Only Obedient to Me! Sir Knight Chapter 5

“Um, Master.”

Although he heard a voice calling out to him, Rowy kept his face buried in the pillow, shedding a endless stream of tears. He would be fine again after a good cry. Morning was bound to come, after all.

“Whimper…”

Sorrowful over the long night, his tears burst forth once more.

“Master.”

The voice sounded a bit closer. Rowy just sobbed and wept. He didn’t have the mental capacity to care about anyone else.

“Master.”

The voice came from right beside him. The blanket was lifted slightly. His chest felt tight, his mood was depressed, and the corners of his eyes stung. In any case, it was the absolute worst. Rowy roughly waved his hand to shoo away the intruder.

“Go away.”

A sob seeped into his voice. That only made him feel sadder, so he sniffled again. Ice cream or whatever, who cares. I’m depressed. I’m a depressed person. Rowy dug himself deeper and deeper into a hole.

And at that exact moment, his hand was suddenly grabbed.

“What is this?”

“Excuse me.”

To dare grab his master’s hand without an order. If his head had ached even a little less, he would have severely punished him right then and there. Rowy lifted his tear-filled eyes to glare at Van. However, Van didn’t care in the slightest and pulled Rowy right out from under the covers. Because Van was incredibly strong, Rowy was sat up on the bed before he could even make a gesture of resistance.

“What on earth…”

“Shh, please stop crying. You will exhaust yourself at this rate.”

A large hand carefully wiped away Rowy’s tears. At the sudden situation, Rowy’s tears paused slightly.

“What are you doing?”

“I am comforting you.”

And… just like that, he was pulled directly into an embrace. Rowy inhaled sharply at the solid sensation pressing against his whole body. A large hand slowly stroked down his back. Ultimately, tears spilled out in drops from Rowy’s eyes once more.

“Sob…”

It is always a rule that one cries even harder when someone comforts them.

“Shh, it is alright.”

“Sob, wahhh…”

Tears and snot all poured out. Rowy clung to the slave and wept loudly. Van patted Rowy’s back without a word. Sorrowful weeping continued to stream out. The tears went on for quite a while after that. Van’s warm hand didn’t stop, stroking Rowy’s back for a long time.

. ꕤ ｡ ˚⋆

“Sniff.”

Thus, Rowy was currently slumped entirely within Van’s embrace. After clinging to him and having a big cry, all his strength had drained away, leaving him unable to move properly. True to a mage, Rowy possessed absolutely zero physical stamina.

“Are you alright, sir?”

Van was still patting Rowy’s back. His mind gradually grew sharper under that touch. Rowy glanced out the window. It was still the middle of the night.

“Get me water.”

“Here it is, sir.”

Because he had cried so much, his voice was completely raspy. Van quickly served the water that was nearby. After receiving and drinking the water, a bit of his energy returned.

“Thank you.”

It was a pitiful voice. The out-of-sorts Rowy had said thank you for the third time today. If Joseph had seen this, he would have dragged him to a healer immediately, but Van, who was seeing Rowy for the first time today, continuously stroked Rowy’s back with an expression of deep pity, not knowing what to do.

“Would you like to wash up and change your clothes, sir?”

“It’s a hassle…”

“Even so, sir.”

Van coaxed Rowy and laid him down on the bed, then quickly brought a hot towel. After carefully wiping his face, hands, and feet, Van now changed Rowy into pajamas, flipping him forward and backward almost as if handling a doll.

‘A strong slave is truly convenient.’

Rowy thought with a mind hazy from crying too much. In fact, Rowy didn’t particularly like being waited on. Even though being served was completely natural for Rowy, who was born into a ducal house. People around him had blamed Rowy, saying it was because he was too sensitive, but…

‘Well. This isn’t bad.’

Handling a fully grown man who was completely limp and relaxed without using much strength at all. Rowy felt a strange sense of satisfaction as he completely entrusted his body to those hands.

‘It’s almost like magic.’

To have his clothes changed on their own without having to use mana. A slight smile of satisfaction played on Rowy’s lips.

“Van.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Hold my hand.”

“Yes, sir.”

Van readily took Rowy’s hand. Lying on the bed, Rowy smiled faintly. It was a smile of satisfaction toward an obedient slave, but since he was completely drained of strength, it only looked pitiful.

“Don’t let go until I fall asleep.”

“I will stay by your side.”

Letting out a sigh, Rowy pulled that hand toward his chest. Thump, thump. The warm hand was placed over Rowy’s heart. A drop or two of rain began to fall from the sky. The rain clouds blocking the moon instantly turned the outside of the window pitch black. Night was always a time of depression. It used to be that way…

Pat, pat.

“Please go to sleep now.”

Rowy fell into a deep sleep as if losing consciousness on the spot.

. ꕤ ｡ ˚⋆

Van faithfully stayed by Rowy’s side all night. Waking up and blankly staring at his hand being held, Rowy smiled warmly. However, the sky where rain still fell was gloomy, and his mood had not fully recovered.

“Do you still feel unwell, sir?”

“Mmm. Nom.”

Having demanded to be washed from the morning, to have his clothes changed, and to be carried over there in his arms—displaying tantrums that bordered on pure stubbornness—Rowy was now not even feeding himself with his own hands.

“Mmm, I hate cucumbers.”

“…Yes, sir.”

Van, who had listened to absolutely everything Rowy said, couldn’t shake the thought by this point that instead of indulging these tantrums, perhaps he should be disciplining him.

‘His habits are going to turn bad.’

Even while thinking that, Van continuously waited on Rowy.

“How annoying. Why is it suddenly raining?”

Serafilla, being a warm island nation, generally had good weather, but occasionally, rain would pour endlessly like this. He had checked on the boat schedules to return to the island, but as expected, he only received news that they were canceled. Rowy’s mood sank boundlessly into the depths. Seeing the slumping Rowy with pity, Van made a suggestion.

“Would you like to go eat ice cream again, sir?”

“…Yeah.”

“That’s a good idea. Since things turned out this way, I should at least eat more ice cream.” Rowy nodded weakly.

“Shall I carry you on my back on the way there?”

“Yeah!”

. ꕤ ｡ ˚⋆

“Welcome.”

“Hello.”

The shop they revisited was emptier than yesterday. It seemed to be due to the weather.

“Um… do you have difficulty moving? Do you need help?”

“No?”

The employee failed to maintain a straight face upon seeing Rowy enter the shop while fully piggybacked on someone’s shoulders. Rowy, of course, didn’t care at all.

“…I will guide you to a private room.”

The staff member, trying hard to compose their expression, guided the two to a room in the corner of the shop. It seemed better to isolate them.

“Honey ice cream. Strawberry parfait too. And almond cookies and apple pie and…”

During that short walk to the room, Rowy rattled off his order in a continuous stream. What else was there? That chocolate…

“Just bring everything on the menu.”

Smelling the sweet scent, he certainly felt his mood improving compared to earlier. Rowy swung his feet a bit more energetically. Van carefully set Rowy down in the guided seat. Rowy already held a welcome cookie in his hand before he had even fully climbed down from Van’s back.

“Haven’t you ordered too much, sir?”

“Mmm? You eat too.”

Rowy spoke generously. Of course, since all the desserts Rowy left behind yesterday had ended up in Van’s mouth anyway, it was a meaningless show of favor.

“I have to eat the honey ice cream first. I’m not leaving any of that behind. If you want to eat, order something else separately.”

“I am fine, sir.”

As if anyone wanted to eat honey ice cream that badly. Finding his master, who was flushed with anticipation, suddenly cute, Van smiled a little.

But was it alright to eat this many sweets? If he gets a stomachache… Van’s expression suddenly turned serious. Having indulged his tantrums so much since yesterday, Van had ended up treating a grown man entirely like a child.

“The desserts are served.”

The food was prepared in no time. Rowy’s eyes sparkled at the sight of the desserts filling the entire table. Van, pushing the ice cream in front of Rowy, pulled the hot items over to his side.

“I will cut the pie and cool it down for you, so please eat the other things first for now.”

Rowy was already burying his nose in the honey ice cream, so no reply came back. Van cut the pie with practiced ease. As he sliced into the apple pie, the filling inside oozed out. A situation where cutting and stabbing with a knife caused honey to flow. It was a strange feeling. How should he put it…

‘It’s peaceful.’

Van thought. A pastel-toned space enveloped in a sweet aroma, and the beautiful master right before his eyes. Could he have ever imagined that such a sweet scene would unfold in his life, which had always been spent chasing demons?

Was that why? Suddenly, a thought arose that he wanted to settle down. Van glanced at Rowy. Rowy was still battling the honey ice cream. For someone who had been so greedy about ordering, his appetite was small and his eating speed was remarkably slow. Seeing him picking at it with a tiny spoon, a smile broke out on Van’s face without him realizing it.

Van cut the pie in front of him a bit more leisurely. It seemed he needed to match his master’s eating speed. While trying to avoid scorching his mouth, he couldn’t exactly feed him something completely cold either.

The swordsman holding a dessert knife made no sound whatsoever as he cut the pie, and Rowy also elegantly scooped his ice cream with an ingrained noble spooning manner. In this way, a peaceful time flowed by. It was a satisfying hour for both Rowy, who had eaten his fill of sugar, and Van, who was intoxicated by the cozy atmosphere. With nothing in particular to do, the two could have probably spent hours just like this.

“Are you on a date?”