This Is Unfair
"Hurry up."
Isana urged me as she lifted the hem of her top.
"You're the one who's been dodging this whole time."
All she did was rush me. Yet her attitude made it seem like she didn't actually want to become a slave.
Well, who would happily welcome becoming a slave? She would give permission, but the moment I tried to brand her, she'd run away.
If having it engraved on her stomach felt too burdensome, I offered to put it on her back like I had with Rinea, but she treated me like a pervert. And she fought tooth and nail against having it on her neck, absolutely refusing.
When I tried to discuss options with her, she wouldn't even make eye contact.
There was no answer with this one.
"I-I've never dodged anything! Commoner!"
"That title needs correcting too."
The hellish title-correction session had arrived. I'd gone through this several times with Rinea as well.
"...There's no need for any correction."
Isana muttered quietly.
"I've already decided on a title. Commoner."
"I sincerely hope the title you've decided on isn't 'commoner.'"
"Of course it's commoner!?"
Isana, who had shouted at the top of her lungs, finally met my eyes. Now I could see her face properly.
"Are you okay?"
The words slipped out unconsciously as our eyes met. Eyes brimming with tears. Blue-tinged lips. A pale face.
It was hard to call her condition healthy.
I misjudged this.
She'd been bickering like this, so I thought she was fine. But having been locked in that prison must have taken a heavy mental toll.
"I'm fine."
"I'll make sure it doesn't hurt. And just because you become a slave doesn't mean I'll do anything strange to you."
From the beginning, the reason I was turning her into a slave was to save Isana. I'm only human, so the idea of making someone a slave filled me with reluctance.
...It really did.
"I know that. If Rinea had gone through something terrible, she wouldn't be smiling so happily."
Isana, who had steadied her breathing, pressed her body closer to me.
"Decide where you're going to put it."
"...Rinea chose her back, right?"
"Yes."
"Then I..."
Isana kept lifting her top, pointing to her smooth, spotless white belly.
"H-here..."
"Is that really okay? It's a very visible spot."
"I won't be exposing my midriff."
Given Isana's personality, she wasn't the type to wear anything that bold anyway. I gently placed my hand on her stomach.
A warm heat transferred through my palm. Even after being in this chilly space, her skin was warm.
"Eep...!"
Isana flinched, her lips quivering.
That makes two now.
Seris was one thing, but Katrina—this woman was the real problem.
I had originally identified her as a clear enemy. But now I couldn't tell whether she was an enemy or an ally.
At least it was certain she was hostile toward the Holy Empire. But whether she was my ally? I couldn't give a definite answer.
The enemy of my enemy is my friend, but the world doesn't run on such simple binaries. Since I didn't know her exact stance, I couldn't let my guard down.
Especially since her last order had been to kill the saintess.
"H-husband. Please focus on me."
Isana caressed my cheek as she spoke.
"Ah, sorry."
The problem I needed to solve right now was right in front of me. After finishing the branding process,
I ran several tests. Since I had modified the slave branding to suit my own methods, there was no need to put a collar on her or anything like that.
I feel like I'm forgetting something.
As I mulled it over, it suddenly came to me.
"Wait a second. Isana, call me once."
"Husband."
"Why is the title 'husband'?"
What kind of mental process had taken her from 'commoner' and 'you' to 'husband'?
"...Because you are my husband."
"You do know what husband means, right?"
"Of course. Don't tell me you're going to shirk your responsibility?"
Isana covered her mouth, her face shocked.
"I will take responsibility, but that's not what I meant. Why did it go in that direction?"
"If you don't know, you can start learning from now on."
Isana demurely took my hand and leaned her head against my arm.
"Let's go, husband."
"Sigh... Fine."
There was no need to correct it unnecessarily. Compared to Rinea, who used to speak informally and snap at me constantly, Isana was practically an angel.
Having finished rationalizing it to myself, I quickly escaped the underground prison with her.
"So this is why you didn't come for me."
Isana nodded as she looked at the guards sleeping with their heads against the wall.
"I put them to sleep."
"That's unusually considerate of you, husband."
"If I had killed the guards, it really would have been impossible to clean up afterward."
"You did well."
Isana stood on her tiptoes and stroked my head.
She's a completely different person.
It seemed becoming a slave brought about a significant change in one's heart. That wild Rinea had become quite docile lately too.
The moment the brand was imprinted on Isana, her attitude had transformed.
"Where are we going now?"
"First, back to my dormitory. There are still things I need to handle."
Just because she had become my slave didn't mean everything was finished.
Isana's family had ultimately rebelled against the imperial family and the empire. Even if I claimed there was someone behind it, no one would accept that.
There was no way to prove it. Therefore, Isana would have to face an imperial trial.
I absolutely will not let it reach an imperial trial.
I had no intention of letting this matter grow any larger. If it went to an imperial trial, there would be no solution.
Not only would things become excessively complicated, but the chances of winning the trial were far too slim.
"You're right, husband. But can you stop it?"
Isana expressed doubt after listening to my explanation.
"There is a way."
I planned to force the issue so this would end as a trial within the academy. It wasn't entirely impossible.
By utilizing the academy's special privileges, it could be done. Since she had enrolled in the academy, Isana was not only the princess of the Sivtant family but also an academy student.
In other words, the academy also held authority over Isana's disposition. I focused on this point.
The imperial princess and prince can observe as well.
Even if the trial took place within the academy, we could maintain the proper formalities. Think of it as a simplified imperial trial.
It allowed for observation by the imperial family and provided sufficient justification for conducting the proceedings. Moreover, since I had already claimed her as my slave, holding an imperial trial would be awkward.
Because even if they thoroughly investigated the Sivtant family, the result would show that Isana had no connection to the rebellion. Yet they would summarily execute an academy student?
It wouldn't be easy. At best, she would receive a slave sentence.
"And I've become your slave, husband."
"That's exactly the point."
I had made Isana my slave in advance. It could be handled similarly to Rinea's case.
The Rosianne family had researched black magic as well. But all their plans had been thwarted by me, and the sole survivor, Rinea, had become my slave.
"Rinea's matter was resolved cleanly too."
I had heard the results regarding the false black magic accusation not long ago. Since she had already become my slave and no connection to black magic could be found, she had been declared innocent.
Isana should be able to get through this smoothly as well, even if she wasn't declared fully innocent. And I would make sure of it.
After all, as Isana said, I had to take responsibility.
"So don't worry. You're going to live as my slave forever."
"Yeees..."
Isana demurely brought her feet together and moved behind me. Then she pressed her head against my back.
"What are you doing?"
"Um... I'm embarrassed to show my face... Just let me stay like this for a moment..."
"We need to get to the dormitory. It's getting late."
"Let's go like this, husband."
"What kind of behavior is this?"
It wasn't like we were playing train.
"Eek! Hic?"
Walking naturally caused my body to jostle. Each time, Isana let out strange sounds while faithfully following behind me.
"How long are you going to stay like that?"
"Your back! Feels so gooood. Mmm."
"Demure my ass."
She was basically Rinea Mark 2.
And so I returned to the dormitory. Isana once again pretended to be perfectly normal and linked her arm with mine.
Without a shred of shame, she was grinning from ear to ear.
This kind of change isn't bad at all.
It was far more pleasant than when she had been venomous. I opened the door with a satisfied smile.
"Master!"
Rinea greeted me with a bright smile.
"I-Isana."
Seeing Isana with her arm linked in mine, Rinea displayed an emotional expression.
"Rinea."
I naturally unlinked our arms. Rinea and Isana looked at each other, seemingly overwhelmed with emotion, before
they soon engaged in a passionate embrace.
"I'm so glad. Really."
"I missed you so much."
Watching them, I quietly prepared a seat for their reunion. Since Rinea and Isana shared such a close bond, it felt wrong for me to intrude.
This feels strangely complicated.
Seeing the two of them laughing and chatting, my feelings were mixed. Both had become slaves because of me.
Yet for some reason, they both seemed happier than before.
So I wasn't wrong.
Back when Rinea had appealed to me, asking why I had made her a slave, I had felt a great deal of guilt.
Even if she was destined to fall as a villainess in the future, right now she was simply a young lady with a rather nasty personality. Was it right to drag her into the abyss?
But now I could say it with confidence. My decision to make them slaves had not been wrong.
"Husband! Join us too."
"Is it okay for me to join?"
I was about to pull up a chair in response to Isana's words when—
"Husband?"
Rinea's voice suddenly turned ice-cold.
"I wondered why you were so late. So the two of you went all the way, biting and sucking on each other, huh?"
"Rinea, that's not it. Just listen to me for a second..."
"Yes. We did everything with husband."
Isana cut me off and jumped in.
"Rinea, you haven't done anything with husband yet, have you?"
Isana smiled. Her eyes, however, were not smiling at all.
"Master and I haven't done anything? Isana. What would you know about it?"
Rinea shot back as she jumped to her feet.
"If that were the case, wouldn't husband have rejected me?"
"You know very well that master is indecisive, don't you, Isana?"
With the momentum of someone ready to fight, Isana stood up as well.
"Shall we compete then? Let's see how far we've each gone with husband."
"Are you confident? Who was it that used to call him a commoner and insult him every day?"
"If we're going there, who was it that bared their teeth at husband every single day?"
Rinea and Isana grabbed each other's collars.
"No. Why did the conversation suddenly turn into this?"
The moment I tried to intervene—
"Stay out of this, Master."
"Husband has no right to interfere."
They both growled at me simultaneously.
I was just trying to mediate the fight.
What exactly did I do so wrong...?