The Male S*ave of the Count Sianella Family

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Shione buried her head in my embrace, and after a bit, her trembling body gradually calmed down. Now, she was simply clinging to me in an almost sober fashion.

But we couldn’t just stay like this forever.

I gently spoke to her.

“Are you feeling better?”

“…Thank you.”

Finally, Shione released me from her grip. I worried that there might be snot on my leather armor, but thankfully, there was nothing of the sort.

What a sight among all this corpses.

This was indeed quite something.

Shione, now free from my hold, stood up. Her eyes looked slightly puffy, perhaps from shedding a few tears.

She glanced down at me, puzzled.

“Let’s hurry and leave. This is no longer a place to linger.”

I gazed up at her.

“You’re feeling mana exhaustion, aren’t you? Unfortunately, it seems you still can’t move about easily.”

“Ah.”

“Please carry me.”

I opened my arms wide. Shione was right; staying here any longer would benefit no one. I, too, wanted to get out of this place quickly.

“…Alright.”

Previously, when I asked to be carried, she was so embarrassed. But this time, for some reason, her expression was composed as she lifted me up.

I found myself on Shione’s back. As I hung there, I felt a bit guilty; her shoulders had become thin and lean due to her diet, contrasting sharply with the broad and plush feel they used to have. It seemed like it would have been more comfortable to be carried before she lost weight.

Lost in such pointless thoughts, I quietly spoke up to ease the guilt of being carried.

“Is it too heavy?”

“It’s not heavy at all, so don’t worry.”

“That’s a relief.”

Well, if she said it wasn’t heavy, then there was no need for concern. If it was tough, she could just use some mana, right? After all, she had just protected me from that monster; what couldn’t she do for someone like me, her benefactor?

I simply closed my eyes as I was carried by Shione.

—

Arriving at the inn, I could see Diolia rushing over with a look of disbelief upon seeing Shione carrying me. She stared at me, looking utterly perplexed.

Diolia’s expression turned serious as soon as she noticed the bloodstains and subtle scent of blood lingering around us.

“Could you explain what happened?”

Diolia demanded calmly. Shione, who had been looking straight ahead, momentarily turned her gaze toward Diolia before quickly looking away again. Diolia quieted down in response to Shione’s cold demeanor.

“First, let’s handle Ray. Can you ask the inn for some bath water?”

“…Of course.”

Diolia scanned me with her gaze before stepping away. She requested the bath water from the staff, allowing me to clean up shortly after.

“Can you wash alone?”

“Of course. I came here being carried, and after resting a bit, I managed to get up.”

Still, my body felt weak and drained, but I was sure I could manage this much.

I entered a designated room, washed the blood off, and changed into a new outfit before stepping back out.

Dressed in fresh attire, I found Diolia waiting over there.

“We have some conversations to share, so let’s head to Princess Shione’s room.”

“As you wish.”

“I heard you’re suffering from mana exhaustion; will you be alright without support?”

“Yes, I’ve gotten much better than before, so I’ll manage to walk on my own.”

“Hmm… understood.”

I followed Diolia to Shione’s room. It was located upstairs from where I had just bathed, so a staircase appeared before me.

…It seemed I wouldn’t be able to make it up the stairs just yet. My original body, even when drained of mana, would have just felt a bit weak, but this wretched body felt much weaker every time mana exhaustion hit.

I quietly alternated my gaze between the stairs and Diolia’s back before speaking.

“Could you help me up the steps?”

“Sure, come this way.”

With Diolia’s aid, I was able to climb the stairs, albeit with some difficulty. Once at the top, I bowed my head slightly in gratitude.

“Thank you for your help.”

“Don’t mention it.”

With a simple exchange of thanks, we hastened our steps toward Shione’s room.

Upon entering, I found Shione sitting on her bed, waiting for us. Her gaze met mine.

“There will still be aftereffects from the mana exhaustion, so sit over there.”

“Thank you.”

I walked over to the chair she indicated and quietly took a seat. Just as I did, Diolia asked, as if she had been waiting to speak.

“Could you tell me what exactly happened?”

Looking at Diolia, it seemed she hadn’t heard any details while I was washing up. Now that she asked, it looked like Shione had organized her thoughts and spoke without any expression change.

“We were ambushed by demon worshippers targeting me as a sacrifice.”

“…Why on earth are demon worshippers here?”

“Five attacked, and Ray protected me. That’s all there is to it.”

“But…”

Diolia’s gaze shifted toward me. Judging from her expression, it was clear she wanted more details than Shione had provided.

“Could you describe it in more detail?”

“…Of course. These five demon worshippers attempted to ambush Princess Shione. Among them, three were skilled sword users.”

“Three sword users?”

“Yes, I saved Princess Shione from those three sword users, which left me exhausted, and it was Princess Shione who saved me afterward.”

“Wait.”

Diolia’s gaze bore into me as if trying to understand.

I knew she would react that way. After all, for an average man, it was exceedingly improbable to take down three sword users. It was the kind of disparity akin to a stray dog defeating an elephant.

If I were Diolia, I wouldn’t have believed it either.

“You killed three sword users.”

I nodded.

It was the truth, after all. I continued to explain in greater detail.

“Ultimately, the sword users were nothing more than half-baked. They only knew how to enhance their physical abilities with mana; their swordsmanship was abysmal.”

“Even so, they are still sword users. Furthermore, you likely haven’t properly trained in swordsmanship due to your status as a slave… how did you dodge their attacks and fight back?”

“…I managed to evade using mana.”

Diolia shook her head at my response.

“I simply can’t understand why. Even if you have awakened mana, the small amount of mana a man gains should be insufficient to enhance physical capabilities.”

“But—”

Snap!

Shione suddenly clapped her hands, breaking the tension in our conversation. Instantly, both Diolia and I turned our attention to her.

“Diolia, let’s cease the interrogation for now. The critical thing isn’t how he defended me, but the fact that he did protect me, right?”

Her tone was flat but had an icy sharpness that was more unsettling than any words she might have used. Diolia went silent in response to Shione’s chilling command.

“…Understood.”

As Diolia quieted down, Shione turned her gaze back to me.

“The rest of the conversation will be concluded between Diolia and me, so you should go back to your room now. You need to rest well today.”

“As you wish.”

I nodded in response to Shione’s command and stood up, bowing my head toward Diolia before exiting the room.

“The demon worshippers mentioned shamans. It seems there are still remnants lurking about, so please stand guard.”

“…I will continue to watch over you, so rest assured and go.”

With those parting words, I returned to my room.

With Diolia on watch, it shouldn’t be that dangerous anymore.

Now, I could finally relax a bit.

—

After having a good long nap on my bed, I woke up to see dusk settling outside the window.

As I regained my senses, I chatted with Ian about trivial matters when—

Knock knock.

I heard someone knock at my door.

Ian looked towards the sound and said, “I’ll go check who it is.”

He stood up and, upon opening the door, unveiled the identity of the visitor.

“Lady Diolia, what brings you here?”

“I came to discuss something with Princess Shione’s attendant. Is it alright?”

At Diolia’s words, I got up from my spot. I had no idea what urgent matter she had, but since she wished to speak with me, Ian wouldn’t have much to contribute.

As I approached her, Ian bowed his head deeply before making his way back to his seat. Diolia and I stepped outside into the hallway to talk.

“What is it at this hour?” I asked.

Diolia hesitated for a moment before replying.

“It seems that Princess Shione is feeling anxious.”

“Princess Shione is anxious?”

“Yes, it seems to be related to the events from earlier today… Given how much she relies on you, I thought it best to summon you to be by her side.”

“Understood. I’ll go right away.”

I nodded in agreement to Diolia’s words. It seemed Shione was once again quietly struggling with what had happened earlier.

Known for her aloofness and solitude, Shione possessed a surprisingly fragile heart.

Just as I began to stride away—

“Wait…!”

Diolia grasped my wrist for a moment.

“What is it?”

“I might have spoken harshly earlier. I… I wish to apologize.”

Given her earlier tone, it was likely she was referring to her response to me defeating the mana users. After all, in this world, it was nearly impossible for a man to defeat sword users.

Understanding her feelings, I seized the opportunity to listen.

“Is there really any need to apologize? If I were in your position, I certainly wouldn’t believe that a man could take down three sword users.”

“Thank you for saying that.”

Diolia smiled lightly in appreciation.

“After all, as her guard, I should have stayed by her side. I truly owe you my gratitude for protecting Princess Shione in my absence.”

With that, she bowed her head humbly to me.

It felt overly generous for an esteemed knight of Shianella to bow to me.

I couldn’t help but smile faintly at her sincerity.

“Is it alright to ask for your protection for Shione tonight?”

“Of course. Don’t worry about it.”

With that, I concluded my conversation with Diolia and promptly headed toward Shione’s room, where I envisioned her trembling alone.

Knock knock.

I politely knocked and opened the door to enter.

Upon entering, I found Shione looking quite disheveled, perhaps due to lack of proper rest, casting worried glances around.

Every so often, her gaze would dart, indicating her troubled thoughts from earlier.

Seeing her like this caused me to sigh quietly.

Indeed, she was a handful.

“Princess Shione, I’m here.”

At my voice, Shione jolted, finally noticing me. She pulled her blankets up to hide her face, staring at me wide-eyed.

“…Ray? What brings you here at this hour?”

Despite peeking out only slightly, she appeared as though nothing had changed. But recalling just moments ago when she had been anxiously floundering around like a puppy made my heart ache.

“I thought we could talk a little, but if it’s inconvenient, I can leave right away.”

The moment she noticed my demeanor, Shione relaxed her grip on the covers and offered a gentle smile.

“Please, it won’t be a bother. In fact, it’s welcome.”

Lifting her head cheerfully from the bed, she settled herself comfortably.

“Can I sit on the chair?”

“Make yourself comfortable.”

“Understood.”

I took my seat, considering that even though Diolia had summoned me, I didn’t exactly have anything pressing to discuss. I fell into silence, pondering how to initiate a conversation, while Shione also seemed to remain quiet, only stealing glances at me.

It occurred to me that before the demon worshippers showed up, Shione was about to say something.

She had seemed very serious, as though she intended to share something significant.

“Princess Shione, you had something to say after visiting the marketplace earlier today, didn’t you?”

“Oh, that…”

Shione blushed at my mention, her embarrassment evident. I smiled brightly and brought my index finger to my lips.

“Shh—”

Seeing my gesture made Shione hush her mouth, and I slowly continued my train of thought.

“Since you weren’t pleased with today’s market visit, could we perhaps hear about it again in the Feiosha Marquis territory?”

“What do you mean by that—”

“Perhaps let’s go for another tour of the streets and discuss it then?”

With those words, Shione finally broke into a glowing smile.

“Of course.”

“Are you looking forward to it, Princess Feiosha?”

“Yes, it sounds like it will be fun! Since it’s known to be wealthy in the southern region of the kingdom, there ought to be many sights to see.”

I teased her lightly, maintaining my playful tone.

“Of course, this time Lady Diolia will be joining us as well.”

“Well, of course, it would be a given.”

Finally completely relaxed, Shione sank back comfortably into her bed. Any trace of her earlier worries had vanished.

As she quietly closed her eyes, she began to drift into sleep, and I couldn’t help but bring up my previous thoughts.

“Ray.”

“Yes?”

“…Thank you.”

A chuckle escaped me at Shione’s words.

“It’s nothing at all.”

Just like that, the earlier anxious Shione, who had been trembling alone in her bed, could finally smile and ease into a comforting sleep.