Tamed A Blackened Slave Man

We spent the night at a nearby inn. As soon as the sun rose the next morning, I immediately headed for Damian’s mansion.

“Miss, you’re really going there again?”

“Miss Aren, that’s too dangerous.”

Though Sasha and Tuule tried to stop me, asking why I was bothering to go again.

“It’s alright.”

I repeatedly reassured them that it would be okay. The two expressed doubt at my insistent behavior but were soon surprised by Damian’s sudden change of attitude.

“You’ve come as promised. I’m deeply touched.”

He was wearing a neat black uniform, greeting us properly. And unlike yesterday, when he had not allowed Sasha to even set foot in the mansion, he had guided her personally to a designated room.

It was to the point where I was questioning whether the person in front of me really was the man who tried to kill me last night and not another person pretending to be Damian.

Damian had even ordered a servant to guide Tuule to a room to rest in. And unable to hide the shock on his face, Tuule glanced at me for permission.

“M-Miss Aren.”

When I nodded, telling him it was alright, Tuule hesitated for another moment before following the servant.

Once Tuule was completely out of sight, Damian escorted me to a room that was much more extravagant compared to the drawing room last night.

This living room was several times larger than the room from yesterday.

Inside the room were cushioned red velvet sofas and tables made of pure silver, with a sparkling chandelier on the ceiling that could only usually be found in banquet rooms.

Right next to the velvet sofa was a large square glass case, a collection of valuable jewels, including an expensive red diamond necklace, displayed inside.

It was so easy to enter the room that I had not been given permission to enter in my past life.

Seeing me silently stare at the accessories, Damian spoke up next to me,

“Have you perhaps taken a liking to one of these?”

“Pardon?”

I looked up at him, surprised. Then I saw his eyes curve into arches.

“If you wish to have these accessories, then feel free to ask me. It seems that these have also found their true owner.”

“……”

“I would ask for you to accept these as an apology for my rudeness last night.”

This was all so comical. The reason why Damian was acting so kindly to me was because his greed was longing for my healing abilities that could cure his heart disease.

Just like how he would have been in my past life.

‘He recognized that I had fallen in love with him and used that to his advantage right away.’

On the other hand, how was he now? He was instead showing more enthusiasm toward me because he was certain that I had feelings for him. But now or then, his original nature of treating others as mere tools was the same.

Which was why he wouldn’t feel a single bit of guilt when he would push me off the cliff to my downfall.

With my thoughts now organized, my feelings were no longer shaken. I could feel my heart calmer than ever. The useless emotions were gone, and all I had left was my cold, sharp mind.

Feeling the temperature drop instantly, I smiled kindly at Damian and opened my mouth.

“It’s alright, Your Grace. We have already reconciled.”

Taking my gaze off the accessories, I sat down on the velvet sofa. Seeing that I had sat down, Damian also followed and sat on the sofa across from me.

When Damian rang the bell on the table, his servants immediately entered the room, pushing in a cart full of desserts.

The warm milk tea and cookies, macarons, cake, chocolate eclairs, and other sweets that made one’s mouth water just looking at them, filled the table to the brim.

“Please call us any time, Madam.”

For some reason, likely because of Damian’s orders, the servants bowed deeply to me several times as they left the room.

When Damian saw that I wasn’t touching the food, his eyes gently folded into a smile as he brought a lemon macaron to his mouth.

After consuming the macaron, Damian wiped the edges of his mouth with a napkin before opening his mouth.

“As you can see, there is no poison in these dishes. Please be rest assured, Milady.”

And when I picked up the warm cup of milk tea after hearing that, Damian smiled contentedly.

“Its smell is quite aromatic.”

With a compliment, I took a sip of the milk tea.

Clack.

I had just put the teacup back on the table when Damian started to give an unasked explanation about the milk tea.

“How does it taste? I had ordered a servant to buy a fresh batch yesterday night, especially for Milady.”

“I can taste all its flavors. It’s very pleasant.”

I took a short glimpse at the fake mask Damian had put on, then added,

“Perhaps it’s because I have Your Grace here.”

In response to my meaningless comment, he bothered to fold his eyes into a deeper arch and laugh. With his laugh, his combed hair bounced along with him.

‘You must have decided to change your attitude after seeing that healing ability.’

After that, we continued to exchange small talk while taking bites of the provided sweets.

“Others seem to have a hard time making eye contact with me when I speak.”

“Oh, is that so?”

“People tend to misunderstand me because of my sharply angled eyes. Most of the time, they make the assumption that I am a scary person.”

As he let out an airy laugh, Damian peered at me so intently that I felt a bit awkward. His eyes seemed to be somewhere in between inspecting and testing me.

“But Milady doesn’t avoid my eyes. Which I like even more.”

Returning Damian’s eyes, that were following me, I then answered,

“When I first saw Your Grace, the first thought that came to my mind was Your Grace’s beauty, not fear.”

And Damian burst into a small fit of laughter.

“I feel happy that Milady spoke of me like that.”

“I merely said what I had felt.”

Taking my gaze off of Damian, I brought the cup of milk tea up to my lips.

Clack.

Then, I quietly peered down at the empty teacup that was placed back on the table.

My heart felt empty, just like this empty cup.

Maybe that was why. That I was able to lie with such ease.

“When I first met Your Grace, it was as if I had met the man of my dreams.”

“……”

“You wouldn’t even begin to understand how happy I am that we reconciled.”

Looking up from the empty teacup, I smiled innocently at Damian. In reality, the smile was full of fakery and lies.

A small curve formed on Damian’s mouth as he responded.

“I am also overjoyed, Milady.”

“…Thank you for accepting my request to make up.”

“Not at all. I should instead thank you for curing my heart condition.”

“Like I said yesterday, Your Grace’s condition is not one that can be fully cured in just one session. The state of the disease has already progressed too far.”

As if to express his understanding, Damian brought up his right hand to his chest and bowed to me.

“Then may I visit Milady next time the pain returns?”

“Of course. Feel free to visit any time.”

“That is what friends are for, is it not?”

My following sentence caused a slight crack to appear in Damian’s expression.

“…Friends, you say.”

“I apologize. I must have gone too far. I shouldn’t have said that to Your Grace.”

When I slapped my lips with my hand, Damian leaped up from his seat. He even rushed to grab my wrist.

It was likely that he feared that his one and only tool to cure his heart disease would become flawed in some way.

“Do not worry, Milady hasn’t done anything wrong.”

I stared up at him with a blank expression, in which he curled up a corner of his mouth.

“Let us be just that. Friends.”

“…Your Grace.”

I reddened my eyes with a touched expression. Seeing my face, Damian leaned in close enough for our breaths to touch.

From the green eyes that stared down at me, the desire for my healing ability oozed out of them.

“It will be nice for us to start as friends.”

“…….”

“In that sense, may I call Milady by her name?”

Damian leaned down and pecked his lips against the back of my hand. And it didn’t take long for me to think of the answer to that request.

“It would be my honor.”

“Would it be alright for me to visit Milady’s home next time?”

“…No. I couldn’t dare bother Your Grace with such a cumbersome ride when you are already so busy. Wouldn’t it also be better for Your Grace physically and emotionally that I come here?”

As if I would let you into my house when only God knows what you might do.

Seemingly displeased with my answer, Damian raised an eyebrow.

“Is that so…?”

Though his expression seemed unsatisfied, he couldn’t rashly say otherwise.

Because I could see the gears rolling in his mind every time he spat out a word, and taking in the fact that I was his only lead to curing his heart disease into consideration,

“Your Grace, do you perhaps like any other books from Philosopher Eliah?”

“In fact, I do.”

“Then next time I visit, I will come with books for Your Grace. I was also so deeply fascinated by the Boundary of Good and Evil that I read every single book that Eliah has written.”

I spoke to him with a bright smile on my face. And in return, Damian’s expression softened, as if he had never been displeased.

“Well, you’ve got me excited now, Milady.”

With a content smile, Damian continued,

“The Founding Day is coming up soon.”

“Ah, it is already the Founding Day. Occasions like them make me feel as though time passes so quickly.”

“Well, in return, I will show you something interesting on that day.”

Interesting? Just what did he want to show me? When I cocked my head with a confused expression, Damian’s eyes curled into crescents as he spoke,

“It won’t be fun if I tell you in advance, so just wait and enjoy the shows of that day.”

“That is only making me even more curious about what Your Grace has planned.”

“I promise that it will be incredibly entertaining. So I ask of you to please attend the Founding Day festival.”

“Are you referring to the twentieth day of the tenth month?”

Damian nodded his head.

“Yes. The Founding Day festival is open every year at the capital, so it will be close to Milady’s home.”

“…That is true.”

“I sincerely ask you to come see.”

Just what did he plan on showing me that made him ask me this much? With eyes narrowed, I asked him,

“But there will be so many people at the festival. How will I be able to find Your Grace?”

“I will send a trusted servant of mine, so all Milady has to do is follow them.”

Then Damian just continued to ramble on about things I couldn’t understand. Thinking that he might be planning to harm me, I carefully inspected his face.

But suddenly, Damian called out my name.

“Aren.”

“…Yes.”

“The Boundary of Good and Evil. Do you know what chapter 4, verse 4 says?”

Damian asked a question to figure out my intention. Thankfully, I had every single scripture memorized,

“While thou must not give one’s heart easily, a heart that was given through much effort shall not be questioned.”

When I recited the scripture perfectly, word for word, Damian smiled as if he were happy.

If my memory didn’t serve me wrong, I believe I saw Damian’s smile more on just this single day than I had in my entire life in my past life.

“I will no longer question you, who cured my heart condition.”

“……”

“So, Aren.”

His emerald irises located under his ebony hair glinted sharply.

“I wish for you to trust me as well.”