The Male S*ave of the Count Sianella Family

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“Please sit comfortably.”

“…Then, I’ll excuse myself for a moment.”

I carefully sat down opposite Siabel. The plush leather chair cradled my body. I felt so comfortable that I wanted to sink into it, but I remained alert against slumping too much.

As I maintained a decent posture, Siabel shrugged her shoulders. On the table were various kinds of snacks and tea prepared. Siabel was silently watching me before taking a sip of her tea.

“When I visited Shione’s room earlier, it was just like the tea you made.”

“…?”

“It’s much better than the bitter tea Bronte usually makes. I asked him to prepare this from now on. There’s plenty for you, so feel free to enjoy.”

“Thank you for your consideration.”

After that, Siabel sipped her tea instead of speaking. That was all. Even though she was quietly enjoying her tea, she didn’t savor the scent wafting from it nor did she relish the taste on her palate.

Her interest was solely focused on me. Even while sipping her tea, her attentive gaze was fixed on my face.

Clack.

After observing me closely for a moment, Siabel set her teacup down on the plate.

“Hmm—”

With a deliberately playful voice, she made a mischievous expression.

She then extended her hand towards me with an elegant gesture, palm facing upwards.

“May I borrow your right hand for a moment?”

“Right hand, you say?”

I couldn’t understand why she suddenly wanted my right hand…

While I quietly waited for my hand to rest on hers, Siabel showed no signs of retreat. I placed my right hand on top of hers.

During the battle against the orcs, Siabel had shown the coldest, most detached hands of anyone. But her hand, placed on my skin, was neither cold nor warm.

“Hooh.”

Siabel pulled my hand toward her and uttered a small sound.

She inspected my hand with her eyes, feeling and confirming its contours.

“To handle a bow and sword so skillfully… It seems you don’t practice them regularly otherwise. The calluses on your hands are surprisingly few for the level you’ve displayed.”

“……”

“Of course. The last time you practiced with a sword and bow was probably a year ago, before you were sold to our Count’s House. There’s no way a mere servant, especially a man, could swing a sword in a training hall full of rough women.”

Siabel’s red lips curved upwards. The deep smile accentuated her haughty demeanor, creating an alluring atmosphere.

“Ray. Do you think you possess a level of skill that matches the time and effort you’ve invested?”

Siabel released my hand. My hand floated aimlessly in the air before landing back on my lap.

Siabel filled her teacup again.

She raised the teacup, inhaling the aroma this time before continuing to speak.

“You know it as well as I do. Your skill is far beyond what your efforts deserve.”

I responded to her words with silence.

The effort I’ve put in. It’s overflowing.

Hunters are all crazy people. They willingly crawl into dungeons filled with a vast array of peril, risking losing their heads or being riddled with holes by a moment’s mistake. Those who enter dungeons are insane.

And I was one of those many lunatics. Not just any lunatic, but a truly deranged one, among the world’s elite hunters aiming for an S-ranked dungeon.

‘Me, with skills beyond my efforts?’

What nonsense is this?

The countless monsters I’ve slain over the years while continuously raiding dungeons. How hard I’ve fought just to become slightly more proficient with a bow, sword, and magic.

My skills are the result of appropriate efforts.

Sure, an appropriate result, but…

‘…With that, I have nothing further to say.’

But I couldn’t deny that, after taking over this body originally belonging to Ray, I hadn’t shown any effort as she said.

I could only silently match my gaze with Siabel.

“…So I ask if you believe your achievements are due to a talent bestowed upon you by heaven. Ray—”

“…?”

“How about learning swordsmanship from your sister?”

“…Excuse me?”

Learning swordsmanship from Siabel?

That… I’m sorry, but is that even something worth learning…?

“…Are you telling me to become your disciple, Siabel?”

“Exactly.”

As she said this, Siabel stood up from her chair and walked over to me.

The moment I was about to rise from my seat to follow her, Siabel had already come up behind my chair and pressed down gently on my shoulder. As a result, I sat back down once again.

She kept both hands on my shoulders, leaning over to get closer to me.

“May I hear your reason?”

“The reason? Didn’t I already mention it? It’s because of your talent. Moreover—”

As she spoke, Siabel began to stroke my hair leisurely.

“It seems like your relationship with Shione has been growing deeper by the day. If you don’t secure the position of a master, how will your sister get between you two?”

“Me and Sh—”

“This talk we’ll save for later when Shione is around.”

Siabel neatly cut off my words. Then, instead of standing behind my chair, she stood beside me, sharing a look before placing her left hand into her pants pocket.

In that moment, like when she had asked for my hand earlier, Siabel extended her right hand toward me, smiling delightfully.

“Now, I’ll give you the reward you were anticipating. Come on, take my hand and stand up.”

“…Excuse me.”

“You don’t need to stand on ceremony.”

I grabbed Siabel’s hand and stood up from the chair.

Then, as if waiting, Siabel pulled her left hand out from her pants pocket.

‘A ring?’

In her left hand, there was a ring. A cold silver iron ring. It didn’t have any flashy decorations like gems, but the intricate engravings made it look quite antique.

Siabel slipped the ring onto my index finger and explained.

“You’ll be protected three times in dangerous moments by this ring. From now on, if possible, keep it on.”

The identity of the ring was an artifact imbued with magic.

The price of an artifact is considerable even on Earth, and in this world, it would surely be even more expensive.

Furthermore, considering it had a magic of protection inscribed on it, it could certainly be useful.

Having received an unexpected reward, I bowed my head to Siabel.

“Thank you.”

Siabel gave me a deep smile at my gratitude.

“There’s still another reward remaining. So, let’s hold off on the thank-yous until later.”

When my curiosity about her words showed on my face, Siabel promptly lifted my right hand that she had been holding.

My hand being drawn upward.

Only to stop when it touched Siabel’s lips.

For a moment, Siabel pressed her warm, soft lips against my hand. The sensation of her warm lips lingered on my skin, even after she drew back, as if it wasn’t just a dream.

Suddenly kissing my hand, I stared blankly at Siabel, wondering what had gotten into her.

“Umm…”

In an uncharacteristic manner, Siabel shyly averted her gaze from mine.

“…I suppose that should suffice as a reward.”

Siabel said this while gently releasing my hand, taking a moment to gather her breath and tidy her expression. She returned with a mischievous smile typical of her.

“What did you think, receiving the first kiss of the future head of the Count’s House?”

“That was just a kiss on the hand, wasn’t it?”

“What, in the end, it’s still a kiss, isn’t it?”

I barely managed to stifle a sigh that threatened to escape, thinking.

Why are the people of this household so eager to consume me?

It seems I need to place Siabel’s name on the list of people to watch, right alongside the drunken Shione.

*

Tap. Tap. Tap.

In the quiet office, Ainel Shianella rested her chin on her hand, tapping the desk in a rhythmic pattern.

Diolia returned as the Count from the western territory. She successfully quelled the sudden influx of monsters, calming the chaos in the territory. Yet, the return to stability felt like the calm before the storm.

“The calm before a storm, huh—”

Indeed, the cultists had been up to no good near the territory’s villages. Not to mention how just half a year ago, the demons had been discovered in the Beltlin Mountain Range, further adding to the unease.

As the recent activities in the territory, no, within the kingdom had become rather troubling, Diolia’s words lingered in Ainel’s mind, refusing to fade.

Tap. Tap. Tuwk—

The tapping of Ainel’s index finger halted.

“…The scout team sent to the mountain range still hasn’t returned.”

Creak.

Ainel pushed her chair back and stood. She donned her coat hanging on the rack and grabbed a sheet of paper.

It was a brief summary of the cultists’ altar and the demons found in the mountain range six months ago. She folded the paper neatly and tucked it into the inner pocket of her coat.

With her sword hanging from her hip, she opened the office door and whispered.

“…It’s time to send out the search and scout teams again.”