BXBX NOVEL Chapter 4 – Kidnapping (4)
“It’s good that you’re guarding from close, but couldn’t you make your presence known?”
“Have you finally lost it? Why would I guard you?”
“…”
A personal guard, it said.
“I’m here to monitor you. Don’t get any ideas. And if this continues, I won’t stand by idly anymore. Release the children.”
Sylvia’s gritting teeth echoed sharply in the quiet library.
Her attitude was openly hostile.
From morning until now, she had been like this.
[Sylvia’s Affection has decreased by 1.]
When I ordered Charlotte and Julia to run, her affection dropped.
[Sylvia’s Affection has decreased by 1.]
When I gave them food after they finished, it dropped again.
[Sylvia’s Affection has decreased by 1.]
When I had the maids give them a bath, it dropped again.
[Sylvia’s Affection has decreased by 3.]
And when I had them sleep in the prepared guest room in the basement, it dropped further.
No matter what I did, her affection continued to plummet consistently.
Now, her affection score was -38.
She despised me.
“My sister gifted me those slaves. It’s not a matter for a mere knight working for the family to interfere with.”
“Treat the slaves like slaves. Then I won’t overstep my bounds.”
“I’ll handle them as I see fit. What’s the problem?”
“That’s…! Argh! How shameless!”
Sylvia couldn’t contain her anger and shouted loudly.
“I know what you’re planning! The greater the happiness they experience, the more despair they’ll feel when it’s taken away. You plan to harvest the dark energy from their negative emotions by first giving them happiness and then taking it away!”
Sylvia, her face flushed with anger, trembled.
Her red eyes were full of hostility.
She genuinely hated me.
She wanted to kill me right then and there.
If it weren’t for the binding contract, she seemed ready to draw her sword immediately.
‘Just like in the game.’
In the game, Sylvia eventually sides with the protagonist and betrays Aslan.
Even at the cost of the penalty for breaking the contract, she couldn’t continue to serve such a villain.
And in the game, Sylvia, filled with rage, killed Aslan in place of the protagonist, who had lost the ability to think clearly.
Some say it was an act of mercy to prevent the protagonist from walking the same dark path as the villain.
My interpretation is slightly different.
Even though she betrayed him, I believe Sylvia’s final act of loyalty to the family she served her whole life was to give Aslan a painless death.
She was the epitome of a just and loyal knight, the perfect opposite of Aslan.
No wonder her affection score was so low.
“Heh heh heh…”
“…!”
Damn. I meant to laugh to myself.
Sylvia, thinking I was mocking her, glared at me with even more contempt.
“How can you be so…!”
“That’s enough. I don’t want to hear more.”
“Hah. What will you do if I continue? Use the mark?”
“…”
Sylvia mocked me, showing the mark on her neck.
That mark was what bound her to the Vermont family.
I could use it to cause her pain and physically force her to comply, but…
That wouldn’t work.
She could remove the mark if she decided to betray us, even if it meant enduring great pain and becoming terminally ill, with less than ten years to live.
So, the mark was effectively useless.
I needed to make Sylvia genuinely trust me.
Enough to overcome this villainous atmosphere and speech.
…This is going to be tough.
“If you want to release them, go ahead.”
“Excuse me?”
“The door is open, and no one is stopping you. Do as you please.”
Sylvia looked at me with disbelief and was about to take a step.
“But. Take them out and bear the responsibility.”
“…”
“You have talent, so you must have noticed. Those kids are not ordinary. Can you ensure they won’t fall into the hands of other villains once outside?”
“Are you, the most wicked person in the world, talking about other villains? If I had to pick the most evil human being, it would be you…”
“You’re so honest and upright that your thinking is rigid. It’s better to keep them near a villain you can see than expose them to unknown dangers. That’s what I’m saying, you fool.”
“…”
“Just watch. If you think I’ll plunge them into despair, take them away then. Tear off the mark and cut my throat.”
“What…!”
Sylvia’s eyes widened.
She was surprised that I had anticipated her plan to break the contract and run away.
She stared at me for a while, her gaze filled with suspicion but less hostility.
‘She’s suspicious.’
The flames of suspicion in her eyes were burning brightly.
Of course, she was suspicious.
No one changes their behavior so drastically without a reason.
“Fine. I’ll watch.”
“Good. You’ve made the right choice. Also, you’ll be docked 50% of your pay this month.”
“…”
“Did you think you’d get away with back-talking and showing your teeth to your master?”
There’s no need to rush.
Sylvia will be displeased with whatever I do.
She’ll complain if I mistreat the kids.
She’ll complain if I treat them well.
There’s no way to win her over immediately.
Time. Only time can resolve this.
Whether it works out or not, I’ll give it a shot.
I don’t want to be split in half by that sword.
[Sylvia’s Affection has increased by 6.]
This girl…
Is she a masochist who likes having her pay cut?
***
“It’s time to wake up!”
“Ah. In the end, I couldn’t sleep a wink…”
As the morning sun rose, the noise of the maids collecting the bedding woke Julia.
She hadn’t slept at all.
Beside her, Charlotte was still sound asleep despite having lost her blanket and pillow.
“Get up. It’s time for the morning run.”
“Knight…”
“Don’t ask me anything. I don’t know, and even if I did, I wouldn’t tell you.”
“…”
Sylvia, right?
The stern female knight.
She had been following Aslan’s orders without question yesterday, making her seem like his closest aide.
She’s someone to watch out for.
Julia kept her guard up as they moved to the yard.
“Just like yesterday, ten laps. Start.”
It was the same routine as yesterday.
Sweating and panting, they completed their laps.
They washed up in the bathhouse again.
The maids, seemingly excited, surrounded them and changed their clothes multiple times.
Then they enjoyed a meal that tasted even better thanks to their morning exercise.
“Mmm! It’s delicious! Right, Julia?”
“Yeah. This tomato pasta, despite its appearance, is quite high quality… Wait! This isn’t right!”
Julia realized with a shock that she was devouring the pasta with sauce all over her face.
This wasn’t right. This wasn’t what she intended.
When did this become part of the routine?
If this continued, they would be playing into Aslan’s hands.
No way. Whatever he was planning, it was dangerous, so they couldn’t let their guard down.
“Charlotte.”
“Mmm?”
“Charlotte.”
“Mmm, what?”
“Stop eating and let’s come up with a plan. We need to figure out how to escape.”
“Can’t we just ask that guy Aslan to let us go?”
“Do you really think that’ll work!?”
Julia felt her mind reel at Charlotte’s nonchalant answer.
She had seen the money changing hands, dozens of bills, when they were bought.
No way would they release such expensive slaves.
They weren’t even real slaves…
“If you want, you can leave anytime.”
“Eh?”
Aslan answered without looking up from his book, as if it were the most natural thing.
Charlotte shrugged as if to say ‘I told you so,’ and Julia’s expression turned incredulous.
Really? Could they really just leave?
“Then right now-”
“If you pay your body price of ten billion Lark.”
“T-Ten billion?!”
“To avoid misunderstandings, I mean ten billion each.”
Ten billion?
Wasn’t that the price of a small mansion?
How were they supposed to pay that?
It was nonsense.
They were orphans without education or means. How could they be worth such an amount?
Even the slave trader had sold them for only about a million Lark, so why…!
“That’s the same as saying we can never leave! How could we have that kind of money!”
“Of course you don’t. So, earn it. Do you think I’m feeding and housing you out of charity? Work and earn your keep. When you gather ten billion, I’ll sell you your freedom.”
“Ugh…”
Aslan put down his book, revealing his eyes.
His voice dripped with arrogance, and his face wore a smile as wicked as any villain’s.
In that moment, Julia was certain.
This man was definitely irredeemable scum.