novel
| ← Ch.084 | Ch.086 → |
"Johra how about here?"
We picked a nice peaceful spot to stop the carriage and eat our packed lunch.
"Is it sandwiches?"
"Yes, do you not like them?"
"No, I'm sure they will be just fine."
When Levin handed Viezda her sandwich she just naturally took it and stepped outside.
"Where is Viezda going?"
"It isn't a servant's place to share a meal with her master."
"What nonsense, Viezda come back here."
She climbed back into the carriage with an awkward expression.
"Let's eat.
Levin gave me a strange look but I just ignored him and focused on my lunch. Likewise Viezda was staring at me.
"Is there anything that you don't like to eat?"
Shaking her head she began to eat her sandwich.
"Wow it's so tasty!"
"Yes Johra, the count's chef's a very good because my father, the head butler, is very picky in the selection of employees."
Levin spoke out proudly as if his father was a great hero.
Viezda just quietly ate her lunch all crunched up in the corner.
"What's wrong Viezda?"
She shook her head left and right.
'Is she afraid of strangers?'
After finishing our meal we hit the road once more and soon made it back to the manor. Jillian and Jerna were already outside, awaiting our arrival with eager eyes.
"I'm back."
"Johra is the woman behind you a battle slave?"
The siblings was hopping up and down to get a better look at Viezda who was partly hidden behind me. When they caught sight of her, he and Jerna sported a surprised expression.
"What's wrong Jillian?"
"She's quite ugly... is it normal for a battle slave?"
"Really, I thought she was quite pretty."
Hearing my words Jerna's expression became very cold.
"Can I impose on you and ask for another room Jillian?"
"Of course, I'll make sure it's taken care of."
Viezda however followed me silently into my own room.
"Why are you here? I went out of my way to get you your own room so why don't you sleep there?"
She shook her head helplessly as a deep blush reached her cheeks.
"Did you want to sleep in this room?"
She nodded back, as her face truend an even deeper red.
"Okay it won't be a problem. You can sleep on the bed and I'll take the couch."
She turned to look at the bed with an awkward expression.
"Good night Viezda, get some rest because we have a lot to discuss tomorrow.
I was exhausted from the days worth of shopping and fell asleep the moment my head hit the pillow. However, I woke up in the middle of the night due to a strange sound.
Sniff sniff wooo~
Peeping through my half closed eyes I came upon an embarrassing scene.
"Get out before you wake him up you useless slave! How dare you take the master's bed, you should consider yourself fortunate to even be allowed to sleep in the same room!"
One of the maids had walked into the room, and having seen my slave on the bed, attempted to drag her out. Viezda however was clutching the sheets with all her might, refusing to budge.
"What's going on here?"
Viezda was delighted to hear my voice, knowing that I had woken up. The maid however hurried out of the room, giving Viezda one more hateful look on the way out. As the maid escape Viezda let out an elated sigh, but this caused her to let go of the bed sheet she had been holding on to, and carelessly fell down to the floor.
"What happened Viezda? Are you okay?"
She sat down on the floor, with deep laborious breaths and she tore at her own chest.
'Hm, what if...?'
"Are you unable to speak?"
She shook her head.
"So is there something stopping you from speaking?"
She nodded once again and clawed at her chest even more vigorously.
"Have you been forbidden from talking?"
She nodded again, while she kept hitting her chest.
"What's the matter, I allow you to say whatever you want. Viezda! You can talk!"
"Pooooooha!! Please cancel your command that I should sleep in your bed. Phaaa"
"Okay Viezda, you don't need to sleep on the bed."
Haaahhh haaahhh
I finally understood her past actions and the reason she had difficulty breathing and was tearing at her chest were all signs for me.
"Were you forbidden from speaking by your previous master?"
"Yeah...."
She responded in a timid voice.
"I'm so sorry, I didn't know that."
"It's okay, I'll explain everything to you master."
I gave her a hand to help her up from the floor and we sat on the bed.
"So what did you want to say?"
"If you call my name, then anything you say after that becomes an absolute command."
'Oh! This whole time I had been carelessly throwing her name around!'
"I'm sorry I'll be more careful in the future."
"Not at all, it is my job to follow my master's wishes."
"I won't order you around. There is only one thing that I'll ask of you and that is that you never betray me."
"Of course."
I felt her eyes brighten.
Chulkuk
"I locked the door, it's fine now."
"I'll take the couch master so you should go on the bed."
"Nonsense, I'm a man and you're a woman. It's a question of honor."
Viezda still had an unwilling look.
"Can I ask you something?"
She nodded back
"Why did you want to sleep in the same room? Did you have some weird expectation?"
"Ah, not at all. I know it's impossible for you to be interested in an ugly person like me. it's just that I begin to feel terrible if we are too far away.
She lowered her head submissively..
"Why is that? Is it part of the Master-Slave Contract we established?"
She nodded back.
"Okay then Viezda, I'll make sure they install a second bed starting tomorrow, but for tonight I'll be taking the couch."
As I abruptly used her name, her expression became uncomfortable.
"Ah, sorry it was a slip of the tongue."
Seeing that Viezda had fallen asleep I likewise dozed off on the couch.
Knock knock!
"Huh? Viezda?"
"Yes."
Viezda had been kneeling by the couch, waiting for me to wake up.
"Sit comfortably. Yes~ Who is it?"
"Good morning Johra!"
It was not the maid but Jerna who was at the door.
"Ugh... what's up?"
"Let's play some chess!"
She had walked in carrying the chess board and set it on the table. During our game she would occasionally steal some glances at Viezda. Her expression one filled with jealousy.
"Hm Jerna? Any day now would be fine."
"Wait wait! I need to think carefully!"
Our game was taking forever as she would sometimes take more than 20 minutes for a single move. For this reason I had been trapped in my own room playing chess for the last few hours.
Viezda was sitting down on the couch and looking at us play. We even had lunch in my bedroom, the three of us locked up in the room due to this game.
'Ugh... this is taking far too long. Should I simply lose on purpose? No, if she were to figure it out it would only be worse. '
Jerna was burning a hole into the board by staring at it for so long.
"Agh! How could you possibly read so far ahead? I thought I had a chance to win this time!"
Tears welled up in her eyes.
"Well......"
Waaaah!
She cried helplessly
"Master you don't have any mercy"
"Viezda, I'm heartbroken by your words."
Viezda immediately turned pale in fear.
"What? Is it a reaction to what I just said?"
"The punishment... it's hard to breathe.
"Oh Viezda please stop it, I'm sorry."
"Not at all, it's natural for me to suffer some punishment for harming my master."
"I don't think of you as my slave Viezda, but rather as my colleague."
"A colleague?"
Tears began to form in her eyes.
"Did I say something wrong?"
"No, the opposite."
She threw her head down into her lap and began bawling her eyes out.
'I must be a terrible person as I've made two women cry in the same morning. I should probably reflect on my actions.... '
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