The Male S*ave of the Count Sianella Family

---

I briefly questioned my own eyes.

Why is Siabel coming instead of Princess Shione?

It’s curious that Siabel personally stopped by Shione’s room to see me.

What caught my attention even more was Siabel’s attire.

Unlike the active clothes I had seen in the training grounds and the Belyrin Mountains, Siabel looked quite beautiful in her dress adorned with lovely embroidery.

Is it true that genetics can’t be fooled?

I recalled the first time I met Ainel.

‘Ainel looked just like that.’

The first time I saw Ainel in the cold iron bars, she was wearing a similar dress.

Other than Siabel being slightly more refined than Ainel, there wasn’t much variance.

Unlike Ainel, who always maintained a stony expression, Siabel was someone who could genuinely smile.

The atmosphere seemed a bit more graceful because of her.

One thing was clear: the current Siabel looked more welcome as a young lady attending a tea party than as a knight celebrated in the training grounds or battlefield.

Having stared silently for a while, Siabel shrugged her shoulders.

“Were you disappointed that it wasn’t Shione?”

Perhaps I had been too blatant in staring quietly at her. Siabel’s first greeting felt ignored, and she said in a haughty tone.

“I found it amusing that Bronte made a fuss about how well the formal attire suited me since it had been a while.”

I could just imagine Bronte’s bulky voice putting on a show of excitement. …It wasn’t a pleasant image, so I quickly stopped picturing him.

I wasn’t particularly inclined towards a macho man who seemed to enjoy being playful.

“So—”

Siabel looked at me with anticipation.

With her chin slightly raised, looking down at me was quite noble.

“What do you think?”

“…Huh?”

“I said it suited you well.”

I felt perplexed by her demand for more than just saying it suited me; she seemed to want a precise explanation.

Gathering my thoughts, I expressed what I had just felt.

“I feel that you seem more beautiful and graceful than a capable knight.”

“Beautiful and graceful, huh—”

Siabel giggled softly.

It seemed my compliment brightened the mood, indicating that she had been expecting such praise.

Siabel moved closer to me.

Curious, I decided to ask her something I had been wondering about.

“Do you happen to know how much time has passed since I collapsed?”

“It has only been a day, so don’t worry. I just returned to the territory and finished reporting to my mother.”

I noticed her gaze drifting towards my left arm, positioned beside the bed.

“So, how’s your arm? A priest gathered all the divine power they could muster to heal your wounds.”

“…It doesn’t hurt anymore, nor do I have any scars. It’s perfectly fine except for the fact that I can’t put much strength into it.”

I tried lifting my left arm.

It lifted a little…

But soon, it was weakly dropped back onto the bed.

Siabel nodded as she observed my arm.

“The priest said it would need a few more treatments. Thanks to that, Shione is speaking with the priest right now… so she should be here soon to fill you in.”

“Are you saying that it’s Shione herself discussing things with the priest, not another servant?”

“Exactly.”

Siabel nodded.

“She was the one who asked another soldier last night if it would be alright to request help with your care. And as soon as we arrived at the territory, Shione called a priest to treat you.”

“……”

“Even after the priest finished their healing and you still hadn’t woken up, Shione pestered them pretty badly.”

I listened quietly to Siabel’s words without any particular reaction.

It seemed I wasn’t the only one who had grown fond of Shione during the time I had collapsed.

The fact that she kept watch instead of sending someone else was quite satisfying.

Considering how she had gone so far to protect me, it felt only right.

That said, I couldn’t shake the feeling of satisfaction creeping in.

Earlier, I had felt a bit irritated that Siabel had come before Shione after I was saved, but since it was about talking with the priest to fix my left arm, I found myself less upset with Shione and even starting to appreciate her more.

Then, as if sensing a change in the atmosphere, Siabel’s gaze shifted.

“By the way… you did quite well messing with Arachne’s head. Could you tell me how?”

Though it ended with a request, the atmosphere felt nearly like an interrogation.

Since my use of magic had been noticed, there was no need to hide how I caught Arachne any longer.

So I opened my mouth, as she wanted.

“I merely gave my left arm and borrowed the power of magic to capture Arachne.”

“How’s your mana status right now?”

“…It seems to have fully recovered after a day.”

“If that’s the case—”

Her expression, which had turned cold, transformed into one of amusement.

“I’d like to see the magic you used to catch Arachne firsthand.”

“I will comply.”

I simply released flames atop my right hand.

The spirit flames capable of burning only what the caster desires.

Thanks to the quest rewards, both my mana and mana efficiency had significantly improved, making it less burdensome than when I encountered Arachne.

The fire that manifested wasn’t just any ordinary flame; it didn’t feel hot but was an extraordinary flame that seemed to wrap around something.

Surely even those with limited knowledge of magic would sense something extraordinary.

As expected, Siabel continued to gaze at my magic until I vanished the flame from my hand.

Whoosh!

Only after the thin burning flame disappeared did Siabel turn her gaze back to me.

“…The more I see it, the more fascinating it becomes.”

“The fact that a man can handle magic—”

“No, not just the magic.”

Siabel lowered herself.

Thud.

Resting her hands on the bed sheet for support, she leaned closer, her expression now highly curious, and her cold gaze held something else as she approached my face.

“Specifically, you, Ray.”

The sudden intensity of Siabel’s behavior left me stupefied.

I stared at her with wide eyes, but she continued speaking as if she were unaffected by my reaction.

“Even I, with minimal knowledge of magic, can see that not only is the magic special, but the ease with which you wield it suggests you have secrets hidden away. It’s said that any man holds at least one secret in his heart…”

Siabel’s eyes gleamed like a predator hunting its prey.

“Each time, it feels like you reveal new secrets without tiring of it, making it impossible to gauge just how many you keep hidden.”

With a small chuckle, she moved even closer.

Flustered by her closeness, I squirmed and tried to move to the side, but she kept a firm grip on me.

“You mentioned you possessed enough swordsmanship to take on a wolf? I’m rather looking forward to our duel.”

Her gaze swept over my left arm.

“With your arm like this, it must be difficult to wield a sword. How unfortunate; we’ll have to leave that for another time.”

As she spoke, Siabel reached out her right hand, ruffling my hair.

Preventing me from escaping any further, she brought her face even closer to mine.

At this proximity, it felt like only Siabel’s face was visible to me.

…Why is this happening all of a sudden?

How long had it been since we last spoke?

Caught in the awkward distance I shared with her, I swallowed hard.

“Tomorrow, I’ll be searching and purging the traces of the cult with the knights in the Belyrin Mountains… so you focus solely on recovering your arm until I return from my work.”

I quietly listened to her words.

Siabel tilted her head.

“And your response?”

“…I will strive according to Siabel’s wishes.”

Hoooh—

A fresh breeze blew in through the open window.

Siabel’s silvery-white hair, cascading to her chest, swayed with the wind, and at the same time, a truly satisfied smile spread across her face.

“Good.”

It was only then that she took her hands off my head.

Creeeak…

Just then, the door swung open again.

The newcomer was none other than Shione.

It appeared that the claims of her staying beside me all night weren’t false; dark circles lined under her eyes vividly proved it.

Shione quickly scanned me and Siabel.

At the same time, her expression tightened, difficult to notice unless examined closely.

Could Siabel sense her sister’s facial shift?

She let out a small chuckle.

“Well, I’ll see you again next time.”

“…Take care.”

Siabel spoke a brief farewell to her sister and exited the room without any lingering feelings.

With her sister gone, Shione focused her gaze back on me.

“Ray… you’ve finally awakened. How’s your body feeling?”

“Thanks to your concern, Shione, I feel no pain at all. You needn’t worry.”

“Phew, that’s a relief.”

Shione moved a chair in front of the table and approached my bed.

After quietly pulling the chair beside my bed, she sat down, and after a moment of silence, she finally spoke.

“Could I possibly hear what you two discussed just now?”

At that moment, for reasons unknown, my sharp intuition kicked in.

…She’s telling me to answer carefully.