Tamed A Blackened Slave Man

It wasn’t considered breaking the unspoken rule of the imperial family just by spreading the rumor.

I’ve only said that there was someone in the empire who could heal anything. I didn’t mention the name of the family or a specific person.

Since the rumor was vague enough that the source was questionable, it should sound like complete nonsense to others.

But it should be different for Damian.

His heart condition had already been revealed to the public, so he should be wanting to grab onto even the slimmest of chances in order to heal it.

‘There is a person in this empire that is able to heal any disease and even restore a severed tongue.’

The phrase ‘restore a severed tongue’ in the rumor.

That was a hint I had kindly provided to Damian.

A hint so he would come to visit me once he heard the rumor.

He was the black crow, oblivious that the hope of curing his heart disease would become the path to his demise.

Cassadin said that he no longer needed revenge, but I was different.

I wasn’t a pure-hearted person like Cassadin. I didn’t plan on being used like I had in the past.

As long as Cassadin went out to the battlefield in the place of my father, that was more than enough for me. It was a separate matter from whether he considered me his sister or not.

I couldn’t dirty the hands of Cassadin when he was calling me his savior. The only one who was going to have the black crow’s blood on their hands was me.

---

Becoming slightly uncomfortable talking to Cassadin after the incident during the day, I creeped out of my room and tiptoed to Tuule’s room at the end of the mansion.

Knock knock.

When I knocked quietly on the door, it opened cautiously. When Tuule peeked his head out of the door and saw me, his expression brightened into a wide smile. His blue-gray eyes sparkled with enthusiasm.

Damian’s servants had been lying when they claimed Tuule was an aggressive man. The only thing rough about Tuule was his appearance. Rather, his personality was calmer than a lamb.

“Hey, Tuule.”

When I said hello, Tuule bowed his head and greeted me.

“Miss Aren.”

“I came alone today.”

Hearing that, Tuule’s eyes widened.

“Has Mister Cassadin not come with you?”

“Yes.”

Tuule’s expression eased when he heard that Cassadin wasn’t with me.

“Has something happened between the two of you while I wasn’t there?”

Tuule vigorously shook his head sideways at my question.

“N-No, Miss.”

“…”

“Nothing had happened with Mister Cassadin.”

Tuule rapidly blinked his large eyes. He looked incredibly anxious the moment Cassadin’s name was mentioned.

‘Just what happened to him while I was absent?’

When I narrowed my eyes and peered at Tuule, I saw a wound that had not been there before.

“How did you get that wound on your neck?”

Tuule jumped back in surprise and quickly tried to hide the wound with his hand. But I had already seen what had been on his neck.

“I merely got it by foolishly tripping on something…”

As if he were in a difficult position to speak the truth, Tuule dropped his head and seemed to make up any excuse he could think of.

“Seeing the shape of the wound, it doesn’t seem to have been caused by falling.”

“…”

“I’m not going to blame you, Tuule. It’s alright to tell me the truth.”

When I patted his massive back, Tuule slowly raised his head and met my eyes. After locking eyes, Tuule’s face turned bright red, and he lowered his face again, saying in a tiny voice,

“I-I can’t tell you.”

“Why?”

Tuule had always told me everything whenever part of his memory returned. It wasn’t like he didn’t know the cause of the wound, so I found it weird that he couldn’t tell me, so I asked him,

“…Is that wound perhaps related to Cassadin?”

Tuule’s massive body flinched at my question. That was the answer. The concerns that I had actually became a reality.

“…Was Cassadin the one who did that to you?”

Bringing both of my hands to my chest, I asked Tuule again specifically. Instead of denial, Tuule chose silence, which was basically affirmation.

Letting out a deep sigh, I then asked Tuule,

“When did my younger brother do this to you?”

“…”

“Hm? Answer me, Tuule. Why did Cassadin do such a thing?”

When I grabbed Tuule and stubbornly asked him, he finally opened his tightly shut mouth and said in a resigned voice,

“…The truth is, Mister Cassadin had visited me several nights ago.”

“Several nights ago?”

“Yes. He had asked me whether it was true that I lost my memory and that he would kill me if I did not speak the truth…”

Tuule seemed extremely sorrowful as he recalled that night. When I stared at him with a shocked expression, he hesitantly lowered his hand and showed me the wound.

Taking a closer look at the wound, I could immediately tell that it had been made by a sword.

“This was the wound Mister Cassadin had made that day.”

“…”

“Although you two are not related, I’ve seen how close Miss and Mister were. I apologize for not telling you the truth earlier. I was just worried that your relationship with him may become frayed because of me.”

Tuule bowed to me again. After hearing his response, I understood why he hesitated to tell me the truth.

“No. Thank you for telling me the truth.”

I tried to smile as I spoke, but I couldn’t. I was extremely shocked by the fact that Cassadin would do such a thing without telling me.

Seeing that my expression had darkened, Tuule looked down at me with concern.

“This is why I didn’t want to tell you…”

“No. I’m just a little surprised, that’s all.”

“…”

“Did Cassadin say anything else to you other than that?”

After staring out at nothing for a moment, lost in deep thought, Tuule opened his mouth, seeming to have remembered something.

“I remember Mister Cassadin telling me not to say Miss Aren’s name.”

“…What?”

“It seemed like Mister Cassadin did not like me. But I completely understand why. It would be strange not to feel discomfort when a suspicious slave who lost their memory suddenly appears and stays at their home.”

Tuule smiled gloomily. Smiling must not have helped, as his shoulders were sagging to the floor.

Unlike his threatening physique, Tuule had exceptional empathy for others, even though he had lost most of his memories. This was likely an innate trait.

Though he had a kind nature like no other, Tuule, unfortunately, had no one to depend on. Was it really the best option to send Tuule without his memories to the Crown Prince?

I started to contemplate it seriously.

The Crown Prince had opened up to Cassadin enough in the past to position him as his closest aide, but would he also treat Tuule the same way?

What if I sent him to the palace, and he was unable to fit in among the other palace dwellers? Did the Damian in my past life send Tuule to the Crown Prince?

But all of my current thoughts are ultimately pointless. Because I hadn’t seen or even heard of Tuule in my past life.

It was likely that Tuule wouldn’t have been alive if I hadn’t healed him with my ability.

I felt Tuule’s gaze on me as I fell into deep thought. Turning my gaze to the man staring at me with a tilted head, I asked,

“Tuule, do you wish to stay here?”

“Pardon?”

Tuule looked at me with an expression of disbelief. I smiled brightly at him as I continued,

“If it’s alright with you, you’re allowed to stay here.”

“H-How could I dare…?”

“I’ll talk to Cassadin about this matter. So you don’t have to be afraid of Cassadin any longer.”

Cassadin wouldn’t treat Tuule harshly if I told him so. Unlike in the past, Cassadin was now keeping his promises with me, so I put my trust in that.

Tuule’s eyes started to redden as he looked at me, and he asked me with a shaky voice.

“…May I, may I truly do that?”

His watery voice almost sounded desperate. I gave Tuule a big nod in response to his question. His eyes overflowed, causing a single tear to roll down his face.

Plop.

The single tear that traveled down Tuule’s cheek fell to the ground. He then aggressively rubbed at his eyes and spoke in a determined voice,

“Thank you. But I can’t continue to be a burden like this any longer.”

“…”

“If there is anything I am able to help with, please let me do so.”

Tuule thumped his fist against his chest as he added on.

“Though I have lost my memory, I am confident in my physical strength. Look at my arms. They’re incredibly sturdy.”

As Tuule had said, his tanned copper-brown skin and veiny arms did indeed look incredibly sturdy. It was to the point where I was curious about just what he had been before he lost his memory.

His gray-blue eyes, located under his bushy eyebrows, shone brightly.

His long black hair, close to a brown tone, reminded me of a wild horse. Though, unlike his tough exterior, his kind personality was similar to that of a soft rabbit.

‘The first task is going to be persuading Father.’

It’s already been several weeks since I brought in Tuule. I had promised Father that I would send Tuule away after those several weeks. Me taking in Tuule ultimately meant I would break my promise to Father.

I was nervous that Father would become upset, but I wouldn’t feel at ease sending away that gentle slave to the Crown Prince because he had nowhere to go.

Because I knew all too well how it felt to have nobody to depend on and how terrible it was.

When I was at Damian’s duchy in my past life, I was nothing more and nothing less than a tool.

With the single excuse that I was his fiancée, Damian had blocked off all channels for those who I could depend on. For three long years.

“Hm. Alright, Tuule. Then stay put and rest here for now.”

I left Tuule’s room in order to persuade Father.

Clack. Just after I had closed Tuule’s door and exited his room, my heart dropped to the floor.

That was because Cassadin was standing right in front of me, leaning against the wall.