Chapter 312: Experiencing Slavery (5)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 312: Experiencing Slavery (5)
Rami had been carried like a prince by a woman before, but never like a princess by a man.
After all, why the hell would he let some dude with a dick carry him?
Granted, it might be considered a great honor for a nobleman to personally carry a slave who couldn't move. A typical maid would have been overwhelmed with gratitude.
But Rami was no typical maid. To him, this situation was the greatest mistake and blemish of his life—nothing more, nothing less.
Even if he had resolved to perfectly play the part of a slave maid, he had absolutely no intention of getting entangled with a man.
They entered the mansion, but Alberic didn't put him down. He walked right past the maids' quarters and kept going.
They were getting closer and closer to his bedroom.
“…”
Is this bastard for real?
As if reading the thought in Rami’s eyes, Alberic spoke first.
“You said you haven’t eaten yet?”
“They said I wouldn’t get any until I finished organizing the warehouse.”
“Unfortunately, you won’t be able to eat even if you go now. Meals are only permitted at set times.”
“But surely there’s something to tide me over…”
A mansion this large had a night shift. There had to be snacks prepared for them. If he went to the kitchen and blended in, couldn't he scrounge something up?
“It seems they intended to starve you from the start. They'll just make excuses and give you nothing.”
So that's how it was.
He’d suspected they were bullying him, but he honestly thought they'd have no choice but to feed him once he finished the work. After all, there's a certain human decency that prevents you from ignoring someone who's struggling, even if you dislike them. He guessed that was too much to expect.
“So I have to starve until tomorrow morning…”
He had used up so much energy today; he was starving. He was barely managing to keep his stomach from growling. People can’t even sleep properly when they’re hungry.
To think he’d worked hard enough to make his bones scream, only to be denied proper rest.
This was just miserable.
He could almost cry.
He was already dreading tomorrow morning.
“But what does that have to do with going to your bedroom, Young Master?”
“Because with my order, you can eat anytime.”
In short, he meant to take Rami to his bedroom and get him some food. It almost looked like Alberic was being considerate.
“Can't you just tell them to give me food? Do you really have to take me to your room?”
“They would see it as special treatment. I have no desire to cause an unnecessary commotion.”
If you were going to say that, you shouldn't have carried me in the first place.
They had already run into several servants on the way into the mansion. Their eyes had been so wide he was worried they might pop out. Strange rumors were now guaranteed to spread.
Alberic finally carried Rami to the door of his room and gave an order to a waiting maid.
“Bring a meal. Something light. And some fruit.”
“I will prepare it at once.”
The maid shot a sidelong glance at Rami before quickly disappearing. She was walking, but at the speed of a run, without a hint of discomposure.
Once inside, Alberic set Rami down on the sofa. The feeling of finally being released from his grasp was overwhelming.
The maids soon returned with the meal.
The things that had dissatisfied Rami the most about being a maid were the sleeping conditions and the food.
When he first came to this world, he had no money, so he slept in stables and lived on bread as hard as a rock. It was the darkest period of his life as a slave trader. The first two things he improved once he started making some money were those two. He had never compromised on them, even while traveling.
But becoming a maid was a regression to those days. The work had increased, but the living conditions had worsened, making life hell.
And now, before his eyes, were delectable dishes. Not leftovers, but a proper meal.
Gulp.
He audibly swallowed the saliva that had pooled in his mouth.
“Do you want to eat?”
“Yes.”
“Then beg for it. Say, ‘Lord Alberic, I implore you, please permit this lowly servant to eat this food.’”
But this bastard just had to start shit over something so petty.
You shouldn't mess with someone's meal.
He considered just closing his eyes and asking, but a stubborn part of him wanted to refuse.
“You're the one who brought me here when I said I didn't need help, Young Master. You're the one who brought food without me asking. And now I'm the one who has to beg?”
“…What?”
“If anything, shouldn't you be begging me to eat it…?”
Alberic’s eyebrow twitched.
“How audacious. If that's your attitude, then I have no choice but to throw all of this away. You, outside, come in.”
“You called, Young Master?”
“Throw everything here in the trash.”
“Everything… you say, sir?”
“Are you deaf?”
“No, sir. I will dispose of it.”
The maid began placing the dishes back on the tray, preparing to take them away.
From the corner of his eye, Alberic watched Rami’s reaction. She stared right back at him, her expression unchanging. As if she truly didn't care if she ate or not.
“Ah, is this the part where I'm supposed to change my tune?”
“…”
“Besides, it's a bit much for a man to go back on his word like that.”
But you're a woman.
The words rose to the tip of his tongue, but Alberic pressed his lips together and barely managed to hold them back.
“Haaa…”
He let out a long sigh.
“Just leave it and go.”
“Sir?”
“I said, leave it and go.”
“Ah, very well.”
The maid set the dishes back down, bowed, and retreated.
Alberic spoke as if tossing the words out.
“Eat.”
“Thank you for the food.”
The moment permission was granted, Rami showed not a shred of hesitation, let alone modesty. He grabbed the utensils and began spooning soup into his mouth.
He was clearly famished, devouring the food without pause. As if he had a beggar living in his stomach, he cleared the plates in an instant. He then neatly drank a glass of water and leisurely peeled an orange, enjoying his dessert time.
“Phew, that was a good meal.”
A storm had swept across the table.
His feast finished, Rami leaned back on the sofa with a satisfied expression and closed his eyes.
And a mere thirty seconds later…
Zzzzz…
He had been utterly exhausted. With a full stomach and a plush sofa, Rami had passed out immediately.
Alberic couldn't help but sigh in disbelief.
She claimed to be a noble, but what kind of noble in what country lived so shamelessly and selfishly? How leniently must her parents have raised her for a grown maiden to sleep so defenselessly in front of a man?
She was sleeping so soundly, it seemed nothing could wake her.
So soundly that nothing could wake her.
Alberic gazed intently at Rami’s sleeping face. Slowly, he reached a hand toward her.
Just before his fingertips could touch her skin…
───────!!!
“Hah!”
Alberic choked on a sharp gasp.
It was an extremely brief moment, a mere instant, but his entire body was drenched in a cold sweat.
The moment he tried to touch Rami, what Alberic faced was death.
A death that would devour his life without question or hesitation. A reaper that would sever his very soul.
As if to warn him: Dare not lay your filthy hands on her.
Thud.
The fear he felt far surpassed the limits a living being could endure.
Alberic pitched forward and fainted on the spot.
A fluffy blanket popped into existence in mid-air and gently covered Rami.
*
Since Karami's disappearance, the Merchants of Death had grown quieter than usual.
The reason was simple: his slaves had all gone out to find him.
It was a race to become their master's master.
The world was vast, and only Mirabelle knew where he was. But she had no intention of telling.
Using their powers would make finding him much easier, but they couldn't, because Mirabelle had laid down the law.
Because an angry Mirabelle was terrifying. And incredibly strong.
Her title, Hand of the Death God, was no exaggeration.
Therefore, they had to find another way to locate Karami.
“I’ve asked the elves traveling the continent to spread the word and search for him. Black hair and black eyes are rare, so they should be able to find him.”
Alfia had made a request of the elves.
They were different from the elves of the past. The elves who now roamed the continent, lending the power of the spirits to people, held considerable influence. They would surely be able to find someone like Karami.
“Find the Slave Reaper. Contact me the moment he is discovered. Make this your highest priority, above all else.”
Elize returned to the Holy Kingdom and, in her capacity as the Saint, issued a command to the clergy. The Order of Balance held sway over the entire continent. She, too, chose to find Karami by mobilizing people.
Rin mobilized the Celestial Pavilion.
Narsha used her merchant group.
Every last one of his slaves was leveraging their connections—a fundamental method for finding someone.
But just searching wasn't enough.
Faster than anyone else.
They had to find Karami before the other slaves to become his master.
Every second counted.
Meanwhile, as everyone else engaged in a heart-stopping, second-by-second race, Azyeth…
Whoooosh.
…was soaring through the sky on Skadia’s back. Her eyes were fixed on the land far below as she searched for Karami herself.
“Princess, are you certain this is the right way? Would it not be better to ask the dwarves for help?” Skadia gently suggested, finding her method excessively primitive.
It wasn't as if Azyeth had no connections. If she asked, the dwarves of Doomheim would swarm out in droves to search for Karami.
“It's okay. I can find Rami.”
But Azyeth chose to search for him herself. It might have seemed foolish, but she was confident.
She believed that since Karami had found her in that snowfield, the reverse must also be possible.
That they were connected by an invisible thread of fate.
This time, she would appear before Karami not as a princess, but as a dashing prince.
Because that would be far more like a fairy tale, and much more romantic.