I Tamed the Slave Male Lead Chapter 29

***

 

In the end, I spent the entire morning eating the food Becky brought me, lounging around while reviewing today’s plan.

What I was going to do today was essentially some preliminary groundwork for meeting Duke Ameshika.

The Magic Tower where Alin was imprisoned was a forbidden place that even the Emperor could not enter freely.

On top of that, the Tower Master, Duke Ameshika, was a person even more difficult to gain an audience with than any other noble in the Empire.

So, the person I was going to meet today was, in a sense, a kind of ‘gatekeeper of power’ who could help me get to the Tower Master.

Knock, knock, knock.

Exactly at one o’clock in the afternoon, a crisp knock sounded. When Becky opened the door for me, Yusiliph was standing outside in attire that finally looked properly suited for a bodyguard.

“Are you ready, my lady?”

Becky gave him a suspicious look as he asked in his usual neat manner.

“My lady. Are you really planning to go out alone with this man? Wouldn’t it be better if I came along, too?”

“Don’t worry. More importantly, if we’re late, make up a good excuse to Greham.”

“Of course, my lady. Leave it to me!”

“You remember what you’re supposed to say?”

“Yes. I memorized everything exactly as you told me.”

“Where am I going today?”

“To the Academy. You said you were going to visit your former mentor there.”

“The reason?”

“To check whether any new medicinal herbs have been discovered that might alleviate my lady’s symptoms.”

“Exactly. What if he asks about Yusiliph?”

“I’ll tell him that he still holds a grudge against my lady and seems to be constantly looking for an opportunity to stab her in the back.”

“You remembered it well. Good job, Becky.”

“Hehe. It was nothing.”

Yusiliph, who had been listening to our conversation from the side, raised one eyebrow crookedly.

“A grudge, and stabbing you in the back.”

“It’s better to throw him off. Besides, it sounds more natural that way.”

At my answer, he merely twitched an eyebrow before extending one arm toward me like a knight offering his arm to a lady.

“Shall we depart, then?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah.”

I instinctively took his arm and stood up. The moment my weight settled against him, I could distinctly feel his forearm muscles swell as they firmly supported me.

“L-Let’s go.”

My face inexplicably flushed, so I hurriedly released his arm and stepped forward, while Yusiliph silently followed behind me.

“Be careful, My lady! You’d better take good care of our My lady!”

Becky’s worried voice called out as she saw us off.

 

***

 

“What brings you here?”

“I’ve come to see Professor Mayaro from the Department of Medicine. He was my mentor.”

“You said you’re Lady Arabella Maiona. I’ve confirmed your appointment. Please, go on in.”

When the Academy gatekeeper opened the gates, the carriage smoothly passed through the entrance.

I opened the window and looked around the Academy grounds. The weather was particularly beautiful today, and beneath the bright sunlight, the picturesque campus seemed to glow fresh and vivid in every color.

Yusiliph asked as he watched me stare blankly at the scenery.

“Did you graduate from the Academy?”

“…No.”

“?”

“But I did attend.”

At Yusiliph’s questioning gaze, I reluctantly added a few words of explanation.

“I was admitted to the Academy. But I eventually gave up on graduating because of my health. The academic program was more demanding than I expected.”

In truth, stepping onto the Academy grounds had brought a flood of Arabella’s old memories and lingering emotions, making me feel a little overwhelmed.

When Arabella had first received her admission letter to the Academy, she had been filled with dreams.

She had been thrilled by the hope that she would finally be able to live alongside her family, the hope that she would make true friends, and the hope that she would learn important things and grow into a wonderful lady.

But because Academy regulations required students to live in the dormitories, she still found it difficult to see her family. The hectic academic schedule and communal life quickly wore down her frail body.

If only she had had even one friend she could have relied on during that time.

But she had been completely alone here, too.

Eventually, she collapsed after only six months, and as her condition deteriorated, she had to take a leave of absence and return to the countryside immediately.

She had cried so much in the carriage carrying her back to the countryside that she could barely remember how many tears she shed.

“By the way, what exactly are you taking that thing for?”

Yusiliph, who had been silently watching me lost in thought, suddenly changed the subject. He pointed toward the long jar sitting beneath the carriage seat.

Even at a glance, the suspicious-looking jar gave off a fishy odor that was making me nauseous.

I stuck my face out the window, inhaled as much fresh air as possible, and answered,

“You’ll find out soon enough.”

 

***

 

I had planned to keep my meeting with Professor Mayaro as short as possible. After all, it was only an excuse for me to get into the Academy in the first place.

But the professor was much happier to see me than I had expected, so our meeting took longer than planned.

“So, Lady Maiona. Have you recovered now? You were always very dedicated in my herbology classes. You’ll be welcome anytime if you decide to come back.”

“Haha. Soon, Professor.”

According to my memories, Arabella had been quite good at studying.

Good enough to never miss being among the top students in any subject.

The only reason she had managed to endure her difficult life at the Academy as long as she did was because of professors who took a liking to her as an excellent student.

It was the first time in her life that someone had recognized and praised her abilities, so she had genuinely given it her all.

Which made it all the more devastating when she had to give up on the Academy.

After that, she lost all hope and became obsessed with the elixir and becoming part of the Imperial Family.

“Where are we going?”

I was walking absentmindedly after leaving the professor’s office when Yusiliph, following behind me, adjusted his grip on the jar and asked.

I hurriedly answered brightly, pretending I hadn’t been lost in thought.

“The examination site for the biology researcher selection.”

“?”

“Oh, right. What time is it?”

“It’s almost three.”

“What? We’re in trouble. We have to hurry. Come on, quickly!”

But as I tugged on Yusiliph’s sleeve and took the lead with long strides, the strength suddenly went out of my legs, and I nearly took a humiliating tumble.

“Gah!”

Yusiliph caught me just before I fell and looked down at me with an exasperated gaze.

“Are your legs already giving out? That is truly an utterly pathetic level of stamina.”

“You! What kind of thing is that to say…?!”

I bristled, but I couldn’t finish my sentence.

Yusiliph had abruptly presented his broad back right in front of me.

“…What are you doing?”

“Get on my back. It’ll be faster.”

After tying the jar he had been carrying around his waist with a strap, Yusiliph offered his back to me as though urging me to hurry.

“What are you talking about? No, it’s fine. I can still walk!”

“And will you be able to get there on time that way?”

“Of course I—”

“I told you earlier, didn’t I? Not to treat your body carelessly.”

He looked back at me with an expressionless face.

I quietly shut my mouth and obediently climbed onto his back.

‘But this makes it look like… you’re treating me incredibly preciously! No, don’t get the wrong idea. He’s probably just worried that the blood he went to the trouble of giving me will go to waste.’

I squeezed my eyes shut and banished such foolish thoughts.

‘He really is the male lead… He’s making some random person’s heart flutter for no reason.’

Trying not to be swayed by his broad back and faint body scent, I thought about what I was going to do today.

‘It’ll go according to plan, right?’

I stared intently at the jar strapped around Yusiliph’s waist.

The moment I unconsciously focused on it, the unpleasant smell and sloshing sound became much more pronounced, and my stomach suddenly churned.

Holding my breath, I unconsciously buried my face against his neck.

I felt his body tense for a moment, but as though nothing had happened, he soon casually adjusted me higher on his back and continued walking quickly.

 

***

 

“There!”

After wandering around for quite some time, we finally found the biology laboratory.

It had been a close call.

When we peered through the laboratory windows, the selection examination was already underway inside.

A white-haired professor solemnly addressed the researcher candidates.

“The next practical examination will assess the candidates’ ability to care for and bond with experimental subjects. Each candidate, please come forward and receive your instructions.”

Several metal cages had been placed at the front of the laboratory. Inside them, small animals such as dogs, rabbits, and mice wandered around sniffing the air or curled up into tiny balls.

Soon, the nervous researcher candidates came rushing forward to receive their instructions.

Despite being children of nobles, they were all serious-faced, as befitting people who had devoted themselves to scholarship.

Among them, one person in particular caught my attention.

A painfully thin woman dressed entirely in black from head to toe, with a pale complexion and glasses.

“Black curly hair, black eyes, pale skin, and a thin body. She’s bundled up in her robes even in this weather… That’s her. The person we need to meet.”

Yusiliph studied the woman I had pointed out before muttering as if to himself,

“Hmm. She doesn’t look like she’s in good condition.”