I Bought the Male Lead with Money

7.

After crying about the bad food, many things changed. The chef started serving normal food instead of health food on the table. For example, pumpkin soup topped with sweet cream, freshly baked white bread, slow-cooked beef stew, fresh salad, and such things.

‘Hmm, I guess this is the limit.’

When Yu Jin said he would eat with Jinhyeon, Keith brought in another table. It meant he still wouldn’t allow dining with a slave. The good thing was that all three of them had the same menu. It seems they kept their promise to Yu Jin.

Yu Jin ate the bite-sized appetizer and then picked up his spoon. The pumpkin soup, showcasing the chef’s skills, was really delicious. As he bit into a large piece of meat and chewed, his tongue delighted in the juices flowing out.

Now he feels a bit happy.

Although he only received one trading company from his father, it was a trading company of the Luxeed family. The money earned from just the trading company was quite substantial, and on top of that, since he wasn’t married yet, he received a maintenance allowance from the Luxeed family. That too was a large amount.

In short, Yu Jin is rich. In his previous life, he wished to win the lottery, but now there was no need for that. With lots of money and a title, he could do whatever he wanted.

‘A rich unemployed person!’

His dream had come true. Now, if he could just appease Jinhyeon well, he could live happily for a long time. That’s what Yu Jin thought.

To Jinhyeon, Yu Jin was an incomprehensible person. He didn’t use the slave he bought with money. He wasn’t a dueling slave for showing off, nor was he used as a bedroom slave.

Moreover, while there weren’t any particular tasks assigned, the treatment was top-notch. Jinhyeon received a clean and spacious room along with new clothes. And three times a day, he was provided meals fit for a noble.

The rest was free time. At first, he stayed close to Yu Jin, but he said he could wander around the mansion if he got bored.

From then on, Jinhyeon thoroughly examined the mansion. While doing so, he encountered other slaves, but they were living different lives from him. It was the life of ordinary slaves.

“This is strange indeed.”

There must be something. Otherwise, it’s odd to treat only Jinhyeon this way. But what could it be? What could that soft tofu be hiding?

Jinhyeon smiled without realizing it. The thought of uncovering someone’s hidden secret brought strength back to his lazily stretched body.

‘I guess I’ll go to the library first.’

As expected of a Luxeed bloodline, the mansion had everything. It would cost quite a bit to properly equip a library. The library he had glimpsed before was quite large.

He had diligently gathered information since falling into this world, but there was still much he didn’t know. Especially regarding the continent’s history, he was at a level where he could say he knew almost nothing. Knowledge is power, and knowing anything would be helpful for future matters.

As Jinhyeon was about to turn around, he saw a few slaves in the distance. It seemed they had spotted him too.

This wasn’t the first time he had encountered other slaves like this. Jinhyeon had used the employee passages while wandering around the mansion, and because of that, he occasionally ran into them.

At first, he thought about ignoring them, but usually, those doing menial work at the bottom know the deepest parts of the mansion, so he would greet them appropriately. He was about to raise his hand to do so this time as well, but the other side approached first.

“Is it you? The guy they say is whoring around?”

A rather burly slave was frowning deeply.

“John, stop it!”

A woman among the group jumped out to stop the burly man, but she was pushed aside by his swinging hand. Fortunately, another slave caught her so she didn’t fall, but the woman looked startled.

The burly man also seemed surprised, but only for a moment. He looked at Jinhyeon again and picked a fight.

“If your role is to warm the bedroom, just stick to that! Why do you keep messing with other women?”

“No, it’s not like that!” 

The woman stood up and got angry, but the burly man didn’t listen and burst out in rage. When Jinhyeon showed no reaction, he raised his fist.

‘I understand the situation, but…’

It seems the burly man likes the female slave behind him. Come to think of it, the female slave’s face is familiar. They’ve occasionally met and greeted each other. It seems a misunderstanding arose from that.

It would be good to clear up the misunderstanding verbally, but…

“You male whore!”

Is there a need for that? In this world, there are faster and more certain methods than words. It’s a method he learned since coming to this world.

Jinhyeon dodged the swinging fist and struck the burly man’s face with his knee. Grabbing the arm of the staggering man, he twisted it in the opposite direction of the fall.

“Aaargh!”

It seems this slave didn’t even know how to fight properly. A really tough guy would try to attack somehow even with a broken arm. Why did he pick a fight when he can’t even do this much?

Even a low-level dueling slave is incomparable to an ordinary person. Even low-level slaves are survivors of terrible culling, and they must have killed more than ten people. A slave from the Colosseum is a killing weapon. That’s why ordinary people don’t think of fighting them. So why did he attack?

While pondering this, Jinhyeon released the burly man’s arm that he had broken. And just as he was about to grab and twist his ankle this time, a familiar voice was heard from behind.

“Stop.”

It was Keith. He seemed to have been nearby and rushed over. He said again, catching his breath.

“I said stop.”

Jinhyeon obediently let go and stepped back. Then the burly man burst into tears and wailed. The anxious woman also clung to the burly man. As she did so, her eyes looking at Jinhyeon were filled with fear.

“Why did you cause a commotion?”

Keith asked Jinhyeon in a cold voice.

“I didn’t start it.”

“So you’re saying he attacked first?”

“That’s right.”

“Okay, let’s say he did. But does that give you a reason to do this to a fellow slave?”

Fellow slave? Jinhyeon held back a snort. Where are there any fellow slaves here? Since he couldn’t really think that way, Keith must be trying to find fault with Jinhyeon now.

He had been giving him disapproving looks since he first arrived, and now it seems he’s determined to punish him.

“We need to fix your behavior. This isn’t the Colosseum. Don’t think about resolving everything with violence.”

Jinhyeon lowered his eyes submissively. Could he beat that guy? He assessed the situation for a moment. That slave was big but didn’t know how to fight. He probably thought just throwing punches was enough. But what about Keith?

Although not as much as Luxeed, Keith is also a noble. Moreover, he always carries a sword, and judging by the handle, it seemed he used it often.

A noble who has properly learned swordsmanship… It piqued his interest. Jinhyeon’s limp hand twitched. He wanted to fight right away, but he hid his true feelings.

‘It’s not time yet.’

But Keith seemed to have read the killing intent Jinhyeon had for a moment.

“You beast.”

He spoke with contempt and sentenced Jinhyeon to solitary confinement. The solitary cell in the basement was a narrow space where it was difficult for even one person to lie down. There were no windows so no light entered, and there was no space for waste disposal. Moreover, it was made so that sound couldn’t pass through, so staying there for just a few days would drive a person half-mad.

Escape wasn’t easy either. The entrance was made of a solid iron door. Jinhyeon had only heard about the solitary cell and was seeing it for the first time.

“Get in.”

The slave manager who received Jinhyeon from Keith opened the door of the solitary cell and frowned. He could escape from here, but…

‘I think I can create a more interesting situation.’

Jinhyeon trusted Yu Jin, who strangely protected him, so he stepped into the solitary cell without hesitation. Soon the door closed and darkness descended.

“Ahh, this is nice.”

Yu Jin lay on the swing in the garden and took a deep breath. Eat delicious food, take a walk, and sleep when tired. Today, he had brought out the swing to the garden and fell asleep on it.

The weather was especially good today. Thanks to that, it was warm, and he slept soundly with just a blanket over him.

Life is really good.

‘Yes, I needed a rest.’

He thought Jinhyeon might cause some trouble, but he behaved better than expected. As if what he saw in the Colosseum was a lie.

Perhaps his violence decreased as life became comfortable. He wished every day could be like this. Yu Jin stretched and looked at the sky where clouds were drifting far away. However, such peace didn’t last long.

It was because of the news Keith delivered when he returned after being away for a while.

“I’ve put Jinhyeon in solitary confinement.”

“Solitary confinement?”

The word sounded ominous from the start. What is solitary confinement? In modern prisons, troublemaking inmates are sometimes put in solitary confinement. It’s a separate punishment even within the prison. Could it mean the same thing here?

Yu Jin asked in a trembling voice.

“What kind of place is solitary confinement?”

Keith answered calmly.

“It’s a place to punish slaves.”

Before he finished speaking, Yu Jin rolled off the chair. He tried to get down quickly but his feet got tangled in the blanket. The surprised Keith ran over to check on Yu Jin, but Yu Jin had no time to worry about that.

“Where, where is it!”

“Pardon?”

“I’m asking where the solitary cell is!”

Things had been peaceful until now, but trouble had erupted. My goodness, locking up the protagonist to punish him. What if that psychopath becomes twisted!

Yu Jin urged Keith.

“Take me to the solitary cell right now!”

“The solitary cell is in the basement. It’s in the slaves’ living area, not a place suitable for you to visit, Master Yu Jin.”

Who cares about that? The protagonist is locked in solitary confinement. He had to go rescue him right away.