I Tamed the Slave Male Lead Chapter 35

“Are you all right?”

Surprisingly, two men asked me the exact same question at the same time.

“Yu… Yusiliph?”

“…….”

I had no idea why he was here, but Yusiliph was standing there with the enormous book tucked effortlessly under one arm, staring down at me.

“Haha. I was a little late. Are you all right? You look startled.”

But there was another unexpected person standing before me.

It was none other than Michion Karin, the second son of House Karin, who had been making out with a certain woman over there until just moments ago.

“I’m… fine.”

Pretending not to notice Michion’s genial smile or the hand he had extended to support me, I turned toward Yusiliph instead.

“Yusiliph, why are you here?”

“As you can see, my employer encountered a situation in which she needed assistance.”

Yusiliph replied calmly, as though suddenly appearing from the darkness of the library as if he had teleported there was nothing unusual at all.

‘Well… considering he broke into the Imperial Palace library without batting an eye, this probably isn’t anything to him.’

“Right. Anyway, thank you.”

Relieved that I had avoided making a fool of myself, I answered him, only for Michion to cut in between us.

“You’re not even going to thank me? Of course, he’s the one who caught the book, but I also came running the moment I saw a lady in trouble.”

He shrugged as though he were genuinely disappointed.

“Thanks to you, I’m actually in quite a predicament now.”

Following the direction of his pointed sidelong glance, I saw the woman he’d been with earlier glaring at me with her arms crossed, looking thoroughly displeased.

“I suppose I’m the one who’s actually in a predicament here.”

Ignoring the glare she was directing exclusively at me, I held out my hand toward Michion.

“Still, I’ll say thank you. Prince Michion Karin.”

“Oh, I’m honored that you recognize me, Lady Arabella Maiona.”

Michion immediately bent at the waist and skillfully kissed the back of my hand.

I had meant to shake his hand.

I smoothly pulled my hand away from his lips and gave him a formal smile.

“Anyone who has even dipped a toe into high society would know who you are, Prince.”

“Haha. You flatter me. By the way, what brings you to the Academy? I heard you took a leave of absence because of health problems.”

As expected of a man who would later dominate the capital’s pleasure district and become the king of the night. There was apparently nothing he didn’t know.

“…I came to visit my former mentor. And since I was here, I thought I’d look for something in the library. But, Prince, haven’t you been out of the Academy for quite some time?”

“Haha. I’m pleased to hear that you seem to know quite a bit about me.”

Wink.

Before I even had time to react to his wink, he continued.

“I occasionally visit the Academy to seek its scholars’ insights and build connections for a business venture I’m currently pursuing.”

If it was a business venture he was pursuing… a gambling house? An entertainment club? A brothel?

Was there even a field among those where he could seek the Academy’s insights?

I narrowed my eyes suspiciously at him, but then he said something unexpected.

“By the way, a genealogy of saints and saintesses. That’s quite an interesting subject to take an interest in.”

When did he even have time to read the title of the book?

Just as I began to feel wary of Michion’s sharp eyes, he smoothly changed the subject.

“More importantly, you’ve become unbelievably beautiful since I last saw you, Lady Arabella.”

“…You’re too kind.”

“No, I’m quite serious. As someone who treasures the existence of beautiful women like gold, I almost regret not noticing you until now.”

“Hah!”

Thump!

At that exact moment, two aggressive noises rang out simultaneously.

The annoyed snort came from the woman who had been with Michion moments ago as she abruptly turned around and walked away.

The other noise was none other than the enormous book Yusiliph had been holding being slammed onto the floor.

“…Yusiliph?”

“My hand slipped.”

He answered my startled question without much sincerity, and there was something distinctly unpleasant about the look in his eyes.

I nodded anyway, bewildered by the inexplicable chill in the air.

“I-I see.”

“Oh, wait.”

But Michion once again slipped between Yusiliph and me, flashing his easygoing smile.

“I was wondering why you looked so familiar. Aren’t you the swordsman who won the gladiatorial tournament held in celebration of His Majesty’s birthday not long ago?”

He crossed his arms and looked Yusiliph up and down with evident interest.

He looked like nothing more than a carefree playboy at first glance, but perhaps he had trained in martial arts to some degree, because his crossed arms looked quite sturdy beneath his shirt sleeves.

Yusiliph, however, didn’t even acknowledge his attempt at conversation and abruptly turned his back on him.

“Unless you intend to read this monstrosity here, you must be borrowing it. Let’s go.”

He casually turned his back on the second son of a ducal family, tucked the enormous book under his arm, and walked ahead.

“Huh?”

“Aren’t you coming?”

Yusiliph urged me on when I stood there blankly.

“Uh, yes. Let’s go.”

I was just about to follow him when—

“Wait.”

Michion’s voice, completely different from before, had suddenly become low and cold, making me stop.

“Come to think of it, aren’t you a slave? I don’t know when slaves started becoming eligible for admission to the Academy. In case you’re unaware, only current students and graduates are permitted to enter this place. Anyone who violates that rule is handed over to the capital’s tribunal under the Academy’s strict regulations.”

I turned around in surprise.

Michion had completely erased the friendly smile from his face. Leaning crookedly against the bookshelf, he was staring at us.

I quickly stepped in front of Yusiliph.

“Yusiliph isn’t a slave. His slave document has already been voided.”

“Hmm?”

“He entered here in his capacity as my bodyguard. I know the Academy regulations, but as you can see, I’m physically weak and need assistance.”

I straightened my posture and continued in a calm voice.

“If Prince Karin truly knows the ways of a gentleman, as I’ve heard, surely you wouldn’t take advantage of a lady’s weakness just to put her in a difficult position.”

“…Haha. Of course not.”

Fortunately, it seemed Michion was willing to let it go.

“Instead—”

…Or not.

“Would you accept my invitation?”

“Invitation?”

“A small banquet will be held at my residence one week from now.”

“A banquet, you say….”

“Haha. It’s a little embarrassing to admit, but it happens to be my birthday.”

“Oh.”

“And it’s also a party to celebrate my younger sister’s return to the capital.”

“…!”

I was so startled that I couldn’t say anything for a moment.

‘His younger sister? If it’s Michion’s younger sister, there’s only one person it could be. The heroine of the original story, Dorothea!’

Something was wrong.

If things were proceeding according to the original story, there should still be several months before Dorothea awakened her holy power and returned to the capital.

“Employer?”

Perhaps Yusiliph sensed that my reaction was unusual. He had remained silent the entire time, but now he brought me back to my senses in his usual indifferent voice.

“Uh, yes… Ah, yes. Then… all right. I’ll accept the invitation.”

“How agreeable. Then I’ll send an invitation to your residence. I’ll see you in a week.”

Whether or not Michion realized that he had just thrown me into complete confusion, he turned away with a fresh smile and disappeared.

I stared blankly at his retreating back before muttering,

“You could have just left me to get crushed by the book.”

After saying that, I let out a deep sigh and turned around.

Behind me, Yusiliph’s gaze quietly followed me.

 

***

 

‘There’s no mention of the Saint’s Staff anywhere.’

The next morning, I sat before my vanity with dark circles under my eyes and thought.

Staying up all night to read a book of more than a thousand pages had been completely pointless.

Despite searching every inch of it obsessively from the first page to the last, I couldn’t find the words ‘Saint’s Staff’ anywhere.

‘Was this even something related to an actual saint of the Church in the first place? “Saint” could have a double meaning. Maybe I was completely wrong from the beginning….’

“My lady, are you all right?”

Becky asked me as I sat there lost in thought.

“…Hmm?”

“You seem completely out of it. Are you feeling unwell again?”

“Ah, no.”

I shook my head.

I really wasn’t feeling unwell.

If anything, my mind was clearer than ever, and I felt full of energy from head to toe. It was probably thanks to the blood I’d absorbed from Yusiliph yesterday.

On the way home in the carriage yesterday, we hadn’t exchanged a single word.

My head had been filled with thoughts about the banquet I would have to attend in a week, while Yusiliph had remained silent the entire time with a frightening expression on his face.

‘I blamed Yusiliph for no reason yesterday. He was only trying to protect me as my bodyguard, after all.’

With Dorothea herself appearing in a week, why would I deliberately upset the male lead?

Regret came crashing down on me belatedly, and I unconsciously tugged at the hair Becky was styling.

“Ouch, my lady! Please don’t!”

Knock, knock.

Just then, there was a knock at the bedroom door.

“Who is it?”

“My lady. It’s me.”

“…The butler?”

I exchanged a brief glance with Becky before raising my voice.

“Come in.”

Creak.

The person who entered was, as expected, the butler.

“My lady. Did you sleep well?”

“Yes. What brings you here?”

Normally, even when the butler had something to tell me, he would send a servant upstairs. If he had come up personally, something must have happened.

“Well, a guest has arrived.”

Seeing the troubled expression on the butler’s face, I somehow felt I could guess who that guest was.

‘…I see. It was about time she came.’

Almost as soon as I thought that, the butler informed me in a stiff voice,

“Her Highness Princess Regita… has come to see you, my lady.”