Bad Man Theorad
Theorad plopped down wearily. As Leviham suddenly dropped to his knees, Baynen furrowed his brow and sheathed his sword.
"...Why is he doing that?"
"No idea."
As if I'd know just because you asked. But looking at Leviham's state now—eyes unfocused, mouth agape, mumbling endlessly to himself—it could only be the Elf's doing. Sure enough, he'd started showing signs of delirium right after the Elf had messed with his body. My guess was spot on.
Either way, Baynen and I had nothing we could do at the moment but watch.
"Y-Yes... I shall keep that in mind..."
Leviham finished his mumbling, and focus returned to his eyes. But there was no life in them whatsoever. His face was so haggard, it was hard to believe this was the same man who'd been invoking the gods' names with venom in his gaze just moments ago.
"Ahh... I'm back. I'm back..."
Tears streaming down his cheeks, Leviham muttered to himself like a broken man as he rose to his feet. His pale, watery eyes darted around until they landed on me. He jolted in shock and bowed his head low.
"I misunderstood, I'm s-sorry! I'll j-just, be going now...!"
His sudden apology caught me off guard, leaving me speechless. As I stayed silent, Leviham backed away furtively before turning and bolting off. His frantic movements made him look like a man fleeing a vengeful spirit, which naturally raised questions.
Baynen felt the same. "Young master, I shouldn't suspect him, but... does the bishop do drugs or something?"
"Don't be ridiculous..."
"But come on."
Clack. Baynen secured his sword in its scabbard.
"He starts a fight, then suddenly panics and glances around wildly, conjures flames in his hands, drops to his knees babbling like he's begging, jumps up, apologizes, and runs off... No matter how you look at it, that's not normal."
"You're right, it's not normal."
Not after what the Elf put him through. How could anyone react normally?
"Still, we shouldn't suspect the bishop. Baynen, follow him and help him get out of the forest safely. The paths are dangerous."
"Pardon? Didn't you say to bind him earlier?"
"Yes. But since the misunderstanding's cleared up, we shouldn't cause unnecessary friction."
"Well... alright then. I'll go escort the bishop."
Baynen lingered awkwardly for a moment before heading to his horse and mounting up.
"Hyah!"
Kicking the horse's flanks, he galloped off through the forest with practiced skill. Watching his retreating figure, I flashed a wicked grin.
I had no idea what the Elf did to Leviham, but thanks to it, he'd realized she was the root of all evil. That must be why he'd apologized to me for the misunderstanding.
So there was no need to keep him at the mansion anymore.
Perfect. Just a little longer, and the knight order will be dispatched.
Heh heh. Stupid Elf.
The bishop knows you're the source of all evil now. Your extermination is just a matter of time.
So enjoy this peace while it lasts. The day the knights arrive will be your last.
"M-Masterrr..."
Unaware of my thoughts—or perhaps not—Elf approached with teary eyes and clung to me. The soft press of her ample breasts against my body felt uncomfortably burdensome.
"I knew Master would come save meee..."
"You pest. I wasn't worried about you—I was worried about the bishop."
"Hiiing. You say that, but I know you were worried about me toooo..."
Sorry, but I wasn't worried about you at all. Honest.
*
The next day, after sending the bishop off, the Elf's attitude had become remarkably more docile for some reason. No longer needing to watch out for her prying eyes in the mansion, I finally made my way to one of the family-operated slave workshops... the so-called spice farm.
They're growing well.
Pepper trees lined the spacious field, heavy with fruit. Thanks to generations of selective breeding starting from my father's time, we could now grow what was once thought possible only in the southern continent's Igella Kingdom right here in the empire's central region.
Full-scale harvesting would begin this year, and I had high hopes.
It wasn't just about profits. The empire had always imported pepper from Agella Kingdom, making it absurdly expensive. Add in transport costs across borders, tariffs, and hoarding by middlemen once it arrived domestically, and pepper had become an exclusive luxury for nobles. Commoners couldn't afford it even if they wanted to.
But if our family succeeded with pepper farming and sold it far cheaper than market prices, even commoners could enjoy spices.
That would make the county even more prosperous.
A pleased smile crossed my face as I rode along the farm's outskirts. Then, a man in a neat tunic came running from afar. Looking closer, it was Hedian, one of the workshop slaves. The young man with sun-bronzed skin grinned, flashing yellowed teeth.
"Family head! If you were coming, you should've told us ahead of time."
"I didn't want to burden you. Just out for a stroll."
"Even so. Oh! Thank you so much for the expensive meat and liquor last time. There was so much, we had to stack it in the warehouse."
"I thought it was a modest amount, but I'm glad you can enjoy it over time. Let the head butler know if you need anything else. I'll see to it you're taken care of."
"No need. We're already overflowing with blessings. Oh, right—we had something to give you, and this works out perfectly."
Something for me? I blinked in confusion, and Hedian pulled a small box from his bosom. It had a rather antique look.
"What's this?"
"It's a bracelet we slaves pooled our wages to buy from a luxury shop. We picked the finest one to suit your stature."
"No, your wages aren't much..."
"Other nobles don't even pay slaves wages. And compared to the grace you show us, this is nothing. I hope you like it."
I nodded as I accepted the box, emotion swelling up and making my eyes sting. I'd done nothing special for them, yet they'd scrimped from their meager pay to give me a gift out of gratitude. Having such good people as my slaves felt like a true blessing.
I wiped the tears from my eyes and tucked the box away.
"Thank you. I'll treasure this gift from you all my life and never lose it, even if the heavens split."
"Your words alone mean the world. We'll continue to..."
"Family head! Famiiily heaaad—!"
A frantic shout cut Hedian off. Turning toward the voice, I saw Maltaro, one of the mansion servants, stumbling toward us, gasping for breath.
"Huff, huff... Aigoo... You should've said you were heading to the farm. I searched everywhere."
"Me? Is something happening at the mansion?"
"Nothing's gone wrong, sir. Lady Esilly came to the mansion, so she asked me to pass on the message."
"Esilly?"
It was a bit sudden, but we hadn't seen each other in a while, so it made sense. If anything, it was welcome—seeing Esilly was one of my life's joys. I wheeled my horse around at once.
"I need to head back right—"
Wait. Hold on. If Esilly's at the mansion, the Elf's probably glued to her. And I'd once lied to the Elf, calling my engagement ring a "decoration ring."
If the Elf spotted the engagement ring on Esilly's finger, my lie would be exposed.
"Damn it!"
No choice—I had to get to the mansion as fast as possible! Realizing the gravity, I cracked the reins like a whip.
Neighhh!
The horse reared and bolted toward the mansion at full gallop.
*
Deharm Mansion, parlor.
Sitting at the elegant table, Esilly eyed the Elf across from her with thinly veiled disdain. The Elf fidgeted as if unaccustomed to facing a noble lady, but Esilly knew it was an act.
Moreover, recalling how the Elf had unconsciously glared at her left ring finger upon her arrival, Esilly could guess the mess Theorad was in.
Good thing I took off the ring before getting out of the carriage.
If she'd left it on just in case, Theorad might have faced disaster. Esilly let out a relieved breath and put on a bright smile as she spoke.
"Go ahead, eat. I asked for shared plates, so no need to worry about the servants."
"B-But... Master would hate it for suuure..."
"Sir Theorad? No way. He'd overlook something this trivial."
"Nooo. You don't know Master well, milady. He tried to violate me just for breaking a plate..."
Who was telling whom they didn't know Theorad? Anger bubbled up inside, but Esilly kept her composure and feigned shock.
"Really? Sir Theorad tried to violate you over a broken plate?"
"Yeees... He said it was my fault for being born pretty, and just... groped my breaaasts..."
"I see. Sir Theorad really is a bad man."
Esilly sipped her black tea delicately and set the cup down.
"Binding others and forcing them on a whim shows a real character flaw."
The Elf's whimpering expression froze. It was clearly criticizing Theorad, yet it felt aimed at her.
After a long silence, the Elf forced an awkward smile.
"Still, I get Master. It's natural to want to touch a beautiful woman right in front of you."
"No, even if you say that, I just can't understand it. Looks aren't everything—it's what's inside that matters. There's a proverb like..."
Hmm. Esilly tapped her chin innocently and continued.
"Better to drink water from a silver cup than poison from a golden one. That's not wrong, right?"
"Hee... You're so wise, milady."
A shadow fell over the Elf's face. She wanted to retort, but Esilly cleverly dodged her suspicions, leaving the Elf with an indescribable feeling.
Esilly felt the same. She harbored disgust toward the Elf for toying with Theorad at her whim.
Arrogant short-lived brat...
Don't get the wrong idea. Theorad isn't yours.
But since they weren't close enough to bare their true feelings, they simply sipped their tea with amiable smiles.