The Male S*ave of the Count Sianella Family

---

Last with Eunice Kalia.

Fortunately, the following days were quite smooth and peaceful.

Where did the Shione, who used to desperately seek ways to pet my hair, go? Now, I spent my time dealing with Shione, who shyly asked to be petted instead.

Sometimes, we exchanged brief conversations with Ainel too.

That damn earhead, Friel Arielte, I haven’t run into her since that day.

Apart from Aria Alenarr and that persistent knight admirer Eunice Kalia, I’ve only crossed paths with them a few times while Shione was out and about.

There hasn’t been anything more entangled than that.

Nobles are slowly beginning to return to their territories.

‘…Let’s just keep it like this.’

If things pass quietly like this, I can say goodbye to the stress of being entangled with those girls.

I thought while sitting in a plush leather chair, looking at Shione rolling around on the bed.

‘What remains—’

Shione had met various nobles under Ainel’s leadership.

It’s hard to believe… but thankfully, my master managed to achieve a decent result with the title of the knight protecting the princess on the day of her coming-of-age ceremony.

Putting aside her reputation for now.

I’ve already conveyed Siabel Shianella’s message to Aria.

The title of Shianella’s knight remained, but the rumors related to the mana entwined with me were gradually fading.

‘Only Adelhaite left.’

Now, there’s only one thing left to worry about.

A private meeting with the kingdom’s first princess, Adelhaite Aisiliah.

‘Looking at the atmosphere, it seems soon.’

The atmosphere within the royal castle, which had heightened, was now settling down.

I figured I might be summoned for a private meeting with Adelhaite soon.

Considering my swordsmanship and mana, along with how I had spoken about Ainel and me, she would surely ask all kinds of questions. It’s better to prepare some excuses.

“Phew…”

From Aaria, that earhead, to the princess of a nation, why was such outrageous stuff happening to a mere male slave with a naive master?

As I kept suppressing my rising emotions…

‘…What’s up with her now?’

My master, who was just rolling around on the bed, seemed to be slyly sneaking peeks at me.

Pretending not to notice, she would glance at my face…

Bam!

Whenever I turned to look at her, she quickly averted her eyes.

If she has something to say, she should just say it outright. Why is she being so cautious around her servant?

“Is there something you’d like to say?”

With an expression that seemed to have been waiting for that exact question, Shione’s eyes sparkled.

She nodded while trying to act as if it was no big deal.

“Well… it’s about the wager we had… Do you remember?”

“The wager?”

“The one we made right before entering the banquet hall on the eve of your coming-of-age ceremony.”

“Oh.”

It seems she was talking about that wager I casually made to persuade Shione, who was showing clear signs of reluctance for the event.

“If I could engage in decent conversations with the heirs of other families, you promised to grant me something I wanted as a reward for the wager, right?”

“…That’s right.”

“Though it was tough at the banquet… nonetheless, didn’t we manage to wrap things up nicely with the others?”

After having held hands with Ainel and conversed with several families recently.

I didn’t expect Shione to bring this up.

“So, can I… receive my reward for the wager…?”

I shook my head immediately.

Is she trying to sneakily extract the sugar now?

“At that time, didn’t we agree that the timeframe of the wager was before Ainel Shianella attended the banquet hall?”

“But… I want to be rewarded for my efforts lately…”

Why on earth does she want to ask for a reward from me?

Nonetheless, since we’ve built some sentiment over time, I’d typically be willing to accommodate a simple favor.

Recently, however, Shione wasn’t satisfied with merely getting her head patted, but had started demanding full-on hugs instead. Sometimes, she even wanted to drop the honorifics with me.

While I had been refusing her requests moderately, I could see that it was becoming increasingly cumbersome.

If I listened to her this time, I was sure I’d end up hearing some ridiculous request, so I promptly stated my refusal.

“It’s not possible.”

“Really…?”

“Of course. It’s inconsistent with the promise we made then.”

“Ugh… There has to be some leniency in this, don’t you think? You’re being too strict.”

As I firmly stated my refusal, Shione began to whine.

Seriously, what does she want so bad from me that a grown adult acts like a child throwing a tantrum?

In the end, I couldn’t take it anymore and asked her directly what she wanted so much.

“…What is it that you desire?”

Shione’s eyes sparkled with hope at my question.

“Umm…”

She fidgeted with her fingers, hesitating, and her cheeks began to blush.

Just then, she discarded the blanket she had been wrapped in and gathered her resolve to speak.

“While hugging…!”

Knock, knock.

Someone knocked on the door.

In the silence that followed, Shione opened her mouth again to finish her sentence, but…

Knock, knock, knock.

When there was no response from inside, the knocking continued. Shione then clamped her mouth shut instead of raising her voice.

The atmosphere grew cooler, as if an opportunity had been missed, and Shione just silently puffed up her cheeks, clearly dissatisfied.

With a sour expression, she glared at the door where the unwelcome visitor stood.

I could feel the presence of a guest waiting quietly for our response outside.

Creeeak.

Carefully opening the door to see who had come to Shione’s room, I found a cold-looking maid, appearing to be part of the royal castle’s staff, lower her head in respect upon seeing me.

“Are you Lord Ray?”

“Yes, that’s me. May I ask what brings you here?”

The maid straightened up, focusing her sharp gaze directly on me.

As our eyes met for a moment, she delivered her message in a crisp tone.

“Her Highness, the First Princess, is looking for you.”

I nodded gently at the maid’s words.

It seems my private meeting with Adelhaite is set for today.

*

Even though Shione was pouting and showing all her dissatisfaction, the princess had summoned me. I couldn’t just ignore it.

I quickly comforted Shione, then followed the maid.

Following her quietly, I arrived at the front of one of the rooms in the First Princess’s palace.

“You can enter this room.”

Nodding silently, I entered the room where Adelhaite was waiting after taking a deep breath.

“…Excuse me.”

As I softly opened the door and stepped inside, I could see a woman.

Unlike at the past banquet hall and the garden where the coming-of-age ceremony was held, instead of a glamorous dress, she was clad in a neat yet dignified uniform, with her violet hair, which had previously flowed down to her chest, neatly tied in a ponytail.

She was sitting on a sofa with her legs crossed, elegantly sipping tea.

After savoring a sip of tea, Adelhaite placed her cup back onto the saucer and turned to look at me.

With an expression like a worldly sage, her earlier weariness contrasted sharply as she slowly scanned my figure.

“Your Highness, the Princess, I’ve come to pay my respects.”

“…You’ve finally arrived.”

Her short yet straightforward reply met my greeting, but she didn’t seem displeased at all.

“Sit across from me.”

Following Adelhaite’s order, I sat on the opposite sofa.

On the table in front of me, there were snacks prepared along with tea for both her and me.

The sweet treats and the fragrant aroma of the tea made my nose tingle. I felt tempted to have a piece or take a sip, but I pulled myself together.

After all, the princess was staring directly at me. In a situation like this, I couldn’t just munch on sweets.

With her intense gaze on me, I probably wouldn’t even be able to tell if the treats were going into my mouth or my nose.

Though I was only satisfied with the subtle aroma drifting up from the tea, I focused on Adelhaite.

“Hmm—”

Adelhaite’s pupils shifted.

Having now become somewhat accustomed to her expressions.

She tried to pierce through me with her dragonlike gaze, but…

“Even after a long time, there’s truly nothing visible.”

As expected, Adelhaite couldn’t discern anything about me.

“Well, that’s fine.”

Despite not being able to see through me, Adelhaite felt her lips turning into a more pronounced smile.

“I clearly witnessed your prowess in mana and swordsmanship just in front of me, and I also heard from the head of Shianella that you’re skilled in archery.”

She picked up a piece of cookie that sat before her and brought it to her delicate pink lips.

Crunch.

After taking a bite of her cookie, she continued speaking.

“Given that my eyes fail to reveal everything, I can’t help but feel curious about what skills you might be hiding from me as well.”

Having finished the cookie, she wiped her lips with a handkerchief while her gaze remained firmly on me, her azure mana shimmering in her eyes in an attempt to penetrate through my defenses.

“Let’s have some tea.”

Gently, she pushed the teacup closer to me.

“This conversation will take some time, so it’s best to wet your throat.”

I followed Adelhaite’s instruction and lifted the cup. The sweet initial taste turned into bitterness at the end.

Tasting the mystical flavor of the tea, I set the cup back down onto the saucer.

Seeing this, Adelhaite brushed her hair to the side and spoke.

“Now that you’ve quenched your thirst—”

[Quest has been formed.]

「Private audience with the princess」

「The First Princess of the kingdom, Adelhaite Aisiliah, has a keen interest in your hidden identity and abilities. From mana and swordsmanship to archery, and even the spirit magic she hasn’t yet noticed. Use all means necessary to enhance your value and win her favor.」

「Reward / Failure: Depends on Adelhaite’s satisfaction.」

“Now, let’s start the conversation.”