Chapter 629
Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 629
Chapter Title: My Lord (2)
Thud... thud... The footsteps grew fainter and fainter.
Left alone in the prison cell, Min Siwoo quietly glanced around.
Sitting right beside him was I Ara, biting her lip. Though he couldn't read her mind... he could guess how deeply hurt she must be. She forced her head up, holding back the tears welling in her eyes. She'd escaped the horrific fate of being dragged off by the lord... but the fact that the man she loved hadn't chosen her cut her even deeper.
"Ara..."
"......"
"......I'm sorry."
Of course it's her you love, not me.
Being next to her made comparisons inevitable.
Her face, her figure, her personality... Ara couldn't win in any of them.
Like the flawless heroine in a drama, Sarang seemed perfect in every way. Because of her, I Ara was always the loser. But the tutorial had given her a chance. Becoming a mage and gaining the power of ancient magic, I Ara could be a winner in this other world too.
That's why she was grateful for being transported to this world.
"What are you sorry for?"
But gaining power hadn't changed her core nature.
Min Siwoo's gaze was still fixed on Sarang. During battles and after, he never took his eyes off his first love. Triangular relationships were truly cruel... There'd been no confessions or official dating, but I Ara knew.
In the end, she was destined to be discarded.
And that fate had finally arrived.
"Just... just, I'm sorry..."
"Don't say you're sorry. That hurts even more."
But... had the goddess of fate played a prank?
Because Min Siwoo had chosen Sarang...
The one left by his side was her.
"......Mm."
"Just... hold me for now."
"......Ara."
"Please."
"......Okay."
What would happen to Sarang, dragged off by the lord? Even a child could guess. The lord had casually groped both her and Sarang's breasts. So surely right now... yeah, something like that was happening. With the interloper showing up, winner and loser had switched. She was in Min Siwoo's arms, while Sarang was in the lord's. Now, she was Min Siwoo's woman.
"So, you're saying you came from another world altogether."
"......You believe me?"
"Well, it's a tall tale, hard to swallow... but if what you say is true, transferrees will pop up all over Yurnel. When that happens, even Master will have to believe it."
"Haaa... That's a relief then..."
"That said, considering Master's temperament, he might still throw a fit."
"......Really?"
"He's got a nasty, selfish streak and he's violent to boot."
"......You can say that?"
"Hahaha, of course."
-Whoosh
"Just dodge like this and you're fine."
After bathing in hot water, Sarang changed into the clothes the maid offered. She'd thought she'd be raped now that she was clean... and sighed. But surprisingly, the lord was a decent man. The interrogation began over a light dinner. Even after sharing stories of her other world, no rape followed. Late at night, the maid led her to a guest room.
"See you tomorrow morning."
"Um..."
"Yes, miss?"
"Oh... never mind."
The next morning, she wasn't raped either.
Butler Kopen called a servant to teach her secretary duties. Were they really planning to use her as a secretary...? They gave detailed info on Homeln. After basic training, the maid took her to the bath again. Dressed in fine clothes once more, she headed to the dining hall. The lord was there.
"Ha, hahaha! Clothes make the man, they say!"
"Master, it's 'fine feathers make fine birds.'"
"Kopen, who invited you to join us for dinner?"
"You did, Master. Ten minutes ago."
"Damn it, shoulda stopped myself!"
"Come on, miss, eat up."
Did he lack any lordly dignity?
Or were they just close?
Either way, Jillian de Kruger was better than she'd thought.
She'd pegged him as a lecherous, lowlife scum... Well, even a lord couldn't be total trash. Just looking at how the servants, Kopen included, acted toward him told her that much. Sure, bad personality, but he kept basic lines. Seemed sleazy, but prioritized territory affairs. That was Homeln's lord.
"So... I just do secretary work from now on?"
"Ha, hahaha! Yeah, they explained it, right?"
"......They said to act like a sex slave."
"Haaa?! Who said that?!"
"Mr. Kopen."
"......Sigh, ignore that guy."
So the prison act was fake after all.
He'd just been projecting intimidation; women weren't what he really wanted.
Jillian de Kruger's goals: confirm their identities and dump tedious work. Weak with letters and numbers, he shoved a stack of documents at her. Skimming them, taxes and compensation claims... This guy knew zilch about economics. Thanks to that, even in this world, she was stuck at a desk tapping a calculator.
"Um... Lord."
"Hm? What is it?"
"......Are my comrades doing okay?"
A peaceful daily life had come to her, after fighting monsters nonstop.
But she had comrades.
She couldn't enjoy comfort alone.
Min Siwoo, always reliably protecting her, and I Ara, supporting her in tough times. She couldn't abandon her precious friends. At least get them out of prison. It had to hurt physically, and thinking back to before parting... Forcing a choice on Min Siwoo, abandoning I Ara. Both must be suffering.
"That curious, huh?"
"Yes, I am."
"Wanna see now? Kopen!"
"Yes, Master. Here."
"...What's this?"
"A magic surveillance tool for the prison."
"......Wh-what?!"
But... it wasn't just suffering. It was worse.
Cold stone floor, iron bars.
What she'd thought was a holding cell was Homeln's actual prison.
"W-wait... They're staying here forever?"
"Yeah, it's a prison."
"You... that's too much! No basic human rights here?"
"Human rights? What's that?"
"Rights as a human, I believe."
"Rights as a human? Ha, hahaha! We haven't even confirmed you're human yet—how can we give you rights? Next you'll demand demon rights!"
No sink, no toilet. No bed, no blanket or cover. Only Min Siwoo and I Ara in the cell. That corner pile? Definitely their waste. Sarang shed tears at the utter disregard for human dignity. While she lounged in comfort, her friends were in hell.
"At least let them use a toilet!"
"They have divine power. Can't take chances."
"Then at least a blanket..."
"Why? Why waste taxes on outsiders?"
"Th-that's..."
The lord smirked coldly, incredulous.
Ah, yes... This was his true face.
Trusting him after a brief kindness was her mistake. He'd kidnapped and jailed them on a whim... What made her think he was decent? Regretting as she reflected... the lord approached with a proposal.
"You want labor costs?"
"Not labor costs—human rights, Master."
"Right, human rights."
"Yes."
"Then make a deal with me."
"......A deal?"
"If you want toilets, beds, blankets, three meals a day—that absurd tax waste... you pay a fitting price."
"F-fitting price?"
"One kiss per meal."
".........Whaaat?!"
"Bathing together for bed and blanket. Yeah, sharing my bed for a toilet. Sound good, Kopen? Fair trade, right?"
"Indeed, a fine idea."
Jillian de Kruger's goals included women after all.
He planned to toy with Sarang.
"N-no, stay back!"
"Oh? Abandoning friends for your own comfort?"
"Th-that's... Ah, ahh..."
Sarang fell right into the trap.
She couldn't refuse the lord's offer.
"Haht, haaa... haaa..."
"Kopen, serve them proper meals."
"Heh heh heh, right away."
Sarang's lips grew slick with the lord's saliva.