The Male S*ave of the Count Sianella Family

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Shione, filled with excitement, spun around and tripped over her own feet.

Thud!

“Ugh….”

Damn it, with the impact hitting my back, I barely managed to suppress the urge to vomit.

No matter how close I got to Shione, I was still just a lowly slave, far beneath the status of a noble lady from the Count’s House.

It wouldn’t be right to show arrogance to someone of her rank.

I squeezed my eyes shut at the sudden pain and slowly opened them.

As I faced the sunlight creeping in, I thought,

‘What’s going on right now?’

What a mess this was.

Shione was looking down at me, apparently trying to prevent us from crashing into one another.

Since this awkward position didn’t seem beneficial for either of us, I looked straight into her face and spoke up.

“…Princess Shione, could you please move?”

But it seemed my words didn’t register.

Without a hint of movement to get off, she continued staring at me silently.

And I could feel something unusual in her gaze.

…Wait a minute, why is she acting like this all of a sudden?

Her calm, steady eyes were glued to my face, looking at me so intensely it was almost embarrassing.

What on earth was going on?

This was confusing.

The usual Shione would have been blushing and flustered by now; instead, she was strangely serene and cautious—this was definitely different from the Shione I knew.

Although her face was glowing red, it didn’t seem to be due to embarrassment.

Rather, her demeanor was calm and measured; it started making me worry about her state of mind.

‘Is she seriously flustered?’

Even so, I couldn’t just lie there, waiting for Shione to regain her sanity.

I squirmed, trying to express my desire to escape this position.

But the resulting reaction wasn’t her moving away; it was a feeling of growing unease.

What in the world is she thinking?

When I finally turned my head to see her face, an unexpected sight appeared.

“…Princess Shione?”

She looked as if she were a love-struck girl, her cheeks flushed.

Her deep blue eyes brimmed with an intensity that was hard to bear.

At that moment, I recalled something she had said in the past at the Feiosha Marquis Family.

-…A poppy flower might not be so bad, perhaps…?

The poppy.

According to the dictionary Shione lent me, its meaning was “faint love” and “ephemeral love.”

I’d had no idea why she picked such an unsuitable flower meaning when she asked me which flower suited me.

But looking at her fiery gaze now, I thought I finally understood.

‘This is crazy.’

Back then, I had felt a bit baffled and had asked her if she liked me.

She had screamed she hated me, but now she was acting like this; what gives?

Maybe she was just swept up in the moment rather than truly liking me.

To confirm my suspicions, I asked.

“…Could it be that Princess Shione has feelings for me?”

At my question, Shione trembled just a bit.

After a brief pause, she finally began to speak.

“…Every time I think about it, my heart races, and I find my eyes wandering to you.”

“Right now, this situation is making my heart so restless.”

“What do you think this feeling is…?”

I sensed the emotions in her words.

At the same time, my mind began to race.

This was bad.

I was feeling genuinely overwhelmed.

Why would Shione fall for someone like me?

Honestly, when I thought about it, I could think of plenty of reasons for her to like me.

Back when I was just a mess of a person, I helped her stand tall and became someone respectable in her eyes.

After saving her from various dangers in a cool fashion, of course she’d feel something!

If a great lady did the same for me, I would’ve fallen for her without a second thought.

But that didn’t change the fact that…

‘This is complicated.’

Up until now, I’d never regarded Shione with romantic feelings.

Every time I had protected or supported her, it had to do with quests, and any kindness shown during normal times resulted from our relationship as human beings.

I’d never sought her romantic affection before.

Plus…

‘There’s more to it than that.’

What if I accepted her confession?

Regardless of when it happened, rumors would spread about our relationship not being ordinary.

Even though it was unlikely, I couldn’t face the idea of being labeled as a slave who seduced his mistress.

Moreover, my assignment to Shione by Ainel was to be her servant, not her romantic partner.

What if Ainel found out I was involved in a love affair with Shione instead of doing what she said?

It’s impossible to predict her reaction.

And though it was highly unlikely, what if rumors circulated that I caused the annulment of Shione’s engagement to Evan just by charming her…?

‘This is terrifying.’

A chill ran down my spine, picturing myself branded as a scheming lowlife targeting a noble to steal riches.

My expression tightened.

Shione’s affection was certainly flattering, but it would not be easy to accept.

“…Don’t tell me you’re just caught up in the moment, right?”

For that reason, this needed to be a case of Shione’s emotion being merely a response to the atmosphere, rather than genuine feelings.

“…I am only a lowly servant. What reason could you have to like me?”

“…Didn’t you say here yesterday, that I was your knight?”

Oh, crap.

Why did I ever think this would be entertaining?

Is this karma biting back at me?

At this rate, I’d be bound to Shione without any means of escape, making me anxious.

“…Regardless, I am just a worthless slave, so how could the noble lady feel anything deep for me?”

It wouldn’t make sense for someone of her stature to fall for lowly me.

I was sure of that.

Yet…

“…If necessary, I could tear up your slave document whenever you wish.”

She was more serious than I initially thought.

And then she escalated her intensity even further.

“Moreover—”

“If you’re a slave…you ought to follow your master’s wishes, right?”

Using her status to pressure me.

The once timid and shy Shione was nowhere to be seen.

Seeing her confidently act like this drove me crazy.

And those burning eyes fixed on my face non-stop felt overwhelming.

No matter how much I tried to look her in the eyes, I couldn’t stand the possessiveness radiating from her gaze, so I shyly averted my eyes.

I desperately sought an excuse.

“…You see, my master according to the document is Ainel Shianella.”

“Didn’t I mention this before?”

This felt ominous.

Shione’s lips curled into a faint smile.

“What do you mean—”

“Your slave certificate has been in my mother’s name for a long time.”

“Oh.”

I realized there was nowhere left to escape.

“…Are you confident you won’t regret this?”

Shione nodded.

As she did, a heated breath escaped her.

What a crazy girl.

The moment I gave a positive nod, Shione immediately leaned in closer, aiming for my lips.

If this continued, I genuinely felt like I’d be trapped for life under Shione’s rule.

With an urgency, I raised my right hand to place it on her cheek to stop her progress.

“If you desire a kiss…then I can grant you my lips.”

At my words, Shione’s pupils began to tremble significantly.

If I played my cards right…?

“Instead…not right now—”

As I spoke, I saw a flicker of confusion across Shione’s expression, only to see it vanish.

I seized that moment and gently pushed her face away.

If I couldn’t escape this, I should at least set some conditions first.

Quickly, I came up with a reasonable excuse.

“When I’m capable of handling mana like an expert swordsman with arrowheads, then I’ll offer myself directly to you, Princess Shione.”

That worked.

With the promise of granting my lips in the future, Shione’s pupils shook wildly.

Hope of escaping this situation began to shine through.

Handling mana like an expert swordsman wasn’t something easily accomplished, so I would have plenty of time.

“…How about we let this go for now?”

As I delicately suggested, Shione finally nodded.

“Then, could you move aside for now?”

“…As you wish.”

Finally, Shione brushed off her knees and stood up, allowing me to rise as well.

After this brief yet intense moment passed, an awkward atmosphere enveloped us as we both realized what had transpired.

It appeared my bold confession caused her embarrassment now that I thought about it.

After shooting a few more arrows, we neatly packed up our bows and arrows.

Shione swiftly organized her bow and dashed out of the shooting range, and I hurriedly finished my packing before heading out the door as well.

I wondered where Shione was hiding to wait for me again.

“Hey, Ray.”

I heard Shione’s voice from the right side.

She had stealthily stuck to the outer wall, grabbing at my clothes.

“…!”

Suddenly, she yanked me into her embrace.

Smooch.

She planted a kiss on my right cheek.

“What?”

A dazed sound escaped my lips.

I couldn’t grasp what was happening quickly.

Gazing at Shione as she caressed my face, she wore a relaxed yet mischievous grin.

With the brilliant sunlight behind her, she smiled radiantly.

“Hmm, why are you making such a blank face?”

Her playful smile suggested mischief.

“The kiss was meant for the lips, not the cheek, right?”