NOVEL NEXT Chapter 0
It’s been quite some time since I fell into this world without even understanding English.
As a damn slave and servant, I have somewhat adapted to being beside my master.
I was on standby next to Ainel Shianella, the head of the Shianella Count’s House.
Knock, knock.
Someone knocked on the office door.
Ainel Shianella, the head of the Shianella Count’s House, shifted her gaze from the papers she was handling to the door.
Her shiny silver hair flowed, and her indifferent blue eyes pierced through to the person beyond the wall.
“…You’re quite prompt, aren’t you?”
I shuddered.
Regardless of how I was before, now I am a weak, pitiful male slave.
Even if the words aren’t directed at me, any remark from someone of Count’s status is enough to whittle down my sanity.
…My stomach seems to be churning a bit.
For now, let’s just keep my mouth shut.
“Come in.”
As soon as Ainel’s permission was given, a woman cautiously opened the door and entered.
“……Did you call for me, Mother?”
“Yes. But Shione Shianella, your footsteps are slower than I expected.”
“I’m sorry.”
Her head, already tilted down, dropped further to the ground.
I looked at Shione Shianella, Ainel’s second daughter.
Unlike Ainel, she looked rather shabby.
While Ainel, the Sword Master, exuded an overwhelming presence of both martial and beauty, Shione was her exact opposite.
As the daughter of a martial clan, one could hardly tell if she even ate or moved, with her chubby figure buried in fat, sharing only her blue eyes and silver hair with her parents.
Her blue eyes were dull, and her silver hair appeared so frizzy it was hard to believe she was even related to Ainel Shianella.
Of course, I wasn’t going to openly stare at her in disgust.
It’s best not to do anything that might result in losing my head due to an error in judgment.
I am no longer proud of being the top hunter in South Korea; I’m just a male slave in a world of gender reversal.
I need to be careful not to forget my status if I wish to keep living.
I averted my gaze from Shione and listened silently.
“Can I hear the reason you called for me…?”
“You should know the reason better than anyone.”
“…….”
“With your pitiful outbursts and behavior, there hasn’t been anyone left willing to serve you in the Count’s House for quite some time.”
“…Yes.”
“And thus, when I allocate a servant to you forcibly, they typically run away due to your verbal abuse.”
Just mere statements of fact.
Shione’s shoulders slumped at those words.
“I’ve been thinking about what to do with you. While I was pondering, I realized you’re about to celebrate your nineteenth birthday.”
Tap. Tap.
The sound of Ainel tapping her index finger against the armrest of the chair echoed in the quiet office.
“It would be unwise to gift you a sword from a renowned craftsman in the territory because, firstly, your pathetic swordsmanship would fail to measure up, and you have zero passion for swords.”
“It wouldn’t amount to much if I were to give you something related to Divine Power, and thirdly, you lack any magical talent, likely due to your bloodline being void of swordsmanship skills.”
Under Ainel’s scathing criticism, Shione’s shoulders looked like they might crumple, failing to rise again.
Damn, maybe she isn’t even Ainel’s daughter…
Ainel’s words, without a shred of mercy or conceit, highlighted what kind of person Shione was.
A talentless heir who had neither the legacy of swordsmanship from her family nor any magic to boast of.
The only thing she had was her born status as a nobility.
Is that why? She seems like a noble who lazes away her days without any effort to cling to anything.
It was clear that Shione was exactly that kind of person.
“And so, I prepared a personal servant as your gift.”
“A personal servant… you say?”
“Yes. Since their status is that of a slave, there will no longer be any need for scandal, and despite being male, he can wield Mana a bit, thus being more capable than other servants.”
“Are you referring to that man beside you, Mother?”
Shione looked at me.
I felt no courage to exchange gazes with her, so I quickly cast my eyes down.
“Yes. If not, I wouldn’t have him stay by my side.”
Ainel nodded.
…Since coming to the Count’s House, I’ve learned a lot. So that’s why they were teaching me.
“The training as a servant is already complete, so he will begin working under you the moment you leave here.”
Her chin resting on her hand, she gazed into her daughter’s blue eyes.
“This person will be the one to support you moving forward, so it’d be best not to treat him carelessly because he’s of low birth. You won’t mistreat the gift from your mother, will you, Shione?”
“…Yes, I’ll be careful.”
Her answer was one born from the pressure of Ainel’s piercing gaze and words combined.
At least as long as Shione fears Ainel, I shouldn’t have to worry about undue torment.
I silently sighed in relief.
Even as a slave, getting beaten for no reason is just plain unpleasant as a person.
I hope for a relationship where I do my work and Shione does hers, as much as possible.
Once the main conversation concluded, there was little exchange of words between the mother and daughter.
Amid the awkward silence, Shione was the first to speak.
“Then I’ll take my leave.”
“Alright.”
Ainel quietly nodded and cast a glance in my direction.
The look was one that seemed to say ‘follow me.’
“Let’s get along well from now on.”
“…Yes.”
I slightly bowed my head and followed Shione’s lead.
After leaving Ainel’s office alongside Shione, I stopped once we were sufficiently away from the office.
“Haah… Haah…”
Having walked at quite the brisk pace, it seemed she was panting.
It’s no wonder, with a body that couldn’t even be called slim, pushing herself to walk that quickly resulted in shortness of breath.
With sweat dripping down, it seemed she didn’t practice swordsmanship or even walk properly.
I observed her from a distance as she steadied her breathing and then turned around to give me a penetrating stare.
Receiving her tired gaze felt like my experience didn’t quite prepare me for this, and the only option left was to look down.
I didn’t want to provoke any hurt feelings by instigating a staring contest; that would just make things worse for me.
“…You.”
Shione’s dull voice held an edge. It seemed to be tinged with faint hostility as well.
What the hell did I do to deserve this?
With her initial words dripping with annoyance, it irritated me to no end.
“Don’t say unnecessary things. Don’t say you don’t want to do things again. Don’t argue with what I say.”
“Yes?”
“Don’t bother me like the other servants.”
“…….”
Hearing her gruff voice advising against bothering her made me more frustrated than I expected.
Was this something like rebelliousness? I had the urge to annoy her just to see how she’d react.
Ainel’s voice always held charisma, but Shione’s vocal timbre scraped at my nerves.
“Yes, understood.”
Despite my inner thoughts, my reply came out overly polite.
“Hmph, I believe you got that.”
With a snort, she turned her back and began walking again.
This time, her pace was significantly slower than before.
Unlike her earlier swift strides, she was now moving at a slow pace.
This must be the pace she’s used to.
At this speed, she likely wouldn’t be panting again like earlier.
As she staggered along, trying to push the air, I stayed back a bit, lightening my own footfalls.
The awkward atmosphere lingered as we continued to walk side by side for a while.
Then—
Pop!
Just before I fell into this damn world, back on Earth when I was actively working as a hunter, something I saw every single day began to appear.
[You have become the personal servant of Shione Shianella.]
[Your main quest begins in accordance with your owner, Shione Shianella.]
[Help her redeem herself and save the world.]
[Success: Save the world, Return to Earth (Optional)]
[Failure: Destruction of the world]
I briefly halted my steps and regarded the back of Shione Shianella.
I had just heard her say not to bother her.
But now there was a reason I couldn’t help but mess with her.