Tamed A Blackened Slave Man

“You want to meet Cassadin?”

And allow you to do God knows what when you do meet him? Lillian’s face might be angelic, but she was more devilish than any devil out there.

“Why are you so desperate to meet Cassadin?”

When I posed the question, Lillian simply shook her head, indicating she wouldn’t discuss it any further.

During the brief exchange, the man who had been protecting Lillian eyed me suspiciously.

‘How utterly amusing this all is.’

I narrowed my eyes and forcefully removed Lillian from my arm. Preparing to leave her behind, I was just about to follow Father into the mansion.

However, Lillian hindered me once again. Not only that, but she was also holding onto the jacket that Cassadin had placed over my shoulders.

“Lady Serkia. Please accept my apology.”

Upon stopping and looking back at Lillian, I found her bowing to me in apology.

“Milady, this is completely my fault. I am truly unwell, and when someone unexpectedly seizes my wrist or startles me, I suffer from a seizure.”

Upon hearing Lillian’s explanation as she massaged her wrist, several onlookers sighed sympathetically.

With her singular utterance, Lillian succeeded in plunging the entire street into absolute silence. Amidst this profound silence, the quiet murmur of the man who had been holding Lillian moments ago was audible.

“Could that truly be the case?”

Lillian nodded her head, causing the man’s expression to relax.

The man rummaged in his jacket, producing a luxurious badge adorned with his family’s symbol, and handed it to Lillian.

“If anything happens to you, Milady, please take this to the Earl of the Treyman Family.”

Lillian accepted the badge with a bright smile and a nod to the man.

Seeing her smile, the man appeared to fall into a daze. Blushing slightly, he then directed a question to Lillian.

“Have you eaten lunch yet? There’s a nice restaurant I know of nearby…”

“Thank you for the offer, but I must first apologize to Lady Serkia.”

The man moistened his lips in disappointment as Lillian declined his offer. Seeing his reaction, Lillian glanced between me and the man before giving him a gentle smile.

“If you don’t mind, Sir, can we return to the idea of lunch after I’ve had a brief discussion with Lady Serkia?”

“…Ah, yes. Of course.”

Shifting her gaze from the man back to me, Lillian then added,

“If it is not presumptuous, may I have a moment of conversation with you at your residence? I assure you, I won’t take too much of your time. My main aim is to sincerely apologize for putting you in such a difficult situation.”

Could this sudden adjustment in her attitude be because she had decided she wouldn’t achieve her goal if she continued with her tantrum?

She likely decided that it would benefit her to converse with me within the mansion rather than in a more populated location.

However, it was surprising that she would involve the common people in our affairs.

‘Why is Lillian interested in meeting Cassadin?’

Lillian, formerly Damian’s lover, now seems to be targeting Cassadin as well.

In my previous life, Lillian had surfaced in the third year of my engagement with Damian, the same year I met my demise.

It was odd. Why was Lillian, who was supposed to appear later, suddenly in front of my house, and why was she seeking Cassadin instead of Damian?

‘Is it because the present diverges from the past?’

I needed to comprehend why Lillian was behaving so unexpectedly.

Our eyes met, causing her to smile shyly, her eyes forming crescents.

Observing the nobleman’s gaze at Lillian’s smile like a sunflower following the sun, I couldn’t resist frowning.

‘It will be improbable to have a substantial conversation with this pitiful man sitting next to us.’

“…Only if it’s for a brief moment.”

Lillian beamed brightly upon hearing my response and bobbed her head vigorously.

Wearing expressions of waning interest, the nobles, who had been regarding us as if we were a riveting opera, started to depart one after another.

I took a fleeting moment to gaze at the spots where the nobles once stood.

To figure out why Lillian was trying to approach Cassadin, I invited that peculiar woman into our mansion.

“I initially believed her to be merely a bizarre woman. Little did I know that she was pretending to be a noble.”

Father was gravely disturbed by Lillian’s presence. It took a great deal of effort for me to restrain him from commanding our family’s knights to brutally assault her.

It appeared that the nobleman who escorted Lillian had feelings for her. Surely, he would do everything within his power to help Lillian, even if I did manage to imprison her for impersonating a noble.

Thus, instead of taking such a route, I decided it would be more beneficial to uncover Lillian’s true intent.

I guided Lillian to our drawing room. As she seated herself on the sofa, she closely examined her surroundings. Keeping quiet, I observed her actions.

“Here is your tea.”

Sasha must have overheard the recent events, as she glared at Lillian after placing cups of black tea on the table.

It was only after I nodded at her, indicating that I was fine, that she bit her lower lip and returned a slight nod. With the sound of the door closing, it was now just Lillian and me alone in the drawing room.

Taking a sip of the black tea, I got straight to the point.

“So, tell me the real reason you came here. You didn’t travel all this way just to apologize to me, did you?”

“How did you discern that I am not a noble, Milady?”

“Regardless of how well-dressed you are, it would be foolish of me not to notice when you can’t even name your family.”

I chuckled softly to myself. Perhaps it was because of the aftertaste of the black tea, but my mouth had a bitter taste.

Lillian fixed an intense gaze on the teacup before her, eventually voicing thoughts entirely unrelated to our conversation.

“I truly envy you, Milady. Not only were you born into an Earl’s family, but you possess numerous possessions and once had a handsome younger brother.”

“…I know you’re not here for idle small talk.”

At the sound of my sharp tone, Lillian’s eyebrows visibly furrowed.

“…You don’t like me, do you, Milady? Have I really done something so wrong to you?”

When I saw that Lillian, who had claimed she wanted to apologize, was instead pointedly accusing me, I couldn’t help but laugh.

Staring at Lillian, who couldn’t conceal her vile nature beneath her lavish pink dress and striking beauty, I gradually began to speak.

“You, a commoner, came to my mansion, a noble’s. Then you grabbed my wrist, asking me to become friends, and even involved the people watching on the streets in our issue. However, none of these bother me.”

“Then? Why are you so…”

Interrupting Lillian, I continued.

“The fact that you’ve done something wrong yet are unaware of its wrongness is your biggest mistake.”

Lillian’s eyes narrowed slightly.

But right after, Lillian started to snicker as if something amused her. I kept looking at her face as she continued to do so.

Then, wiping off her smile completely, Lillian looked back at me with a blank expression on her face as she spoke.

“Milady has never had to live a life where survival is impossible without committing misconduct, a life where you have to overlook these misdeeds just to survive.”

“……”

“How could someone born with everything understand the feelings of someone who has nothing?”

Her flawless pale skin and clear face were proof that she never lacked food or provisions.

Lillian’s luscious orange hair and the complimentary pink dress were far from the poverty she claimed to have experienced.

“The clothes you are wearing are beyond the reach of someone living in poverty.”

“……”

“I’m rather curious about how you’ve come to possess it.”

I replied with a faint smirk, taking another sip of my tea. The warm beverage slipped down my throat.

Following my lead, Lillian also reached for her teacup. As she raised it to her lips, I observed a gleam of ruthlessness in her eyes.

“The jacket that the young lady is donning appears to be several times more costly than the dress I’m sporting.”

“……”

The jacket I was currently wearing was provided by Cassadin for the cold weather.

‘How seamless that subject change was.’

From Lillian’s swift topic transition, it was apparent she hadn’t acquired the dress by honest means.

“Why? Do you desire this? Just from the look in your eyes, it seems you want to snatch it away right this instant.”

Lillian responded to my remark with a light laugh.

“How could I dare think of such a thing? I just complimented it because it looked particularly impressive.”

Lillian swirled the liquid in her teacup a few times before setting it back on the table untouched.

“Why haven’t you drunk it?”

“Who knows what substances Milady may have added to this tea?”

Lillian softened her gaze once more.

“However, it would be Milady who suffers a loss if I were to die. Unlike Milady, who has everything, I have absolutely nothing to lose.”

“……”

“There are a couple dozen people who saw me enter this mansion. Milady, you might believe that the disappearance of a single commoner doesn’t cause much of a stir. But as you’ve observed, my appearance is quite conspicuous in a crowd.”

Lillian searched her pockets and removed several items, including the badge that the man had given her a moment ago. She placed them on the table.

The items were things like silk handkerchiefs, golden buttons, and luxurious fountain pens.

Every object Lillian presented bore the symbol of a noble family. Among them, I spotted one from an Earl’s family, renowned for their clothing business.

“All these items were given to me by noblemen during my single day of travel from the northern region to the capital.”

Even though I hadn’t asked, Lillian proceeded to explain the significance of these items to me.

“So, are you suggesting that I can’t harm you, a mere commoner, because these noblemen will protect you?”

The absurdity of it caused me to burst out laughing even as the words left my mouth.

Perhaps Lillian perceived her death as a significant event, but in reality, the noblemen would only feel momentary sorrow following her demise. In no way would it impact me.

But Lillian seemed wholly unaware of this fact.

“I find it pitiful that you view your physical attractiveness as a weapon. It is naive to assume that these noblemen would naturally come to your aid when they share no connection with you.”

Upon hearing my statement, Lillian’s expression turned grim. The hostility radiating from her intense glare towards me was palpable.

It was probable that my words bore no significance to Lillian.

To be honest, I had no intention of killing Lillian in the first place. I didn’t want the uncleanliness of her blood to taint the residency where Father and I resided.

So, instead of resorting to violence, I settled on advising her. However, she wasn’t someone who could be swayed by mere words of wisdom.

“If I were in your place, I would try to develop a new skill or ability instead of relying on others. Something that could support you without the need for dependence.”

“……”

“…I can’t understand why you’re going to such lengths to meet Cassadin when there are plenty of noblemen who’ve shown interest in you.”

As I mentioned Cassadin, Lillian responded with her words drawn out, as if to gauge my reaction.

“Your younger brother must be very precious to you, Milady?”

Seeing my frosty expression, Lillian flashed a radiant smile, as if her face had never clouded over before.

“I must have guessed correctly. From what I’ve heard, I thought the two of you were now merely ‘former’ family members.”

“It appears you have come here coveting Cassadin.”

“That’s correct. I’ve heard that he has an exceptionally handsome appearance. Above all, I believe he would be quite a suitable match for me.”

When Lillian stepped over the line, I called out to her.

“Lillian.”

“……!”

Lillian’s eyes widened into large circles, likely surprised by the fact that I knew her name.

I gave her a faint smile as I noticed her visible discomfort.

“Do not forget, the only reason you stand here unscathed today is a pure stroke of luck.”

“…How do you know my name?”

“Leave. I believe our conversation is over.”

Upon hearing my instruction to leave, Lillian scrutinized me intently for several moments before gradually rising from the sofa. I assumed she would exit immediately, but instead, Lillian abruptly pivoted toward me and voiced her thoughts.

“I am unsure how Milady came to know my name, but fortune has typically favored me throughout my life. This trend shall continue henceforth.”

Toying with the doorknob, Lillian uttered softly.

“But anyway, it seems that Milady has quite a fondness for your younger brother.”

“……”

“Although, I don’t have a way to determine if that affection is simply sibling love or something more. I’m truly curious about his appearance now. Well then, I will take my leave.”

There was no need for me to respond to each and every one of her lowly jibes.

Not to mention, Lillian would never have the opportunity to meet Cassadin, regardless of her curiosity about him. In the first place, it was practically impossible for Lillian to meet Cassadin, who was now a Marquess.

This was evident from how Lillian had resorted to clandestine tactics just to converse with me.

Moreover, Cassadin was currently enjoying the Emperor’s favor. He wasn’t only attracting Lillian’s attention; countless people were directing their gaze towards him.

At last, I heard the subtle sound of the room’s door opening.

However, for some reason, the door that should have swiftly shut behind me remained open even after I had waited for quite some time.

‘I believed she mentioned she was leaving.’

Feeling that I might have to resort to enlisting a servant’s help to bid Lillian farewell, I stood up from the sofa.

Yet when I rose and made my way towards the door, I found Lillian gazing upward at someone, her mouth slightly agape.

Lillian’s pale cheeks had now turned a rosy red. Judging from her widened eyes and an expression that seemed almost in awe of what she was seeing, I knew who she had met even without seeing the person myself.