her, they moved away. It was then when Ellier spotted two men with upright postures and an unusual atmosphere amongst the crowd of disgusting people. ¡®Great. I¡¯ll give you the honor of ending me.¡¯ Although her death was imminent, Ellier¡¯s lone figure remained arrogant, and grabbed the hem of the man¡¯s cloak while shouting. ¡°Slave trading is a sin. You b*stard nobles!¡± ¡ã??©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤??¡ã Chapter 2 ¡ã??©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤??¡ã The young man looked down at the slave that held the hem of his cloak and provoked him to kill her, ignoring the advice of his companion to ignore her and leave. And when the slave trader spotted a man that seemed to have a high stature standing near the troublesome slave¡¯s cage, the slave trader thought that something must have had happened, and rushed over in response. ¡°We¨C welcome! What has happened here¡­?¡± At that, the black-haired man escorting the hooded young man gave the slave trader a look of displeasure and started to blame him. ¡°Is this slave managed by you? I heard that slaves in Rubelfast have all been taught obedience. What is this? How dare she hold onto a nobleman and curse at him?¡± ¡°What? Did that b*tch say that? Oh my goodness, I¡¯m so sorry! As she has yet to carve the engraving of slavery, we had brought her out to tame her temper. I really didn¡¯t expect her to do something like that¡­ I¡¯m terribly sorry. If my Lords are willing to buy a slave from us, we will compensate you instead by reducing the slave¡¯s price. It is a deal that you wouldn¡¯t regret.¡± While the slave trader spoke meekly in front of the two, he did not forget his words of appeal to sell slaves. But the young man, who seemed to be stunned in place and continued to look down at the slave lying on the floor of the cage, spoke something unexpected. ¡°Let¡¯s buy this slave.¡± ¡°¡­Yes?¡± ¡°What? Are you serious?¡± It was not just the escort knight that opened his eyes wide and questioning him, but the slave trader as well. The young man did not change his opinion. ¡°I will pay for it.¡± ¡°Bu¨C but¡­!¡± The slave trader looked at the man who was about to purchase a slave and the man who was at a loss, before carefully opening his mouth. ¡°Well, as I¡¯ve said eariler, this slave has yet to be carved with the slave¡¯s engraving. You have no idea how ferocious her temper is. It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen such a poisonous person in the 15 years I¡¯ve been a slave trader. Frankly, as a slave trader, I don¡¯t really recommend it.¡± The escort knight praised this slave trader as one that had a conscience, unlike the vulgar indecency and splendour that were notorious of slave traders. Afterwards, he tried to persuade the young man once again. ¡°Your¨C Ah, no, My Lord. If that¡¯s what the slave trader have said, then this slave might not be suitable to use as a slave.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s that spiteful, then I can just teach it accordingly.¡± ¡°And if she runs away?¡± ¡°Run? From me?¡± Without a single smile on his face, the young man¡¯s voice was clearly filled with ridicule. The knight sighed as he finally enquired about the price of the slave, before throwing a money bag. In the slave trader¡¯s perspective, it wasn¡¯t a bad deal. In any case, this girl seemed like she would die after enduring like this, so it would definitely be better to hand her over at a cheap price before she died. It was only after the slave trader had washed and brought her back, that the young man realized that the slave¡¯s hair was black in colour. It was not at the fact that the slave was not a boy, but a girl, neither was it the fact that her corpse-like body that was covered with wounds and bruises, that made him change his expression. It was the fact that the necklace that his mother had given him reacted violently in response to the slave, as well as the way the slave had rebuked him as a coward. Including those eyes that seemed to burn! Her strong pride, even while lying at the very bottom of human society¡­ ¡°I fed her a bottle of nutritional supplements because she couldn¡¯t come to her senses even after being washed in cold water, which made me think she was on the verge of death. However, it would be difficult for a refund or an exchange to occur, even if she dies on the way back. Do you still want to buy her?¡± The slave trader asked for one last time, afraid that a nobleman would return and kick up a fuss. But the young man only instructed for the slave to be loaded into his carriage, before rising from his seat. Just like that, Ellier, a slave girl with the soul of an Emperor, left Rubelfast. ¡ã??©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤??¡ã Ellier was hot with a fever for several days, and there wasn¡¯t a place that didn¡¯t feel pain. ¡®I¡¯d rather die, damn it!¡¯ Although she tried to bear the pain due to her pride, physiological tears welled up in her eyes, and noises of pain leaked from her mouth. Everytime she cried in pain, something would be shoved into her mouth. At first, she thought that she was undergoing waterboarding, so she struggled, but after a few repeated experiences, Ellier realised that she was being fed effective medicine. Otherwise, the pain that seemed to pound all over her body, could not have been relieved so quickly. Then, some days later, Ellier opened her eyes suddenly. ¡°Oh my God!¡± White light poured through her eyelids, piercing her eyes She seemed to have dreamed of something just now, but she couldn¡¯t remember what it was about. As the afterimage of the sharp dream quickly dissipated, a ceiling made of dark wood, with a serene impression could be seen. ¡®Where is this?¡¯ As she slowly moved her eyes to look around, she spotted a window with bright sunlight pouring in, a chair, table, and a statue all covered with a white cloth. A lone crystal ashtray was on the table, the only item that¡¯s uncovered. ¡®A warehouse¡­?¡¯ At first glance, it looked like the warehouse of an aristocrat, which was used to keep unused items. For ventilation, the window was slightly opened, and as a result, the white cloth covering the items in the room swayed occasionally. It was a long awaited silence. However, Ellier immediately felt a sense of incongruity. Covering unused items with a white cloth was something that someone with some level of education would do. It wasn¡¯t something that wasteful slave traders, who used and threw items as and when they pleased, would do. Furthermore, although the bed she was laying on was slightly old, it was clean and of good quality. In Rubelfast, slaves would never be laid on a bed. When she reached this conclusion, Ellier understood less as to why she was lying there. ¡®How strange¡­ I certainly remembered provoking a nobleman. If the provocation had succeeded, I would have died on the spot; if it had failed, I would have been imprisoned within that filthy slave prison. But right now, it¡¯s neither of the two.¡¯ Ellier decided to try to stand up, moving her limbs slowly. ¡°Ouch!¡± She thought that the pain had diminished considerably, but she realised that as she moved, the joints and muscles all over her body started to hurt again. Her condition was much better than before she had lost consciousness, but it wasn¡¯t at the point where she could say that she had fully recovered. At that moment, there was a sound of the door opening, and a generous-looking middle-aged woman came in. ¡°Oh my!¡± When she saw Ellier trying to sit up, she screamed softly and ran towards the bed. ¡°Oh my gosh! You¡¯ve awakened!¡± Rather than relief, surprise was evident in her exclamation, which told Ellier that she was pessimistic about her recovery. ¡°Baby. Can you see me now?¡± Using ¡®baby¡¯ to address her was quite offensive, but Ellier nodded her head a little expressionlessly. ¡°Can you speak?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± She smiled happily again. ¡°My name is Aisha Adler. Everyone refers to me as Mrs. Adler. What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°¡­Ellier.¡± ¡°Ellier? It¡¯s a pretty name.¡± Ellier was a name she had made for herself. When she opened her eyes, she had just been handed over to Rubelfast as a slave. The certificate of slavery indicated her age and place of origin, but all other information were blank. When she was asked for her name, she had almost said the name she had used in her previous life, Lilliette, but she managed to pause. She died 17 years ago. In the Imperial Palace, there might be another Imperial Princess using that name. On one hand, it was absurd for a slave to bear the same name as an Imperial Princess, and on the one hand, she saw it as an opportunity to change the name she had always hated in her previous life. She, who loved horseback riding, archery, swordsmanship and running, hated her name for the delicate image it gave off. As such, she created the name ¡®Ellier¡¯ by taking the middle portion ¡®illie¡¯ from the name Lilliette. She was quite satisfied at the name that she had made in a rush. ¡°How did you end up in Rubelfast?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ I can¡¯t remember.¡± ¡°What? You don¡¯t remember?¡± ¡°Perhaps I had inhaled too much poisonous fumes and lost my memory. Or was it because they just hit me on the head and so I forgot¡­¡± Although her habit of speaking informally kept making her tongue-tied, Ellier gave reasons for her memory loss that would evoke her feelings of sympathy, acting the part as a slave girl that has lost her memory. Unsurprisingly, it left a great impression on Mrs. Adler, who covered her mouth and an expression of pity appeared on her face. ¡°You have suffered a lot. Oh my gosh, how could those fellows do such a thing to a human?¡± Ellier had almost replied, ¡®That¡¯s right,¡¯ unwittingly. Just as she was about to ask where she was after nodding her head meekly. ¡°You¡¯ve woken up.¡± The door swung open suddenly, and a tall and handsome young man of a stalwart build entered. The woman seated next to Ellier, jumped up and bowed her head. ¡°You¡¯ve arrived, master.¡± He sat on a cloth-covered chair without responding to the woman¡¯s greetings. It was a very natural attitude for someone who entered without knowing that Ellier had woken up. ¡®Oh my God, how the hell did this happen?¡¯ To her surprise, it was a familiar face. Platinum blond hair that evoked sighs of wonder, amber eyes that were beautiful enough to be an ornament, smooth and firm skin that was tanned by the sun, as well as a big and sturdy frame that left no doubts that he was a knight¡­ That¡¯s it. Even if she died and came back to life, she would never forget that appearance. ¡®Isn¡¯t that Slarhan Ventiark!¡¯ He was the strongest political adversary of Ellier¡¯s previous life. The only son of an Imperial Family member, Duke Irdel Ventiark, and an icon of misfortune, he was a popular figure in high society that stole the hearts of many young ladies, and a man that did not associate with any woman, as if he was a monk. ¡°It¡¯s earlier to watch you here than in Rubelfast. It seems that your arrogant personality still remains.¡± While she wasn¡¯t sure if that was meant sarcastically or not, Ellier roughly grasped the situation. ¡®Is this nobleman the owner of the cloak that I had grabbed on to¡­? And instead of killing me, this guy bought me?¡¯ ¡ã??©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤??¡ã Chapter 3 ¡ã??©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤??¡ã ¡ã??©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤??¡ã This was absurd. If it was her previous life, they wouldn¡¯t be found in the same room. To be more accurate, Slarhan, not Ellier, would have gotten up and left¡­ ¡®If her previous life¡¯s Slarhan witnessed the current situation, he would¡¯ve fainted from shock. He had even spent money to save the woman he hated the most.¡¯ Of course, she had never heard a word that violated etiquette from Slarhan. But those piercing eyes that seemed to want to stab her to death remained vividly in her memory. When she lived as ¡®Princess Lilliette¡¯, she would smile even brighter to irritate him even further, but right now, how should she react? ¡®Although getting out of Rubelfast is a good thing, why do I have to be a slave to this guy? D*mn it.¡¯ She once again blamed God. In any case, she had preserved her life, but it was unclear whether she could walk out of this situation alive. ¡®And in order to live, I must satisfy that b*stard.¡¯ As such, although she was reluctant, she limped out of bed and knelt before him. This is because no matter what, a slave couldn¡¯t lie comfortably in front of her master. ¡°What are you doing?¡± At his detached question, Ellier moved hurriedly. She still felt pain all over her body, but she had no choice if she wanted to live. The feeling of her bowing on the floor with difficulty was more subservient than she thought, which made her mood drop. ¡®Are you satisfied with this?¡¯ She lowered her head to the floor to prevent her pouting lips from being exposed. But words that fell over her head were unexpected. ¡°I¡¯m asking you once again. What are you doing?¡± Ellier was caught unaware by his question. ¡®What am I doing? Is this his first time seeing a person lying on the floor? What kind of answer do you want?! Or¡­ is it that you don¡¯t like it when I look too subservient¡­?¡¯ As she rolled her eyes, she slowly raised her torso and stayed on her knees obediently. But Slarhan didn¡¯t seem satisfied with that either. ¡°This fellow, do you not understand words? Are you deaf or something?¡± ¡°Oh, no. She had just answered my question earlier¡­¡± ¡°Then why is she doing this?¡± The hairs on the back of her neck raised at the sound of his voice gradually turning chilly. While the pain in her body had barely subsided enough for her to live, she didn¡¯t want to be beaten to death again. She hesitated for a while, before replying, ¡°Master¡­ I heard that a slave cannot lie before its master, cannot make eye contact with its master, and have to lower its body until the master gives an order. You are the person who bought me¡­ right?¡± Then, Slarhan raised an eyebrow and shot her a look of surprise. ¡°From the slave trader¡¯s perspective, your personality is unusual, but it doesn¡¯t seem like anything special.¡± When Slarhan reached for the ashtray on the table, Mrs. Adler walked up to him and asked him about something, before leaving the room. Ellier became even more nervous when the only person she¡¯s somewhat familiar with left. ¡°Name.¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s Ellier.¡± At the sound of her name, he looked down at her uninterestedly, before taking out a cigarette and lighted it. Upon seeing the white smoke, Ellier¡¯s eyes became clouded. ¡®Ah, if I only could take one drag¡­¡¯ Perhaps it was due to her nervousness, she desperately needed a drag of smoke. In her previous life, she was also a smoker. Unlike the other noblewomen that used flashy pipes, she liked to smoke with a cigarette between her fingers like men, and received a lot of malicious talk for that. But then her temperament was not the type to cave in, so she did not change her smoking habit even at the very end. Ever since she first started smoking at nineteen, the tobacco she had enjoyed the most was the toxic cigars distributed by caravans. Although the taste was strong, it¡¯s scent was appealing. The scent of the tobacco from caravans was strong enough to make her forget about the imaginary scent of blood, and thanks to that, she happily dragged the poison in the cigarette into her body without noticing it. And¡­ From one day onwards, her body was unable to move. When her thoughts reached here, the tobacco that she had been yearning for to the point of salivating, suddenly looked unappealing. ¡®This b*stard also started smoking from an early age. Hey, quit smoking if you don¡¯t want to die from coughing out blood due to lung disease. Or, I don¡¯t know, die from tobacco poisoning like me.¡¯ Unaware of Ellier¡¯s thoughts, Slarhan observed her silently while smoking away half of his cigarette. After exhaling a long drag of smoke, he opened his mouth. ¡°Did you ask me to kill you?¡± As she had already made up her mind to continue living, she didn¡¯t expect such a question. Although she was a little flustered, she still had her pride, and couldn¡¯t stop what she had started. Ellier nodded her head slightly, pretending to be expressionless even though cold sweat was actually forming. ¡°Do you still want to die?¡± Fortunately, Slarkhan didn¡¯t seem to want to kill Ellier either. Ellier carefully shook her head again. ¡°Then I don¡¯t recommend running away. No matter how far you go, I¡¯ll know where you are.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I can also kill you easily.¡± ¡°How?¡± ¡°I fed you my blood.¡± ¡°What?¡± Ellier raised her head up unknowingly and asked. What he was saying was entirely unreal, and not like him at all. ¡®What kind of person is he? Are you a wizard? Would it be possible to do that by just feeding me blood? Was he pulling my leg because I look young and naive?¡¯ Perhaps it was because she looked like she didn¡¯t believe what he had said, Slarhan asked with a mocking voice. ¡°Why? Are you thinking of running away?¡± ¡°Ah, no¡­ It¡¯s not that¡­ It¡¯s just that, it doesn¡¯t make sense.¡± ¡°Sense¡­? It¡¯s common sense¡­¡± Ellier shook her head, not knowing why he kept emphasizing that it was ¡®common sense¡¯. ¡°You might have thoughts of running away if you don¡¯t believe what I¡¯ve said, so how about I give you a little warning?¡± While Ellier frowned and was indulging in the wildest fantasy she could think of, Slarkhan looked at her quietly. His eyes shone with a golden light. At the same time, Ellier¡¯s heart was squeezed to the point where she could not breathe. ¡°Heuk!¡± When her vision had almost turned yellow, she fell onto the floor all of the sudden, wriggling like an earthworm under the scorching sun. She couldn¡¯t breathe, her chest hurt to the point that it felt like it was about to burst, her eyeballs seemed to fall out, and the back of her head was being pulled upon. Physiological tears leaked out, clouding her vision. But in the next moment, the pain disappeared instantly. ¡°Huet, huet, heut!¡± ¡°You only have one life, so don¡¯t think about testing this, and don¡¯t make clamour about this to others.¡± ¡°Ugh, ah, I see¡­.¡± While she answered while breathing harshly, within Ellier¡¯s heart she hurled all kinds of curses. ¡®Did you really have to display it in such an ignorant way? Are you that happy to see me wriggling? Oh, my pride hurts. Of course, you don¡¯t know who I am, but even so! In my previous life, I was the Emperor, not you!¡¯ But apart from being sick, irritable and her hurting pride, she didn¡¯t feel that surprised by his abilities. The moment she felt pain from her heart, she recalled that his mother was from the Sabi tribe and that the medicine she had taken before tasted like blood. The blood of the Sabi tribe, who are often oppressed as followers of darkness and a magical tribe, had special powers. Because the tribe was veiled in secrecy, there wasn¡¯t a way to know any details, but at least two things have become clear today. They held the breath of those that swallowed their blood, and that their blood was a remarkable curative. ¡°There won¡¯t be a problem as long as you don¡¯t run away. When your body gets healthier, you can do as I ask. Do you have any questions?¡± Ellier forcibly straightened her trembling body. ¡°Master¡¯s name, no, may I know your esteemed name?¡± ¡°Slarhan Ventiark.¡± She didn¡¯t think the fact that he was Slarhan Ventiark would change, but she had to ask once not to rouse suspicions. ¡°Then, where are we at?¡± ¡°We are at Ventiark, the Northeastern territory of Paldinas Empire, and within the Castle of the Lord of Ventiark, Rege Castle.¡± At the fact that they weren¡¯t in the capital, Ellier couldn¡¯t help but feel relieved. If they were in the capital, it would have been difficult to stay composed at the fact that her ex-husband, who was no different from an enemy, was just a short distance away. She would probably run over and kill him right away¡­ ¡°Are there any more questions?¡± Slarhan asked as he stood slowly. However, to Ellier, there was nothing she was curious about, as she knew, not only about Slarhan, but also the many things that would happen in the future. However, there was something that she needed to say, as favours and grudges must be remembered ever since ancient times. ¡°Thank you¡­ for saving me from hell.¡± ¡°Well. It¡¯s still too early to thank me. How would you know if I¡¯ll send you into a scarier hell?¡± ¡°No. I don¡¯t think so.¡± Ellier remembered the knights of Ventiark that were exceptionally loyal to Slarhan. Since he was a master that was capable of eliciting such allegiance from those under him, he probably wouldn¡¯t have the thought of returning her to Rubelfast. Ellier¡¯s answer seemed to be surprising, as he looked at her quietly while exhaling dense smoke. But as the tension eased slightly, Ellier¡¯ reason gradually became dazed, so she did not pay attention to his gaze. Through that, she remembered the scent of tobacco that Slarhan was smoking. ¡°¡­Are you smoking the cigar that Avalon distributes?¡± ¡°How did you know that?¡± ¡°Avalon¡¯s medicinal cigars have calming effects on the mind, but long-term usage will increase the intensity of headaches. Rather than that, Fidelo¡¯s cigars will be better. Even if the effect is slightly reduced, there aren¡¯t any side effects.¡± She enjoyed the cigars distributed by caravans the most, but burning various types of tobacco was her hobby, so she gave out the advice with the feeling of ¡®Thank me and listen to me carefully.¡¯ However, contrary to Ellier¡¯s expectations, his eyes dimmed eerily. ¡°How interesting.¡± For a moment, Ellier thought that she heard wrongly. She didn¡¯t say anything interesting, so what was so funny? ¡°Well, the world of nicotine is really¡­ It¡¯s vast and interesting. But, Master¡­ I¡¯m a little¡­ dizzy¡­¡± Just then, Ellier¡¯s stamina was depleted completely. She thought that it was lucky and fainted while feeling at ease. Slarhan did not feel alarmed, even though the slave girl that had been talking to him up until recently collapsed all of a sudden. It was nothing strange considering her physical condition. What was odd was the words that the slave girl had just said. ¡°How would you know if I¡¯ll send you into a scarier hell?¡± ¡°No. I don¡¯t think so.¡± Her reply, which seemed to declare that there couldn¡¯t have been a hell worse than Rubelfast in this world, echoed in his ear. It wasn¡¯t an answer that could be made from an ignorant child who had experiences that were narrowed. Boredom and fatigue of a person that has experienced all kinds of trouble could be seen. It¡¯s hard to say that it was the eyes of a child who is only 15 years old¡­ ¡®Indeed, it wouldn¡¯t be easy to provide an experience that¡¯s richer than Rubelfast¡¯s.¡¯ Those guys from Rubelfast seemed to be unafraid of anything, and chewed on that little girl from head to toe. Not only that, her malnutrition was also serious, and also the filthy living conditions caused the litany of wounds to fester with a foul smell. Even if she hadn¡¯t held on to him and provoked him to kill her, she would have died not long after. He had no choice but to draw his blood as it seemed as though it would be hard for her to survive it without doing so. As she didn¡¯t have a slave¡¯s engraving on her, he didn¡¯t have the thought of leashing her originally. He could only check Ellier¡¯s appearance properly after such treatment. Her black hair was cut short, with pale, bloodless skin and dry lips, limbs that were skin and bones elongating her body, making Ellier¡¯s gender ambiguous. When the doctor checked her eyes by flipping her eyelids open, her eyes were gray, as if her soul had escaped from her body. However, as the girl started talking about her ridiculous story, the eyes that were empty were slowly filled with vitality, and shone like the light of a dawning sky. Slarhan was about to take another drag of the tobacco again, before stopping, and extinguishing it in the ashtray. ¡°A slave that speaks aristocratic words, and is capable of identifying the kind of tobacco that even nobles were hard pressed to purchase and smoke¡­¡± ¡ã??©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤??¡ã Chapter 4 ¡ã??©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤??¡ã ¡ã??©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤??¡ã Slarhan shook his head. He then walked towards the slave girl and lifted her skinny frame. Her weight was so light that it was ridiculous. On the surface, she seemed to be a feeble and powerless slave, but he still couldn¡¯t forget the spiteful eyes the girl had when she told him to kill her. He laid the girl down on the bed and pulled the blanket up to her chin. Just then, Mrs. Adler, the maid that was assigned to look after the slave girl, returned with a small basin of water and a towel. ¡°Oh dear, it seems like she has passed out again. You could have just left her for me to move her to bed.¡± The girl¡¯s body was so light that even Mrs. Adler, an older maid, could carry her around easily. ¡°What about this girl¡¯s meal?¡± ¡°I fed her some broth made from boiled vegetables and barley. Now that she has awakened, I was thinking of feeding her mild soup.¡± ¡°Has her fever gone down a little?¡± ¡°It has improved a lot. It seems that it was a little too much when she greeted the Master, so she might wake up again tonight. She should get better soon.¡± ¡°Her recovery is too slow. Give her some more medicine.¡± ¡°Oh, considering her condition when she first arrived, she has gotten much better quickly. Where did you get this medicine? No matter how I look at it, it seems to be a very expensive drug.¡± ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s medicine or poison¡± Although he had fed the girl his own blood, he wasn¡¯t expecting her to be loyal to him just based on that incident. She was, indeed, an extraordinary child. The young lass that endured for half a year in the terrible Rubelfast, and even chose to die as a human rather than live as a slave. That level of spirit could not be easily found, even within the Knights of Ventiark. Additionally, even when it was a situation where she should be frightened of everything in the world, oddly enough, she faced them all with an air of composure. The way she prostrated on the floor earlier too. It definitely wasn¡¯t a look of submission. It was filled with, ¡°I¡¯m only doing this because it¡¯s the law of the world, not out of my own will.¡± But the reason the necklace filled with his mother¡¯s magic reacted to this child still required further observation. ¡°What exactly is her identity?¡± ¡°She said she doesn¡¯t remember anything, and that she might have lost her memory as she had inhaled too much poisonous fumes. She¡¯s still young, yet so pitiful.¡± Slarhan¡¯s eyes turned sharp for a moment. How would a child that doesn¡¯t remember anything know about cigars from Avalon and Fidelo? Slarhan watched as Mrs. Adler wiped Ellier¡¯s face with a wet towel for a moment, before quietly walking out of the room. The butler stood outside the door, seemingly waiting for him to exit. ¡°This is a personal letter from His Majesty the Emperor. It was sent suddenly, so I have yet to find out what had happened.¡± Speaking with a voice filled with displeasure, he handed Slarhan a letter from the Imperial family. Slarhan broke open the extravagant red seal of the envelope and unfolded the single paged letter inside, finding an unexpected message written with all kinds of lofty phrases. ¡°They¡¯re going to deliver Father¡¯s body.¡± ¡°What? Didn¡¯t they say that the body couldn¡¯t be found?¡± ¡°It seems that they¡¯ve gotten tired of this bullsh*t.¡± The 17th Emperor of Paldinas, Noah Renier Solen. As the older brother of the previous Duke of Ventiark, he was a human incarnate of secular greed and inferiority. Throughout his adolescence, he kept feeling inferior to his outstanding younger brothers, and even after he became the Crown Prince and was crowned as the Emperor, he kept being suspicious and jealous of his brothers, constantly keeping them in check. The former Duke, Irdel Ventiark, who had endured such oppression and followed the suspicious order to inspect the Empire¡¯s Southwest region where disputes had been occurring without complaints, eventually returned as a corpse. However, the Imperial Family did not even disclose how he died and whom he had died because of. They had only sent over the Irdel¡¯s cleanly severed head. When he requested for the entire body to be retrieved other than his head, he had to hear that they weren¡¯t able to find his body. Even when the Ventiark family offered to investigate the area in question personally, they refused with all sorts of excuses. A letter from such an Imperial Family had just arrived, saying that they would deliver the rest of his body. ¡°Isn¡¯t this enough to start a rebellion?¡± ¡°It may be so. He might be planning to turn the Ventiark family into rebels and then wipe them out of Paldinas¡¯s history completely.¡± ¡°Such a plan does sound plausible.¡± Slarhan gritted his teeth, then scanned the letter in his hand again. ¡°But why, of all things, now?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard a while ago that something big seemed to have happened to the Emperor. Afterwards, that brazen person seemed vacant and empty.¡± ¡°That person¡­¡± ¡°Yes. Not long ago, he was bedridden due to a mild cold, and it has been like that ever since. Everyone kept saying that it wasn¡¯t a cold, but the omen of an incurable disease.¡± ¡°Is he trying to make amendments before he dies?¡± ¡°I will send someone to find out the exact details.¡± Slarhan nodded and handed the letter back to the butler. As the butler, who was following Slarhan to the office, glanced at the door that Slarhan had stopped by, and asked carefully. ¡°That slave child¡­ Do you think she will survive?¡± Although he spoke carefully, slight dissatisfaction could still be heard in his voice. He wasn¡¯t cold-blooded, and although he felt sympathy for the young slave that was dying, he couldn¡¯t understand why his master had given the slave a storage room, or even a room inside the Castle to nurse her. No, the problem lay in that Slarhan bought a slave, as the Ventiark family doesn¡¯t use slaves. The reason he went to Rubelfast with Tariq was to make sure that none of the Ventiark¡¯s family knights that left with Irdel had been handed over to slavery, and not to buy slaves. Still, the butler did not lecture Slarhan, who had brought back the slave. Slarhan was someone that went above and beyond Duke Irdel Ventiak, who was universally praised for his greatness. Even though he was only twenty-two, he took full control of Ventiark within half a year and managed the affairs so perfectly that he did not feel Irdel¡¯s absence. Although the butler¡¯s evaluation of Slarhan was that of a great person, and that he probably would have a profound reasoning behind his actions¡­ ¡°Of course she¡¯ll survive. Such a strong willed person wouldn¡¯t die so easily.¡± ¡°She isn¡¯t an ordinary child. A girl that¡¯s around 15 years old surviving in Rubelfast for half a year¡­¡± ¡°Let that child use that room until she¡¯s fully recovered.¡± The butler immediately raised his head with eyes wide open. Housing a filthy slave that¡¯s on the verge of her last breath in a room within the castle made him quite worried, but he closed an eye as she was staying in a warehouse. But the fact that it¡¯s a warehouse didn¡¯t mean that it can be used by a slave. Other servants used the annex or the servant¡¯s quarters on the first floor, so it was absurd that he would be staying in a room on the second floor with a slave. However, despite being able to guess what the butler was dissatisfied with, Slarhan did not change his words. ¡°¡­All right.¡± Instead of a sigh, the butler greeted him and left. The office became quiet. It was actually the young slave herself that Slarhan was worried about. Of course, she was an interesting existence, but given his current situation, that level of interest was nothing more than a wind passing by. Due to Irdel¡¯s death, he felt a sense of crisis, as if a sword was about to descend on the fate of not only himself, but all those connected with the Ventiark family. Perhaps, delivering Irdel¡¯s body was also a trap. Perhaps the intention was to annihilate the last remaining bloodline of the Ventiark family. How much more loyalty must he display, and how much more of his lack of defiance must he display, in order for the Emperor to stop his mad oppression? There wasn¡¯t any way for him to figure out the Emperor¡¯s intentions now. As such, he had to place his hopes on something, even if it was a small hope. ¡®There must be a reason why Mother¡¯s power pointed to that child.¡¯ He fiddled with the pendant on the necklace left by his mother, who possessed incredible magical powers. The necklace that was silent for a long time, trembled in front of that child. He thought it was his imagination, so he reached out with his hand to clasp it, but the pendant pulsated like a heartbeat. His mother was a very wise woman, and he had faith that her power wouldn¡¯t direct him to something that could harm him, so Slarhan bought Ellier immediately without a second thought. Perhaps his mother¡¯s magical powers pointed to the child, intending to teach him what he lacked the most. ¡°Just kill me!¡± Those eyes that stared at him looked more alive than anyone else, even though she told him to kill her. Slarhan let out a deep and heavy sigh, and looked out of the window. The clean glass window reflected his indifferent eyes, which only had a sense of obligation and responsibility left. The dreary loneliness in those eyes deepened. ¡ã??©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤??¡ã It was late that evening when Ellier woke up. When she opened her eyes, it was dark everywhere, but the candles were lit in the room, so it wasn¡¯t to the point where she couldn¡¯t recognise the objects in the room. Ellier stared blankly at the ceiling, reflecting on some of the things she had learned. ¡®That day, Slarhan bought me from Rubelfast, and this is Ventiark¡¯s territory. In any case, I was kept alive because of him, right? Never in my dreams would I have thought that I¡¯ll be saved by Slarhan¡­ Come to think of it, he should be twenty-two because he is six years older than me¡­¡¯ Ellier, who was quietly calculating her¡¯s and Slarhan¡¯s age, realized something and jolted out of bed. ¡®Oh, wait a minute! If that¡¯s the case, then the Emperor would be announcing his successor next year!¡¯ ¡ã??©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤??¡ã Chapter 5 ¡ã??©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤??¡ã ¡ã??©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤??¡ã Ellier thought that she had become somewhat dull after her hardships in Rubelfast, making her completely forget about the coming events! During next year¡¯s Spring Banquet, the Emperor will make an announcement regarding the succession. While it would probably be better if the announcement was simply a decree naming someone as the Crown Prince or Crown Princess, the problem was that this was not the case. This announcement shook the Imperial Family and High Society to the core, and also reversed the fate of Princess Lilliette completely. It was both the beginning of her glory and her despair, and the event she had thought of the most while she was in a vegetative state for 10 years. ¡®Could that be the reason I¡¯ve returned to this point in time? But why in the body of a slave¡­?¡¯ Ever since she had awakened in this life, she had mulled over the reason for her new life several times, but till now she has yet to reach a convincing conclusion. But if it was because of the Emperor¡¯s announcement¡­ Chills ran down her spine. Does it mean that she would have to repeat the situation where she couldn¡¯t die and spent 10 years wallowing in regret? No, she has the status of a slave now, so that can¡¯t be possible. ¡®Then what is it? Why did I have to return to this point? Other than that announcement, there wasn¡¯t anything occurring at this point in time that was important! Is it just a coincidence? No, aside from all that, why do I have to live this sh*tty life again?¡¯ Just as she was feeling suffocated by her frustration and grievances, the door opened quietly. It was Mrs. Adler. The appetising smell seems to indicate that she has brought dinner. ¡°You¡¯ve woken up, Ellier. I should have woken you up¡­ How are you feeling? Goodness, your complexion still looks pale.¡± ¡°N¨Cno. I don¡¯t feel that energetic, but I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll faint again.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great. Eat quickly. If you eat well, your body will heal faster. Up until now, I had only been able to feed you broth made from boiled vegetables and barley.¡± After helping Ellier up to lean on the head of the bed, Mrs. Adler placed a bowl of watery soup that¡¯s milky coloured on the bedside table. Perhaps due to concerns about her weakened digestion, there weren¡¯t any solids present, but the fragrant smell made her mouth water. Ellier grabbed the spoon unwittingly and began to bring soup into her mouth. It was pure survival instincts. The simple thought to continue living completely cleared up her previously complex mind. ¡®Yeah¡­. In any case, I want to continue living so there¡¯s no other choice. Perhaps God wanted her to straighten out the 10 years¡¯ worth of regrets and resentment. While the ¡®hows¡¯ were still unknown, no matter what, she had to survive, and recover her energy in order to plan for the future. And no matter what happened from now onwards, there was no way that Ellier, who had endured the hellish place of Rubelfast, could not overcome them. Afterwards, Ellier focused completely on recovering her body¡¯s condition. Even if the food didn¡¯t sit well with her, and even if it caused her to throw up eventually, she kept emptying her plate during meals. After a meal, she would walk around the room for exercise. She never had imagined that she who rode on horses and ran about wielding her sword, would term walking about the room as exercise, but currently her body was to the point that even this was strenuous. But Ellier didn¡¯t laze and persisted in moving about. Thanks to that, her body, which trembled like a newborn fawn, gradually gained weight and strengthened. One day, after many months of not seeing him, Slarhan appeared. ¡°I¡¯ve heard that you¡¯ve worked hard to recover, you do seem more like a human.¡± ¡°Le, no, Master.¡± Ellier had almost spoken aloud the nickname that she had called him in her previous life, ¡°Lehan¡±. Whenever she called him Lehan without permission, he would politely respond with, ¡®Yes, Your Highness Lilliette.¡¯ She told him cheekily that it was alright for him to call her by ¡®Lily¡¯, but he had never crossed the line. But now, he seemed to narrow the distance between them too easily. Of course, this was in comparison to her previous life. ¡°But you still need to gain more weight. You¡¯re taking your medicine on time, right?¡± ¡°Although I have been thankfully consuming my medicine on time, aren¡¯t you giving me too much of that precious medicine? I think I don¡¯t need to take the medicine anymore.¡± The medicine was his blood. Due to such medicine, it was unpleasant to have to live depending on Slarhan, but there was no dispute over the fact that it was a miraculous medicine that could even save someone on the verge of death. Additionally, as it was blood that flowed in the body of the Duke, the precious medicine was invaluable. But now that she was almost completely recovered, logically speaking, it did not make sense to give her such precious medicine. The more precious the goods, the more efficiently they should be used, isn¡¯t that so? That¡¯s what she learned in her previous life. However, he seemed to find her worries ludicrous. ¡°Why? Are you scared? If you¡¯re scared, then you shouldn¡¯t have thoughts about running away.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not that, no matter what it¡¯s blood¡­ If you keep squeezing out blood like that, how can your body be alright?¡± ¡°The mouse is worried about the cat.¡± Looking at Slarhan ignoring her well intentioned advice, Ellier thought to herself, scoffing. ¡®Do you think that you¡¯ll be young forever?¡¯ However, she kept her expression gentle. As he sat in the chair, Slarhan gave Ellier a once over. ¡°Did you say you were fourteen?¡± ¡°I am sixteen years old.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± Slarhan frowned at that answer with a look of disbelief. ¡°There¡¯s no way, you can¡¯t be sixteen now. I think you¡¯re mistaken.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t remember my age either, but the slave certificate said I was 16. The younger the slave is, the more its worth, so the slave traders might have reduced my age on purpose.¡± ¡°You¡¯re actually sixteen¡­¡± It wasn¡¯t that Ellier couldn¡¯t understand his feelings. She herself also couldn¡¯t tell that her body was sixteen years old. Perhaps the body¡¯s owner did not have proper meals even before waking up in Rubelfast. ¡°You would be of age in two years, but who would think of that when they look at you?¡± ¡°It seems that way to me as well, but what can I do? Age is not something I can increase or decrease as I please.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Ellier brushed against her skinny wrists that were close to a skewer awkwardly, then looked at the autumn light outside the window. Ventiark was located in the Northeast region. The winters were long and summers short. It was an expansive territory that only saw the flowers bloom when the spring flowers in the capital bloomed, and when the autumn leaves were vibrantly on display in the capital, it was only the Northeast was still enjoying the last days of summer, The short summer had passed, and the leaves of trees were dyed a yellowish red. ¡°Excuse me, but may I ask what the date is today, Master.¡± At that question, Slarhan, who was still looking at Ellier, raised his eyebrows slightly, before answering indifferently. ¡°September 18, 892.¡± Ellier mumbled the date several times, ¡°So it¡¯s September 18th¡­¡± During the Spring banquet on March 15 of the coming year, the Emperor will announce the matter of his successor. She had to be healthier before then. No matter what, this announcement seemed to be a matter of importance to her, especially now that she was relying on Slarhan more than ever. Perhaps, she had no other choice but to choose the completely opposite path from the one she took in her previous life. ¡°How did you live like before you were captured by a slave trader?¡± Ellier was taken aback by the sudden question, but immediately made an expression of confusion. ¡°I¡­ am not sure.¡± ¡°Ah, did you lose your memory due to the poisonous fumes used by Rubelfast?¡± ¡°That seems to be the case.¡± ¡°Is there a possibility that you might have been from nobility?¡± Her heart pricked. But Ellier shrugged her shoulders and spread out her palms. ¡°Could I have been a noble? I¡¯m not so good looking.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± He was expressionless, so she couldn¡¯t figure out what that meant. But the eyes observing Ellier were sharp. To not be seen as a pushover, Ellier instinctively straightened her shoulders and back. She didn¡¯t know that it was a typical attitude of aristocrats that slaves and commoners could not imitate. ¡°How unique. Truly¡­¡± Goosebumps rose as Slarhan continued to stare at her with narrowed eyes. ¡®Who would be scared if you kept staring like that? I, a woman that has even become the Emperor before! I¡¯ve even been on battlefields, this is nothing!¡¯ Ellier, who had unknowingly became nervous, felt a blow to her pride due to her own nervousness, and immediately gave a smile while pretending to be composed. A thought seemed to have come to Slarhan¡¯s mind, and he gave an unexpected suggestion. ¡°The condition of your body seems to be in good shape, so let¡¯s go for a walk. Follow me.¡± After coming to Ventiark, Ellier had only stayed in this room. With the feeling of a prisoner leaving solitary confinement, she immediately followed after him. She felt as though crossing the room¡¯s threshold was akin to crossing country¡¯s border As she glanced around while descending the stairs, she found that all of Slarhan¡¯s servants stopped what they were doing, and bowed their heads in greeting. It was only when she saw this image that Ellier had realized that she held her head up with her back straightened, just like Slarhan. At the same time, she met the disapproving eyes of Slarhan¡¯s aide Tariq, and hurriedly lowered her head. ¡®Ahhh! I just can¡¯t get used to this.¡¯ Although it has already already been half a year since the regression, but Ellier forgets that she is a slave constantly. This may be because she had endured through Rubelfast with the dignity of an Emperor. After coming to Ventiark, neither Slarhan nor Mrs. Adler criticized her behavior, so she did not realise this until now. However, not everyone remains composed about the existence of slaves. Tariq, who went to the place Ellier was living at with Slarhan, was annoyed with the existence of slaves itself. It wasn¡¯t because he was a bad person. Recalling the Tariq Dinell she knew from her previous life, although he spoke gruffly, he had an upright and loyal character, and was good at taking care of his subordinates. He was also a rarely found spearmaster in the Empire, and he just thinks of the existence of slaves itself as blasphemous. That was also an accurate view. However, slavery has already became a necessary evil in the Paldinas Empire, and since the Empire itself cannot be changed, so he would rather be rid of slaves that were before him. In any case, as soon as he spotted Ellier and Slarhan, he followed behind Slarhan and stared at Ellier with a slight frown, as if he was dissatisfied with Ellier. When the tanned muscular giant frowned his thick eyebrows, that image alone was threatening enough. ¡®What? What about me?!¡¯ Both receiving medical treatment in the castle and her leaving the room were Slarhan¡¯s orders, so she didn¡¯t know why he was glaring at her. Ellier¡¯s petulance appeared and she pouted her lips. Whether he knew that there was a strange battle occurring behind him or not, Slarhan walked towards the back gate of the castle and opened the large door leading towards the garden. The sudden gust of wind made Ellier shiver. Residents living in Ventiark might still perceive this as late summer. However, Ellier was living in Rubelfast up until recently, which was located near the desert, and the fact that Ellier¡¯s body was still weak, was sensitive to the chilly air that the wind brought. She felt that if she caught a cold, it would become a headache, so she rubbed her forearms. Suddenly, Slarhan turned around and placed the thin jacket he had on onto her shoulders. Ellier was so surprised that she froze stiffly. In fact, she wasn¡¯t the only one who froze. The servants that were around them doing their jobs, also had expressions of surprise. ¡ã??©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤?? Chapter 6 ¡ã??©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤??¡ã ¡ã??©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤??¡ã Tariq seemed to be observing the mood, before moving forward. ¡°Your Grace, I would rather give her my clothes.¡± ¡°Yours¡­?¡± When Slarhan looked at him in puzzlement, Tariq realized that he wasn¡¯t wearing outerwear. ¡°Oh, this¡­ In that case, I¡¯ll get a servant to bring outerwear over.¡± ¡°What for?¡± ¡°But that¡¯s¡­¡± Slarhan didn¡¯t seem to mind, but Ellier could understand Tariq¡¯s concerns fully. Slarhan must have had such a thought process, ¡®Someone feels chilly. So I should give them something warm in advance. Ah, this should be good enough,¡¯ and handed his jacket over without thinking too deeply into it. However, as his aide, Tariq would have to pay attention to the honor of his Lord and the opinions of others. The same held true for Ellier. For a slave from Rubelfast to be following the Duke, it was a surprising enough event. If she was caught with the Duke¡¯s jacket on her shoulders, the damage from the rumours will spread was unimaginable. Perhaps it¡¯s too late. ¡°He¡¯s right. It¡¯s too much for a slave to be wearing the Duke¡¯s clothes, it¡¯s too much. Your consideration in itself is a point I should be thankful enough for.¡± Ellier hurriedly took off his coat and carefully handed it over to Slarhan, bowing. At that, Tariq¡¯s expression flashed with the unspoken meaning of, ¡®Your head is screwed on right.¡¯ But the problem lay with Slarhan. ¡°I don¡¯t understand why it has to be so complicated.¡± ¡°My Lord.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case then I¡¯ll ask instead. Which of the two holds a greater sin, the Duke giving his clothes to the slave or the slave refusing to accept it¡¯s Master¡¯s favor?¡± ¡°Tha¨CThat¡¯s¡­¡± Although Ellier made a face of embarrassment, inwardly, she was cursing Slarhan. This was an abuse of power. In this situation, it¡¯s impossible for a slave to tell the Duke that he¡¯s wrong. Fortunately, Tariq quickly sided with her. ¡°Your Grace, it is very burdensome for a slave. If a slave, who isn¡¯t even a regular servant, walked around in the Duke¡¯s clothes, there wouldn¡¯t be anyone that doesn¡¯t know of this slave from tomorrow onwards. What happens if the servants become jealous of this slave because the Duke favours her?¡± Perhaps his line of reasoning worked, as Slarhan picked up the jacket held out by Ellier. Just then, a quick-witted servant ran over and put his outerwear over her. ¡°Uh, this¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m Vedell. You can return the jacket to me later.¡± As he whispered softly, he blinked at her, before quickly walking away. He seemed to be of the same age as Slarhan, but seeing as how he was so sharp, he seemed to be a cut above the rest. After letting out a short sigh, Slarhan looked at her before turning around and moving forward again. The place he headed to was the training grounds. When she spotted the training grounds from afar, Ellier became a little excited. The metallic sound of swords reverberating into her ears made her heart pound. She wanted to run over immediately and run wild while wielding the sword. How many years has it been since she last held a sword¡­ As he watched Ellier look around with her eyes wide opened, Slarhan spoke with a tone of indifference. ¡°This is the training ground for the Knights of Ventiark. Starting from tomorrow, you¡¯ll train your physical strength here.¡± It was an unconventional order. It didn¡¯t make sense for a slave to train her physical strength in the training grounds used by knights. Tariq was probably thinking the same thing, and his eyes widened. ¡°Your Grace. Isn¡¯t the knight¡¯s training ground a bit too dangerous? If she was hit by flying stones in the wrong way¡­¡± Although his words were seemingly out of concern for Ellier, it was obvious that he was displeased about the fact that the slave would be setting foot in the knight¡¯s sacred training grounds. ¡°Well, that¡¯s true. Then, you can use it only after 5pm when the knights have finished their training.¡± Ellier gave an annoyed smile and glanced at Tariq. However, Tariq didn¡¯t dare to protest anymore and could only purse his lips tightly. It was apparent from both the incident with the jacket and giving permission to use the training grounds that Slarhan did not treat others differently based on their status or identity. Ellier sighed quietly and nodded. Whether it was to run away or to make a deal with Slarhan, both required her to have a healthy body, so physical training was essential. ¡®That¡¯s good! Since it¡¯s like this, I¡¯ll make full use of Slarhan, you punk!¡¯ Ellier repeated to herself her firm resolve without telling anyone else. ¡ã??©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤??¡ã If there was a need to pick the most fussy master from the Jade Palace, where the Empress and her children lived, it would undoubtedly be the Third Princess, Ellor del Solen. Empress Lavienne was indeed a noblewoman from a prominent aristocratic family, although she had strong pride and was dignified, she did not fuss about every little detail. The First Prince Renscher and the Second Princess Luria were both not boisterous people. However, the Third Princess Ellor was completely different. Growing up, she was praised for her beauty from a young age, the flower of the Imperial Family has always wanted to reign as the queen of high society. It was understandable as she was such a beautiful woman. Shiny and voluminous hair that were a clear shade of blonde, emerald eyes glimmered brightly underneath delicate eyelashes. Her poreless red cheeks, and her smile was bewitching despite her innocent impression. She was gorgeous, and constantly surrounded by others. She like to flaunt and also spreaded rumours without hesitation. In addition, perhaps she was well aware of her strong background, she started things without thinking about the cleanup, and did them with great confidence. Such an Ellor became odd suddenly half a year ago. Ellor, who had attended a party and returned late the previous day, instead of sleeping in until noon as per her normal routine, she opened her eyes at around 10 in the morning, and started to speak of strange nonsense. ¡°This is¡­ my room¡­?¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness. Are you feeling unwell? I¡¯m a little worried as you seemed to have drank too much yesterday¡­ ¡± ¡°What is today¡¯s date?¡± ¡°Yes¡­? It¡¯s January 5th, 892.¡± ¡°January in 892? The year of 892 is¡­ That¡¯s right¡­ It¡¯s 18 years ago¡­¡± ¡°Your Highness, are you really alright? Did you have a bad dream?¡± ¡°Ah, no, don¡¯t worry about it. Go to the library right away and borrow the Imperial Family¡¯s genealogy.¡± ¡°What? Why are you talking about the Imperial Family¡¯s genealogy all of a sudden¡­¡± ¡°If I told you to bring it back, go and bring it!¡± ¡°I¡¯m¡ª I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll be right back.¡± When the maid went and brought back the Imperial Family¡¯s genealogy like the wind, Ellor turned the pages of the book like a crazy person, and checked the genealogy of the current Imperial Family. ¡°It¡¯s not here¡­! It¡¯s really not here!¡± ¡°Your Highness, what are you¡­¡± ¡°Have you ever heard of the name Lilliette?¡±¡± ¡°Lilli¡­Lilliette? That¡¯s¡­ I¡¯ve never heard of it. Shall I ask the other ladies-in-waiting?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t know.¡± Briar, who has worked as a maid for Ellor for a long time, had never seen Ellor smiling so happily before. It was a smile of relief, and seemingly possessed everything in the world. Ever since then, Ellor has changed for some reason. Although she had a picky personality, she was usually uninterested in things that had nothing to do with her. However, she began to observe the actions of the two other Imperial concubines and her half-brothers and half-sisters. She paid attention to the political situation and seemed to order someone to gather some information. Also, she cut back on gatherings with her peers, and instead attended gatherings of powerful nobility. She had also begun greeting the Emperor, whom she had ignored as if they were complete strangers, and started to issue orders with meanings that were unknown. Others thought that this was just one of Ellor¡¯s whims, perhaps a passing wind, but Ellor wasn¡¯t who she used to be anymore. ¡®For the next half a year¡­ I have to gather as many people over to my side as possible before Father announces about his successor.¡¯ Although Ellor felt tired after she returned from reciting a poem she didn¡¯t like amongst the older ladies, she stared venomously at the dates once more. After half a year, the Emperor will announce that he¡¯ll choose a few candidates to compete for the throne. In her previous life, Ellor was tired of it and gave up, but that turned out to be a big mistake. ¡®This time, I¡¯ll definitely take both Clyde and the throne.¡¯ She had deeply regretted her life¡¯s failures, so she offered her soul to a demon. In return, she returned back in time to 18 years ago. Up until now, everything has been smooth sailing so far. This was before the competition for the throne, and most importantly, there wasn¡¯t any Lilliette. Her wish to send Lilliette back to a non-existent past has indeed come true. As she was enveloped in a dazzling light, she seemingly fell into a deep sleep, but when she opened her eyes, she was 18 years in the past. Although she had signed a contract to give her soul to the devil if she didn¡¯t achieve her goal, she felt like she had escaped from her bleak reality and was confident that she could achieve her goal, she felt that she had gotten a great advantage. It would have been nice if she could go back to when she was younger, but this wasn¡¯t that bad either. In any case, as it was before the successor announcement, even if it wasn¡¯t long, she had plenty of time to prepare for various events. Such as putting a hallucinogen into her brother¡¯s, Rensher¡¯s, winter clothing, and sending him off to recuperate. ¡®Older sister Luria wasn¡¯t interested in the successor position anyways, so Mother will have no choice but to support me. In the first place, it was a foolish idea to push Renscher as the successor.¡¯ Even in her previous life, Rensher was completely unreliable. The only thing that he could be held in esteem for was his status as the eldest son from the Empress. However, soon that ¡®bloodline¡¯ will become meaningless. If it was truly so, he should have had hope and wisened up, but he constantly complained that the position of Crown Prince that was rightfully his was taken away, showing how little ability he had. ¡°Furthermore, you tried your hardest to throw away your younger sister.¡± That was the most unforgivable part. When that detestable Lilliette became the Emperor thanks to Clyde, she who tormented Lilliette was in mortal danger, Renscher didn¡¯t help her at all. ¡°It¡¯s the truth that you had hurt Lilliette in particular! What if we¡¯re shunned because of you?¡± He said that while shaking off her hand violently. It was probably fortunate that such a person did not become the Emperor. Even if he did become Emperor, he wouldn¡¯t have rewarded his younger sister for the hard work that was done for him. ¡®It¡¯s a past life, so it doesn¡¯t matter anyway. What matters is this life. I know the future, so I can claim both Clyde and the throne.¡± Just thinking about it made her smile. ¡ã??©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤??¡ã Chapter 7 ¡ã??©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤??¡ã ¡ã??©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤??¡ã Clyde Kassir. As the second son of the Marquis of Kassir, he was a perfect man, with talent that only appeared once every hundred years, and a handsome appearance that famous male opera singers cannot even compare to. He was also the man who would become Emperor. In her previous life, Ellor had only realized that all of her designs were in vain when she reached the depths of despair. She should have held him in her palm first. At the thought that she missed him due to her oversight in her past life, she became filled with so much anger that she could even wake up from her sleep. ¡®My life can¡¯t just end like that. Clyde, this time round, I¡¯ll never let you slip away.¡¯ With the help of the ladies-in-waiting, Ellor took off her tight clothes and ordered for white rose scented oil to be poured into the bath. It was an expensive and precious scented oil that most nobles could not use frequently, but for the sake of Clyde, whom she will be meeting soon, it was not a waste at all. ¡ã??©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤??¡ã ¡°Oh, it¡¯s so cold.¡± Ellier habitually said it was cold, but began to slowly run around the training grounds. It has already been three weeks since she had started physical training. During this period of time, she became quite healthy, and now she was capable of running three laps without a break. While white fog appeared as she exhaled while running, Ellier pondered on what she should do in the future. Her vexations started by organizing the events of her previous life. ¡®Clyde Kassir, that b*stard! Even if I kill him slowly, it won¡¯t be enough!¡¯ Clyde Kassir. It was the name of Ellier¡¯s husband, no, her ex-husband. Since he was called a genius since young, and he had a good-looking face, no matter where he went, Clyde was popular. As there wasn¡¯t just one or two Young Ladies that were burning with impatience for him, he was more famous than the heir to the family, his older brother Maximillian. No matter how exceptional he was, his biggest weakness was his inability to succeed the Marquisate of Kassir. As a very conservative family, the second son could not inherit the title of Marquis no matter what as long as his older brother was still alive. He was dissatisfied with this, and at that time, the Emperor made a groundbreaking declaration. ¡°I will appoint the most capable person amongst the Princes, Princesses, and my nieces and nephews as the next Emperor!¡± The Emperor, who seemed as though he delayed the Crown Prince¡¯s appointment because of his selfishness, gave all his children and nieces and nephews an equal opportunity. On one hand, it was an exceptional declaration that could be called progressive, but on the other hand, it was a surprising declaration. How could someone that placed great importance on himself, treat his children and nieces and nephews as equals? In particular, considering his history of tormenting his brothers and their children, it was a declaration that could help but be suspicious. But not long after, the reason behind the Emperor¡¯s declaration spreaded secretly. ¡°Apparently, His Majesty is said to have congenital infertility, hm.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then the Imperial Highnesses¡­?¡± ¡°They are all children of other men. If that¡¯s the case, then his nieces and nephews are more closely related to His Majesty.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why such an announcement was made!¡± It was a scandal of the century. In the history of Pardinas, has there been another genealogy like this? Although the Empress and the Imperial concubines claimed that those rumours were complete nonsense, even with their claims of innocence, no one objected to the fact that the Emperor¡¯s nieces and nephews were candidates for the throne. In any case, it was a golden opportunity for Clyde. He planned to make one of the Princesses the Emperor, and marry her. ¡®And I was chosen. I must have looked so foolish¡­¡¯ Ellier¡¯s pride was hurt from that point. However, Clyde then was amiable and kind to the point where it made it impossible to guess what he was actually thinking. Moreover, he had faithfully performed his role as an advisor, and dished out stern advice. With his ingenuity, he laid out a board that was advantageous for Lilliette, who succeeded in completing his plan, and achieved victory in this manner. The two couldn¡¯t be more perfect as partners. ¡°I, too, accept the results of the fair evaluation conducted by the Evaluation Committee of Candidates for Emperor, and declare the Fourth Imperial Princess Lilliette Syaard Solen as the Crown Princess.¡± When she was declared as the Crown Princess, how ecstatic she was then. It felt like her hard work during this period of time seemed to be compensated for at once. But it wasn¡¯t only the fact that she was designated as the successor to the throne that made her happy. ¡°I couldn¡¯t tell you before, but I want to convey my feelings now. I love you, Your Highness. I have come to love you through the times I¡¯ve spent with you.¡± She, who just became the Crown Princess, received a romantic confession from Clyde, saying that he wanted to convey his feelings. As they had been through sufferings together, she had no choice but to believe. As she also loved him. She thought she had everything in the world. She should have noticed that the amount of happiness granted to Lilliette Solen couldn¡¯t be that great¡­ Unsurprisingly, she held onto the Emperor¡¯s throne for less than a year. As she gradually weakened after her ascension, she collapsed one day and turned into a vegetative state. If it was a naturally occurring disease, she wouldn¡¯t have felt so aggrieved. ¡®But the situation changes if I fell into a vegetative state because of poison, and the person that handed me poisoned cigars was my husband.¡¯ Ellier gritted her teeth. The poisoned cigars were procured by her half-sister Ellor, who had a crush on Clyde for years and also despised Lilliette. Because of this, Ellor became Clyde¡¯s mistress. It can¡¯t be taken as a spiteful tragedy comedy. ¡®That nasty b*stards. If I¡¯ve made you the Emperor, the least amount of mercy you could give me was to let me die without pain at once.¡¯ In order to lay the foundations of his power, her cruel and vicious husband left his wife in a vegetative state for 10 years, wielding the Emperor¡¯s authority instead. 10 years. Although it was 10 years, the suffering of having to spend 10 years in a prison where it was impossible to move even a single finger was indescribable. Especially when she couldn¡¯t spit at him when she recalled her loyal advisor and lovable husband¡¯s disgusting confessions. But that would never happen in this life. Because she wasn¡¯t Princess Lilliette, but a slave whose life was in the hands of Slarhan, Ellier. ¡®It will not proceed as you please this time round, Clyde.¡¯ Within Ellier¡¯s eyes were dry and cold ashes that have been burning for 10 years. Her feelings for Clyde were not purely anger. After learning about all of Clyde¡¯s schemes, at first, her entire body bristled from anger. As the anger passed, self-reproach that was close to despair followed, and when that became tedious, grievance, self-pity, hatred, vain hope, and giving up, filled her one after another. The ten years that all kinds of emotions burned within had passed, and now, only ashes that were burnt fully were left. She also knew that it wasn¡¯t possible to make the current Clyde pay for the events that had never happened. However, it was clear that the same thing should not happen again. As such, when she began to organize the events of her past life, she started to outline what she had to do from now onwards. No, perhaps from the moment she knew that the person who bought her was Slarhan, she had already seen this conclusion coming. ¡®I have to make Slarhan the Emperor.¡¯ All the situations that she had faced seemed to point towards this path. Isn¡¯t it too obvious for a coincidence to return back as a slave and be bought by Slarhan? In addition, Slarhan was considered the most ideal candidate for Emperor in her previous life. ¡®Clearly, I have usurped his throne. Ellune must be punishing me so that I would put it back in his hands.¡¯ Perhaps this bloody regression and possession will be repeated until Slarhan becomes Emperor. But she didn¡¯t want that. ¡®I must succeed this time!¡¯ She didn¡¯t hope for a peaceful life. Even so, wasn¡¯t it too much to be deprived of peace at death? Ellier decided that no matter what, after making Slarhan the Emperor in this life, she should live appropriately and embrace her true death this time round. However, there was an important problem that was quite troublesome. ¡®How can I get Slarhan to listen to my words¡­?¡¯ She sighed. Slarhan is the Duke of Ventiark, while she¡¯s a slave from Rubelfast. A slave giving instructions to a Duke? She was certain that before she could get a few sentences out, she would be beaten up. Furthermore, if she¡¯s asked how does a slave like her know about all this, she couldn¡¯t reply. Ellier gave up running due to her vexations and was walking lightly, when the two maids seated on a bench in the garden facing the training grounds screamed. Ellier jumped in surprise and looked over. The maid that was shouting kept asking the maid beside her if it was true. The maid nodded proudly. As she looked into the teacup in her hand, she spoke. ¡°Isn¡¯t that tea leaf upright? It means that your prayers have reached Ellune. The three tea leaves lying in the same direction signifies that you have three chances, and the tea leaf lying in the opposite direction means you have already used one of those chances.¡± ¡°Oh my, oh my! That¡¯s right! I happened to meet Lucas a while ago, but we passed by without even greeting each other.¡± ¡°But there will be two more opportunities ahead, so try harder!¡± ¡°Really? Thank you! I¡¯ll clean up the kitchen tomorrow morning!¡± As they chatted for a while more, they spotted that Ellier was watching them, so they got up with a displeased expression and went into the mansion. But no matter how they thought of her, Ellier found them lovable and was very grateful to them. ¡®That¡¯s right! A fortune teller! If that¡¯s the case, even if I say things that sound nonsensical, it would make sense!¡¯ Ellier smiled to herself and mapped out her plans for the future. She can make Slarhan the Emperor while stopping Clyde, and also earn some money, this was a very plausible plan. ¡ã??©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤??¡ã ¡°Now you look a little more like a human. You seem to have grown a little taller too¡­¡± Ellier smiled internally at Slarhan, who had made her turn back and forth and checked how much weight she had gained, as soon as he met her. What was there to be surprised about? It wasn¡¯t like he was a witch trying to fatten up and devour children. Ellier checked his mood before clearing her throat, and spoke what she wanted to say. ¡°Uh, Excuse me, Master. I have something to tell you.¡± ¡°Speak.¡± There wasn¡¯t any expectation or curiosity from his dry tone. ¡°How much money did the Master spend to buy me?¡± ¡°Why are you suddenly curious about your price?¡± Slarhan¡¯s gaze turned sharp all of a sudden. While it was easy to think up a feasible plan, actually saying it aloud wasn¡¯t as easy. She could be beaten for her arrogance, or be ignored by him. Still, she seemed to have seen her say that if a woman drew her sword she should cut a radish too, so she opened her mouth sternly. ¡°I want to be a free citizen one day. After I have worked for my ransom, please burn the slave certificate and set me free.¡± Although her voice was slightly shaky, Ellier channeled the braveness that Princess Lilliette had. But it seems Slarhan didn¡¯t see it that way. A rare laughter escaped from him. ¡ã??©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤??¡ã Chapter 8 ¡ã??©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤??¡ã ¡ã??©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤??¡ã ¡°Why should I do that?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll¨C I¡¯ll definitely be of help to Your Grace!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it natural that slaves should be helpful to their owners?¡± ¡°I mean that I¡¯ll help you much more than ordinary slaves!¡± ¡°You¡¯re full of confidence.¡± Afterwards, silence fell between the two. Slarhan seemed to be in deep thought about something, before unexpectedly speaking in an unwilling tone. ¡°You were valued at 5 million perusoes. I bought you at a cheap price, because you were dying and you had yet to get the slave¡¯s engraving.¡± Ellier was a little relieved momentarily. If she was following the standard from her previous life, it wasn¡¯t considered that much money, as it was enough to buy three or four appropriate formal dresses. Just as she was thinking that she could pay it back easily. ¡°I¡¯ve fed you more than two bottles of my blood to save you. If I add this in, it should be around 45 million perusoes?¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°And the daily wages of slaves is usually around 500 perusoes.¡± Ellier was so shocked at his words that she opened her mouth without her realization. ¡°Of course, since I am a merciful owner, I will pay you double the typical daily wages. On the assumption that you¡¯ll work 300 days a year¡­ then it will take you 150 years to pay the price in full.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You promised to be loyal to me for the rest of your life, Did you not understand that?¡± ¡°No¡­ What do you mean 1,000 personas per day? Is that the money for me to buy my meals?¡± At that, Slarhan¡¯s eyes narrowed further. ¡°¡­As I said earlier, it¡¯s considered a pretty good deal, as most of the Empire¡¯s slaves laboured for a almost free price.¡± ¡°But still¡­ 1,000 perusoes is still too¡­¡± ¡°How interesting.¡± Ellier couldn¡¯t understand what he was finding interesting, as she wasn¡¯t amused at all. In any case, the negotiations couldn¡¯t just end here. ¡°So even if the type of work differs, the daily wage will remain the same?¡± ¡°Well, such as?¡± ¡°Well, uhm, if the Master is able to benefit from it greatly¡­¡± ¡°Hmm. That¡¯s true, it can¡¯t be treated in the same class as sweeping the floor.¡± ¡°Right?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know that you can do something greater than sweeping the floor.¡± Slarhan seemed to be mocking her, but Ellier saw a ray of hope shining before her. ¡°I¡¯ll accomplish something that you aren¡¯t even capable of imagining, so please calculate the value per case!¡± ¡°What?¡± He asked as if he did not understand completely, but Ellier smiled and added an explanation to her statement. ¡°Please set the value range to between a 100 thousand to 5 million perusoes per case! I¡¯ll definitely help you with something that is worth that amount. So when I have paid off the price entirely, please give me my freedom. And also, give me some living expenses¡­ please.¡± Slarhan burst into laughter at EIlier¡¯s words. Although it was a mocking laughter and only for a brief moment, Ellier clearly saw the white and neat teeth revealed through his parted lips. It was a rare scene that Slarhan Ventiark, a human that¡¯s like a statue, laughed. No, maybe he was actually someone who laughed often, but she wouldn¡¯t know that as their relationship in her previous life was one that both couldn¡¯t smile at each other. ¡°What are you planning to do?¡± ¡°I have a special ability.¡± ¡°A special ability?¡± ¡°Uh, so¡­ Fortune telling, sensing bad luck, or something like having premonitions.¡± ¡°Do you want me to trust your mediocre fortune telling?¡± ¡°What do you mean mediocre? You haven¡¯t even checked it yet¡­¡± She didn¡¯t have much expectations that Slarhan wouldn¡¯t treat her words as nonsense, but he had unexpectedly let it go generously. ¡°What an interesting lass.¡± ¡°I would be very appreciative if the Master continues to find me interesting.¡± Ellier had only thought that she was lucky, but Slarhan habitually fiddled with his necklace. It was strange that the child pointed out by his mother¡¯s power didn¡¯t act like a slave at all, but for her to be a fortune teller¡­ Was this really a coincidence? ¡°If you want me to consider your proposal, I¡¯ll have to ascertain what you¡¯re capable of doing for me first.¡± ¡°Okay, Master. Then, please leave me by your side from now onwards. I¡¯ll bring the Master good fortune.¡± Slarhan¡¯s hair raised at the word ¡°fortune.¡± Did a blue bird of fortune really fly to him, someone who was nicknamed an ¡®icon of misfortune¡¯? ¡°Very well. I¡¯ll be looking forward to it.¡± That was the end of their first negotiation. ¡ã??©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤??¡ã Within the capital¡¯s high society, there were quite a few things that were regarded as ¡®The Empire¡¯s Finest¡¯. The flower that bloomed at the height of summer, Rosa Regina. The jeweler, Madame Estelle, the ¡®dressing room of diamonds¡¯. In terms of appearance, Princess Ellor and the Young Lady from the Cullinan Marquisate; in terms of etiquette and dignity, Countess Dalton; in terms of being well-informed, Viscountess Arlen and Countess Roland. The Empire¡¯s finest chess player was Count Pace, the finest businessman in the Empire was Count Sloan, and the greatest diplomat in the Empire was Viscount Abrett¡­ ¡°And, if I had to choose the genius of the Empire and the Empire¡¯s most handsome man, it would be our Clyde.¡± Marchioness Kassir had a happy smile on her face as she heard the praise of her son that was repeated several times during today¡¯s gathering. ¡°You flatter me.¡± Today, Clyde also had a smile that was akin to a painting, and behaved modestly. But he was well aware that he deserved such praise. At the age of two, he started reading letters, at the age of five, he was able to understand the basic theory of geometry, and at the age of thirteen, he was already capable of engaging in discussion with the professors at the Imperial Academy without any difficulties. Ever since he was young, he has been told that he was the greatest genius to be born since the founding of the Empire. In addition, his outer appearance was pleasing to the eye enough to garner the admiration of others, thanks to his mother, who was once rumored to be the most beautiful woman in the capital. His soft wheat-colored hair, blue eyes that were like the sea, a sharp nose and delicate lips, all of it made him seem as though he was a baby angel that had grown up. ¡°It¡¯s not too much of a compliment. You are the pride of the Kassir Marquisate. You should boast about it! Hahaha!¡± Even Marquis Kassir who was usually reticent to outsiders, became a good-for-nothing fellow in front of his wife and son. However, Clyde found that his parents¡¯ affection was very unreliable. ¡®Even if it¡¯s like this, the title will be passed on to my older brother¡­¡¯ Although the second son Clyde monopolized the love of the Marquis and his wife, the family¡¯s successor would still be his brother Maximilian. Although the rules for prioritising the eldest son as the family¡¯s heir were disappearing, the conservative Kassir family still insisted that the family should be inherited by the eldest son. It was to prevent a battle between brothers for the right to succeed. ¡®It¡¯s not that they¡¯re afraid of internal struggle for succession, they don¡¯t want to give up their vested interests.¡¯ Since all of those that had previously succeeded the position of Marquis were the eldest sons, his justification to succeed could not overturn this situation. Clyde was obviously dissatisfied by this family stereotype. Why did he, the most talented person in the Empire, have to serve an older brother that was far inferior to him as his Lord? It was also detrimental to the family. His older brother Maximilian was an ordinary man. His mind was ordinary, his appearance was ordinary, and all of his actions were ordinary. As such, he was constantly compared with Clyde ever since their youth. He might have respected his older brother, even a little, if he was hurt by those words and made an effort to surpass his younger brother. However, Maximilian had always laughed it off. ¡®Either he¡¯s a scaredy cat, or he¡¯s definitely a coward.¡¯ His older brother could be thinking that there wasn¡¯t a need to strive harder as he was already confirmed as the successor. Clyde hated it. What was the difference between him and a garden stone, if he didn¡¯t try to improve himself? ¡°Oh, you¡¯re all here!¡± Speak of the devil and he will appear. Maximilian, who had returned from a trip out, entered the drawing room and said in greeting. ¡°Oh, Max! I was feeling apologetic that we were drinking tea without you, but here you are. Come sit with us.¡± ¡°Thank you, Father.¡± Maximilian sat next to the Marquis naturally. It was a place that Clyde could never be seated in. ¡°Where have you been?¡± ¡°I was visiting the Young Lord of Louisville with the Young Lord of Astor. He had decided to expand his family¡¯s emerald mining business, and consulted the Young Lord of Astor and I.¡± ¡°Oh! His successor has finally started to attend succession classes.¡± ¡°Yes. He seemed a little uneasy as he was still young, but the Young Lord of Astor and I gave him some advice and comforted him.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great, well done. Making connections with others in advance is an important part of your duty as a successor. When you succeed the title in the future, you will receive their help.¡± Marquis Kassir chuckled with great satisfaction. Then, Clyde asked with a faint smile. ¡°If the mine was expanded, there wouldn¡¯t be much reserves left. No matter what, it¡¯s too small an amount for an heir to be satisfied with. You should suggest that he develop the ruby mine instead. That way, the Young Lord of Louisville will have dignity as the successor.¡± Clyde knew that the heir of the Count of Louisville was as bad as his brother. Since he was afraid that leaving the ruby mine to him would end up badly, it was obvious that the emerald mine,which wasn¡¯t as important, was given to him. It wasn¡¯t that Clyde was unaware about it. He just wanted to use this way to ridicule their incompetence. ¡°Haha! That¡¯s right, but I¡¯m sure they have their own considerations. And if it¡¯s the Young Lord of Louisville, I¡¯m sure that he¡¯ll be able to take charge of the ruby mine soon enough.¡± As if he didn¡¯t understand Clyde¡¯s jab, Maximilian gave a gentle smile Clyde didn¡¯t like that either. If his brother had gotten angry and said, ¡°What do you know about this topic?¡± Clyde could have used a variety of knowledge and eloquence to trample on him, but his brother had always avoided a confrontation like this. Well, it could be that he didn¡¯t have the confidence to win against his younger brother. His thoughts came back to the starting point. The annoying principle that the firstborn sons were placed first in line to inherit must be eliminated. He wouldn¡¯t ever lower his head to his stupid older brother, even if he died. He would rather take his own life. ¡®I¡¯m the better choice, but I¡¯ll definitely not live as something like a Viscount. Even if I have to get rid of my brother¡­¡¯ Clyde replied to his brother, ¡°Yes, I guess so.¡± Although the smile on his face was bright, he was internally sharpening his knife. ¡ã??©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤??¡ã Chapter 9 ¡ã??©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤??¡ã ¡ã??©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤??¡ã The remnants of Irdel¡¯s body had arrived at Ventiark Castle in early November. Irdel¡¯s head, which had been embalmed and carefully stored as Slarhan had insisted on holding a funeral after finding the rest of his body, was finally able to rest in a coffin. The fact that the rest of his body underneath the neck was also embalmed, made the Imperial Family¡¯s excuse that the body could not be found unbelievable. A body abandoned in the Southwestern mountains where conflict was rife in summer would not have been in such a perfect condition. ¡®It¡¯s unbelievable. No matter what, they are still half-brothers, and yet he still¡­¡¯ Killing an innocent person just because he is more talented and popular, as well as the uncertainty of when he¡¯ll turn into a traitor. Ellier was once again reminded that the father of her previous life and the Emperor of this large Empire, was a tyrant with a strong sense of inferiority. Slarhan¡¯s amber eyes that looked down at his father¡¯s corpse seemed indifferent, but deep and dark sorrow could be felt from his strong back. Although he was well aware of the identity of his enemy that killed his father, he couldn¡¯t even pledge to get revenge openly. As the opponent was the Emperor, the moment he declared to get revenge, he would become a traitor, which is exactly what the Emperor wants¡­ ¡°Tariq. Make preparations for a funeral right away.¡± ¡°Yes, My Lord.¡± Although Tariq gave EIlier looks of dissatisfaction often, he was quite loyal to Slarhan. Slarhan also trusted him, and entrusted to Tariq the recently retrieved body of Irdel. The funeral was held according to Ventiark¡¯s custom of withholding elaborate formalities, in a simple and solemn atmosphere. ¡°Ellune, creator of the universe and everything within, here lies an old and weary soul returning back to Ellune¡¯s bosom. Irdel Ventiark has always cared for those lower than him, treating his family with love and treating himself strictly. He has did his best as a child of Ellune, may Ellune be merciful to him so that he may attain eternal peace.¡± As the priest from Ventiark Territory¡¯s temple prayed with a sorrowful face, she saw many wiping the corners of their eyes, not only from the servants working in the Ventiark Castle, but also from amongst the residents of the Ventiark territories that gathered. Therefore, the words of the priest that said the deceased Irdel took care of those belonging to the lower class were not untrue. While the priest was praying for the eternal peace of the deceased for a long period of time, Ellier glanced at Slarhan standing expressionlessly beside the priest. No one cried out aloud, and Slarhan also remained at his position silently, but Ellier found this image extremely sorrowful. If it was the Emperor¡¯s younger brother, it wouldn¡¯t be unusual for him to live strutting about for his entire life. However, what caused Irdel¡¯s death was unclear, his body was only returned reluctantly, and the funeral was being held without any members from the Imperial Family present. Wasn¡¯t the person that brought Irdel¡¯s body over was here on the Emperor¡¯s behalf? ¡®If I had known that it was like this, I would have offered my condolences as well.¡¯ The Emperor said, ¡°The Duke of Ventiark had originally wanted a modest funeral, so don¡¯t go over for nothing or send something that¡¯ll increase the work of those grieving people.¡± So, in her previous life, Lilliette had only been aware of that and didn¡¯t send anything. When they had met later in the Imperial Palace, she seemed to have offered her brief condolences, but if she had known that he came from such a funeral, she wouldn¡¯t have spoken so lightly. ¡®Come to think of it, the Imperial Family would also have the atmosphere of a funeral house not long later.¡¯ It wouldn¡¯t be long after that the Emperor would gather the Empress and Imperial concubines together and inform them about what he was going to announce during the Spring Banquet. Then the Empress and Imperial concubines will find out about the Emperor¡¯s infertility, and they will realize that the Emperor wants his children and nieces and nephews to fight each other to death. Therefore, the atmospheres within the Palaces of the Empress and Imperial concubines would become gloomier than this funeral hall, as if it could never turn bright again. In any case, even if something like this happened, the Emperor, who was full of selfishness, wouldn¡¯t ever feel affection for his younger brothers or their children. He didn¡¯t even apologize for Irdel¡¯s death. So, when Slarhan first came to the Imperial Palace, Lilliette hoped to see something like rebelliousness or resentment from his face. But his expression had always been calm. It was just like a deep lake with a calm surface. So she had thought of him as someone that felt little emotion. Then, she found him hard to contend with, but now she seemed to understand. It wasn¡¯t that he was emotionless, but someone that was familiar with suppressing such emotions. ¡°Now, let us all pray for Irdel Ventiark, who is on his final journey.¡± At the assistant priest¡¯s loud cry, Ellier, who was blankly reminiscing about Slarhan from her previous life, refocused to the present and straightened her posture. Just then, freezing rain started to pour lightly. Those who were about to pray also paused, and looked towards the sky with a remorseful gaze for a moment. Perhaps everyone thought that the rain was tears shed by Irdel¡¯s soul. After standing in silent tribute briefly, the loyal vassals of the Ventiark family and the retainers that worked in the castle for a long time bade farewell by throwing wildflowers on the coffin. ¡°I¡¯m glad we¡¯re still in the flowering season.¡± ¡°Yeah. If the funeral had taken place in the middle of winter, we might have had to break the branches of fir trees and throw them in. That¡¯s¡­ that would¡¯ve been so sad.¡± Some of the territory¡¯s residents held one or two shabby wildflowers, whispered while sniffling. Those who threw the flowers down tapped Slarhan¡¯s shoulder as if to encourage him, who was standing in front silently, or bowed their heads to offer their condolences. Slarhan¡¯s expression was hardened, as if there weren¡¯t any wounds in his heart. But anyone that noticed his gaze staying on Irdel¡¯s coffin the entire time would have noticed his sorrow. After a brief period of consolation, the pit soon began to be covered with soil. The rain was starting to pour heavily, so they had to finish it quickly. The sound of wet soil dropping onto the coffin echoed clearly in Ellier¡¯s ears as well. Everyone kept their silence as they watched the pit that was gradually being filled. Then she heard a rustling sound from behind. ¡°Hm?¡± Sharp tension ran down Ellier¡¯s spine. This is because she thought that the Imperial Family might have sent soldiers or assassins during Irdel¡¯s funeral. But as she held her breath and remained still, it quietened again. ¡®I¡¯d definitely heard something.¡¯ As Ellier looked around, she was eventually able to find the main source of the sound. ¡°Was it you?¡± The head of a small black cat peeked out of a nearby bush. Although it looked really pretty, it was soaked with rainwater and shivering. ¡°Come here, little kitty.¡± There weren¡¯t just one or two animals that froze to death during winter, but dogs and cats that wandered around the street were more vulnerable to the cold. It might have been because Irdel¡¯s funeral was being held, but Ellier somehow didn¡¯t want to think about another¡¯s death anymore. Even if it¡¯s just a cat. She honestly didn¡¯t think the cat would approach. But as if the black cat had understood Ellier¡¯s words, it ran quickly and jumped up into her squatting lap. Then it sat down while hiding its legs under its body, and continued to tremble while purring. The soles of the cat were surprisingly cold. ¡®By his willingness to follow people, it definitely has an owner.¡¯ It would be nice to find it¡¯s owner, but the cat didn¡¯t have any signs that would help to identify it¡¯s owner. Just in time, the bell signifying the end of the funeral began to ring. ¡°Hey, you! What do you think you¡¯re doing there!¡± Even before the bell finished ringing, one of the servants started to yell at EIlier. The rumors about the odd slave under the Duke of Ventiark¡¯s protection seems to have already spread throughout the Castle of Ventiark. It must have been rather annoying for the servants to see a girl from the Empire¡¯s lowly slave trading location Rubelfast, to occupy a room within the Castle, eating good food while training physically. It was obvious what they thought without even hearing them aloud, but no matter what to them, Ellier was only a ¡®person from a different hometown¡¯ and a ¡®stone that rolled over here¡¯. Since there wasn¡¯t any engraving of slavery on her, so they must have thought that she was planning to escape. It wasn¡¯t entirely wrong, though. ¡°As there¡¯s a cat here.¡± ¡°So what?¡± ¡°It seemed as though it was about to freeze to death, so I wanted to give the little kitty a hug.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a slave, and yet you think that you can wander about as you please? Will you come to your senses after being beaten?¡± The sound of rain falling to the ground was increasing in volume, but the servant¡¯s voice still spread far and wide. Perhaps he had raised his voice in hopes that Tariq would notice. He wanted to punish the slave who just entered the Castle yet is able to enjoy better treatment than him does. At that, Ellier hesitated for a moment. ¡°Should I just flop down after getting beaten a few times? Or should I let the kitty go and bow down?¡¯ However, her worries paled in comparison as Slarhan, who had quickly noticed the disturbance and approached. ¡°You. What¡¯s all this racket about?¡± The servant also stammered in surprise, not expecting Slarhan to come over in person. ¡°Ah, that, that¡¯s¡­ This slave left without, without permission¡­¡± Ellier had only moved three or four steps away from the procession. The procession was so disorganized that it barely maintained the shape of a procession. Nevertheless, seeing how the servant had to use the provocative phrase ¡®without permission¡¯, it seems like he had waited for a long time to have the opportunity to harm her. Despite the servant¡¯s complaint, Slarhan didn¡¯t change his expression at all and turned to look at Ellier. Until then, the small black cat was still seated on Ellier¡¯s lap, as it was hard to remove a cat that was shivering while seated in the shape of a loaf of bread. ¡°¡­A cat?¡± ¡°This cat was wandering nearby¡­ I was afraid that it would freeze to death due to the cold¡­¡± Slarhan glanced at the cat for a brief moment, before turning towards Ellier¡¯s face again. Ellier, who was oddly feeling nervous, started to make gibberish sounding excuses. ¡°The cat seemed to have also come to participate in the funeral, but even the former Duke wouldn¡¯t want this small cat to freeze to death. As the funeral was almost over, I tried to hug it for a moment. Seeing that it listens to people well, it seems to be a cat that someone had raised. So I was planning to find the owner¡­¡± ¡°No one raises a black cat in Ventiark.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Because black cats are thought to be unlucky.¡± ¡°What? It¡¯s only the colour of its hair that¡¯s black, but what¡¯s that¡­?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Ellier couldn¡¯t decide what to do with the cat. So, while her eyeballs were turning around, Slarhan made a completely unexpected suggestion. ¡°So, why don¡¯t you take it back and raise it?¡± Ellier couldn¡¯t help but widen her eyes and stared at him with both surprise and happiness in her gaze. ¡°Can¡­ Can I really do that?¡± ¡°Instead, you¡¯ll have to settle the cat¡¯s meals yourself.¡± ¡°Yes! I¡¯ll¨C I¡¯ll do that!¡± It was an unexpected gain. Originally, the same things repeated daily, so the days passed by were filled with boredom. As other than the Mrs. Adler, no one spoke to her first, so as a slave, it was hard for her to start a conversation with others. However, if she was raising a cat, the days passing as a slave in Ventiark would become much more enjoyable. At that, Ellier felt a little grateful for the servant who tried to make it difficult for her. Now that she has seen it, the feeling of watching his expression twist as if he had chewed on poop was the best. ¡ã??©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤??¡ã Chapter 10 ¡ã??©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤??¡ã ¡ã??©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤??¡ã Everyone¡¯s attention was focused here as Slarhan came over to this side, so now none could complain about the cat that was permitted by the Duke. ¡°Then, please return now, everyone. It¡¯s about to rain heavily soon.¡± Just as Slarhan mentioned, the sky was gradually turning dark gray. It was a cold day, but the damp scent was not of snow, but the smell of rain. It is likely that it¡¯ll continue to rain. Ellier diligently chased behind the party Slarhan was with while holding a small black cat in her arms. She kept the shape of her lips in check to prevent them from broadening. When she returned to her room, she dried the rain-soaked cat off first before drying herself. As she watched the cat licking her, she started to ponder over its name. ¡®Because it¡¯s small, so should its name be little kid? Black because it¡¯s black? Pretty because it¡¯s pretty?¡¯ No, no. She should give it serious thought. As it was her first pet in both of her past and present lives, she can¡¯t give it a one-dimensional name. Even if she¡¯s now in this state, she was still a person that had once received imperial education. ¡°Hmm¡­ Since you have black fur and your eyes shine like the moon, let¡¯s call you Nox!¡± The archaic word of ¡®Nox¡¯, which meant night, fitted well with the cat¡¯s beautiful brass-coloured eyes. Like the goddess of the night, it was quiet and calm, but as it appeared out of nowhere, the pretty cat held a mysterious beauty. Perhaps the cat had also found the name she came up with satisfactory, it let out a satisfied purr, ¡°Nyaa.¡± Ellier lied on her side and stroked the cat, before realizing that the cat was quite skinny, so she jumped up. ¡°You¡¯re hungry, right? You might not like this, but you should eat it for now, Nox.¡± Ellier took out the bread that she had hidden to eat at night and placed it onto a handkerchief, also bringing the glass of water that she drinks from. She heard that cats preyed on mice or birds for food, so she was a little worried that Nox wouldn¡¯t eat the bread, but it seemed to be very hungry and ate it, almost rushing into the small loaf of bread. That appearance was quite pitiful. ¡°Eat slowly. If you eat too quickly while you¡¯re starving, you¡¯ll get sick.¡± Nox¡¯s tail swished gently at her words. ¡°You¡¯re so cute!¡± Ellier¡¯s satisfaction towards this life increased significantly from the moment this cat came into her life. In her previous life, even after ascending as Emperor, she couldn¡¯t raise a cat due to Clyde¡¯s refusal. Well, he must have already known that Ellier wouldn¡¯t be able to keep a cat for too long. Ellier started to feel upset again upon recalling that, but decided to only think of good things while watching Nox. ¡ã??©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤??¡ã ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the one that has worked hard.¡± Outside the window, chilly rain was pouring. Had the funeral ended 30 minutes later, most of those that were present in today¡¯s funeral would have caught a cold. Slarhan took off his wet coat and placed it on the chair as he looked out of the gray window. ¡°Do you have any other orders?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be using Ellier as my errand girl. Instruct her.¡± As Slarhan thought of EIlier¡¯s request to keep her by his side, Slarhan spoke reluctantly. It was impulsive, but it wasn¡¯t a bad decision. Ellier was quick-witted and clever, and had a bright and sociable personality. She was smart and daring, and above all, she could not betray him. However, as this was all taken into account within Slarhan¡¯s head, Tariq was surprised as he had just heard about Slarhan¡¯s decision. ¡°What? That slave girl¡­ You¡¯re going to use her as an errand girl?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Your Grace, no matter how much sympathy you feel for the child, there¡¯s no need for you to do that much.¡± Tariq said to Slarkhan while in a cold sweat. However, Slarhan looked back at Tariq in surprise. ¡°I didn¡¯t make this decision because I felt sorry for her. I¡¯m ordering it as I think she¡¯ll be useful.¡± ¡°But if she became the Duke¡¯s errand girl, the sons of any noble family would covet for that position.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t the fact that we¡¯re unsure which amongst them are spies the main problem?¡± Only then did Tariq close his mouth. Due to the Emperor¡¯s oppression, many changes occurred within the supporters of the Duke of Ventiark. Amongst the supporters that still remained, there must have been some that received the Emperor¡¯s orders to monitor their movements, so if an errand person was chosen from there, there¡¯s no telling if they might be betrayed. ¡°In any case, the errands won¡¯t be something of great importance, so there¡¯s no need to get someone from an aristocratic family.¡± ¡°I apologize for not understanding Your Grace¡¯s profound meaning.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. You may go and prepare for Ellier¡¯s education.¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll get going now.¡± After sending Tariq, who had been by his side all day, only heavy silence remained in the office. If he hadn¡¯t seen EIlier earlier, in this instance, Slarhan¡¯s head would have been filled with dangerous thoughts. But his rash slave girl managed to change his mood instantly. ¡°This cat was wandering nearby¡­ I was afraid that it would freeze to death due to the cold¡­¡± She was also like a mouse that¡¯s soaked from the rain, who on earth was helping whom? If you ask for the weakest person in Ventiark Castle, everyone will point to EIlier, as she was the only slave present. And in order to save something that was weaker than her, the weakest slave in this castle held the cat in her arms. It was commendable of her. It was enough to settle even the wild anger that was burning inside him. ¡®She¡¯s quite an interesting girl. She seems to be pretending till the end, but¡­¡¯ Slarhan believed that EIlier was of noble origins. She may seem ordinary at the beginning, but the petty trick that she tried on him a while ago affirmed that thought. ¡°No¡­ What do you mean 1,000 personas per day? Is that the money for me to buy my meals?¡± That was something that if Ellier was a commoner, she would never be able to say aloud. Bread, especially the brown bread that ordinary people consume, was 100 perusoes per loaf. The fact that Ellier did not know about the price of such goods meant that she was a person who had never bought bread on her own. However, he did not intend to force Ellier to speak about her past. The process of becoming a slave of Rubelfast from her previous status as a noblewoman must have been difficult. Perhaps Ellier wanted to forget the past. It was quite strange that a child who had experienced such hardships still has not yet forgotten the noble heart of wanting to take care of beings weaker than her. He was well aware of how selfish humans could be when they were driven to the extreme. ¡®It¡¯s not like I¡¯m in a position to talk about others.¡¯ In fact, until earlier he had also been engulfed in selfish thoughts. It seemed to all be the Emperor¡¯s fault that the exalted Duke of Ventiark¡¯s final path was so shabby, that he wanted to run to the Imperial Palace then and there without thinking of those that followed him or the territory¡¯s residents. When he arrives at the Imperial Palace, he will pretend that nothing is wrong and greet the Emperor, thanking him for finding his father¡¯s body. Perhaps the Emperor was quick to adapt to the circumstances and was accompanied by knights, but as long as they were in the same space, Slarhan was confident that he could kill the Emperor. He was still keeping it under wraps, but he was already a swordmaster. As long as he could kill his enemy, he didn¡¯t mind dying either. There weren¡¯t any blood relatives left anyways, so what was the point of surviving alone? Yes, he had such thoughts. But¡­ ¡°The cat seemed to have also come to participate in the funeral, but even the former Duke wouldn¡¯t want this small cat to freeze to death.¡± At that line, Slarhan came to his senses. As Ellier had said, his father would not hope to see even a small cat living in his territory to freeze to death. However, he was so caught up in his momentary rage that he had almost abandoned his vassals and retainers. Even though he knew that if he committed treason, the Ventiark estate would be razed to the ground as a result. ¡°Be grateful for the little things. Do not take what you are given for granted, and think of those that are weaker and in a more difficult situation than you¡¯re in. Let the grace that you¡¯ve received be engraved in your bones, and let personal grudges be engraved in the passing wind.¡± It was as if his father¡¯s voice was ringing in his ears. But his father added another sentence afterwards. ¡°But if there¡¯s a situation that requires revenge, you must do it perfectly. Until that time comes, you mustn¡¯t make a move.¡± Perhaps it was to warn him against what the Emperor was planning to do to the Ventiark family. He was able to recall his father¡¯s teachings all due to Ellier. ¡®Anyways¡­ something keeps coming to his mind every time he sees her¡­¡¯ It was really strange. Until now, Slarhan had never felt anything like ¡®appreciation¡¯ towards another person. Especially when it came to women. But Ellier was a little different. Whenever he saw her, he kept thinking she looked somewhat familiar. Of course, she had never seen a skinny girl with black hair and gray eyes before, but he seemed to have seen that gaze and something like a faint smile before¡­ ¡°Ahahaha!¡± The clear sound of cheerful laughter seemed like hallucinations. ¡®She resembles someone. But who is that someone¡­?¡¯ No matter how much he looked back on his memories, he had never met a woman with such straightforward laughter. None of the people from Ventiark, who had blunt temperaments, laughed like that, and the aristocrats that prided themselves on all kinds of hypocritical ¡®etiquette¡¯ and ¡®dignity¡¯ didn¡¯t laugh in that manner. Eventually, Slarhan gave up on his trip down the memory lane. In any case, it wasn¡¯t an important matter. Then there was a knock on the door and the butler came in. He thought it was just a report about the funeral¡¯s ending, but the butler observed his mood carefully before opening his mouth with difficulty. ¡°Your Grace. Is it true that you¡¯ve allowed the slave to raise a cat?¡± ¡°I have. Is there any problem?¡± ¡°No one raises animals within the castle.¡± ¡°Was it written specifically in the Ventiark¡¯s Code of Conduct?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s not that, but no one has ever raised an animal in a room that¡¯s located within the castle.¡± ¡°If it doesn¡¯t go against the rules, then it wouldn¡¯t matter, right?¡± The butler let out a small sigh and spoke in a lowered voice. ¡°Your Grace, rumors are spreading among the servants that the slave is Your Grace¡¯s bedroom slave. Although their mouths are kept shut, we aren¡¯t able to stop them from whispering to each other. But if you keep granting the child exceptions, the rumors will be blown out of proportion.¡± ¡°What? Bedroom slave?¡± Slarhan was rendered speechless. ¡°Did the people that said those words see that child with their own eyes? She¡¯s only skin and bones, I can¡¯t even tell that she¡¯s sixteen, much less as a girl.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not important in the eyes of others. Your Grace, please send that child to the barn right now.¡± Slarhan¡¯s forehead narrowed at the butler¡¯s words. ¡ã??©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤??¡ã Chapter 11 ¡ã??©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤??¡ã ¡ã??©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤??¡ã ¡°¡­Why should I be conscious of the servants¡¯ mood? Who¡¯s the owner of this castle? ¡°Of course, Your Grace is the flawless Duke of Ventiark, but it will cause rumours¡­¡± ¡°Jared. If this happened in a normal Duchy, I wouldn¡¯t have to appease the servant¡¯s mood and send the slave out, but the servants would instead look out for the slave¡¯s mood? Isn¡¯t that so?¡± The butler couldn¡¯t refute that statement. Indeed, if there was a rumour that someone was favoured by the Duke, everyone would run over and pretend to be close to her. However, everyone was reluctant to do so as Ellier is the first slave they have seen in Ventiark Castle. ¡°The rumors that the Ventiark family has lost its means for a livelihood. Was this incident due to that rumor?¡± ¡°Oh, n¨Cno, Your Grace! It¡¯s my fault. Please give me another chance, I will definitely educate the servants well!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll pretend that I wasn¡¯t aware about this once. If I ever hear about this again, I¡¯ll replace all the servants in the Castle.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take responsibility and ensure that this will never happen again.¡± After dismissing him, Slarhan, who had to shut the butler¡¯s mouth after Tariq, wondered why everyone kept talking about Ellier. ¡®Although she is the first slave of the Ventiark Castle, I had never treated her like a slave in front of others, so why do they keep focusing on the fact that she is a slave?¡¯ It was precisely because of that that made everyone pay attention to Ellier, but Slarhan who didn¡¯t notice that fact. ¡ã??©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤??¡ã Recently, the servants of Solen Palace felt like they were walking on thin ice whenever they saw the Emperor, who was in a bad mood. It has been like that ever since a few months ago, after a new Imperial physician examined the Emperor because of a mild cold. At first, the Emperor had thundered at that Imperial physician, but after calling for a few other Imperial physicians, he became absent minded, and started to empty bottles of alcohol regardless of the timing for a while. Meanwhile, the most unexpected order from the Emperor was to bring from the secret location within the Imperial Palace, to the Ventiark estate, the headless body of Duke Irdel Ventiark. Those who carried out the secret mission of assassinating the Duke of Ventiark were bewildered, and several officials were shocked to learn that the Duke of Ventiark¡¯s body was actually in the Imperial Palace. Someone even suspected that the Emperor had spoken drunkenly and leaked those words accidentally. However, the Emperor did not issue any other orders, so rumors secretly circulated that if Slarhan Ventiark was not a fool, he would soon raise an army and seek revenge. However, before the Ventiark estate could respond, the Emperor issued another strange order. ¡°Gather the Empress and Imperial concubines. I will inform them in advance of an important announcement that will be made during next year¡¯s Spring Banquet.¡± Everyone assumed that it was to declare his successor. Unlike previous generations, who usually appointed the empress¡¯s eldest son as the crown prince, the current Emperor had not yet decided a successor. If his vassals recommended for him to appoint a Crown Prince or Crown Princess quickly in case of an emergency, he would become furious, and say, ¡°Why are you mentioning the successor when I¡¯m still well and healthy?¡± However, after the Imperial physicians¡¯ medical examinations, he seemed to have made up his mind to appoint a Crown Prince or Crown Princess, hence speculation arises that he has decided to choose a successor due to an abnormality in his health. But he made a bomb-like announcement to his wives. ¡°I will designate the Imperial descendants and the children of the collateral lines, my nieces and nephews, as candidates for Emperor, and will appoint the most outstanding candidate as the Emperor. The contributions of the candidates will be assessed by ranking, and the highest overall ranked candidate will be designated Crown Prince or Crown Princess during the Mistletoe Festival in three years.¡± The room was instantly engulfed in alarmed silence. The Empress, who obviously believed that the child she bore would be conferred, was given a strike in the back of her head, and even the Imperial concubines who possessed half a chance were dissatisfied that the Emperor¡¯s nieces and nephews were involved in this competition. The Emperor, who had only been listening to their protests silently, suddenly called for the Imperial physician who examined him. ¡°Azelan of the Imperial Palace. Announce your diagnosis from a few months ago.¡± At the Emperor¡¯s order, the Imperial physician named Azelan sweated profusely as he spoke with difficulty. ¡°Ah, Your Majesty the Emperor¡­ I am very sorry to say this¡­ Your Majesty was born with infertility.¡± ¡°What, what did you just say?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no way! It can¡¯t be!¡± The Emperor¡¯s women, who were either pale and red hot, denied vehemently. However, Azelan did not change his words in the face of their venomous words. ¡°This isn¡¯t my sole diagnosis, but the unified opinion of the Imperial physicians as a whole.¡± The Emperor scoffed at his wives after dismissing him. ¡°I had three wives, but not one of them was faithful.¡± The Empress and Imperial concubines, who had been protesting loudly until just now, became honey-eating mute. In fact, the fact that they didn¡¯t know each other had an affair made the shock greater. But fortunately, the worst case scenario didn¡¯t happen. Rather than correcting the wrongs and punishing his wives for their infidelity, the Emperor chose to protect his dignity. But it didn¡¯t mean that nothing had changed. ¡°The Princes and Princesses shared no blood relations with me. I wouldn¡¯t know if any of you had been with my younger brothers, so aren¡¯t my nieces and nephews more likely to be my successor?¡± The room became so quiet that you could hear a pin drop. ¡°So, stop talking nonsense and do as I tell you to. Then I will not punish you and those b*stards who do not know their father. Who knows? There might be someone that will succeed the throne, amongst the Princes and Princesses.¡± After he finished speaking, the Emperor got up and left with a sombre smile. In a sense, all of them should be prostrating at his feet in gratitude. All three of the Emperor¡¯s women had an affair, and at the end of the affair, they gave birth to children and raised them as descendants of the Imperial Family, but the Emperor did not pursue this matter. But the Empress and Imperial concubines knew the Emperor well. He would never forgive any that hurt his self-esteem. ¡°The Emperor wants our children to fight and kill each other. And yet, he doesn¡¯t want them to become the Emperor. Perhaps¡­ he will try to make one of his nieces or nephews the Emperor.¡± ¡°If this type of confrontational method is used to select a successor, it would be justified even if someone from the collateral family line becomes the heir. He might support one his younger generation and instigate them to purge us and our children.¡± ¡°What a clever plan¡­ he¡¯ll receive praises for valuing ability before blood ties, all the while hiding his infertility and getting rid of the unforgivable children. As the Emperor, His Majesty has nothing to lose.¡± ¡°If so¡­ Who would His Majesty have in mind to support as his successor¡­?¡± ¡°It must be the Slarhan of Ventiark. What other reason would there be in mind when he ordered for the body of the former Duke Ventiark to be delivered?¡± The three women that committed the same crime and had fallen into the same crisis racked their brains anxiously. If they worked together, a solution might come to them, but they couldn¡¯t trust each other completely. This is because, as the Emperor had mentioned, any descendants of the Imperial Family could attain victory, and there wasn¡¯t any guarantee that the winner would leave the rest of the half-siblings alone. Eventually, the Empress, who reached a conclusion the fastest, rose from her seat. ¡°Let¡¯s think of it simply. As His Majesty has said, this is the start of the race for succession. Amongst our children, one might come out on top. However, if there¡¯s a situation that favours the collateral lines, let us unite together.¡± The other two Imperial concubines looked at each other and nodded immediately. ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s do that.¡± Just like that, as the day¡¯s activities ended, the Emperor finally sent an invitation to his nieces and nephews for a Spring Banquet that would be a little different from the previous years. ¡°It¡¯s quite strange.¡± ¡°He has always been a strange person.¡± As Tariq scanned the Emperor¡¯s letter and tilted his head again, which was an invitation for the Spring Banquet, Slarhan was scrawling his reply with an indifferent look on his face. Although he seemed to be writing insincerely, the lettering on the paper was sleek. ¡°What kind of trap is he planning to dig this time, even going to the point of sending you a personal letter?¡± ¡°Although I don¡¯t know, it¡¯s definitely isn¡¯t a good thing.¡± The reason for their suspicion was because the invitation that Slarhan received was written personally by the Emperor, and it was written in an overly friendly tone. I heard that the Irdel¡¯s funeral was held splendidly well. Even though you are still young, you aren¡¯t lacking as the new owner of Ventiark, so this Uncle of yours is extremely pleased. I had not attended the funeral because I didn¡¯t want to burden you, but why don¡¯t we pray for Irdel together when we meet during the Spring Banquet? I will provide you with whatever you require in your journey to the capital. Till we meet again, may you stay healthy. The letter was written so affectionately that it made one suspect that the letter wasn¡¯t written by the Emperor he knew of. Whether it was the ¡®your Uncle¡¯ or the wish to pray for Irdel together, even the statement that he would provide support, the letter was filled with content that he has never heard, and never even expected to hear from the Emperor. The Spring Banquet was, in fact, an event that people above the rank of ?? Must attend to greet the Emperor. As such, even if such a letter wasn¡¯t sent, he would still have to attend. That was what made this letter even more suspicious. But he still had to attend, even if he had doubts. ¡°You must be careful, Your Grace. Why don¡¯t we split the party into three wagons in order to pull the wool over their eyes?¡± ¡°Someone might try to attack the Ventiark Castle while I¡¯m away, so the number of knights defending the territory. Let¡¯s make the party smaller, with talented and swift knights.¡± ¡°Understood. Then I will assemble a party of 20 elites.¡± ¡°Seven knights should be enough. Add a servant to that and bring Ellier as well.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± Tariq, who had been engaging in serious discussion with a wrinkle on his forehead, widened his eyes for a moment and glanced at Slarhan. ¡°Ten people in total. It¡¯ll be convenient to stay at an inn on the way there, and the elite knights that you¡¯ve chosen won¡¯t lose to a normal assassin. The Imperial Family doesn¡¯t know how many swordmasters and spearmasters are there in Ventiark. Everyone is used to resting out in the open, so two servants will be enough.¡± ¡°Ah, no, Your Grace. My question is¡­. that you¡¯re bringing the slave girl along?¡± ¡°Since we¡¯re already going to the capital, I¡¯ll have to deal with the piled up work so of course I should bring along an errand runner.¡± Tariq kept his mouth shut, not knowing where to start questioning. Even if he didn¡¯t want to have a noble son as his errand runner, there were many personnel that could serve decently well as errand runners in the capital. However, Tariq just couldn¡¯t understand why he would insist on taking that unremarkable slave girl to the capital. ¡°Why do you take care of her so much?¡± ¡°I take care of her? Did I?¡± ¡°Yes! I can understand your reasoning for using the girl as your errand girl. But why do you have to take her all the way to the capital! Wouldn¡¯t it be better to take another servant that can ride a horse?¡± It was only when he saw Tariq¡¯s dumbfounded face, that Slarhan realized he hadn¡¯t told Tarim an important point. ¡°Rather than it¡¯s because I want to take her along¡­ It¡¯s because Mother told me to do so.¡± ¡°What do you mean? That someone that left Ventiark a long time ago, so how¡­?¡± Slarhan pulled out the necklace he wore from the collar of his shirt. ¡°You knew that this is a necklace that my mother gave me?¡± ¡°Yes, yes.¡± ¡°This pendant contains my mother¡¯s magical powers. And while this type of magic suppresses my own magic, it would occasionally move in reaction to something.¡± ¡°What?¡± It was the first time Tariq, who was aware that Slarhan¡¯s mother was from the Sabi tribe and that Slarhan possess magical powers, heard about the necklace¡¯s secret. ¡ã??©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤??¡ã Chapter 12 ¡°My mother¡¯s power has always pointed me towards something helpful. And this time, my mother seems to be¡­ sending me some luck.¡± ¡°What?¡± At his unexpected answer, Tariq asked in response with a puzzled face. It felt rather odd for a man like Slarhan to speak about ¡®luck¡¯. ¡°Do you know what I am called in high society?¡± ¡°Of course you¡¯d be praised as the Empire¡¯s most handsome man or the finest knight.¡± ¡°Thank you for your compliment, but unfortunately that¡¯s not the right answer. Slarhan Ventiark is said to be the unluckiest man in the Empire.¡± ¡°What does that¡­!¡± Tariq tried to refute strongly, but Slarhan shook his head first. ¡°First, I had no choice but to let my mother go because she was from the Sabi tribe.¡± Seiren Ventiark, the former Duchess and Slarhan¡¯s mother, was a wise and kind Lady of the Ventiark family. The Emperor that was on the prowl for Irdel¡¯s weaknesses, finally found out about the fact that Seiren was from the Sabi tribe and drove her into the role of a witch. Irdel made a deal with the Emperor in order to protect his beloved wife, Seiren. In exchange for clearing up the misunderstanding regarding Seiren, he will run towards wherever the Emperor orders him to. He tried to show his loyalty towards the Emperor by constantly annihilating his enemies and achieving victory, but the Emperor was instead discouraged by Irdel¡¯s growing reputation. And when the Emperor targeted Slarhan, who inherited Seiren¡¯s blood, becoming the heir to the Duchy of Ventiark, Seiren made the decision to leave on her own. ¡°Please divorce with me.¡± Seiren asked for a divorce with her own mouth. As she was tightly held by Irdel, Seiren¡¯s argument that it could become dangerous for Slarhan, left Irdel with no choice but to let her go. A family that loved each other so much had to be separated without a just cause. No one could have imagined that such a thing would happen in a Ducal family that had inherited the blood of the Imperial Family. ¡°Second, we did not receive privileges from Imperial businesses, despite the fact that we are a collateral line of the Imperial Family.¡± This was also the Emperor¡¯s plan. In the Empire, all of the major businesses were monopolized by the Imperial Family, and the collateral lines of the Imperial Family were granted preferential rights to the business. It was strange that despite this, the Ventiark family could not enter the business world. It was mostly due to the fact that they didn¡¯t attend the informative meeting, but the problem was, they never received an invitation or notice about the informative meeting. The Emperor¡¯s efforts to block the news can be seen from how he didn¡¯t even hear about any rumors regarding the informative meeting. ¡°Third, my father died while following the Emperor¡¯s order, but there wasn¡¯t any compensation sent.¡± Tariq, who was well aware of this fact, gritted his teeth. ¡°Fourth, the Emperor¡¯s order is causing an increasing loss of territory, fifth, no one would want to marry into the Ventiark family, sixth¡­ ¡° ¡°Even, even so! What does that have to do with the slave girl?¡± At that, Slarhan turned and looked at Tariq. ¡°That girl¡­ she has an odd spirit.¡± ¡°What?¡± Although he had repeated the question ¡®what¡¯ so many times, Tariq had no choice but to ask again. ¡°You don¡¯t feel it? Aren¡¯t the eyes of that child filled with confidence?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it because she¡¯s arrogant without knowing her place?¡± ¡°Do you think that a person that¡¯s treated as less than a human for half a year in Rubelfast will be able to maintain that look? A girl that¡¯s only sixteen?¡± ¡°I think that it¡¯s quite impressive but¡­¡± As a knight, Tariq was aware of the importance of ¡°vigour¡±, so although he looked dissatisfied, he couldn¡¯t refute it. Even in his own eyes, Ellier was somewhat different. Although she pretended to be obedient, the main point was that she was ¡®pretending¡¯ to be. Just from the child¡¯s eyes, she seemed like she could be a descendant from a prestigious noble family. ¡°And that lass guaranteed that she would bring me fortune.¡± ¡°¡­As expected, she¡¯s arrogant.¡± ¡°Well, what do you think? It wouldn¡¯t be a loss. My mother sent it to me, so no matter what it is, anything would be of help.¡± That line meant that Slarhan had been driven into a corner, to the extent that he had to rely on the bluffs of a slave. The glorious name of Ventiark that was bestowed by the late Emperor, was in danger of falling to ruin. But there wasn¡¯t anyone around that could help, and no one could be trusted. However, the Emperor suddenly did not try to cover up his oddness and invited Slarhan to the capital. There weren¡¯t any expectations, nor was there anything great that required preparation. Therefore, he decided to believe in the luck that that arrogant slave child would bring. As he imagined how painful it must have been for Slarhan to bring up that tragic story casually, Tariq felt like his heart was going to explode. ¡°All right. I will teach that child how to ride a horse from today onwards. If she can¡¯t learn to ride, she can take turns to ride along with the knights.¡± ¡°She can ride with me too, so don¡¯t worry too much about it.¡± ¡°¡­That must never happen,Your Grace. Please protect your dignity and class.¡± Slarhan frowned while wondering what he had done wrong, but Tariq left the room without even giving Slarhan a chance to ask further. In fact, Slarhan wasn¡¯t as upset as Tariq had thought, so it was also better for Tariq to leave early. Ellier was informed about her assignment. It was not to feed the horses and take care of them, but to practice horseback riding. The knights of the Ventiark family were in deep contemplation about what they should be more surprised about. And Ellier was also the same. From the day that he made her his errand runner, she felt that things were progressing quite oddly¡­ ¡°Excuse me, Tariq. Is it really possible for a slave like me to ride a horse¡­?¡± Ellier politely refused first. ¡°During next year¡¯s Spring Banquet, you¡¯ll be going as His Grace¡¯s attendant.¡± ¡°What¡­?¡± ¡°Haah¡­ I don¡¯t want to spend time talking, so hurry and take the reins!¡±¡± Tariq was seemingly annoyed by Slarhan¡¯s decision, and his irritation was understandable. Usually, slave was brought into noble families were given chores that even normal servants avoided. If they¡¯re lucky, they would be assigned to work in the kitchen, but normally the laundry room or the stables would be their designated work, and if they¡¯re unlucky, they would have to clean up the filth from the castle. Dressing up a slave that collects poop in nice clothing and entrusting her with the role of the Duke¡¯s errand runner, was that really alright? And even being able to ride a horse¡­ It was obvious that in order to make Slarhan the Emperor, they would have to go to the capital, but she didn¡¯t know that this moment would come so quickly. ¡°First of all, you have to become acquainted with the horse. If you seem fearful, the horse will notice right away. If you don¡¯t want to be kicked by a horse, don¡¯t recoil in fear. Now, hold the reins and stroke her gently.¡± Tariq handed her the reins, thinking that Ellier would shiver in fear. Although the words he had spoken were harsh, he was going to protect Ellier from the side so that she wouldn¡¯t get hurt. However, Ellier carefully took the reins and gently stroked the horse¡¯s neck before smiling softly. ¡°Hello? I¡¯m Ellier, are you called Amir? Your eyes are so pretty. Oh my gosh, isn¡¯t your mane too soft?¡± Then, she placed the carrot slices that Tariq had given her into the mouth of Amir, the brown mare. Although Amir was originally a gentle horse, it was difficult to say that Ellier¡¯s way of handling horses was that of a beginner. She continued to talk to Amir and pet her, gaining the favor of the horse. ¡°You¡­ Do you know how to ride horses?¡± Tariq asked, while staring at her with a puzzled look. As Ellier was distracted by stroking a horse after a long time, focused solely on the horse and nodded. ¡®Do I only know how to ride horses? I know how to shoot arrows and swing my sword while riding a galloping horse.¡¯ ¡°Take it for a ride.¡± ¡°Yes? Ah¡­¡± It was only then that Ellier realized she had not been vigilant. Although she had pretended to be naive, Tariq¡¯s sharp eyes seemed like it wouldn¡¯t give a pass on clumsy acts. ¡®Why, is it a big deal?¡¯ Ellier nodded again and placed her feet in the stirrups, before lightly hoisting herself onto the saddle. Tariq, who was about to bring the horseback riding rack for her, stiffened momentarily. But Ellier didn¡¯t know that Tariq was startled, and continued to stroke Amir¡¯s mane and neck, gently persuading her. Fortunately, Amir wasn¡¯t picky, so she obediently gave up the body to Ellier. ¡°Are we going to the horse¡¯s riding field?¡± ¡°Ye¨Cyes.¡± Ellier held the reins and lightly squeezed the horse¡¯s belly, beginning to trot along the edge of the riding field slowly. Although her breath turned white and the tip of her nose turned red due to the cold, the view from the horse¡¯s back was exhilarating. After walking for a while, Amir seemed to have warmed up, and Ellier started to spur her on, increasing her speed little by little. It may seem slow to others, but Ellier¡¯s cheeks and ears turned red while being blown with cold wind on the horse. But she didn¡¯t want to stop at all. Rather, she wanted to jump over the wooden fence of the riding field recklessly. If she did so, however, she would be considered a runaway slave and be chased down immediately. ¡°Stop! That¡¯s enough.¡± At Tariq¡¯s command, Ellier seemed to slow down and pouted reluctantly. ¡°There¡¯s nothing I need to teach.¡± ¡°Hah¡­Haha¡­¡± ¡°Where did you learn how to ride a horse?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure¡­ I don¡¯t know. I know how to ride a horse, but I have no recollection of when and for what reason I learned horseback riding.¡± Tariq¡¯s eyes became narrower. The people of Ventiark seem to habitually doubt the other party first. However, she was confident that she wouldn¡¯t lose when it came to putting on an act. ¡°The poisonous fumes that were lighted in Rubelfast was very strong. I would see strange hallucinations every day, but during then, my past memories seemed to gradually disappear. Maybe I was hit on the head wrongly when I was beaten. Still, it¡¯s lucky that my body still has the reflexes from what I¡¯ve learned prior.¡± He couldn¡¯t spit on a smiling face, so Tariq couldn¡¯t press Ellier any further, who was smiling and talking. ¡ã??©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤??¡ã Chapter 13 The fact that it wasn¡¯t uncommon for slaves to suffer from delirium or amnesia due to Rublefast¡¯s poisonous fumes from made her case even more convincing. Eventually, Tariq gave up on teaching her horseback riding and brought Ellier to his room, saying that she needed to be further educated to become the Duke¡¯s errand girl. ¡°Have you memorized everything I¡¯ve assigned to you as homework last week?¡± ¡°Yes! I managed to memorise the genealogy of the Imperial Family quickly, so I also memorized the genealogies of the Imperial Family¡¯s collateral lines.¡± ¡°What? If it¡¯s the side families, to what extent did you¡­¡­?¡± ¡°I memorized up till the Emperor¡¯s second cousins.¡± ¡°Here¡¯s a piece of paper, write out the genealogy. I won¡¯t let it go if you lied.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Actually, Ellier didn¡¯t even open and look at the Imperial genealogy that Tariq had given her. The Imperial genealogy was what the members of the Imperial Family had to constantly memorize, and all of those memories were still intact. Instead of looking at that book again, she would rather use that time to do some more strength training. She presented Tariq with the answers she had written down fluidly. It would obviously be given a perfect score. And as expected, Tariq scanned through her answers with his widened eyes. From the beginning of his lessons with Ellier, Tariq has already guessed that she didn¡¯t belong to the lower class. Even though not many commoners could read and write, her handwriting, despite it being slightly shoddy at times, was very aristocratic. And the Imperial genealogy that she had written down after using only a week to memorize, was perfect without error. All except for one portion. ¡°¡­It was all written well, but where the hell did this come from?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Here, the part underneath Imperial concubine Diana. The only children born from Imperial concubine Diana are the second Prince, His Highness Ravan Elkor Solen, and the fourth princess, Her Highness Lariette Maria Solen. But who¡¯s this Liliette Syaard Solen written above Princess Lariette?¡± Ellier stiffened at those words. ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like a misspelling of Her Highness Princess Lariette¡¯s name¡­¡± ¡°Did you say that Imperial concubine Diana only has His Highness Ravan and Her Highness Lariette?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Open the book and see for yourself.¡± Ellier quickly opened the Imperial genealogy that she had received from him. ¡®What he said was true!¡¯ The name ¡®Lilliette Syaard Solen¡¯ couldn¡¯t be found in this book. ¡®If it¡¯s like this¡­ Isn¡¯t it different from the past that I¡¯ve remembered?¡¯ She had considered the possibility that a woman named Lilliette Syaard Solen might not exist. In comparison to that, she was leaning more towards the possibility of the existence of a Lilliette that¡¯s very different compared to her previous life. In the end, however, there wasn¡¯t a princess named Lilliette in this reality. That fact made her anxious. Although she was of no importance in the Imperial Family before the Emperor¡¯s declaration of succession, she was troubled by the thought of a different future from what she had remembered unfolding if the small incidents she caused didn¡¯t happen. ¡®I had told Slarhan confidently that I would bring him good luck, but what would happen if everything from my memories had changed?¡¯ Considering that the body of the former Duke of Ventiark had reached here at the same time she remembered it will arrive, it didn¡¯t seem like most of the events occurring were very different from the memories of her previous life¡­ As she was lost in thought, Tariq pounded the desk with a cane to jolt Ellier into awareness. ¡°Well, you might have been confused since there are so many people. You¡¯re learning faster than I had anticipated.¡± ¡°Tha¨Cthank you.¡± ¡°However, it¡¯s not enough to be the Duke¡¯s errand runner. I don¡¯t know what you¡¯ll be doing after reaching the capital¡¯s mansion, but until then, study hard. Don¡¯t cause any trouble for His Grace!¡± ¡°I understand.¡± Ellier gave a grin as usual, fully back to her senses. After greeting Tariq respectfully, who seemed anxious as he couldn¡¯t get anything to scold her about, Ellier returned to her room and started recording down what she could remember. But she wasn¡¯t sure if these events would happen, and if she helped Slarhan, the future would change too. After vexing over it for a while, Ellier decided to think about it simply as per usual. ¡®There¡¯s no choice. I¡¯ll give it further thought when the time comes.¡¯ Not only her knowledge of the future, but her understanding of how the biggest competitor, Clyde Kassir, worked, will give Slarhan the upper hand. This is possible as she could avoid the schemes Clyde has devised and grab ahold of his weaknesses. ¡°Nyaa.¡± It could be because Ellier was deep in thought about something, Nox, who was blinking sleepily on her pillow, paced over and rubbed her head against Ellier. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Nox, even if something changes, I will definitely make Slarhan the Emperor. Then, we¡¯ll take a huge amount of money and go someplace far away together. A place where you can run around and have fun, okay?¡± ¡°Prrrr.¡± As if it was in a good mood, Nox smiled satisfactorily. ¡ã??©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤??¡ã It was about a month before leaving for the capital when the owner of the outer coat that hung in Ellier¡¯s closet appeared. ¡°It¡¯s really hard to meet you. I¡¯ve been looking for you in order to return this coat for a while.¡± The servant called Vedell, scratched his head at Ellier¡¯s greeting that was like a grumble and smiled apologetically. He was a handsome young man with deep chestnut coloured hair and bright brown eyes, with an aura of trustworthiness. ¡°Ahh, I forgot about that, sorry. Actually, I am a servant from the capital¡¯s mansion. I was moving the grain and potatoes from the estate to the mansion in the capital then.¡± ¡°Ah, is that so? What brings you here then?¡± ¡°I¡¯m here to deliver a letter from the butler of the capital¡¯s mansion. I¡¯ll soon have to return to the capital again. But in the meantime, you¡¯ve become quite famous, haven¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yeah? Uh¡­ I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good thing.¡± As Vedell mentioned, in the period of time that he left, there wasn¡¯t anyone in the castle that didn¡¯t know of Ellier. She, as a slave, had a room within the castle, she became the Duke¡¯s errand runner, and that she was allowed to raise a cat in her room and ride horses, all of those became a controversial topic. In addition, some of the servants who murmured that she was Slarhan¡¯s momentary object of fixation were expelled from the castle without a letter of recommendation. Thanks to that, the rumor that Ellier was a bedroom slave became even further established, and though they dare not talk about it out of fear towards Slarhan, the envy and contempt in the gazes directed towards her increased. On the other hand, rumors circulated that she was a descendant of a fallen noble family as Slarhan¡¯s attitude toward Ellier wasn¡¯t that of a superior. ¡°I heard that you¡¯re the last descendant of a fallen family that the Emperor has wrecked as it supported the Duke of Ventiark?¡± ¡°Hah, hahaha¡­¡± Far from being a supporter of the Duke of Ventiark, it was difficult to reply, as she was the one who overtook Slarhan Ventiark and took the throne as the Emperor. As Ellier smiled awkwardly, Vedell suddenly leaned closer and asked. ¡°Don¡¯t you have a special relationship with the Duke?¡± ¡°What? That isn¡¯t true! What does someone like the Duke have to regret¡­?¡± ¡°Hm, well that is true.¡± ¡°Admitting it so easily is a bit¡­¡± Vedell laughed at Ellier¡¯s sulky expression, and ruffled her head mischievously, leaving her with dishevelled hair. Ellier, who was embarrassed for some reason, changed the topic sneakily. ¡°During the Spring Banquet, I¡¯ll be following the Master as well. Is the capital far from here?¡± ¡°Huh? You¡¯re also going? I¡¯ll also be following the Lord to the capital!¡± ¡°Is that so? It must be hard, having to come and go so often¡­¡± ¡°What are you talking about! It means that I¡¯ve been recognized by my superiors. Still, I won¡¯t feel bored as someone I know is also coming along.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± It really was the truth. It would have been quite awkward when there were only bloodthirsty knights, but since Vedell, who treated her favourably, was present, it would become more comfortable. Vedell had even secretly comforted Ellier. ¡°You have to be a little brazen to rise above others. Don¡¯t worry about what others say. Understood?¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll see you later.¡± ¡°Thank you for lending me your coat.¡± Ellier waved her hand to Vedell and bowed again as he walked away, once again thinking that he was a good guy. As time passed, the snow in the Ventiark estate slowly started to melt, and it was time to head towards the capital. Meanwhile, Ellier gained weight and recovered her physical strength to the point where she was barely a shadow of her former self. Unlike in the past where she had only looked like a skeleton, her cheeks now have gained some flesh. She didn¡¯t look weak anymore, with muscles in her arms and legs. Slarhan glanced at the group getting ready to depart, before turning his head to the commander of the Knights of Ventiark. ¡°While I am away, pay special attention to the castle¡¯s defences. It wouldn¡¯t be strange even if the Emperor¡¯s army invaded.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Grace. I will protect Ventiark until the day Your Grace returns, with my honour on the line.¡± ¡°Uhm, I¡¯ll leave it to you then. Are you all ready to depart?¡± At Slarhan¡¯s voice, the party that was heading towards the capital shouted with a loud, ¡°Yes!¡± The party comprised seven young and talented knights from the Knights of Ventiark, including Tariq, as well as Vedell and Ellier. ¡°Let us depart!¡± When the order to depart, the men, led by Slarhan, guided their horses in the direction of the capital. Without a carriage or a cart, the party moved at speeds similar to that of a squadron of horsemen. While knights riding on war horses were used to this speed, it was surprising that Ellier, who had never ridden a horse before, was able to keep up with the knights¡¯ pace. It was also surprising that Slarhan and Ellier talked about other topics when they were by themselves. The conversation that is usually about checking Ellier¡¯s stamina lengthened on the day before their arrival at the Imperial capital. The party that decided to stay in an inn took a bath and rested for a while, in preparation for their arrival in the capital. Slarhan looked up and down Ellier, who came to collect the plate of food that he had eaten, checking if she had suffered any injuries. ¡°You must be quite tired¡­¡± ¡°I can handle this much! I can endure well. Master, is there anywhere that feels uncomfortable?¡± ¡°I keep saying this constantly, rats shouldn¡¯t worry over cats.¡± Ellier snorted inwardly, thinking that the identities of the rat and cat weren¡¯t clear yet. In fact, Ellier did look tired at first glance. Even the healthy fat that she had gained disappeared a little, and her half closed eyelids made her seem as if she was about to fall asleep at any moment. However, Ellier still had vivid memories of living on the back of a horse for several months in her previous life. Admitting that her body was unable to withstand such a journey was a blow to Ellier¡¯s self-esteem. ¡°I really am fine! Anyways, we¡¯ll finally be entering the capital tomorrow!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Take care not to fall off the horse while looking around.¡± ¡°Am I a child?¡± Ellier stood on the tips of her toes and pretended to be taller, but Slarhan had only snorted in response. ¡°Mas¨CMaster, aren¡¯t you only twenty-three?¡± ¡°You should say that after you turn twenty.¡± Although she looked her age now after diligently recovering, Slarhan¡¯s eyes still didn¡¯t change, continuing to view her as a child. In any case, the main point here was not a fight about her being a child or an adult. Chapter 14 Chapter 14 ¡°For some reason, I think that His Majesty the Emperor will make an important announcement at this banquet.¡± ¡°You¡¯re suddenly saying some baffling words.¡± ¡°I have that kind of feeling.¡± ¡°Is this the fortune telling that you had mentioned before or something? Just what are you sensing?¡± ¡°I just have that kind of feeling. It feels like something big is about to happen¡­¡± Slarhan laughed at her groundless feeling. As Ellier laughed along, she examined his expression carefully before adding. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since you¡¯ve attended a banquet at the Imperial Palace, right?¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± ¡°Since you¡¯ll be attending a banquet, let me take a look at Your Grace¡¯s lucky color.¡± ¡°You¡¯re seeming more and more like a quack.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a quack though. Here, let¡¯s see, let¡¯s see. What is the Master¡¯s lucky color¡­?¡± Ellier thought that she was more of a scammer than a quack, but she still firmly waved her hands near Slarhan¡¯s face chaotically, pretending to feel something with her eyes closed. ¡°I saw it! Purple! It¡¯s a deep purple! It¡¯s a purple that¡¯s a little closer to blue.¡± Slarhan¡¯s look of absurdity obviously returned. However, Ellier looked straight into Slarhan¡¯s eyes and continued to advise him. ¡°If you happen to see an intense purple that is close to blue, please act on the contrary of what the Master is feeling.¡± ¡°The contrary?¡± ¡°If you have feelings of unwillingness and avoidance towards something, you should approach and greet them cordially instead.¡± ¡°¡­It sounds like it¡¯s a person.¡± ¡°Ah, if you¡¯re going to a place like a banquet, there would be many people dressed in multicoloured clothes, so it¡¯s just an example. Anyways, don¡¯t forget about this. And if the Master benefits from it, please give me a reasonable amount for this incident.¡± Slarhan¡¯s eyes turned sharp instantly. ¡°It¡¯s not a joke, is it?¡± Ellier left the room with his plate, smiling lightly. ¡®Unless you¡¯re a fool or colorblind, it¡¯s impossible to pretend that you did not notice it when you¡¯ve passed by that dazzling purple dress.¡¯ Without support from the Imperial Family, Slarhan¡¯s first target should be the lady in the purple dress. Although she was currently being ignored by everyone, that person would definitely become a source of power in the end. ¡®It¡¯s just the beginning, Clyde. Everything isn¡¯t going to follow your plans this time round.¡¯ Ellier clenched her teeth. This party, also known as the ¡®The Banquet to usher Spring¡¯, was held around March 15 each year, and is one of the most important parts of the Imperial Family¡¯s schedule annually. Other countries held New Year banquets on the first of January, but a large portion of the territories in the Empire of Paldinas underwent freezing cold winters, hence they rarely held events in the winter. Instead, when the harsh cold subsided, a banquet was held when spring arrived, inviting aristocrats from all over the country to the capital to celebrate. However, this year¡¯s banquet was a bit suspicious from the beginning. When Slarhan was unpacking his belongings at the Ventiark capital¡¯s mansion and resting, a message saying to prepare for an audience with the Emperor came a day before the Spring Banquet. Hence, when he arrived at the audience chamber at the arranged time, the heir to the Marquis of Melbaran, Elanz, was also waiting to enter with a puzzled expression. ¡°The Duke of Ventiark, Slarhan Ventiark, and the heir of Marquis of Melbaran, Elanz Melbaran, please come this way.¡± They were guided to the Emperor¡¯s personal audience chamber. ¡°Oh, my nephews are here. You¡¯ve both become dignified young men in the time that we¡¯ve not met.¡± ¡°I greet Your Majesty the Emperor.¡± ¡°I thank Your Majesty¡¯s grace in inviting me.¡± Elanz¡¯s voice was as reluctant as Slarhan¡¯s greeting to the Emperor. Even though the younger brother that the Emperor hated the most was Irdel, his half-brother, the Marquis of Melbaran, had also suffered from many of the Emperor¡¯s strikes. At the sight of the Emperor who usually had a sharply raised eyebrow suddenly giving a benevolent face, his sense of caution was aroused, along with the feeling of alarm. ¡°Even though I have been your uncle, I haven¡¯t taken care of my nephews. It was a big mistake on my part.¡± Slarhan and Elanz glanced at each other. There was puzzlement in both of their eyes. Either way, the Emperor continued to say what he wanted to say. ¡°I have called you both separately to inform you in advance of tomorrow¡¯s announcement, so that you wouldn¡¯t be too shocked.¡± ¡°An announcement¡­?¡± ¡°Tomorrow, I will make an announcement regarding my successor.¡± The Emperor tossed them an exploding bomb just as they thought that he had finally decided on a successor. ¡°The Princes, the Princesses, and the both of you are candidates to be my successor.¡± A cold silence instantly descended in the audience room as they realized the truth. The words the Emperor had just uttered did not make sense immediately. Was this Emperor not the one who pressured both of his younger brothers in fear of their treason? But he was suddenly letting his nephews become possible candidates for the position of Emperor, this was something that couldn¡¯t have happened. Slarhan came to his senses first. ¡°¡­I am terribly sorry, Your Majesty. I may have heard wrongly, so I have to ask again. Their Highnesses, the Princes, the Princesses and¡­ Did you say the two of us?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. And, to be honest, I want one of you to become the heir of this Empire.¡± Now, Slarhan and Elanz seem to have forgotten how to breathe. The shocking words told by the Emperor did not end there. ¡°It turned out that the Princes and Princesses are not my children. Ahahaha! So, you two are the real candidates that¡¯ll become the lord of this Imperial Family.¡± Slarhan had even started to suspect that the Emperor was drunk. ¡°Of course, those dishonest and despicable women wouldn¡¯t just stand still. They will try to put their child, who doesn¡¯t possess a drop of Solen¡¯s blood, onto the throne. But I believe in you, and will recommend the collateral lines, to become candidates for the Emperor¡¯s successor, and from then on, it¡¯ll all be up to you. Have you understood? The Duke of Ventiark or the heir to the Marquis of Melbaran could become this Empire¡¯s Emperor. Uwahaha!¡± The Emperor continued to chortle, seeming to find something funny. But Slarhan and Elanz didn¡¯t find it funny at all. He spoke as if he had done something amazing, but it was very dangerous to place an unprepared member of the collateral line as a candidate for the Emperor¡¯s successor all of a sudden. As he had mentioned, the power of the Empress and the Imperial concubines weren¡¯t something to scoff at. ¡®I might be assassinated tonight.¡¯ As such, it was no different from the Emperor throwing the direct descendants and his nephews into an arena. It was like he was implying, ¡®Go and bite at each other to make me pleased.¡¯ However, there wasn¡¯t anyone that could nitpick at the Emperor¡¯s crazy proposal. Although the current Emperor was slightly unhinged, the Emperor of the Great Empire of Paldinas still wielded enormous power. ¡°I feel ashamed at receiving Your Majesty¡¯s heavenly grace. Even if I¡¯m lacking, I will do my best.¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s just like Elanz. Yeah, Slarhan. What about you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m someone lacking in mettle to become the Emperor. Please take back your orders.¡± Slarhan refused. Although he could feel Elanz¡¯s bewilderment beside him, Slarhan couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that the Emperor was testing him. Unsurprisingly, the Emperor¡¯s eyes slowly opened. ¡°Huhu, huahahaha! That¡¯s right, the Duke of Ventiark doesn¡¯t possess any ambition. Their incorruptible way doesn¡¯t change even if the head of the family changes. However, Slarhan.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°This is an order.¡± As expected, it wasn¡¯t a proposal towards his nephews. It was an order, one that would only benefit the Emperor himself. ¡°¡­If it is Your Majesty¡¯s order, I will gladly accept it.¡± ¡°You are a loyal subject, and a loyal child. My heart will feel at ease if either of you become the Emperor, as you both will never forget my grace, right?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no doubt about that.¡± Like Elanz, Slarhan answered without changing his expression. It wasn¡¯t anything difficult as he has been doing so for 20 years. However, the sound of Slarhan¡¯s sword cutting through the wind that night continued for a very long time in the mansion¡¯s in the training field. During the banquet the next day, after receiving all the congratulatory greetings from all the nobles, the Emperor got the Imperial descendants and his two nephews to stand in the middle of the hall, and announced his successor. ¡°¡­Therefore, I have made a big decision, to appoint the most capable person amongst the Princes, Princesses, and my nephews as the next Emperor!¡± Before that, whether it was excuses to explain himself, there was a long string of sentences, but the only sentence that entered people¡¯s ears was that. Naturally, the banquet hall turned into a vortex of shock. They forgot that they were in the presence of the Emperor and murmured loudly. The members of the Senate and the Noble Council that heard of the Emperor¡¯s decision in advance looked somewhat gloomy, and the Empress, the Imperial concubines, and the Imperial descendants remained unwavering, making it unclear whether they were given any word in advance. The Second Prince, Ravan, who stood next to Slarhan, quietly said in a sarcastic tone, ¡°Now we¡¯re going to have a dog fight.¡± ¡°Over the next three years, I will evaluate each candidate¡¯s achievements and mistakes, and rank them accordingly. At the Mistletoe Festival in three years time, I will announce the person with the highest score as my successor. An Evaluation Committee of Candidates for Emperor will be convened, comprising of not only me, but the members from the Senate and the Noble Council. The buzzing in the room grew stronger. It was indeed extraordinary. He decided to prioritize ¡°competence¡± instead of bloodline of the person becoming the successor, and placed the authority to decide into the hands of the nobles. The Emperor would still hold the most sway, but since there were 9 members of the Senate and 10 members of the Noble Council, as long as they come to an agreement and pool up their votes, they had the power to change the situation. So, the Imperial descendants and the Emperor¡¯s nephews should make an effort to enter the eyes of aristocrats who were always seen as inferior. This battle was so tempting to the nobles. It was an unfavorable situation for the Imperial descendants, who had been immersed in a sense of privilege, but not all thought that way. ¡®It has finally begun!¡¯ Ellor trembled at the Emperor¡¯s announcement that she had been anticipating for a while. She turned her gaze towards Clyde. He seemed to be deep in thought as he brushed his chin, before turning his head towards the Princesses all of a sudden. Ellor had almost burst into laughter at his obvious line of thought. He must have realized that this was an opportunity, and was trying to find a Princess that could make him the Emperor. She was sure that in her previous life, he would have chosen Lilliette, but now it could only be herself. Ellor pretended to be flustered as she looked around, before coincidentally meeting eyes with Clyde¡¯s. She then turned her slightly blushing face away, before looking towards Clyde, and turned completely with slight reluctance. ¡®This much should be enough for now.¡¯ This much should be enough for Clyde to notice the signal that she was sending. Although in her heart she wanted to run up to him and grab him by the sleeve cuff, she didn¡¯t want it to seem too urgent. Soon after, the banquet was ordered to begin. A soft melody began to encompass the banquet hall, but the buzzing of people talking did not subside at all. Not only Ellor, all the newly turned successor candidates moved towards the places they were confident in. From now onwards, it was a battle of life and death. There was no guarantee that the one who became Emperor would leave their half-brothers alone. In particular, becoming the Emperor through such a competition was bound to gain some enemies. ¡ã??©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤??¡ã Chapter 15 Chapter 15 ¡®Everyone¡¯s eyes are shining.¡¯ As things proceeded in the direction the Emperor hoped, Slarhan became nauseous. If he continued to stay and look at the Emperor¡¯s shameless face, he might do something irreversible. Since the greeting session had ended, he wanted to return to the mansion and rest. At that moment, an intense purple colour passed before Slarhan¡¯s eyes. Slarhan glanced at the identity of the woman in the purple dress unknowingly. ¡®¡­Aunt?¡± The only conspicuous purple shade within the dazzling banquet hall was the dress she was wearing. Her name is Margaret Roland. She was the Emperor¡¯s half-sister and the Lady of the County of Roland. However, she couldn¡¯t have her child nominated as a successor candidate during today¡¯s banquet as she didn¡¯t have any children with Count Roland. In other words, in this unprecedented situation where the collateral lines of the Imperial Family was under the spotlight, she alone wasn¡¯t paid any attention. In actual fact, Slarhan originally didn¡¯t like her much, as she¡¯s a Lady with a knack for spreading gossip, along with the fact that she kept her silence when the Emperor suppressed the Ventiark family. Normally, he would have passed by her without even giving her a glance. However¡­ ¡°If you happen to see an intense purple that is close to blue, please act on the contrary of what the Master is feeling.¡± ¡°If you have feelings of unwillingness and avoidance towards something, you should approach and greet them cordially instead.¡± Ellier¡¯s words came to mind clearly. ¡®Does she really know how to tell fortune? It¡¯s surprising.¡¯ But he wasn¡¯t sure if it would make him lucky or not. Right now, isn¡¯t Countess Roland the one that none wants to connect with? ¡®Well, regardless of that, since she¡¯s an older generation in the Imperial Family, I should greet her first.¡¯ Although Slarhan¡¯s title was higher in position, in any case, the other party was his aunt. Slarhan weaved his way through those that were observing the moods of others and greeted Margaret. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since we¡¯ve met, Aunt.¡± ¡°Oh my, Slarhan!¡± ¡°How have you been?¡± ¡°I¡¯m doing very well, thank you. What about you¡­ are you alright? I heard that you held Older Brother Irdel¡¯s funeral.¡± ¡°It was conducted smoothly. I appreciate your concern.¡± She had always used a high tone to chat with others, but she had unexpectedly used a low and gentle voice to greet Slarhan and ask after Irdel¡¯s funeral. That alone made him think that he did well listening to Ellier¡¯s words. His internal seething at the Emperor¡¯s announcement was slightly alleviated due to Margaret¡¯s tender concern. On the other hand, while Margaret felt surprise over Slarhan¡¯s unexpected greeting, she also felt great joy at the same time. In actual fact, Margaret was the person that was most shocked by the Emperor¡¯s announcement. As the Emperor treated his brothers harshly, in comparison she was considered the closest relative to the Emperor. If it was a banquet as per usual, everyone would be anxious that they didn¡¯t get a chance to impress her. However, the Emperor¡¯s announcement today completely ignored her. Excluding her youngest sister that married abroad and was out of the discussion, the only person that didn¡¯t have a nominated successor candidate was her. The pain of not having a child was already great, but a knife was driven further in her wound by this situation, almost causing her to shed tears earlier. But in a situation where none made eye contact with her, Slarhan was the first to approach her and greet her. Due to that, the gazes of others turned to Margaret, and she felt grateful towards Slarhan for ensuring that she wouldn¡¯t become someone pathetic, at the same time finding Slarhan praiseworthy. ¡°Can you spare a moment? Let me introduce you to our Count. He¡¯s an honest person, and is capable in the aspects of diamond mining and trade. He is definitely someone that can help you.¡± As Margaret explained, she led Slarhan towards her husband, the Count of Roland. ¡°Honey! You know about Slarhan, right? My nephew came to greet you.¡± The introduction was considered rude according to etiquette¡¯s demands as Slarhan¡¯s title was higher, but he didn¡¯t mind. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Uncle. I think it¡¯s my first time seeing you after the Mistletoe Festival the year before.¡± Count Roland jumped up and bowed to Slarhan in greeting. ¡°Isn¡¯t this the Duke of Ventiark? I heard that many things have happened recently. My sincere apologies for not sending my condolences to Sir Irdel¡¯s funeral. It was not our intention.¡± Slarhan smiled lightly and nodded his head. He was well aware that other than the vassals, no one else came to offer their condolences in the Duke of Ventiark¡¯s funeral due to the threats from the Emperor. He did not intend to blame them for that. ¡°I am well aware that there wasn¡¯t any choice, and that Count Roland was particularly troubled. So, there¡¯s no need to worry.¡± ¡°Oh my, how can our Lehan be so generous. The next Emperor should be this kind of person. Don¡¯t you think so, too?¡± Margaret had already added ¡®our¡¯ to Slarhan¡¯s nickname, making her favour for Slarhan undisguised. She had the thought that since she had no children and Slarhan had no parents, they could become good partners if done well. Perhaps Count Roland was more prudent than his wife, he just smiled without answering. However, Slarhan could feel that Count Roland seemed kindly, and his eyes were slightly filled with intelligence. He was disinterested in them up until now so he didn¡¯t know, but it was clear that Count Roland wasn¡¯t an ordinary man. ¡®Ellier can¡¯t have guessed all of this, can she?¡¯ It was a surprising meeting in many ways, but Ellier had instructed him only to greet them, so after chatting for a while, he turned and left the banquet hall. At his simple demeanor, Count Roland later whispered behind Margaret¡¯s fan secretively. ¡°It seems like he came here without knowing anything.¡± ¡°That information was strictly confidential, so it can¡¯t be that he already knew about it just because it¡¯s Lehan.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Count Roland nodded cautiously as he watched the image of Slarhan slowly retreating. Perhaps a fine prey will walk in on its own.¡¯ ¡ã??©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤??¡ã Clyde gave a satisfied smile as he looked at Ellor that¡¯s a distance away sharing a glass of champagne with others. For him, who was unable to inherit the Marquisate, the announcement made today by the Emperor opened up an enormous possibility for him. It had a greater future than the Marquis, the position of ¡®Emperor¡¯. ¡®Convince one of the Princesses to become the Emperor, marry her and then take her throne¡­!¡¯ He had to find someone that could fulfill the plan in his head successfully, a Princess that wasn¡¯t stupid, but wasn¡¯t too smart either, who was daring but not reckless. The First Princess, Iris, seems to be strongly set on becoming the Emperor, the Second Princess, Luria, doesn¡¯t seem to have interest in competing for the throne, the Fourth Princess Lariette was still too young and it was more likely that the Second Imperial concubine would place her hopes on the Second Prince, Ravan. Currently, the answer was only Ellor in every aspect. Ellor seemed to possess considerable luck and momentum, people surrounded her, and her beauty was very useful in attracting people. ¡®Princess Ellor¡¯s mother just so happens to be the Empress, and the eldest son, Prince Renscher, left to recuperate last year. Apparently it¡¯s a mental illness, so he wouldn¡¯t come back to the capital anymore. It seems unlikely for the Empress to push Princess Luria, but if it was Princess Ellor, the Empress might find it worthwhile to try.¡¯ She looked at him with eyes that were evidently filled with favour. Clyde instinctively sensed that he had found a great opportunity. ¡ã??©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤??¡ã Slarhan immediately called for Ellier after returning from the Imperial Palace. ¡°I find it impossible, but¡­ do you know Countess Roland?¡± ¡°Yes? Me?¡± ¡°Actually, even if you did, you wouldn¡¯t have known in advance the colour of the dress she was going to wear today.¡± ¡°Huh? You¡¯ve found purple, right? Was purple referring to Countess Roland?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Wow! As expected! So what did you do?¡± As he looked at Ellier¡¯s eyes that twinkled with excitement, Slarhan thought he was being overly sensitive. No matter how extraordinary she was, a child that has only been out of Rubelfast for around a year wouldn¡¯t have known that. Perhaps she had randomly chosen a color. Perhaps she had said that with the thought that it wouldn¡¯t matter who he established relations with as the banquet hall would be filled with aristocrats. However, it was too miraculous to be coincidental that there was only one person present in the banquet hall who had the ¡®intense blue-violet colour¡¯ that Ellier had spoken of, and that person, just so happened to be a member of the Imperial Family, Countess Roland. ¡°I wanted to pretend that I didn¡¯t see her, so I approached and greeted her.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great! It will definitely become a good thing for the Master.¡± ¡°Well. I don¡¯t think anyone would think so.¡± ¡°It could be that Master has caught a fortune that¡¯s unknown to everyone else.¡± Ellier¡¯s eyes twinkled. As if she was certain. Slarhan liked the first pair of eyes that are filled with liveliness, unlike his dull and vague daily life. He wanted to believe in this little slave. ¡®This lass might actually have the disposition of a fortune teller.¡¯ Her bravely spoken words to bring her master good fortune might actually have an effect. If he could gain advantages like this, it was possible for her to pay off her value of a million perusoes, so it was a deal that wasn¡¯t unfavourable to Ellier. Thinking that Ellier was quite sly, Slarhan asked half-jokingly. ¡°So, how much do you want for this incident¡¯s daily wage?¡± But contrary to his expectations of her excitedly negotiating, Ellier shook her head. ¡°Today¡¯s incident has yet to bring a great benefit to Master yet. Please evaluate this incident if it turns out to be profitable for you.¡± ¡°¡­That wasn¡¯t really a joke.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not in a position to joke around with Master.¡± Slarhan snorted at her words. The words she speaks always seemed like she was conscious of her own position, but her attitude was completely different. What an absurd slave. ¡°Oh! During today¡¯s banquet¡­ Did something else happen?¡± ¡°Something else?¡± ¡°Well¡­ Did His Majesty bestow upon our Master something¡­ Or made a surprising announcement¡­¡± ¡°How did you know that too?¡± ¡°That¡¯s, I heard that His Majesty sent you a personally written letter and invited you. Then, it¡¯s obvious to anticipate that something will happen.¡± ¡°Is that so¡­?¡± Would an ordinary person imagine that the Emperor will be making a sudden announcement just based on that? Although it was somewhat unclear, Slarhan decided to not push too deeply, as his slave girl seemed to have a pretty outstanding intuition. ¡ã??©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤??¡ã Chapter 16 Chapter 16 ¡°Actually, it was a surprising announcement. I had heard of it in advance yesterday, but¡­ along with the Princes and Princesses, even Elanz from the Marquis of Melbaran and I will become candidates to become the Emperor¡¯s successor.¡± ¡°What? Is that true?¡± ¡°Yes. They will score the candidates over an observation period of 3 years, and crown the most capable amongst the candidates as the Emperor.¡± ¡°Wow! If that¡¯s the case, Master could become His Majesty the Emperor! Well, if it was our master, he would definitely become a wonderful Emperor¡­!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not interested.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± Ellier was at a loss due to Slarhan cutting off her words with a cold attitude. ¡®What kind of innermost thoughts are you saying right now? Did someone that¡¯s uninterested in the position of Emperor exchange blows with me until the very end?¡¯ In her previous life, the competition was reduced to four candidates, the First Princess Iris, the First Prince Renscher, the Fourth Princess Lillette, and Slarhan. Amongst them, Renscher quickly fell behind, but Iris and Slarhan were formidable. ¡®At the very end, even when Iris was lagging behind, you had chased me closely, so there¡¯s no way you aren¡¯t interested in the position of Emperor!¡¯ A suspicion brushed past her mind, that the absence of Princess Lilliette and her current presence by his side caused a change in the future she knew, but no matter how she thought about it, it didn¡¯t seem like Slarhan¡¯s mind had changed because of her. In any case, the one that would be in trouble if he really gave up on the throne is Ellier. ¡®You¡¯ll definitely die if you don¡¯t become Emperor, you idiot! Do you think that the other candidates will let you go? Also, if you die, your slave, that¡¯s me, will end up in a terrible situation.¡¯ She used to believe that making Slarhan Emperor was the reason Ellune brought her back, but no matter what, she didn¡¯t want to die terribly this time. Even if she didn¡¯t die of a natural death, at the very least she wanted to die comfortably in one go, and not return again. Therefore, he must actively participate in the competition for the Emperor¡¯s successor. In other words, she can¡¯t say anything discouraging unless he has made up his mind to become the Emperor. Ellier tried to convince Slarhan with a forced smile. ¡°Mas¨CMaster. Why are you not interested? It¡¯s the highest position in the Empire. It¡¯s not a position that anyone can sit in, but an opportunity to do so has landed on you!¡± ¡°You seem to be quite interested in that position.¡± ¡°Haha, hahaha, that can¡¯t be. As a slave, I couldn¡¯t dare to dream of becoming a noble.¡± ¡®To be exact, I¡¯ve already done it once, but I can¡¯t recall it because I¡¯m too agitated.¡¯ ¡°It¡¯s not that I want to be the Emperor, but I hope that our master becomes the Emperor.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Master is strong, wise, merciful, and handsome. He¡¯s perfect for the position of Emperor.¡± Surprisingly, Ellier spoke sincerely, No matter how she thought about it, it was Slarhan, not herself or Clyde, who suited the position of Emperor best. However, Ellier¡¯s sincerity seems to have not been conveyed to Slarhan. ¡°You¡¯re getting craftier by the day.¡± ¡°And it would also be a good thing for me if Master becomes the Emperor. Maybe I¡¯ll rake in a good profit when I leave as a free person.¡± As Ellier laughed, Slarkhan shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s not something that can be achieved simply by wanting to be.¡± ¡°You wouldn¡¯t know if I¡¯m here to bring Master good fortune.¡± Slarhan felt a strange sense of confidence in Ellier¡¯s oddly stubborn self. ¡®Just what did Mother send me?¡¯ He wasn¡¯t interested in the throne, and he had originally thought that his mother and father would feel the same way, but the child that his mother¡¯s power had pointed towards strongly, was anxious to make him the Emperor. He really couldn¡¯t understand. ¡°I think I¡¯ve heard enough of your bluffing today, so off you go.¡± Like dismissing a dog that was begging for snacks, Slarhan expelled EIlier from the room. But Ellier wasn¡¯t the only one that was requesting for him to become the Emperor. ¡°It¡¯s unimaginable, but since it¡¯s come to this, Your Grace must take the throne.¡± Tariq said that as if it was a matter of course. ¡°Why should I?¡± ¡°If Your Grace doesn¡¯t become the Emperor, there will be nothing but death that¡¯s left for you.¡± Like Ellier, Tariq was of the opinion that the reason behind Slarhan¡¯s becoming of the Emperor was ¡®survival¡¯. The other candidates also have the same risk, but if Slarhan doesn¡¯t become the Emperor, he wouldn¡¯t be able to escape death. There was no other reason why the Ventiark family had been persecuted. It¡¯s because Irdel and Slarhan were too outstanding, to the extent that causes others to want to follow them more than the Emperor. Currently, the Emperor¡¯s open suppression and the Ventiark family¡¯s lack of desire for power caused a decline in supporting powers, but now that Slarhan was a candidate for succession, people will gather around him at a terrifying pace from now onwards. Everyone was still watching, but if someone opened the floodgates¡­ ¡°And the other candidates aren¡¯t the type of people that will let the most powerful rivals go quietly.¡± Tariq sighed heavily as he recalled the faces of the rest of the candidates. ¡°Please take this as an opportunity, Your Grace. When you have become the Emperor, you¡¯ll no longer have to live while holding your breath. It is something that all the vassals who have been suffering would rejoice about. No, it will become something to rejoice about for everyone in this Empire. So, please rest assured.¡± Tariq spoke with an expression of determination rather than excitement. After he left, Slarhan was left alone in the room and smiled despondently. ¡®Coveting the position of Emperor would get me killed before, but now I would die if I¡¯m not the Emperor.¡¯ Didn¡¯t the Emperor destroy a harmonious family of three just because he feared their traitorous thoughts? But now he has to achieve victory and become the Emperor. How funny and terrifying this is. All of these events occurred solely due to the whims of the Emperor, yet there wasn¡¯t any word of apology. If it was going to end up like this, why did his mother have to leave, and why did his father have to die? A black energy rose from Slarhan¡¯s body and started to spread. It was a cold and damp feeling, an extremely unpleasant feeling. His amber eyes turned darker gradually, and the edge of the chair¡¯s armrest crumbled in his grasp. The raging anger blazed, and as if it was about to burn everything around him into ashes. ¡®If only I could kill him¡­ If only I could kill that human with my own hands¡­! His teeth made a grinding sound. As the mana within his body rose above a certain level, the necklace hanging from his neck began to jolt anxiously. After the pendant jolted several times as if to appease him, the fury that was emanating from him in all directions subsided. But it wasn¡¯t just the pendant¡¯s reaction that made him come to his senses. It was because he had thought that killing the Emperor was not enough to appease his resentment. He had toyed with not only himself, but also of his parents, vassals, and the people of his territory. ¡®That¡¯s right¡­. This time, I¡¯ll make fun of you with that Emperor¡¯s seat.¡¯ He gently fiddled with the black magic stone pendant that glittered beneath his collarbone after having barely regained his composure. ¡®Does Mother know that the future would turn out like this?¡¯ Slarhan remembered his mother, who seemed to know everything. Unlike his father¡¯s bright blonde hair, his beautiful mother, who had dark hair like the night, was someone who felt somewhat mysterious and unique even before he knew she was from the Sabi tribe. One of the reasons was that her words had never been wrong. So when she asked his father for divorce and left the castle, he barely managed to accept it despite the pain and sadness, believing that there was a big reason that only she knew. The night before she left the castle, she stroked Slarhan¡¯s cheek and said, ¡°Lehan, from now onwards you have to protect yourself.¡± Then she placed her hand on his head and recited some spell. Until now, Slarhan couldn¡¯t forget his feelings then. His dull head, which seemed to be wrapped in something, became clear, and it was only then that he became his natural self. ¡°From now on, you must remember your mother¡¯s words well, Lehan. Mother has just released your powers. It is a power that only those who inherit the blood of the Sabi tribe can use.¡± Slarhan trembled as he instinctively felt his awakened power. If the strength of a twelve-year-old child was at this level, he wondered how strong his mother would be. ¡°My mother is even stronger, right? Can¡¯t you defeat the Emperor? You¡¯re definitely capable of doing it.¡± How sorrowful my mother¡¯s expression looked then¡­ ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Lehan. But Mother can¡¯t use this power. I promised to do that and married your father. You shouldn¡¯t use this power recklessly either, as it will put the entire Sabi tribe in danger. You can only use as much as this necklace allows you to. should only wear this necklace as much as you want. Can you promise Mother?¡± His mother told him to wear the necklace that could suppress his magical powers. There seems to be a reason behind it, but it was still incomprehensible to a young Slarhan. ¡°Then, what¡¯s the point of having this power!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Lehan, I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± She looked like she was in despair. Despite having such power, he still had to endure the Emperor¡¯s assault, and couldn¡¯t hold his mother, who left everything behind her in tears¡­ However, it wasn¡¯t unfortunate that he inherited the blood of the Sabi tribe. It was because he could freely save someone¡¯s life. Thanks to this, he could save his fatally wounded father and several loyal knights. And Ellier. His father eventually left his side, but Ellier appeared by his side as if she were his replacement. Although she couldn¡¯t be compared to his father, considering the small amount of comfort and hope that the slave girl had recently given him, no matter how many times he thought about it, it was right of him to feed her his blood and save her. As Slarhan was thinking about Ellier, he was suddenly curious as to what she was doing, so he focused. The sign from his blood soon revealed Ellier¡¯s location. ¡®The back courtyard of the mansion¡­?¡¯ It was like the back of the house. But it was time for the sun to set. ¡®It seems that it¡¯s time for physical training? She¡¯s surprisingly diligent.¡¯ The journey from the estate to the capital was not easy, so she could have rested for a while longer, but Ellier seems to be starting physical training again from today onwards. As his mind was about to flicker to another topic after acknowledging it as commendable of her, a sudden point of concern brushed past his mind. ¡®The mansion¡¯s knights wouldn¡¯t have known that Ellier was allowed to train within the training grounds.¡¯ The knights in Ventiark Castle hated the fact that Ellier trained her physical strength in their training grounds. It didn¡¯t mean that the knights in the mansion wouldn¡¯t also feel the same way. The knights In the castle were warned multiple times not to touch Ellier, but in the mansion, someone might attempt to harm Ellier with the reasoning that she had stepped onto the training grounds despite being a slave. Without realizing it, Slarhan had stood up and headed towards the direction that he felt Ellier¡¯s energy. ¡ã??©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤??¡ã Chapter 17 Chapter 17 Hwiik, Tak. Woong, woong. The sound of something being swinged could be heard from the edge of the quiet training grounds. ¡®Ah! this feeling! I¡¯ve missed it.¡¯ While Ellier was running around the training grounds to train her physical stamina like how she does in Ventiark Castle, she found a wooden sword that someone had thrown away and was swinging it secretly. When she had picked it up, there was a crack down the middle of the wooden sword, but she rationalized that she could still use it a few more times as she was weak. After looking around and making sure that there wasn¡¯t anyone around, she held the handle of the sword seriously. Then, she followed what she had done in her previous life, and spread her feet and swung the sword. Although her wrists and muscles were not built, and she was short of breath, she was happy that the sword could move as per her memories from her previous life. The sensation of swinging the sword thousands or tens of thousands of times remained as it was within her. ¡®I¡¯m very fortunate. As long as I continue to increase my stamina like this, there shouldn¡¯t be a problem with using a sword. Ah, having a sword would be a problem.¡¯ Without their master¡¯s special permission, slaves will never be allowed to possess weapons. If someone finds her wielding a sword right now, it would probably be turned into a great offense. So, if she wants to practice swordsmanship in the future, this wooden sword would also need a hiding spot¡­ ¡°I don¡¯t know what else I should be surprised about when it comes to you.¡± Ellier was startled by the sudden voice. She was thinking she definitely can¡¯t be discovered, yet not too long after she was caught. ¡°Mas¨CMaster¡­¡± Even while she was seized with panic, Ellier still tried to hide the hand that was holding the wooden sword behind her back secretly. But her efforts were for naught, as Slarhan strode over to her and grabbed the sword she held, inspecting it back and forth. ¡°There¡¯s a crack.¡± ¡°Ah, yes! It¨C It looked like someone had thrown it away! So, I just swung it for fun¡­¡± ¡°For fun?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it human nature to want to wave about an elongated stick? Hahaha!¡± ¡°That may be true, but you had quite an accurate posture.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not¡­ possible.¡± However, Slarhan did not seem to have heard Ellier¡¯s answer, as he went towards a warehouse near the training grounds and pulled out two more wooden swords. ¡°Here¡±. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Sword, hold it tightly.¡± Ellier reluctantly accepted the sword handed by him. ¡°Come at me first.¡± ¡°What? Me? Towards Master? ¡°Stop acting like that and move as you did before.¡± The deliberately crafted expression of surprise froze as Ellier¡¯s eyebrows twitched. Oddly, it hurt her self-esteem. Earlier, she was shocked by the presence of the sword, but in reality, it wasn¡¯t something deserving of a huge punishment. A wooden sword with a crack can hardly be called a weapon. It wasn¡¯t as if she had aimed it at anyone, she had just swung it a little. But could she, as a slave, admit to doing that proudly? So, she pretended that it was nothing, but her act had only made it even more ludicrous. As she was feeling terrible, the hand holding the wooden sword gripped it stronger. Even in her previous life, Lilliette wasn¡¯t a great enough swordswoman capable of defeating Slarhan. She also knew that Slarhan was a swordmaster. But there was a cry in her head, one that refused to back down. ¡°No matter what, I was just following orders, Master.¡± At the end of those words, Ellier gripped the wooden sword tightly and her eyes lit up. Slarhan was indeed a swordmaster, even if he looked relaxed, there weren¡¯t any visible openings. But among the gaps that he didn¡¯t have, she still had to find the weakest part. ¡®His legs!¡¯ Ellier focused her gaze on Slarhan¡¯s sword and ran straight at him while swinging the sword towards his left leg. Taak! As the sound of the wooden swords hitting each other rang out, her right wrist throbbed. Slarhan¡¯s sword immediately struck towards Ellier¡¯s sword. Not only that, he also lunged towards Ellier directly. ¡°Uwak!¡± Ellier quickly rolled her body to dodge his strike. She then swung her sword towards his side. She thought that this round would be sharper than the previous one, but Slarhan parried with an indifferent expression. Ellier¡¯s self-esteem took a bigger blow at the fact that he parried without even avoiding her strike. The ¡®limits¡¯ that she thought she had crossed with difficulty resurfaced before her eyes once again. ¡°Princess. In this world, there will obviously be women that possess an excellent body and walk the path of a knight. But she isn¡¯t the Princess. No matter how hard you try, surpassing the level of male knights would be difficult.¡± ¡°When you hold a sword, your pretty hands will grow blisters and calluses. No man would like such a hand, Princess.¡± Although Lilliette¡¯s escort knights and nanny continued to advise her to stop ever since she started training at the age of twelve, she still took the time every day to hone her stamina and practice her swordsmanship. Even if she attended a much more elegant class than the commoner knights that had to roll on the dusty floor, Princess Lilliette put in her best effort. She trained like that for three years, but as her escort knight had said, she wasn¡¯t able to beat a junior knight. She couldn¡¯t explain the anger and resentment that she had felt then in words. When she was unable to control her agitated feelings and her tears were pouring down her face, her escort knight came and comforted her sincerely. ¡°I can guarantee that the Princess did her best. So, please put your sword down. There must be other things that the Princess is good at.¡± So what did she do? Lilliette doubled her practice time. Ignoring her astonished mother and the mocking of other Princesses, she spent six hours a day holding her sword. When she participated in hunting competitions, she held her sword and confronted wild animals, she experienced battles as she quelled areas of conflict with a squadron of knights. Perhaps others have suffered due to her insistence on doing dangerous things. But Princess Lilliette was able to push and break through her own limits in that way. Although she did not become one of the top knights of the Empire, she became a person that could complete the job of a single knight fully. How can she forget the joy she felt then when she threw the bloody head of an enemy general towards the knights that laughed at her? ¡®I had barely exceeded the limit, but once again¡­!¡¯ Forgetting that she shouldn¡¯t arouse Slarhan¡¯s suspicion, Ellier clenched her teeth and swung the sword with both hands. Bang-! With a loud clatter, the sword Ellier was holding flew through the air and fell to the floor. ¡°Hah¡­ hahh¡­!¡± She had loosened her grip on the sword. If she hadn¡¯t dropped it, the bones of her fingers would have broken, unable to withstand the force of the rebound. As he left Ellier standing in the position she had dropped her word and exhaling harshly, Slarhan moved leisurely and picked up the wooden sword on the floor. ¡°Do you not have any recollection of the person that taught you the sword? Both the stance and the swordsmanship are amazing, and your movements are fast and accurate. If you could gain slightly more stamina¡­ Ellier¡­?¡± ¡°Huk, huuuk¡­¡± ¡°Are you¡­ crying right now?¡± Slarhan has never felt so bewildered before. He was surprised by Ellier¡¯s swordsmanship, and he was praising her in his own way, so he couldn¡¯t understand why she was crying. ¡°Why the hell are you crying?¡± ¡°Huuuuu, huuuu¡­¡± ¡°Hey, calm down¡­¡± ¡°Uwaaahh!¡± Slarhan, who had never made a woman cry, was deeply troubled. No, he wasn¡¯t even sure if she was crying because of him. ¡®Don¡¯t tell me, she¡¯s crying because she¡¯s upset that she lost against me.¡¯ Slarhan forgot to learn more about Ellier¡¯s swordsmanship, and he stood quietly in front of Ellier, carefully patting her on the shoulder. EIlier¡¯s body temperature rose just from a brief battle, and was small enough for his hand to easily grip her entire shoulder. That was what made the swordsmanship from before more surprising. The origin of her swordsmanship was unclear, but it was hard to believe that such a skinny child would wield it. ¡°Are you going to continue standing here and cry? I think it would be better to pick up the sword and go back.¡± ¡°Hic, huuu, hic, I¨CI under¡­stand.¡± The tears that welled up out of anger couldn¡¯t be easily stopped. Continuing to sniff, she used her sleeve to wipe her tears, and took the wooden sword that Slarhan had picked up and headed to the warehouse. Slarhan also went along and placed the wooden sword in its barrel. In the dark warehouse, EIlier¡¯s whimpering sound even louder. ¡°EIllier.¡± ¡°Huu, huu, I¡¯m, sorry, I¨C I want to stop, but¡­¡± ¡°Are you angry at losing?¡± ¡°That, that¡¯s not it, huu, I don¡¯t have the strength, hic, huuk, I can do it better.¡± She seemed to be resenting the fact that she wasn¡¯t able to show her skills properly due to her lack of physical strength. Slarhan became speechless at that, and looked at her silently before sighing. ¡°Do you want to do better?¡± Ellier couldn¡¯t answer because she was sniffling, and only nodded her head vigorously. ¡°I¡¯ll help you for a while after physical training in the evenings.¡± ¡°Mas¨C master, you, personally?¡± ¡°There wouldn¡¯t be someone amongst the knights that would want to deal with you.¡± ¡°That, that¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Come to the back of the warehouse everyday at this hour. Use this as your practice sword.¡± Slarhan took out a small knife from his pocket and carved his signature on the handle of her wooden sword. If she showed that carving, she wouldn¡¯t be beaten for possessing a wooden sword. At the fact that she had her practice sword, Ellier¡¯s mood quickly improved. ¡°If you smile while crying, something will sprout.¡± ¡°I¨C I didn¡¯t smile.¡± In response to the reply that would never admit defeat, Slarhan turned his head and laughed. After they had finished speaking, Slarhan led Ellier, who was holding the wooden sword she had received from him, towards the mansion. But it wasn¡¯t just Slarhan and Ellier that were in the vicinity of the warehouse then. ¡°Hey, what did I just witness?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ I think it would be a little disrespectful if I said it out directly.¡± ¡°You think so too?¡± Two guards of the Ventiark Mansion that were patrolling nearby, witnessed the scene directly. However, the scene of Slarhan taking the sniffling slave girl out of the dark warehouse without seeing what happened previously made it easy for a strange misunderstanding to happen. ¡°Oh my gosh, no wonder it was weird.¡± ¡°No matter how I look at it¡­ she seems to be so.¡± The younger of the two frowned. Even if one was a slave and the other was a Duke, forcibly taking a young and weak woman was definitely not the actions of an honorable knight. But the other guard stabbed the younger guard in the side painfully. ¡°Just pretend that you¡¯re unaware. In any case, a slave doesn¡¯t have the right to reject its master. His Grace did this and that for that lass, so she¡¯ll get used to it sooner or later.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°Why? Can I go to His Grace and tell him not to do that? On what basis? It¡¯s only going to ruin your future if you speak directly for nothing. Let¡¯s pretend that we didn¡¯t see it and go.¡± However, one of the two opened his mouth, and rumours that the Duke touched the slave child in a warehouse near the training ground quickly spread. ¡ã??©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤??¡ã Chapter 18 Chapter 18 ¡ã??©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤??¡ã It was two days later when Ellier sensed the subtle change in the attitudes of the servants. ¡°Excuse me, I have come to get my dinner.¡± ¡°Oh my? We¡¯ve run out of bread.¡± ¡°Yes? In that case, even if it¡¯s just soup¡­¡± ¡°How would there be soup left when there¡¯s no bread?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, who asked you to come so late?¡± Ellier arrived at the same time she usually does, but it was strange that they said she was late. Even the maids seated at the back were eating calmly. There still was a soup pot atop the kitchen range, and it seems that there was some bread within the cloth-covered basket. And, Ellier was quick witted. It seems that she has incurred as much hatred towards her as in Ventiark Castle. ¡®Hasn¡¯t it been about a month since arriving at the mansion? Even so, it seems that they had endured longer than I¡¯d expected.¡¯ The slave¡¯s position, having been given the position of the lofty Duke¡¯s errand runner, was quite delicate. If Ellier had been an ordinary maid, everyone would want to curry favour with her, or at the very least not be a nuisance, but when it was a slave, their pride wouldn¡¯t allow them to do so. Even at the fact that Ellier came from the most lowly Rubelfast. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll come two hours in advance tomorrow to collect it.¡± ¡°No, you can¡¯t. How can the slave be served before others? Come an hour earlier than today.¡± ¡°But at that time, I have physical training¡­¡± At Ellier¡¯s response, a mocking light flickered past the faces of the maids around her. ¡°Physical training? Aha! So you¡¯re describing it as physical training, huh?¡± ¡°Well, it requires a lot of physical strength, so it can be seen as physical training. Isn¡¯t it so?¡± The surrounding maids burst into laughter at the same time. As Ellier stood there absentmindedly, she was rather disconcerted. ¡°Six o¡¯clock in the evening! I¡¯ll give you bread only when you arrive exactly at that time. You mustn¡¯t be late by a minute.¡± ¡°Who made such a law?¡± ¡°You¡¯re pretty cocky when you¡¯re a slave. Just because His Grace thinks you¡¯re a little pretty, you don¡¯t seem to see anything anymore?¡± ¡°Hey, what do you expect? Perhaps you thought that as long as you bore a child, you¡¯d even get the position of a mistress.¡± ¡°Tsktsk, apparently slaves would roll around the sheets like that, well, that¡¯s the only thing that they¡¯ve learnt.¡± The maids¡¯ taunts and words of ridicule appeared indistinctly, but Ellier couldn¡¯t understand at all. ¡®What happened that made me be gossiped about as Slarhan¡¯s, that b*stard¡¯s, woman this time?¡¯ No matter how much she thought about it, nothing has changed. Although she would spar with Slarhan behind the warehouse every evening, it really for a short duration. When she sparred with Slarhan, she would often roll about and break things, so she definitely didn¡¯t look lovely. In any case, bread wouldn¡¯t appear even if she kept standing here. Eventually, Ellier headed to her room, leaving behind the maids that kept ridiculing her maliciously. ¡ã??©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤??¡ã ¡°Aoong.¡± ¡°Nox! Mom¡¯s back¡±. It was fortunate that she could bring Nox with her when she came to the capital. If it wasn¡¯t for Nox, this life would have been much more difficult. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Nox, I couldn¡¯t get dinner today. Those bad girls in the kitchen used a very strange excuse, and didn¡¯t give me food.¡± ¡°Meow, meow¡±. Ellier sighed deeply. She didn¡¯t mind starving. Although she was hungry, enduring hunger was a daily routine when she was at Rubelfast. But the problem lay with Nox. Perhaps it was because the first meal this peculiar and precocious cat ate bread for its first meal when it was starving, Nox paid no attention to small animals or insects, only eating bread. Nox would ingest the meat in the soup that came with bread, but it would never eat raw meat. Thanks to this, she was able to sit face to face with Nox and eat, which was the most enjoyable time for Ellier. ¡°Wait a little while longer, Nox. When it gets darker, I¡¯ll go through the trash can in the kitchen. There should be something there that I can feed you with.¡± So what if Ellier had the soul of an Emperor? In order to find something to feed her little cat with, she had to rummage through the kitchen¡¯s trash can. Of course, she knew that if she went to Slarhan and told him about the happenings just now, she would be able to obtain today¡¯s bread. But doing that was no different from turning all the servants in this mansion into her enemies. Slarhan wouldn¡¯t always be able to protect her, so if she was hated for nothing, she wouldn¡¯t be able to escape unscathed right now. She had always wanted to be Nox¡¯s reliable owner, but it felt like she had become a mother cat that returned without finding food, making her feel depressed. At that thought, Ellier sighed, and suddenly Nox meowed as it scratched at the window. ¡°Nox?¡± Just as Ellier turned her head, Nox successfully opened the window and ran out before Ellier could stop it. ¡°Nox! Where are you going? Nox!¡± But after Nox looked back at Ellier and let out a meow for her to relax, it soon disappeared within the darkness. As Ellier craned her neck out of the window and looked around, she caught sight of that and wore her shoes immediately to leave in search of Nox. Just then, Nox jumped past the window sill and entered the room instantly. There was a loaf of bread held within his mouth. ¡°Nya.¡± ¡°Oh, my. Nox¡­ Where did you get that?¡± ¡°Nyaaaaa.¡± Seeing from how he had returned instantly, the bread must have been brought over from someplace nearby, but there didn¡¯t seem to be a place outside the window that could produce such a fluffy bread. Even still, the loaf of bread was warm and it was untouched by dust. ¡°It can¡¯t be that you nipped the knight¡¯s bread over?¡± Unlike Ellier, who hesitated due to not knowing the source of the bread, Nox meowed as if it was asking for her to rip the bread quickly. ¡°Yeah, it would all be eaten up anyways, so who would know? It wasn¡¯t stolen by me.¡± After locking the door tightly, Ellier tore half of the loaf into small pieces and placed them onto a plate for Nox, with a water bowl next to it. She then ate the other half. At the sight of Nox devouring the bread ravenously, the guilt of eating the bread with an unknown owner faded. After all, no one will starve just because a single loaf of bread went missing in this luxurious mansion. ¡°Thanks to you, Nox, I don¡¯t have to starve today. Thank you, Nox, you are such a smart and pretty kitty.¡± Perhaps it understood Ellier¡¯s praise, the satiated Nox had only yawned for a long time. ¡ã??©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤??¡ã ¡°Welcome, Young Lord of the Kassir Marquisate. It¡¯s nice to meet you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s an honour, Your Highness.¡± ¡°I hope that you¡¯ll call me by my name, Ellor.¡± Ellor smiled brightly at Clyde, who visited the palace after receiving an invitation. It has been roughly a week since the Emperor announced the competition between successors. By now, Clyde should have already finished his calculations. There wasn¡¯t any news that indicated his interest in Iris, Luria, or Lariette. So when an invitation was sent, Clyde lived up to her expectations and came to Ellor immediately. ¡°It is an honor to be granted permission to call you by your name. I would be happy if you call me Clyde too.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be happy to do so, Clyde.¡± Ellor tried her best to prevent her smile from being too visible. After taking a sip of tea elegantly, Ellor appraised Clyde silently, before opening her mouth. ¡°Wasn¡¯t the celebration last week amazing?¡± ¡°¡­It was.¡± ¡°Although it¡¯s still quiet, everyone¡¯s head must have been filled with complicated calculations.¡± Clyde could roughly guess what Ellor was about to say, but paid more attention to her oddly calm attitude. Currently, Ellor seemed to be pitying the other candidates¡¯ efforts that would be in vain, as she would obviously win the competition. ¡°It would obviously have been so. This has never happened before, even from the days when Paldinas was a kingdom. But Your Highness, Ellor, seems to have made up your mind for some reason.¡± ¡°You¡¯re quick to catch on. That¡¯s right. I have made up my mind. I¡¯ve decided to be the Emperor.¡± Ellor spoke assertively. If it was the words of a young Princess, others would smile at her cuteness, but Ellor was neither young nor stupid. Clyde lowered his voice slightly. ¡°Do you have a plan?¡± ¡°Clyde. While this competition was inevitable, an advisor is really important. I¡¯m destined to be a chess piece wielded by the advisor.¡± ¡°There wouldn¡¯t be anyone that would have such an irreverent attitude.¡± ¡°No, it is true. In your eyes, aren¡¯t I just an Imperial descendant that you can use to wear the Emperor¡¯s crown?¡± At that moment, Clyde was rendered speechless. He didn¡¯t expect that she would broach the topic so honestly. Just as Ellor had mentioned, it wasn¡¯t possible for any of the Imperial descendants to win this fight solely with their own brains. Especially against the sly snake-like Emperor and the hard to read Slarhan Ventiark¡­ ¡°What is it that Your Highness is trying to say?¡± ¡°Clyde, take my hand. Because I¡¯m the most suitable amongst your available choices.¡± ¡°Your Highness¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you feel that it¡¯s unjust that you can¡¯t inherit the Marquisate even though you possess such outstanding ability? But in actual fact, being a Marquis isn¡¯t the only thing that suits you.¡± Ellor¡¯s voice became more quiet. ¡°Don¡¯t you want the Emperor¡¯s throne?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never had such a disloyal heart¡­¡± ¡°Then, conceive one from now onwards. Help me become the Emperor, and marry me. Then, I¡¯ll be able to hand my position of Emperor to you.¡± Goosebumps seemed to form on the back of Clyde¡¯s neck. It was a proposal that was 100% consistent with his thoughts. He didn¡¯t know how the Princess, who he thought was living in a flower garden without any thoughts, noticed his own idea. ¡°Why¡­ Why did you have such thoughts?¡± ¡°Pfft! Clyde, you don¡¯t have to be that scared. I don¡¯t have any great plans. As you are aware, if I fall behind in this succession competition, my life would be like a candle in the wind. However, I want to live longer and enjoy this power and wealth. Is that a bad thing? ¡°Anyone would think the same way, as long as they¡¯re a human being.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that right? But I hate being troubled. That¡¯s why I¡¯m not very interested in the Emperor¡¯s position, which has to look after governmental affairs.¡± Then, Ellor leaned forward and approached Clyde. ¡°But you¡¯re the right person for that position, and you¡¯re someone that can perform well. What do you think? Don¡¯t you think our interests match perfectly?¡± There was nary a sign of apprehension on Ellor¡¯s smiling face. As such, Clyde became even more dubious. He wondered how she could be so confident when it came to such a major issue. ¡°Then, I can also choose another Princess.¡± wouldn¡¯t it be possible for him to choose another princess?¡± ¡°Oh my! Are you now in the mood to be honest? But since you¡¯re smart, you¡¯d probably know, right? Iris is greedy, so she would want herself to occupy the throne. As for Luria, it isn¡¯t good for me to speak as she¡¯s my sister, but there¡¯s nothing for you to look forward to in this regard. To put it bluntly, she¡¯s too stupid.¡± ¡°Then, what about Her Highness, Lariette?¡±¡± Elor¡¯s eyebrows flinched for a moment at the sound of Lariette¡¯s name. This was because an afterimage of her past life flashed by momentarily. But Ellor vowed once again, this life is different.