Tamed A Blackened Slave Man

Oh how tight his grip on my waist was.

With the veins popping out of his neck, it wouldn’t be strange for his long, bony fingers to start strangling me at any moment.

“I hope you are able to take responsibility for your words.”

Damian whispered to me threateningly, his hand still having a tight hold on my waist. He was most definitely going to stab several new openings within my body if what I said was a lie.

Time flew with how carefully we conversed, the crescent moon now high up in the sky.

I took a short glance at the moon shining through the window, then slowly turned to the emerald jewels implanted in Damian’s eyes.

“Your Grace. Before I do so, won’t it be possible for me to do something only after you let go of this?”

“Ah.”

In response, Damian completely released his grip and said,

“It seems that I made Milady uncomfortable.”

It was funny how he mentioned making me uncomfortable now after all of the death threats he said to me in our conversation.

Though I could clearly see that it was just a pretty lie, I smiled as a sign to tell him I was fine.

“Milady, if you plan to do anything to me instead of the treatment…”

“Do not worry. I wouldn’t dare do that to Your Grace.”

“That was a quick answer.”

Damian slicked back his hair with his hand. It felt like his eyes, as he looked at me, were now slightly gentler. Very, incredibly, slightly gentler.

“Then let us head to bed first.”

My statement immediately made Damian frown. As if he just heard something despicable.

“…Why need a bed?”

‘Then do you want me to heal you in this room where there isn’t a single place to lie down? As if you could do that with your germaphobia.’

What was he even thinking of? I kindly explained the reason to Damian.

“Won’t we need a bed first if I want to heal Your Grace?”

“Ah.”

Only then, realizing what the bed was for, did Damian slowly nod his head.

“I will take the lead.”

Just as I was about to follow Damian out of the room, Tuule’s voice grabbed hold of me.

“Miss Aren.”

Turning around to the voice that called to me, I found Tuule staring at me with an expression that was hard to explain. When I tilted my head in confusion, Tuule finally managed to muster up the courage to speak,

“Did Miss Aren really heal my…”

As if finally understanding why I took his ridiculous remarks seriously, Tuule was staring back at me with an expression of realization.

Towards the man who was staring at me with watery eyes, I nodded my head and smiled kindly. Then Damian, who had stopped and turned around to look at me and Tuule, opened his mouth.

“Milady. I suggest that we leave that here for now and let it be just the two of us.”

“……”

“What do you think?”

After a short moment of thinking, I spoke to Tuule,

“Tuule, can you head to the carriage now?”

“Miss Aren. But why? I also…”

“Call someone if you think I’ve been gone for too long.”

“……”

“You can do that, right, Tuule?”

Hearing the firmness in my voice, Tuule slowly nodded in compliance. There was worry about me drawn all over his shadowed face.

And as if to tell Tuule I would be alright, I patted his back and smiled.

He must have been extremely concerned of me as Tuule continued to look back to me on his way back to the carriage and then thumped his chest twice with his fist.

Once Tuule was completely out of sight, Damian remarked in a mocking tone.

“Some may think that I’m going to try harming Milady.”

“Your Grace had threatened me a little while ago. And also had done something to the food.”

“I haven’t done anything with the food.”

“Then why didn’t Your Grace eat?”

“I’ve already told you before. I wasn’t hungry.”

Blatant lies.

“Well, we’ve ought to get along with the healing now. You may follow me.”

Just as I was following behind the man who spoke thorns, the place where I had died in my past life came into view.

A hallway decorated with flourishing jewels.

Luxurious wallpaper with several diamonds and emeralds embedded into it, and floors that contained not even a single speck of dust.

Seeing the hallway that was identical to my memories made me feel a little strange.

‘This was where I was stabbed by you and met my pathetic demise. You just had to do that when I only wanted to leave.’

I habitually massaged my chest area. Thankfully, there was a proper pulse there instead of a waterfall of blood.

You were a person who didn’t let me attend even my father’s funeral.

When I heard the news of my father’s passing, I had spent that entire day with tears flowing down my face, like a mad person. But even then, you had been looking down at me with a face that held no expression.

You never told me anything. But why didn’t you protect my father when you had also participated in that same battlefield?

Did you intentionally leave him to die? Because the only healers in the Empire at the time were me and my father.

Maybe it was you who killed my father. Just like how your own father made the Hyran Kingdom collapse, perhaps you killed my father after considering him a nuisance.

I still clearly remember the conversation we had in the past.

‘Why are you not letting me say farewell to my father one last time? Damian.’

‘His corpse has been severely mutilated beyond recognition. It will only sadden you more to go to the funeral. I’ll deal with all of the paperwork and procedures, so focus on tending to yourself.’

‘No, I’m fine. So please let me see my father one last time.’

‘You cannot. You are not allowed to take one step out of this mansion without my permission.’

‘I’m begging you. Please listen to me this one time. I just want to see him…’

‘Did you forget I dislike repeating myself?’

I stared at him with a devastated expression. Then, Damian caressed my cheek and said this,

‘Poor Aren. Now I’m the only one who is left for you.’

I didn’t know it at the time. Because I couldn’t dare imagine that you would kill my father.

But I had a realization after being killed by you. How foolish of me.

Crawling across the floor with a sword impaling my body, tears of blood flowed out of my eyes.

‘Father, Father. I’m sorry. Father. It’s all my fault.’

More than the pain of being pierced in the heart, the regret of realizing everything when it was too late hurt me the most.

Why had I only realized it then? Why? Why did I choose you?

And to my deceased soul, another life was miraculously given. It would, of course, be nice to consider you nonexistent and concentrate on the happiness of my life.

But the reason I chose this difficult path was because I knew better than anyone else that you were going to push others into that pit of despair.

Like you had done to my father. Like you had done to me.

There was no word that could explain that horror and despair.

Even if I showed my appreciation for this new life and pursued happiness, could that really be called true happiness?

No. I would never be able to escape from my fear of you.

Even if there were no direct connections between us now, I would rather approach you first than forcefully become associated with you eventually.

Because nothing was going to change if I ran away.

So, the first thing I did after returning to the past was bring Cassadin to my side. There was only a single person on this entire continent who was stronger than you.

That was Cassadin.

“Milady? Why did you stop all of a sudden?”

“…It’s nothing.”

When my footsteps slowed, Damian’s eyebrows furrowed, and he tugged harshly on my arm.

“Let us hurry. We are almost there.”

When I looked at the spot where I died again, my heart calmed immediately. The small ripples that had been rising within my heart disappeared without a trace.

---

We soon arrived in a room with a bed.

But the room was closer to an office than a bedroom. There were countless books placed on the bookshelf located next to the bed.

Damian let go of my arm and then turned on the lamp on the bedside table. He must not have had that great of a vision in the dark, as his arm collided with the bookshelf while he was reaching for the lamp.

Plop.

Because of that, one of the books that had been neatly placed on the bookshelf stuck out like a sore thumb. Just as I was about to push the book back in, I stopped after seeing the title.

‘This is Damian’s favorite book.’

“Boundary Of Good and Evil. It’s Philosopher Eliah’s book. I have also enjoyed reading it.”

Hearing my voice, Damian’s eyes glittered in the lamp’s light.

“What are you doing right now?”

“I just took it out to take a look because it’s my favorite book. There’s no need to glare at me like that.”

I responded as I put the book back in its place. When I sat down on the edge of the bed, Damian lay down as well.

“How interesting. That is also my favorite book.”

‘As if I wouldn’t know that. I said that on purpose.’

Because I had constantly been clawing for Damian’s affection in my past life, I remembered everything about him, from what he liked and disliked, every small habit, to the expression he made when he was displeased.

“Is there a phrase you especially like in this book?”

“There is no one who is able to differentiate good and evil perfectly. As what one may call evil can be considered good to another.”

I didn’t really ask him, expecting an answer, but Damian unexpectedly responded. Maybe he was feeling happy after finding something in common. But that didn’t matter to me.

“Chapter 3, Verse 4. A good scripture, indeed. One that makes you think deeply.”

Damian looked up at me with surprise from his position on the bed. He didn’t seem to have expected me to be memorizing the scriptures in the book.

“What is the matter? Your Grace.”

“It’s just a bit unexpected.”

“…I will take that as a compliment. Then let us start the treatment now.”

It may just be my feeling, but the look in Damian’s eyes as he stared at me seemed different from just a moment ago.

“Can you take off your upper shirt? I can’t dare unclothe Your Grace myself.”

With his eyes narrowed once again, Damian raised his hands towards his shirt buttons. With several small popping sounds as the buttons became undone, Damian’s bare upper body revealed itself.

Unlike Cassadin’s body, which had been covered with scars, there wasn’t even as much as a scratch on Damian’s body. As to be expected from a man obsessed with swordsmanship, his muscles were all toned and athletic.

‘Cassadin, just where are you right now? Doing what?’

As I reached towards Damian’s body, I thought of Cassadin. The light from the lamp flickered with my movement.

Under the area where my hand touched his chest, I felt his heart beating strong and hard.

I recited the script I had prepared for Damian.

“There’s a reason why not even famous doctors were able to cure this. There is a serious problem with Your Grace’s heart condition.”

“What is that problem?”

“The disease has progressed to the point that even I am unable to completely heal it at once.”

“That is alright, so I ask you to show me this healing ability already.”

In response to his urging, I closed my eyes and started to manipulate the state of his disease.

‘Damian, it will be exactly a week later that the pain of your heart disease returns. Until then, your body will feel light, as if the pain has disappeared completely.’

I felt the light emitting from my hands get absorbed into Damian’s body.

If it had been another healer, this would have used a considerable amount of stamina, but I was able to manipulate the disease without any struggle.

How long has it passed since then?

“My goodness.”

When I slowly opened my eyes, he had this shocked exclamation, and I found Damian sitting up on the bed, touching his chest.

“How could this be…? The pain has disappeared completely.”

Damian’s eyes widened visibly. While caressing the area around his heart, Damian stared at me with disbelief.

“So it was true that Milady has healing abilities.”

“Why would there be any reason for me to lie to Your Grace after coming all this way?”

“I apologize for the misunderstanding.”

Who knew Damian would apologize to me? He must be really happy that the pain from his heart condition is gone. Even if it was only ‘temporary.’

“It is alright, Your Grace. I understand.”

“This is hard to believe, even after witnessing it with my own eyes.”

“…Then, have we made up now?”

Damian, who had continuously been massaging parts of his body without even thinking to button his shirt, then smiled gently.

“Of course we have.”

Then suddenly, Damian extended a hand to me. When I stared down at his hand with a puzzled expression, his eyes curled into arches as he added on,

“Why don’t we shake hands to commemorate our reconciliation?”

‘To think that Damian would request a handshake first. He really must be wanting this healing ability.’

Slightly astonished by this change, I placed my hand in his and accepted the handshake. And while still holding my hand, Damian asked me a question,

“What is Milady’s favorite scripture in the Boundary Of Good and Evil?”

My favorite scripture.

“The evil know not that they are evil, and the good know not that they are good, so when the time comes, thy sins will be measured on a scale, and one will pay for the price of thy actions.”

“Chapter 9, Verse 11.”

“Yes, it’s my favorite scripture.”

Feeling that the handshake was starting to become a little too long, I slowly removed my hand from Damian’s and smiled brightly. But then Damian grabbed onto my retracting hand and opened his mouth.

“It seems like we have much in common…”

“……”

Staring at me with the slender eyes of a starved beast, Damian added on,

“Why don’t we converse through this night?”